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Ed Ng

@edng.bsky.social
364 followers 330 following 257 posts

Retired GP. Keen tennis and chess player

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Reposted by Ed Ng
Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
how much has Trump's war in the Middle East cost British home-owners in higher mortgage payments? "British homeowners are paying an average of £840 a year more when they refinance their mortgages, as the rising borrowing costs triggered by the Iran war start to impact" www.ft.com/content/789c...
ft.com
UK homeowners take £840-a-year mortgage hit from Iran war
Rising borrowing costs triggered by conflict in Middle East start to impact consumers’ spending power
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
"UK should 'team up' with Canada in new Europe alliance" - and he is absolutely right www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
UK should 'team up' with Canada in new Europe alliance, Canadian minister says
It comes after European Commission President proposed "opening the door" for Canada to become an associate member of the EU.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... Everyone is justifiably concerned about the need to release prisoners early. Are we asking the right question though: Why is UK imprisoning more than in the rest of Western Europe? At the highest per capita rate www.theguardian.com/society/2016...
bbc.co.uk
Sussex Police 'incredibly concerned' by early prison release scheme
Chief Constable Jo Shiner says she is worried about the message it sends to offenders.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cx... The talk about Canada being an EU "Associate Member" is largely symbolic, but is an important message nevertheless. Why is UK similarly seeking closer links?
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Rhetorical question: "Is Pete Hegseth out of his depth as war secretary?" www.thetimes.com/us/news-toda...
thetimes.com
Is Pete Hegseth out of his depth as war secretary?
Critics say the former TV presenter is floundering after his purge left the armed forces leaderless at a time of war. President Trump seems to disagree
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
"Mar-a-Lago dinners and dollars: why Trump won’t talk tough on AI" - Of course there is always a personal motive with this guy www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
thetimes.com
Mar-a-Lago dinners and dollars: why Trump won’t talk tough on AI
Close ties with tech titans and their vast fortunes keep the president from regulating artificial intelligence to deliver a promised ‘Golden Age’
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In case anyone remains unconvinced of Trump's close links with Putin: www.thetimes.com/us/american-...
thetimes.com
Trump Jr’s wedding ‘funded by Russian oligarch with Putin ties’
Umar Kremlev reportedly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the reception and fireworks for the event, which took place in the Bahamas in May
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
2026 US citizens will receive $5,000 if Republicans win midterms, President makes offer that would cost US over $1tn and asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’ www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
US citizens will receive $5,000 if Republicans win midterms, Trump claims in lengthy convention speech
President makes offer that would cost US over $1tn and asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’ despite being deeply unpopular among electorate
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Reposted by Ed Ng
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 06/09/2026
So in one week: 1) Reform get stung for dodgy finances, and the regulators play pass the parcel about enforcement 2) Farage announces plans to largely dismantle independent scrutiny of govt, and barely any press discussion of it 3) Masked thugs blockade a port, with narry a word from senior govt
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
2) and 3) are intimately linked, in that the BBC (the organisation that really matters in the modern environment) treats 'claims by rival parties' as the operating frame for how it covers everything. The failure from Labour and the Conservatives to say 'this stuff is bad' is really, really bad.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
www.ft.com/content/54cf... "it’s clear the economic premium that employers are willing to pay for someone with a degree is falling sharply, not because of a glut of graduates but because of economic and technological change"
ft.com
The university degree is losing its lustre
Technological and economic shifts are eroding the graduate premium
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Andy Bruce (Reuters) @bruceandy.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Bloody hell youtu.be/aXut3s90rUI
youtu.be
Undercover: Exposing Reform's secret donations plot
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Chris Grey @chrisgrey.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Amongst other things this reveals the dishonesty of the pretence that hostility to immigrants is based on a concern about 'integration'.
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
Zia Yusuf has tweeted this about the leader of Camden Council, Sagal Abdi-Wali, who has lived in Camden for over 35 years, after arriving as a child refugee in the early 1990s. (Nadhim Zahawi, born in Baghdad to an Iraqi Kurdish family, came to the UK as an 11 year old:should be asked about this)
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
"US position on Falklands 'one of many' under review" - This confirms that the idea of a "Special Relationship" is but a mirage. In an increasingly hostile world, including from the US, UK must seek strongly alliance urgently with EU- Economic, Political and for Defence www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Trump says US position on Falklands 'one of many' under review
The UK says Falkland islanders "are British with a right to determine their own future".
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 31/08/2026
www.thetimes.com/article/6848... "For devolution to be genuinely effective, it needs to come with a clear and comprehensive agreement on data usage"
thetimes.com
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
"Trump leads most corrupt US administration in history" www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/...
thetimes.com
Gordon Brown: Trump leads most corrupt US administration in history
Former Labour prime minister said the US President belonged in the same category as authoritarians such as President Xi and President Putin
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Reposted by Ed Ng
AW Sylwester @aw-sylwester.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Gwyllm Llwydd @gwyllm.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I am trying to figure out who they are talking about here...
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
www.thetimes.com/uk/science/a... Individualised vaccines against cancer becoming a reality
thetimes.com
Landmark vaccine stops cancer returning in trial
Thousands of patients could benefit from personalised jab produced by Moderna and Merck to keep people free of the disease
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
The Arday episode is tragic. Matthew Syed was spot on in his message to his sister, "He’s clearly been targeted in a vicious way. But it’s also clear that he’s plagiarised and violated other academic standards. Think both of these things can be true at the same time" www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
thetimes.com
Jason Arday was failed by the system — and by me
The academic my sister knew was ‘kind, wise, warm and fun’, if also deeply flawed. The system that overpromoted him should have been the target, not him
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Jules⚖️📨 @northjules.bsky.social · 15/08/2026
The President of the United States is a fraud. #Pinks
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Anders Puck Nielsen @anderspucknielsen.dk · 12/08/2026
But then US backtracked on Patriot license and deliveries, and today there was a massive Ukrainian strike on Novorossiysk. Influence on targeting requires something in return.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
www.thetimes.com/article/8259... Yep, if Trump says "getting rid of Infantino would be a terrible mistake", then that's a powerful and urgent reason for FIFA and the world to be rid of him
thetimes.com
Donald Trump: Getting rid of Gianni Infantino would be terrible mistake
US president warns Fifa ‘will never be as successful or profitable again’ if beleaguered chief is removed from his post
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
