Matt Severn
@mattsevern.bsky.social
LibDem councillor, retailer, former bookseller, Dad, husband, Christian, non league fan x2 clubs, strategy gamer, SF&F reader, 4 x Parliamentary candidate.
Mostly found in Cumbria and North Lancashire.
Mostly found in Cumbria and North Lancashire.
Reposted by Matt Severn
Here is a list of reasons why some of my hearings and trials this year have been delayed and kicked off into the long grass, stuck in our record court backlog. Serious allegations which will now be tried *years* after the event. 🧵👇
November 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Here is a list of reasons why some of my hearings and trials this year have been delayed and kicked off into the long grass, stuck in our record court backlog. Serious allegations which will now be tried *years* after the event. 🧵👇
Reposted by Matt Severn
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Matt Severn
'The Tory leader has given three different reasons why Reeves should resign in the past month, and of all these, “actually, Britain’s economy is in better shape than the government says” is definitely the most surprising.'........
Government In A Nutshell: my SKETCH of Keir Starmer - who wants to know who's running the country - and Kemi Badenoch, who now thinks Rachel Reeves should resign for NOT raising tax rates.
thecritic.co.uk/gove...
thecritic.co.uk/gove...
December 1, 2025 at 9:28 PM
'The Tory leader has given three different reasons why Reeves should resign in the past month, and of all these, “actually, Britain’s economy is in better shape than the government says” is definitely the most surprising.'........
Reposted by Matt Severn
a couple of years back I looked at the data and one in four PIP applicants with literal amputations had their application refused by the DWP
but yeah this benefit is too easy to claim obv
but yeah this benefit is too easy to claim obv
December 1, 2025 at 7:53 PM
a couple of years back I looked at the data and one in four PIP applicants with literal amputations had their application refused by the DWP
but yeah this benefit is too easy to claim obv
but yeah this benefit is too easy to claim obv
Reposted by Matt Severn
The guy's literally got one leg, but that's apparently one too many for the DWP to consider him disabled www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-fi...
DWP demands £36k PIP back from one-legged dad filmed playing cricket
Shaun Rigby lost a leg when he was a child
www.mirror.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 7:45 PM
The guy's literally got one leg, but that's apparently one too many for the DWP to consider him disabled www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-fi...
Reposted by Matt Severn
I am almost certainly eligible for PIP (see the wheelchair in my header pic, amongst other disabilities). But I have never applied for it, even when I have been very poor, because I am terrified of being subjected to this level of surveillance. I preferred to eat cornflakes and keep the heating off.
The guy's literally got one leg, but that's apparently one too many for the DWP to consider him disabled www.mirror.co.uk/money/dwp-fi...
DWP demands £36k PIP back from one-legged dad filmed playing cricket
Shaun Rigby lost a leg when he was a child
www.mirror.co.uk
December 1, 2025 at 9:48 PM
I am almost certainly eligible for PIP (see the wheelchair in my header pic, amongst other disabilities). But I have never applied for it, even when I have been very poor, because I am terrified of being subjected to this level of surveillance. I preferred to eat cornflakes and keep the heating off.
Reposted by Matt Severn
"We will have an economy in which the full-time work of some young people will pay less than the state pensions of retirees, and yet it is the young people who will be taxed."
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Rachel Reeves mugs the youth
Young workers are coughing up for state pensions
www.newstatesman.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:47 PM
"We will have an economy in which the full-time work of some young people will pay less than the state pensions of retirees, and yet it is the young people who will be taxed."
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by Matt Severn
Is Richard Hughes 'honourable'? Not a clue. But what I do know is time and time again, someone in the British state fucks up, the head of the organisation quits, and the person who actually fucked up stays in the state and gets promoted.
December 1, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Is Richard Hughes 'honourable'? Not a clue. But what I do know is time and time again, someone in the British state fucks up, the head of the organisation quits, and the person who actually fucked up stays in the state and gets promoted.
