Matthew Brooker
@mbrooker.bsky.social
Columnist for Bloomberg Opinion in London. CFA holder, from Slough, 25 years in Hong Kong, 5 in Shanghai. Opinions are my own.
No mention of Taiwan
November 24, 2025 at 5:43 PM
No mention of Taiwan
Don’t have your home struck by lightning. Unusually conductive homeowners may be denied insurance
November 22, 2025 at 11:48 AM
Don’t have your home struck by lightning. Unusually conductive homeowners may be denied insurance
Here we go again
November 21, 2025 at 12:44 PM
Here we go again
Some subscribers to Reform magazine are not getting what they thought they were getting
November 17, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Some subscribers to Reform magazine are not getting what they thought they were getting
Deep bias toward reality
November 2, 2025 at 10:08 PM
Deep bias toward reality
OK but… what soundbites?
October 31, 2025 at 9:39 AM
OK but… what soundbites?
This literally could have been written, word for word, about what the Communist Party-controlled government did in Hong Kong. And yet it is talking about the Trump administration. Makes you think
October 27, 2025 at 5:35 PM
This literally could have been written, word for word, about what the Communist Party-controlled government did in Hong Kong. And yet it is talking about the Trump administration. Makes you think
The flag-hanging campaign has reached as far as Eton, a well-to-do suburb of Slough
October 21, 2025 at 11:05 AM
The flag-hanging campaign has reached as far as Eton, a well-to-do suburb of Slough
US President Donald Trump called China's restrictions on rare earths a “moral disgrace”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/u...
October 20, 2025 at 5:17 PM
US President Donald Trump called China's restrictions on rare earths a “moral disgrace”
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/10/13/u...
This is quite the graph, though I’m having some cognitive dissonance in trying to square it with the fact that Nigel Farage’s party is way ahead in the polls
October 20, 2025 at 3:06 PM
This is quite the graph, though I’m having some cognitive dissonance in trying to square it with the fact that Nigel Farage’s party is way ahead in the polls
My weekend is sorted
October 18, 2025 at 2:08 PM
My weekend is sorted
The Sunday Times says Jingye - which we were all assured was a private company and nothing to do with the state - was willing to waive its compensation for British Steel if China’s London’s mega-embassy was approved.
October 12, 2025 at 6:23 AM
The Sunday Times says Jingye - which we were all assured was a private company and nothing to do with the state - was willing to waive its compensation for British Steel if China’s London’s mega-embassy was approved.
So why are there no women in the Politburo? Not one. Nada
October 11, 2025 at 9:53 PM
So why are there no women in the Politburo? Not one. Nada
And these people want to come over to Europe and lecture us about freedom of speech
October 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
And these people want to come over to Europe and lecture us about freedom of speech
More of this please
October 1, 2025 at 1:34 PM
More of this please
They’re going to start courses on how to deal with extortion threats
September 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
They’re going to start courses on how to deal with extortion threats
They’re eating the swans, they’re eating the pets… 1541 menu from the time of Henry VIII, Hampton Court. Not vegan friendly
September 29, 2025 at 7:36 AM
They’re eating the swans, they’re eating the pets… 1541 menu from the time of Henry VIII, Hampton Court. Not vegan friendly
I remember paying £2 for a pint in London in 1990 and feeling I’d been pickpocketed. Just paid £7.15, which seems about average these days. The Bank of England’s inflation calculator says £2 in 1990 would be about £5 now
September 20, 2025 at 5:02 PM
I remember paying £2 for a pint in London in 1990 and feeling I’d been pickpocketed. Just paid £7.15, which seems about average these days. The Bank of England’s inflation calculator says £2 in 1990 would be about £5 now
FRANCIS: Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg?
REG: He's over there.
P.F.J.: Splitter!
REG: He's over there.
P.F.J.: Splitter!
September 19, 2025 at 6:31 AM
FRANCIS: Whatever happened to the Popular Front, Reg?
REG: He's over there.
P.F.J.: Splitter!
REG: He's over there.
P.F.J.: Splitter!
Release the… (ok ok)
September 18, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Release the… (ok ok)
So unlike them. They always seemed like such lovely people
September 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
So unlike them. They always seemed like such lovely people
How lost is the US when it has become politically profitable to attack Tom Hanks, the long-time advocate for veterans and star of Saving Private Ryan - the film that always makes JD Vance cry
September 8, 2025 at 1:04 PM
How lost is the US when it has become politically profitable to attack Tom Hanks, the long-time advocate for veterans and star of Saving Private Ryan - the film that always makes JD Vance cry
It’s almost as if there was something predictable here, some kind of pattern
September 7, 2025 at 9:36 PM
It’s almost as if there was something predictable here, some kind of pattern
I had to check to be sure this was real
September 7, 2025 at 8:39 PM
I had to check to be sure this was real
It is, but I love the books. He’s more of a Raymond Chandler: paper-thin convoluted plots that don’t really make sense but that doesn’t matter. They’re really all about the characters, the style and the humour
September 7, 2025 at 5:03 PM
It is, but I love the books. He’s more of a Raymond Chandler: paper-thin convoluted plots that don’t really make sense but that doesn’t matter. They’re really all about the characters, the style and the humour