James Moules
@jamesmoules.bsky.social
Journalist covering politics and foreign affairs • ✍️ LabourList, Big Issue, PoliticsHome, Byline Times, Telegraph, New Statesman, Foreign Policy, The New European & more • Moules rhymes with roles, not rules • DM for email/WhatsApp/Signal • Views own etc.
Reposted by James Moules
Yes, there are spending multipliers etc - and yes, Kuenssberg spouted vacuous talking points.
BUT.
There is a bond market (or more generally a macro) constraint to borrowing, as there was in the 2010s - we just weren't near it then. Dodging the issue/pretending it doesn't exist isn't a policy.
BUT.
There is a bond market (or more generally a macro) constraint to borrowing, as there was in the 2010s - we just weren't near it then. Dodging the issue/pretending it doesn't exist isn't a policy.
@zackpolanski.bsky.social on the importance of spending multipliers & borrowing to invest
Zack is, without doubt, a great communicator. And on him talking about democracy & the bond markets I'm reminded of Eddie Dempsey at the Durham Miners Gala when he asked "who elected the bond market?"
Zack is, without doubt, a great communicator. And on him talking about democracy & the bond markets I'm reminded of Eddie Dempsey at the Durham Miners Gala when he asked "who elected the bond market?"
November 24, 2025 at 8:14 AM
Yes, there are spending multipliers etc - and yes, Kuenssberg spouted vacuous talking points.
BUT.
There is a bond market (or more generally a macro) constraint to borrowing, as there was in the 2010s - we just weren't near it then. Dodging the issue/pretending it doesn't exist isn't a policy.
BUT.
There is a bond market (or more generally a macro) constraint to borrowing, as there was in the 2010s - we just weren't near it then. Dodging the issue/pretending it doesn't exist isn't a policy.
At the time the flags started going up where I live, there were groups of men wearing England flags prowling up the high street chanting “Britain for the British” (and similar slogans).
If the point of the flags wasn’t hostility to migrants, someone ought to tell that to the people who raised them…
If the point of the flags wasn’t hostility to migrants, someone ought to tell that to the people who raised them…
Most of the public know what’s going on with flags on lamp posts.
Crucially for the government, 78% of its 2024 voters think anti-minority sentiment is involved in flying England flags (versus just 15% who think it’s just a national pride thing).
They are getting the politics of this all wrong.
Crucially for the government, 78% of its 2024 voters think anti-minority sentiment is involved in flying England flags (versus just 15% who think it’s just a national pride thing).
They are getting the politics of this all wrong.
Why do people think England flags have been raised on lampposts?
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
White adults
National pride: 26%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 49%
Both: 19%
Ethnic minority adults
National pride: 15%
Anti-migrant/minority sentiment: 55%
Both: 20%
yougov.co.uk/society/arti...
November 22, 2025 at 7:47 PM
At the time the flags started going up where I live, there were groups of men wearing England flags prowling up the high street chanting “Britain for the British” (and similar slogans).
If the point of the flags wasn’t hostility to migrants, someone ought to tell that to the people who raised them…
If the point of the flags wasn’t hostility to migrants, someone ought to tell that to the people who raised them…
Reposted by James Moules
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
Today is Holodomor remembrance day, one of the worst human rights atrocities of the 20th century.
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
If you are wanting to know more, this episode of @originstorypodcast.bsky.social is excellent, featuring justifiable moral outrage from @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social
🚨NEW EPISODE🚨 Welcome back to Origin Story: The Story of Socialism as we resume the story of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin in part three @iandunt.bsky.social and @dorianlynskey.bsky.social discuss Terror 👉 linktr.ee/originstoryp...
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
#originstory #lenin #trotsky #stalin
November 22, 2025 at 1:30 PM
One of the worst atrocities and one of the least discussed.
With the British government poised to approve China’s new “mega-embassy” in London, here’s a piece I wrote for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social earlier this year, looking at why it’s a source of fear and frustration for many Hong Kongers in the UK.
www.newstatesman.com/special-repo...
www.newstatesman.com/special-repo...
