iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 7h

This is what happens when you start excusing things under the banner of “legitimate concerns”

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 8h

“The Cotswold Woolgatherers’ stall boasts a certificate reading “From sheep to jumper: 8 hours 54 minutes – 2nd fastest team in the world”. I note that the wool from the recently hand-shorn sheep has vanished.”

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

My colleague Oli has written about the "flirt recession", blaming the falling birthrate on the fact men are scared of asking women out. From the other side, I know so many women desperate to have kids who are asked out loads... by men who are "just not ready" www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...

newstatesman.com

Why men can't ask women out any more

We need to address the flirting recession

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Reposted by Rachel Cunliffe

Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Why did 50 sheep and thousands of people descend on Southwark Bridge last Sunday? My deep dive into the City of London’s 800-year history - complete with ancient guilds, guardian dragons, the Master Woolman, and the 2nd fastest sheep-to-jumper team in the world www.newstatesman.com/business/202...

newstatesman.com

Sheep will be provided

One day a year, the countryside comes to the City of London

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

History is complicated. Last year, I learnt my grandmother's story. She was smuggled out of Berlin in 1936 as an unaccompanied teenager, to British Palestine. There was nowhere else for her to go. Six years later, both her parents were killed by the Nazis www.newstatesman.com/world/europe...

newstatesman.com

Berlin’s dark past and me

In retracing my family’s steps in the city, I realised becoming German wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

newstatesman.com

Sheep will be provided

One day a year, the countryside comes to the City of London

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Reposted by Rachel Cunliffe

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The NEET rate basically hasn't changed for the whole of this century (except post-GFC and post Covid). It's been the same with tougher welfare sanctions and weaker. More apprenticeships and fewer. Higher employer national insurance and lower. I draw two conclusions from this....

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"There really isn't signage there to show what someone on a cycle should do" - other than the red light and the zebra crossing currently occupied by pedestrians making their way across. Just sharing the latest in the "it's not cyclists fault if they break the law and endanger pedestrians" series

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

"The party has also said it would look closer at whether parents' earnings and savings should be factored into welfare payments for their children" So according to the Tories, it's wrong to means-test benefits for boomers... but totally fine to do so for their adult children children.

bbc.co.uk

Conservatives pledge 'tough love' benefit rules for under-25s

The party says it would bring in new work requirements for young people claiming Universal Credit.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Everything about this story is insane

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Jamie Douglass @jamesldouglass.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Steve's obviously being slightly wry here, but I do think part of the problem is people think pensions are a benefit *they themselves have entirely paid for* - and therefore not like those other "benefits". The reality is....not that. www.pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk/media/1crf4o...

pensionspolicyinstitute.org.uk

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is your semi-regular reminder that pensioner poverty: a) is real b) is significantly less prevalent than working-age poverty and half the rate of child poverty, and c) is such that a pensioner is statistically more likely to live in a household worth over £1 million than to live in poverty

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

such a good eg of why political argument matters - polling previously showed over 60% support for keeping triple lock. Argue to unlock it *for something people also want* & numbers can change. (Obv can change back again if someone makes a good argument against, but either way, politics=argument)

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Was curious about the whole going "we need to be where we were 40 years ago" thing. Found this from the ONS - real disposable incomes today are almost twice that of 1986. Obviously there's a lot that needs fixing (housing!). But I feel like this is relevant...? www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gros...

ons.gov.uk

Households: Real disposable Income, per head: Chained volume measure (reference year = 2024) £: Seasonally adjusted - Office for National Statistics

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

The real test is whether you can eat a Megabus with a fork

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I am typing all the write letters, just not necessarily in the right order

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

“Perhaps the thinking is that the outcry would be less damning if savings from reforming the triple lock were going towards more spending on the same demographic in eliminating their care costs.” On social care, pensions, and what exactly Burnham is doing www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

newstatesman.com

Labour wants to fix social care – but who will pay for it?

The perennial question of British politics is back

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

All the manifesto chat reminds me that I recently learnt that the self-governing Bailiwick of Jersey... doesn't really bother with them. Apparently they have elections, but no real parties, and most representatives run as independents. So they get elected and then just sort of guess what voters want

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Another chance to remember that Theresa May’s social care plan in 2017 was actually quite fair and sensible - a safety net that required an element of contribution from those who could afford it on a timescale that didn’t wreak misery - and she lost her majority over it

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

newstatesman.com

Labour wants to fix social care – but who will pay for it?

The perennial question of British politics is back

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Dmitry Grozoubinski @explaintrade.com · 28/09/2026

Punching the services sector in the crotch over and over again until it gives up and magically returns to me the glorious era of mass manufacturing employment I mostly invented and automation has forever replaced.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

I’m a dual national. I’m not planing on committing any crimes anytime soon, let alone ones with a sentence of 5+ years, but if I ever did I’m not sure why my second passport should disqualify me from facing the same British justice system as everyone else and instead strip me of my citizenship

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John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 25/09/2026

Think it shows both the confused position of the govt and the relative powers of new/old media that the PM won't speak to The Sun but still uses the CSAM & disinformation app owned by the guy who advocates for the overthrow of the government.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

63% of Brits say it's important to be able to discuss any issue and disagree well, but only 6% say we're any good at it. What's going wrong, and can we fix it? Exclusive polling from More In Common and UCL, insights on marital harmony from me www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

newstatesman.com

Britain is afraid of disagreement

Exclusive new research reveals we value robust debate – we just can't do it

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Totally normal afternoon, speaking to a perfectly lovely PR woman and demanding to know "yes but where do the sheep COME FROM?"

