iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

If we want to avoid cliff-edges, how about moving to a tax system based on a universal basic income, so that low-paid workers don't suffer a huge effective rate of tax as benefits are removed? Isn't that higher priority than a cliff-edge at £100k?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I think he's scared of upsetting the Unions, especially Unite. Sharon Graham has been banging on about approving Rosebank and Jackdaw.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

What action will be taken against Victoria Derbyshire, for ambushing Mr Polanski using texts arriving from unverified "Reform supporters"? How do you know you weren't quoting malicious bots? Not the behaviour expected of a professional and impartial news programme.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Why would Gen Z feel a strong attachment to an EU membership that most of them barely experienced as adults? They'll become more engaged when those who know become more motivated to explain the benefits to them.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

The notion that FPTP delivers "strong" or "stable" Government has been comprehensively exploded. All FPTP can ever guarantee is partisan Government, that fails to distil collective aspects of the will of voters.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 17/05/2026

(1) PIP is an enabler of work, not a disincentive. (2) The application process is highly skewed in favour of rejection - ask anyone who has been through it. (3) Her graph does not show an impending budget crisis. (4) The UK's ~12% spend on social security is very low - the EU average is ~25%.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

Burnham has put himself ahead of both his party and the country, by choosing to create the risk of Reform winning this seat. The Green party should stand, to show itself as a confident political force rather than a fringe player hoping for a long chain of events outside its control.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

The tough Makerfield by-election only exists because Burnham and Streeting want it to. If Wes saw a risk of a candidate being selected to prop up Starmer, he could have avoided that by just shutting up and getting on with his job.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

Burnham will end up looking even more self-obsessed than Streeting. Even if he wins Makerfield and Labour retains the Manchester mayoralty, how does he think it'll go if he rocks up in Westminster on day 1, tries to rewrite Government policy on day 2 and launches a leadership bid on day 3?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

It's striking that nobody in Team Streeting has explained how his policy platform would actually differ from the current one. "I should be PM because I've been on more media training courses than Keir" won't cut it - Streeting is a superficial opportunist to avoid.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 13/05/2026

I think you're right, in which case his leadership bid would be compromised by a lack of substance. "Same policies, better comms" is not a defensible reason to change a PM between elections.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

It is with a heavy heart that we must tell Zubir that he has been done up like a kipper by Team Streeting.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

EU membership was never a top voter priority prior to 2016. The referendum was called because the question was existential for the Conservative party, not the electorate. Citing rejoin in an election manifesto, alongside other major policies, would therefore be perfectly legitimate.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Lucy can easily stop marmite Nigel walking into Downing St, by changing the voting system. Will she adopt PR, or will she pretend that the only way to stop Reform is to vote Labour under FPTP?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

The notion that our defence spending is too low because our benefits are too high is preposterous. The UK spends just under 11% of GDP on social benefits. By comparison, the EU average (population-weighted) is ~27%. See www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

euronews.com

Social benefits: Which EU countries spend the most?

With pensions, social housing, unemployment benefits, medical care, and disability support, Europe has among the best social protections in the world. But which EU countries are the most generous when...

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

So, students, which of these actions is reckless: (a) breaking off negotiations for no reason, starting an illegal war and killing 175 school children; (b) responding to (a) by closing the Strait of Hormuz. The correct answer is (b), because that reduces Yvette Cooper's popularity.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Has she tried switching herself off and rebooting?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

They had a good ambassador in place already, who would have dealt with Trump professionally. But instead they got carried away, leading to the most predictable of disasters. In this case, it should have been easy to be wise before the event.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Ed Davey is a monotonic communicator with no political flair. His vibe is too similar to Sunak and Starmer, offering only minor tweaks in response to structural popular disaffection. Polanski may or may not be right, but unlike Ed he gets the need to be radical, clear and distinctive.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 30/01/2026

Most voters will accept that change takes time - it's the sense of incompetence that has caused the unpopularity, driven by the many U-turns and the apparent lack of a coherent philosophy or plan.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

It'd be better to adapt to smartphones by exploiting their benefits while mitigating the downside. Instead, Bridget pledges a sweeping and simplistic ban, to chase a few Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells votes that she'll never win anyway. Must try harder.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

The election should not be about Keir Starmer. If Eluned wins it will be all down to her, but if she loses it will of course be all Keir's fault. Oh yes.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 22/01/2026

Labour should stamp on this sort of media interpretation, that links Gwynne's retirement to Burnham's ambitions. Otherwise, voters will feel like they're being used as pawns, making a by-election defeat likely and making the party look self-obsessed.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

