Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialmimij9.bsky.social @mimij9.bsky.social · 18hOk, firstly, how did I miss this and secondly, why isn’t Michael Gove’s name not mentioned in the second article??? Can you imagine if this was a former Labour MP??????? 27245105
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialShady Inference 🌫️ @blot.city · 11hA small canary for the Salem/Gove affair: the Financial Times journalist who yesterday did a post with two screencaps of the two daily mail articles side-by-side - the first covering the split, the second (which the mail has since pulled) covering the charges - has, in the past few hours, deleted it 25728
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialHenry Dyer @direthoughts.com · 12hExclusive: Do you remember the polling company Redfield and Wilton, which appeared from nowhere in early 2020, whose polls quickly appeared in lots of publications? The company’s director is a registered solicitor, prompting questions over where the polling expertise came from. Here’s the answer…theguardian.comNigel Farage adviser had unpublicised role at polling firmExclusive: Chris Bruni-Lowe used Redfield & Wilton Strategies role to develop potential campaign tactics, sources say 5406207
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialMic Wright @brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 10/10/2026Suella Braverman selling 106 copies of her book after all that publicity is so delicious. 1221472307
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialOtto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 26/09/2026Liar. Small boat crossings peaked under Johnson in 2022 reaching 46,000 in 2022. In current year they are 18,565 and falling. Also prior to Boris Johnson's Brexit there were none. 23032741209
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialNettlecake @nettlecake.bsky.social · 03/08/2026Brilliant letter from Stuart Thompson to Jeremy Clarkson about his comments that benefit claimants should write weekly thank you letters to tax payers detailing how they spend their benefits each week. 17170882920
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialMrPaulRobinson @mrpaulrobinson.bsky.social · 07/07/2026'...it is authentic anger', this lad's a mind-reader now 73510
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialTrev @caerleonite.bsky.social · 02/06/2026Well done @iandunt.bsky.social for not letting Reform cllr Alex Wilson take the high ground for what Farage did. 27972277
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 25/05/2026If Andy Burnham has given us nothing else he has created a situation in which Danny Kruger has had to go on TV and defend his candidate claiming he wants to "smell and lick" Carole Vorderman's backside. 39574122
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialJim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 14/05/2026crucial context: Peter Mandelson was sacked from the first New Labour government for having a £373,000 *loan* (not a gift) from a Labour colleague (Geoffrey Robinson) to buy a house 481478583
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialPete Marchetto @petemarchetto.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Ofcom. They're the body set up to do nothing about broadcaster infractions. IPSO is the body set up to do nothing about print media. 3785
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAlex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 12/05/2026😂 Sam Coates makes an ABSOLUTE TIT of himself. Calls PM photos "fake news" then finds out they're from the Press Association. If you make a spurious, inflammatory point you never made about any official photograph before, to pitch yourself as the only reliable source, at a minimum check your facts. 1671180399
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialTorsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 09/04/2026The real headline: crypto crook (who pleaded guilty to breaking US money laundering rules) plans to try and buy UK politics www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202... 961515663
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialJosiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 06/04/2026"Matthew Goodwin has been paid a salary of up to €10,000 a month [from Hungary's state-funded MCC], according to leaked documents obtained by Hungarian investigative journalists Direkt36 and reported by the Good Law Project" That could all end if Orbán loses... open.substack.com/pub/democrac...open.substack.comWhat happens to Britain's radical right if Orbán loses?Inside the money, power and patronage connecting Hungary and the British right 431606869
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAnton Shekhovtsov @shekhovtsov.substack.com · 06/04/2026It is widely believed that the incident involving the explosives is a false-flag operation devised by the Orbán regime, but given Jovanić’s statements, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić might have been a co-conspirator. 5/5 218241
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialParody Nigel Farage @parodypm.bsky.social · 04/03/2026GB News loses £22m, taking their total losses to over £130m. Except it's not a 'loss', it's an investment by Paul Marshall in providing a propaganda service to platform right wing grifters, gobshites, conspiracy nutters and contrarian fuckwits. 411084351
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialTam Britton @tambritton.bsky.social · 21/12/2025This is an absolute disgrace of an article. 7% of the electorate in this council ward voted for Reform and yet the BBC News report it as this. 43628165
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialEmma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 04/07/2025The whole premise of the analysis is utter nonsense. And the execution makes it even worse. And The Times just printed it without question. Because the Conservative Party told them to.🙄 22/26 26011
