Will Cooling
@willcooling.bsky.social
Writes & Hosts the It Could Be Said substack & podcast; https://itcouldbesaid.substack.com/
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Reposted by Will Cooling
The big overarching problem with the Budget is that the only measure where you go 'yeah, you have chosen an appropriately big enough bazooka' is one where the Chancellor had to be dragged into picking it up by backbenchers and other ministers:
Rachel Reeves’ Budget fails her own 3 claims
Chancellor’s actions not enough to satisfy pledges on cost of living, debt and NHS
www.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:03 PM
The big overarching problem with the Budget is that the only measure where you go 'yeah, you have chosen an appropriately big enough bazooka' is one where the Chancellor had to be dragged into picking it up by backbenchers and other ministers:
Alas its the value of the house as of 1990's Britain, and as many an inquiry has shown, they had different attitudes back then....
beat rachel reeves - devalue your 2 million pound house by spraying PAEDO LIVES HERE on the front of it
November 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Alas its the value of the house as of 1990's Britain, and as many an inquiry has shown, they had different attitudes back then....
Remember that the OBR's economic forecasts was based on immigration being much higher than this!
Net migration fell sharply agaim to 204,000 in the year to June 2025, having been 344k in 2024 and 848k in 2023. But falling immigration has been the biggest secret - and it is time for the media and political debate to catch up with this change
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cn...
UK net migration fell to 204,000 in year to June - live updates
Net migration, the difference between those entering and leaving the country, was 345,000 in 2024 according to revised figures.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 10:22 AM
Remember that the OBR's economic forecasts was based on immigration being much higher than this!
Reposted by Will Cooling
I hadn't thought of this aspect of why the salary sacrifice change is insane... Imagine thinking it's a good idea to have bigger disincentives for ordinary people saving for retirement than for high income people saving for retirement. It's obviously a terrible idea!
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 PM
I hadn't thought of this aspect of why the salary sacrifice change is insane... Imagine thinking it's a good idea to have bigger disincentives for ordinary people saving for retirement than for high income people saving for retirement. It's obviously a terrible idea!
Shows the smallness of the racist mind they called see Ghani preside over the budget and fulminate over her ethnicity rather than notice her tremendous choice of outfit (complete with parliamentary lapel)
Nus Ghani MP - the Deputy Speaker - moved to the UK as a small child. She has been elected by the voters in Wealden in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2024
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
November 26, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Shows the smallness of the racist mind they called see Ghani preside over the budget and fulminate over her ethnicity rather than notice her tremendous choice of outfit (complete with parliamentary lapel)
Reposted by Will Cooling
First budget: 'Our infrastructure-led recovry plan will bear fruit very quickly or we go into the election delivering painful budgets'
Second budget: 'Magic will happen or we go into the election delivering painful budgets':
Second budget: 'Magic will happen or we go into the election delivering painful budgets':
Rachel Reeves doubles down on wishful thinking
A government that can’t make tough choices now is unlikely to do so on the eve of an election
www.ft.com
November 26, 2025 at 5:28 PM
First budget: 'Our infrastructure-led recovry plan will bear fruit very quickly or we go into the election delivering painful budgets'
Second budget: 'Magic will happen or we go into the election delivering painful budgets':
Second budget: 'Magic will happen or we go into the election delivering painful budgets':
Reposted by Will Cooling
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... Rachel Reeves budget repeats the same bad cynical tactics as her predecessor - mediocrity today, pay later. Like Jeremy Hunt, she has stored up no end of problems for whoever replaces her as Chancellor
It Could Be Said #78 Rachel Reeves Goes Hunting
Rachel Reeves keeps copying from Jeremy Hunt's playbook
itcouldbesaid.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... Rachel Reeves budget repeats the same bad cynical tactics as her predecessor - mediocrity today, pay later. Like Jeremy Hunt, she has stored up no end of problems for whoever replaces her as Chancellor
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... Rachel Reeves budget repeats the same bad cynical tactics as her predecessor - mediocrity today, pay later. Like Jeremy Hunt, she has stored up no end of problems for whoever replaces her as Chancellor
It Could Be Said #78 Rachel Reeves Goes Hunting
Rachel Reeves keeps copying from Jeremy Hunt's playbook
itcouldbesaid.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
itcouldbesaid.substack.com/p/it-could-b... Rachel Reeves budget repeats the same bad cynical tactics as her predecessor - mediocrity today, pay later. Like Jeremy Hunt, she has stored up no end of problems for whoever replaces her as Chancellor
Oh goody...a bigger budget for social care to feast upon.
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Oh goody...a bigger budget for social care to feast upon.
This response from Badenoch is...rather good? Very right-wing obviously, but punchily so
November 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
This response from Badenoch is...rather good? Very right-wing obviously, but punchily so
Reposted by Will Cooling
Seems quite mental to me to schedule all the fiscal consolidation for 2028-2029 when you are going to be fighting an election in May 2029
November 26, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Seems quite mental to me to schedule all the fiscal consolidation for 2028-2029 when you are going to be fighting an election in May 2029
Reposted by Will Cooling
Minor point. But this is the OBR saying that the briefing about income tax being dropped because of improved forecasts is bollocks.
November 26, 2025 at 1:18 PM
Minor point. But this is the OBR saying that the briefing about income tax being dropped because of improved forecasts is bollocks.
