JWexTheSpa
@jwsidders.bsky.social
South West England via the Midlands but made in NW5.
Spurs, Spain and social democracy. I like a hike.
Spurs, Spain and social democracy. I like a hike.
Pinned
JWexTheSpa
@jwsidders.bsky.social
· Dec 15
Apologies to all those I follow and missed - I couldn’t work out how to do it properly. Please add names and links. The key here is it’s people who post mostly in English - not Spanish - about Spain and Spain-related stuff.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Fewer workers. Fewer international students. More people leaving.
A "step in the right direction" according to the PM.
Impossible to take PM/govt seriously on growth if they are deliberately reducing it (and making the fiscal position worse) *as a matter of policy*.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A "step in the right direction" according to the PM.
Impossible to take PM/govt seriously on growth if they are deliberately reducing it (and making the fiscal position worse) *as a matter of policy*.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
UK net migration falls sharply with drop in arrivals for work and study
Provisional figures for net migration to the UK show levels dropped to 204,000 in the year to June 2025.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Fewer workers. Fewer international students. More people leaving.
A "step in the right direction" according to the PM.
Impossible to take PM/govt seriously on growth if they are deliberately reducing it (and making the fiscal position worse) *as a matter of policy*.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
A "step in the right direction" according to the PM.
Impossible to take PM/govt seriously on growth if they are deliberately reducing it (and making the fiscal position worse) *as a matter of policy*.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
70% of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work. This is targeting support for low-income working households who are being priced out of a decent standard of living despite doing everything asked of them.
November 27, 2025 at 4:38 PM
70% of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work. This is targeting support for low-income working households who are being priced out of a decent standard of living despite doing everything asked of them.
Labour have no chance, do they? What a terrible take.
Rachel Reeves on #C4News saying Labour are now lifting 450,000 children out of poverty by removing the two child benefit cap
So an admission that Labour kept 450,000 children in poverty for the past year because they didn't care enough about child poverty to lift them out of it last year
So an admission that Labour kept 450,000 children in poverty for the past year because they didn't care enough about child poverty to lift them out of it last year
November 27, 2025 at 8:29 PM
Labour have no chance, do they? What a terrible take.
This is brilliant!
November 27, 2025 at 8:27 PM
This is brilliant!
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
The UK, where the day after a decision to take half a million children out of poverty, the media & political world has been full of sneering at those same children & their families, labelling them as ‘Benefits Street’, while the same people are moaning about a tax on £2m mansions. Shameful stuff.
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM
The UK, where the day after a decision to take half a million children out of poverty, the media & political world has been full of sneering at those same children & their families, labelling them as ‘Benefits Street’, while the same people are moaning about a tax on £2m mansions. Shameful stuff.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Abysmal, mindless, utterly zombified. You can't even call it policymaking because that implies a degree of thought which simply isn't present. Pretty soon they might actually hit Cameron's 'tens of thousands' target and then they'll shit themselves with horror at the consequences.
PM describes net migration of 205k as "a step in the right direction". His govt has no public position on a sustainable level of immigration is, nor any known process to decide what, why & how. Starmer is now implying he wants it significantly lower
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
www.standard.co.uk/news/politic...
Net migration drop ‘step in the right direction’ – Starmer
Net migration peaked at a record 944,000 in the year to March 2023 but has fallen sharply since then.
www.standard.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Abysmal, mindless, utterly zombified. You can't even call it policymaking because that implies a degree of thought which simply isn't present. Pretty soon they might actually hit Cameron's 'tens of thousands' target and then they'll shit themselves with horror at the consequences.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
The government figuring this out slowly over the coming two years is going to be quite something to behold.
I think the government meant to cut net migration but have accidentally overshot the target by a lot. They haven’t realised this yet.
November 27, 2025 at 4:14 PM
The government figuring this out slowly over the coming two years is going to be quite something to behold.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
I'm not sure how much it is appreciated that there will be significant emigration coming. Those here on graduate visas coming to an end, the toughening up of skilled worker rules re. salaries/sponsorable roles and the 'earned settlement' changes to come. Lots of people are going to leave.
November 27, 2025 at 11:08 AM
I'm not sure how much it is appreciated that there will be significant emigration coming. Those here on graduate visas coming to an end, the toughening up of skilled worker rules re. salaries/sponsorable roles and the 'earned settlement' changes to come. Lots of people are going to leave.
The seamless switch from immigration is far too high to emigration is far too high was absolutely inevitable, wasn't it?
November 27, 2025 at 3:53 PM
The seamless switch from immigration is far too high to emigration is far too high was absolutely inevitable, wasn't it?
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
"Business wanted stability. Reeves has the same plan as she had before. They should not complain."
My very short take on the Budget and Growth has been published. It is obviously the only correct one, so I recommend you read it all the way through
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...
My very short take on the Budget and Growth has been published. It is obviously the only correct one, so I recommend you read it all the way through
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...
LIVE BLOG | Autumn budget 2025: Rachel Reeves announces tax and spend measures | Institute for Government
IfG experts analyse Reeves' budget and explore what the chancellor's plans for the economy, tax and spending mean.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
November 27, 2025 at 3:37 PM
"Business wanted stability. Reeves has the same plan as she had before. They should not complain."