www.ft.com/content/1c4a... another good data driven article by @jburnmurdoch.ft.com: The lack of dynamism in UK economy compared to our comparator countries means that our educational outcomes will always lag. "we should view education as creating potential that a strong economy unleashes"
ft.com
To fix education, fix the economy first
Weak educational outcomes often owe more to economic performance than education policy
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
www.ft.com/content/06a2... "High temperatures have reduced water levels of rivers needed to cool nuclear and coal plants"
ft.com
Solar eclipse threatens to tighten Europe’s electricity squeeze
Continent’s power system already under stress from heatwaves
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... "concerns have already been raised that the same technology could be used maliciously to create new diseases". This is of course the main worry: we suggest know of AI going rogue to hack into other companies; Rogue AI designed super-pandemic would be an inevitability
bbc.co.uk
Artificial Intelligence used to design brand new viruses
Scientists made 16 successful viruses that had their genetic code designed by artificial intelligence.
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Roland Smith @rolandmcs.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
A gangster speaks.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art... "Tough on crime; tough on causes of crime"- clearly longer sentences are not the answer
thetimes.com
Why are prisons overcrowded? The crisis in numbers
Longer sentences and an increase in recalled offenders are part of the reason why an early-release scheme is needed
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Nadine Batchelor-Hunt @nadinebh.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
I just can’t believe we’re seeing this sort of stuff from a sitting MP Just want to say to British Somalis that you are loved and I’m so, sorry this is happening.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
www.reuters.com/legal/govern...
reuters.com
Capital One says it closed Trump Organization's accounts after anti-money laundering probe
The disclosure marks the first time a bank has formally tied money laundering concerns to the president's family business.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
www.ft.com/content/b3a3... this is reminiscent of Ghost Cities in China
ft.com
‘Cursed island’: the $100bn luxury development hosting tech nomads and scammers
Police raids strike new blow to reputation of Malaysia’s troubled Chinese-backed Forest City project
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Paul van der Meer @paulvandermeer.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
These people are mad at Dr. Fauci because he told them to wear a mask during a deadly pandemic.
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Reposted by Ed Ng
John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
"Europe has never been serious about stopping migration", says Camilla Long in an entirely research-free piece. She claims that Spain/the EU are lying about the fact that most people in Ceuta have returned to Morocco. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
thetimes.com
Ceuta is what happens when you’re not serious about migration
Ursula von der Leyen doesn’t seem to care about the tide of people rushing the Spanish border. Voters in Britain will
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
www.ft.com/content/655a... "roughly 8,600 “newly arrived” non-domiciled taxpayers in the period, while 9,000 people exited"
ft.com
Data suggests fears of UK ‘non-dom’ exodus overblown
Number fell by just 0.5% in 2024-25, casting doubt on claims tougher rules would lead to wealthy people leaving
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
www.ft.com/content/c887... "The reply is yes if historical precedent is the benchmark. It is also yes if you are rich. The response is no when comparing the UK with foreign peers, particularly continental ones"
ft.com
Do Britons pay a lot of tax?
My theory is that the UK is a cultural piggy-in-the-middle between the main EU economies and the Anglosphere
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Chris Philp (Shadow Home Secretary) has now, finally, deleted this video. It contained a number of (obviously) false claims based on his "research" which (deliberately or through incompetence) misinterpreted Home Office visa data. x.com/CPhilpOffici...
x.com
Chris Philp MP (@CPhilpOfficial) on X
1,000 workers from Pakistan brought 6,000 dependants - a staggering 6 to 1 ratio Many “workers” ended up in vape stores or kebab shops Low-skilled workers and dependents are still flooding in - pressuring public services and housing We must end mass low-skilled migration
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
www.thetimes.com/money/tax/ar... tax expert Dan Neidle said: “Low-paid workers in the UK are paying less tax than anywhere else in the developed world. That is a fact. It means we are becoming much more dependent on the country’s highest earners.”
thetimes.com
The proof that top earners are already paying enough tax
The new prime minister is mulling over tax cuts for lower earners — but the numbers suggest it’s those on higher salaries who need a break
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/... Interesting headlines: The rich asking to be taxed more!
thetimes.com
Gary Lineker begs Andy Burnham: Tax us millionaires more
The broadcaster and more than 100 other ‘patriotic’ wealthy Britons tell the PM ‘we can afford it’ — but a minister says they are already welcome to pay more if they want
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Which is more dangerous: rogue US President or rogue AI bot? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched 'unprecedented' cyber-attack
It is one of the first publicly disclosed cyber-attacks carried out by AI without direct human involvement.
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
www.ft.com/content/d151... Interesting idea: Creating expensive apartments make available affordable housing through "filtering"
ft.com
Why socialists should embrace luxury apartments
High-end developments can be more effective at unlocking affordability than social housing programmes
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
"A closed country will be poorer. A country that underinvests will not grow. A state that refuses to reform tax will ration ambition. And a Labour government afraid to say these things will discover once again that caution, too, has costs." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Burnham must learn from Starmer’s mistakes: Labour was elected to transform the economy, not just stabilise it | Jonathan Portes
Devolution, tax, the EU and immigration: these are all opportunities for growth if Burnham abandons the excessive caution of the past few years, says economist Jonathan Portes
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
www.ft.com/content/b77c... Complex analysis. For GrowthL No doubt IT in US has been a powerhouse, but this aspect of growth requires "hedonic" adjustments in prices (unreliable and uncertain). Leaving aside IT, relative growth of both blocs are similar. 1/2
ft.com
Is the US or Europe better off?
Comparing the two economies is harder than it seems
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Reposted by Ed Ng
Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 14/07/2026
My son just told me is favourite sentence is: “I didn’t say we should kill him” because if you emphasise each different word it changes the entire meaning
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
So many memes, so little time. Source: substack.com/@nigelfarage...
Count Binface on the beach as Farage rows away in a boat full of cash.
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
(4/4). But politically one key advantage. As HO source implies, drives wedge between those who are (or claim to be) worried about benefit access & those who want "remigration", whose primary motivation is racism and ethnonationalism. The reaction to this will therefore be revealing.. (4/4)
A source said: “What it boils down to is benefits. You would allow them to get ILR after five years but you don’t allow them to claim benefits until three or four years later.” They said “most people don’t come here so they can claim benefits”, but the idea that they can do so “as soon as they get ILR” was “politically damaging”.
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Home Office floating "compromise" on "earned settlement" reforms - settlement/ILR after 5 years, but no access to benefits until 10 years. Some thoughts..(1/4) www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
Up to 1.6 million migrants could be granted indefinite leave to remain after five years instead of ten — but they would face waiting longer to qualify for benefits.

