blunderball
@blunderball.bsky.social
Lower than the tax revenue the OBR forecasts from their 350k net migration forecast (6.2b), for example.
December 1, 2025 at 1:55 AM
Lower than the tax revenue the OBR forecasts from their 350k net migration forecast (6.2b), for example.
I do enjoy the people saying income tax rises was speculation too, after the Chancellor took over Breakfast News to tell everyone she was thinking about it.
December 1, 2025 at 1:10 AM
I do enjoy the people saying income tax rises was speculation too, after the Chancellor took over Breakfast News to tell everyone she was thinking about it.
Which, I assume, is because the 'speculation' was largely things that No 10 or the treasury briefed out?
December 1, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Which, I assume, is because the 'speculation' was largely things that No 10 or the treasury briefed out?
The 56 laps after maybe not so exciting though.
November 30, 2025 at 11:20 AM
The 56 laps after maybe not so exciting though.
He wouldn't stop at Hitler either. He'd get a full register of the Nazi party and go through it like the tenth plague in Egypt.
November 29, 2025 at 11:46 PM
He wouldn't stop at Hitler either. He'd get a full register of the Nazi party and go through it like the tenth plague in Egypt.
Including the SWP.
November 28, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Including the SWP.
You can also include Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland peace process (largely a continuation, but still very big deal to handle) all pre-9/11. 7/7 later on too.
November 28, 2025 at 11:06 PM
You can also include Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Northern Ireland peace process (largely a continuation, but still very big deal to handle) all pre-9/11. 7/7 later on too.
Watched Olusoga's Empire recently. It's good as TV history docs go these days. But felt like it could've been a 20 part series, rather than 3-1 hour episodes.
November 28, 2025 at 8:19 PM
Watched Olusoga's Empire recently. It's good as TV history docs go these days. But felt like it could've been a 20 part series, rather than 3-1 hour episodes.
Sounds like something that you see in football sometimes. Successful, long term managers whose players/successors try to emulate, but end up as poor caricature versions because they never really grasped the big picture as they were inside it.
November 28, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Sounds like something that you see in football sometimes. Successful, long term managers whose players/successors try to emulate, but end up as poor caricature versions because they never really grasped the big picture as they were inside it.
But the 're-elected' bit feels like they think the election is in 6 months, not 4 years.
November 28, 2025 at 10:46 AM
But the 're-elected' bit feels like they think the election is in 6 months, not 4 years.
Limmy has recently been rewatching some of them on his stream - they're compelling in a time capsule sort of way, but are also just funny in a "this is clearly designed for entertainment rather than successful dating".
November 28, 2025 at 8:04 AM
Limmy has recently been rewatching some of them on his stream - they're compelling in a time capsule sort of way, but are also just funny in a "this is clearly designed for entertainment rather than successful dating".
It wasn't perfect, by any means, but I used to think that the old Daily Politics (non-PMQs days especially), and This Week, were both useful in that sense. They had space to delve on the wider picture, or policy.
Whereas now you've just got talking heads arguing. Also RIP Newsnight ofc.
Whereas now you've just got talking heads arguing. Also RIP Newsnight ofc.
November 28, 2025 at 7:50 AM
It wasn't perfect, by any means, but I used to think that the old Daily Politics (non-PMQs days especially), and This Week, were both useful in that sense. They had space to delve on the wider picture, or policy.
Whereas now you've just got talking heads arguing. Also RIP Newsnight ofc.
Whereas now you've just got talking heads arguing. Also RIP Newsnight ofc.
It did however lead to an intra-party management attempt becoming majority government policy however. A decision that a lot of the chaos since has spun out from.
November 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
It did however lead to an intra-party management attempt becoming majority government policy however. A decision that a lot of the chaos since has spun out from.
Tax cuts are never damaging. Always celebrated.
November 27, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Tax cuts are never damaging. Always celebrated.
I'm very much not convinced half the tax rises will happen either. The threshold freeze in particular feels like it has high Fuel Duty Diddle to it.
November 27, 2025 at 11:27 PM
I'm very much not convinced half the tax rises will happen either. The threshold freeze in particular feels like it has high Fuel Duty Diddle to it.
Especially baffling when you hear it coming from a pensioner relative who retired early, spends half the year abroad, no mortgage on a house that's worth about 8x what they paid for etc.
November 27, 2025 at 10:25 PM
Especially baffling when you hear it coming from a pensioner relative who retired early, spends half the year abroad, no mortgage on a house that's worth about 8x what they paid for etc.
My wife's Dad uses my surname when he sends us cards for birthday/Christmas - he has been told, but still does it, and it's his own surname he's changing.
November 27, 2025 at 10:17 PM
My wife's Dad uses my surname when he sends us cards for birthday/Christmas - he has been told, but still does it, and it's his own surname he's changing.
Happy it's happened, but the moral grandstanding Reeves was doing about it felt very distasteful, when 12 months ago it was apparently a financially irresponsible decision.
November 26, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Happy it's happened, but the moral grandstanding Reeves was doing about it felt very distasteful, when 12 months ago it was apparently a financially irresponsible decision.
I'm waiting for the full series to come out first so I can binge the full parliament in a weekend.
November 26, 2025 at 11:29 AM
I'm waiting for the full series to come out first so I can binge the full parliament in a weekend.
Cheaper for the budget though, I expect.
November 25, 2025 at 10:10 PM
Cheaper for the budget though, I expect.
For someone who isn't radicalised, you sure do post about this topic with all the agression, intransigence, and frequency of someone who is.
November 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
For someone who isn't radicalised, you sure do post about this topic with all the agression, intransigence, and frequency of someone who is.
Wasn't particularly keen on the last 5 personally. With the direct tie in to New Hope beginning, the uncanny valley Carrie Fisher, and Darth Vader fan service.
November 24, 2025 at 11:01 PM
Wasn't particularly keen on the last 5 personally. With the direct tie in to New Hope beginning, the uncanny valley Carrie Fisher, and Darth Vader fan service.
I'd settle for a train station in Oldham at all
November 24, 2025 at 2:18 PM
I'd settle for a train station in Oldham at all
Good job that university funding is so secure and these institutions have had it too good for too long.
November 23, 2025 at 10:20 PM
Good job that university funding is so secure and these institutions have had it too good for too long.