Steve Jary
@unionsteve.bsky.social
News, views and occasional abuse. Former @ProspectUnion Nat Sec for aviation (and, before that, various bits of the Civil Service, including the MoD) now retired and emigrated from N16 to the Highlands. PhD technology & employment. Photo © Jess Hurd
Dunno about you, but I’m looking forward to #r4today - once it’s finished celebrating its success in stopping the use of asylum taxis for medical appointments - screaming about the outrageous use of private GPs visiting asylum hotels. What other alternatives are the contractors likely to think of?
November 29, 2025 at 8:24 AM
Dunno about you, but I’m looking forward to #r4today - once it’s finished celebrating its success in stopping the use of asylum taxis for medical appointments - screaming about the outrageous use of private GPs visiting asylum hotels. What other alternatives are the contractors likely to think of?
This is on the nail…
November 28, 2025 at 10:35 PM
This is on the nail…
Reposted by Steve Jary
It takes a special kind of right-wing British political party to literally sell black shirts.
Are you going to tell them?
Or shall I?
Are you going to tell them?
Or shall I?
November 28, 2025 at 1:55 PM
It takes a special kind of right-wing British political party to literally sell black shirts.
Are you going to tell them?
Or shall I?
Are you going to tell them?
Or shall I?
All this fuss about Chancellors ‘managing expectation’. Shock horror. #manufacturedoutrage #r4pm
November 28, 2025 at 5:15 PM
All this fuss about Chancellors ‘managing expectation’. Shock horror. #manufacturedoutrage #r4pm
Reposted by Steve Jary
🚨The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy is now within touching distance of 80,000 signatures!
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 28, 2025 at 8:34 AM
🚨The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy is now within touching distance of 80,000 signatures!
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
LET’S KEEP GOING!
If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Given that one of the arguments put up by the Lords when faced with abolition is that they ‘scrutinise’, but don’t block manifesto commitments, haven’t they just renewed the case for their ‘reform’?
November 28, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Given that one of the arguments put up by the Lords when faced with abolition is that they ‘scrutinise’, but don’t block manifesto commitments, haven’t they just renewed the case for their ‘reform’?
An important theme developed in tonight’s #bbcqt - the absence of hope for young people, especially re housing. “Next week we’re in Dover with a special programme focussing on immigration” 🤦♂️
November 27, 2025 at 11:43 PM
An important theme developed in tonight’s #bbcqt - the absence of hope for young people, especially re housing. “Next week we’re in Dover with a special programme focussing on immigration” 🤦♂️
Reposted by Steve Jary
Yes. Looking at you, #bbcqt. theconversation.com/bbc-question...
BBC Question Time: analysis of guests over nine years suggests an overuse of rightwing voices
The top five most frequent non-politician panellists all write for The Spectator.
theconversation.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:15 AM
Yes. Looking at you, #bbcqt. theconversation.com/bbc-question...
C’mon #wato. The net migration figures aren’t really about asylum seekers. What about the impact on hospitals, construction, universities and the wider economy? This is an act of self-harm.
November 27, 2025 at 1:13 PM
C’mon #wato. The net migration figures aren’t really about asylum seekers. What about the impact on hospitals, construction, universities and the wider economy? This is an act of self-harm.
Reposted by Steve Jary
BBC Radio 4 One O'clock news headlines just characterised this massive fall in immigration as making "the contribution of asylum seekers to net migration is now becoming ever more significant".
Never underestimate the damage biased right wing journalism does to public understanding
#bbcwato #wato
Never underestimate the damage biased right wing journalism does to public understanding
#bbcwato #wato
New net migration figures at 930am.
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
Net migration fell half a million to 344,000 in 2024 from 848k in 2023
56% of people think it went up last year
17% think stayed the same
14% think it went down
2025 figure to be lower again
16% expect that
38% think it will be up
31% about the same
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 PM
If I was a gambling firm, I’d be a bit worried by the complete lack of criticism of the Budget’s tax changes. So popular that the government is bound to come back for more.
November 27, 2025 at 12:05 PM
If I was a gambling firm, I’d be a bit worried by the complete lack of criticism of the Budget’s tax changes. So popular that the government is bound to come back for more.
Reposted by Steve Jary
Almost forgot I wrote this piece with the tail end of my bubble plots. But if you want to know how many Reform voters think white people face worse discrimination than ethnic minorities, I’ve got the goods.
Finally got round to giving @benansell.bsky.social's latest. It's also one of his very best - especially if you want to understand the extent to which Reform voters (often talked of as 'the people' and, apparently therefore, representative of all UK voters) are real outliers, culturally-speaking.
Odd Ones Out
Mapping Britain's social values and the marginalisation of the 'anti-woke'
benansell.substack.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:50 AM
Almost forgot I wrote this piece with the tail end of my bubble plots. But if you want to know how many Reform voters think white people face worse discrimination than ethnic minorities, I’ve got the goods.
The interview with the OBR was shocking. ‘Structural issues with the economy’ explain the lack of growth, we were told. But Amol didn’t ask “what structural issues?” Or “what can we do to fix them?” (Apart from cutting benefits, obvs). #r4today
I may have missed it,I haven’t heard Brexit mentioned once this morning & the damage it’s caused to the UK economy. #r4today
November 27, 2025 at 8:58 AM
The interview with the OBR was shocking. ‘Structural issues with the economy’ explain the lack of growth, we were told. But Amol didn’t ask “what structural issues?” Or “what can we do to fix them?” (Apart from cutting benefits, obvs). #r4today
Reposted by Steve Jary
We need to smash this untruth shared by Nick Robinson on #r4today, and by his mates in the Tory/Reform party, that working people will be funding people who do not work with the lifting of the benefit cap.
They are very often the same people. 60% of beneficiaries are IN WORK and many others ...
