X, in large part, has given rise of scandal-by-vibes. You don’t actually have to show that anything is scandalous anymore, as long as it has the feel and taste of being “a bit dodgy”
Much like the Reeves budget “cover up” over the state of the public finances, which had all the aesthetics and aroma of a scandal but sadly none of the content
Zack Polanski says that he has "set out" how he will prevent gas prices rising, but it's not clear that that is true. His position is just that he will "stop" "gas plants" from charging "high prices."
Govt proposing legislation with retrospective effect to enforce a donations ban from today. Unorthodox to say the least.
This well worth a read from FT's Alex Barker
www.ft.com/content/ee75...
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
Philip Stephens
The CPS and @re-state.bsky.social are right that getting rid of the RPC would be an odd move for a government seeking deregulation. But it speaks to a deeper problem in Starmer's government: a confusion about what economic end they want regulation to promote
www.economist.com/britain/2026...
The combination of a political demand on the right for ICE-style deportation campaigns, and the woeful data-management of the Home Office, looks like a calamity waiting to happen. Windrush should cast a longer shadow than it does.
www.economist.com/britain/2026...
The combination of a political demand on the right for ICE-style deportation campaigns, and the woeful data-management of the Home Office, looks like a calamity waiting to happen. Windrush should cast a longer shadow than it does.
www.economist.com/britain/2026...
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
The NAO's report on regulators under Starmer is illuminating. The government had banged the table and ask they embrace more risk in pursuit of growth. Yet it turned out the government hadn't worked out what it meant by that. The problem lay at the very top.
Fossil fuel bailouts in the rich world are bad for renewables and very bad for poor countries
The case against energy bail-outs
economist.com/leaders/2026...
Matthew Holehouse
Matthew Holehouse
Governments across the rich world are turning to energy subsidies and price caps as oil and gas prices surge due to the Iran war, but such interventions risk repeating costly mistakes from 2022.
economist.com
Keir Starmer's deregulation agenda lacks coherent theory as his government considers scrapping the Regulatory Policy Committee, which scrutinises impact assessments.
