Garvan Walshe
@garvanwalshe.org
Civic entrepreneur building tech for democrats of all parties and none at Article7.eu. I also chair Unhack Democracy and write on foreign affairs, defence and democracy.
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Garvan Walshe
@garvanwalshe.org
· Jun 30
Fundraiser by Unhack Democracy | Unhack Democracy
Unhack Democracy Needs Your Help | 💡 Bold . Hopeful. Creative. Building a new vision for democracy in Europe. Since we started Unhack Democracy in 2018 to show voters and the internatio...
whydonate.com
Unhack Democracy, the pro-democracy civil society incubator I chair is raising money.
We fight against elected autocrats including Viktor Orban.
We support civil society innovation in Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria
🧵 On our story
Please share widely
whydonate.com/fundraising/...
We fight against elected autocrats including Viktor Orban.
We support civil society innovation in Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria
🧵 On our story
Please share widely
whydonate.com/fundraising/...
Something something at least she doesn’t think about the Roman Empire every day
November 28, 2025 at 12:03 PM
Something something at least she doesn’t think about the Roman Empire every day
Simon Willison overstates the case here. Modern LLMs have some use with coding agents but struggle adding coherently to all but the smallest code bases.
The caveat is that I’ve mostly used them with python which is full of ambiguities. 1/
The caveat is that I’ve mostly used them with python which is full of ambiguities. 1/
One common criticism of AI-written code is that it is not "good" code, and is inefficient, etc. I always think this is just looking for a reason to be mad, as unless you're optimising for (eg) battery usage or running at scale.. who cares? Just throw more compute at the problem!
At the risk of starting the flame war to end all flame wars...
Modern LLMs (GPT-5.1, Claude 4.5, Gemini 3) produce excellent code and can be a significant productivity boost to software engineers who take the time to learn how to effectively apply them - especially if used with coding agent tools
Modern LLMs (GPT-5.1, Claude 4.5, Gemini 3) produce excellent code and can be a significant productivity boost to software engineers who take the time to learn how to effectively apply them - especially if used with coding agent tools
November 28, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Simon Willison overstates the case here. Modern LLMs have some use with coding agents but struggle adding coherently to all but the smallest code bases.
The caveat is that I’ve mostly used them with python which is full of ambiguities. 1/
The caveat is that I’ve mostly used them with python which is full of ambiguities. 1/
National Militant update
The Blue Labour right have become the Militant of 2025 - a tiny but hyperactive and densely networked sect working relentlessly to drag Labour towards their niche pursuits and away from the values and priorities of core Labour voters.
November 28, 2025 at 10:47 AM
National Militant update
Superb news for two of my favourite countries!
Here I attempt to answer a simple question: which country is most like Britain?
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Which country is most similar to Britain?
Clue: none of the ones its politicians obsess over
www.economist.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:56 AM
Superb news for two of my favourite countries!
The growth in defence spending figures would tell a different story
On the surface, Eurozone growth looks pretty decent all things considered. But when looking under the hood, the picture worsens considerably:
- Ireland (4% of the EZ) accounts for 40% of growth
- Spain (10%) accounts for 20%
- Half of the Eurozone is growing at 0.5% or below
- Ireland (4% of the EZ) accounts for 40% of growth
- Spain (10%) accounts for 20%
- Half of the Eurozone is growing at 0.5% or below
November 27, 2025 at 9:09 PM
The growth in defence spending figures would tell a different story
Rawls v Nozick latest
The "don't have an extra kid if you can't afford it" brigade get awfully upset when you suggest they don't stay in their £2m house if they can't afford it, don't they?
November 27, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Rawls v Nozick latest
Are Euroclear being paid by the Russians? Because they’re certainly behaving like they are.
Euroclear warns plan for a Ukraine loan raised from Russian frozen assets “will lead to a sustained increase in European sovereign bond spreads, raising borrowing costs for all member states” in letter to @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu seen by @bmoens.bsky.social & @lauramdubois.ft.com
on.ft.com/3M4lRHg
on.ft.com/3M4lRHg
EU’s frozen-assets loan plan risks rattling markets, Euroclear warns
[FREE TO READ] Proposal for ‘reparations’ funding for Ukraine using immobilised Russian assets would be seen as ‘confiscation’
on.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Are Euroclear being paid by the Russians? Because they’re certainly behaving like they are.
