Ben
@murfbenj.bsky.social
Pinned
Ben
@murfbenj.bsky.social
· Sep 10
Lurching Right, Right and even more to the Right at the whim of a wealthy, well connected Tory establishment, is the story of UK politics for the last 40 years that’s destroying the country. It’s accelerated since the ludicrous Brexit spasm, demolishing the characters of otherwise reasonable people.
RIP Robin Smith. The pre-eminent wielder of the square cut shot
December 2, 2025 at 11:57 AM
RIP Robin Smith. The pre-eminent wielder of the square cut shot
Reposted by Ben
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
November 29, 2025 at 5:08 PM
'We have historically high welfare spending.' No we don't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
'We have a historically high proportion of working-age people not actually working.' No we don't.
'The number of Britons emigrating is skyrocketing.' No it isn't.
Starmer needs to go and Reeves should follow.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
November 29, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Starmer needs to go and Reeves should follow.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
Starmer’s ratings are irretrievable and he doesn’t even look like he wants to address them let alone have any real clue how to.
Reeves should’ve been sacked after the unforgivable delay to the budget in 2024, let alone the latest piffle.
This week, as immigration falls were confirmed, we saw xenophobes move seamlessly on to complaining about components of those reductions.
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
Budget 2025: This is how you lose the world iandunt.substack.com/p/budget-202...
November 29, 2025 at 7:57 AM
This week, as immigration falls were confirmed, we saw xenophobes move seamlessly on to complaining about components of those reductions.
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
This 👇suggests the next runaway train heading for Labour is smaller economic growth as a consequence… and the blame that will follow will be heaped on them too
She’s shoehorning Christianity in there because the online British racists, copying their US brethren, are now carrying crosses to their rallies.
There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?
November 28, 2025 at 12:12 PM
She’s shoehorning Christianity in there because the online British racists, copying their US brethren, are now carrying crosses to their rallies.
‘Benefits Street’ for Tories
November 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
‘Benefits Street’ for Tories
Reposted by Ben
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
My observation on the budget? An irrelevance except for one important respect: the lifting of the obnoxious 2 child benefit cap. A policy that will go directly to making people’s lives better. That factor alone is a marked change from the previous administration. The rest though is piddling. Wasted
November 27, 2025 at 8:33 PM
My observation on the budget? An irrelevance except for one important respect: the lifting of the obnoxious 2 child benefit cap. A policy that will go directly to making people’s lives better. That factor alone is a marked change from the previous administration. The rest though is piddling. Wasted
Well immigration is well down on a few years ago, but the X/twitter racists and xenophobes have moved on to whining about the component details of the numbers.
And so the lesson here is…?
And so the lesson here is…?
November 27, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Well immigration is well down on a few years ago, but the X/twitter racists and xenophobes have moved on to whining about the component details of the numbers.
And so the lesson here is…?
And so the lesson here is…?
Infernal screeching about ‘soaring’ welfare costs - they’re rising from 10.8% of GDP last year to, er, 11.2% of GDP by 2030. A whopping 0.4% rise.
Lots of hooting + jumping up and down on X as the Welfare budget is rising to over 400bn. Trying to scare people with big numbers. But GDP is rising too
Lots of hooting + jumping up and down on X as the Welfare budget is rising to over 400bn. Trying to scare people with big numbers. But GDP is rising too
November 26, 2025 at 8:13 PM
Infernal screeching about ‘soaring’ welfare costs - they’re rising from 10.8% of GDP last year to, er, 11.2% of GDP by 2030. A whopping 0.4% rise.
Lots of hooting + jumping up and down on X as the Welfare budget is rising to over 400bn. Trying to scare people with big numbers. But GDP is rising too
Lots of hooting + jumping up and down on X as the Welfare budget is rising to over 400bn. Trying to scare people with big numbers. But GDP is rising too
Reposted by Ben
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
November 26, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Good morning to Brazilian reporter Manuela Borges, who’s been waiting eleven years for this petty moment. ❤️ 🇧🇷
Worth remembering this 👇 when you see all that dewy eyed comment on how the country is propped up by SMEs and so they shouldn’t be taxed.
2. Solving the small company tax gap mystery
40% of all corporation tax due from small businesses is now not being paid:
40% of all corporation tax due from small businesses is now not being paid:
November 26, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Worth remembering this 👇 when you see all that dewy eyed comment on how the country is propped up by SMEs and so they shouldn’t be taxed.
