So many aspects of the state where Labour in opposition convinced themselves that the fundamentals were fine, the Conservatives were just shit penny-pinching managers, and once good common-sense people were in charge and a wee bit more money everything would work fine. Alas, reality is more complex

Labour is hitting people who support the party with exorbitant marginal rates, and giving distorting perks to people who will never vote for them and who, often, have little need. Is it politically astute? No. But is it the right thing to do? Also no. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Like quizzes? Want a coffee-table activity for the holidays? Need something to keep the inlaws quiet? Distract your colleagues and perplex your friends with the Edrith Christmas Quiz. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

The 'broken Britain' narrative isn't popular on here. But the driving test backlog is a basic piece of state functionality that just straightforwardly worked 20 years ago, and now doesn't, and impacts hundreds of thousands of young people year. open.substack.com/pub/almondtr...

On jury trials, it's important to remember how we got to the point where victims and defendants are waiting years for their cases to be heard. As to what to do now we're here, Labour has a choice. It’s not about Magna Carta, it's about money – and trade-offs. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Rare for me to agree with @barristersecret.bsky.social, but his piece on why reducing trial by jury won't fix the court backlog is excellent - as is his list of inefficiencies which are the real problem, and could be fixed with relatively small sums of money. thesecretbarrister.com/2025/12/02/a...

NEW BLOGPOST Abolishing trial by jury: why is the government overlooking the obvious? thesecretbarrister.com/2025/12/02/a...

Reminder that UK higher education has a spending problem when it comes to balancing the books with domestic fees. Other countries would dream of such income.

Like quizzes? Want a coffee-table activity for the holidays? Need something to keep the inlaws quiet? Distract your colleagues and perplex your friends with the Edrith Christmas Quiz. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

As Budget fallout continues, my pre-Budget piece on why Reeves had no good options left - and why governing by opinion-poll and triangulation is doomed to failure. Events have borne it out. Now the second most-read piece I've written. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

As Australia prepares for its social media ban for children under the age of 16, which comes into force next week, 74% of Britons would support a similar ban in the UK Support: 74% Oppose: 19% yougov.co.uk/topics/techn...

Brilliant piece by @mjrobbins.com on the Oxfordshire rubbish dump - and what it says about the failure of state institutions and rising sense of lawlessness. martinrobbins.substack.com/p/rubbish-mo...

As Budget fallout continues, my pre-Budget piece on why Reeves had no good options left - and why governing by opinion-poll and triangulation is doomed to failure. Events have borne it out. Now the second most-read piece I've written. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

The decision to put a 3p/mile tax on electric cars only is a clear decision by government to put cost of living about net zero. I don't necessarily disagree with that. But it's a watershed decision that's been undercommented on in the rest of the Budget fallout. 🧵

Great piece by Fraser Nelson. Hughes told the unpalatable truths neither party wanted to hear without fear or favour. open.substack.com/pub/fraserne...

A validation of this marvellous piece from @igmansfield.bsky.social about what Reeves should have done:

This year's Christmas Quiz is now out! Theme: Children. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

This year's Christmas Quiz is now out! Theme: Children. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

Reform is clearly ahead right now - but Labour have more pathways to victory: more people who’ll vote for them tactically, more potential coalition partners and more opportunity to make the weather - and to determine the timing of the next election. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

Reform is clearly ahead right now - but Labour have more pathways to victory: more people who’ll vote for them tactically, more potential coalition partners and more opportunity to make the weather - and to determine the timing of the next election. open.substack.com/pub/edrith/p...

Bored of the Budget? Let's think about which party will win the next general election. What we know, what we don't know - and a pathway for each party to come out on top. www.edrith.co.uk/p/why-party-...

Bored of the Budget? Let's think about which party will win the next general election. What we know, what we don't know - and a pathway for each party to come out on top. www.edrith.co.uk/p/why-party-...

Absolutely disagree with stopping state pension for wealthiest and means-testing. Doesn’t cost much and would be the road to reducing year after year who is eligible. Keep universal benefits universal. No other wealthy country means tests state pensions.

This is mad. Obviously it was a massive error. But Richard Hughes resigning would be a huge over-response. on.ft.com/485r0Yd OBR chair under pressure over early release of Budget analysis

I'm constantly shocked (but not surprised) by how little we discuss the additional financial burden placed on young people by the Clegg-Cameron student loan regime. @rmcunliffe.bsky.social is one of the few journalists who brings it up continuously - once again in the wake of the budget 👇

"This continues to be a government whose rhetoric writes cheques that its actions cannot cash." Brilliant, brutal piece by @stephenkb.bsky.social. And every word of it true. www.ft.com/content/e1b1...

