Peter Holmes

@pholmes8.bsky.social

4.6K followers 1.8K following 480 posts

Semi-retired trade economist, Emeritus @ UKTPO Sussex. Posts about Brexit, Freeports, WTO and anything else that catches my fancy. Migrating across from other place. Tweeted as @pholmes8. Blogs with others at https://blogs.sussex.ac.uk/uktpo/blog/ .. more

Videos

Economics 44%

Political science 25%

Posts Replies Media Videos

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Glen O’Hara

LSE British Politics and Policy blog @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social · 13h

Why was New Labour so popular for so long? Glen O' Hara @gsoh31.bsky.social has some thoughts.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Why was New Labour so popular? | LSE British Politics

The Labour Party was once very popular. New Labour enjoyed a persistent lead in the polls for over a decade. Having a clear ideology and a clear plan helped.

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Reposted by Peter Holmes

Adrian Goldberg @goldbergradio.bsky.social · 15h

A timely riposte to #SirJimRatcliffe ...

Former Reuters Bureau Chief Steve Scherer shares his story of enforced migration - a job change to Uber driver.

My latest for @bylinetimes.bsky.social based on an interview for @bylinetimespod.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/bylinesu...

From Bureau Chief to Uber Driver

For the Byline Podcast, Steve Scherer, former Foreign Correspondent for Reuters, talks to Adrian Goldberg about migration after his own enforced move from Canada back to the United States.

open.substack.com

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 15h

Farage said Ratcliffe had made a mistake over dates but then continued as if this was unimportant and ended up claiming Ratcliffe's figures were factually correct. When I listened again I heard Nick Robinson make a very brief effort to object but let Farage go on uninterrupted. R4 Today 2h 47m

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 15h

Correction. I listened again. F-ge said "12 million - fact" Then very quickly added "He said since 2020. That was a mistake". NR did say "So it's not a fact" F- "It was a mistake", but then was allowed to proceed unchecked ending "His numbers were factually correct". 2hrs 47m

Reposted by Peter Holmes

BrianinFrance @brianinfrance.bsky.social · 16h

Actually, it's about fucking common sense, which is remarkably absent from UK governments of all shades.

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 16h

N.Robinson just interviewed Farage (again).BBC R4 Today c8.40. He was allowed to repeat Ratcliffe's figures asserting they were all correct, with no pushback."12 million.Fact..."

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Peter Holmes

Kerry @kerry10.bsky.social · 18h

If you watch anything today, please watch Cody, waxing lyrical against Jim Ratcliffe and all billionaires.

This isn't just a message for Britain, this is a message for all western countries who all have the same problem! Mainly billionaires sucking the life out of economies for their own greed!

Reposted by Peter Holmes

bylinepodcast.bsky.social @bylinepodcast.bsky.social · 19h

"From Foreign Correspondent - To Uber Driver".

Steve Scherer was one of many legacy media workers to lose his job - in his case as a Bureau Chief for Reuters

Here's what he's learned...

As told to @goldbergradio.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...

From Foreign Correspondent - To Uber Driver

Podcast Episode · Byline Podcast · 12/02/2026 · 23m

podcasts.apple.com

Reposted by Lisa W. Fazio, Richard S.J. Tol, Brendan Nyhan , and 3 more Lisa W. Fazio, Richard S.J. Tol, Brendan Nyhan, Peter Holmes, David C. Kimball, Ann Bartow

Josh Gerstein @joshgerstein.bsky.social · 1d

BREAKING: DOJ moves to drop criminal charges in alleged shovel/broom attack in Minneapolis that led ICE to open fire. "Newly discovered evidence in this matter is materially inconsistent with the allegations in the Complaint Affidavit," prosecutors say. www.documentcloud.org/documents/26...

Chris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 1d

Trump nominated a legit white nationalist to a top post at the State Department. I asked him some basic questions about his belief in the “erasure of white culture”. Watch this embarrassing, fumbling answer. Like he has never before been asked to explain his views.

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Mauro Gatti

Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 1d

Coming up for ten years since the EU referendum.

My symbol for Brexit? The tethered bottle top. A product of EU law, it still exists in the UK despite Brexit. Yes, it affects us even though not in a Norway-style EU relationship.

Just the realities of trading/mass production.

Funny old world.

Reposted by Peter Holmes

The Purple Pimpernel @thepurplepimpernel.bsky.social · 1d

In other news, I will chant “up the RA” for your nearest and dearest, for the bargain basement price of just £69.67…

Reposted by Matthew Bunn, Tony R. ‎Walker, Gavin A. Schmidt , and 11 more Matthew Bunn, Tony R. ‎Walker, Gavin A. Schmidt, Julie L. Lockwood, Neil Pederson, Samuel L. Perry, Evelyne de Leeuw, Peter Holmes, Jussi T. Eronen, Gerald Friedman, Valentina De Marchi, Henry Jones, Karen O’Leary, Prakash Kashwan

Barack Obama @barackobama.bsky.social · 1d

Today, the Trump administration repealed the endangerment finding: the ruling that served as the basis for limits on tailpipe emissions and power plant rules. Without it, we’ll be less safe, less healthy and less able to fight climate change—all so the fossil fuel industry can make even more money.

