Murali Veeraiyan

Donald Trump fires US labour statistics boss after weak jobs report President claims July employment figures were ‘rigged’ in latest assault on economic institutions

Another lurch towards Emerging Markets behaviour. Trump fires BLS head after weak jobs report, baselessly claims data was rigged. Fed governor quits early — raising fears of politicised economic data and a compliant central bank. Dollar drops as markets brace for more disruption on.ft.com/4l26N8N

🚨 NEW: Reform UK intends to cut Capital Gains Tax on crypto from 24% to 10%.

Not content with up to £80 billion in unfunded promises, Nigel Farage is now planning more uncosted tax cuts.

Farage's plans are Liz Truss 2.0.

Farage will put up every mortgage in the country. Don’t risk it.

"In the 21st century, we really ought to feel welcome in our countryside"

Had a great chat with @mrjamesob.bsky.social yesterday about the Supreme Court verdict on wild camping & the need for a new Right to Roam Act:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQDR... (at 02:23:59)

Wrote about return of Johnson and dark, under-discussed element of rise of Reform  
economist.com/britain/2025...

YouTube video by More Perfect Union Why Mark Zuckerberg’s Rebrand Is So Suspicious

youtu.be/TxGpleOuQxE?...

Keir Starmer confirms U-turn on winter fuel payment cuts Government to loosen eligibility rules for pensioners in face of backlash against decision to means test benefit

Keir Starmer U-turns on winter fuel payment cut.

Will change threshold, make more pensioners eligible.

Welcome but won't reduce admin costs.

Restore universality. Adjust taxes at the top end to ensure the rich won't benefit.

Must abandon two-child benefit cap, disability benefit cuts too.

Leaked memo reveals Angela Rayner called for tax rises The deputy prime minister's department sent the note before the Spring Statement.

Leaked memo reveals UK Deputy PM Rayner called for tax rises.

No reason to tax capital gains and dividends at lower rates than wages, handing tax subsidies to pensions for the rich.

Tax perks of the rich must be eliminated for a more equitable society.

@warren.senate.gov: "They're fighting over how many children should go hungry so that Mark Zuckerberg can buy another Hawaiian island."

UK seeks to sell Brexit checkpoint made redundant by EU reset deal [FREE TO READ] Site in Kent was built to carry out food checks that will no longer be needed

“These Border Control Posts will stand as Ozymandian monuments to the height of Brexit.”

Scoop: the govt is looking to off-load 1,300-truck Brexit border facility at Sevington as a vet deal with EU looms.

on.ft.com/3H76DPg UK seeks to sell Brexit checkpoint made redundant by EU reset deal

Can Labour work with EU to reform ECHR? it's essential for them to counter the threat from Tories/Reform to leave ECHR

Liberty Steel has not produced anything at two key plants since July 2024 Lack of work at Rotherham and Motherwell sites highlights financial crisis at UK’s third-biggest steel producer

Liberty Steel has not produced anything at two key plants since July 2024.

Steel industry is in constant crisis due to high energy/water costs.

Jingye, Tata, Liberty want subsidies. Govts don't own anything in return.

Nationalisation of strategic industries is the way forward.

Labour could review other benefit cuts after winter fuel U-turn, sources say Sources say improved economic landscape may lead to two-child benefit cap and health and disability cuts being revisited

Good idea. Labour needs to keep the progressive voters on their side to ward off the far-right coalition threat. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

But hey ho "he's not a Nazi, I definitely don't believe Elon Musk is a Nazi".

Someone should compile a list of the Nazi adjacent things he's done since he came onto the scene.

Cannot be said loudly or often enough: the bill House Rs are considering passing tomorrow would rip health insurance and food assistance from millions, leaving the poorest households worse off - to partially pay for tax cuts that most help the richest - while increasing the deficit by trillions.

Wild camping on Dartmoor is legal, supreme court rules Case came to supreme court after court of appeal determined the term ‘open-air recreation’ included camping

Victory for wild camping at the Supreme Court!

The verdict is a relief– but Dartmoor remains the *only* place in England & Wales where the public has a right to wild camp

Labour must now pass a new right to roam act to defend & extend the public’s access rights

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Options to increase tax on dividend income?
And increase CGT to income tax rates?

Our £5bn disability benefits cut will stop welfare state collapsing, says Kendall Exclusive: Work and pensions secretary to double down on changes despite growing pressure within Labour

£5bn disability benefits cut will stop welfare state collapsing, says Kendall.

Ridiculous.

Benefit cuts = squalor, pressure on public services.

Total govt planned spend £1,335bn in 2025-26

£500bn - £1,400bn tax not collected since 2010.

Tax the rich. Let people live with dignity.

Subtract: Why Getting to Less Can Mean Thinking More - Behavioral Scientist In striving to improve our lives, our work, and our society, we overwhelmingly add, overlooking another powerful option—subtraction.

It’s time for spring cleaning. But before you decided to buy new shelves for your garage to organize your piles o’ stuff, you might want to revisit this piece by Leidy Klotz from our archive about how we overlook subtraction when we want to make things better.
behavioralscientist.org/subtract-why...

For all the blanket coverage it's getting today you wouldn't know that fishing contributes a grand total of 0.03% to the UK's economy, or that it is absolutely dwarfed by many other sectors, like the live music industry, which have been badly hit by Brexit but are rarely even mentioned

Public exhaustion and return to Brexit rows, desire mean if EU deal is seen as reopening all that govt will pay price, but if (as seems far more likely) it’s seen as pragmatic friction reducing changes that meet desire for better relationship govt stands to win & Tories/Reform look like relitigating

This is the key point. The majority of people don’t want another debate about “sovereignty”. They want cheaper food and less hassle when they go on holiday.

If No10 are able to demonstrate that’s what the deal does, they stand to benefit politically.

Pollsters should ask voters what Brexit freedoms they've noticed.

Morning.

Labour now have a clear policy to fight against Reform/Tories. In 2029, people will have a choice to vote for Labour to continue with Brexit reset policy or vote for Reform to go back to Brexit and lose the current economic benefit/growth. Labour can win that fight especially with tactical voting.

Reform and Tories will have an excuse to form coalition

You want to throw that away and let Reform bring back hard Brexit?

Labour is changing it now to soft Brexit

Experience in corruption and screwing up?

Labour now have a clear policy to fight against Reform/Tories. In 2029, people will have a choice to vote for Labour to continue with Brexit reset policy or vote for Reform to go back to Brexit and lose the current economic benefit/growth. Labour can win that fight especially with tactical voting.

It will be reversed

So Reform can come in and reverse to Hard Brexit?