iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 6h

There is a disconnect between the actions of the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary. Ed and Shabana need to talk to each other. These arrests just make the UK look stupid, at best illogical.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 6h

If Burnham can ensure a fair testing of public opinion which is, say, 65% in favour of rejoining, why can’t elected MPs decide on a negotiated EU deal? Hopefully some hard economic facts will inform the debate in parliament on the 12th rather than Farage puffed up outrage dressed as “patriotism”.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 7h

One of Burnham’s objectives in testing UK wide appetite for rejoining the EU is to offer Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland something they would value more than independence from Whitehall no? Brexit has led to a decline in the global relevance of the UK- ergo that includes Scotland? Size matters.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Not forgetting Hannan’s famous assertion that “of course we won’t be leaving the single market or customs union”. Somewhat cynical, as in brass neck, drawing a salary and now pension as a Euro MP for 21 years to then coengineer Brexit.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Oh and he’d kill off the NHS and burn workers’ rights but apart from all that he’s a decent bloke you could spend an evening with over a pint.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Facebook is a cancer on our society. They should be screening out the publication and promotion of controversial fake news which their company designed algorithms promote.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Why did Labour recently reject the very sensible policy of mandating solar panels on all large car parks? Oh and of course this new French mandate will be impossible to implement because the UK is just superior to everyone else. C’mon Labour this is a quick win- who is lobbying you to be so stupid?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

If mobile phone theft is a “prolific social problem” in London (21 stolen a day in Westminster alone, phones sell for up to £5,000 as their internet access avoids China’s censorship) why are Apple and others not disabling them immediately when notified? Apple stop this crime spree you have created.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Continued thanks to Farage and Johnson for poisoning the well of British and European integration. What a tectonic disaster they created. Russia, Maga and China can’t believe their good fortune as Labour politicians wring their hands over rejoining, as if there was any logical alternative.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

£36m to Harborne and Delo is loose change to buy Farage’s give away taxes on the criminals’s currency of choice. No wonder Trump pardoned Delo- it’s a right wing money machine with zero traceability and personal accountability.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

So why did Labour just reject this excellent idea in the UK? C’mon Andy, this should be easy. Make some positive stuff happen now or lose momentum.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

When someone in the mainstream media fully explains the Reform manifesto, that £72m will self immolate, much to the howls of “betrayal” from Farage. That does assume the media does its job, which is not a given.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

So no need for a contentious windfall tax on the banks. Remove this absurd interest payment as the EU and even the uber banker friendly Swiss have done, also remove the triple lock to therefore finance defence 3% pledge and proper social care. Time for bold but logical moves from Burnham.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

So a 10% chance AI could kill all humans. 1,300 staff of AI firms call for international technical/governance tools to pace automated AI development. But in the race with China, it seems unlikely the US will cooperate with anyone. Could it be responsible for unintended catastrophe? It’s plausible.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

This feels significant. At best it signals that flagrant unresearched blame dressed up as journalism won’t be tolerated. At worst it’s a symbolic ticking off- but no bad thing for an industry which has too long led public opinion through misinformation, repetition of untruths and self “regulation”.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

GB News and Talk TV firmly in the « Don’t look up » zone on climate change. Their fossil fuel donors must be delighted with their verbose rebuttal of global science based evidence.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Karl Popper (1902-1994) wrote, "Nationalism appeals to our tribal instincts, to passion and to prejudice, and to our nostalgic desire to be relieved from the strain of individual responsibility." Yep, that’s the far right in a nutshell.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

So who is doing the research to demonstrate the link between social media usage and teenage violence? Third murder charge over Brent Council HQ stabbing

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Instead of criticising, what would you propose? Much of government is about getting mundane basics right. Interesting to see whether MTD materially closes the tax take gap.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Oh good, so no need for a referendum to rejoin the EU then.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

No other growth initiative has the impact of Brejoin; negotiate a 5 yr FoMovement brake offered to Blair, launch US style EU CBT + 5 yr offshore tax haven ext. to placate the 1%; initiate big Airbus like projects for lockin. Stop fiddling MAKE A DIFFERENCE! www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/bre...

thelondoneconomic.com

'£30 billion lost': Six major studies confirm Brexit's HUGE toll on UK economy

In 10 days' time, MPs will be summoned to debate the economic impact of Brexit. Let's hope they all have a good read of this...

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Serious results based policy in action from Labour, unlike Regorm’s bish bash bosh “its front page on the Express so it must be true” huckster speak.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Oh good- and now for Meta’s considerable business in the rest of the world? Meta to pay up to $18bn to settle claims its platforms harm children

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Well let’s see if Andy is more than a gesture politician and grasps the metal to 1. Increase HMRC resources and assess leadership on reducing the uncollected tax owed 2. Close tax avoidance loopholes that don’t contribute to our economy (I would argue that venture capital trusts do contribute).

