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

Delighted to announce I’ve taken on a new role as a Companies Reporter at the FT over the next few months, sponsored by the Marjorie Deane foundation. I’ll be covering telecoms, tech and comms so please do reach out for coffees/tips on [email protected]

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

NEW Senator Thom Tillis personally assured Danielle Hegseth that if she signed a sworn-statement about her former brother-in-law’s conduct that it would carry weight and could lead him, Murkowski, and Collins to vote NO on Pete Hegseth’s nomination. He then became the 50th century to vote YES.

submitted 31 days ago • 214 comments

this week on the podcast we discussed how one far-right foreign billionaire has forced UK politics and media to dance to his tune for days podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

submitted 48 days ago • 8 comments

NEW: Brompton chief warns axing tariffs on Chinese bicycles could ‘kill’ business and lead to redundancies as the government reviews a recommendation to scrap them. Will Butler-Adams spoke to the FT ahead of Rachel Reeves planned visit to Brompton’s Beijing store. on.ft.com/4h4D8du

submitted 48 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Civil servant long-term sickness has hit a post-pandemic high. The Ministry of Justice was the worst affected department for absence, with staff missing an average of 6.9 days in 2023. In total, almost two million working days were lost over the period. More ⬇️ on.ft.com/4gMoB6L

submitted 49 days ago • 1 comment

Feels like a signficant win for Spurs. Good position for the Carabao final at Wembley of course. First win after a pretty awful four game run. Played a more controlled, patient, steadier game today. Top debut Kinsky. Bergvall decisive (yes he should have been sent off).

submitted 50 days ago • 29 comments

Telegraph headline: Starmer ‘guilty as anyone I know’, says grooming gang whistleblower Actual quote: “Conservatives & Labour are all equally to blame [in my opinion] and Starmer as former DPP is perhaps as guilty as anyone I know in where we find ourselves" www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/01...

submitted 55 days ago • 30 comments

EXC: The number of most serious fines on U.K. businesses for filing their accounts late hit 11,000 last year - a new record. Over £34mn in penalties were levied on companies as they struggled to prove to auditors they could stay-afloat post-pandemic. More ⬇️ on.ft.com/40mtJc4

submitted 55 days ago • 0 comments

Thoroughly enjoyed this little line from @hackblackburn.bsky.social ‘s piece in The Times on the Downing Street visitors books… Worth a read if you can: www.thetimes.com/article/1e5c...

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Newly released documents show Tony Blair’s government questioned if the US had “proper control” over its own military during the war in Iraq. One U.S. official told the British that “Bush still thought he was on some sort of mission from god” during the invasion. More ⬇️ on.ft.com/3BRBzAK

submitted 58 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Cabinet members warned Tony Blair against free movement from new EU countries such as Poland prior to their joining the bloc in 2004. Blair ignored the warnings, with Jack Straw telling the @financialtimes.com: “We got it wrong.” First 300 views free⬇️ on.ft.com/3W1LNFw

submitted 59 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Cabinet members warned Tony Blair against free movement from new EU countries such as Poland prior to their joining the bloc in 2004. Blair ignored the warnings, with Jack Straw telling the @financialtimes.com: “We got it wrong.” First 300 views free⬇️ on.ft.com/3W1LNFw

submitted 59 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Vanmakers call for ‘moratorium’ on EV fines as UK electric sales flatline. Ford said that the £18k per-vehicle fines that manufacturers receive if they do not hit government EV sales targets should be suspended to help the industry. First 300 views free⬇️⬇️ on.ft.com/3W0i5Rz

submitted 59 days ago • 0 comments

It was a busy week for Britain’s creaking system of private water and waste utilities and team FT had you covered, from the high court showdowns to the devil in detail in those massive bill rises Thread of our coverage below, starring @pickardje.bsky.social, @kieranjsmith.bsky.social and others… 👇🏻

submitted 68 days ago • 3 comments

NEW: EV charging operators warn that changes to the government’s zero emissions vehicle mandate could put £6bn of UK investment at risk. Charge UK boss Vicky Read said substantial changes would be an “unmitigated disaster” for the industry. First 300 view free. ⬇️ on.ft.com/3BshIYQ

submitted 74 days ago • 0 comments

great reporting here by BBC Panorama

submitted 80 days ago • 26 comments

How can Ofwat hold these polluting firms to account properly when it is hiring the very same people who are working for the water companies? Ofwat is a broken regulator and should be immediately replaced.

