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Mark Braund

@markbraund.substack.com
564 followers 816 following 1.1K posts

Politics, Economics, Culture, Music & Wine (DipWSET, no less) Writer of fiction: bloomsbury.substack.com and non-fiction: markbraund.substack.com winestories.substack.com theguardian.com/profile/markbraund

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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/09/2026
Update: I'm running 19k tomorrow. Yikes. At least the weather's look good. Please support this wonderful cause if you can.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 24/09/2026
Last day at Lord's for me this season. So glad my dad, now 87, was able to come, 51 years since he first took me. I remember that day like it was yesterday, not least because John Edrich scored a sublime century off Lillee and Thompson in their pomp. #cricket #lords
John Edrich batting for England vs Australiaat Lord's, 2nd August 1975. Photo: Patrick Eagar.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 24/09/2026
The sky at London Bridge right now. The photo doesn't do it justice, alas.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 23/09/2026
That's my evening sorted. My copy of Tears in Time, the new album by Peter Hammill, has just been delivered, two days ahead of the release date! There's nothing like a first listen on vinyl. burningshed.com/peter-hammil...
burningshed.com
Tears In Time
2026's Tears In Time represents PH's first new work in five years. CD.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 22/09/2026
If only more world leaders were as switched on to what's happening, and why, as António Guterres, then we might have a chance of getting out of the mess we're in. This sounds like a brilliant speech. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Superpowers cannot solve world’s problems, UN chief says in final general assembly address
António Guterres says humanity faces unprecedented convergence of threats but mechanisms for collective action are under growing strain
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 19/09/2026
I'm running 10k next weekend, which is ridiculous for someone of my age. So please support this wonderful cause if you can. Every day, Anthony Nolan gives four people a second chance of life by facilitating a stem cell transplant. 2026vitalitylondon10000.enthuse.com/pf/mark-braund
2026vitalitylondon10000.enthuse.com
Mark is raising money for Anthony Nolan
For the first time in a decade, I'm running to raise money for Anthony Nolan, a brilliant charity which directly saves lives. Every day, the great team at Anthony Nolan gives four people who would oth
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 12/09/2026
New post from me looking at AI, the apparently unstoppable force that is overtaking all our lives, through the eyes of the great economist John Maynard Keynes. markbraund.substack.com/p/keynes-and...
markbraund.substack.com
Keynes and AI
The great economist would have much to say about the choices we face
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 08/09/2026
There isn't a level of obscene wealth that is enough for these psychos. They spend their lives extracting wealth created by others from the economy and then move on to the next target to minimise their tax liability. www.theguardian.com/news/2026/se...
theguardian.com
Billionaire Chris Rokos, who paid £330m in tax last year, to quit UK
Hedge fund tycoon is latest financier to exit amid fears among super-rich over tax rises
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 04/09/2026
A new (old) piece from me to mark the demise of the BBC’s Sunday afternoon ski programme Ski Sunday. Although as you’ll read, that once great show rather lost its way years ago, an early victim of our ever-decreasing attention spans. markbraund.substack.com/p/farewell-s...
markbraund.substack.com
Farewell Ski Sunday
although the BBC’s Sunday afternoon skiing show lost its way years ago
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 04/09/2026
It's a great shame that the BBC has chosen to axe Ski Sunday after 50 years, but in truth Ski Sunday lost its way years ago, as I wrote for The Guardian back in 2008. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Ski-less Sunday
Why on earth has the BBC dumbed down its flagship winter sports show? I feel totally patronised
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 04/09/2026
Fabulous obituary by Yvonne Roberts of the great Gloria Steinem - someone who did more to improve the world that I grew up in than possibly anyone else. www.theguardian.com/world/2026/s...
theguardian.com
Gloria Steinem obituary
Unflinching campaigner for women’s and civil rights who galvanised a generation of activists
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 29/08/2026
'In farcical scenes, play was eventually abandoned at 18:30 in the best weather of the day to boos from the remaining spectators. There was potential for another hour to be used.' BBC Yep, I was there. Once again, test cricket shoots itself in the foot. www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricke...
bbc.co.uk
England vs Pakistan: Dan Lawrence impresses as weather disrupts second Test at Lord's
Dan Lawrence impresses in devilishly difficult batting conditions to advance England’s push for a series win over Pakistan on a weather-hit third day of the second Test.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 27/08/2026
Very important piece by @annpettifor.bsky.social. It feels like we’re running out of time to avoid the most damaging collision of financial and political crises in a century. annpettifor.substack.com/p/trump-is-t...
