Will Cooling
@willcooling.bsky.social
Writes & Hosts the It Could Be Said substack & podcast; https://itcouldbesaid.substack.com/
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Has contributed to a variety of outlets on politics, sport or pop culture
Contact email is w.cooling[at]gmail.com
All opinions his own & not of any employer
Reposted by Will Cooling
By mimicking Reform to win back support, the Labour government is making a serious mistake. This race to the bottom emboldens Farage, punishes vulnerable people, amplifies racism, and undermines those working to hold communities together.
November 18, 2025 at 3:53 PM
By mimicking Reform to win back support, the Labour government is making a serious mistake. This race to the bottom emboldens Farage, punishes vulnerable people, amplifies racism, and undermines those working to hold communities together.
To prove the point someone started ranting about me being a neolib and believer in capitalism based on this list
Taxes on employment or minimum wage increases can have nasty side effects, especially for young workers
There's a limit to how much you can raise by taxing the rich without doing economic harm
Quality public services require broad based taxes
Workerism is a dead end
People really hate inflation
There's a limit to how much you can raise by taxing the rich without doing economic harm
Quality public services require broad based taxes
Workerism is a dead end
People really hate inflation
November 18, 2025 at 10:53 PM
To prove the point someone started ranting about me being a neolib and believer in capitalism based on this list
Sigh. I really wish Americans would look at the broader picture because there's plenty the American left needs to learn from Starmer's failure too
Would love to see someone from the moderate, Majority Dem faction really address and wrestle with the political effects of what Labour has been up to.
Latest YouGov government approval ratings, 15-17 November 2025
Approve: 11% (-2 from 8-10 Nov)
Disapprove: 69% (-1)
Net: -58 (-1)
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
Approve: 11% (-2 from 8-10 Nov)
Disapprove: 69% (-1)
Net: -58 (-1)
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
November 18, 2025 at 10:24 PM
Sigh. I really wish Americans would look at the broader picture because there's plenty the American left needs to learn from Starmer's failure too
Very strange article given that a) Sony has also eschewed having separate e-shops for PS4 & PS5 b) that backwards compatibility is not a new thing in consoles c) form factor is often driven by hard technological constraints d) the Switch 2 is not a luxury product with corners cut to save on price
Nintendo borrows from Apple’s product playbook on.ft.com/483KWJU | opinion
Nintendo borrows from Apple’s product playbook
Instead of leaping into a completely new format, the Japanese group chose incremental innovation with its Switch 2 console
on.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:18 PM
Very strange article given that a) Sony has also eschewed having separate e-shops for PS4 & PS5 b) that backwards compatibility is not a new thing in consoles c) form factor is often driven by hard technological constraints d) the Switch 2 is not a luxury product with corners cut to save on price
Hmmmm....i think I'm a sell on Angela Rayner. Labour's longstanding denial about her unpopularity in the country coupled with her denial that she did anything wrong over the house, are two terrible tastes that taste worse together
According to Richard and Marina, Angela Rayner was in very advanced talks to go on I'm A Celeb.
Also, Ed Davey's people have been trying to get him on but without any luck which is a horrendous fumble on the part of ITV imo. Man was born to be on it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xirO...
Also, Ed Davey's people have been trying to get him on but without any luck which is a horrendous fumble on the part of ITV imo. Man was born to be on it. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xirO...
I’m A Celeb Booking Secrets
YouTube video by The Rest Is Entertainment
www.youtube.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Hmmmm....i think I'm a sell on Angela Rayner. Labour's longstanding denial about her unpopularity in the country coupled with her denial that she did anything wrong over the house, are two terrible tastes that taste worse together
Sigh....they're ruining the funny scandal about that journalist who sexted hannibal lector with lore!
Lizza said Olberman paid for Nuzzi to attend college, and she did not attend college as any kind of mature student – here's a piece from 2013 where she is recorded as a junior at Fordham at 20 years old
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...
November 18, 2025 at 2:23 PM
Sigh....they're ruining the funny scandal about that journalist who sexted hannibal lector with lore!
Reposted by Will Cooling
The Danish Social Democrats are currently on course for their worst election result since at least the Second World War, despite their brand of far-right accommodationism being touted as a blueprint for other centre-left parties.
November 18, 2025 at 11:58 AM
The Danish Social Democrats are currently on course for their worst election result since at least the Second World War, despite their brand of far-right accommodationism being touted as a blueprint for other centre-left parties.
They would be insane to let this go on until the locals. The government collapsing would destroy its authority and given we've had violence more summers than not post-lockdown, the government taking it off to have a leadership election is a huge risk
I've been out canvassing quite a lot in London lately. Labour's vote has absolutely evaporated.... it is quite extraordinary to go to places where Labour were on 50-60% of the vote at the last locals and find nobody, or virtually nobody, supporting them.
