Andy Cowper
@hpiandycowper.bsky.social
Freelance journalist: writes about health policy and politics of the English NHS in weekly column (£) ‘Cowper’s Cut’ on www.healthpolicyinsight.com.
Reposted by Andy Cowper
In essence, Trump treats anyone involved in an attack on Congress that led to the deaths of US officers as the Alte Kämpfer of his Beer Hall Putsch.
Yet another impeachable offence, of course. Not that that means anything any more.
Yet another impeachable offence, of course. Not that that means anything any more.
NEWS: President Trump has issued a *second* pardon for Jan. 6 defendant Dan Wilson.
Wilson, a militia member, remained in prison on a firearms conviction unrelated to the Capitol attack. But Trump's new pardon explicitly covers the gun charges. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
Wilson, a militia member, remained in prison on a firearms conviction unrelated to the Capitol attack. But Trump's new pardon explicitly covers the gun charges. www.politico.com/news/2025/11...
November 15, 2025 at 3:55 PM
In essence, Trump treats anyone involved in an attack on Congress that led to the deaths of US officers as the Alte Kämpfer of his Beer Hall Putsch.
Yet another impeachable offence, of course. Not that that means anything any more.
Yet another impeachable offence, of course. Not that that means anything any more.
George Ford doing an Argentina RWC group game job here
November 15, 2025 at 4:01 PM
George Ford doing an Argentina RWC group game job here
Reposted by Andy Cowper
"Even with Britain’s high overall tax take, most people’s labour income is taxed lightly by international standards...Britain’s [labour tax] wedge in 2024 for a single average earner without children was 29.4%, the lowest in the G7"
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 15, 2025 at 12:42 PM
"Even with Britain’s high overall tax take, most people’s labour income is taxed lightly by international standards...Britain’s [labour tax] wedge in 2024 for a single average earner without children was 29.4%, the lowest in the G7"
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Leaked emails show Reform UK-led council backing one of their own after 'disgusting' comments about minority groups online
Leaked emails show Reform UK-led council backing one of their own after 'disgusting' comments about minority groups online | LBC
The Tories have demanded he resign immediately or be sacked by the Reform-led administration if he refuses.
www.lbc.co.uk
November 15, 2025 at 1:32 PM
Leaked emails show Reform UK-led council backing one of their own after 'disgusting' comments about minority groups online
Reposted by Andy Cowper
This is such a neglected factor. I think 'consideration set' are one of the most important things to understand in multi-party democracies. Historically, a really important one in the UK is the people who will either vote Tory, or not at all.
Turnout went down last year, as it does every time Labour come into power, because millions of conservative voters weren't sufficiently scared of the idea of Starmer as PM.
November 15, 2025 at 1:50 PM
This is such a neglected factor. I think 'consideration set' are one of the most important things to understand in multi-party democracies. Historically, a really important one in the UK is the people who will either vote Tory, or not at all.
Slightly concerning www.ft.com/content/97e4...
Single fault at Thames Water works could imperil London’s supply
Coppermills plant, which serves up to 4mn people, underscores scale of the challenge for troubled utility
www.ft.com
November 15, 2025 at 9:47 AM
Slightly concerning www.ft.com/content/97e4...
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Forgive me if I'm wrong, I can't think of a single politician who campaigned hard for Brexit who has since come out and said that they think it was a mistake. Surely, in their heart of hearts, literally one or two of them must know that. So is it that they can't admit it to themselves or just to us?
November 14, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Forgive me if I'm wrong, I can't think of a single politician who campaigned hard for Brexit who has since come out and said that they think it was a mistake. Surely, in their heart of hearts, literally one or two of them must know that. So is it that they can't admit it to themselves or just to us?
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Also, with politics how they are, I'm doubtful that beginning the path back would do much in the near term, because people would want to wait and see what significance Farage and the Tories' inevitable responses [we'll reverse anything, over our dead bodies, etc] would have.
November 11, 2025 at 7:16 PM
Also, with politics how they are, I'm doubtful that beginning the path back would do much in the near term, because people would want to wait and see what significance Farage and the Tories' inevitable responses [we'll reverse anything, over our dead bodies, etc] would have.
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Great as ever.
I think another reason Labour don't reach for the EU lever is over confidence in their ability to do domestic policy [industrial, regional, deregulation] and over confidence in the benefits of AI.
I think another reason Labour don't reach for the EU lever is over confidence in their ability to do domestic policy [industrial, regional, deregulation] and over confidence in the benefits of AI.
New post: Labour’s Brexit stance is as untenable as their tax pledge
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/labo...
As public perception and econometric estimates of the damage caused by Brexit rise, Labour's refusal to discuss rejoining the EU's customs union or single market means more self harm.
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/labo...