annpettifor.substack.com
Trump is Threatening to Take Us All Down
Having catastrophically lost the war on Iran, he now declares economic war on the world.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 27/08/2026
Very sensible article by @michaelujacobs.bsky.social on the Jackdaw and Rosebank drilling license decision. I think he's right: yes to Jackdaw, no to Rosebank, unless Rosebank's developers commit to carbon capture and storage (which they won't). www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Can Burnham justify giving the go ahead to oil drilling? Yes, but these must be the conditions | Michael Jacobs
Carbon capture and storage could make the Rosebank site compatible with UK net zero commitments – if its owners are willing to pay the price, says economist Michael Jacobs
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 27/08/2026
Brilliant piece of journalism from @zoesqwilliams.bsky.social. And great that she mentions Andrew Lobaczewski, whose crucial ideas are never discussed in the mainstream media, or anywhere else for that matter. www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
How to spot a psychopath: ‘It’s like the difference between a domestic cat and a wild cat’
People with persistent predatory personalities cause an inordinate amount of pain. Recently, our shared understanding of them has grown – and it could help protect us
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 18/08/2026
New post from me. Well, actually it’s an old piece, but it still holds up, so perhaps it'll find a new audience. I wrote it to to show how far politics had shifted to the right since Richard Nixon was president. 20 years on .... markbraund.substack.com/p/nixon-the-...
markbraund.substack.com
Nixon, the Lefty
A closer look at his presidential record reveals how far to the right politics has shifted in recent years.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 11/08/2026
Beggars belief that Barnstaple Hospital (where three of my grandparents ended their days) is being described as remote. North Devon has several mid-sized towns that used to have their own maternity provision. Now women have to go to Exeter?! It's criminal. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
Doctors at remote Devon hospital get ‘crash course’ after maternity unit shut
Staff at North Devon district hospital given training in difficult births in case mothers-to-be cannot get to Exeter
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 10/08/2026
I'm with @bearlypolitics.co.uk. Pride is a celebration of the greatest human rights achievement in Britain in my lifetime. If people on the right choose to feel antagonised, then they need to explain why the rights they claim should be denied to many of my friends.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 06/08/2026
Sometimes you see a headline and you just think, Jesus, this is so f***ing obvious, was it really necessary to spend money researching it? www.theguardian.com/science/2026...
theguardian.com
E-scooters far more dangerous than motorbikes or cycles, analysis suggests
Study of accidents in England and Wales shows e-scooter riders three times more likely to suffer traumatic brain injury than bikers
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Sheryl Weikal says Prosecute ICE @leftistlawyer.com · 03/08/2026
None of us is more important than a Palestinian child being bombed by Israel, or a Sudanese woman being assaulted by the RSF, or a Congolese child being enslaved so you can use a smartphone and AI, or an immigrant being tortured in ICE detention, or a detainee in Riker's who can't afford bail.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 30/07/2026
And we can now safely assume that he went home and took it out on his wife.
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Mic Wright @brokenbottleboy.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Anthropic shredding millions of rare books should be a crime. It’s also a perfect encapsulation of what utter shit generative AI is and how it fundamentally makes the world worse.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 29/07/2026
New post from me explaining why banks are a special case and should therefore be taxed more heavily than other businesses. markbraund.substack.com/p/jamie-dimo...
markbraund.substack.com
Jamie Dimon really doesn't get it
Banks like J.P. Morgan sit at the heart of our dysfunctional economy but make very little contribution to the creation of new wealth
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 29/07/2026
@rafaelbehr.bsky.social at his absolute best in @theguardian.com today, especially in his analysis of Trumpian far-right anti-free market capitalism. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Suddenly the British right feels a political chill. It’s getting cold in Andy Burnham’s shadow | Rafael Behr
The Tories and Reform had it easy when Keir Starmer was self-destructing – but a new PM with ideas exposes how vacant the opposition has become, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
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London & Southeast🔅 @thesnowdreamer.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Today experienced the 24th day of year hitting 30C in London. For perspective in whole of 1980s we had 21 days.
static.klipy.com
The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
ALT: The Office: Woman Holding 'HOT' Sign
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 27/07/2026
Fifty years ago, when I was laughing my head off at The Goodies, I never thought I'd one day be a member of the very institution they lampoon so hilariously here. RIP the great Bill Oddie www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdf...
youtube.com
The M.C.C Reserve | The Goodies
YouTube video by Goodies Clips - Any Clips, Any Time
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
Proper leadership, and he's not even the leader. www.theguardian.com/business/202...
theguardian.com
Ed Miliband indicates development and climate will be at heart of UK foreign policy
Exclusive: Foreign secretary to take up World Bank seat and play active role in shaping changes to global lender
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Peter du Toit @peterdutoit.com · 26/07/2026
You see everything is connected. The marine heatwaves off the coasts of Europe make heatwaves on land more intense, which in turn dries out vegetation, which then creates perfect fire weather conditions. Brought to you by the world's refusal to drastically reduce the burning of fossil fuels.
eu-space.europa.eu
Ongoing marine heatwave in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea | EU Space Support Office
In late May 2026, several countries in Western Europe faced above-average temperatures. During the same period, large areas of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea also recorded above-average ...