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialEmma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 04/07/2025So yes, if you ignore the fact there were 109K Somalia-born people living in the UK in 2021 And you ignore the next 4 years of arrivals, taking it to ~176K And you decide only the 2130 Somali passport holders in 2021 count THEN you can claim 12% of them are in prison👍🏼🙄 16/26 1404
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialEmma Monk @monkemma.bsky.social · 04/07/2025Right, so I was asked to take a look at this headline and as you can imagine, there is a lot wrong with it! 🙄 This was initially published in @thetimes and then picked up by the usual GB News, DM, Telegraph etc Let’s take a look….👀 🧵 1/26 (1/1) 18343175
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.social🍁🇨🇦Team Canada Forever🇨🇦🍁 @teamcanadaforever.bsky.social · 15/06/2025Honestly I still can’t stop laughing 😂😅🤣 20243757912105
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialJacob Öberg @profjacob.bsky.social · 05/05/2025🚨🚨 An "inverse" #brexitbenefit: British scientists are “over the moon” to be back in the EU’s flagship science research programme Horizon after a three-year #Brexit lockout, with new data revealing they have been awarded about £500m in grants since re-entry. 🧵 www.theguardian.com/science/2025...theguardian.comUK wins £500m in science grants from EU Horizon scheme after Brexit lockoutExclusive: British scientists ‘over the moon’ with re-entry to funding scheme after losing out for three years 11358147
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialThe Onion @theonion.com · 05/05/2025ICE Opens New Supermax Detention Center For Most Hardened Toddlers theonion.com/ice-ope... 246106712010
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialMina Kimes @minakimes.bsky.social · 05/05/2025Love how the economy is becoming a Russian nesting doll of tech companies built to solve the problems created by other tech companies www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/t... 19680601547
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialThe Onion @theonion.com · 20/04/2025Returning Jesus Christ Downed By U.S. Missile Defense 30,000 Feet Before Making Landfall 323180612971
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialmtsw @mtsw.bsky.social · 21/04/2025Costco is a really popular subject for business-success case studies but I feel like business guys kinda lose interest when the upshot of the study is like "just operate with scrupulous integrity in all facets and levels of your business for four decades" and not some easy-to-fix gimmick 190149552748
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 20/04/2025Bert Jenrick is the politician of the future: no consistency, any methods, will say absolutely anything because he knows that in the modern information environment he will get away with it. 734466
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialIt’s a floor wax and a dessert topping! @pipercat.bsky.social · 14/04/2025Killing your child to own the libs 32656
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialThe Onion @theonion.com · 04/04/2025Parents Gently Explain To Child That Their Money In Heaven Nowtheonion.comParents Gently Explain To Child That Their Money In Heaven NowHUNTSVILLE, AL—In an effort to comfort the child by telling her the funds had gone to a far better place, local parents Blake and Allison McKee gently explained to their daughter Friday that their mon... 158182563415
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialJames Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 04/04/20251) Fox News is for real not showing stock-market ticker during this week's collapse. 2) Its economic news is "strong jobs report." 3) Every time I've checked in today, the coverage has been "illegal immigrants committing new crimes." This is state propaganda, on a par with North Korea or PRC. 12143961010180
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialGeorge Takei @georgetakei.bsky.social · 04/04/2025Gen Z and Millennials: In ten years when we’re still without a cure and you’re caring for your parents, remember what he did. 13614120312253
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialJim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 01/04/2025Minimum wage for a 9-5 full time job (40 hours a week) is, as of today, £25,396 a year for anyone over 21. Which is why it's amazing to see journalism jobs requiring a degree, job experience, and driving licence advertised at a "competitive salary" of £22,380. tindlenews.co.uk/careers/jour...tindlenews.co.ukReporter, South Hams Gazette - Tindle NewsThe South Hams Gazette team is looking for a qualified Reporter who can deliver rich multimedia articles and videos 60851319
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAmyville Hoyrror @amyhoy.bsky.social · 03/04/2025guess where they got their weird trade deficit math from? i went to the pit for y'all and brought back the screenshots with alt text 622431622
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialChris Murphy @chrismurphyct.bsky.social · 03/04/2025Those trying to understand the tariffs as economic policy are dangerously naive. No, the tariffs are a tool to collapse our democracy. A means to compel loyalty from every business that will need to petition Trump for relief. 1/ A 🧵 to explain his plan and how we fight back. 9052799613787
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 21/03/2025Good thread. I’d add: Labour thinks they ARE giving its target voters loads of reasons to vote for it, whether it is renters’ rights, leasehold reform, the employment rights bill. But in the main these are things that people just “bank” and don’t reward incumbents for. 2634770
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialKelly @wanderwomannc.bsky.social · 20/03/2025If we’re imprisoning people with tattoos related to extremists… 61167
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialDan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 21/03/2025On Wednesday we published an interactive map showing the tens of thousands of UK companies hiding their beneficial owner. It's now updated - with filters and search functions. In this thread I use it to uncover a truly shocking and unexpected case of hidden ownership. 17502231
