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Simon Jeffrey

@simonjeffrey.bsky.social
512 followers 701 following 2.5K posts

Personal opinions about transport and devolution policy.

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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This triple-lock policy seems a lot of pain for not much gain. Does seem to hit poorer pensioners harder than rich ones. Remain convinced protecting the triple local but adding a ‘hypothecated 2p Health + Social Care levy’ for over-65s would be much easier.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
This really is a great discussion. A must-listen. So much fuzzy data and thinking on the transition. So many great business ideas (and earnings of bad ones) to make use of that rejected heat too - especially for a country facing punishing energy costs.
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Jonny Marshall @jonnymarshall.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
It's fairer too. Funding investment through the tax system would lead to a much flatter burden on households across the income distribution than using energy bill standing charges or unit rates
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Jonny Marshall @jonnymarshall.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
A good move. Within a decade, the cost of financing new assets – not fuel costs – will be the main driver of electricity prices: by 2035, capital is set to make up over half of power system costs, up from 8 per cent in 2025
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
British soft power: Channel 5 hires Michael Palin for a 3-part series on the Philippines. Takes in a tour of the presidential palace that ends up hosted by the current President, Bong Bong Marcos who does it on condition of asking one question: ‘what inspired the Python fish slapping dance??’
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Borners @borners.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
The UK isn't an especially homeownership oriented society. Its Germany and co who are weird. UK is also one less than 10 societies in the world where social housing exceeds 10% of total stock.
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Gavin Jackson @gavinjackson.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
British household wealth is probably more exposed to financial assets, through private pensions as well as directly, than to property nowadays.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
Such a huge red flag for wrong'uns. Traffic police and punishing offences should be a much higher priority. Cars with ghost plates and drivers with no-license/insurance on motorways are an important enabler of serious criminal enterprise using cars and motorways.
bbc.co.uk
Thousands of illegal ghost plates on cars revealed by new cameras
Illegal registration plates are far too easy to get hold of and are putting the public at risk, BBC is told.
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Banjon @beardybanjo.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
"what if we continued the work of George Osborne to hollow out the broad tax base, but with lefist vibes?"
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Never got why some people so wound up about this. Financial doping was Arsene Wenger cope. Rich owners buying football clubs to pump money in for prestige is football heritage, the genesis of the professionalism.
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Andy Bruce (Reuters) @bruceandy.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
October 2016
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
FFS
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Joel Budd @joelbudd.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Pricing environmental actions is really hard! If the payments regime is new, which this one is, demand will be extremely hard to forecast. And a bad growing season like the one we have just had will drive more farmers to the environmental schemes. Auctions might be better.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Quite stunned to find Janos Kornai’s analysis of Soviet Union economic incentives and their failings pop up as theoretical underpinning for challenges facing effective club rugby administration. Soft budget constraints and input hoarding under uncertainty directly referenced.
thetimes.com
We know what it’s like to run rugby clubs. This Soviet system doesn’t work
From Ireland to Australia, clubs operate in a centrally planned economy where no one has the incentive to make the professional game a success
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Logic extends to richer pensioners, who should pay at least as much tax on their asset income as workers. Over a few years bringing NI down to 4p and a new 'Health and Social Care Levy' for anyone collecting state pension up to 4p would be good.
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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
I remain really uneasy about this.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
The state of 65-year-olds these days. I really need to rejoin the gym.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Great to see financial devolution attention. It's crucial. The benefits of fiscal devolution are in large part that it enables Mayors to do the borrowing they need to use the powers they've been given, while also exposing those plans and delivery to an up front and ongoing external challenge.
thinklabour.co.uk
Gas, water and bonds - the Labour case for a municipal bond market • ThinkLabour
ThinkLabour is a think tank working at the heart of British politics to support the Labour movement with research, strategy, and policy development.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Unis probably need something like what social housing sector got after that sectors long term price control on rents drove them into deficits. 10yr catch up to costs equalisation. But limit to courses with strong repayment rates.