Reposted by Matt Severn
'Will a 70p per person tax cut make up for the fact one in ten of people are waiting for an NHS procedure?' - hmm, I wonder.
December 1, 2025 at 4:23 PM
'Will a 70p per person tax cut make up for the fact one in ten of people are waiting for an NHS procedure?' - hmm, I wonder.
Reposted by Matt Severn
I had this conversation with a family member this weekend, specifically on “is £4bln a lot?”. GDP is ~£2.8trln, making £4bln a rounding error at 0.14%. Apparently average budget headroom since the OBR was constituted is ~£26bln or 1% GDP.
So £4bln is tiny *in context*.
CONTEXT
So £4bln is tiny *in context*.
CONTEXT
December 1, 2025 at 4:03 PM
I had this conversation with a family member this weekend, specifically on “is £4bln a lot?”. GDP is ~£2.8trln, making £4bln a rounding error at 0.14%. Apparently average budget headroom since the OBR was constituted is ~£26bln or 1% GDP.
So £4bln is tiny *in context*.
CONTEXT
So £4bln is tiny *in context*.
CONTEXT
Reposted by Matt Severn
Very much enjoyed Kemi Badenoch's Sunday morning message of "the government is lying to you: actually, the public finances are in good shape!"
December 1, 2025 at 11:08 AM
Very much enjoyed Kemi Badenoch's Sunday morning message of "the government is lying to you: actually, the public finances are in good shape!"
Reposted by Matt Severn
Feel like I'm going mad. The Budget's 'headroom' is based on frankly irresponsible and wildly optimistic claims about what Labour will do in the final year of the forecast, and on ignoring a bunch of upward pressures on spending, and the claim is that she was being exaggeratedly *pessimistic*?
Suggestion Rachel Reeves exaggerated fiscal pressures is absurd
Chancellor was instead far too optimistic about public finances and government’s ability to secure cuts
www.ft.com
December 1, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Feel like I'm going mad. The Budget's 'headroom' is based on frankly irresponsible and wildly optimistic claims about what Labour will do in the final year of the forecast, and on ignoring a bunch of upward pressures on spending, and the claim is that she was being exaggeratedly *pessimistic*?
Reposted by Matt Severn
Questions for us as a nation:
*Adapting to climate breakdown
*Demographic transition
*How much immigration?
*Green energy shift
*Rearmament and defence
*Trade with the EU
*Housebuiliding and infra
Not a question:
*Most stuff the Lobby talks about
*Adapting to climate breakdown
*Demographic transition
*How much immigration?
*Green energy shift
*Rearmament and defence
*Trade with the EU
*Housebuiliding and infra
Not a question:
*Most stuff the Lobby talks about
December 1, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Questions for us as a nation:
*Adapting to climate breakdown
*Demographic transition
*How much immigration?
*Green energy shift
*Rearmament and defence
*Trade with the EU
*Housebuiliding and infra
Not a question:
*Most stuff the Lobby talks about
*Adapting to climate breakdown
*Demographic transition
*How much immigration?
*Green energy shift
*Rearmament and defence
*Trade with the EU
*Housebuiliding and infra
Not a question:
*Most stuff the Lobby talks about
Rule of law in America gone
Trump just commuted the 7-year sentence of David Gentile, a private equity leader who helped defraud thousands of people out of some $1.6 billion, almost as soon as his prison stint began.
"I lost my whole life savings," one person wrote, adding, "I am living from check to check."
"I lost my whole life savings," one person wrote, adding, "I am living from check to check."
Trump Frees Fraudster Just Days Into Seven-Year Prison Sentence
www.nytimes.com
December 1, 2025 at 12:15 AM
Rule of law in America gone
Reposted by Matt Severn
actually, a lot of it is the fact these guys are full steam ahead to fuck not just the internet but the economy and the environment, and if it works we get... what? unemployed? what's the best case scenario here?
Okay, but why *do* I feel so angry about this whole AI thing?