Freeze Income Tax & National Insurance Personal Allowances
Apply National Insurance to Pension Contributions
Apply duties to small parcels
Brag about not increasing Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Apply National Insurance to Pension Contributions
Apply duties to small parcels
Brag about not increasing Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
November 26, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Freeze Income Tax & National Insurance Personal Allowances
Apply National Insurance to Pension Contributions
Apply duties to small parcels
Brag about not increasing Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Apply National Insurance to Pension Contributions
Apply duties to small parcels
Brag about not increasing Income Tax, National Insurance or VAT
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reposted by Will Cooling
This is something that really bothers me in so much talk about benefits including from some policy wonks.
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Sorry, no, Motability was not about 'helping the most vulnerable' - it was about providing people who need modified vehicles modified vehicles!
November 26, 2025 at 1:19 PM
This is something that really bothers me in so much talk about benefits including from some policy wonks.
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
Not everyone who is given something from the state is Oliver Twist, nor should they be.
The state should provide help to all sorts of people in different circs, not just gruel for the needy
We'd moment where Tories heckle Reeves for freezing the personal allowance...she shouts back they forgot they did this when they were in government but the people won't forget. But doesn't that mean the public won't forget (or forgive) Labour doing it?
November 26, 2025 at 1:20 PM
We'd moment where Tories heckle Reeves for freezing the personal allowance...she shouts back they forgot they did this when they were in government but the people won't forget. But doesn't that mean the public won't forget (or forgive) Labour doing it?
Reposted by Will Cooling
If you are eligible for the mobility component of PIP and you want to spend *your own money on top of that* on having a nicer modified car, why shouldn't you? Should screen readers only work on Chromebooks?
November 26, 2025 at 1:14 PM
If you are eligible for the mobility component of PIP and you want to spend *your own money on top of that* on having a nicer modified car, why shouldn't you? Should screen readers only work on Chromebooks?
Reposted by Will Cooling
Anything that says 2028 or 2029 can't really be assumed will actually happen, I think? Just throw something in to make the numbers work at the imaginary five year horizon.
November 26, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Anything that says 2028 or 2029 can't really be assumed will actually happen, I think? Just throw something in to make the numbers work at the imaginary five year horizon.
Yeah my schools had them
Politicians love to talk about their time in '90s portakabins - a memory I share. Did schools really have more of them back then or is this a myth? FACT CHECK anyone?
November 26, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Yeah my schools had them
"Selling government assets we no longer have any use for..."
"Such as the Prime Minister..."
"He was never an asset to the Government"
"Such as the Prime Minister..."
"He was never an asset to the Government"
November 26, 2025 at 1:06 PM
"Selling government assets we no longer have any use for..."
"Such as the Prime Minister..."
"He was never an asset to the Government"
"Such as the Prime Minister..."
"He was never an asset to the Government"
Reposted by Will Cooling
Would love some in-depth numbers on what the majority of 20-30 somethings basically paying a 9% higher marginal tax rate has actually done to economic behaviour. Feels very under-discussed bsky.app/profile/igma...
Student loan repayment thresholds frozen for a further three years.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
More debt burden falling on graduates.
And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.
November 26, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Would love some in-depth numbers on what the majority of 20-30 somethings basically paying a 9% higher marginal tax rate has actually done to economic behaviour. Feels very under-discussed bsky.app/profile/igma...
Reposted by Will Cooling
Incidentally to the leak, a remarkably dull set of measures compared to all the pre-budget excitable briefings, once again illustrating the strategic vacuum at the heart of this government.
BREAKING The entire Budget has leaked early
- £22BN of headroom
- £26bn tax rises
- Freeze on tax thresholds
- Pay per mileage confirmed
- Changes to capital gains
- £22BN of headroom
- £26bn tax rises
- Freeze on tax thresholds
- Pay per mileage confirmed
- Changes to capital gains
November 26, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Incidentally to the leak, a remarkably dull set of measures compared to all the pre-budget excitable briefings, once again illustrating the strategic vacuum at the heart of this government.
These whole performance is just completely divorced from politics never mind reality. Labour's at 19%, promising major tax rises and spending cuts in the two years before the budget, and yet they're all cheering as Reeves highlights random investments. I just don't get it.
November 26, 2025 at 12:54 PM
These whole performance is just completely divorced from politics never mind reality. Labour's at 19%, promising major tax rises and spending cuts in the two years before the budget, and yet they're all cheering as Reeves highlights random investments. I just don't get it.
Reposted by Will Cooling
I think that far too much weight is being placed on 'can you rules-lawyer your way through an interview about how you've put people's taxes up' and 'what will people actually experience' - if you're raising my taxes (you are), just raise them by enough to get out of the v tight 27-9 spending rounds!
November 26, 2025 at 12:45 PM
I think that far too much weight is being placed on 'can you rules-lawyer your way through an interview about how you've put people's taxes up' and 'what will people actually experience' - if you're raising my taxes (you are), just raise them by enough to get out of the v tight 27-9 spending rounds!
This whole "these are my choices" rift of Reeves speaks to the narcism of this deeply cynical budget
November 26, 2025 at 12:41 PM
This whole "these are my choices" rift of Reeves speaks to the narcism of this deeply cynical budget
Reposted by Will Cooling
Nus Ghani on fire (both in scolding the govt and fashion)
November 26, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Nus Ghani on fire (both in scolding the govt and fashion)