independent.co.uk
Top universities should be able to charge more, says head of Russell Group
Raising fees would mark the biggest structural shift for British education finance in more than a decade
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
Aware I’m doing the ‘guy who has only seen ‘Boss Baby’ meme, but reminded of Lib Dem structural challenges in Mayoral elections. Structurally a waste of time trying to win as nothing you can or should say. So ‘winning’ needs to mean something else. So far nothing tried, no prices of endorsement set.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 20/09/2026
I like the Premier League offer here. Wonder if it might not be close to a free lunch (for net spenders at least) if funding it via a higher levy on transfers (4>6%) sees the some of the incidence falls on foreign clubs selling to Premier League and the ‘English tax’ they put on transfer fees.
dailymail.com
Carabao Cup change among Premier League plans to end EFL stalemate
MIKE KEEGAN: It can also be revealed that the two sides are currently around £27m apart but there is growing confidence a deal can be struck.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Looks like another incredible atmosphere for Vannes, playing this home game against the giants Toulouse in front of 30k fans up the road in Rennes. And 10-0 up. Deep envy of the Top14. English rugby uion has been so poorly run over previous… centuries?
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Ant Breach @antbreach.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Some great charts in this Given our welfare system is not very contributory, big Qs for British policymakers here on how we get more women into paid work if we want immigration to be fiscally positive
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Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 19/09/2026
As someone in that market who would love to take on a young grad the various taxes and wage pressures and cost of training mean an experienced grad with five years experience is available and a better choice and a better use of a bit more money. Which I really hate.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Agree with this. But would be much better for Labour to get in front on the inheritance tax issue, claim the credit to reform the system to be more efficient and fairer.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
‘We must block those new houses to preserve the neighbourhood family character’.
static.klipy.com
Monkeys Paw Grabs
ALT: Monkeys Paw Grabs
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Quite excited to see if a 10-yr SAHP, funding much bigger portfolios with Mayors playing a bigger role, and planning reforms finally get modular resi off the ground in England with enough demand to justify the factories.
reds10.com
Reds10 Developments Launches - Reds10
Reds10 Group Launches Reds10 Developments to deliver affordable homes at scale, combining development expertise with industrialised construction.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Interesting paper on potential reforms within PIP to more closely align to different levels of disability.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Think I’ve accidentally talked myself of into the C and UK bit of CANZUK from first principles. And only from the unique geopolitcal and economic situation UK and Canada find themselves in - middle power neighbours across the North Atlantic estranged from their continental bloc.
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Chris Giles @chrisgiles.ft.com · 16/09/2026
Strikes me as an attempt to persuade (some) people it isn't borrowing alongside a beauracracy that will get a lot of lobbying by defence companies. Clearly, we have a problem in interoperability and joint procurement. But you are never going to take the politics out of these decisions
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Plenty of English football fans will be familiar with player review in cricket and rugby league - only coming in long after video review. I’m pro these changes but issue here is VAR got it wrong, not on-field ref. Can’t legislate for shite officials at Stockley Park.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
It's possible. The '75% economic today' portion partly depends on not being too precious about the renewable share of electricity generation when and where that adds costs/limits supply and the cheapest electricity gets us towards Net Zero faster via more rapid electrification. #GasTurbines4NetZero
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16/09/2026
BIG NEWS for any pedestrians fuming at e-bike riders Lime have permanently banned a rider caught cycling on the pavement. City of London police says:
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Coincidence but just saw a bloke walk out of my Sainsbury's Local with 10 steaks. Must be third time in a year. Apparently increased shoplifting and extra security is eating 20-30% of Sainsbury's potential operating profits. Tackling it a cost of living and disinflation policy.
bbc.co.uk
'Shoplifting has become totally normalised': The crime blighting communities across England
From profilic shoplifters to organised gangs, we look at the scale of shoplifting in England and how local communities are responding.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I know it’s very grown up for UK to say we’re not going to connect trade and security deals but seems like ahistorical. UK contribution to an EU-led security council should be material in wider negotiations with the bloc. France pricing UK out of SAFE viewed as sharp but normal practice.
