Gautam Kambhampati
@gautampk.com
🇬🇧 London & Hull
⚖️ Trainee Patent Lawyer
📚 Publisher of @tamarindlit.co.uk
🐺 Defence & Technology at fabians.org.uk
🌹 Co-founder of labourfortheconstitution.org.uk
📡 Physics PhD & Fellow of @royalastrosoc.bsky.social
⚖️ Trainee Patent Lawyer
📚 Publisher of @tamarindlit.co.uk
🐺 Defence & Technology at fabians.org.uk
🌹 Co-founder of labourfortheconstitution.org.uk
📡 Physics PhD & Fellow of @royalastrosoc.bsky.social
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
every January I go mad trying to avoid seasonal depression so last year I went out basically every night for a month, then realised I was too old for that, and so far this month I've read six books, gone to the cinema three times and been to seven exhibitions, and honestly that's also too much
January 20, 2026 at 10:55 PM
every January I go mad trying to avoid seasonal depression so last year I went out basically every night for a month, then realised I was too old for that, and so far this month I've read six books, gone to the cinema three times and been to seven exhibitions, and honestly that's also too much
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
Frankly: it is ridiculous that Russia (population circa 145 million, awful demographics, GDP of about the same size as Italy) is a security threat to Europe that requires US help to manage. But it currently is.
Reversing that is the first aim. And very very achievable.
Reversing that is the first aim. And very very achievable.
January 20, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Frankly: it is ridiculous that Russia (population circa 145 million, awful demographics, GDP of about the same size as Italy) is a security threat to Europe that requires US help to manage. But it currently is.
Reversing that is the first aim. And very very achievable.
Reversing that is the first aim. And very very achievable.
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
I have never felt more pro-European.
Foreign Ministers of Denmark and Greenland after their meeting with US Vice President and Secretary of State.
January 15, 2026 at 11:58 AM
I have never felt more pro-European.
Oh good, not totally spineless. Also nice to see it confirmed that the planned “exercises” in Greenland (which were requested by Denmark) are JEF-led
Yes, against Russia & China. Sure.
'UK Defence Secretary John Healey says a British military officer is supporting a Danish "reconnaissance group" in Greenland ... to bolster security in the region against Russian "aggression" & "any Chinese activity". .' uk.news.yahoo.com/healey-uk-as...
'UK Defence Secretary John Healey says a British military officer is supporting a Danish "reconnaissance group" in Greenland ... to bolster security in the region against Russian "aggression" & "any Chinese activity". .' uk.news.yahoo.com/healey-uk-as...
Healey: UK assisting Danish military in Greenland
At a press conference alongside his Swedish counterpart, UK Defence Secretary John Healey says a British military officer is supporting a Danish "reconaissance group" in Greenland intended to bolster ...
uk.news.yahoo.com
January 14, 2026 at 8:19 PM
Oh good, not totally spineless. Also nice to see it confirmed that the planned “exercises” in Greenland (which were requested by Denmark) are JEF-led
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
![Comic: Common Sailing Rigs. [18 boats with different sail types, labeled.] Lateen; Bermuda rigged sloop; Ketch, Gaff rigged sloop; yawl; schooner; Ketch-rigged Gaff; Kloop-rigged sketch; bunkbed rig; Flettner rig; Oops, all Spinnakers; keel rig; kite rig; longsail rig; deckhand obliterator; offset rig; mastless rig; unclassifiable chaos rig.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreientc5tredyz4kyj4ifwiiu2diy5zkxze6pnlbtcyxlntwlkg43ku@jpeg)
January 13, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Is today the day we grow a spine? (Somehow I doubt it.)
Senior figures from across the British political spectrum are calling on the government to make a more visible show of support for Greenland in the face of continued threats from Donald Trump’s White House.
UK urged to beef up Greenland support amid Trump threats
Former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace is among those calling for Britain to make better use of the existing Joint Expeditionary Force.
www.politico.eu
January 13, 2026 at 4:33 PM
Is today the day we grow a spine? (Somehow I doubt it.)
IMO what’s most surprising about this is that Kemi Badenoch is the Condorcet winner and Nigel Farage is the Condorcet loser. That suggests an under-explored axis of polarisation
Who would make the best PM?