The phrase 'I voted Labour last time, but...
The phrase 'I voted Labour last time, but...
November 18, 2025 at 11:54 AM
They would be insane to let this go on until the locals. The government collapsing would destroy its authority and given we've had violence more summers than not post-lockdown, the government taking it off to have a leadership election is a huge risk
Reposted by Will Cooling
Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...
Defence of Labour asylum policy reveals backsliding on racism
Home secretary’s framing of failures is partly low politics, but also a result of ministers’ poor approach to race relations
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 10:08 AM
Labour’s “we have to do it, or racism will get worse” argument is striking. Any other public policy failures British ethnic minorities should be on the hook for? Can we be blamed en bloc for Rachel Reeves’ budget next week too? www.ft.com/content/37b0...
Reposted by Will Cooling
Listening to Steve Reed explain on the radio today that he can't say what Mahmood's plan means for kids of people who give birth after they've been granted asylum because that's a hypothetical Q govt can't be expected to answer right now made me think these reforms are going to unravel quite fast
November 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Listening to Steve Reed explain on the radio today that he can't say what Mahmood's plan means for kids of people who give birth after they've been granted asylum because that's a hypothetical Q govt can't be expected to answer right now made me think these reforms are going to unravel quite fast
Reposted by Will Cooling
So much of what they've done seems predicated on the belief that they'll be given the benefit of the doubt because they're "the good guys" and the other lot were "the bad guys" as opposed to people just judging them on their actions. Which seems insanely stupid to me if true.
November 18, 2025 at 9:58 AM
So much of what they've done seems predicated on the belief that they'll be given the benefit of the doubt because they're "the good guys" and the other lot were "the bad guys" as opposed to people just judging them on their actions. Which seems insanely stupid to me if true.
Reposted by Will Cooling
Going to keep saying it: I genuinely think Starmer is in a severe mental health crisis. This is not the same person as responded to the Southport riot last year, let alone the same one that was elected leader and PM. It's not even just on the immigration issue: he seems completely lost and broken.
November 18, 2025 at 9:54 AM
Going to keep saying it: I genuinely think Starmer is in a severe mental health crisis. This is not the same person as responded to the Southport riot last year, let alone the same one that was elected leader and PM. It's not even just on the immigration issue: he seems completely lost and broken.
Reposted by Will Cooling
Mahmood is mirroring this “racists will stop being racist to me if we concede that immigration is bad”. They really won’t! They’ll say “oh so you admit this was bad all along - so now let’s look at the people who should never have been let in”.
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November 18, 2025 at 9:50 AM
Mahmood is mirroring this “racists will stop being racist to me if we concede that immigration is bad”. They really won’t! They’ll say “oh so you admit this was bad all along - so now let’s look at the people who should never have been let in”.
end
end
Reposted by Will Cooling
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
Labour Peer Who Fled The Nazis Condemns His Party's Immigration Crackdown
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 9:13 AM
Lord Dubs said he was "lost for words".
One of the maddening issues is that much of the American commentary about the British immigration debate assumes we're in a similar situation that they were in under Biden I.e. asylum system overwhelmed with a genuine surge in numbers. Just not the case at all.
November 18, 2025 at 9:43 AM
One of the maddening issues is that much of the American commentary about the British immigration debate assumes we're in a similar situation that they were in under Biden I.e. asylum system overwhelmed with a genuine surge in numbers. Just not the case at all.
This gives Mahmood too much credit. Swearing in public, let alone in the House, is not what a minister does as a tactic but a sign they completely lost control. And the obvious explanation is she & McSweeney really did think as an Asian woman the left wouldn't dare denounce her policies as racist
And i just think mahmood knows this! I just think she knows she is making life harder for people in britain for anyone that looks and sounds different and shes cynically trying to say those pointing out what shes doing are out of touch do gooders
November 18, 2025 at 9:38 AM
This gives Mahmood too much credit. Swearing in public, let alone in the House, is not what a minister does as a tactic but a sign they completely lost control. And the obvious explanation is she & McSweeney really did think as an Asian woman the left wouldn't dare denounce her policies as racist
Reposted by Will Cooling
The immigration ‘debate’ boils down to racism. Why? Because the hatred now being manufactured implies that anyone walking past you in the street who isn’t quite white just *might* be an immigrant. The thugs won’t care or check first. The press have escalated this - it’s damned UnBritish behaviour.
😔
😔
August 25, 2025 at 10:40 AM
The immigration ‘debate’ boils down to racism. Why? Because the hatred now being manufactured implies that anyone walking past you in the street who isn’t quite white just *might* be an immigrant. The thugs won’t care or check first. The press have escalated this - it’s damned UnBritish behaviour.
