Whitelocke
@cokeynesian.bsky.social
Ideologically idiosyncratic. On polichron.substack.com
You do realise that you can build upwards?
November 13, 2025 at 3:17 PM
You do realise that you can build upwards?
Income inequality by most metrics has been pretty stagnant since the late 1980s.
November 13, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Income inequality by most metrics has been pretty stagnant since the late 1980s.
This is complete and utter nonsense. Texas is more unequal than the UK, yet house prices aren't anywhere near as absurd. The same is true of interwar Britain.
November 13, 2025 at 2:23 PM
This is complete and utter nonsense. Texas is more unequal than the UK, yet house prices aren't anywhere near as absurd. The same is true of interwar Britain.
The extent to which they screw over their own voters is remarkable.
November 13, 2025 at 2:09 PM
The extent to which they screw over their own voters is remarkable.
WASPI is what happens when boomers get the slightest taste of what being a young person in the last 20 years has been like.
November 13, 2025 at 1:53 PM
WASPI is what happens when boomers get the slightest taste of what being a young person in the last 20 years has been like.
It never ceases to amaze me that this isn't the defining issue of British politics.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
November 13, 2025 at 1:34 PM
It never ceases to amaze me that this isn't the defining issue of British politics.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
Under 40s really count for nothing in the UK.
California-level house prices with wages half as big.
November 13, 2025 at 1:22 PM
California-level house prices with wages half as big.
Yeah, I've noticed that quite a few conservative outlets often have excellent coverage of niche topics.
November 12, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Yeah, I've noticed that quite a few conservative outlets often have excellent coverage of niche topics.
A modest proposal for restructuring the UK police:
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
November 11, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A modest proposal for restructuring the UK police:
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
- Royal Union Police (RUP): nationwide civil police, replacing the NCA and the MET's nationwide functions.
- Royal Mounted Constabulary (RMC): a nationwide gendarmerie for public order and other tasks.
- Local, territorial police forces.
Keynes and Hayek both strongly identified as liberals.
November 11, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Keynes and Hayek both strongly identified as liberals.
Thatcher's central plank ─ monetarism ─ was abandoned in her first term, but she still won due to other events.
November 11, 2025 at 7:17 PM
Thatcher's central plank ─ monetarism ─ was abandoned in her first term, but she still won due to other events.
Smith, like many Americans, is desperately searching for comfort to help him deal with the state of his own country.
November 11, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Smith, like many Americans, is desperately searching for comfort to help him deal with the state of his own country.
Yeah but economic history nowadays is mostly a subset of economics, practised by people trained as economists (as Tooze was).
November 11, 2025 at 12:52 AM
Yeah but economic history nowadays is mostly a subset of economics, practised by people trained as economists (as Tooze was).
Northern Ireland was not unresolved because the parties involved were too pig-headed or vain. There was a basic conflict between deeply held principles on both sides that could not be waved away.
November 11, 2025 at 12:12 AM
Northern Ireland was not unresolved because the parties involved were too pig-headed or vain. There was a basic conflict between deeply held principles on both sides that could not be waved away.
And you're point is?
November 11, 2025 at 12:10 AM
And you're point is?
Yes, and the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 effectively accepted the Irish border because it stated that the status of Northern Ireland could not be changed without the "consent" of its people. And everyone knew that consent wouldn't happen any time soon.
November 10, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Yes, and the Sunningdale Agreement in 1973 effectively accepted the Irish border because it stated that the status of Northern Ireland could not be changed without the "consent" of its people. And everyone knew that consent wouldn't happen any time soon.
The German-Polish border wasn't formally settled until 1990, not that long before the GFA settled the Irish border.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
German–Polish Border Treaty - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
November 10, 2025 at 11:49 PM
The German-Polish border wasn't formally settled until 1990, not that long before the GFA settled the Irish border.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German%...
Eh, simping for a hostile country that you were not actually at war with was never de jure treason IIRC. Though if you took money for them that would bring you under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the US.
November 10, 2025 at 11:45 PM
Eh, simping for a hostile country that you were not actually at war with was never de jure treason IIRC. Though if you took money for them that would bring you under the Foreign Agents Registration Act in the US.
There should be a fixed fee (say, 5% of the new development's cost) paid by the developer to the council, ringfenced for local services and transport.
Crucially, this should be transparent and predictable, so developers have a clear idea of what they will have to pay in advance.
Crucially, this should be transparent and predictable, so developers have a clear idea of what they will have to pay in advance.
November 10, 2025 at 4:29 PM
There should be a fixed fee (say, 5% of the new development's cost) paid by the developer to the council, ringfenced for local services and transport.
Crucially, this should be transparent and predictable, so developers have a clear idea of what they will have to pay in advance.
Crucially, this should be transparent and predictable, so developers have a clear idea of what they will have to pay in advance.
I personally would like to see Local Government given Redcliffe-Maud boundaries with the new counties given power over zoning, but with a provision that their plans should zone for 150% of their present population and be updated decennially.
November 10, 2025 at 4:27 PM
I personally would like to see Local Government given Redcliffe-Maud boundaries with the new counties given power over zoning, but with a provision that their plans should zone for 150% of their present population and be updated decennially.
I don't understand why so many people embrace the command-and-control approach to land use. A simple zoning system would balance democratic control and economic freedom. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
November 10, 2025 at 11:05 AM
I don't understand why so many people embrace the command-and-control approach to land use. A simple zoning system would balance democratic control and economic freedom. There is no need to reinvent the wheel.
It was always a ridiculous cop out to actually doing the hard work of simplifying the planning system. Very typical Starmer gimmick.
November 10, 2025 at 3:17 AM
It was always a ridiculous cop out to actually doing the hard work of simplifying the planning system. Very typical Starmer gimmick.
The British Labour Party's inquiry into why it lost the 1959 General Election began with the sentence "We were defeated by prosperity".
November 10, 2025 at 3:16 AM
The British Labour Party's inquiry into why it lost the 1959 General Election began with the sentence "We were defeated by prosperity".
People forget how rubbish cars were until the Japanese started making them.
November 10, 2025 at 3:03 AM
People forget how rubbish cars were until the Japanese started making them.