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialSpooky Snigdha @snig.bsky.social · 03/02/2025At the National Cryptologic Museum, they have covered up with brown paper the photos of Women in American Cryptology. Deleting the achievements and contribution of women, because Trump is a pathetic man-baby. H/T @genmhayden.bsky.social 13710
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialemptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 15/03/2025The richest man in the world took over $5K out of this guy's bank account, claiming he was dead. The richest man in the world said he was saving money. He was not dead.seattletimes.comI found a ‘dead’ person collecting Social Security in Seattle“Dead” Ned Johnson turns out to be very much alive. It took him weeks to convince the system he was breathing and to start clawing his benefits back. 14224303017224
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 13/03/2025So what I think is interesting is 'the Starmer government is more rightwing than New Labour/is no change from the Tories' is just not true. But (IMO unsurprisingly) people care a lot more about social policy than they do about the labour market, renters' rights, who owns the railways, etc. 1925741
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialIan Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 03/03/2025This unspeakable piece of shit has been sucking up to Putin since the early 'don't-poke-the Russian-bear' days of the invasion. It seems he's now set on torching his own domestic reputation as part of his slavish devotion. 1531385285
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialMartin Matishak @martinmatishak.bsky.social · 28/02/2025EXCLUSIVE: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth last week ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions. On @therecordmedia.bsky.social therecord.media/hegseth-orde...therecord.mediaExclusive: Hegseth orders Cyber Command to stand down on Russia planningThe secretary of Defense has ordered U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions, sources tell Recorded Future News. 88384274873
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAdam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 26/02/2025Elon Musk, who calls millions of US federal workers "incompetent", says he "accidentally cancelled" Ebola prevention. 525070
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAdam Schwarz @adamjschwarz.bsky.social · 26/02/2025Elon Musk tells the Trump Cabinet: "We will make mistakes... With USAID, one of the things we accidentally cancelled was Ebola prevention." 5613774
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialdave ❄️ 🥕 🧻 @davemacleod.bsky.social · 13/02/2025“there are Neville Chamberlain’s in every generation” George Monbiot’s takedown of Matt Goodwin and the Reform party is a thing of beauty 👏 #bbcqt 1503319954
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAdam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 02/02/2025The first image is a slogan used by an increasingly extreme right-wing party trying to whip up fears about "alien" incomers, for electoral gain. The second image is the same slogan used by Britain First www.adambienkov.co.uk/p/donald-tru... 15405118
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialReform Party UK Exposed @reformexposed.bsky.social · 18/01/2025Andrea Jenkyns, Eco Zealot? Reform UK’s Andrea Jenkyns and also Reform UK’s Andrea Jenkyns. Are solar farms ‘a blight to the countryside, net zero madness’ or ‘fantastic leadership and innovation’, Andrea? 77128
Reposted by @lazerspewpewpew.bsky.socialAdam Bienkov @adambienkov.bsky.social · 18/01/2025Remember all these headlines describing a brief rise in government borrowing costs as being "market mayhem", followed by a week of demands for Rachel Reeves to quit? Well one week later and it turns out UK gilts are now outperforming every other G7 country this year, aside from the US 1312509824
![chatgpt log:
What would be an easy way to calculate the tariffs that should be imposed on other countries so that the US is on even-playing fields when it comes to trade deficit? Set minimum at 10%.
Reasoned about trade tariffs and deficits for 10 seconds v
A straightforward (if naïve) method is to set the tariff rate for each trading partner equal to the percentage share of the trade deficit relative to that country's total imports-always no less than 10%. In formula form:
Tariff Rate (%) = max(10, (Trade Deficit ÷ Total Imports) *
100)
For example, if the US runs a $20 billion deficit on $100 billion worth of imports from a country, the calculated rate is (20/100)×100 = 20%. If the deficit were only 5%, you'd still impose a 10% floor.
This method ignores the intricate dynamics of international trade-such as elasticities, retaliatory measures, and supply chain nuances-but it provides a blunt, proportional rule to "level the playing field." One might implement it in Python like so:
[code]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:iyz5zf463ic52vqbonyu2ebu/bafkreigbalqxjorllnpelbwe5kcla5fdedxvgv3cicxdsrbdxarodif5ba)
![Grok:
the deficit. The deficit as a percentage of total trade is
$295B/$582B = 50.69%. Using the formula Tariff% = 10% +
(Deficit% × Scaling Factor), we choose a scaling factor of 50 for illustration:
• Tariff = 10% + (50.69% × 50) = 10% + 25.345% = 35.345%, rounded to 35.3%.
This means a 35.3% tariff on Chinese goods could be proposed to offset the imbalance, aiming to reduce imports and encourage domestic production or exports.
Extending to Other Countries
To provide a broader view, here's a table of top US trading partners with 2024 deficits, using data from The Motley Fool and similar calculations (assuming scaling factor of 50 for consistency):
[data table headings]
Country
Deficit
(USD
Billion)
Total
Trade
(USD
Billion)
Deficit %
Calculate d Tariff %
China
-295
582
50.69%
35.3%
Mexico
-172
840
20.48%
20.2%
Vietnam
-123
(Data incomplet e, estimate)
~30%
25.0%
Ireland
-87
(Data incomplet e, estimate)
~25%
22.5%
Germany
-85
(Data incomplete estimate)
~20%
20.0%](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:iyz5zf463ic52vqbonyu2ebu/bafkreietqlxsi5akdrvtp2rwqpc6kt6g6bbb2dppqcfn2j4q7xkofn4f4y)