Starmer 36% vs Farage 29%
Starmer 28% vs Badenoch 28%
Starmer 21% vs Polanski 19%
Badenoch 31% vs Farage 21%
Badenoch 28% vs Davey 25%
Badenoch 28% vs Polanski 22%
Davey 33% vs Farage 27%
Davey 23% vs Starmer 19%
Davey 20% vs Polanski 15%
Polanski 28% vs Farage 27%
Starmer 36% vs Farage 29%
Starmer 28% vs Badenoch 28%
Starmer 21% vs Polanski 19%
Badenoch 31% vs Farage 21%
Badenoch 28% vs Davey 25%
Badenoch 28% vs Polanski 22%
Davey 33% vs Farage 27%
Davey 23% vs Starmer 19%
Davey 20% vs Polanski 15%
Polanski 28% vs Farage 27%
January 12, 2026 at 5:15 PM
IMO what’s most surprising about this is that Kemi Badenoch is the Condorcet winner and Nigel Farage is the Condorcet loser. That suggests an under-explored axis of polarisation
London crime rate was up 2013-2019. Police funding was cut 2011-2015 & then increased with the BoJo govt, only recovering to 2011 levels in 2022 (src ONS). It’s almost like… austerity caused the crime rate to go up & police need to be funded in order to do their job? 😮 Now fund social services pls
January 12, 2026 at 11:27 AM
London crime rate was up 2013-2019. Police funding was cut 2011-2015 & then increased with the BoJo govt, only recovering to 2011 levels in 2022 (src ONS). It’s almost like… austerity caused the crime rate to go up & police need to be funded in order to do their job? 😮 Now fund social services pls
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
Saving juries by abolishing juries.
The absolute state of this.
The absolute state of this.
David Lammy, the justice secretary, is expected to announce that he is scrapping jury trials for ‘either way’ cases, including those for assault and burglary ⬇️
David Lammy: ‘I don’t want to scrap juries. This is about saving them’
David Lammy, the justice secretary, is expected to announce that he is scrapping jury trials for ‘either way’ cases, including those for assault and burglary
www.thetimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM
Saving juries by abolishing juries.
The absolute state of this.
The absolute state of this.
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
This and this similar point (bsky.app/profile/jsph...) goes back to the flaw with the OBR in the first place - not assigning it to parliament to oversee. If it was a parliamentary body, it could just use their website & other operational support teams whilst still being independent of the government
Structurally it's also interesting that, as the leak report also notes, the OBR has all these responsibilities but is about the scale of a small to medium-sized business, with a budget of £6.4mn and a team of 52 people, only six in what you'd call 'operations'. Not extending to a full IT department.
December 1, 2025 at 6:01 PM
This and this similar point (bsky.app/profile/jsph...) goes back to the flaw with the OBR in the first place - not assigning it to parliament to oversee. If it was a parliamentary body, it could just use their website & other operational support teams whilst still being independent of the government
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
And the head of the OBR has resigned. I see why some think it looks excessive, but it’s not. Publishing reports is what the OBR does!
This was a failure of process at multiple levels, meaning they messed up the most important thing they do. It’s the 21st century: ”IT stuff” is boardroom stuff.
This was a failure of process at multiple levels, meaning they messed up the most important thing they do. It’s the 21st century: ”IT stuff” is boardroom stuff.
There’s a layering of fuckups at different levels that allows something like that to happen. I don’t think it would be silly or overblown for someone very senior in the OBR to be required to take responsibility for it.
December 1, 2025 at 5:54 PM
And the head of the OBR has resigned. I see why some think it looks excessive, but it’s not. Publishing reports is what the OBR does!
This was a failure of process at multiple levels, meaning they messed up the most important thing they do. It’s the 21st century: ”IT stuff” is boardroom stuff.
This was a failure of process at multiple levels, meaning they messed up the most important thing they do. It’s the 21st century: ”IT stuff” is boardroom stuff.
Bit of a change of tune from Lammy re jury trials.
I recall @barristersecret.bsky.social saying in their book that you should always choose a jury trial if possible, because the chances of injustice are much higher in the magistrates’ court.
I recall @barristersecret.bsky.social saying in their book that you should always choose a jury trial if possible, because the chances of injustice are much higher in the magistrates’ court.
November 25, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Bit of a change of tune from Lammy re jury trials.
I recall @barristersecret.bsky.social saying in their book that you should always choose a jury trial if possible, because the chances of injustice are much higher in the magistrates’ court.
I recall @barristersecret.bsky.social saying in their book that you should always choose a jury trial if possible, because the chances of injustice are much higher in the magistrates’ court.
These forecasts are so pointless (and almost always consistent with zero...) that this would frankly be an absolutely GOATed move by the Treasury. Somehow I suspect more luck than competence though...
Here's an extraordinarily cynical take: did the government talk up the likelihood of a manifesto-breaking income tax rise in the knowledge that it would push down gilt yields in the window the OBR will use for its forecasts? Rowing back now pushes up yields but too late to enter the forecast on 26th
And there we go 10y opened up 11 basis points erasing 1/3 of the rally since October.
November 14, 2025 at 5:46 PM
These forecasts are so pointless (and almost always consistent with zero...) that this would frankly be an absolutely GOATed move by the Treasury. Somehow I suspect more luck than competence though...
