Martin Stanley
@ukcivilservant.bsky.social
1.2K followers 150 following 250 posts
I write about, and for, the UK civil service and regulators. Author 'How to be a Civil Servant' and 'How to Succeed in the Senior Civil Service'. Previously Business Department and CMA.
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Reposted by Martin Stanley
kellenhoxworth.bsky.social
Higher Ed in 2025 is opening your mailbox to see that your institution has sent you:

1. A Center for Teaching and Learning call to integrate AI into your classroom; and

2. An Office of Academic Integrity email encouraging you to crack down on students who use AI to cheat.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
timbale.bsky.social
Margaret Thatcher recognised the need to provide asylum for refugees, as well as the need to distinguish them from immigrants. No hope of that from her successors, of course.

Ian Gow MP (Thatcher's PPS) to Tony Marlow MP 23 August 1979:
Reposted by Martin Stanley
youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com
something quite brain-melting about the hard right's position apparently now being "we hate all Muslims and distrust Muslim states, aside from that one Muslim place that still has slavery because that sounds fun"
ukcivilservant.bsky.social
Yes. My dad moved us to Whitehaven so he could work at Marchon Products. It helped give us all a lifelong love of the nearby Lake District.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
timleunig.bsky.social
I agree we should make housing transactions easier, but houses are cheap in the North East despite the same rules. Housing supply (lack thereof) is what makes prices high in the South East. Nothing else. Build more houses, solve the problem. Nothing else will solve it.
gilesyb.bsky.social
Brilliant and depressing piece on how hard it is to transact property

on.ft.com/4nHDf2m

I know some people think housing policy is simple - just build more! And to do that just have less planning! - but most appreciate the more complex tangles in life.
Moving home is maddening — here’s how the system needs to change
A new government consultation promises to speed up the conveyancing process in England and Wales. But will it work?
on.ft.com
Reposted by Martin Stanley
lordrickettsp.bsky.social
Unusually I disagree with this @TheEconomist leader on Gaza. Trump’s plan is NOT a ‘radically different vision from the moribund approach under Oslo’. Indeed one of the most striking things about the 20 points is that they move the US towards the classic Oslo vision of the end-state 1/3
Reposted by Martin Stanley
davidheniguk.bsky.social
Sorry, but if you're saying those implausible and shallow Kemi Badenoch announcements constitute a good speech then you're part of the UK's political problem.

Same half-baked "tax cut good / international commitments bad" bearing no resemblance to well formed policy.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
iandunt.bsky.social
Trump's $100,000 skilled worker visa fee gives Britain a golden opportunity to attracted global talent. Needless to say, we're going to piss it away because we're scared of upsetting Nigel Farage.

inews.co.uk/opinion/trum...
Trump's migrant obsession offers Starmer a rare win - but Farage has scared him off
We have a golden opportunity to kick-start the British economy
inews.co.uk
Reposted by Martin Stanley
alexhanna.bsky.social
I'm not an economist but seems worrying that the whole US economy is seven companies in a trenchcoat, passing the same $20 up and down
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
NVIDIA and OpenAi:

Concerns that their “increasingly complex and interconnected web of business transactions is artificially propping up the trillion-dollar AI boom.“

@bloomberg.com $NVDA 👀
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Martin Stanley
iandunt.bsky.social
A bubble so large you can see it from space and it's going to fuck all of us.
carlquintanilla.bsky.social
NVIDIA and OpenAi:

Concerns that their “increasingly complex and interconnected web of business transactions is artificially propping up the trillion-dollar AI boom.“

@bloomberg.com $NVDA 👀
www.bloomberg.com/news/feature...
Reposted by Martin Stanley
publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social
I wonder what happened on or after 2016 that may help explain this?

conservativehome.com/2025/10/06/m...
Reposted by Martin Stanley
garius.bsky.social
Short version: You AREN'T paying your state pension. You paid for your parents' pension.