Chinese agents are hunting dissidents across Britain
Beijing is using its espionage network to track those who rebelled against it in Hong Kong
www.newstatesman.com
November 21, 2025 at 2:47 PM
With the British government poised to approve China’s new “mega-embassy” in London, here’s a piece I wrote for @newstatesman1913.bsky.social earlier this year, looking at why it’s a source of fear and frustration for many Hong Kongers in the UK.
www.newstatesman.com/special-repo...
www.newstatesman.com/special-repo...
And herein lies the flaw with Labour’s 2024 electoral strategy. It’s all very well clutching that Ming Vase tight if you see winning the election as an end in and of itself.
But vague and unclear election platforms tend towards vague and unclear governments.
But vague and unclear election platforms tend towards vague and unclear governments.
What the hell were they doing for the TWO YEARS it was obvious they were going to win with a massive majority?
A rich theme, sadly.
November 19, 2025 at 9:28 AM
And herein lies the flaw with Labour’s 2024 electoral strategy. It’s all very well clutching that Ming Vase tight if you see winning the election as an end in and of itself.
But vague and unclear election platforms tend towards vague and unclear governments.
But vague and unclear election platforms tend towards vague and unclear governments.
Reposted by James Moules
What security concerns. Russia illegally invaded a sovereign nation, it occupied parts of a sovereign nation. Tankies scream NATO but conveniently ignore how Ukraine was not in NATO and not likely to be. There are no security concerns, just Russian imperialist aggression.
3/ Dmitriev says that the plan will "address the Ukraine conflict, but also how to restore US-Russia ties [and] address Russia's security concerns."
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
What security concerns. Russia illegally invaded a sovereign nation, it occupied parts of a sovereign nation. Tankies scream NATO but conveniently ignore how Ukraine was not in NATO and not likely to be. There are no security concerns, just Russian imperialist aggression.
The Orientalism is strong with this map
November 17, 2025 at 3:25 PM
The Orientalism is strong with this map
Agreed. It’s clearly more undemocratic to let party members (of whatever stripe) decide who becomes PM than having elected members of the legislature decide.
Apropos of nothing but I think all major parties should commit to leadership elections that happen while they're in government being restricted to MPs only, not a vote of the party membership.
November 14, 2025 at 6:01 PM
Agreed. It’s clearly more undemocratic to let party members (of whatever stripe) decide who becomes PM than having elected members of the legislature decide.
Reposted by James Moules
Ultimately it comes down to what you're going to say at the next election.
Would you rather say "we broke our pledge but at least things are better" or "everything's still shit but at least we kept our pledge"?
Would you rather say "we broke our pledge but at least things are better" or "everything's still shit but at least we kept our pledge"?
Too much analysis was still treating breaking the tax pledge as “just another unpopular decision” rather than recognising consequence of breaking a promise which defined an election for the public. If is correct the govt won’t now break it they may have avoided a deeply scarring loss of public trust
November 14, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Ultimately it comes down to what you're going to say at the next election.
Would you rather say "we broke our pledge but at least things are better" or "everything's still shit but at least we kept our pledge"?
Would you rather say "we broke our pledge but at least things are better" or "everything's still shit but at least we kept our pledge"?
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The government’s best opportunity to get the public on board with a “change in circumstances” argument for broad based tax rises was the Strategic Defence Review. Alas, they didn’t take it.
This is not about tax (I remain convinced Labour could have pledged to reverse hunts NI rises and still won comfortably). But breaking a pledge which was so central to labours offer at a time when trust already fragile, and the public won’t buy circs have changed (this isn’t like the pandemic).
November 14, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. The government’s best opportunity to get the public on board with a “change in circumstances” argument for broad based tax rises was the Strategic Defence Review. Alas, they didn’t take it.
Reposted by James Moules
Voters *already* think Labour have broken their tax promises
So much of UK politics seems as a weird tangled misreading of public opinion.
Shall we raise tax? Voters won’t like it. But need to deliver for voters and tax rises necessary to for that. Voters need to see change. But cant break promise, because voters. But is a U-turn even worse, because voters?
Shall we raise tax? Voters won’t like it. But need to deliver for voters and tax rises necessary to for that. Voters need to see change. But cant break promise, because voters. But is a U-turn even worse, because voters?
