Matthew Brooker
@mbrooker.bsky.social
Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion in London. CFA holder, from Slough, 25 years in Hong Kong, 5 in Shanghai. Opinions are my own.
Pinned
Matthew Brooker
@mbrooker.bsky.social
· Dec 18
A Farewell to the Hong Kong I Loved
The end of a city like no other.
www.bloomberg.com
It’s four years since I wrote my love letter-cum-elegy to Hong Kong, after almost three decades in this extraordinary city, and two years before leaving permanently. Looking back, I still pretty much like the look of it.
www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...
Residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po spent more than a year trying to raise the alarm about use of substandard construction materials. They were ignored.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Officials Had Been Warned for Over a Year Before Hong Kong Fire
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Residents of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po spent more than a year trying to raise the alarm about use of substandard construction materials. They were ignored.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
The mansion tax is a lot of trouble for a trivial amount. This is just redistributionist virtue signaling
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Britain’s Tax on £2 Million Houses Is Pointless
Britain’s “mansion tax,” which is due to become a reality in 2028 almost two decades after it was first proposed, promises a lot of trouble for little reward. The annual levy, on homes valued at more ...
www.bloomberg.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:23 AM
The mansion tax is a lot of trouble for a trivial amount. This is just redistributionist virtue signaling
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
The fix is in for China’s super embassy in London. The force majeure of national priorities meant that was always likely
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
China's UK Mega-Embassy Plan Was Bulletproof After All
The end is in sight for the saga of China’s London “super embassy.” Keir Starmer’s Labour government has let it be known that it will approve Europe’s largest diplomatic compound on the site of the fo...
www.bloomberg.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:11 AM
The fix is in for China’s super embassy in London. The force majeure of national priorities meant that was always likely
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
No mention of Taiwan
November 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
No mention of Taiwan
The UK’s pledge to outlaw ticket touting is an easy crowd pleaser. But the law is a limited tool — digital delivery, verified IDs and closed-loop ticketing systems are just as important
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Death, Taxes and Scalpers Are Always With Us
Everyone hates scalpers. They vacuum up tickets for sought-after concerts and sporting events at the expense of genuine fans and then resell them at vast markups. Given the opportunity, who wouldn't w...
www.bloomberg.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:56 AM
The UK’s pledge to outlaw ticket touting is an easy crowd pleaser. But the law is a limited tool — digital delivery, verified IDs and closed-loop ticketing systems are just as important
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
“The US-Taiwan relationship underpins peace and stability in the Western Pacific. For months, it has been plagued by doubt and frustration on both sides.” Troubling column from Hal Brands
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...
Taiwan Has Reached Its Tipping Point
With China squeezing harder and the US getting less reliable, the next few months will dictate the island's long-term future.
www.bloomberg.com
November 24, 2025 at 11:36 AM
“The US-Taiwan relationship underpins peace and stability in the Western Pacific. For months, it has been plagued by doubt and frustration on both sides.” Troubling column from Hal Brands
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...
Went to watch this last night in London. I fell asleep for a while after 40 minutes. It goes on and on. But much of the audience loved it - clapping, cheering and whooping regularly
The “Wicked” sequel takes a dreary turn from the irresistible first film, David Sims writes—Even stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande “can't keep the film from collapsing under the lightest scrutiny.”
The ‘Wicked’ Bubble Has Burst
The musical started on a high note but ends on a drastically lower one.
bit.ly
November 23, 2025 at 10:18 AM
Went to watch this last night in London. I fell asleep for a while after 40 minutes. It goes on and on. But much of the audience loved it - clapping, cheering and whooping regularly
Reposted by Matthew Brooker
This is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future. In the meantime, it benefits unnamed Russian and American investors, at the expense of everyone else.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Trump Has a Recipe for War and Corruption, Not Peace
Who would benefit from the White House’s 28-point proposal for Ukraine?
www.theatlantic.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:11 AM
This is not a peace plan. It is a proposal that weakens Ukraine and divides America from Europe, preparing the way for a larger war in the future. In the meantime, it benefits unnamed Russian and American investors, at the expense of everyone else.
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2025/1...
Staggering:
Last year, insurers paid out just 71% of claims on combined buildings and contents insurance policies, down on the previous year and down five percentage points compared with 2022. That contrasts with motor insurance, where more than 90% of claims are paid.
on.ft.com/44liDFB
Last year, insurers paid out just 71% of claims on combined buildings and contents insurance policies, down on the previous year and down five percentage points compared with 2022. That contrasts with motor insurance, where more than 90% of claims are paid.
on.ft.com/44liDFB
Why are so many home insurance claims being rejected?
Customers tell of complex claims processes. ‘They bank on people rolling over and giving up’
on.ft.com
November 22, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Staggering:
Last year, insurers paid out just 71% of claims on combined buildings and contents insurance policies, down on the previous year and down five percentage points compared with 2022. That contrasts with motor insurance, where more than 90% of claims are paid.
on.ft.com/44liDFB
Last year, insurers paid out just 71% of claims on combined buildings and contents insurance policies, down on the previous year and down five percentage points compared with 2022. That contrasts with motor insurance, where more than 90% of claims are paid.
on.ft.com/44liDFB
Reposted by Matthew Brooker
An investigation into Russian interference in our politics is long overdue. And we all know who should be questioned first.
November 21, 2025 at 7:01 PM
An investigation into Russian interference in our politics is long overdue. And we all know who should be questioned first.
Read it and weep
Some of the phrases in the US’s “peace proposal” for Ukraine appear to have been originally written in Russian.
