Alan Beattie
@alanbeattie.bsky.social
Opiner for Financial Times in London. Globalisation, econ, snark. RT≠👍. Views own. [email protected]. Sign up to my FT Trade Secrets newsletter https://subs.ft.com/spa3_tradesecrets?segmentId=357afa03-959c-93ed-0842-58e2115025d4.
You’re suggesting Britain should be self-sufficient in Aura? Not sure about that, mate, that’s why Robert Peel repealed the Aura Laws back in 1846.
November 15, 2025 at 11:08 PM
You’re suggesting Britain should be self-sufficient in Aura? Not sure about that, mate, that’s why Robert Peel repealed the Aura Laws back in 1846.
The trade nerd in me (i.e. me) immediately thinks about what subsidies are available to farm auras and whether they come with onerous environmental safeguards.
November 15, 2025 at 10:29 PM
The trade nerd in me (i.e. me) immediately thinks about what subsidies are available to farm auras and whether they come with onerous environmental safeguards.
I believe my parents called it "showing off".
November 15, 2025 at 10:24 PM
I believe my parents called it "showing off".
What's the lag on publishing FOMC transcripts? Five years or so? Because this one will be a collector's item.
November 14, 2025 at 9:58 PM
What's the lag on publishing FOMC transcripts? Five years or so? Because this one will be a collector's item.
So they brought bubonic plague AND botulism to Europe? Good effort lads.
November 14, 2025 at 9:16 PM
So they brought bubonic plague AND botulism to Europe? Good effort lads.
Most things that cause a chuffing great recession will in the end be deflationary.
November 14, 2025 at 8:18 PM
Most things that cause a chuffing great recession will in the end be deflationary.
He called it American because of its English origins?
November 14, 2025 at 5:41 PM
He called it American because of its English origins?
It's exceedingly confusing. I think they basically mean it's hamburger. Except they don't cook it.
November 14, 2025 at 5:23 PM
It's exceedingly confusing. I think they basically mean it's hamburger. Except they don't cook it.
Hi, I'm Alan, and I believe Ramsay Macdonald was notably worse than Starmer. I've now refrained from publicly expressing this opinion for three months and ten days. Every day is a struggle, but I get through it.
November 14, 2025 at 4:07 PM
Hi, I'm Alan, and I believe Ramsay Macdonald was notably worse than Starmer. I've now refrained from publicly expressing this opinion for three months and ten days. Every day is a struggle, but I get through it.
Now sitting here rocking backwards and forwards, caught in the realisation that I've totally been triggered but not wanting to admit it.
November 14, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Now sitting here rocking backwards and forwards, caught in the realisation that I've totally been triggered but not wanting to admit it.
"Both Sides Now" and use the Joni Mitchell song as the theme tune?
November 14, 2025 at 10:48 AM
"Both Sides Now" and use the Joni Mitchell song as the theme tune?
You could make it a gameshow where a left-wing contestant and a right-wing contestant try to see how many errors they can spot which back up their ideological prejudice, and winner gets to fire the DG and appoint the next one.
November 14, 2025 at 10:35 AM
You could make it a gameshow where a left-wing contestant and a right-wing contestant try to see how many errors they can spot which back up their ideological prejudice, and winner gets to fire the DG and appoint the next one.
The glorious detail is the presenter saying “a week is a long time in politics” and Peter O’H feeling the need to interject “Rab Butler” to show how erudite he is. (And probably getting it wrong as it’s more usually attributed to Harold Wilson.)
November 13, 2025 at 10:24 PM
The glorious detail is the presenter saying “a week is a long time in politics” and Peter O’H feeling the need to interject “Rab Butler” to show how erudite he is. (And probably getting it wrong as it’s more usually attributed to Harold Wilson.)
Terry, you’re lying in a news grave.
November 13, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Terry, you’re lying in a news grave.
Stuart truthers.
November 13, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Stuart truthers.
Big up here to Socrates who was actually against reading and writing on principle. Memorise it if you want to know it ffs.
November 13, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Big up here to Socrates who was actually against reading and writing on principle. Memorise it if you want to know it ffs.
Burn his books as well I say. Burn all books except Jonn's.
November 13, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Burn his books as well I say. Burn all books except Jonn's.