Chris
@chrisbham.bsky.social
Birmingham UK
Interests: Ontology for Data integration, Rail Data, Stage lighting, learning Italian and cycling.
Work for University of Birmingham and MoniRail
Interests: Ontology for Data integration, Rail Data, Stage lighting, learning Italian and cycling.
Work for University of Birmingham and MoniRail
Depressingly accurate as ever
"The problem isn’t that we have a deliberately biased BBC, it’s that we have a BBC that has been consciously reduced in its scope and bullied into dumbing down and retreating." @stephenkb.bsky.social's newsletter today
November 10, 2025 at 10:02 AM
Depressingly accurate as ever
Vote for me and no employer will ever be allowed to pretend that making you do an online course is the same as learning something.
I'm not running for any sort of office yet, but when I do that will be my platform
I'm not running for any sort of office yet, but when I do that will be my platform
October 22, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Vote for me and no employer will ever be allowed to pretend that making you do an online course is the same as learning something.
I'm not running for any sort of office yet, but when I do that will be my platform
I'm not running for any sort of office yet, but when I do that will be my platform
Reposted by Chris
1) Also, the ‘health’ surcharge isn’t. It’s not hypothecated revenue
2) It’s upfront not PAYE (outsiders often surprised by that)
3) You can’t ‘go private’ instead of paying it
4) This is part of why moving ILR qualification from 5 to 10 years is also a money spinner on.ft.com/4oyDMnB
2) It’s upfront not PAYE (outsiders often surprised by that)
3) You can’t ‘go private’ instead of paying it
4) This is part of why moving ILR qualification from 5 to 10 years is also a money spinner on.ft.com/4oyDMnB
October 21, 2025 at 8:43 AM
1) Also, the ‘health’ surcharge isn’t. It’s not hypothecated revenue
2) It’s upfront not PAYE (outsiders often surprised by that)
3) You can’t ‘go private’ instead of paying it
4) This is part of why moving ILR qualification from 5 to 10 years is also a money spinner on.ft.com/4oyDMnB
2) It’s upfront not PAYE (outsiders often surprised by that)
3) You can’t ‘go private’ instead of paying it
4) This is part of why moving ILR qualification from 5 to 10 years is also a money spinner on.ft.com/4oyDMnB
Reposted by Chris
Voters’ anger is largely focused on asylum, and perhaps on low-skilled immigration.
The government response seems to be focused on making sure no high-skilled immigrant will ever pick the UK in future, and the ones currently here will rapidly rethink their decision.
This will not end well.
The government response seems to be focused on making sure no high-skilled immigrant will ever pick the UK in future, and the ones currently here will rapidly rethink their decision.
This will not end well.
Haven’t read the report yet but this looks to me like another example of adding yet more makework to the immigration process for unclear reasons other than possibly getting mentioned in Politico Playbook.
October 20, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Voters’ anger is largely focused on asylum, and perhaps on low-skilled immigration.
The government response seems to be focused on making sure no high-skilled immigrant will ever pick the UK in future, and the ones currently here will rapidly rethink their decision.
This will not end well.
The government response seems to be focused on making sure no high-skilled immigrant will ever pick the UK in future, and the ones currently here will rapidly rethink their decision.
This will not end well.
It seems today I'm on the lucky side of the coin: our infrastructure is a mix on premises and azure....
October 20, 2025 at 9:14 AM
It seems today I'm on the lucky side of the coin: our infrastructure is a mix on premises and azure....
nation.cymru/news/cardiff...
@cllrjohncotton.bsky.social This could only improve Birmingham, now Cardiff has proved it can be done
@cllrjohncotton.bsky.social This could only improve Birmingham, now Cardiff has proved it can be done
Cardiff set to tackle SUV 'carspreading' in UK first
Cardiff Council is set to become the first local authority in the UK to introduce higher parking charges for SUVs and other heavy vehicles, in a move campaigners say will make city streets safer and f...
nation.cymru
October 16, 2025 at 9:14 AM
nation.cymru/news/cardiff...
