Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 14/09/2026I had a very unpleasant encounter with a man who thought it was fine to come up right behind me, a 73 year old lady, on his Forest bike and ring his bell for me to get out of the way. Couldn’t Forest bikes detect if someone is on pavement and just stop after a couple of minutes? 010
Reposted by Judith FreedmanResolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · 04/09/2026Many countries in the OECD raise more tax (as a proportion of GDP) than the UK did in 2025-26... ... but NONE achieved this with a lower 'tax wedge' for an average worker. Read 'Thin end of the wedge' here 👇️ 📉 buff.ly/UGrO4bY 132
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 18/08/2026Does he refuse to sign contracts for his enterprises? Presumably not. Amazes me how people who don’t believe in marriage make such a big deal about what, for them, could be a simple admin process. Ricky Gervais: I may have to get married to avoid paying tax www.thetimes.com/article/7ba3...thetimes.comRicky Gervais: I may have to get married to avoid paying taxThe Office creator, who has been with Jane Fallon for four decades, is considering tying the knot to dodge a bill from the government after he dies 130
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 04/08/2026Emma Chamberlain, tax barrister, visiting professor of tax at the LSE and Oxford University, co-author of the Wealth Tax Report, has a guest post with Comment is Freed -‘The right way to tax wealth’. Clear, practical thinking from someone who understands and has thought deeply about all angles. 13510
Reposted by Judith FreedmanSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 04/08/2026It's written by Emma Chamberlain - a barrister specialising in tax and co-author of the 2020 Wealth Commission report. I can guarantee you'll learn a lot about wealth taxes... 1433
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 27/07/2026I’m pleased if government is looking at a whole range of fundamental reforms. The fact they are looking at them doesn’t mean they will happen but I hope some do. It is right to say big changes take time but we have to start somewhere. So worth looking but media and commentators should stay calm! 050
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 24/07/2026This-( just a coincidence that this comes from my son 😉) When this kind of ‘budgeting’ is used to justify tax changes it show just what is wrong with our approach to tax design and reform. And the political and media fluff and speculation does not help sensible debate at all. 160
Reposted by Judith FreedmanBrent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 12/07/2026“We need an Ozempic for cars. They are growing at a phenomenal rate, wreaking havoc on roads, squeezing out smaller vehicles and endangering pedestrians. Like ever-hungry teenagers, cars in Europe are growing on average a centimetre wider every year.” Don’t repeat North America’s mistake, Europe.theguardian.comBritain’s cars and SUVs are growing bigger – but there is a way to stop this deadly ‘carspreading’ | Christian WolmarLarger vehicles crowd our roads and are far more dangerous to pedestrians. Let’s curb them before they do even more damage, says says transport commentator Christian Wolmar 661246310
Reposted by Judith FreedmanJill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 12/07/2026Lot to be said for what we used to call a Unified Budget under Major (tax and spending plans together_) as per @financialtimes.com www.ft.com/content/abf4... But to start from scratch and complete by autumn would be very brave, prime minister..ft.comAndy Burnham explores holding expanded autumn BudgetUK’s incoming PM is considering combining fiscal statement with spending review to set out his political strategy 4224
Reposted by Judith FreedmanMayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 10/07/2026Two baby beaver kits have arrived at Ealing's Paradise Fields. Reintroduced in 2023 with Ealing Wildlife Group and Citizen Zoo, beavers are already stopping Greenford station from flooding and saving us money on infrastructure. Here’s what they’ve been up to 🦫 27929243
Reposted by Judith FreedmanJoel S. @joelhs.bsky.social · 05/07/2026It's tragically appropriate that we spent a whole generation telling students that the humanities were moribund, and they should all study STEM, only for the greatest innovations in STEM to prove why the humanities were so essential all along. 361785478
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 04/07/2026In 1991 I argued against removal of audit requirements for small companies but politicians equate ease of incorporation with entrepreneurship and growth (which is rubbish) and have continued to raise the audit threshold. Incorporation should not be cheap and easy. 1124
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 04/07/2026From The Times today -Michael Jack was the first chair of the Office of Tax Simplification - I also prefer the idea of an Office of Effective Taxation 1135
Reposted by Judith FreedmanOwen Zidar @omzidar.bsky.social · 01/07/2026Our latest post open.substack.com/pub/everywhe...open.substack.comAnother Reason the Labor Share Keeps Falling: Taxes!When firms pay workers in promises rather than cash, the national accounts struggle to keep track. 253
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 27/06/2026We need more revenue. We should just tax large multinational more- easy, isn’t it? ( Irony klaxon) 030
Reposted by Judith FreedmanHelen Barrett @helenbarrett.bsky.social · 23/06/2026Not for the first time I ask: how can a bag be an unexpected item in a bagging area? 1909
Reposted by Judith FreedmanEduin Latimer @eduinlatimer.bsky.social · 28/05/2026This is most striking figure from Millburn Review. They estimate that around half of the 18-24 population who are not in education, employment or training (NEET) are not claiming any benefits. This limits how effective any reforms to the benefit system can be in reducing the NEET rate. 22513
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026Confused by Home Farm partnership storyline. What does partnership own if not the land? Does Brian rent the land to the partnership? Have they thought about inheritance tax ? Why can’t partnership own the land? Same thing with Brookfield. Scriptwriters get some legal advice- please! #TheArchers 4172
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 21/05/2026It is a pity (though inevitable) that politicians play politics and someone decided to call this a ‘wealth tax’ but alignment of income tax and capital gains tax rates is not a new idea. We have been there before. The very non radical Office of Tax Simplification raised it in 2020/21. 060