Monopolising attention is a unifying theme - long rambling speeches and late-night social media bombshells both do the job.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 21/01/2026

They have no intention of fixing that list, because their vote depends on the discontent caused by maintaining it, as Jenrick did when he was in office.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 16/01/2026

Trying to outflank Jenrick on immigration will not win right-wing votes for Labour, but it will lose left-of-centre votes. If the Cabinet still doesn't realise that, there's no hope for them.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

If there was any doubt that Reform is a rehab clinic for failed Tory politicians, this dispels it.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 05/01/2026

After bravely waiting for Spain and France to lead the way, Sir Keir decides that it must finally be OK to support Denmark.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 12/12/2025

What arrogance, to claim that your personal opinion is something that "everyone" can see. I see Shabana Mahmood as an opportunistic careerist whose crass characterisations of immigrants reveal her lack of moral or intellectual depth. I may be wrong, but do not tell me what I think.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 08/12/2025

Lest we forget Nick Timothy's "pedigree", he and Fiona Hill ran No. 10 during the early part of May's premiership. Their abusive, dictatorial approach led to them being forced out, after her terrible 2017 election campaign that they oversaw.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 18/11/2025

While Westminster lobby correspondents may equate Mahmood's charmless put-downs to a "strong performance", they said exactly the same about Penny Mordaunt's cringeworthy attempts at being "feisty". All Mahmood is really showing is that she's a thin-skinned, overpromoted lightweight.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Maybe, though if the rumour originated from the media, why didn't Rachel Reeves take the many opportunities she was given to scotch it? I think she floated a rise in income tax (which I'd personally agree with), but she & Starmer have been scared into a u-turn by the backbench reaction.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

Much of it comes from Government leaks that the media then pass on. That isn't communication - it's a surreptitious attempt to test public opinion that reveals Govt's lack of underlying conviction.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 14/11/2025

They have no strategic plan and no faith in their ability to defend a clear set of political choices. Instead, they keep leaking ideas in the forlorn hope of finding a tactical compromise that won't upset anybody too much. The result is inevitable: A sense that their indecision is final!

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 13/11/2025

The general public were the geniuses - their determination to vote out the Conservatives led to a level of tactical voting never seen before, hence the "loveless landslide". McSweeney is just another in a long line of overhyped "strategists".

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Yes, inequality in income should be reduced by slicing the cake differently. But that wouldn't be enough. To get back to 2008 in real terms, the cake would also need to become larger. That's because, unfortunately, UK growth has not kept pace with inflation during the past 15 years.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Planners, architects, scientists, engineers, economists, intelligence analysts, digital experts, lawyers, statisticians, accountants, actuaries and vets. All of these skills require many years of specialist study to develop and maintain. Is that enough for you?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 06/11/2025

Agree. They reference their claim back to 2008 (an arbitrary choice), but all public sector workers have had significant real-terms cuts since then. The BMA knows its claim is unrealistic given current Govt finances, but it's currently dominated by agitators who have a wider agenda.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

Indeed - perhaps he might also want to preserve his chance for a lucrative "non-exec advisory" role after finishing up at Ofgem!

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 31/10/2025

While we wait for more renewables, why can't Ofgem just change the linkage to max Dutch gas price ? What is sacrosanct about that?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 26/10/2025

When Kamala was asked what she would have done differently to Biden, she said "nothing". In that moment, she showed that she was a only a follower, incapable of addressing the disenchantment that was leading US voters to return to Trump. If she runs again, it should only be for VP.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Tory voters defying the Bible there - who knew it was easier for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God than for camel to pass through the eye of a needle?

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Starmer will never take a clear stance on issues like this, because he tries to interpolate public opinion rather than leading it. He doesn't want to give up on any group of voters, even racists. It won't work, because tactical silence doesn't win trust from anybody.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Green policies imply modest redistribution of the wealth of owners of right-wing newspapers and their billionaire friends. This is terribly "grave", and must therefore be taken seriously.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 21/10/2025

Spot-on. Labour should have called out Hunt's NI cut as a dishonest bribe. But they were terrified of telling voters the truth, so Reeves made her ridiculous pledge to get elected at any cost. The subsequent clownshow has been the inevitable consequence.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 08/10/2025

For first time buyers, there's already no stamp duty up to £300,000 and only 5% from £300,000-£500,000. So the only young people this will help are twentysomething hedge fund managers or those being bankrolled by very wealthy parents.

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James Murphy @murphy-jm.bsky.social · 07/10/2025

Strangely, Robert failed to confirm how many residents of Tunbridge Wells and Wimborne St Giles he will be relocating to Handsworth, and vice versa. I'm sure this was just an unfortunate oversight.

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