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Excellent news- grifters and rats devouring each other. And all because Johnson got rid of the intelligent Tories so he could railroad through his (and Farage’s) great big failing Brexit.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

That would be Ranjit Singh Boparan’s private investment vehicle.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Ashamed and in jail: their gross lies, arrogantly rejecting an impact assessment knowing it would blast a hole in the economy, their lack of a plan for how to implement Brexit, their likely receipt of covert funding from Russia and knowingly protecting the wealthy at the expense of everyone else.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

GB News is massively loss making, because not enough Brits like their far right messaging. Are Paul Marshall and Christopher Chandler influencing Robbie Gibb to direct the BBC to support for Regorm, so they can quietly close GB N, save some cash and preserve what is left of their reputations?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Facebook joins Monsanto, Exxon, Phillip Morris and others with zero ethics who pursue maximum profits while being fully aware of the harm their products do to society. Without regulations business runs amok- goodness knows how their leaders sleep at night.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

It’s clear there are absolutely NO guardrails over social media. Meta is on trial over claims it deliberately designed its platforms to be addictive to young people because Zuck and techbros are mankids who make Doctor Strangelove look positively grown up.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

It is not the role of the BBC to “win over” any voters- it is their (political) role to inform. Regorm reporting will be in the satire section? There must be a lot of US far right money and the threat of Trump’s financial damages case influencing this. www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/bbc-pla...

thelondoneconomic.com

BBC planning to change news output to 'win over Reform voters'

BBC bosses have drawn up plans to win over Reform UK voters to address "low trust issues" they have with the broadcaster.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Just unbelievable. Who at the BBC, apart from Robbie Gibb (who still has almost 2 years left on his contract), would even think this was a good idea?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

And whatever happened to that Mone and the Barroman couple? Their £60m profit seems to have vanished.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Useful input from Polanski to take more media attention away from Regorm during the summer news lull in the holiday season, which Farage dominated last year.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

He doesn’t need to but I sincerely hope the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs are working nights on a national plan to avoid the major catastrophes caused by next year’s drought. That’s what governments do right?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The British public could never stomach the idea that Brexit was only ever about the “posh boys” maintaining their overseas tax havens. “Taking back control”wrapped in the threat of being “overwhelmed” by immigrants was the emotive threat sold through a brilliantly (I hate to admit) executed campaign

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

“A public nuisance akin to air pollution” - precisely. Meta fined $567mn in largest child safety ruling against social media giant - BBC News

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Burnham’s joined up thinking meets massive role duplication (who misses NHS England or can understand interrelationships between our public finance institutions), vested organisational interests and the always touted “local democracy”. Time to clean up and do stuff. www.arguably.uk/p/the-incohe...

arguably.uk

The Incoherent State is holding England back

For devolution to succeed, Burnham needs to end the dizzying array of boundaries

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

“Oil and gas is the future, planetary warming a hoax, possible evacuation of Bordeaux a communist plot, net zero a devil’s tax on Regorm, oilco profits of $90b on Iran ok” oh and China has captured 75%+ global renewables spend. US strikes $1.2bn deal to pay German firm to halt offshore wind projects

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Paul Marshall and Christopher Chandler continue to pump out right wing sensationalism which has little basis in truth. Losses of over £120m since 2021 suggest the British public are not interested in their scam. Do the decent thing and kill it or risk yet more reputational loss.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Is the Telegraph shifting to the centre right under its new German owner? First, finally! exhorting the right to get real about climate change (hard to ignore with massive wildfires dominating the news across Europe, unless you’re a fossil fuel boss). And now their poster child forsaken?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Oh Rupert: wrong about climate change, wrong about Brexit and wrong about Trump. Trying to think of something positive for your eulogy.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 27/07/2026

Wildfires rage across Europe and Canada/US, the mayor considers evacuating over 200,000 citizens of Bordeaux, and a UK government report cites global warming as the biggest threat to food security, the push to renewables must be everyone’s priority. Tories/Reform painting themselves into oblivion.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

Johnson’s big gamble, that a quick trade deal with the US would replace lost trade with the EU, failed miserably. Brussels has now got better terms with the US than the UK because its bigger. Soft power can’t overcome the harsh realities of market size, whatever Brexiteers wrongfully claim.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Nige polls are trending down for good reason. Your constant negativism, your disastrous Brexit, relentless focus on immigration (down 2/3 v last year), lack of any thought through policies to help our country, dubious donations and now the media turning against you are, frankly, irreversible.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

Michael “Who needs experts?” Gove, opining on our economy, when he was a principal cheerleader for the disastrous Brexit, is like asking a Republican to demonstrate, with proof points, how they are benefiting working class Americans. www.sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk/event/the-in...

sinfoniasmithsq.org.uk

The Intelligence Squared Economic Outlook, with Michael Gove - Sinfonia Smith Square

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

As the Iranian conflict risks spilling over into neighbouring states, providing uranium enrichment capability to Saudi is an interesting choice of policy options to reduce tensions in the Middle East.

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

So England has hosepipe bans, 1 trillion litres lost to leaks, insufficient water for planned data centres, the lowest quality of waterways of all EU countries bar Poland. and no national plan. And director bonuses are necessary tin retain “scarce” talent in a low tech industry with no competitors?

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Howard Barrett @howardbarrett.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Burnham could reduce right wing misinformation by firing Robbie Gibb who still sits on the Editorial Guidelines and Standards Committee at the BBC, playing a key role in “reviewing impartiality and upholding journalistic standards”. “Weather effect” is deeply, insultingly, wrong.

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