My very short take on the Budget and Growth has been published. It is obviously the only correct one, so I recommend you read it all the way through
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...
My very short take on the Budget and Growth has been published. It is obviously the only correct one, so I recommend you read it all the way through
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/live-blog/au...
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
- A 100,000 drop in net migration costs us £7bn
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn
What gets more attention?
James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.
- Scrapping the two-child benefit cap costs us £3bn
What gets more attention?
James O’Brien says 'we have become a ludicrous country'.
November 27, 2025 at 11:29 AM
'This isn't an opinion. This is counting.'
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
Headline on The World at One just now:
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
"Sir Keir Starmer has denied putting the Labour Party before the country by ending the two-child benefit cap".
Can we please go back to reporting the actual news, not someone's partisan take on it?
November 27, 2025 at 1:16 PM
It's such a bizarre framing. Labour MPs think taking 450k kids out of poverty is putting the country first! That's why they wanted it to happen! It's not because they personally benefit.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
As usual @davidolusoga.bsky.social (as @sathnam.bsky.social before) gets attacked while @willdalrymple.bsky.social’s eviscerating attacks on the British Empire are genially passed over. What could possibly be different about these historians?
1/5 It was entirely predictable that The Telegraph would jump on @DavidOlusoga’s Empire series to fight its right wing culture war for control of our public history. Let’s see what they’ve done:
November 27, 2025 at 12:50 PM
As usual @davidolusoga.bsky.social (as @sathnam.bsky.social before) gets attacked while @willdalrymple.bsky.social’s eviscerating attacks on the British Empire are genially passed over. What could possibly be different about these historians?
If Labour could run with this rather than cower in fear, it would see its support grow.
The predictable crushing uniformity of the coverage of this Budget tells you an awful lot about the priorities of those papers, and also why there's actually quite a lot to praise in it bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/t...
November 27, 2025 at 10:47 AM
If Labour could run with this rather than cower in fear, it would see its support grow.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Important to remember that the British public is actively being misinformed on this issue.
New net migration figures at 930am.
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
November 27, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Important to remember that the British public is actively being misinformed on this issue.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Scrapping the two child limit, freezing rail fares & prescription charges, hiking gambling tax, introducing a mansion tax, clamping down on tax avoidance schemes.
There's a lot for the Labour grassroots (& potential supporters) to get behind. It's about as progressive as Reeves could get away with.
There's a lot for the Labour grassroots (& potential supporters) to get behind. It's about as progressive as Reeves could get away with.
November 27, 2025 at 10:27 AM
Scrapping the two child limit, freezing rail fares & prescription charges, hiking gambling tax, introducing a mansion tax, clamping down on tax avoidance schemes.
There's a lot for the Labour grassroots (& potential supporters) to get behind. It's about as progressive as Reeves could get away with.
There's a lot for the Labour grassroots (& potential supporters) to get behind. It's about as progressive as Reeves could get away with.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
I know it's probably a logical fallacy and all that but the uniformly hostile response to the budget from the tabloids (save the Mirror) is really making the Budget seem a lot more progressive.
November 27, 2025 at 10:25 AM
I know it's probably a logical fallacy and all that but the uniformly hostile response to the budget from the tabloids (save the Mirror) is really making the Budget seem a lot more progressive.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
One big risk to the OBR forecasts has already materialised -migration is falling more quickly than their projections and that will hit growth and tax revenue.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
UK net migration drops sharply to 204,000 in year to June - live updates
Net migration fell by around two-thirds - from 649,000 in the year to June 2024 to 204,000 in the year to June 2025.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 9:55 AM
One big risk to the OBR forecasts has already materialised -migration is falling more quickly than their projections and that will hit growth and tax revenue.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
Maybe it’s time to conclude that the people who were wrong about Brexit, Truss, Trump, a summer UK civil war and an autumn UK debt default are just wrong about everything. What are the chances?
November 27, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Maybe it’s time to conclude that the people who were wrong about Brexit, Truss, Trump, a summer UK civil war and an autumn UK debt default are just wrong about everything. What are the chances?
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
November 27, 2025 at 9:06 AM
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Give it about a week before people are back to claiming Labour are right wing
November 27, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Give it about a week before people are back to claiming Labour are right wing
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Quick analysis of The Times today:
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
November 27, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Quick analysis of The Times today:
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Wall to wall negative coverage of Labour’s budget. An editorial that tuts about lack of growth but takes no responsibility. And a double page ad to join Farage/Reform.
Absolutely no analysis on how rightwing ideology - including Brexit - has been utterly ruinous.
Looking at Zack’s BlueSky feed I’m not clear whether he welcomes the end of the two child cap or not. Maybe I’m not seeing all his posts because I see no mention of it.
Rachel Reeves says this Labour Governments decisions are "necessary."
Why is it always necessary to hit the living standards of the 99%?
When are we going to make the necessary decisions about extreme wealth?
Why is it always necessary to hit the living standards of the 99%?
When are we going to make the necessary decisions about extreme wealth?
November 27, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Looking at Zack’s BlueSky feed I’m not clear whether he welcomes the end of the two child cap or not. Maybe I’m not seeing all his posts because I see no mention of it.
Reposted by JWexTheSpa
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...