Mr Pecksniff's Diary

Why are UK News shows not pointing out Brexit has been a primary factor in the sky rocketing number of small boat crossings?

Guess who the tax system is really supporting In this second article on wealth accumulation, we explain who our tax system really supports

The tax system gives the wealthiest 10% around £8,000 a year in reliefs.

The same as the top rate of Universal Credit.

But the wealthy don’t need to fill in forms, meet sanctions, or prove they’re deserving.

Why are the wealthy so well off? The accumulation of wealth has been driving inequality for decades. In the first of two articles we explain the injustice of our wealth taxation

The richest 10% own 60% of UK wealth – and it's still growing.

Not because they work harder, but because our tax system helps them.

In case you missed it ...
This is the size of the British market compared to the EU's Single Market (or European Economic Area). Each flag represents 10 million consumers.
#SingleMarketNow

An unexpected guest – the beautiful peahen who chose us A huge white bird landed at my feet – too big for a duck, not quite a goose. Then I saw the crest. Could this be... a white peahen?

An unexpected guest: a beautiful peahen chose our garden. What started as a moment of shock turned into a wonderful journey of discovery & care for a rare, sacred bird & her chicks. A truly poignant reminder of nature's magic. By Rachel Fulcher

What would a Reform UK government mean for the UK economy? What happens if Reform UK takes power? The economy might implode before their manifesto reaches final draft

The next election is years away. But it’s not too early to ask:
What would a Reform UK government actually do to the economy?

Martin Waller's thought experiment is grim – and entirely plausible.

A classic of the subtitles genre - should be the Chinese year of the *horse*...

47% of people think immigration is primarily illegal. There were 4% irregular arrivals in March

New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation

Before addressing the week's events in future, your humble diarist will always think of this when sharpening the quill. May one wish you and your runner beans all the best.

Fame at last. To be quoted in Pecksniff’s diary. That aside it is, as always, a good read, and right on point about the UK’s politics today.

Trust in government has hit a record low, and support for changing our political system is at an all-time high. The 2025 British Social Attitudes Survey confirms what many of us already knew: our… Is Britain's democracy broken? With Sir John Curtice

You can watch the full webinar back here 👇
youtu.be/QXme3fAoMSA

omg 'Don't admit any students who would be good on merit but happen to come from somewhere dangerous and might subsequently use their freedom to criticise their regime or come out or something.' We are now into the comedy Reformy fascism stage of Labour higher education policy.

Thank you. I'm moved to buy my first book of poetry for years.

Labour continue ignoring Brexit at their peril.
@stellacreasy.bsky.social @labourlewis.bsky.social
@libdems.org.uk and @greenparty.org.uk please take note. There is support waiting to be harvested by the party that puts rejoining the SM and CU at the top of their policy list.

Thank you. I'm moved to buy my first book of poetry for years.

A poem by me 👇

A poem by Rachel Deering

‘a swindler, troubled and untroubled,
she loves and sleeps like a poet.’

‘The Night Heron’ from @racheldeering.bsky.social’s ‘In the Shadow of Gods’

www.blackboughpoetry.com/rachel-deering

Journey times up, deaths down: Welsh 20mph speed limit still divisive two years on Protests continue against default lower limit in urban areas that supporters say is working ‘exactly as intended’

“Collisions along roads that have changed from 30mph to 20mph decreased by 19% from 2023-2024, and 100 fewer people a year have been killed or badly hurt in road [collisions], according to Welsh government figures.”

“What is an acceptable death toll that justifies getting to work 2 minutes faster?”

Why are the wealthy so well off? The accumulation of wealth has been driving inequality for decades. In the first of two articles we explain the injustice of our wealth taxation

Why do the rich keep getting richer?

Because we tax work more heavily than wealth.

This explainer lays out how the UK tax system quietly helps the wealthy stay wealthy – and why that needs to change.

Prof Richard Murphy reports

Politics isn’t tribal anymore – teenagers take a whole new view Labour will let 16- and 17-year-olds vote: adding in the perspective of younger voters may bring much-needed refreshment to political life

16-year-olds can marry, work, pay tax, and serve in the armed forces.

But voting? That was apparently too political. Not anymore.

Labour’s change lets them speak for themselves. Some people are terrified of that.

Stacey Richards reports

Pecksniff is always worth reading, but this week, he's excelled himself.

YouTube video by A Different Bias Who Really Funds Reform UK? Not the People

Reform UK claim they are a grassroots movement, funded by ordinary people. But their accounts paint a different picture. 92% of their funds coming from a handful of wealthy people, and all with interests in fossil fuels. youtu.be/tOoRyykV7Sg?...

We have to see a sea change in British attitudes to join again, and that will take years. But because of that, the process had to start now.

A CU or joining the SM would be more do-able, but Starmer won't touch it. All his supposed detente with the EU is a pretence, for the domestic audience.

Pecksniff: Status quo Starmer in strange company over Brexit denial In which Mr Pecksniff lays before his readers for their approval certain observations and speculations reflecting on the political life

The business secretary says "Our biggest trading relationship is with the EU, but on an individual country basis it is the US".

It doesn’t matter how he plays with words, this is deliberately and cynically untrue.

@pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social has this & more...

Pecksniff: Status quo Starmer in strange company over Brexit denial In which Mr Pecksniff lays before his readers for their approval certain observations and speculations reflecting on the political life

The business secretary’s main claims to fame are that he looks like a by-blow of the royal family, and his shameless sucking up to Keir Starmer’s absurd stance on “making Brexit work”.

@pecksniffsdiary.bsky.social

Actually you can.

But my dear chap, we need more immigrants...

Pecksniff: Status quo Starmer in strange company over Brexit denial In which Mr Pecksniff lays before his readers for their approval certain observations and speculations reflecting on the political life

The only ones who do not see the Brexit referendum as being the cause of all our troubles are the Tories, Reform and Keir Starmer.

This and more in this week's Pecksniffs Diary...

Pecksniff: Status quo Starmer in strange company over Brexit denial In which Mr Pecksniff lays before his readers for their approval certain observations and speculations reflecting on the political life

The only ones who do not see the Brexit referendum as being the cause of all our troubles are the Tories, Reform and Keir Starmer.

This and more in this week's Pecksniffs Diary...

We have to see a sea change in British attitudes to join again, and that will take years. But because of that, the process had to start now.

A CU or joining the SM would be more do-able, but Starmer won't touch it. All his supposed detente with the EU is a pretence, for the domestic audience.