As public perception and econometric estimates of the damage caused by Brexit rise, Labour's refusal to discuss rejoining the EU's customs union or single market means more self harm.
Labour’s Brexit stance is as untenable as their tax pledge
In my last post about the prospect of Labour breaking its tax pledge, I did something I don’t often do, which is indulge in some ‘I told y...
mainlymacro.blogspot.com
November 11, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Great as ever.
I think another reason Labour don't reach for the EU lever is over confidence in their ability to do domestic policy [industrial, regional, deregulation] and over confidence in the benefits of AI.
I think another reason Labour don't reach for the EU lever is over confidence in their ability to do domestic policy [industrial, regional, deregulation] and over confidence in the benefits of AI.
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Read the findings from our latest culture war study with @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social, which shows tensions and divisions have grown in recent years ⬇️
UK's sense of division reaches new high as culture war tensions grow, study finds | King's College London
Growing numbers say the nation feels divided and they would like the country to return to how it used to be
www.kcl.ac.uk
November 11, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Read the findings from our latest culture war study with @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social, which shows tensions and divisions have grown in recent years ⬇️
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
November 10, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Maybe Keir should demand the heads of major US news networks any time they imply Britain is on the brink of civil war or that we live under sharia law. Or does it not work both ways?
Reposted by Andy Cowper
not only was Prescott’s former employer Hanover Communications a Tory outfit, it also represented Sky News for many years….
Michael Prescott and Sir Robbie Gibb both bailed out of journalism years ago, and enjoy lucrative careers in corporate PR. And now they are the arbiters of BBC editorial standards. Go figure www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
The BBC has bigger impartiality problems than its coverage of Trump
It is the BBC’s entire governance structure–rather than individual stories–that should cause most concern
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 7:40 AM
not only was Prescott’s former employer Hanover Communications a Tory outfit, it also represented Sky News for many years….
Hilarious www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Farage says small business owners who thought Brexit would cut regulation have been betrayed – UK politics live
Reform UK leader claims that burden of regulation is worse than before the referendum
www.theguardian.com
November 10, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Hilarious www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
An important article to read today www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Sadly, the BBC’s quality standards have been in free-fall for years.
Sadly, the BBC’s quality standards have been in free-fall for years.
How the government captured the BBC
A right-wing cabal, largely unaccountable, is waging war on the principles that made our public broadcaster great. It must not succeed
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 8:37 AM
An important article to read today www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
Sadly, the BBC’s quality standards have been in free-fall for years.
Sadly, the BBC’s quality standards have been in free-fall for years.
This holds up. www.healthpolicyinsight.com/cowpers-cut-...
Cowper’s Cut 379: In office, but not in power as the NHS drinks on in The World’s Biggest Last Chance Saloon
English health policy and politics of the Conservative governments 2010-24 is best understood in its three distinct eras:
1. The Lansley Regime (2010-12);
2. The ‘Fuck, We Need To Get Simon Stevens ...
www.healthpolicyinsight.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:16 PM
This holds up. www.healthpolicyinsight.com/cowpers-cut-...
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
#leadership #cat #catleadership #disguised #disguisedcat #disguisedcatleadership #leadership #cat #meow
‘What do you mean, disguising myself as a pint of Guinness didn’t work?’
November 6, 2025 at 12:10 AM
‘What do you mean, disguising myself as a pint of Guinness didn’t work?’
November 5, 2025 at 8:11 PM
‘What do you mean, disguising myself as a pint of Guinness didn’t work?’
Having reluctantly glanced at those AI-generated summaries at the top of internet searches, and seen easily-demonstrable factual errors in many of them, I wonder when people will start to realise just how much of the hype around AI is complete and obvious bullshit.
November 5, 2025 at 8:03 PM
Having reluctantly glanced at those AI-generated summaries at the top of internet searches, and seen easily-demonstrable factual errors in many of them, I wonder when people will start to realise just how much of the hype around AI is complete and obvious bullshit.
Gig pricing has gone truly stupid. The Hives are not a £55 act.
November 4, 2025 at 9:29 PM
Gig pricing has gone truly stupid. The Hives are not a £55 act.
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Late period Osborne: interest rates at zero and 50-80bn of headroom: and his priority was “don’t invest”.
November 4, 2025 at 8:21 AM
Late period Osborne: interest rates at zero and 50-80bn of headroom: and his priority was “don’t invest”.
Reposted by Andy Cowper
Grok is (falsely)hallucinating it quickly retracted its widespread false claim. It did not: it carried on claiming there were several independent sources + later falsely claimed these (imagined) eye-witness accounts had been reported in broadcast news segments
November 3, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Grok is (falsely)hallucinating it quickly retracted its widespread false claim. It did not: it carried on claiming there were several independent sources + later falsely claimed these (imagined) eye-witness accounts had been reported in broadcast news segments