Rate limiting accounts that have not been verified as human/institutional or label themselves a bot is easy to implement and would limit this nonsense.
you've tweeted 452k times since december 2013. that's 103 tweets a day. assuming you sleep 8 hours a day, that's a new tweet every ten mins for twelve years. talking about how to attract a high value man. brother, you need to attract a HIGH VALUE JOB
November 27, 2025 at 11:55 AM
Rate limiting accounts that have not been verified as human/institutional or label themselves a bot is easy to implement and would limit this nonsense.
I like to imagine they were the two men who switched to Slavic-accented Albanian at an Italian restaurant in Valencia after I’d helped them order wine because they couldn’t speak either Spanish or, notably, Itslian
“flasim shqiptar” their talk began…
“flasim shqiptar” their talk began…
Two mysterious men with a Slavic accent allegedly commissioned the break-in, raising the prospect of international sponsors behind the Louvre heist. www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers...
Contrat à 15 000 euros, commanditaires « à l’accent slave », van blanc… Les secrets du casse du siècle au Louvre
EXCLUSIF. Un mois après le cambriolage historique du musée parisien, le quatrième homme supposé du commando a été placé en garde à vue. Si l
www.leparisien.fr
November 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I like to imagine they were the two men who switched to Slavic-accented Albanian at an Italian restaurant in Valencia after I’d helped them order wine because they couldn’t speak either Spanish or, notably, Itslian
“flasim shqiptar” their talk began…
“flasim shqiptar” their talk began…
Europe thinks about retaliating against Russia.
“coordinated pointing of fingers” among the options discussed
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
“coordinated pointing of fingers” among the options discussed
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
Europe thinks the unthinkable: Retaliating against Russia
Countries are looking at joint offensive cyber operations and surprise military drills as Moscow steps up its campaign to destabilize NATO allies.
www.politico.eu
November 27, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Europe thinks about retaliating against Russia.
“coordinated pointing of fingers” among the options discussed
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
“coordinated pointing of fingers” among the options discussed
www.politico.eu/article/euro...
“Reducing household spending to pay for investment”
Courageous, Chancellor
Courageous, Chancellor
November 27, 2025 at 8:56 AM
“Reducing household spending to pay for investment”
Courageous, Chancellor
Courageous, Chancellor
Voluntary military service offers something to people who want to become reservists, and allows countries to accumulate reserves.
In most cases this is better both for them and for the militaries than universal conscription.
In most cases this is better both for them and for the militaries than universal conscription.
After nearly 30 years, France is set to reintroduce military service — another sign that Russian President Vladimir Putin is reshaping Europe’s security landscape.
France joins Europe’s military service bandwagon
Emmanuel Macron’s new scheme is likely to be a voluntary 10-month stint
www.politico.eu
November 27, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Voluntary military service offers something to people who want to become reservists, and allows countries to accumulate reserves.
In most cases this is better both for them and for the militaries than universal conscription.
In most cases this is better both for them and for the militaries than universal conscription.
I had my big sister’s 1970s Lego collection as a hand me down. This is wonderful.
OMG, Leggo was promoting DEI all the way back in the 70's
(yes, that was sarcasm)
.
(yes, that was sarcasm)
.
November 26, 2025 at 11:40 PM
I had my big sister’s 1970s Lego collection as a hand me down. This is wonderful.
Saab is having a good war 💪
Poland has chosen Sweden as the supplier of new submarines for its navy.
It intends to buy three A26 submarines from Saab, which will replace the Polish navy's only current submarine, a 40-year-old Soviet-era vessel that is in need of constant repair.
It intends to buy three A26 submarines from Saab, which will replace the Polish navy's only current submarine, a 40-year-old Soviet-era vessel that is in need of constant repair.
Poland picks Sweden to supply submarines for its navy
notesfrompoland.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:22 PM
Saab is having a good war 💪
Britain:
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
having gone to university as the last cohort of the 3k/year system never fails to give me a brief taste of that "last chopper out of Saigon" feeling boomers and, to an extent, Gen Xers have been getting for most of the past fifteen years or so
Student loan repayment thresholds frozen for a further three years.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
November 26, 2025 at 3:39 PM
Britain:
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
American taxes and Scandinavian public services for the old.
Scandinavian taxes and American public services for the young.
As he verged on adulthood, Farage discovered being outrageous and right wing was the surest road to getting the attention he craved.
These things may happen in adolescence but why has our political system not forced him to grow up?
These things may happen in adolescence but why has our political system not forced him to grow up?
new allegation concerning Farage’s behaviour when he was 18 years old
November 26, 2025 at 8:29 AM
As he verged on adulthood, Farage discovered being outrageous and right wing was the surest road to getting the attention he craved.