WATCH: Trump, EPA's Zeldin announce end of scientific basis for U.S. action on climate change

The Trump administration on Thursday revoked a scientific finding that long has been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change, the most aggressiv...

www.pbs.org

FactPost @factpostnews.bsky.social · 1d

RFK Jr: I'm not scared of a germ. I used to snort cocaine off of toilet seats.

Reposted by Tim Bale, Peter Holmes, Pauline Stafford

Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 1d

this is bad for the post of cabinet secretary and so bad for the civil service / good government / everyone.

Chart from the institute for government showing the tenure of cabinet secretaries from 1916 to 2026, showing a clear trend of shorter tenures over time

Reposted by Steve Peers, Peter Holmes

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 1d

under questioning from Peters, ICE officials confirm that Kristi Noem's claim about Pretti being a "domestic terrorist" was not based on information from them

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cd...

Ratcliffe says sorry his language 'offended some people' after criticism of immigration comments

The Man Utd co-owner says it's important to talk about

www.bbc.co.uk

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

This morning's R4 Today discussion made no reference to the falsity of Ratcliffe's figures. BBC Verify later showed the falsity, but on 1pm WATO a brief mention that his figures were incorrect was followed by long discussion of why the broad issues he raised merited discussion.

Reposted by Peter Holmes, Christina Pagel

Trump Action Tracker @trumpactiontracker.bsky.social · 1d

The Department of Homeland Security(DHS) has hired a social media manager from the Department of Labor for a key communications job, despite posts he made on Labor Department media accounts that raised internal alarms over possible white-nationalist messaging.

TAT: [Controlling Information]

Homeland Security Hires Labor Dept. Aide Whose Posts Raised Alarms

A young aide behind social posts that echoed white supremacist messaging will help run social media for the much larger Homeland Security Department.

www.nytimes.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers , and 3 more Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Peter Holmes, Richard Moorhead

Rafael Behr @rafaelbehr.bsky.social · 1d

Day after Alex Pretti killing I complained to BBC about presentation of White House statements and evidence as equivalent. Duty of balance doesn’t extend to complicity with clear lies, I said. BBC could and should report WH making false statements as a *fact of the story*. Today I got response …

Reposted by Peter Holmes

paulusthewoodgnome @paulusthewoodgnome.bsky.social · 1d

If you want to hear a proper analysis of Jim Ratcliffe's remarks and their current context, this is one of @mrjamesob.bsky.social's best, imo. No punches pulled: we are heading back to the 1970s at lightning speed and it is a terrible prospect.

#politicslive
youtu.be/UtrHDykZM10

Man Utd owner says UK has been ‘colonised’ by immigrants | LBC

YouTube video by LBC

youtu.be

Reposted by Peter Holmes

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 1d

Yes, the assumption throughout the report was that the big picture was what mattered, and that big picture was public concern about immigration, not fantasised claims about numbers and "colonisation".

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

Sky website story says not, so does BBC website. But BBC r4 feels obliged to balance the wokeness of the ONS.

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

And whilst briefly mentioning that his data were incorrect, the whole discussion was based on the premise that his "broad points" merited discussion as opposed to being based on a falsehood which he hasn't apologised for.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Peter Holmes, Tom Griffin

Sean Kemp @seankemp.bsky.social · 1d

This piece in The Spectator by @shippersunbound.bsky.social has an absolutely mad detail that I was not previously aware of spectator.com/article/auth...

McSweeney pressed for his mentor to get the job. One of the most bizarre shortlists of all time was drawn up: Mandelson, George Osborne and the rugged TV survivalist Bear Grylls, since it was believed he would appeal to Trump, also a star of reality TV. Starmer initially backed Osborne but McSweeney got his way.

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

Sky pointed put the falsehood directly on their website BBC website has now followed.
news.sky.com/story/bluesk...

'UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe

In an interview with Sky News's Ed Conway, Sir Jim says Britain faces profound political, social and economic challenges, among them an unprecedented rise in immigration in recent years.

news.sky.com

Reposted by Peter Holmes

klgeo.bsky.social @klgeo.bsky.social · 1d

Thank you for posting this, I've just joined you in putting in a complaint. It was only by going on Blue sky that I learned the figures Jim Radcliffe quoted were incorrect.

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

I've put in a complaint to the BBC website www.bbc.co.uk/contact/comp...

Make A Complaint | Contact the BBC

www.bbc.co.uk

Peter Holmes @pholmes8.bsky.social · 1d

@edconway.bsky.social 's Sky article on the interview notes the error (lie?) immediately after he quotes Ratcliffe's figures. But Chris Mason and BBC R4 Today didn't mention this, even though article on BBC news website does.

Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 2d

Chris Mason failing to point out that Ratcliffe's immigration numbers were untruthful

Reposted by Peter Holmes

Richard Corbett @richardcorbett.bsky.social · 1d

Jim Ratcliffe, himself a migrant to Monaco to avoid paying his fair share of UK tax, and who supported Brexit which has so damaged the British economy, is yet another millionaire oligarch backing the far right to further line his pockets

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