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

newstatesman.com

Britain is afraid of disagreement

Exclusive new research reveals we value robust debate – we just can't do it

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Can anyone explain to me why this article doesn't mention anywhere that small boat crossings are down 42% from last year? That doesn't mean it's not an issue 781 people arrived in one day. But it seems like the sort of context a reputable news source might mention www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

No 'switch' to stop small boats, Lucy Powell tells BBC

Labour's deputy leader was speaking to BBC local radio ahead of the party's annual conference

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John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 24/09/2026

Everyone, stop what you are doing. I've discovered there is a politician called Teresa May running for city council in British Columbia. And this is from one of her campaign videos. Never have two people with the same name had such different vibes.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

"I have nothing against cyclists. I just don’t think it’s OK for some to decide rules are for other people. And I find it baffling that so many cyclists who purport to be law-abiding want to make that argument." Now recorded for posterity in the New Statesman www.newstatesman.com/politics/fut...

newstatesman.com

A lesson in empathy from arguing with cyclists on the internet

The logic seems to be that because some drivers don’t care about their safety, they shouldn’t care about anyone else’s

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

So much wrong with this, but it's the "denies me my Asian heritage" that gets me the most. If she really feels that way, okay. Sad but okay. But it's an insult to all the people - like me! - who have no issue reconciling their immigrant heritage and English identity, and are equally proud of both

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Turns out if you allow people to take their time finding a partner, with the chance to learn who they are as adults and what they want out of life, they're more likely to stay with that partner long-term. One for the don't-think-marry-young crowd to consider www.thetimes.com/life-style/s...

thetimes.com

Marriages are lasting longer. Marrying later in life could be key

Heterosexual couples stay married for an average of 13 years before divorcing, the longest period since records began in 1963

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

“I mean, the point about the bond markets, it holds – in that what I was saying was the country has left itself over-exposed.” A year on from those "in-hock" comments, has Andy Burnham changed at all? www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...

newstatesman.com

Andy Burnham seizes control

The Prime Minister on life, fate and his plan to make Britain believe again

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Headmistress was doing the Very Serious speech for the big annual assembly on the history of the school where lots of Very Important guests were invited. She listed a few, who all had CBEs and OBEs after their name. Ended with "and finally so-and-so, who is not an OBE but we welcome her nonetheless"

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Jamie Douglass @jamesldouglass.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Changed my mind: "Danny Tommo" runs a guerilla PR consultancy which has been retained by RNLI. Donations have soared & they're recognised as the national heroes they always were. His real name is Dante de Tormolino and he went to Radley and Oxford before training at Ogilvy bsky.app/profile/jame...

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

"Back in the echoing halls of the Natural History Museum, I spotted something unexpected: Pikachu. The gift shop had been transformed into a Pokémon pop-up shop experience. It was packed with as multilingual a crowd of shoppers as you’d find at Heathrow Airport." www.newstatesman.com/culture/2026...

newstatesman.com

What we lose when everything has a price

Tourist taxes and charging for museums would make us all poorer

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

newstatesman.com

What we lose when everything has a price

Tourist taxes and charging for museums would make us all poorer

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

'Even “what did you eat for lunch today” involves too much recall for your average 5 year old. These questions are TOO BIG.' Love this thread. Especially the bit about deliberately getting the teacher's name wrong so they rush to correct you. Can confirm this trick still works at age 9

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Big day, as Clio gets her first (and in my opinion long-overdue) mention in a book - the paperback edition of Peter Cardwell’s brilliant and insightful Political Animals

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

New cat! We have discovered a new cat! And it is FULL of opinions!

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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 18/09/2026

Their parents are frantically on the phone in case they miss their 11am induction seminar.

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I am curious. At what point in George's life does his mother plan to stop tracking him? Will she be following his progress to work every day for his first job? Keeping an eye on him when he goes on dates and noting if he ends up at someone else's place? Virtually gate-crashing his stag-do?

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Nicolas Hénin @nicolashenin.net · 17/09/2026

Nice campaign by the Norwegian Consumer Council about the declining lifespan of products. Enjoy!

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

This is joining "Penguin says it did all necessary due diligence" and "The Badgers have moved the goal posts" as maxims for our era whose origins will be lost in the sands of time but whose power will remain

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I always wait to read other reviews until after I've written mine. It's fascinating when critics disagree - particularly when I love something and other people seem to have completely missed the point. Now caught up on the Thelma & Louise reviews. Alas, they are pretty unanimous. This doesn't work

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I love musicals. I am always predisposed to enjoy a new musical, particularly if it's got great subject matter. But try as I might, I do not understand the rationale for turning Thelma & Louise into a musical. And sadly, the end result is just a bit pointless www.newstatesman.com/culture/thea...

newstatesman.com

The Thelma and Louise musical has nothing on the film

The question one should always ask when a beloved film is reimagined as a musical is: why?

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

newstatesman.com

The Thelma and Louise musical has nothing on the film

The question one should always ask when a beloved film is reimagined as a musical is: why?

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Rachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

"For members of the fun police, horrified by the notion of drinking standing up, I have a radical suggestion: sit down." On the war on Soho, a tee-total Muslim mayor defending our right to drink, and the 26% of people who wanted to close nightclubs for good www.newstatesman.com/politics/fut...

newstatesman.com

Drinking in Soho is a fundamental freedom

A bitter minority of fun haters are ruining our society

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