But noooo, regulation holds back growth!

Pre-Brexit referendum: a British PM surprises by keeping a multi-party coalition together Post-Brexit referendum: successive British PMs fail to keep their own single-party coalitions together

A lot of people don't realise this but in the UK we have to replace our Prime Minister every two or three years or else the rights revert back to Marvel

Striking fact about the Makerfield election: left-right divide has barely budged in the last three GEs (7 years). Lab+LD+Green have gained 53-56 per cent of the votes each time; Con+Ref+Restore 43-47. All the action has been voter movements within each tribe. (Table from @peterkellner.bsky.social)

What reasons do we (and they) have for thinking that super-AGI would maintain predatory capitalism, rather than shifting us all over to a planned (by it) economy? #socialistcalculationdebate redux.

What do you call a trade grouping united by a shared political ideology that avoids economic interactions with a more technologically advanced country because it thinks the latter practices labor repression and it worries such interactions might weaken its own internal cohesion? I dunno. COMECON?

On this day 63 years ago-Jun. 11, 1963-President John F. Kennedy addressed the American people on civil rights. It was the same day that Alabama governor George Wallace had symbolically blocked access to the University of Alabama for two Black students trying to register. Video: C-Span.

#Russia federal budget Jan-May 2026, RUB Revenue 14781 bn (+0.3% y/y) Oil&gas taxes 2977 bn (-29.9%) Other revenue 11804 bn (+12.5%) Expenditure 20791 bn (+17.0%)

Good job EU industry lobbies are pushing hard to dismantle the EU corporate sustainable due diligence rules for the sake of "competitiveness".

🔴 Georg Riekeles, BESF Co-Director and EPC Associate Director, will moderate discussions on global imbalances, China’s export surge and Europe’s digital ecosystem. Featuring @michaelpettis.bsky.social, Maria Demertzis, @martinsandbu.ft.com, Camille Boullenois and others.

Every summer I repost this article on how to spot drowning. Please read it and pass on. In the last few years I’ve had SIX messages from people who saved a kid’s life after clicking on the link from my feed. slate.com/technology/2...

LLMs are fancy Eliza.

Jeg vet om en måte Norge kan få det til på. Hvem skal fortelle regjeringen?

This is illuminating.

Remeslo is now reportedly undergoing compulsory psychiatric treatment, as in Soviet times. But smart Western leaders might think this was a good time to turn up the heat under Putin, rather than making life easier for him. The system is showing signs of strain; so increase the pressure on it. 2/2

Interesting news from Russia. Like Prigozhin, Remeslo seems to have had a revelation. He hasn't turned into a pro-Western liberal (as his comments on how much better Russia would be doing in Ukraine if Putin listened to criticism shows). But he can see the damage from Putin's current policies. 1/2

Worth knowing. as.ft.com/r/dea6ec9d-3...

Nobody would bemore delighted to see more EU-UK rapprochement than me, but I am simply exhausted by the way in which such a major decision is entirely framed in terms of what is politically expedient in Westminster. How about pursuing goals because you think they are right?

This exactly supports @martinsandbu.ft.com's latest point on energy subsidies:

*** How (not) to help with high energy prices - www.ft.com/content/b94e... via @FT @martinsandbu.ft.com

Spain's renewables build-out has structurally decoupled its electricity prices from gas markets. Gas now sets the price in only 15% of hours, compared to 90% in Italy. Countries that invested early in clean power are far less exposed to fossil fuel price shocks. Those that didn't now pay the price.

1/ Denmark was reportedly preparing for full-scale war with the US over Greenland in January, with military support from France, Germany, and Nordic nations. Elite troops and F-35 jets with live ammunition were sent, and runways were to be blown up to prevent an invasion. ⬇️

Line of the year in the new edition of The Economist: "Although President Donald Trump says he has “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military Capability”, the 0% that remains is playing havoc with the global economy..."

Doing better or shooting our feet? 🇪🇺 Of course, we choose prosperous and fair Europe!!