November 14, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Voters *already* think Labour have broken their tax promises
Reposted by James Moules
This is I think an underrated truth: being intelligent is I think primarily a matter of habit. Do you actually listen and try and take on board what you've heard or read before responding? Do you go 'okay, is that true?' about your own thoughts and prejudices? These are learnt, not innate.
and ultimately I think if you’re constantly saying stupid stuff then it just makes you stupid.
November 13, 2025 at 1:27 PM
This is I think an underrated truth: being intelligent is I think primarily a matter of habit. Do you actually listen and try and take on board what you've heard or read before responding? Do you go 'okay, is that true?' about your own thoughts and prejudices? These are learnt, not innate.
If I have a vibes-based hypothesis that I can’t properly stand up, it’s that the type of person who’s genuinely kinder than average would probably answer “don’t know”.
bsky.app/profile/luke...
bsky.app/profile/luke...
😊It's world kindness day (apparently). 49% of Brits say they are more kind than the average Briton, 44% about as kind and 6% more unkind. Green voters are the most likely to say they're more kind than average. Reform and Liberal Democrat voters the least.
November 13, 2025 at 1:31 PM
If I have a vibes-based hypothesis that I can’t properly stand up, it’s that the type of person who’s genuinely kinder than average would probably answer “don’t know”.
bsky.app/profile/luke...
bsky.app/profile/luke...
Classic example of why polling individual policies in isolation is utterly superficial. What do you think the results of this would look like if you added that it would mean landlords pass on the cost to their tenants? Or that staycations become more expensive?
Would you support or oppose increasing the rate of council tax paid on second homes?
Support: 64%
Oppose: 22%
Net support by 2024 vote
Lab: +67
Lib Dem: +64
Con: +26
Reform: +11
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Support: 64%
Oppose: 22%
Net support by 2024 vote
Lab: +67
Lib Dem: +64
Con: +26
Reform: +11
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
November 12, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Classic example of why polling individual policies in isolation is utterly superficial. What do you think the results of this would look like if you added that it would mean landlords pass on the cost to their tenants? Or that staycations become more expensive?
“Cynical naïveté” is my preferred term
We gotta have a clear term for people so cynical they become gullible.
November 12, 2025 at 5:20 PM
“Cynical naïveté” is my preferred term
Reposted by James Moules
Spain is thriving now because 1898, and then 1975, left it as the big Western state with the fewest illusions about its place in the world. That's why, today, it's the European player with the most globally open and realistic foreign policy.
From the Spanish point of view, this is very particular. Spain is not immune to the reactionary wave, but it’s interesting how the 2008 crisis is shaking the west much like the disaster of 1898 did to Spain:
The Anglo consensus of the first half of 2010s was that where continental Europeans were endemically subject to crises and demagoguery, "we" were distinctly were more enlightened. Cameron's Britain. Obama's America. Ponderous essays about Magna Carta and the "golden thread".
How wrong it all was.
How wrong it all was.
November 10, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Spain is thriving now because 1898, and then 1975, left it as the big Western state with the fewest illusions about its place in the world. That's why, today, it's the European player with the most globally open and realistic foreign policy.
Reposted by James Moules
The two child cap is a test of the government’s seriousness: if you are serious about child poverty, you lift it, and if you are serious about not wasting money, you don’t fritter away cash on dumb things like vouchers to try and manage the PLP.
If the government chooses to keep the 2 child limit and spend money on vouchers and parenting programmes instead, child poverty will rise and this will be a conscious and deliberate political choice in defiance of all the evidence
Scrapping the cap entirely is both good policy *and* good politics.
Half measures will "save" some money short-term, but will piss *everybody* off and still leave very large numbers of children suffering from a policy designed to make them poorer.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Half measures will "save" some money short-term, but will piss *everybody* off and still leave very large numbers of children suffering from a policy designed to make them poorer.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
November 10, 2025 at 12:59 PM
The two child cap is a test of the government’s seriousness: if you are serious about child poverty, you lift it, and if you are serious about not wasting money, you don’t fritter away cash on dumb things like vouchers to try and manage the PLP.