Reposted by Judith FreedmanZamin Iqbal @zaminiqbal.bsky.social · 09/05/2026This is a very interesting video. After a brief intro, the first 3 minutes are a monologue starting in the English of 600AD and transitioning to modern American. Where do you start understanding it? youtu.be/842OX2_vCic?...youtu.beFrom Old English to Modern American English in One MonologueYouTube video by Simon Roper 117927
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 17/05/2026Yesterday I did not go to central London. For first time ever I was concerned about safety due to both marches. But today went to South Bank and felt London was reclaimed- people of all kinds walking along, children playing happily together at Jubilee Gardens play park. This is the real London. 11418
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 13/05/2026A bigger question on the relationship between people paying council tax and being on the electoral register is whether Councils are routinely checking this? 010
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 03/05/2026Iran war accelerates ‘Regrexit’ as wealthy UK expats weigh a return- FT article notes that wanting to be near your adult children may be a reason to wish to come back to the UK ( for women more than men?). If money can’t buy you freedom to live near your family, what use is it? 020
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 27/04/2026Not one article or report I have read defines poor health. Are they including people on statins as poor health for example? 351
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 16/04/2026So we are running out of CO2 and at the same time spending money on storing it. Why don’t we spend that money instead on purifying industrial CO 2 so that we can use it for all the things it is needed for? Can anyone explain please? 210
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 12/03/2026The new Arterio trains going into Waterloo have such a large gap between the train and the platform that they are dangerous for the elderly, disabled and people with children. How did regulators permit this? 000
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 09/03/2026In a miserable world here are some very early bluebells to lift spirits 0191
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22/02/2026Carlin Moran nails it this week - Give Jim Ratcliffe a break. He’s just a billionaire www.thetimes.com/article/f387... 230
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 19/02/2026Having finally caught up with the need to do a story about Inheritance Tax the scriptwriters are making a total mess of it! Don’t seem to have made any attempt to understand the issues. Disappointing #thearchers 173
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 10/02/2026Very sad to see this. I knew Deborah as a colleague at Worcester College, where she was as sensible, no-nonsense and wise as in other roles described here. My sympathy to all her family and friends. Deborah Cameron obituary: linguist, feminist and firebrand www.thetimes.com/article/a042...thetimes.comDeborah Cameron obituary: linguist, feminist and firebrandLinguist, feminist, firebrand and scholar known for her pithy and forensic dismantling of societal myths dies aged 67 020
Reposted by Judith FreedmanLawrence Freedman @ldfreedman.bsky.social · 05/02/2026Once had privilege of listening to Ian McKellen perform at Oxford. Seemed timely then - even more so now. 19718
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 17/01/20269 months later. First serious discussion of inheritance tax by farm owners on #TheArchers. But I thought Brookfield had a family company. Don’t Kenton, Shula and Elizabeth have some kind of interest? Why don’t the scriptwriters get some advice on this? And they need to consider succession anyway. 240
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 13/01/2026Apparently there is a curvy Barbie but she is a size 8! www.bbc.com/news/magazin...bbc.comHow does 'Curvy Barbie' compare with an average woman? - BBC NewsThree new types of Barbie have reached the UK. But how close do they come to representing the average young woman? 040
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 13/01/2026I have to say this is exactly what I thought when I saw that there was a new autistic Barbie. It is great to have diverse Barbies but if they are aiming to reflect the true population a plump one and a flat breasted one are needed too. Do they have those? 060
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 31/12/2025Tried to watch Love Actually with family over Christmas and had to turn it off. Unwatchable on so many levels. Legally Blonde, however, really stands the test of time- excellent! 040
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 19/12/2025AI making up citations. This is happening and is really hard to check if it is not the editor or referee they are citing. Makes good editing more and more important and more and more time consuming. 084
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Lovely legal discussion around #TheArchers but with all the talk about succession it is completely incredible that there has been no serious discussion of inheritance tax! Even if only to say ‘thank goodness we have arrangements in place to avoid it’ ( not convinced they all do though). 360
Reposted by Judith FreedmanMark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 19/12/2025Christmas carols, as written by Parliamentary lawyersbuff.lyChristmas carols, as written by Parliamentary lawyersThe Parliamentary Counsel Office has been putting its skills to work drafting legislatively clear versions of Christmas carols. How many can you identify? 31611
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 16/12/2025The NHS must employ armies of people to constantly rearrange appointments they sent me in the first place. It is so inefficient. This has nothing to do with the strike. I have just had an April 2026 appointment moved to March 2026. OK with me but why? 180
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 15/12/2025observer.co.uk/news/opinion...observer.co.uk‘Horrified but not surprised’: worldwide Jewish community mourns Bondi massacre | The Observer 010
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 12/12/2025I have just seen the play ‘Oh Mary’ and I shall never be able to sing ‘I’m a little teapot’ to my grandchildren again! 110
Reposted by Judith FreedmanJudith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 27/11/2025Like Sam I am loving the way the newspapers are now advising us about devaluing our houses. Will we have glossy magazine articles on recluttering? Best excuse yet not to throw away all my papers. 181
Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 09/12/2025Great idea and what could be better than an episode of In Our Time featuring my daughter in law? What a wonderful treasure trove this is. 080