Let 2026 be the year that we finally agree not to sell off any more #publicLand. Councils are broke because of the high cost of paying private companies to provide essential services. Why because councils have no land to build the services they need on. #costOfLandCrisis

If the #UK #housingPolicy was designed to provide homes not profits then #blackpool council would either renovate the existing homes or build new ones BEFORE bulldozing these. Of course it may not be possible as #ukGov continues its 40 yr project to force the sell off of #publicLand

Merry Christmas and a Happy #Green New Year.

So if reports that #reeves is falling over backwards to pull #privateEquity into the #UK housing market, this wld not only further commoditise the housing market but channel the UK’s last store of significant wealth to US financial investors. @itvpeston.bsky.social you need to look at this.

#networkRail #greatBritishRail and all train companies. What is the point of advertising a train to leave at 7.47 when you shut the doors at 7.46. Stop gaslighting passengers and show some transparency. #trainTimetable

You can keep raising the minimum wage all you like, but the lowest earners will not achieve more buying power as their costs will rise with their earnings. It won't change until monopolies are split up, equity firms cannot swap debt for cash and public money no longer leaches into private profit.

And I would bet money, the difference between those approving of a #CustomsUnion is even more stark

Fine, tax them, but if you don’t change a system which is designed to build monopolies, then it doesn’t matter how much tax they pay (or avoid) or how high the minimum wage is. inequality will continue to increase. #ukPolitics

If anyone knows about civilisational erasure it’s the #US, the indigenous peoples of America were all but wiped out by those who now hold all the power, the money and the land. #Trump #politics

The takeaways to this global report could be applied equally to the UK. Wealth transfers from the poor to the rich. Those with largest climate footprint have the greatest protection against its effects. The poorest have the least educational opportunity. #ukPolitics #inequality @greenparty.org.uk

If you interpret everything #Trump says as exactly the opposite, you will be far closer to the truth. if he says he thinks one thing he believes the opposite. The lies are as much to convince himself as anyone else.

Because its blatantly the right thing to do.

Impressed with @zackpolanski.bsky.social ‘s cut through so far, but he needs to talk about issues for young people, student loans, housing, pension triple lock, jobs and training. there is a vast qty of electors out there to impress. #ukPolitics

@newsagents.bsky.social Good interview with Justice Secretary #DavidLammy, he was clear and assertive and knew the detail of his brief. From current @ukgovernment.bsky.social he’s quite refreshing

Encapsulates this government perfectly in this one sentence. ‘Fascinating to hear that Starmer is extremely proud of doing something that he last year suspended seven of his MPs for voting for.’

@profanity.accountant waiting for the headmistress to judge me.

Elected governments of all colours often claim they have legitimacy to enact policies. I attempt to define 'Democratic Distance' to describe how to recognise the more authoritarian of these policies and why democracy cannot stop at the ballot box. #ukPolitics open.substack.com/pub/tobyrisk...

It seems the 8am briefing on the 3rd Nov had no other purpose than a cynical attempt to manipulate the #gilt market. Thank you @teamlabouruk.bsky.social, the #uk taxpayer will now have to pay a #reevesPremium in interest on bonds as what #ukTreasury says will no longer be trusted. #restIsMoney

#YourParty are showing the way in radical #UK politics by recreating our #twoParty system within one party. 😜

Why we need a #LandValueTax - taxing land does not reduce its supply - captures value increases (unearned wealth) - supply of land is fixed and immobile - progressive AND economically efficient - discourages #landBanking - rates adjust to reflect value to society - promotes affordable housing

Its even worse. high value houses will be revalued for the new mansion tax but retain their 1991 value for council tax. Reeves has been persuaded by the #Treasury to make taxes EVEN more complex and opaque. #budget open.substack.com/pub/tobyrisk...

Planning on writing a lot more in the future. my first new piece. #budget2025 #ukPolitics open.substack.com/pub/tobyrisk...

#Reeves #mansionTax is the most pathetic revision of taxing unearned property wealth anyone could dream up. @torstenbell.bsky.social is calling this a big reform. The wasn’t a hard decision, its as hard as dipping a toe in a tepid bath. #ukpolitics @teamlabouruk.bsky.social need to grow a pair

Two things that were screamingly absent from #budget2025. Any measures for growth and Defence. What gives @teamlabouruk.bsky.social #ukPolitics

Reducing the #salarySacrfice to pension contributions means we will pay tax on the money we’ve put in and will pay tax when we take it out #pensions #budget2025 #ukPolitics

#budget2025 I’m sure it won’t happen but I want #reeves to announce a serious consultation on replacing #stampDuty, #businessRates and a large part of #councilTax with a #LandValueTax.