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
Many people dismiss preservation concerns as if they live exclusively in the here and now. Chances are, though, every person on the planet has experienced/enjoyed something made/developed in the past. That awareness alone would be enough to grasp the importance of preservation.
October 3, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Many people dismiss preservation concerns as if they live exclusively in the here and now. Chances are, though, every person on the planet has experienced/enjoyed something made/developed in the past. That awareness alone would be enough to grasp the importance of preservation.
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
I am trying not to be too mean-spirited about the people who apparently got genuinely excited at the idea that a party made up of "Jeremy Corbyn" and "some independents with real funky socially conservative views" could somehow be the future of the left but I am finding it hard!
September 18, 2025 at 9:09 PM
I am trying not to be too mean-spirited about the people who apparently got genuinely excited at the idea that a party made up of "Jeremy Corbyn" and "some independents with real funky socially conservative views" could somehow be the future of the left but I am finding it hard!
I get that this Trump visit to the UK is a Big Deal, but is it really so much of a big deal that there is literally nothing else the BBC considers above-the-fold newsworthy?
September 17, 2025 at 2:56 PM
I get that this Trump visit to the UK is a Big Deal, but is it really so much of a big deal that there is literally nothing else the BBC considers above-the-fold newsworthy?
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
one thing I love about London is that the food offering isn't just incredibly diverse but also often made by people you wouldn't expect, ie a Moroccan café I like is for some reason owned by a Vietnamese woman, and I'm currently having lunch at a Jamaican place run by south east Asians, what a joy
September 9, 2025 at 12:35 PM
one thing I love about London is that the food offering isn't just incredibly diverse but also often made by people you wouldn't expect, ie a Moroccan café I like is for some reason owned by a Vietnamese woman, and I'm currently having lunch at a Jamaican place run by south east Asians, what a joy
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
More seriously - the sheer speed with which those who decry "activist lawyers" shift towards using the courts themselves when they realise courts can be used illiberally too.
Those who loudly decry courts and lawyers often only do so when they are losing the cases: it is not a principled objection.
Those who loudly decry courts and lawyers often only do so when they are losing the cases: it is not a principled objection.
August 21, 2025 at 6:58 AM
More seriously - the sheer speed with which those who decry "activist lawyers" shift towards using the courts themselves when they realise courts can be used illiberally too.
Those who loudly decry courts and lawyers often only do so when they are losing the cases: it is not a principled objection.
Those who loudly decry courts and lawyers often only do so when they are losing the cases: it is not a principled objection.
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
It’s like a parade of morons
“Of course we need age-verification on VPNs.”
Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza says children should not be allowed to use Virtual Private Networks, as they are often used to access pornography.
#Newsnight
Children’s Commissioner for England Rachel de Souza says children should not be allowed to use Virtual Private Networks, as they are often used to access pornography.
#Newsnight
August 19, 2025 at 11:53 AM
It’s like a parade of morons
Strong 1520 Field of the Cloth of Gold vibes from this Trump-Putin meeting. Even has the “taking place in an exclave of one in close proximity to the other” aspect
August 15, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Strong 1520 Field of the Cloth of Gold vibes from this Trump-Putin meeting. Even has the “taking place in an exclave of one in close proximity to the other” aspect
Excellent @mattyglesias.bsky.social Substack today: slowboring.com/p/emotional-labor-was-about-paid-work
Emotional labor was about paid work
Arlie Hochschild coined the phrase in the 1980s, but it explains a lot about our world today
www.slowboring.com
August 5, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Excellent @mattyglesias.bsky.social Substack today: slowboring.com/p/emotional-labor-was-about-paid-work
Michele was HOD while I was doing my PhD — a fantastic choice for Astronomer Royal
Big day for the matriarchy! 🥳 Huge congrats to the awesome Prof. Doughtery, lead on the Jupiter-bound ESA JUICE mission & STFC Exec Chair.
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
If anyone's confused on the astro royal hierarchy: Michele and I are the astro equivalents of 🇬🇧Westminster and 🏴Holyrood 🤗
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... 👩🔬🔭🧪
UK gets first female Astronomer Royal in 350 years
Prof Michele Dougherty is the first woman to be appointed to the influential post.
www.bbc.co.uk
July 30, 2025 at 8:49 AM
Michele was HOD while I was doing my PhD — a fantastic choice for Astronomer Royal
Reposted by Gautam Kambhampati
Just one more law, bro, trust me.
VPN use is so high that the Labour party MPs are proposing to ban them.
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midland...
UK households could face VPN 'ban' after use skyrockets
Labour could ban the use of Virtual Private Networks after use skyrocketed in recent days.
www.birminghammail.co.uk
July 28, 2025 at 6:14 PM
Just one more law, bro, trust me.