The same editorial board described Seattle’s mayor raising taxes to pay for childcare as a totalitarian power grab

babe wake up, they're doing insider trading on war crimes

"international law must be followed" is european for "thoughts and prayers"

Whatever you might think of Maduro, the seizure and kidnapping of a head of state takes us to a very dark place. Vast, arbitrary, extra-legal power, which could be exercised almost anywhere, regardless of the character of the target government.

Starmer's response to Trump's illegal assault on Venezuela is essentially to say that he will respond later

The way the press is treating chatbots, like they have agency and they “know” things all of a sudden, crossed the line recently from dumb and obsequious to something else entirely. Treating them as alive and making conscious decisions is an almost religious belief. It won’t age well.

The most bonkers list I've ever seen on any topic, and I'm a listener to the Bill Simmons podcast. www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/1...

It's really easy to square. The principle isn't 'free speech' or whatever, the principle is 'reward our friends, punish our enemies'. It's totally consistent.

Together with @thekingsfund.bsky.social, we've how English devolution can fulfil its potential to reduce health inequalities @davidjbuck.bsky.social explains in this HSJ article, drawing on our recent essay with David, Tom Lloyd Goodwin & @lucatiratelli.bsky.social ⤵️ www.hsj.co.uk/policy-and-r...

Begum was one of the worst legal decisions ever made.

When people put forward an idea that they think would be positive, they are always quick to illustrate how it works alongside other things that are considered to be good. Luca Tiratelli reflects on the 'synergy illusion', and whether all good things go together. https://bit.ly/4902xma

"Conservatism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect"

There should be literally no circumstances, ever, where citizenship is can be revoked. If you literally sign up to fight for an opposing army in a war, then we should prosecute you for treason not revoke citizenship

No.

Elite free speech discourse has culminated in state action to compel labor

“it is illegal for you not to like me”

Again, do you notice how much of contemporary politics is horrible people behaving horrendously, while screaming in terror about people not wanting to hang around with them as a consequence.

ICE detain father shopping on Christmas Eve—then steal his family's groceries. Then 3 agents divvy up his paid for food—taking what they want for themselves. "Can I just get the wife's number to call and let her know?" woman asks. "No, guess he should've complied," agent says. Yakima, Washington

I find it interesting that people are willing to countenance the idea that AI might be good for someone somewhere (otherwise why would it exist??) but are pretty sure that it’s bad news for them specifically.

Sometimes it’s the small things that make all the difference. Julia Cream explores the different approaches to NHS admin, and why fixing admin requires the input from admin staff, as well as patients, to find a solution. https://bit.ly/3L4LCai

In case you need a positive reminder: How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

Incredible what you find when you start looking for data on the "white men can't get jobs anymore" phenomenon www.peoplespolicyproject.org/2025/12/17/w...

This is genuinely horrifying. Fact-free far-right agitprop given accolades by credible media across the political spectrum.

A real triumph of ideology over 'what works' here

"She's been on remand for over a year, her trial's not until April next year and bail keeps getting denied." news.sky.com/story/fears-...

The problem with “pro natalism” from the right is that there are no policies that work, and all the ones you might try are really left wing, unless you want to propose a full on roll back of eg women’s access to education

The lack of empirical evidence in the “anti-conservative bias in higher education” panic is really striking. We’ve had more than a decade of elite consternation about this so-called crisis based on a handful of anecdotes.

"Nobody tells us what to write" update

"They've ruined Christmas" British academic and his Nigerian wife repeatedly stopped from hosting family members in the UK, including at their own wedding, due to visa restrictions brought in by Keir Starmer’s Government as part of its immigration crackdown bylinetimes.com/2025/12/18/t...

i was especially struck by these paragraphs, which rang very true to me. libs who grew up around conservatives aren't embarrassed to be liberals--or confused about what conservatives want. there's a certain kind of elite media man, on the other hand--

its interesting that the idea of “echo chambers” has gained such traction. theres an at-least-as-compelling story of the last 15 years that says what‘s gone wrong is that people, largely elites, have been exposed to a wider range of views than they knew existed before and have reacted very badly.

yes! i am a bit of a broken record on this but among elite male commentators there is such obvious gender anxiety

More significant perhaps is that 'anti immigration tweets' is also the frame of the linked daily mail article

Would it be a good thing in your life if you were forced to rely on food banks? If not why are you asking this question?

The Devolution White Paper and the 10 year Health Plan have massively changed the landscape for two increasingly important public sector bodies - Strategic Authorities and Integrated Care Systems. Improving health inequalities will require them to work together. Here's how they can do that 👇

Worth watching to see what all the smart Sensible people who spent all those years calling us childish idiots for saying it’s just imperial plunder and rule by force have to say about the US president saying openly it is imperial plunder and rule by force. If only for a laugh, of course.

Advocates of abolishing the NHS have a major question to answer. There is no magic money tree. If we can't afford a single payer system, why would we be able to afford a social insurance system? www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/12...

A reality which would of course suit those middle class families perfectly - less competition for the middle class jobs they want their children to slot into!

One crucial thing I've observed (in middle class circles) is that everyone thinks that apprenticeships are a really good idea and more people should do them instead of degrees except for them/their children, who were perfectly suited for higher education

What future? What degree? What apprenticeship?

No idea what telly Lord Sewell is watching, because I can't think of a single show with this plotline let alone it being something that is inescapable for young white men who subsequently now face a crisis of masculinity drawing them to the far right?? 🙃

Many such cases.

The number of murders in the capital in the first nine months (1st January to 30th September) of 2025 is the lowest since monthly records began and represents a fall of almost 60 per cent compared to 2003. www.london.gov.uk/london-recor...

The fact is no presenter has ever had to leave the BBC for expressing conservative views, or even explicitly endorsing a right-wing party. Was never a problem for Jeremy Clarkson. Was never a problem for Andrew Neil. Was never a problem for Alan Sugar

My gosh this gets worse and worse

As usual with this magazine, the author concedes throughout that the point he's making is dumb as hell.

Might write something about this, but I think what Adam is describing matches what I’ve called a collapse in public virtue. Not in the sense that people are behaving badly (although they are doing that), but in the sense that they view their public functions instrumentally instead of as ends.

I guess it's fitting that it's a reimagined, worse version of someone else's artwork

Government has now - belatedly -published the impact assessment for the changes to skilled worker and care worker visas announced in May. Impact is estimated between -£2 billion and £-10 billion (central - £10 billion). assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6937e6...