@cllrjohncotton.bsky.social This could only improve Birmingham, now Cardiff has proved it can be done
@cllrjohncotton.bsky.social This could only improve Birmingham, now Cardiff has proved it can be done
Reposted by Chris
I turn on my TV and a TV presenter is asking a Govt minister why they are talking about rolling out free childcare when the big issue is asylum hotels. This is objectively insane.
September 1, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I turn on my TV and a TV presenter is asking a Govt minister why they are talking about rolling out free childcare when the big issue is asylum hotels. This is objectively insane.
Reposted by Chris
It's important to preserve Rome's historic sites too. #supportPalatineAction
August 19, 2025 at 8:56 AM
It's important to preserve Rome's historic sites too. #supportPalatineAction
Reposted by Chris
Can't fault the clarity of Labour's message on protest. There are BAD protesters who must be punished (Irish musicians, anti-genocide vicars) and there are GOOD protesters whose views deserve respect (masked thugs with petrol bombs trying to start a pogrom)
August 5, 2025 at 9:38 AM
Can't fault the clarity of Labour's message on protest. There are BAD protesters who must be punished (Irish musicians, anti-genocide vicars) and there are GOOD protesters whose views deserve respect (masked thugs with petrol bombs trying to start a pogrom)
Reposted by Chris
Darkly funny: signs appearing across central London, protesting Starmer’s use of anti-terror laws against peaceful pro-Palestine protesters.
July 29, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Darkly funny: signs appearing across central London, protesting Starmer’s use of anti-terror laws against peaceful pro-Palestine protesters.
Reposted by Chris
The UK did have one standout product that was considered globally valuable- universities- and unilaterally decided to stop providing the product because it was more important to be xenophobic than successful
The UK’s economic problems are quite deep-rooted. The best summary I can offer is “we don’t make enough valuable, productive stuff and sell it to the world any more”.
Things like planning and energy no doubt play a role in that - but I don’t think they’re enough to fix it on their own
Things like planning and energy no doubt play a role in that - but I don’t think they’re enough to fix it on their own
July 22, 2025 at 7:01 AM
The UK did have one standout product that was considered globally valuable- universities- and unilaterally decided to stop providing the product because it was more important to be xenophobic than successful
In which the importance of not interrupting software engineers when they're trying to work is discussed:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Seriously, don't make us go to meetings / do tours if you also want anything done
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Seriously, don't make us go to meetings / do tours if you also want anything done
Rethink - Rethink... productivity - BBC Sounds
What are the factors behind the UK’s chronically weak productivity growth?
www.bbc.co.uk
June 12, 2025 at 8:14 PM
In which the importance of not interrupting software engineers when they're trying to work is discussed:
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Seriously, don't make us go to meetings / do tours if you also want anything done
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Seriously, don't make us go to meetings / do tours if you also want anything done
I think I remember this the first time round too.
It's certainly true
It's certainly true
There was an old tweet that stuck with me: "If you can easily walk to the coffee shop but your barista has a one hour commute, you don't live in a walkable 15 minute city; you live in a theme park"
as someone who lives nextdoor to both supportive housing and public housing, i need people to understand that the best locations for both are going to be the central neighborhoods in a metropolitan area, where there is easy and reliable access to services and jobs.
May 13, 2025 at 12:09 PM
I think I remember this the first time round too.
It's certainly true
It's certainly true
Reposted by Chris
This is an absolutely disastrous framing to adopt. “Immigration beings great gains but it needs to be controlled to maximise benefits” was/is right there on the table. Instead they have opted to lead with the strongest possible “Nigel Farage is right, don’t vote for him” headline.
If you thought the PM’s speech was punchy, his foreword to the immigration white paper says high net migration has done “incalculable damage” to the country.
That is a serious shift in tone for a Labour government/party.
That is a serious shift in tone for a Labour government/party.