Reposted by Ben
Of course the Kremlin preferred “Trump’s original proposal.” They wrote it.
November 24, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Of course the Kremlin preferred “Trump’s original proposal.” They wrote it.
It’s weird because the entire Trump administration is on a one-way trip to jail yet there’s no acknowledgement of this.
November 24, 2025 at 9:35 PM
It’s weird because the entire Trump administration is on a one-way trip to jail yet there’s no acknowledgement of this.
2 budgets running now speculation has run for months. This is insane. Agree with whomsoever said the whole show should be abolished. It’s been a tactical and strategic calamity for Labour who should’ve raised income tax in an emergency budget in July2024 then not held another one for 2 years.
November 24, 2025 at 6:59 PM
2 budgets running now speculation has run for months. This is insane. Agree with whomsoever said the whole show should be abolished. It’s been a tactical and strategic calamity for Labour who should’ve raised income tax in an emergency budget in July2024 then not held another one for 2 years.
Reposted by Ben
I see a lot of Paidchecks on X didn’t realize that a whole lot of people on social media lie about their location to grift off the naïveté of the rage-addled American right.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
November 23, 2025 at 5:11 AM
I see a lot of Paidchecks on X didn’t realize that a whole lot of people on social media lie about their location to grift off the naïveté of the rage-addled American right.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Turns out this problem is real and it’s a thing those of us who worked on “disinformation” pointed out.
Interesting test: the fact the Reform Party harboured a disgusting pro Russian traitor should, in a sane world, see voters peel away from it.
But my feeling is, that for 20% or so of the country, the racism is the point. It trumps everything else, including clear treachery.
But my feeling is, that for 20% or so of the country, the racism is the point. It trumps everything else, including clear treachery.
November 23, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Interesting test: the fact the Reform Party harboured a disgusting pro Russian traitor should, in a sane world, see voters peel away from it.
But my feeling is, that for 20% or so of the country, the racism is the point. It trumps everything else, including clear treachery.
But my feeling is, that for 20% or so of the country, the racism is the point. It trumps everything else, including clear treachery.
Since Covid ended the British Right has talked itself into the whacky belief that somehow it was bad that others were calling for lockdowns during the pandemic. That self deluding complacent madness looks as horrendous today as it always was.
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Since Covid ended the British Right has talked itself into the whacky belief that somehow it was bad that others were calling for lockdowns during the pandemic. That self deluding complacent madness looks as horrendous today as it always was.
Awesome response by the England bowlers. Some dire shots though
Wakes up, looks at #Ashes score. Oh dear England. First over, Archerrrrrrr!!!!
November 21, 2025 at 9:57 AM
Awesome response by the England bowlers. Some dire shots though
New investigation: how Sky Bet relocated to Malta to avoid £55m of tax/year This kind of tax planning is often reported as "clever, but perfectly proper, and there's no suggestion that any laws were broken".
But here it looks improper. Laws may have been broken.
🧵
But here it looks improper. Laws may have been broken.
🧵
November 19, 2025 at 9:33 AM
I mean, we’re all on the same page as the most pink faced of gammons who think the UK government’s (of whatever hue) latest in a tediously long line of immigration ‘reforms’ won’t stop a single boat.
November 18, 2025 at 10:05 AM
I mean, we’re all on the same page as the most pink faced of gammons who think the UK government’s (of whatever hue) latest in a tediously long line of immigration ‘reforms’ won’t stop a single boat.
If only the UK government (of any stripe) spent as much time doing the low level grunt work (including opening up safe routes, talking to neighbours on the continent) as it did dreaming up how it can impose ever increasing cruelty on other people
November 17, 2025 at 7:52 AM
If only the UK government (of any stripe) spent as much time doing the low level grunt work (including opening up safe routes, talking to neighbours on the continent) as it did dreaming up how it can impose ever increasing cruelty on other people
The UK government Home Office has been warped and perverted by 40 years of hysterical partisan press bullshit on crime and immigration. It is an active menace to citizens and foreigners alike and needs putting back in its box.
November 17, 2025 at 7:36 AM
The UK government Home Office has been warped and perverted by 40 years of hysterical partisan press bullshit on crime and immigration. It is an active menace to citizens and foreigners alike and needs putting back in its box.