The 'kids today' and 'those immigrants' are paying your pension.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
Reposted by Martin Stanley
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Say what you will about GOV.UK, but this kind of thing (which is, to be clear, an absolutely outrageous political statement to make on an official government website) would never happen
Reposted by Martin Stanley
stephenkb.bsky.social
Depressing myself by reading earlier speeches by prime ministers at their second party conference. Zero chance we get something as good as this:
Speech to Conservative Party Conference ('the lady's not for turning') ["The Reason Why"] | Margaret Thatcher Foundation
www.margaretthatcher.org
Reposted by Martin Stanley
nameshiv.bsky.social
4 yrs ago today, a family member managed a truly spectacular own goal, splintered his domestic bliss, & in the process, united the world for a day.

On popular request, I shall now recreate the livetweet thread from that day

So gather around children, for this is the tale of The Rice Truck Saga
Reposted by Martin Stanley
shortymcboots.bsky.social
It's cracking me up that he doesn't even bother to continue pretending that any of this is about Charlie Kirk
paleofuture.bsky.social
“I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled!”
Trump: I can't believe ABC Fake News gave Jimmy Kimmel his job back. The White House was told by ABC that his Show was cancelled! Something happened between then and now because his audience is GONE, and his "talent" was never there. Why would they want someone back who does so poorly, who's not funny, and who puts the Network in jeopardy by playing 99% positive Democrat GARBAGE. He is yet another arm of the DNC and, to the best of my knowledge, that would be a major Illegal Campaign Contribution. I think we're going to test ABC out on this. Let's see how we do. Last time I went after them, they gave me $16 Million Dollars. This one sounds even more lucrative. A true bunch of losers! Let Jimmy Kimmel rot in his bad Ratings.
5 ReTruths 18 Likes
9/23/25, 7:35 PM
Reposted by Martin Stanley
alexhh.bsky.social
Vain, stupid, bigoted, shallow, crass, ignorant, and so, so unqualified, in every way. America’s shame and humiliation on the world stage, for everyone to see. Russia, China, Iran etc must be quietly pinching themselves at this man’s sabotage of America; victims of oppression worldwide in despair.
atrupar.com
Trump: "I'm really good at predicting things. During the campaign they had a hat -- a best-selling hat -- 'Trump was right about everything.' And I don't say that in a braggadocios way, but it's true. I've been right about everything."
Reposted by Martin Stanley
alexhh.bsky.social
This is exactly the problem. It’s not a failure of ordinary people, but a craven, abject failure of elites and people in positions of influence, who all know better, but for reasons of self-interest, opportunism or corruption, enable America’s catastrophic fall from grace and self-sabotage.
jonahblank.bsky.social
Only two polling metrics matter:
♦️He has the unwavering support of 50.8% of Congress.
♦️And 66.6% of the Supreme Court.

The other 335 million of us don't factor into his calculations.
At all.
reevesjw.bsky.social
@gelliottmorris.com: "many people fundamentally underestimate how unpopular Trump is."

Trump is currently underwater on all key issues, something our corporate elites should consider before capitulating to him.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
dadvans.bsky.social
once again, if tylenol caused autism, america would have a better rail system
Reposted by Martin Stanley
roberthutton.co.uk
Very excited for Whitehall lunchtime Bible studies that will now have to get senior sign-off for their autumn series looking at Paul's letter to the Colossians.
Reposted by Martin Stanley
jillongovt.bsky.social
Reading this is very much like reading years of pent up Treasury official frustration at successive Chancellor's refusal/cowardice in addressing destructive anomalies in the tax system. Might that be true @ruthcurtice.bsky.social @resfoundation.bsky.social?
resfoundation.bsky.social
📣 New analysis published today 📣

Switching 2p from National Insurance to Income Tax could raise £6 billion, at the same time as protecting workers’ pay packets.

See our full proposals for revenue and reform at the Autumn Budget here ⤵️ buff.ly/uLWun7f
Chart showing Marginal tax rates 2025-26, including employer NI / Corporation Tax where appropriate