danielmcelroy0.bsky.social

Something particularly annoying about the trade secretary in the last Conservative government, who signed not a single trade deal that is incompatible with anything in the EU-UK reset, kvetching about a Brexit 'betrayal'.

There is a false dichotomy drawn between "the ivory tower" and "the real world," and I'm here to report that in a post-industrial society, your real-world economy absolutely hinges on the university.

University towns are factory towns. Universities drive economic activity, not the other way around.

You could do it without her, replace Rose with a new young companion, and it’s a solid reboot story. Would’ve been a better alternate debut story for Ncuti!

Also - Ruby should’ve been more important to the resolution. She’s meant to be musical, the Doctor is trapped, let her and the Beatles jam the way to victory! Also Devil’s Chord should’ve been episode 6 not episode 2

I’m really not ready for confirmation of another term of SNP government.

Paralleling the slow deaths of the SDLP and UUP. The remaining voters tend to be elderly types who can’t bear to vote for SF or the DUP.

The Ulsterisation of British Politics continues….

@gylesnamopaleen.bsky.social @nialloconghaile.bsky.social

I do think it could generate some negative headlines, but from the baseline of “my council is shit”, Reform councils being shit but also vocal and cut throat isn’t a massive vote killer.

An illustration of how FPP goes from sandbag to springboard - Reform votes and seats in different councils:

Oxfordshire: 18% vote, 2% seats
Cambridgeshire: 23% vote, 16% seats
Devon: 27% vote, 30% seats
Leicestershire: 33% vote, 46% seats
Derbyshire: 37% vote, 66% seats

Idk I appreciated the Midnight entity the first time because it was *smart*, I don’t think this episode took advantage of that enough. The Angels one did make them creepy and higher concept, but letting us see them move was a disaster.

The big Who accounts on X have decided it the best thing since sliced bread. I enjoyed it but it’s done nothing to deserve this level of appreciation.

Snap! Lux might get there, The Well probably not. I’d disagree on Star Beast, I find it frustrating despite the nostalgia rush and Talalay acing it.

True. I think Berwickshire is the only one I’d say is safe for the medium term.

I really need a polling breakdown of Scottish Reform voters. Because the way Scottish polling is moving suggests they aren’t wholesale Tory - Reform, some are former Labour. And they’re less likely to tactically go Tory.

“2017 as the epicentre of an almighty shift in British politics” Theory is upheld!

Was about to suggest Southern Scotland but a little Reform wave would put them out. Changed times…

I.e. Labour didn't just supplant the Liberals in Wales, essentially overnight, they also won places like Limehouse which had been Conservative even when the party was losing nationally, and e.g. that is also the case in miniature in, say, Durham County Council.

One way that it is very reminiscent of what happened to the Liberal Party is it has the same pattern of 'oh, Labour have won a bunch of safe Liberal seats plus they've nabbed a Conservative area that the Liberals have never touched even in wave years'.

15% is the Tories worst ever score, against an unpopular government, as the main opposition. It really is starting to look terminal for them.

Key point is this hasn't happened elsewhere. We're really unusual in how little we support those who are unemployed. It's the root cause of so many problems in the benefits system (and society more generally).

the most servile people imaginable. completely unsuited for democratic citizenship. they would be better off under a despot.

Trump to declare fentanyl “Weapon of Mass Destruction," per draft EO A copy of the draft was obtained and reviewed by The Handbasket.

SCOOP—Trump plans to issue an executive order designating fentanyl as a "Weapon of Mass Destruction," per copy of EO reviewed by me. Source at State speculates purpose is to designate cartels as terrorist orgs/justify military ops in Mexico/Canada.

Context/full text of draft only on The Handbasket:

And if they’re just going to do these big above the head improvements for people in the economy - shout about it! Bash us over the head with it!

This is me trying to make an effort to post here more and on X less.

Recent Political Fix episode hit the nail on the head for me - a Labour government being restrictive towards business while not really offering a handout to its key voters is probably doing to struggle to make a long term case for its own existence. Structural delivery is never enough (see Biden).

Saying "Until the Fentanyl issue" presumes there actually is one.

Anyway, Canada should apply an export tariff to energy.

Tbf at the time it was COVID bounce galore. No one could see what was coming.

Oh I was on crack.

Unironically think they should bring back the north bits of HS2 under the name "Queen Elizabeth High Speed Railway" and then accuse anyone who opposes it of hating the late queen

I think this wholly correct point is one of those things that on the one hand, everyone knows that Brexit drained focus away from administering the country and then the final term they were just incompetent, but no-one really appreciates what a big loss to the country it was.

So many of their problems in government, and so many of their problems in opposition have the same root: by the end most ministers just weren’t across the detail and many of them have no experience of anything resembling functional policymaking.