Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 29/09/2026We’ve had billion pound bottle jobs, now we’ve got billion pound fraudsters 110
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 27/09/2026*stretches out* *wiggles toes* *luxuriates in a Sunday that does not involve multiple trains to Liverpool in a suit for Lab party conference* 010
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 25/09/2026An organisation? Charging corporates to sponsor and speak at party conference panels alongside politicians? I’ve never *heard* of such a thing…… 100
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 24/09/2026Sigh indeed. jonathansimons.substack.com/p/making-the... 293
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 23/09/2026Look, we say we want HE and academia to be more productive, but god forbid the man comes up wirh a solution….. 110
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsTom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 22/09/2026The complete and total collapse of state function in the face of far right extremists. It is frankly ludicrous that Daniel Thomas continues to be at large given the series of crimes committed which he has literally filmed. 281173378
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsWonkhe @wonkhe.bsky.social · 21/09/2026NEW on Wonkhe: Annie Bell and Damayanti Chatterjee present new modelling that explores not just the potential for growth in international student numbers, but also whether that growth would be stable buff.ly/vhm0Vdl 011
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 18/09/202630 week or so scan with child no1. The midwife asks us “what are you going to feed them”. I (wittily) say “McDonalds, probably?” Then my wife hits me and I say “we’re going to do formula from day 1”. Honestly, I think the midwife preferred the McDonalds answer. 170
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 10/09/2026Brilliant. Thank goodness HE admissions teams have been alerted to This One Cool Trick 070
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 10/09/2026I mean….what? Telling them to duck and cover? What on earth is the point of this. Wildly unproductive, nanny state tastic, very expensive, will be mostly binned unread, and far cheaper distribution mechanisms exist for genuine public information?? 120
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 08/09/2026The whataboutery around these results is quite something. I am sceptical that a lot of the people picking holes in the data methodology, to undermine England’s success, would be doing so had they shown us plummeting. This is a real public policy triumph, built by school reformers of *all* parties 2111
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Trump closing the Straits of Hormuz might actually be a winning strategy…..static.klipy.comDonald Trump: I'm an extremely stable geniusALT: Donald Trump: I'm an extremely stable genius 121
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 06/09/2026Interesting and disturbing thread. Makes the point that, with this level of coordination and planning, supposedly all in secret, if this group had been armed they would have completely overwhelmed police (inc special branch) and security services; only army and special forces could have engaged. 3148
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 05/09/2026I love these. A man with no mortgage at all, that has to borrow money for the basics, who voted Starmer and thinks the economy has improved massively, but would now vote Tory. Wild. 580
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 02/09/2026PM was unbelievably nervous there and it showed. He needs a far less staccato delivery and to know his attack lines off the top of his head, rather than looking down to read them every few words. Turns out PMQs is hard and you can’t vibe it. 650
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 31/08/2026This must be true. Because we had stellar growth throughout the 70s, and terrible growth in the 90s and 00s until the global financial crisis. 121
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 31/08/2026I can’t believe people are talking smack on the skills wallet, a terribly named policy admittedly but one that has got literal four party approval (the Tories and Lab both introduced the LLE, and it’s more or less what Reform have proposed in their new paper on apprenticeships and training) 1131
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 29/08/2026This is a mind blowing paragraph: “Box office blockbusters like “The Odyssey” take weeks to hit $1 billion. “GTA V” famously did it in three days. Analyst firm Newzoo projects the new game could generate between $3.3 billion and $5.2 billion by the end of *its launch week* in November.” 010
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 28/08/2026I hope Rachel Reeves makes an excoriating speech from the backbenches telling him that he’s threatening his country’s safety and that the first duty of any government is defence of the realm 131
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsDeb Chachra @debcha.bsky.social · 23/08/2026This explainer out of Australia is genuinely useful background and analysis of what happened with the Canada-US trade deal last night. Note that it is extremely and delightfully sweary. Also there’s an appended glossary of Australian slang. ifloz.substack.com/p/king-carne...ifloz.substack.comKING CARNEY ACTIVATES KONG MODE WITH ZERO FUCKSCarney Reads the Clock Like a Pro Wrestler 1002005767