They are very often the same people. 60% of beneficiaries are IN WORK and many others ...
November 27, 2025 at 8:26 AM
We need to smash this untruth shared by Nick Robinson on #r4today, and by his mates in the Tory/Reform party, that working people will be funding people who do not work with the lifting of the benefit cap.
They are very often the same people. 60% of beneficiaries are IN WORK and many others ...
They are very often the same people. 60% of beneficiaries are IN WORK and many others ...
Off topic musing: our local Tesco has cameras on its self-service checkouts. I’m assuming they’re just a deterrent rather than actually doing anything. Otherwise, why does this (admittedly youthful) 60-something need to get a human to come over and verify they’re old enough to buy wine?
November 27, 2025 at 8:10 AM
Off topic musing: our local Tesco has cameras on its self-service checkouts. I’m assuming they’re just a deterrent rather than actually doing anything. Otherwise, why does this (admittedly youthful) 60-something need to get a human to come over and verify they’re old enough to buy wine?
That #r4today interview with Aussie teens who oppose the ban on teen access to social media was a great advert for the ban. “I’m denied access to political debate… on Reddit”. Exactly!
November 27, 2025 at 8:04 AM
That #r4today interview with Aussie teens who oppose the ban on teen access to social media was a great advert for the ban. “I’m denied access to political debate… on Reddit”. Exactly!
FWIW, in my view, the plaudit that it was good tactically is a clue to the longer term verdict. No strategy. No significant ‘change’. It’ll go down in history as a failure - a missed opportunity.
A lot of the commentariat ignoring history again. Budgets lauded on Day 1 usually unravel on Day 2 or 3. Budgets condemned on Day 1 often seen as inspired on Day 2 or 3. Sometimes a year or two afterwards.
November 26, 2025 at 11:45 PM
FWIW, in my view, the plaudit that it was good tactically is a clue to the longer term verdict. No strategy. No significant ‘change’. It’ll go down in history as a failure - a missed opportunity.
A lot of the commentariat ignoring history again. Budgets lauded on Day 1 usually unravel on Day 2 or 3. Budgets condemned on Day 1 often seen as inspired on Day 2 or 3. Sometimes a year or two afterwards.
November 26, 2025 at 11:40 PM
A lot of the commentariat ignoring history again. Budgets lauded on Day 1 usually unravel on Day 2 or 3. Budgets condemned on Day 1 often seen as inspired on Day 2 or 3. Sometimes a year or two afterwards.
Reposted by Steve Jary
As someone who trained as a vehicle engineer (ok - it was a looong time ago), I always thought PHEVs were a bit of a scam. Over-complicated, heavy… designed to meet targets set by governments who had no technical knowledge. But this has killed them off. The used PHEV market is going to be scary.
And the charge on PHEVs ignores the fact that different models have different battery sizes and, therefore, different fossil fuel:electric consumption ratios. Because the vehicles are heavier, their ICE consumption is higher. A lot of PHEV owners are facing double taxation. A case of miss-selling?
“To charge EVs by the mile, the state needs to know how far you’ve driven. That could mean annual odometer checks or, more controversially, real-time tracking via GPS. Sounds pretty Orwellian”
It could mean paying a £300 charge at your MOT if you do 10k miles 😱
theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...
It could mean paying a £300 charge at your MOT if you do 10k miles 😱
theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...
November 26, 2025 at 10:03 PM
As someone who trained as a vehicle engineer (ok - it was a looong time ago), I always thought PHEVs were a bit of a scam. Over-complicated, heavy… designed to meet targets set by governments who had no technical knowledge. But this has killed them off. The used PHEV market is going to be scary.
And the charge on PHEVs ignores the fact that different models have different battery sizes and, therefore, different fossil fuel:electric consumption ratios. Because the vehicles are heavier, their ICE consumption is higher. A lot of PHEV owners are facing double taxation. A case of miss-selling?
“To charge EVs by the mile, the state needs to know how far you’ve driven. That could mean annual odometer checks or, more controversially, real-time tracking via GPS. Sounds pretty Orwellian”
It could mean paying a £300 charge at your MOT if you do 10k miles 😱
theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...
It could mean paying a £300 charge at your MOT if you do 10k miles 😱
theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...
UK plans for pay-per-mile electric vehicle tax could make the system fairer – or provoke a fierce backlash
New fees could stall the transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles.
theconversation.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:43 PM
And the charge on PHEVs ignores the fact that different models have different battery sizes and, therefore, different fossil fuel:electric consumption ratios. Because the vehicles are heavier, their ICE consumption is higher. A lot of PHEV owners are facing double taxation. A case of miss-selling?
Which all goes to show…
It was never about the numbers.
It was never about the numbers.
Tomorrow's news includes new immigration - and net migration - numbers (the year to June 2025) at 930am
Net migration was 345,000 in 2024 - having peaked at 944k in 2022-23. Tomorrow's figures will show a further fall in the first half of 2025
Join us at midday as we discuss: what next?
Net migration was 345,000 in 2024 - having peaked at 944k in 2022-23. Tomorrow's figures will show a further fall in the first half of 2025
Join us at midday as we discuss: what next?
THURSDAY WEBINAR: 'New Net Migration Figures - What Next for Policy and Politics?'
Our expert panel discusses the new ONS net migration figures (published 9.30am Thurs 27th) and findings from the new British Future/Ipsos Immigration Attitudes Tracker (also 27th)
www.eventbrite.com/e/new-net-mi...
Our expert panel discusses the new ONS net migration figures (published 9.30am Thurs 27th) and findings from the new British Future/Ipsos Immigration Attitudes Tracker (also 27th)
www.eventbrite.com/e/new-net-mi...
November 26, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Which all goes to show…
It was never about the numbers.
It was never about the numbers.