You'll never guess how Kemi 'Defending British values from domination by prayer' Badenoch voted on buffer zones outside of abortion clinics:

In the week since this @martinsandbu.ft.com piece, lobbying by challenged incumbents has (mostly) stalled. Two industry associations can't speak for "industry" when claiming that "competitiveness" requires turning back the clock to their glory days #EUSky 🔌💡 giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Electric vehicles helped to avoid the consumption of 2.3 million barrels of oil per day last year • Iran war-fuelled rise in oil prices is reigniting interest in EVs • Drop in oil consumption could reach 5.3 million barrels/day by 2030, roughly Canada's output www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

We’re begging China now. That’s where we’re at. bsky.app/profile/atru...

"De ukrainska styrkorna gör framryckningar i flera riktningar vid fronten. Nu tycks Ryssland tvingas kalla in fler reservister och ställa om till att försvara sina positioner. – Så här mycket terräng har inte Ukraina tagit på tre år, säger militärexperten Johan Huovinen."

This is a big deal. It won’t make the politics easier, but will empower the coalitions that have been gated from information about land so far. Information is power.

So bad in so many ways. Good article @robinwigglesworth.ft.com.

If you read one thing about Iran & geopolitics & economic fallout & climate, make it this @martinsandbu.ft.com column

1/US unprepared for key Iranian strategy -- target key hubs of the global economy. Put pressure on allies and markets to turn interdependence into a weapon. Rather than an alternative to war, economic nodes are being used as a key tactic to degrade political support. www.euronews.com/business/202...

2/ Maybe the lead is that the war goals DO NOT involve destroying Iran's nuclear weapons program. This is, uh...surprising...since Trump says over and over this is a key goal. But then of course we already know air strikes can't wipe out their nuclear material.

"This is natural: creative destruction has few champions. But it is not wise. Europe is clearly capable of speeding up its transition to energy independence via renewables." Excellent piece by @martinsandbu.ft.com www.ft.com/content/a6be...

An utterly brilliant article on a revolting spectacle. Do Read. @questingvole.bsky.social spectator.com/article/trum...

Send your questions! www.ft.com/content/950d...

Quite. @martinsandbu.ft.com "The war on Iran has again exposed the EU’s impotence, not just over world affairs but over its own economic prospects...they risk entrenching rather than reducing the bloc’s vulnerability." giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Yet another must-read memo from purgatory by @martinsandbu.ft.com Europe’s impotence extends to energy giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Great column from @martinsandbu.ft.com on the EU's miguided turn away from an ambitious energy transition. Its main effect has been to make us weaker, more vulnerable, and ultimately less competitive. www.ft.com/content/a6be...

De Europæiske ledere svigter i omstillingen til vedvarende energi. Det er et problem for klimaet, erhvervslivet og vores sikkerhed. Læs @martinsandbu.ft.com analyse i @financialtimes.com #klimahandling #dkpol #dkgreen #klimakrise

This is a real video from the official White House account on a war that is currently killing people. I don’t know how the US is going to come back from this. The post was “JUSTICE THE AMERICAN WAY. 🇺🇸 🔥”

An economic question we don't ask enough about AI. as.ft.com/r/ec467fc3-b...

"We called London a war zone and moved to Dubai by mistake"

“So big is the European economy that even significantly larger Ukraine support would be a rounding error in a macroeconomic perspective.” one of many insights from @martinsandbu.ft.com’s contribution on the economics of the war waged against #Ukraine and the #EU replacing #US support

A new piece by @martinsandbu.ft.com "Put all this together, and it’s not much of an exaggeration to say that Europe and #Ukraine are, economically, the much stronger side in this war. It is time to realise this, and press the victory home." 100% a great subtitle too: "it’s the economy, stupid"

The FT's @martinsandbu.ft.com with the money shot: 2nd reason btw: "for all the White House bluster about Kyiv having to come to the table and accept a deal, the US has very little leverage left" having already withdrawn all its financial support when Trump regime MkII began. Genius negotiator

This case will be studied in universities, especially in the US. Yesterday, the US submitted an amendment to the UN General Assembly resolution on the anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. According to the media, they tried to remove the clause on Ukraine's territorial integrity from the text

London hellhole update

This is really excellent to see! @martinsandbu.ft.com from the @financialtimes.com recently cited a #CHIPDIPLO report by Joris Teer, Riccardo Bosticco and Antonio Calcara for a feature on Europe's tech supply chains. Read www.ft.com/content/b92f...