James Bottomley
@jamesbottomley.bsky.social
UK-based older project consultant guy with history in both public and private sectors. Enjoys chatting about politics, society, culture, etc. Spent time in many countries, including working in the US, so moderately familiar with other lands.
Do we still have one? I'd have thought they'd have abolished that by now and replaced with a Reichsfuhrer.
November 25, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Do we still have one? I'd have thought they'd have abolished that by now and replaced with a Reichsfuhrer.
My take is that the real locations of wealth are not being looked at. Huge amounts of potentially taxable British wealth are squirreled away in tax havens, often officially British territories, or loosely so, yet little is really done to confront this yawning chasm of lost income.
November 25, 2025 at 7:54 PM
My take is that the real locations of wealth are not being looked at. Huge amounts of potentially taxable British wealth are squirreled away in tax havens, often officially British territories, or loosely so, yet little is really done to confront this yawning chasm of lost income.
Rachel Reeves also boasted about removing nature protections in favour of development. Not too much to choose between them.
November 25, 2025 at 7:51 PM
Rachel Reeves also boasted about removing nature protections in favour of development. Not too much to choose between them.
They've not often been tried at scale, so judging their success is a little difficult, but taxes on assets over a certain high level are good for society even if they don't generate that much cash. The one that does, IHT, is very avoidable and our governments seem unwilling to do much about that.
November 25, 2025 at 7:42 PM
They've not often been tried at scale, so judging their success is a little difficult, but taxes on assets over a certain high level are good for society even if they don't generate that much cash. The one that does, IHT, is very avoidable and our governments seem unwilling to do much about that.
This is so transparently aimed at dealing with protest. Juries are just too determined to look at the wider picture. Judges can generally be relied on to do as the establishment want and if not, they can be moved off those trials. Lammy is planning to destroy one of our basic English freedoms.
November 25, 2025 at 6:54 PM
This is so transparently aimed at dealing with protest. Juries are just too determined to look at the wider picture. Judges can generally be relied on to do as the establishment want and if not, they can be moved off those trials. Lammy is planning to destroy one of our basic English freedoms.
OK but it's still not a wealth tax, it's a purchase tax.
November 25, 2025 at 6:50 PM
OK but it's still not a wealth tax, it's a purchase tax.
Pound to a penny this is part of the secret deal Lanmy made with JD Vance on their summer break together. The aim is to crackdown on dissent in the UK, in exchange for continued access to US markets. Won't be long before social media critics of MAGA in the UK are subjected to rapid extradition.
November 25, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Pound to a penny this is part of the secret deal Lanmy made with JD Vance on their summer break together. The aim is to crackdown on dissent in the UK, in exchange for continued access to US markets. Won't be long before social media critics of MAGA in the UK are subjected to rapid extradition.
Robbie Gibb flying into a rage and one of his furious calls to the studio to get it taken off, no doubt.
November 25, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Robbie Gibb flying into a rage and one of his furious calls to the studio to get it taken off, no doubt.
Yes, this is clearly aimed at further suppressing protest by getting rid of potentially sympathetic juries. It's laughably and blatantly obvious, so much so that it makes one wonder what else the government are planning that will be so very unpopular.
November 25, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Yes, this is clearly aimed at further suppressing protest by getting rid of potentially sympathetic juries. It's laughably and blatantly obvious, so much so that it makes one wonder what else the government are planning that will be so very unpopular.
Actually some of them are not just taxes on the wealthy. Stamp duty is paid by any home buyer. They are 'wealthy' compared to some, but not necessarily compared to UK top percentiles.
November 25, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Actually some of them are not just taxes on the wealthy. Stamp duty is paid by any home buyer. They are 'wealthy' compared to some, but not necessarily compared to UK top percentiles.
Nos 1, 2 and 5 on that list are not wealth taxes. No 10 is something that should be happening anyway and is just saying the HMRC should do their jobs properly.
November 25, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Nos 1, 2 and 5 on that list are not wealth taxes. No 10 is something that should be happening anyway and is just saying the HMRC should do their jobs properly.