The idea that increasing taxes helps cut the deficit is for the birds. Historically, there's no correlation - it usually goes hand in hand with increased borrowing instead. As per today's Budget: £26 bn of tax rises, and debt/GDP goes up 2pp, to 96%. www.edrith.co.uk/p/does-incre...

The idea that increasing taxes helps cut the deficit is for the birds. Historically, there's no correlation - it usually goes hand in hand with increased borrowing instead. As per today's Budget: £26 bn of tax rises, and debt/GDP goes up 2pp, to 96%. www.edrith.co.uk/p/does-incre...

While I was offline I reviewed Baroness Hale of Richmond's newest book. It's actually very good! I'm going soft. Free link here @ www.thetimes.com/article/6dd6...

Frustrated by repeated delays, the Treasury has thrown down the gauntlet to Phillipson. Sort out SEND - or see your planned increase in school funding become a 1.7% per pupil cut. Big upping of the stakes for the promised SEND White Paper.

having gone to university as the last cohort of the 3k/year system never fails to give me a brief taste of that "last chopper out of Saigon" feeling boomers and, to an extent, Gen Xers have been getting for most of the past fifteen years or so

The Government has adjusted the International Student Levy from a 6% charge to a flat rate of £925. A flat rate was first called for by Policy Exchange in July - as it avoids disproportionately penalising top universities and STEM courses. Rare spot of good news in the Budget.

The sum total of Labour’s fiscal choices has been to expand the state. Over the last ten years, on average state spending was 41.6% of GDP. That has now risen to 44-45%…but so far, without much to show for it. Budget reaction from @archiehall.bsky.social. notes.archie-hall.com/p/fifteen-th...

My quick verdict on the Budget, now up. "Fifteen thoughts on the Budget" open.substack.com/pub/archieh...

The government can stick to this plan, or the government can get re-elected. Unlikely it can do both. Therefore either the government has a death wish or the 27-29 figures are yet another budgetary fairy tale. Remember when this government promised to be serious and not to duck the hard choices?

Details of this now out - and it does indeed look like very good news - Government has listened to concerns and I don't think they really meant add £25k to cost of a new home, via massive taxes on the rubble and topsoil which is removed and then used to fill a former quarry!

Yup. Foreign students pay highly marketised rates. Visa mills are cheap. Imperial College is not.

The Government has adjusted the International Student Levy from a 6% charge to a flat rate of £925. A flat rate was first called for by Policy Exchange in July - as it avoids disproportionately penalising top universities and STEM courses. Rare spot of good news in the Budget.

Rachel Reeves can count herself (at least a bit) lucky. OBR productivity downgrade would have knocked £16 billion off tax receipts. But she was saved by £32 billion of *extra* receipts from higher inflation and a shift to more tax-rich growth (lower profits, higher wages).

Would love some in-depth numbers on what the majority of 20-30 somethings basically paying a 9% higher marginal tax rate has actually done to economic behaviour. Feels very under-discussed bsky.app/profile/igma...

SEND Budgets are out of control. Total spending should be reset at 2015 levels. Statutory obligations removed. And councils required to prioritise support and live within their means.

aaAAAAAAAHHHH [AAAAAHHHHHHHH]

Student loan repayment thresholds frozen for a further three years. More debt burden falling on graduates. And even more reason to cut university places by 20-30%.

Stunning figures here. Without the threshold freezes this decade, the basic threshold would by over £17,000 and the higher rate threshold over £70,000(!!!) in 2030. A simply colossal impact of fiscal drag.

Impact of Employment Rights Bill not included in the OBR's forecast. Major omission - meaning we can expect the growth and employment forecasts to deteriorate further. Wiping out Chancellor's headroom and increasing the chance of the need to return next year for more tax rises.

Debt projection 2 percentage points up since March! "Debt rises as a share of GDP from 95 per cent of GDP this year and ends the decade at 96 per cent of GDP, which is 2 percentage points higher than projected in March and twice the debt level of the average advanced economy."

My impression is that a bunch of people in the centre and left are fairly pro a tourist tax, while being vehemently against a levy on international students. Any reason, other than vibes, as to why? Pros and cons of both seem pretty similar to me.

Interesting and quite persuasive.

Many people here appear to genuinely believe that stopping the Channel boats is intrinsically difficult - like improving NHS productivity. It's not - and here is how you do it. With every small boat arrival sent there automatically, without exception. conservativehome.com/2025/11/25/a...

£3bn is actually operating profit ie post tax profit is much lower. Julian Jessop wrote a great piece on this julianhjessop.substack.com/p/its-time-t...