submitted 80 days ago • 3 comments

EXC w/Gill Plimmer: Ofwat has been criticised for employing consultants who also worked for water companies at the same time. Lib Dem environment spokesperson @timfarron.bsky.social says the water regulator is "broken" and should be replaced immediately. First 300 views free⬇️ on.ft.com/4gsED5g

submitted 80 days ago • 1 comment

NEW: Dame Margaret Hodge is the government's new Anti-Corruption Champion. The gov has also announced £36mn in extra funding for the National Crime Agency - stepping up its campaign against corruption. Our @financialtimes.com article last week showed why this is so important..: on.ft.com/4g5kbYj

submitted 80 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: Over 600,000 people are paying 60% tax on part of their earnings - up almost half in two years. The figures stem from the freeze on tax thresholds and removal of the personal allowance, which has pushed more people onto the bracket. on.ft.com/3ZHLulO

submitted 84 days ago • 0 comments

Recently joined BlueSky? Here's a starter pack of FT journalists to follow go.bsky.app/GhSgfrR

submitted 87 days ago • 38 comments

For anyone who ever had the joys of studying the Wars of the Roses and subsequent Tudor history, this is very fun and interesting discovery!

submitted 88 days ago • 0 comments

Excellent podcast from @gideonrachman.bsky.social interviewing former head of MI6 Sir Alex Younger. Essential listening for anyone interested in international security or wider discussions about Britain's place in the world: www.ft.com/content/0d59...

submitted 88 days ago • 0 comments

UK MPs back bill to legalise assisted dying https://www.ft.com/content/724d0dfc-2ea5-4085-be24-67ad69ed9176

submitted 90 days ago • 2 comments

Away from what Lou Haigh did or didn’t do, one of the most difficult and more neglected briefs in government has lost a secretary of state who both seemed to get the subject and to believe it’s possibly the most impactful department of all, not just a stepping stone to something bigger.

submitted 90 days ago • 14 comments

@joepowell.bsky.social, MP for Kensington and Bayswater said: “Dirty money in London property exacerbates the housing crisis, hollows out communities and is bad for democracy”. More here. ⬇️⬇️

submitted 91 days ago • 0 comments

🚨NEW: our investigation is out in the FT which shows that the Overseas Territories pumped nearly £6bn of suspicious money in the U.K. property market. www.ft.com/content/7fcd...

submitted 91 days ago • 1 comment

NEW: Research from @transparencyuk.bsky.social found that since 2016, 494 U.K. properties worth £6bn were bought using suspicious funds channelled through the British Overseas Territories. First 300 views free and a constituency breakdown included in @financialtimes.com ⬇️ on.ft.com/3D06kUc

submitted 91 days ago • 1 comment

FT: Trading partners warn of damage to US as Trump pledges punitive tariffs #TomorrowsPapersToday

submitted 93 days ago • 1 comment

For those who missed it: A timely reminder to get your tax return back to HMRC ahead of the 31 Jan deadline...

submitted 96 days ago • 0 comments

Quite the story…

submitted 98 days ago • 0 comments

Today’s @financialtimes.com leader focuses on ending the scourge of corporate secrecy and follows a letter written by @joepowell.bsky.social and other MPs to the foreign secretary calling for more transparency in the British Overseas Territories First 300 views free! on.ft.com/3AV0brZ

submitted 98 days ago • 0 comments

UK ministers resist car industry pressure to ease fines on EV sales targets The UK government looks set to reject pleas from EV carmakers to spare them from paying fines until 2026 if they fail to meet targets to sell EVs @pickardje.bsky.social @kieranjsmith.bsky.social

submitted 98 days ago • 0 comments

EXC: HMRC collected £220mn in fines last year from those who failed to file their tax return on time. The figure, which is a five-year high, brings the total amount received by the tax authority in fines to almost £1bn since 2018. First 300 clicks free. ⬇️ on.ft.com/4fBO02q

