jimcessford.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Reform UK has uncovered the scandal of a “wasteful” £350m contract. Small problem: it’s not a contract. Or £350m. Or a scandal. Here’s how they got it completely wrong. 👇👇

submitted 3 days ago • 55 comments

My Sunday Times piece: On their own, this month’s trade deals will not boost growth by very much but they show that the UK is open for business, which will be good for attracting foreign direct investment: Trade deals won’t transform growth — but they’ll help www.thetimes.co.uk/article/uk-t...

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

Here's Gary Stevenson calling for a return to the 1970s, when the top rate of tax was 98%. But did the rich ever pay it? We spoke to 1970s tax dodgers and ex-HMRC staff & and crunched the data. A 🧵, but here's a spoiler: the rich pay more tax now.

submitted 34 days ago • 35 comments

That’s the tragic irony of the Trump approach. “Above all, the US has become unreliable. A “transactional” US is one always seeking a better deal. No sane country should bet its future on such a partner, especially against China.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

submitted 42 days ago • 6 comments

Trade deficits just don’t measure what President Trump thinks they do. Why the tariffs are among the most profound and harmful economic policy mistakes of the modern era ⬇️

submitted 65 days ago • 2 comments

Remember Trump is using emergency legislation for the tariffs. So the measures that were urgent and necessary to meet that emergency have now suddenly become non-urgent and unnecessary. If US congress and courts properly held president to account for misuse of emergency powers, this would matter.

submitted 62 days ago • 18 comments

www.ft.com/content/d96d...

submitted 63 days ago • 0 comments

😂

submitted 65 days ago • 0 comments

How's that one workin out for ya Jake my son?

submitted 66 days ago • 106 comments

“If a man will stand up and assert, and repeat, and re-assert, that two and two do not make four, I know nothing in the power of argument that can stop him.” - Abraham Lincoln

submitted 67 days ago • 17 comments

“How could Trump have bankrupted a casino?” is no longer a rhetorical question.

submitted 69 days ago • 140 comments

It's the 88th day of the year, which can only mean one thing: World Piano Day! To all who celebrate, enjoy this musical malapropism

submitted 73 days ago • 2 comments

🤣 spot on!

submitted 75 days ago • 0 comments

It wasn't mentioned in the Chancellor's speech, but the Spring Statement papers contain a major suite of anti-tax avoidance proposals, probably the toughest ever introduced. Thread:

submitted 76 days ago • 37 comments

😄

submitted 78 days ago • 0 comments

Some news: I'm presenting and co-writing a new short Radio 4 series - Untaxing. It's about how tax affects our lives: from the Laffer Curve to the Beatles, to Jaffa Cakes, to modern day avoidance. 1.45pm on Radio 4 every day next week, and on BBC Sounds as each episode airs.

submitted 78 days ago • 5 comments

There's is so much guff written about exclusion. A lot of people are desperate to prove schools at fault when they nearly all use permanent exclusion as a very last resort.

submitted 79 days ago • 24 comments

submitted 81 days ago • 0 comments

New from @empirepoduk.bsky.social THE EASTER RISING: REVOLUTION & REVOLT IN THE STREETS OF DUBLIN EASTER 1916 linktr.ee/empirepoduk

submitted 84 days ago • 3 comments

New post just out: We're delighted to welcome back Sir Roderic Lyne, former British ambassador to Russia. He's written for us on Putin's thinking about the proposed ceasefire, and Russia's future. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/p...

submitted 85 days ago • 1 comment

A little bit of Cicero for the weekend.

submitted 87 days ago • 16 comments

π in the sky He'd think about her constantly – well, 22/7 – never completing. He even stopped eating. Then, one day – at 3.14 – a chance meeting. But, sadly, not repeating. #PiDay

submitted 88 days ago • 5 comments

Also, and my God I’m tired of saying this, the state does not “account for 45 per cent of GDP”. About half its spending is transfer payments (mainly pensions) which recipients can spend as they wish. Government spending on goods and services is more like 20% of GDP.

submitted 92 days ago • 9 comments

On R4’s Today the excellent @ciaranm.bsky.social took apart Musk’s claim Ukraine was behind a cyberattack that took down “X”. Also said it was shocking that a major online business could be vulnerable to something as crude as a Ddos. At least he has no access to sensitive government data - oh wait

submitted 92 days ago • 10 comments

Obviously Trump doesn’t say he is going to buy Tesla stock. He’s not that stupid

submitted 92 days ago • 2 comments

submitted 92 days ago • 154 comments

Yeh, sure, Ukraine cyberattacked X, we sent condoms to Hamas, Zelensky’s a dictator, Mark Kelly’s a traitor, it was a Roman salute, they’re eating the dogs…

submitted 92 days ago • 153 comments

submitted 94 days ago • 46 comments

Well worth a read

submitted 92 days ago • 3 comments

BREAKING: Kia’s official Instagram account in Norway just posted this..

submitted 92 days ago • 664 comments

"Some random country that hasn't fought a war in 40 years..." Over 500 dead British and French personnel (more than 1,000 total European fatalities) and c10,000 injured in Afghanistan 2001-2021. The only time Article 5 has been invoked. 'Disrespect' does not reside in lack of a suit, Mr Vance. ~AA

submitted 98 days ago • 140 comments