May 12, 2025 at 9:48 AM
This is an absolutely disastrous framing to adopt. “Immigration beings great gains but it needs to be controlled to maximise benefits” was/is right there on the table. Instead they have opted to lead with the strongest possible “Nigel Farage is right, don’t vote for him” headline.
Update:
Students showed up to tutorial meant to be taken by redundant person. This went as well as can be expected
(they were on there own)
Students showed up to tutorial meant to be taken by redundant person. This went as well as can be expected
(they were on there own)
Speaking as one who works at a university, I wish this was wrong.
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
Upcoming installments include Reform running your local council into the ground and your local university going bust.
May 9, 2025 at 2:41 PM
Update:
Students showed up to tutorial meant to be taken by redundant person. This went as well as can be expected
(they were on there own)
Students showed up to tutorial meant to be taken by redundant person. This went as well as can be expected
(they were on there own)
Speaking as one who works at a university, I wish this was wrong.
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
Upcoming installments include Reform running your local council into the ground and your local university going bust.
story of British politics for the past decade is people getting what they want and then fucking *hating* it
May 7, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Speaking as one who works at a university, I wish this was wrong.
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
(Bham won't be going bust, but they are making redundancies)
Reposted by Chris
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social is the best metaphor I’ve yet seen to illustrate Labour’s immigration problem
May 5, 2025 at 1:23 PM
This from @stephenkb.bsky.social is the best metaphor I’ve yet seen to illustrate Labour’s immigration problem
This feels like it could be practically a slogan for bcrre
The one thing missing from your thread, I would say like a stuck record, is that cities outside London have disproportionately low productivity when compared to peers and unusually poor transport. There is highly likely to be causation driving this correlation. Fixing it creates jobs and is popular.
May 1, 2025 at 3:28 PM
This feels like it could be practically a slogan for bcrre
Very very much my feeling.
Things got a bit this way last time round too, though if people were calling themselves blue labour back then I missed it
Things got a bit this way last time round too, though if people were calling themselves blue labour back then I missed it
evergreen, really
if Blue Labour has a million haters, then I am one of them
if it has ten haters, then I am one of them
if it has only one hater then that is me
if Blue Labour has no haters, then that means I am no longer on this earth
if it has ten haters, then I am one of them
if it has only one hater then that is me
if Blue Labour has no haters, then that means I am no longer on this earth
April 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM
Very very much my feeling.
Things got a bit this way last time round too, though if people were calling themselves blue labour back then I missed it
Things got a bit this way last time round too, though if people were calling themselves blue labour back then I missed it
It is in fact possible to cycle both children to nursery.
April 30, 2025 at 7:42 AM
It is in fact possible to cycle both children to nursery.
This maybe the first time I have had a bottle of wine older than me
April 20, 2025 at 11:45 AM
This maybe the first time I have had a bottle of wine older than me
That's it: I'm moving to France.
I just had a meeting where we sorted everything that needed doing in 15 minutes *so we ended the call there and then*. You never see that here
I just had a meeting where we sorted everything that needed doing in 15 minutes *so we ended the call there and then*. You never see that here
April 4, 2025 at 2:15 PM
That's it: I'm moving to France.
I just had a meeting where we sorted everything that needed doing in 15 minutes *so we ended the call there and then*. You never see that here
I just had a meeting where we sorted everything that needed doing in 15 minutes *so we ended the call there and then*. You never see that here
Reposted by Chris
Thank you to whoever made this
April 3, 2025 at 2:08 PM
Thank you to whoever made this
Reposted by Chris
Turns out Le Pen is not mightier than the fraud.
March 31, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Turns out Le Pen is not mightier than the fraud.
Reposted by Chris
Deeply strange entering middle-age at a time in world history where things are getting measurably worse. Just a continual psychic struggle of “is this fogeyism or are things just not what they used to be?”
March 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Deeply strange entering middle-age at a time in world history where things are getting measurably worse. Just a continual psychic struggle of “is this fogeyism or are things just not what they used to be?”