Ewan McGaughey

A decade of Brexit: Britain falls behind peers in trade and growth Economic analysis shows UK GDP per capita grew up to 10% less than similar nations as firms froze spending and productivity slipped.

We estimate that by the start of 2025, the UK economy was approximately 8% smaller than it would have been without Brexit, based on macro data, and 6% smaller using firm-level micro data”

www.euronews.com/business/202...

YouTube video by Ewan McGaughey Why do we regulate wages? Is it enough to stop growing income inequality? And are taxes fair? #6(1)

Why do we regulate wages? What should be the goals?

New videos on the minimum wage, fair pay, excessive pay, taxes and pensions:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ7x...

This is not accurate: the UK should have the best standards in the OECD, and it would be far from “extreme” to have probation periods. Need to have a read of this: www.ier.org.uk/comments/a-b...

Brexit costing UK as much as £90bn in lost tax revenue every year, analysis finds Brexit is costing the UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenues every year, according to new analysis.

Brexit costing UK as much as £90bn in lost tax revenue every year, analysis finds

The analysis also found that the average Briton has seen a hit to GDP per head of between £2,700 and £3,700

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/bre...

Moreover a 6 month qualifying period would make us merely the joint-8th worst country for job security. That would not be achieving a fair balance.

The problem is, the OECD database behind this chart is wrong. The OECD index is riddled with mistakes, it's from 2019, and was done by 'surveying' non-lawyers.

The chart below is accurate: based on the cutting edge Cambridge Centre for Business Research database. Do say if you want to know more.

To be fair there was already a debate about the length of a probation period - 6 or 9 months. So it may seem like it's no big deal to have a 6 month qualifying period.

Trouble is, 2m people left unprotected + 5 month fixed term will explodes. It's why most OECD countries go day one, or close.

Starmer accused of manifesto breach after diluting workers’ rights bill Government has dropped pledge to give employees protection against unfair dismissal from day one

Here's the story: www.ft.com/content/e494...

If the UK government violates its Manifesto promise to have day one rights to fair dismissal (p.45), the UK will move from being the 3rd worst country in the OECD to being the 8th worst.

Not much "change", when 21% of British people live in poverty, struggle with bills + have no security at work.

Thanks - but the problem is that it doesn't work! When you click 'open anyway' it doesn't open, and the app doesn't open if you try to double click on it.

Any other ideas? Appreciate it if there's a solution.

Hi Apache - on Mac it's impossible to open OpenOffice 4.1.16, because the security settings stop it.

""OpenOffice" was blocked to protect your Mac." - this is the message. And when you click "open anyway", nothing happens.

Can you fix this? Is it necessary to put it in the Apple App Store?

A decade of national renewal? Not exactly.

The chancellor's public investment plans don't come close to our historic investment levels.

Underinvestment has left us with sewage in our rivers, constant railway disruptions, crumbling schools and a shortage of hospital beds.

NYC’s Lander Recommends Dropping $42 Billion BlackRock Mandate New York City Comptroller Brad Lander is urging three of the city’s pension funds to drop BlackRock Inc. because of “inadequate” climate plans, the latest move to penalize investment firms for failing...

Landmark move: New York City's comptroller @bradlander.bsky.social, with hundreds of billions under his control, recommends dropping investment giant Blackrock because they won't reckon with climate change.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Huge news from the UK today: after UN climate talks in which there was a massive fight over language on fossil fuels, the UK government today announced that it will in fact be keeping many millions of barrels of oil & gas in the ground. Deeds rather than just words for a change! 🧵

With the six-year threshold freeze being extended by another three years, 78% of the 2010s’ real personal allowance increases will be reversed over the 2020s.

But it will still be £1,350 higher in real terms in 2030 than in 2010.

Even after the mansion tax is applied, the owner of a £5m home in Westminster will pay proportionately less in property tax than the owner of a £210k Band B property in Sunderland.

It's what any democracy with a functioning judiciary would do.

OBR: "We have not changed our assessment that Brexit will reduce the level of UK productivity by around 4 per cent after 15 years."

obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

X is not above the law

In all the years I've been campaigning, this is the first where I've feared retaliation - but even X is not above the law. That's why we've referred X to Ofcom for horrific posts that, having taken legal advice, we believe are illegal under the Online Safety Act. goodlaw.social/wk2q

The most annoying aspect is the BBC defending itself with "legal advice". What is this nonsense legal advice that suggests @rutgerbregman.com doesn't have a right to freedom of expression - protected in common law and human rights alike - or that the BBC could in any way be violating the law?

Here's a brief paper, first drafted in 2015, on the deeper issue, which is that Trump is merely a product of a US political system corrupted by money, and mandated by a packed, extremist US Supreme Court under the guise of "free speech". The irony couldn't be greater papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

Reith lecturer accuses BBC of censoring his remarks on Trump Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed

This is worse than Panorama's drama because:

(1) Trump is “the most openly corrupt president in American history” - beyond Nixon or Harding

(2) Trump did incite the January 6th riot. Any country with a functioning legal system would've jailed him, like Bolsonaro
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...

Kendall: Haldane not breached by research spending direction Science secretary defends decision to dedicate nearly a fifth of UKRI budget to policy priorities

'Kendall told a UKRI event on 24 November that nearly a fifth of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s budget will be earmarked for research aligned with Labour’s missions, with £8 billion of UKRI’s £38.6 billion budget over the next five years “targeted towards the UK’s national priorities”.' 1/3

‘Out of touch’ hereditary peers criticised for voting against workers’ rights Lords look ‘undemocratic and firmly against interest of working people’, say senior trade union and Labour figures

Lords say employment rights will create unemployment, but the actual evidence shows an absence of rights kills jobs.

If useless bosses can fire people without reason, that’s what damages the economy. It’s hereditary peers that need the boot.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

New rule: taxes should be fair, so the rich pay more than the poor, capital pays more than labour, and we tax unearned wealth more than jobs.

'It's Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media' Says Leader of the UK's Trade Union Movement TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC

‘It’s Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media’ Says Leader of the UK’s Trade Union Movement

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/14/i...

The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists

'After vigorous and partially successful attempts to save modern languages degrees at Cardiff...and the University of Aberdeen in the past two years, linguists are now called upon to point out the equally obvious folly of cutting modern languages at the universities of Nottingham and Leicester.' 1/3

🚨Fantastic news: the EU Adequate Wage Directive is (mostly) valid!

Every member state must have an action plan to get 80% + collective bargaining coverage. Plans expected by the end of 2025.

The UK has something like 25% to 40% cover (the official staticians don't know!). Britain needs a plan too.

You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires?

This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.

Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.

They’re for everyone.

Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire - Scientific Data Scientific Data - Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire

Fascinating stuff.
A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire, this study claims to have identified thousands more miles of Roman roads than were previously known.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...