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 18/08/2026The fully funding additional college places (last RT) sounds niche but really isn’t. Up until now, colleges taking extra kids couldn’t be sure they’d be funded for them - and often weren’t fully. Imagine if we applied that to schools or NHS (sorry you’re busy / popular, no more £ for you tho) 140
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsLucy Powell MP @lucympowell.bsky.social · 18/08/2026🚨Every young person will have a fully funded college place if they want one. In the past, colleges couldn’t be certain they’d receive funding if more students turned up. We are changing that. This is a major step in our mission to get more young people into education, work or training.thesun.co.ukTeens' college places will be fully funded to help youth crisis, Ministers sayALL college places will be fully-funded for 16-19 year-olds to help reduce youth inactivity numbers. Education Secretary Lucy Powell says the cash will be guaranteed for all courses following GCSE … 03713
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Oh no, some of the French won’t pay tax, this will be so different, how on earth will the country cope 000
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 16/08/2026Of course under the Burnham premiership, the Manchester team wins The Hundred 120
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsPhil Rodgers @philrodgers.co.uk · 14/08/2026Telegraph website reporting that Jason Arday has been found dead. 327
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 14/08/2026“That’s right - it is BAD to be a fire starter, twisted or otherwise. Don’t make me push the button again Keith” 052
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Amazing collective experience as 100 mobile phones shriek simultaneously up and down our whole road just now. Not had that much collective noise making since banging saucepans for nurses in 2020. 030
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsJess Lister @jesslister.bsky.social · 14/08/2026other top contenders for the prize of "the asterisk is doing a lot of work here" 321
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsJess Lister @jesslister.bsky.social · 14/08/2026'Tis the season for absolutely shameless university marketing comms 122
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsDan of the Year @downwithdan.bsky.social · 13/08/2026AI can never replace real stock images Someone dreamed these up and had the courage to hire actors and make them real 372837831
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 13/08/2026I think….Starmer is right here? The PM is incredibly time pressured. I don’t think he can and should dive into “bring me the problems”. He (or she!) should set the vision and the SoS should work through the detail and bring options and a rec. 330
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 12/08/2026I hope each and every one of the 368 people in the Matthew Hudson-Smith stand enjoyed watching him win, and I hope whoever made a decision to price tickets at £100 a head with no junior concessions, leaving the stadium half empty, are happy 0121
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 12/08/2026In 13 mins the eclipse will peak in London as Gabriel’s penalty from the Champions League Final travels in front of the sun 051
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 10/08/2026The opposite of many, who loved their time at uni, and think now fewer people should go….. 000
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsHenry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 09/08/2026What a bonkers statistic as.ft.com/r/3b0a9bd3-a... 16485183
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 09/08/2026It’s just depressing. Further education has been cut to ribbons. Higher education is in crisis. Labour turns its eyes to the bit of the education system which is turning out the highest literacy rates in the western world and goes “that’s the bit that needs to change” 30711198
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 05/08/2026On the plus side, there’s now a vacancy for a Conservative council candidate in Somerset which Jason Arday could take up? 171
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsBen Johnson @ersatzben.com · 20/07/2026Sunday: an LLM disproves an 87-year-old mathematics conjecture, seemingly on the prompter's whim Monday: the UK govt dept responsible for thinking strategically about AI + research in the round is disbanded, seemingly over a petty civil service turf war. Good one. 🇬🇧🦶🔫 001
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 20/07/2026Ed M getting on the phone to Tehran in the morningstatic.klipy.comEd Milliband GifminsterALT: Ed Milliband Gifminster 0432
Reposted by Jonathan SimonsMark Copelovitch @mcopelov.bsky.social · 19/07/2026The Argentina behavior on every foul - encircling the ref & yelling at him - is illegal & no other team does it as comprehensively & often as they do, & it should not be tolerated. 1273145370
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 19/07/2026On why I didn’t like Andy Burnham’s speech open.substack.com/pub/jonathan...open.substack.comWhat I didn’t like about Andy Burnham’s speechDoes he know the country he's about to lead and the voters who put Labour there? 86619
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Jude Bellingham. Selfish player, self obsessed. Should have left him at home 020
Jonathan Simons @jonathansimons.bsky.social · 18/07/2026Wild game. Can’t work out if this is “man England really can’t hold a lead” or “France are brilliant” or “who gives a toss” 250