submitted 98 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: @pickardje.bsky.social, Kana Inagaki and I. After a crunch meeting today, ministers have resisted car industry pressure to ease fines on EV sales targets. The industry has warned of an “irreversible impact” on UK car production and investments if changed aren’t made… ⬇️⬇️⬇️ on.ft.com/3OgpeJd

submitted 99 days ago • 0 comments

NEW: The head of the £800mn 'Exascale' project cancelled by the Labour government has warned it would be a national "disaster" not to invest in supercompute capacity very soon. Data yday showed the UK no longer has a supercomputer in the global top 50 www.ft.com/content/a8be...

submitted 100 days ago • 0 comments

EXC w/ @lucyfisher.bsky.social: Forty MPs have written to David Lammy calling for a crack down on financial transparency ahead of the overseas territories summit tomorrow. The letter, coordinated by @joepowell.bsky.social, is backed by several former cabinet ministers. Read ⬇️⬇️ on.ft.com/4hVuFKU

submitted 101 days ago • 0 comments

EXC w/ @lucyfisher.bsky.social: Forty MPs have written to David Lammy calling for a crack down on financial transparency ahead of the overseas territories summit tomorrow. The letter, coordinated by @joepowell.bsky.social, is backed by several former cabinet ministers. Read ⬇️⬇️ on.ft.com/4hVuFKU

submitted 101 days ago • 0 comments

I couldn't see an overall starter pack for FT journalists active on Bluesky. So given the recent influx of new people on here, I thought it'd be useful to make one. Do shout out all the people I've inevitably missed and I'll update go.bsky.app/FuqnwdD

submitted 107 days ago • 29 comments

NEW w/ @pickardje.bsky.social: The transport secretary is considering ‘flexibilities’ to help carmakers hit EV targets. Haigh told @lewisgoodall.bsky.social she was in "listening mode" as Nissan warned jobs could be at risk if changes aren't made. First 300 views free here: on.ft.com/4fTDHqf

submitted 102 days ago • 5 comments

Today marks five years since my first shift at the Express. Hard to believe I walked into the newsroom half a decade ago. As they say, time really does fly when you're having fun!

submitted 102 days ago • 0 comments

This a big story which hasn’t had as much pick up as it should. Nissan and other UK car manufacturers urgently lobbying govt to change policy on EVs…say production is at risk with current regime which increasingly penalises them for non-EV manufacture.

submitted 102 days ago • 27 comments

NEW w/ @pickardje.bsky.social: The transport secretary is considering ‘flexibilities’ to help carmakers hit EV targets. Haigh told @lewisgoodall.bsky.social she was in "listening mode" as Nissan warned jobs could be at risk if changes aren't made. First 300 views free here: on.ft.com/4fTDHqf

submitted 102 days ago • 5 comments

We now have a starter pack for the signatories of our open letter from UK journalists who are ditching X With thanks to @jamesmoules.bsky.social for assembling the pack. Do give them a follow and share go.bsky.app/7ZiGEcP

submitted 102 days ago • 7 comments

Transport secretary Louise Haigh tells @lewisgoodall.bsky.social that she is in "listening mode" regarding manufacturers' concerns over emissions targets... She adds that she is open to exploring "whether [current flexibilities in the ZEV mandate] are working and whether we can address them..."

submitted 102 days ago • 0 comments

Completely agree with Matthew’s points here. ⬇️

submitted 103 days ago • 0 comments

Nissan is poised to warn ministers that the UK car industry has reached a “crisis point”, with jobs and competitiveness at risk unless the government relaxes electric vehicle production rules, according to two people with direct knowledge of internal discussions www.ft.com/content/fe50...

submitted 103 days ago • 12 comments

NEW: Big scoop w/ @pickardje.bsky.social and Kana Inagaki! Nissan is to warn ministers that the UK car industry has reached a “crisis point”, with UK jobs and competitiveness at risk unless the government relaxes the zero emission vehicles mandate. Read more here: on.ft.com/3OweeHP

submitted 103 days ago • 0 comments