Paul Murphy

Fall in UK net migration threatens to carve deep hole in public finances Issue is expected to come under the spotlight in chancellor Rachel Reeves’ Spring Statement

The migration doom loop at work: does anyone in government seriously think that a strategy designed to keep out skilled workers and students makes either economic or political sense?

://www.ft.com/content/7408ad00-e4eb-41c7-8849-36061bc0eac1

I think the key to understanding why parts of the British right have ended up where they are is they self-identify as being more successful than they are.

It’s an absolute mess!! … And the real reason for Brexit of course: lots of regulatory shortcuts to help UK economy closer align with America

Makes you wonder (as that’s all us citizens can do) what else they got up to after we left the regulatory control of Brussels? #wato

Thanks for that ….

You’re not Ai, are you?

Overriding impression of Shakespeare is it’s a vehicle for a good deal of overacting

Sorry #wato

Isn’t glyphosate already approved for UK agricultural use?

Genuine question (as I’m finding Google’s Ai search results chock full of errors)

Pretty sure it’s one of the so called ‘raising’ of UK standards people like Reese Mogg promised Brexit would deliver #wato

Presumably his contribution was paid for from cash he made launching GBNews? #R4today

Is that #R4today I hear sticking vigorously to the broadcast rules for today’s Gorton‘n’Denton vote by not covering ReformUK’s raison d'etre, ‘illegal immigrants’ & small boats crossings??

Excellent work Mr Gibb

Polling day tomorrow in Gorton and Denton. There are still votes to win.

To stop Reform and send a Green to Parliament, we must seal the deal. Help us get out the vote.

#GortonAndDenton #VoteGreen

Sign up 👉 greenparty.org.uk/get-involved...

As mentioned Google Ai is wrong on this There was definitely a change to the system in around 2005: a shift away from grants to loans.

I know because I had 2 going to uni at that time; one had a grant, the other had to take out the ‘new’ loan.

You could get a grant and your tuition was paid for by the taxpayer until around 2004-6 (I can’t recall and frankly Google’s Ai is a joke on this one)

2005/6 I think

Student loans (& the disgusting SL Co) was introduced by a Labour government, surely?

Labour failed to tackle ZeroHours too. & now it’s out of control

But I’m seriously fed up with this RWing attack line the cost of everything; the struggling economy is all down to a NI tax rises #wato

How could anyone, anyone normal that is, believe that there is nothing wrong with the UK’s royal arrangement: it’s privilege wealth & how it is funded?

Evidently some members of the Lords feel everything is just fine thank you very much #wato

Ha! … That’s just what they want you to think

Well yes … But I don’t see how the retrospective finger pointing gets us the much needed reform:

If eg, it’s the obvious conflict of interest in public servants taking gifts/loans/donations in return for access & lobbying privileges, then the who knew what back then is a clear distraction #r4today

Personally find it hard to believe MI5 & 6 didn’t know enough about Epstein - or what Andrew was up to, & that Mandelson was working both sides, etc

If there are any documents worth seeing, my money’s on them #R4today

Will documents relating to the appointment of Andrew, formally known as, to trade envoy include security services vetting details?

No, of course not … which is a shame because that’s the only stuff worth seeing #R4today

Right! But can’t help feel Ed Davey deserved that rubbish treatment though:

This Hinsighterisationism - ‘who knew what & when’ debate is pretty tedious when it’s the system that has failed rather than just individuals involved #r4today

If Ed Davey’s not careful he’s gonna end up calling for an historical enquiry into himself

There’s a lot to unpack from this sorry Epstein-Mandelson-Windsor affair & some good can come out of it, from e.g. royal funding to lobbying reform

This isn’t going anywhere Ed #R4today

Reform vows to overhaul pension schemes for new local government workers Reform plans to end more generous defined benefit pension schemes for new local government workers if it wins office

Reform have just made a huge mistake ahead of Senedd elections in May. Their local government pension plans mean:
- scrapping the pensions of 1 in 9 Welsh workers
- abolishing the largest pension fund in Welsh history, crucial to investment across Wales
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

ReformUK’s Zia Yusuf on #wato with more ‘immigrants, who needs em?’ schtick

We have to stop calling these vuvuzela soundbites ‘dog whistle politics’ #wato

Hadn’t realised ReformUK had been invited to the BAFTAs #wato

But it’s all about the gotcha when interviewing ‘Lefties’ now at the BBC it seems

PS. This is the same BBC that recently spent a few weeks evaluating a report into Left wing bias at the corp

What a joke #R4today has become

Yep! She just wasn’t going to be allowed to explain that earlier intervention can in some cases improve standards enough to reduce longterm spending needs

And a great example of how [Tory] cuts lead to higher costs

But I guess you have to read the Guardian to get that kind of detail? #R4today

Nick Robinson endlessly interrupts Georgia Gould MP it seems just to push the Tory attack line that increased spending on SEND support is really about cutting costs

“Let’s hope we get more clarity when the proposals are published”

Anything would be an improvement on THAT interview Nick #r4today

The whole institution needs reform, from their public funding to the very idea of a ‘Royal Family’

We only need one king or queen (not two at once thanks Camilla!!) paid to do the ceremonial handshakes

The rest can live & pay for their own private lives

Good riddance to em! #r4today

It’s telling the government didn’t think it had the power to remove his title & it happened when the king chose to.

Same monarchy now says it’s a matter for government.

They really are making this up as they go along #r4today

Let’s be honest, to us ordinary folk, the very act of removing the title of Prince from the man would mean he would no longer be in line for anything.

Why it now requires an act of parliament seems unnecessary
#r4today

Pretty sure while Obama said life in the universe a mathematical certainty, there’s zero evidence to claim ETs have swung by the solar system #wato