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
My standard FT subscription won't let me read this. But it's a clear indication of what happens as we move rapidly towards a two-tier economy in which wealth creation no longer depends on human labour. It will tear a massive hole in social fabric, and politicians are nowhere near acknowledging it.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
For far too long, the United States has been ambivalent about its war dead, and wounded veterans. But this is beyond the pale. RIP Isabella Gonzalez, you immensely brave young woman. You will not be forgotten.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
But it's the occasional exception that proves the rule. C'mon Andy!
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
What a fabulous picture! I was just 9 days old when Campbell broke the record, but grew up hearing all about his exploits, and those of his father from my dad, especially on holidays in the Lake District.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 26/07/2026
Great that Peter Hammill is getting the recognition he deserves. I've always thought that he'll be remembered in centuries to come long after the Ed Sheerans of this world have been forgotten. Not sure how he'd feel about such an accolade from Mr Clarkson, but hey. www.thetimes.com/article/c533...
thetimes.com
Jeremy Clarkson: The tech bros should really be funding prog rock
If we don’t give the next musical genius enough money to create their 23-minute epic, we’ll be forever stuck with Adele
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 25/07/2026
The @economist.com unwittingly makes the case for a Land Value Tax #lvt
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 25/07/2026
I knew of Guy Scott, but not how he came to be President. What a fascinating story, and a remarkable life. Great obituary by @stephenkb.bsky.social.
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Ros Taylor @rostaylor.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Well, he can tell the country what he’s up to, so that’s a start.
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Phil Tinline @philtinline.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
This is why the "B..but he stood for leader before and lost! Twice!" discourse was so dumb. Maybe people staying in politics when they lose or fail & sticking at it makes them...better? If we applied today's norms on when you're meant to leave politics, Churchill would've been gone after Gallipoli
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 25/07/2026
And I wonder if @sofasound.bsky.social ever reads reviews?
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 25/07/2026
Sending my latest substack post to @stuartmaconie.bsky.social, who put together a fantastic prom last weekend, which features large in this round-up of six excellent concerts I had the privilege if attending over the last fortnight. markbraund.substack.com/p/in-praise-...
markbraund.substack.com
In Praise of Prog Rock
A fortnight of sublime music that I'm writing about in the hope it'll cheer you up as much as it did me
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 24/07/2026
A long read for the weekend, inspired by six wonderful concerts I’ve had the pleasure of attending over the last fortnight. Enjoy! markbraund.substack.com/p/in-praise-...
markbraund.substack.com
In Praise of Prog
A fortnight of sublime music that I'm writing about in the hope it'll cheer you up as much as it did me
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 22/07/2026
@wigmore-hall.org.uk Hello, I really enjoyed the Jean Rondeau concert last evening. Do you by any chance the know the name of the piece he played for the encore? Many thanks.
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Sir Basil @sirbasil.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Andy Burnham is suggesting "honesty" in UK politics. OK, I'll start.... -Brexit has made us much weaker -Well-organised immigration is a boon and not a bane -big money in politics and our media is destroying the UK
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 20/07/2026
She's dead right. And all of it is perfectly doable, and would already be happening in truly civilized society. C'Mon Andy.
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Reversed, wrong-headed, lied; unhinged, wrong-headed, deprived.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 20/07/2026
'No such danger for Peter Hammill. At 77 he was in mighty voice singing the poignant Refugees.' Great review of Saturday's Prog prom in today's Times, including a photo of Peter in full flight. Copying in @sofasound.bsky.social just in case. www.thetimes.com/culture/musi...
thetimes.com
Prog Rock Prom review — symphonic ambition and bangin’ tunes
The Proms celebrated the golden age of prog rock with new orchestral arrangements of songs by Jethro Tull, Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd and Emerson, Lake & Palmer
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Hilary Fawcett @hboomer.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
One of the worst things about the revolving door of party leadership is that it affords Chris Mason an arena in which to deliver his tedious and banal commentary on it all
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 20/07/2026
As Andy Burnham becomes Prime Minister, a new piece from me on Burnham's previous support for land value tax as part of a wider strategy to get the economy working again and enabling everyone to earn a decent living by effective participation in the economy. markbraund.substack.com/p/andy-burnh...
markbraund.substack.com
Andy Burnham and Land Value Tax
Will Britain's new Prime Minister have the courage of his convictions?
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 20/07/2026
She's a friend of mine, but in a way it's even more rewarding when someone you've known for many years takes the time to read something you've written, and recommend it. Thanks Luci.
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Mark Braund @markbraund.substack.com · 19/07/2026
Great open letter to the incoming Chancellor of the Exchequer by the Resolution Foundation’s @ruthcurtice.bsky.social Let’s hope whoever it is, (s)he takes Ruth’s advice onboard. resolutionfoundation.substack.com/p/the-three-...
resolutionfoundation.substack.com
The three steps needed to climb out of the UK’s fiscal hole
Ruth Curtice shares her advice for the next Chancellor, who's about to step into a deep, and growing, hole.
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Keith Knight @keithjknight.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
The Prog Prom tonight at the Royal Albert Hall was quite something. On BBC Four next Friday. Peter Hammill’s performance of Refugees was sensational
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