You're wrong. It's a variant of air passenger duty and therefore a tax on flying. A wealth tax on private jets would be a charge for owning one of X percent per annum of the value of the jet.
November 25, 2025 at 5:43 PM
You're wrong. It's a variant of air passenger duty and therefore a tax on flying. A wealth tax on private jets would be a charge for owning one of X percent per annum of the value of the jet.
Those things she lists are not 'taxing wealth', they are minor adjustments to tax levels for some luxury consumption and a useful but largely performative removal of the nondom privilege for some rich people, although notably not for the 'fake' nondoms who live here but continue not to pay taxes.
November 25, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Those things she lists are not 'taxing wealth', they are minor adjustments to tax levels for some luxury consumption and a useful but largely performative removal of the nondom privilege for some rich people, although notably not for the 'fake' nondoms who live here but continue not to pay taxes.
Climate change has gone out of the window as an agenda item.
November 25, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Climate change has gone out of the window as an agenda item.
It's time for silly Miliband to pop up saying its good for the climate.
November 25, 2025 at 2:48 PM
It's time for silly Miliband to pop up saying its good for the climate.
I've pretty much given up using it. Apps and regular 'no' clicks keep their AI crap off my screens.
November 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
I've pretty much given up using it. Apps and regular 'no' clicks keep their AI crap off my screens.
Not only do they frequently crib, they often, in the time honoured tradition of British journalism, get the details wrong.
November 25, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Not only do they frequently crib, they often, in the time honoured tradition of British journalism, get the details wrong.
That or Danone has good lobbyists.
November 25, 2025 at 12:31 PM
That or Danone has good lobbyists.
All those drones in Congress must be so proud, being paid high salaries to nod along and curtsy to Bannon and Hilton. Perhaps they've been issued with kneeling mats and nose cleaning equipment.
November 25, 2025 at 12:27 PM
All those drones in Congress must be so proud, being paid high salaries to nod along and curtsy to Bannon and Hilton. Perhaps they've been issued with kneeling mats and nose cleaning equipment.
There's that and the casual, everyday acceptance of brutal racism that goes with it. He's what the political classes in the 70s used to call a 'Monday Club bore' (see old copies of Private Eye for more info) - the sort of mad reactionaries who plotted coups against Harold Wilson and Ted Heath.
November 25, 2025 at 10:25 AM
There's that and the casual, everyday acceptance of brutal racism that goes with it. He's what the political classes in the 70s used to call a 'Monday Club bore' (see old copies of Private Eye for more info) - the sort of mad reactionaries who plotted coups against Harold Wilson and Ted Heath.
I doubt Plato would have enjoyed social media then.
November 25, 2025 at 10:16 AM
I doubt Plato would have enjoyed social media then.
"His expertise extends to advising national political parties and leading technology firms on GDPR compliance and advanced data strategies."
Richardson, Reform's barrister, puff piece on his CV page. I wonder if Reform even has a GDPR policy.
Richardson, Reform's barrister, puff piece on his CV page. I wonder if Reform even has a GDPR policy.
November 25, 2025 at 10:15 AM
"His expertise extends to advising national political parties and leading technology firms on GDPR compliance and advanced data strategies."
Richardson, Reform's barrister, puff piece on his CV page. I wonder if Reform even has a GDPR policy.
Richardson, Reform's barrister, puff piece on his CV page. I wonder if Reform even has a GDPR policy.
Ah yes. The Pukl. Ask for it in the children's play area.
November 25, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Ah yes. The Pukl. Ask for it in the children's play area.
Very difficult to just wave a magic government wand. Initiatives by the EU to attempt to grow native tech sectors have either fizzled or ended up in US hands. The UK's silicon fen is mostly owned abroad. Congress is unwilling to break up the big digital monopolies and we're all now paying for that.
November 25, 2025 at 7:24 AM
Very difficult to just wave a magic government wand. Initiatives by the EU to attempt to grow native tech sectors have either fizzled or ended up in US hands. The UK's silicon fen is mostly owned abroad. Congress is unwilling to break up the big digital monopolies and we're all now paying for that.