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
www.theguardian.com/world/live/2...
Ukraine risks losing key partner or its dignity, warns Zelenskyy, as Trump sets Thanksgiving deadline to accept deal – Europe live
US president says ‘Thursday is an appropriate time’ in radio interview as Ukrainian leader weighs up US proposal
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 6:17 PM
Read it and weep
The US plan for ending Russia’s invasion is a shameful document that rewards aggression and punishes the victim, Marc Champion writes
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
The White House Ukraine Plan Is Shameless and Should Be Rejected
The US plan for ending Russia’s invasion is a remarkable document. It rewards aggression and punishes the victim. It undermines the most important principle of international law, which is that soverei...
www.bloomberg.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:00 PM
The US plan for ending Russia’s invasion is a shameful document that rewards aggression and punishes the victim, Marc Champion writes
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Here we go again
November 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Here we go again
Reposted by Matthew Brooker
Brilliant, quick trip through Reformotopia and the revolutionaries of Thanet and Margate by @mbrooker.bsky.social >>
Farage’s English Stronghold is a Total Circus
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Farage’s English Stronghold is a Total Circus
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Nigel Farage’s English Stronghold Is a Total Circus
Kent merits watching. The county southeast of London was known historically as the garden of England for its wealth of orchards and hop farms. These days, it’s more notable for run-down seaside resort...
www.bloomberg.com
November 19, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Brilliant, quick trip through Reformotopia and the revolutionaries of Thanet and Margate by @mbrooker.bsky.social >>
Farage’s English Stronghold is a Total Circus
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Farage’s English Stronghold is a Total Circus
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reform’s flagship council is pure slapstick - but don’t laugh, the joke’s on us
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Nigel Farage’s English Stronghold Is a Total Circus
Kent merits watching. The county southeast of London was known historically as the garden of England for its wealth of orchards and hop farms. These days, it’s more notable for run-down seaside resort...
www.bloomberg.com
November 19, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Reform’s flagship council is pure slapstick - but don’t laugh, the joke’s on us
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Sportswriter of the year, Marina Hyde, on the most odious man in football
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Extortionate tickets and matches moved at Trump’s whim: are you ready for the ‘greatest World Cup ever’? | Marina Hyde
You may have thought Qatar and Russia were tournament lows. You didn’t account for the US president and his Fifa soulmate, Gianni Infantino, says Guardian columnist Marina Hyde
www.theguardian.com
November 18, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Sportswriter of the year, Marina Hyde, on the most odious man in football
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Some subscribers to Reform magazine are not getting what they thought they were getting
November 17, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Some subscribers to Reform magazine are not getting what they thought they were getting
A private investigator central to the legal action by the Duke of Sussex and others against the publisher of the Daily Mail has retracted his confession and denied carrying out illegal activity on behalf of the company
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Witness in Prince Harry case against Mail publisher says his confession was false
Gavin Burrows says signature on alleged statement is ‘not mine’ and denies carrying out illegal activity on behalf of Associated Newspapers
www.theguardian.com
November 11, 2025 at 10:43 PM
A private investigator central to the legal action by the Duke of Sussex and others against the publisher of the Daily Mail has retracted his confession and denied carrying out illegal activity on behalf of the company
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
The lesson of China’s broadening interference in the education systems of democratic countries is that if we want academic freedom, we will have to pay for it.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
China Is Exposing the Fault Lines in British Universities
Principles are fine, if you can afford them. Britain is starting to appreciate the vulnerabilities of its higher-education funding model after learning how one of its universities halted a research pr...
www.bloomberg.com
November 11, 2025 at 8:02 AM
The lesson of China’s broadening interference in the education systems of democratic countries is that if we want academic freedom, we will have to pay for it.
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reposted by Matthew Brooker
Anybody who had a vision to bring American levels of political, cultural and social polarisation to Britain - whether their motive was clicks or cash, ideology, boredom or anything else - would make it their top strategic priority to abolish the BBC, or to damage and diminish it at the very least
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Anybody who had a vision to bring American levels of political, cultural and social polarisation to Britain - whether their motive was clicks or cash, ideology, boredom or anything else - would make it their top strategic priority to abolish the BBC, or to damage and diminish it at the very least
Was he not impeached for doing precisely this?
November 9, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Was he not impeached for doing precisely this?
The BBC is facing a coordinated, politically motivated attack. With these resignations, it has given in -
Jane Martinson
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Jane Martinson
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The BBC is facing a coordinated, politically motivated attack. With these resignations, it has given in | Jane Martinson
The corporation should have stood up to the Telegraph, Trump and the Tories. Now, its enemies know how little it takes for it to fold, says Jane Martinson, professor of financial journalism
www.theguardian.com
November 9, 2025 at 10:37 PM
The BBC is facing a coordinated, politically motivated attack. With these resignations, it has given in -
Jane Martinson
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Jane Martinson
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Britain’s system of local property taxation is regressive, arbitrary and in need of a root-and-branch overhaul - but the plans being floated for this month’s budget aren’t it. This is a simple cash grab
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
Reeves’ Budget Should Scare London Homeowners
Britain’s regressive and arbitrary system of local property taxation is in need of a root-and-branch overhaul — and has been for decades. A swirl of speculation and background briefings has left littl...
www.bloomberg.com
November 5, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Britain’s system of local property taxation is regressive, arbitrary and in need of a root-and-branch overhaul - but the plans being floated for this month’s budget aren’t it. This is a simple cash grab
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/arti...