😔
😔
Reposted by Will Cooling
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
Reposted by Will Cooling
Even setting aside the disturbing moral implications, it just makes no coherent sense - shouting racist abuse at a native-born ethnically Asian British citizen is a pretty obvious indication that you *don't* actually care much about the current border situation, you just hate brown people.
The problem with Mahmood's argument is that it not only accepts that we've lost control of the border (we haven't, the processing of claims was stopped by the Tories causing a huge backlog) but that racist abuse is a legitimate response to this supposed failure. It could not be more poisionious
- It is entirely legitimate for the Home Secretary to highlight the overt racism that she receives for taking part in public life.
- Everybody should oppose that racism against her, whatever their politics.
- But it is important to make several other points about this argument about racism.
- Everybody should oppose that racism against her, whatever their politics.
- But it is important to make several other points about this argument about racism.
November 18, 2025 at 12:20 AM
Even setting aside the disturbing moral implications, it just makes no coherent sense - shouting racist abuse at a native-born ethnically Asian British citizen is a pretty obvious indication that you *don't* actually care much about the current border situation, you just hate brown people.
The problem with Mahmood's argument is that it not only accepts that we've lost control of the border (we haven't, the processing of claims was stopped by the Tories causing a huge backlog) but that racist abuse is a legitimate response to this supposed failure. It could not be more poisionious
- It is entirely legitimate for the Home Secretary to highlight the overt racism that she receives for taking part in public life.
- Everybody should oppose that racism against her, whatever their politics.
- But it is important to make several other points about this argument about racism.
- Everybody should oppose that racism against her, whatever their politics.
- But it is important to make several other points about this argument about racism.
November 18, 2025 at 12:06 AM
The problem with Mahmood's argument is that it not only accepts that we've lost control of the border (we haven't, the processing of claims was stopped by the Tories causing a huge backlog) but that racist abuse is a legitimate response to this supposed failure. It could not be more poisionious
Reposted by Will Cooling
The problem is that for almost every business outside corner cases like finance and pharmaceuticals, vastly their biggest involvement with regulatory bureaucracy is in employment law, where Labour completed a big package of extra workers rights.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'Too much bureaucracy,' Chancellor Rachel Reeves tells regulators
The chancellor wants to cut red tape to boost growth, but critics say there is no plan.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 17, 2025 at 10:45 PM
The problem is that for almost every business outside corner cases like finance and pharmaceuticals, vastly their biggest involvement with regulatory bureaucracy is in employment law, where Labour completed a big package of extra workers rights.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Did Mahmood not notice that Javid, Patel, Braverman and Cleverly were all Home Secretary under the Tories? We've got lots of evidence that answers like this just piss everyone off
Asked about Tommy Robinson supporting her asylum plans Shabana Mahmood replies that "Tommy Robinson doesn't even think I'm actually English, so he will certainly not be supporting anything I've got to say."
But he is supporting what she's got to say. That was the point of the question
But he is supporting what she's got to say. That was the point of the question
November 17, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Did Mahmood not notice that Javid, Patel, Braverman and Cleverly were all Home Secretary under the Tories? We've got lots of evidence that answers like this just piss everyone off
Reposted by Will Cooling
Serfs, Karen, the word you're looking for is serfs.
Watching the Mahmood announcement and debate. Tory backbencher (Karen Bradley) suggests putting refugees into debt and making them repay during the rest of their lives. Mahmood says she’ll think about it.
November 17, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Serfs, Karen, the word you're looking for is serfs.
Reposted by Will Cooling
A problem with politicians - our Prime Minister Keir Starmer seems to be a paradigm example - trying to appeal to views they don't really understand or empathise with - that generates lurid overcompensation: so "control" becomes not control + decency + fairness but control as performative cruelty
November 17, 2025 at 3:26 PM
A problem with politicians - our Prime Minister Keir Starmer seems to be a paradigm example - trying to appeal to views they don't really understand or empathise with - that generates lurid overcompensation: so "control" becomes not control + decency + fairness but control as performative cruelty
Yes and no. I do think there should be consequences for the broken promise, but the consequence should be the Chancellor is taken round back and shot, not that you let the entire government fall apart.
Governments should absolutely try very hard not break their promises on tax. But when you’ve got a fiscal situation to address and a bunch of insane promises that you were never going to be able to keep, then going “oh but we promised” is just a stupid waste of time.
November 17, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Yes and no. I do think there should be consequences for the broken promise, but the consequence should be the Chancellor is taken round back and shot, not that you let the entire government fall apart.