These things may happen in adolescence but why has our political system not forced him to grow up?
These things may happen in adolescence but why has our political system not forced him to grow up?
I mean this was my LLM trained by the manufacturer to the tune of tens of millions of dollars today
“To fix this, I should.. Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there”
“To fix this, I should.. Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there”
November 25, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I mean this was my LLM trained by the manufacturer to the tune of tens of millions of dollars today
“To fix this, I should.. Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there”
“To fix this, I should.. Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there”
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who’s coming to save you?
November 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
You’ve been kidnapped. The characters from the last TV show you watched are trying to rescue you. Who’s coming to save you?
Finally an excuse to get the white tie out
November 25, 2025 at 1:35 PM
Finally an excuse to get the white tie out
Taxation without representation!
Tourist Tax is fine I think. Worth noting though how this started as an idea for local authority discretion but seems likely to end as a Treasury imposition on England. The unchanging policy that HMT must control as much as possible. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
Reeves Budget to Embrace Tourist Tax for Cities Including London
The UK will allow Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and other local leaders to impose a “tourist tax” on overnight stays in English cities.
www.bloomberg.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Taxation without representation!
My coding LLM is stuck in a loop. I ask it what’s wrong. It tells me:
🤖:
Solutions
To fix this, I should:
1. Check the current state first; Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there
👏 Bravo my little robot, bravo! 👏
🤖:
Solutions
To fix this, I should:
1. Check the current state first; Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there
👏 Bravo my little robot, bravo! 👏
November 25, 2025 at 11:57 AM
My coding LLM is stuck in a loop. I ask it what’s wrong. It tells me:
🤖:
Solutions
To fix this, I should:
1. Check the current state first; Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there
👏 Bravo my little robot, bravo! 👏
🤖:
Solutions
To fix this, I should:
1. Check the current state first; Look at what's actually in the file now rather than assuming what should be there
👏 Bravo my little robot, bravo! 👏
Righteous fury in this highly recommended piece, but the fury should focus on core Western Europe which thinks you can fight the war without fighting. NB8, Poland, Romanian (and when they had a serious Govt, Bulgaria and Czechia) are taking this seriously.
"Europe’s problem is not that it lacks options. It is that it refuses to use them". Jade McGlynn skewers both the Dmitriev/Witkoff plan for Ukraine's destruction, & Europe's refusal to act decisively enough to prevent disaster. open.substack.com/pub/smalldee...
Circus
Amidst the absolute chaos of a Witkoff-stamped Russian psyop-as-peace plan, discussion is filled with anger at Washington and at Moscow.
open.substack.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Righteous fury in this highly recommended piece, but the fury should focus on core Western Europe which thinks you can fight the war without fighting. NB8, Poland, Romanian (and when they had a serious Govt, Bulgaria and Czechia) are taking this seriously.
V interesting and well worth reading.
I would like to hear more about price differentials between countries. The change, and the increasing competitiveness of southern rather than Northern Europe is playing a role here I think.
FYI @johnspringford.bsky.social
I would like to hear more about price differentials between countries. The change, and the increasing competitiveness of southern rather than Northern Europe is playing a role here I think.
FYI @johnspringford.bsky.social
According to Oxford professor of energy Jan Rosenow, rapid electrification of Europe's industry, not rolling back the EU's Green Deal, will save European industry.
Why electrification, not repealing green laws, will save Europe's industry
According to Oxford professor of energy Jan Rosenow, rapid electrification of Europe's industry, not rolling back the EU's Green Deal, will save European industry.
euobserver.com
November 25, 2025 at 8:03 AM
V interesting and well worth reading.
I would like to hear more about price differentials between countries. The change, and the increasing competitiveness of southern rather than Northern Europe is playing a role here I think.
FYI @johnspringford.bsky.social
I would like to hear more about price differentials between countries. The change, and the increasing competitiveness of southern rather than Northern Europe is playing a role here I think.
FYI @johnspringford.bsky.social
Trump makes Napoleon III look sane.
All this will do is put the oil price up and make solar power’s cost advantage even greater.
All this will do is put the oil price up and make solar power’s cost advantage even greater.
Rep. Salazar on Venezuela: "We're about to go in ... we need to go in ... Venezuela for the American oil companies will be a field day"
November 24, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Trump makes Napoleon III look sane.
All this will do is put the oil price up and make solar power’s cost advantage even greater.
All this will do is put the oil price up and make solar power’s cost advantage even greater.