The Bullshit Maximiser
This week, a very quick take on what the Budget says about the state we are in; but mostly, a not-at-all quick list of all the reasons I despise AI.
jonn.substack.com
November 30, 2025 at 1:31 PM
actually, a lot of it is the fact these guys are full steam ahead to fuck not just the internet but the economy and the environment, and if it works we get... what? unemployed? what's the best case scenario here?
Reposted by Matt Severn
Streamins service UI is increasingly bad deliberately. It's dark UX patterning as access to show catalogues narrows.
If you let the user search, they will look for shows you no longer have (or never had).
The goal is to hijack that journey and force a show they'll feel is 'okay' in front of them.
If you let the user search, they will look for shows you no longer have (or never had).
The goal is to hijack that journey and force a show they'll feel is 'okay' in front of them.
is there a reason why every single paid streaming service UI has only gotten incredibly worse and less usable over time
November 30, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Streamins service UI is increasingly bad deliberately. It's dark UX patterning as access to show catalogues narrows.
If you let the user search, they will look for shows you no longer have (or never had).
The goal is to hijack that journey and force a show they'll feel is 'okay' in front of them.
If you let the user search, they will look for shows you no longer have (or never had).
The goal is to hijack that journey and force a show they'll feel is 'okay' in front of them.
Reposted by Matt Severn
The deranged madman now threatens to blow up commercial airliners flying in and out of Venezuela.
November 29, 2025 at 2:20 PM
The deranged madman now threatens to blow up commercial airliners flying in and out of Venezuela.
Reposted by Matt Severn
2/ the older I get the more I think it was a mistake to let men take over computer programming
November 29, 2025 at 7:11 PM
2/ the older I get the more I think it was a mistake to let men take over computer programming
Reposted by Matt Severn
Children’s books in particular should be weird and challenging and inappropriate. All the best ones are.
November 29, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Children’s books in particular should be weird and challenging and inappropriate. All the best ones are.
Reposted by Matt Severn
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
Reposted by Matt Severn
Now "browsing" means Netflix compiles your recent watch history and feeds you more of the exact same thing. Or Amazon analyzes your buy history and gives you a list of 15 books with basically the same title. You rarely stumble upon something new or different by chance. It's eroding our curiosity.
November 29, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Now "browsing" means Netflix compiles your recent watch history and feeds you more of the exact same thing. Or Amazon analyzes your buy history and gives you a list of 15 books with basically the same title. You rarely stumble upon something new or different by chance. It's eroding our curiosity.
Reposted by Matt Severn
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Bookselling is like the most "people go to the store and buy what looks cool to them without a particular agenda" type business left, and your purchases have a huge influence on what is ordered, what is displayed, and what is recommended.
November 29, 2025 at 6:44 PM
The death of browsing is part of the reason art is the way it is now. Our opinions are largely fed to us by algorithms. Spending a spare 15 minutes wandering around a bookstore or comic shop or video rental place was how you found stuff you wouldn't ordinarily pick up and thereby expanded your taste
Reposted by Matt Severn
Idea: whining about your taxes in the press comes with a *free* wallet inspection from HMRC just to make sure you're not over paying
November 29, 2025 at 12:32 PM
Idea: whining about your taxes in the press comes with a *free* wallet inspection from HMRC just to make sure you're not over paying
Reposted by Matt Severn
Problem: you have two left wing parties in British politics.
Solution: start a new left wing party to unify the movement
Problem: you now have four left wing parties in British politics
Solution: start a new left wing party to unify the movement
Problem: you now have four left wing parties in British politics
November 29, 2025 at 1:09 PM
Problem: you have two left wing parties in British politics.
Solution: start a new left wing party to unify the movement
Problem: you now have four left wing parties in British politics
Solution: start a new left wing party to unify the movement
Problem: you now have four left wing parties in British politics
Reposted by Matt Severn
They are blowing up boats for drug trafficking.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
November 29, 2025 at 7:30 AM
They are blowing up boats for drug trafficking.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.
Then he is pardoning a drug trafficker.
Illogical.