She had some great data and a good storyline (lets be honest, it a bad budget that does nothing for growth) - but then blew it with an OTT speech.

I wonder if this provision could be linked to learning outcomes? Would be a fascinating study.

The red tops and GB news were always going to howl 'betrayal!' to this Govt over any attempts to get closer to Europe. Given that they may as well just gone for a CU or SM - and at least gotten some growth in return. As it is they are in the worst of all worlds: no growth and attacks from the right

The problem with stealth taxes (which all Govt use btw) is that it treats taxpayers like children. We aren't stupid you know, we KNOW taxes are going up - so why not just be transparent about it?

Labour MPs and Labour Councils up and down the country routinely oppose / refuse planning permission for renewable energy generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure - they are better at signally than delivering.

I always wondered why Labour didn't just say "we will scrap the two child cap when its fiscally prudent to do so" - as so far they've opposed doing so almost on ideological grounds which is hard to fathom.

How about a tax on every EU travel visa granted to a Russian? Say Euro 200 per visa. 1.4m Russian visitors in 2024 = Euro 280 million per annum. It's something.

Are any of the runners and riders to replace KS after what will probably be a catastrophic budget and dismal May elections - likely to more pro-Europe/Rejoin? Or just more of the soapy blathering about "making Brexit work"? I don't know Labour well enough to judge.

Salutary reminder that it was in fact the Conservatives that took UK into EEC (under Ted Heath) and into Single Marlet (under Margaret Thatcher).

And FT are once again running their (excellent) seasonal campaign to raise financial literacy! Bravo FT.
www.ft.com/ft-seasonal-...

Did they write Kyiv or Kiev? If the former, that's progress...

as can private and NGO type organizations. One of the many tragedies of DOGE is that it now consigns the idea of driving up govt efficiency to the history books, because even if some normal govt suggest such as thing, it will be labelled as "just like DOGE" - and won't fly.

Maybe Doge part deux shut it down for being inefficient. But seriously, like Ezra Klein said "A department to drive government efficiency, that sounds like a good idea, we should try it". Anyone who has ever set foot in a US post office knows that yes (surprise) govt can be maddeningly inefficient

So maybe Zelensky is right to think twice before believing that this time Europe will really step up.

You renounced your Russian citizenship last month, 11 years after Russia annexed Crimea and 3.5 years after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

@cerianbond.bsky.social - Europe are failing at the critical hour I am afraid. Europe buys $billions of oil and gas from Russia still (Europe, paying Russian to kill Europeans, you couldn't make it up). Europe is unable to quell the pro-Russia Hungary, Slovakia etc. Ukraine cannot count on Europe.

It's a disgrace, this US administration are a disgrace

I'd love to read the enquiry outcome if anyone has a link. Telling us that BoJo is useless isn't really a novel conclusion. What can UK learn from countries that DID manage the pandemic well? What can we do better next time?