euractiv.com
EXCLUSIVE: Von der Leyen to call for ‘European Security Council’ in SOTEU text | Euractiv
The potential rival to NATO will come with a call for an ‘Alliance for the future’ with Canada, according to a draft
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Don’t quite get the benefit to UK of this - is the lending going to be much cheaper? If the French hadn’t set a fuck off price to join SAFE, the cheaper-than-Gilts borrowing backed by EU + joint procurement requirements would have unlocked more bucks and more bang per buck.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Waiting for a byelection to open a new and nearly fully built gas field during the biggest energy shock (since the last one) is both very funny and depressing, and so quintessentially British. Just need to announce ringfencing the revenue from it so rich pensioners can heat their conservatories now.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Understand the worry about domestic energy bills but the crisis for jobs and inflation is in business energy bills. £200 off domestic bills pointless if more people lose jobs and producer price inflation becomes embedded. Individuals much better able to reduce demand than business.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Probably naive but is there not some artifice whereby DWP/Treasury only talks about ‘the state pension you receive’ figures/increases that hold to the triple lock and just operates internally off a second set of books with a slightly higher pension to cover the tax, netting off but never mentioned.
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Aveek Bhattacharya @aveek18.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
static.klipy.com
Arrested Development: There Are Dozens Of Us
ALT: Arrested Development: There Are Dozens Of Us
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Interesting to see this. Turns out juicing new build prices is a good method to gin up supply of new homes. Logic of the policy works no matter the price or who is eligible for it, but politics mean limiting to FTB and regionally set prices made sense.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Hitting £13k. Sounds good. NMW aiming for (very high!) 66.7% of median wage= £24.8k/yr for 37.5hr week. After income tax, NI and auto-enrolment pension, that’s take home of £20.6k. A frugal £700/mth rent+commute costs takes NMW real disposable income down to … £12k!
bbc.co.uk
State pension likely to rise by £488 a year in April
The triple lock has come under scrutiny as the number of pensioners rises making the policy more expensive.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
I totally support the policy recommendation on robotoxis - making them pay congestion charges is a classic Ed Glaeser policy whose time has finally come (was hoping someone would write this report!) but leading on them destroying livelihoods feels very unhelpful.
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Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 14/09/2026
Nothing is more indicative of brain rot fixation than I oppose [transport improvement] because criminals might use it.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Westminster should offer the Canadian provincial model to devolved nations, a Nova Scotia option for Older Scotia ie raise ~65% of expenditure. Full fiscal autonomy effectively, with per capita health/social security funds, top up/tariffs based on fiscal capacity.
bbc.co.uk
Westminster coming to an end, say Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish leaders
The leaders of Plaid Cymru, SNP and Sinn Fein say the UK government should prepare for constitutional change.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
This looks useful. The robot's accuracy and not needing to leave space for a driver to get in or out enables it to squeeze 50% more cars into the car park apparently. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kg5P...
youtube.com
Robotic parking rolled out at Gatwick airport
YouTube video by Sky News
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Generally pro this. Maybe start by adjusting Low Pay Commission remit to NMW at 60% of median hourly earnings (still globally high) and freeze current 67% NMW until it hits that. But allow mayors to set an LMW within a 10pp range around that. Local labour markets rather than ideology will drive it.
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Ben Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
Scandinavian countries often have zero IHT as do Canada and Australia - so bluntly, it's not the hill I would die on for the centre-left. Doesn't raise much money either. Just do a proper property tax and CGT.
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James Bowes @jamesbowes01.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
This is ridiculous. All visas are temporary. Lots of people on a student visa stay permanently and lots of people on a work visa leave. They’re both immigrants. Unless it’s a short course or short term work placement.
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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
UK being unable to be team up with CPTPP/Canzuk/Anglosphere buddy Canada probably a bigger blow to Brexiters than a deal with US. Hard for unattached/detaching middle powers to do deep FTAs for leverage that US/EU don’t just look at and call a baseline for their deal.
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