Author | Lightnews

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 5h

It's not a line, she said it because there isn't one. It's why they all sound so robotic all the time, if an interviewer's question triggers a pre-programmed line then that's what you get. If not then they default to dodging the question. You could ask if she liked cats and she'd dodge it.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 10h

Modern advent calendars make me sad.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 14h

Imagine how happy he'd be reliving his 90's clubbing days tripped out on the sofa while they all play charades.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 14h

The John Lewis ad but when Dad opens his present it's the contents of the car boot from Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 15h

Suspect James Cartlidge, whoever he is, won't be doing PMQ's for the tories again. Asked one question twice and then the next question four times despite not laying a glove with his first efforts. Lammy had him for breakfast without even trying.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 16h

Neat summary of the Today Programme this morning. I don't think they even realise they're doing it but private school, Oxford and then being brought up through the BBC gives you a certain world view. Very noticeable on the News Agents pod too, despite them all quitting the Beeb.

Dorian Lynskey @dorianlynskey.bsky.social · 17h

A great day for the golden rule of political analysis: when the right wins it is a resounding ideological victory that humiliates the left and when the left wins it is a precarious fluke that will surely end up humiliating the left. Conservatives are power’s landlords and the left merely tenants

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Watching Zohran Mamdani and I know he seems to be a once in a generation talent but God we're crying out for a few normal people in charge. Nice people. People who don't panic when you ask their favourite sandwich because they haven't focus-grouped it, they just tell you their favourite sandwich.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 1d

Rachel Reeves is when the "this is fine" dog notices the fire might actually be a problem.

Reposted by Neil Charles

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 1d

This rhetoric around easy political answers rather than hard economic choices is also rather hard to swallow from a party that pretended the NI cuts were affordable or pledged not to raise the big three taxes at the last election.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 2d

Somebody's put union flags up on our lampposts again. You can get 12 metres of international flag bunting on Amazon for a fiver and I'm really tempted to improve their display.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 2d

Valve will win VR, not because hardware but because all the good stuff the Meta Quest can do happens when you hook it to Steam. Google Earth VR that way is genuinely amazing.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 2d

Scatter 3D cameras around football stadiums and do immersive broadcasts. Make an exploration game that doesn't involve shooting things. Take the 3D image enhancement out of VR Instagram (which is a fun trick) and let me view all my photos like that. You can literally build a world. Do weird stuff.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 2d

Put our Meta Quest on again because the kids were playing with it and I'm still convinced it's an absolutely killer bit of hardware that desperately needs creative people to be loosed on it. Could be incredible but the apps are really uninspiring.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 5d

We've reached the trick or treat hour where you look for a small child accompanying the 19 year old witches who rang the doorbell and realise they're just out for their own swag.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 5d

Sometimes I miss Twitter. You could reliably start an argument with >5k followers.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 5d

Don't give us that "privately funded by the king" BS. He's the king. Everything he has is because he's the king. It's our money paying for the abuser to idle around on a royal estate.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 6d

Enjoying The Diplomat a lot but they're disappointingly unwilling to disappear the Daily Mail lady to a CIA black site. Obvious choice IMO.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 7d

Not quite phrased like that obviously but the gist of it is the same.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 7d

I have variations on this conversation with clients quite often. How do we make the numbers get better, really fast? You pull a Very Big Lever. If you haven't got a Very Big Lever or you're not willing to pull it then fiddling about a bit with some long-term growth ideas isn't going to do it.

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 7d

This is spot on, right up until the last paragraph when it suggests picking fruit from the magic money tree instead. goodallandgoodluck.substack.com/p/starmer-an...

Starmer and Reeves would destroy themselves with a manifesto break

There was a moment they could have broken their word. It's long gone.

goodallandgoodluck.substack.com

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Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 7d

Tea is inevitable. Biscuits are probable. Civil war is highly unlikely, it's too uncivilised.

FinTwitter @fintwitter.bsky.social · 7d

Elon musk: ‘Civil war in Britain is inevitable. Just a question of when.’

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 10d

Very late to this but My Octopus Teacher is outstanding.

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 12d

Haven't enjoyed a football match this much in ages. Tense and nervy even though the greens only got one shot on target the whole game and this lad in his second game with a delightful dink over the keeper for 2-0. Fabulous.

Exeter City FC @officialecfc.bsky.social · 12d

First professional goal ✅
Sky Sports MOTM in the Devon Derby ✅

Well played, Akeel Higgins 🔥

#ECFC #SemperFidelis

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 13d

Whether or not this is the right thing to do, it'll cripple Labour and sit in the collective memory of Britain for a generation. Winter of Discontent, Brown selling off the gold, Reeves raising tax after manifesto commitment not to.

Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 13d

Exc - Rachel Reeves is considering raising income tax at next month’s budget to help reduce a multibillion pound shortfall, sources have told the Guardian.

Very live discussion in the Treasury and No10 as debate rages over how to give biggest possible buffer

www.theguardian.com/money/2025/o...

Reeves considers breaking manifesto pledge with income tax rise to fill £30bn gap

Exclusive: Treasury discussions include possibly adding 1p to basic rate or raising higher or additional tax rates

www.theguardian.com

Neil Charles @neilcharles.bsky.social · 13d

Devon Derby tonight. I'm old enough to remember the day in the run up to Christmas when ECFC brought out a turkey mascot dressed in an Argyle shirt and then shot it. They don't let you do that no more.