The proposed compromise to appease Labour MPs would affect foreign workers and their families who arrived in the UK since 2021 — a group known as the Boriswave after the boom in immigration under Boris Johnson.

This group would be exempted from reforms spearheaded by Shabana Mahmood, the home secretary, to double the time it takes to qualify for indefinite leave to remain (ILR) — a status that grants the right to live, work and study in Britain permanently — from five years to a decade.
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Victoria aka Blaze @burrddoh.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Incredible timelapse of the Aurora, captured by astronaut Sophie Adenot
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
EU’s border check needs complete ‘overhaul’, says Greek airports chief - can't agree more; it is a complete disaster of a system www.ft.com/content/83ae...
ft.com
EU’s border check needs complete ‘overhaul’, says Greek airports chief
Exit-entry system is forcing some passengers to wait on the tarmac in intense heat, Alexander Zinell says
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Ed Ng @edng.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Andy Burnham, please read this piece by @danneidle.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/money/tax/ar.... Get rid of Business rates, Stamp duty and Council tax, which are all Bad Taxes. Tax instead Not Property value, but tax Land value- an important distinction which will not discourage housebuilding
thetimes.com
Andy Burnham’s land value tax is the right idea. Let me explain
If he has the guts this plan would fuel growth, kill off three awful taxes and make us all richer — even short-term losers like me
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