This is the correct take, as far as the movies alone go. Andor and Knights of the Old Republic are up there too if we’re throwing TV and games in the mix.
Nerd-dom might not be ready for this take but all 3 of the originals are better than anything made since
This is called Star Wars originalism.
This is called Star Wars originalism.
It is fundamentally perfect and makes me want to run through a wall youtu.be/xPZigWFyK2o?...
November 8, 2025 at 8:02 PM
This is the correct take, as far as the movies alone go. Andor and Knights of the Old Republic are up there too if we’re throwing TV and games in the mix.
There’s a counter-intuitive case to be made that a slightly smaller majority might have actually made governing a few degrees easier for Labour.
November 8, 2025 at 7:56 AM
There’s a counter-intuitive case to be made that a slightly smaller majority might have actually made governing a few degrees easier for Labour.
Reposted by James Moules
China has undertaken a massive expansion of sites linked to missile production since 2020, bolstering its ability to potentially deter the US military and assert its dominance in the region, a new CNN analysis of satellite images, maps and government notices reveals. https://cnn.it/47IG5xz
November 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
China has undertaken a massive expansion of sites linked to missile production since 2020, bolstering its ability to potentially deter the US military and assert its dominance in the region, a new CNN analysis of satellite images, maps and government notices reveals. https://cnn.it/47IG5xz
Reposted by James Moules
This is basically why I find myself massively rooting for Mamdani despite still having a fair bit of scepticism about his specific policy ideas
It shouldn’t be forgotten that a big piece of Mamdani’s campaign was simply “cities are cool and lots of people enjoy living in them” which in and of itself dismantles alot of rightwing talking points
November 7, 2025 at 3:10 PM
This is basically why I find myself massively rooting for Mamdani despite still having a fair bit of scepticism about his specific policy ideas
As someone (dare I confess to a mortal sin) who went to a boarding school in the 2000s, I could probably count on one hand the number of my peers who didn’t smoke.
What a difference 15 or so years makes.
What a difference 15 or so years makes.
My 15 year old daughter just told me that she doesn’t know a single person her age that smokes normal cigarettes.
November 6, 2025 at 4:14 PM
As someone (dare I confess to a mortal sin) who went to a boarding school in the 2000s, I could probably count on one hand the number of my peers who didn’t smoke.
What a difference 15 or so years makes.
What a difference 15 or so years makes.
Just be aware that the Japanese Imperial Family does the exact same thing to its female members who *checks notes* have the audacity to marry outside the royal family…
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor officially no longer a prince after King Charles issues a legal document
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor officially no longer a prince after King Charles issues a legal document
Andrew Mountbatten Windsor officially no longer a prince after King Charles issues a legal document
www.independent.co.uk
November 6, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Just be aware that the Japanese Imperial Family does the exact same thing to its female members who *checks notes* have the audacity to marry outside the royal family…
This is why the Polanski side of the left deserves the label “populist” (derogatory). Because what is their actual answer here beyond “wealth tax”, as though that’s a pain-free magic wand to make everything better?
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 6, 2025 at 2:11 PM
This is why the Polanski side of the left deserves the label “populist” (derogatory). Because what is their actual answer here beyond “wealth tax”, as though that’s a pain-free magic wand to make everything better?
Reposted by James Moules
These are not the same:
1) Ukraine bombs Russian energy…. Meant to finance the attack on their country
2) Russia bombs Ukrainian energy… meant to provide heat and light for civilians over the winter.
Evil
1) Ukraine bombs Russian energy…. Meant to finance the attack on their country
2) Russia bombs Ukrainian energy… meant to provide heat and light for civilians over the winter.
Evil
November 6, 2025 at 1:19 PM
These are not the same:
1) Ukraine bombs Russian energy…. Meant to finance the attack on their country
2) Russia bombs Ukrainian energy… meant to provide heat and light for civilians over the winter.
Evil
1) Ukraine bombs Russian energy…. Meant to finance the attack on their country
2) Russia bombs Ukrainian energy… meant to provide heat and light for civilians over the winter.
Evil