Dr. Matt Loten

Been to the youngest’s harvest assembly.
Theory: every primary school built pre about 1980 in Britain has some version of this equipment. It is referred to as something like ‘the apparatus’.
No one has any memory of it ever being used.

Admittedly things may have changed in the intervening 20 years, but when I was at secondary school the carpentry/plumbing Friday courses were nothing more than an opportunity for teachers to get the 'problem' lads out of the classroom. Attitudes need totally rewiring for this 'plan' to work.

Also I've only seen season one of Friends and have no desire to return

I've never seen Jaws and have no compulsion to do so whatsoever, because it has been spoofed and referenced and parodied *so many* times that I simply cannot imagine needing to! Same with Alien, Psycho, The Shining...

For someone who has watched more than one film and indeed some television shows during his life, I think I have a real black hole for a lot of cultural touchpoints simply *because* they are so ubiquitous.

'Despite only making up 4% of the population...'

NEW EPISODE OUT NOW!

The second part of David’s conversation with @robertsaunders.bsky.social marking the 40th anniversary of Neil Kinnock’s party conference speech attacking the Militant tendency takes the story up to the present and beyond.

Find us at...🎧 ppfideas.com

Did you not catch her in the 2022 classic, Minions: The Rise of Gru?

Please tell us what her face is saying, I need to know

Labour seem to hate their own voters. You know whose voters would be cool though? People who voted for Reform, or who want to do so now. That’s the ticket. That such people might disagree with almost every value Labour MPs and voters hold dear? Well that just makes them cooler. Hard to impress. 5/n

British Politics' Midlife Crisis Why British Parties Can't Make Peace with Their Actual Voters

On the morning of Keir Starmer's conference speech here's a new post on an odd psychopathology in British politics - our main parties don't like the people who vote for them - the dreaded Professional Managerial Class. And so they are acting out like a divorced dad seeking cooler voters. 1/n

The biggest puzzle in the UK economy is why non pension savings are so high

For decades no one could get Brits to save. Now they won’t stop.

That this has happened without a recession shows UK economy under last and this govt is not the basket case I read about

I've just watched Starmer's response to Laura K about the threat of Reform and the nature of Farage's politics. It's actually really good - pitched note perfect.

It's just a shame it's taken this long and, y'know, all the terrible governing.

Rewatching Office Space and getting angry about Jacob Rees-Mogg

Huntington's disease successfully treated for first time One of the most devastating diseases finally has a treatment that can slow its progression and transform lives, tearful doctors tell BBC.

I work adjacent to the pharmaceutical/clinical trial industry, and this is a really wonderful story at a time when, globally, we sadly need a reminder of the power of modern medicine to save and transform lives.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

The article @robfahey.net and I wrote on Sanseito is finally out (open access). We describe the party’s conspiracy worldview and how it shapes its policies and organizational features. I may do a thread to include the work I have done since finalizing the draft.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

She was claiming on her personal account earlier that the rumoured 20% VAT on taxi rides could only be read as premeditated revenge by Reeves on disabled people who have to take taxis to medical appointments after the welfare bill reverse, so she's on a real roll today.

The wider economy might burn but at least the academic publishing industry will be able to churn out plenty of revised editions of their political science textbooks thanks to all these juicy case studies

People keep bashing Labour but I for one am impressed by their commitment to answering the thought experiment 'what would happen if a 170 seat majority government simultaneously pissed off every member of their voting coalition at once?'

The Tories at least *tried* to keep their core voters onside!

An actual quote from the Secretary of State for Business and Trade

Too often people go to university to ‘explore research and knowledge’

Look forward to Wes S saying 'too often people go to hospital to have operations' or Heidi Alexander saying 'too often people go to the station to catch a train'

Reform's Next Star Signing Will Surprise You.

Proud to wear my wheatsheaf for #BackBritishFarmingDay 🌾

Farmers are the backbone of our rural communities and deserve real support to thrive, yet this government keeps failing them time after time.

As Liberal Democrats, we will keep championing rural interests.

2028: Prime minister Lucy Powell, having recovered Labour's disastrous position inherited by the now jailed Sir Keir "Sir Beer Korma" Starmer still finds herself behind in the polls to Reform. She knows of only one man that can help...

I mean the Warhammer nerds are absolutely making edgy posts but it's about how there's canonically no women in the Space Marines so point taken

So, I actually think this is not quite fair on May, who I do think did have a clear political vision, she just could never get out from under and she badly misread what she needed to do in 2017.

Does not make me miss David Cameron

Yeah, I suppose he just seems to be quietly and efficiently getting on with his brief in an area that the government doesn't seem keen to publicise (despite the noise about the Green New Deal pre-election; which I kind of get but also is disappointing).

I am not particularly a fan of her politics on several issues but she does seem to have a reputation for being able to get things done, which seems to be main reason for putting her there. I am going to assume she will be good at doing several things I don't like until proven otherwise.