Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 8h

Euros.

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 10h

Interesting move by Germany to give those who work beyond the retirement age to earn up to €2000 a month tax free, to help tackle labour shortages and revive the economy.
Sounds like a good idea to me, and therefore unlikely to happen here in UK. #bbcpm

1 1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 12h

US and China's battery farms (installed alongside solar farms) can balance energy supply at a sharply reducing cost, compared to focusing on grid capacity itself.
If UK did this, it would reduce the need to levy customers with huge green energy surcharges to fund grid upgrades so quickly. #bbcpm

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 15h

FT is reporting the big three US auto makers are reeling from the 25 percent levy on imported parts, costing $2bn and climbing.
Automakers who purchase US-made steel that is machined in Canada before returning to US have to pay tariffs on both the steel and the parts it made.

It is madness. #wato

1 2

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 15h

At this week’s SNP Party Conference, First Minister John Swinney showed admirable leadership and intelligence by welcoming immigration to Scotland as an economic bulwark to an ageing population.

I would go further and say that Western nations will soon realise they must compete for immigrants #wato

1 1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 20h

The same way we should trust or distrust anything else we read online or in the media - through triangulation and checking of sources, and ultimately making a judgement. #r4today

2

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 20h

Bottom line: UK economy is 0.1 percent bigger since March. #r4today

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 20h

London is a world city, with entirely different foreign investment and visitor attraction to the rest of the country.
It also has a heavy economic skew into financial services.
These are not replicable nationally. #r4today

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 21h

A better option would be to offer a Brit Stocks & Shares ISA as a new home for that tax free cash. Investing in UK companies supports our economy more than global corporates. #r4today

1 1 4

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 22h

Reeves will point to new constraints on the economy to defend higher taxes (which ones, Rachel?).
But in fairness, the inevitable downgrade in OBR’s forecast of weaker growth for the economy is due to something quite simple - the OBR's previous forecast was stupidly optimistic. #r4today

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

Maybe seven women in this group? Come on, this is 2025 now. #bbcpm

3

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

If anyone would like to run the sold-out 10k as part of the #SwissCityMarathon in Lucerne on Sunday 26 October, contact me - I have a spare place available.

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

Instead, I would suggest that reforming property tax and in particular council tax would be both more achievable and sustainable in the long run.

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

It would also have a significant impact on where entrepreneurs choose to set up their business which will impact FDI into the UK economy. The IFS is right to consider such wealth tax on assets as counter-productive, as previous attempts by other nations has illustrated.

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

Perhaps you are referring to the idea of an annual wealth tax? Such as 2% per year on income over £10m? If so, how would assets be valued for such the tax? This would be a huge administrative burden and likely to be challenged.

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

Wealth is already taxed. Capital gains tax, inheritance tax, stamp duty on both property and share transactions. The increasing levels of tax on the wealthy hasn’t improved sustainable growth for the UK.

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

FT has done an excellent in-depth analysis on reasons why GDP per head in UK is low.
It points to persistent inflation, erosion of household income via tax and a weakening labour market as factors which are slowing consumption.
Less consumer demand in turn weakens job growth and output. #r4today

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

UK has moved from a consumer mindset to a nation of savers, confounding BoE forecasts.
But is it really surprising?
People are worried about more taxes & higher existing taxes.
They are concerned about jobs and AI impact on job prospects.
The mood isn’t buoyant and so spending isn’t either. #r4today

1 2

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

This piece on vet prices and competition rather misses the point imho.
The steady creep of diagnostic services embedded before treatment is a huge part of total vet fees.
E.g. blood tests, diagnostic imaging now come as almost standard. This used to be much less common. #r4today

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

Fair point, but the IMF’s job is to assess and measure economic output. Measuring and comparing living standards is more complex across nations, as it will be affected by e.g. healthcare systems, education and school attendance etc.
#r4today

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 1d

The UK is set to be the second-fastest-growing of the world's most advanced economies this year. (Source: IMF).

Can we ask Reform how they see their proposed reduction in immigration will affect growth?

#r4today

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 2d

Thirteen Nobel Laureates, on welcoming China to WTO in 2001, declared that this would “promote economic development and freedoms”.
Instead, China’s authoritarian regime has become increasingly repressive.
It seems sometimes we can have too many experts? #r4today

freedomhouse.org/country/chin...

China: Freedom in the World 2024 Country Report | Freedom House

See the Freedom in the World 2024 score and learn about democracy and freedom in China.

freedomhouse.org

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 2d

OK - we’ve heard the spin from #r4today on jobs.

Now the facts - the estimated number of vacancies in UK fell 1.3% to 717,000 in July to September 2025.

That’s the 39th consecutive period where vacancy numbers have dropped compared with the previous three months.

(Source: Bloomberg)

1

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 2d

Really good to have cyber security highlighted on #r4today - for all businesses but especially #SMEs who may not have dedicated IT support. 👏
Cyber Essentials certification is a great place to start.

www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberessenti...

Cyber Essentials

Protect your organisation, whatever its size, against the most common cyber threats.

www.ncsc.gov.uk

Longwordmonthly @longwordmonthly.bsky.social · 3d

Scary stat for the day:

A 0.1% drop in UK productivity costs the economy c. £8.7 billion per year. (Source: OBR)

That’s almost the size of the fiscal headroom that was never enough and that Reeves no longer has.

#c4news

2