The only message i got from #CharlieFaulkner on #r4Today was that the little people like us can’t be trusted to understand evidence or objectively judge a case as a member of a #jury. And the idea that Judges will always be a bulwark against an overbearing state is laughable. just look at the #US

Clear that #reeves will raise taxes for higher tax rate payers, but will she alleviate the trap many families are in where there is one earner. eg: a family with 2x35k pa earners pay much less tax than one with 1x70k pa earner #budget2025

I wonder if the @commonsspeaker.parliament.uk be calling for the Honourable Member for Clacton and St Petersburg tomorrow in the post #budget2025 debate?

A little grateful that #UK #railFares are to be frozen next year. But let's put that into perspective. Since 2010: Rail fares have increased by 64% Fuel duty has increased by 0% For the next 15 years, this needs to be rebalanced #ukPolitics

Just tax them properly. They claim the Duchie's are private (arguable) so they should pay for the privilege.

Another disastrous piece of #PR from #Reeves herself. She obviously gets a lot of stick, but she won't gain any support from complaining about it. Its pretty clear to the whole country that she's hardly nailing the role of Chancellor and her poor decisions are damaging the #UK. #ukPolitics

It’s also a symptom of how our #FPTP electoral process produces incompetent and tribal governments

Dear Keir, you tried. being #PM is not about being a competent manager, its about being an inspirational leader who is prepared to back their team on the really tough decisions. its time to go. Quickly and with grace. You just don’t have it. #ukPolitics #dearKeir @uklabourparty.bsky.social

I think the best result from the #budget2025 that can be achieved is to just cancel it. #ukPolitics

In 2008, it was the circular dependency of leverage that brought down Bear Stearns, Lehmans, Merrill Lynch, and shook Morgan Stanley, AIG and even Goldman Sachs. The #AI bubble shows the same circularity, what we don’t know is how much debt is supported by overhyped stock prices #aiBubble #business

They had barrel loads of political capital, a ton of goodwill and a country full of hope. They squandered all of it on naval gazing on why the @uklabourparty.bsky.social had lost the 1992 election. So niaive and incompetent #ukpolitics.

If there’s not enough chips, not enough electricity and not enough water than many of these enormous data-centres being built could become stranded assets. Cue the sound of popping bubbles. #AI #s&p500

#r4Today proponents of #AI, especially those who stand to gain massive revenues from AI always use the same examples to justify AI, radiography and pharma. That’s it? Just two examples of benefits to deflect the question of the mass cull of the workforce.

So #reeves and #starmer have decided that 'the everyone should pay their share' idea lasted a whole 10 days. Instead they've determined the Brompton Bikes get to pay for the 30 billion black hole. #ukPolitics #salarySacrifice #cycleToWork

Having marched the entire country up the hill of anxiety, they now feel it's appropriate to march us down into the valley of fear. Yet again this proves these two are utterly incompetent at political communication. #ukPolitics #bondMarket

Rachel Reeves to abandon plans to raise income tax rates in budget

Tuesday morning, a small error leads a great British institution to create a mammoth clusterfuck of messaging. Tuesday afternoon, 10 Downing Street, McSweeney asks his beer to be held for a moment. #ukPolitics

@pippacrerar.bsky.social, @samcoatessky.bsky.social and others know exactly who briefed against @wesstreeting.bsky.social on Tuesday,if #mcSweeney is talking BS to the #PM then they need to find a way to get that message to Keir’s team

Just caught up with yesterday's @newsagents.bsky.social podcast on the #BBC chaos. I don't think there can be 3 journalists anywhere who have the experience, contacts and incisive observations as #johnSopel, #emilyMaitlis & @lewisgoodall.com. Such a strong trio, I just wish they'd finally get off X

Remember the vested interests paying for the abolish #netZero campaign spouted by so many politicians on the right, are the ones who seek to make billions from #fossilFuels by telling you we can’t afford #netZero. Make them pay for it. #COP30 @uklabour.bsky.social

Countries the world over are choosing renewable wind and #solar over #fossilFuels because its cheaper and more secure. Yet in the #UK, politicians and media are pushing the #petroDollar agenda, still trying to slow down the #greenTransition. Losers at every level. #COP30

Wouldn’t it be great if #RachelReeves meant what she said about ‘everyone’ and made the #monarchy pay tax on their income from #duchyOfCornwall, #duchyOdLancaster and other private interests? #budget2025

I’m a big fan of @zackpolanski.bsky.social and voted for him in the @greenparty.org.uk leadership race. But ‘Tax the Billionaires’ cry, is just not a real fiscal policy. Better the system is reformed to make becoming a billionaire impossible. I’m not against aspiration but am against wealth hoarding