Reposted by Martin StanleyPeter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 20hHadn’t realised that you could ‘attend’ GPEW conference - and seemingly vote - remotely just by being a member and paying a fee. Can’t see what might go wrong with that, at all…. 1319053
Reposted by Martin StanleyBarbara Rich @barbararich.bsky.social · 03/10/2026The Lost Explorer - Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 I have written about lasting powers of attorney, deprivation of liberty, and the powers of the Court of Protection in connection with the “disappearance” of Sir Ranulph Fiennes bleakhouserevisited.substack.com/p/the-lost-e...bleakhouserevisited.substack.comThe Lost ExplorerThe ‘disappearance’ of Sir Ranulph Fiennes and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 114716
Reposted by Martin StanleyJo Wolff @jowolff.bsky.social · 02/10/2026Honestly, if Hesgeth wants to make his troops fighting angry he should just tell them what their mortgage payments are about to be. 718031
Reposted by Martin StanleyJohn Rentoul @rentouljohn.bsky.social · 29/09/2026Really important graph for any debate about triple lock commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-bri... 62610
Reposted by Martin StanleySam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026The basic problem is everyone is terrified of voters and convinced nothing difficult or complicated can ever work politically. But the list of policy recommendations that are cheap, popular and useful is extremely small. 5345
Reposted by Martin StanleyJill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 28/09/2026so this points at my way of doing a quick council tax revaluation (or indeed assessment for high value surcharge) - ask people to self-assess property value and tell them they can't market it for less than that until the next revaluation.. 0182
Reposted by Martin StanleyTim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 28/09/2026"Since Healey is in a Labour government that will not slash spending, this means higher taxes. The UK is not in truth a high-tax country, at least by the standards of its European peers. Labour must now dare to recognise that reality." Martin Wolf telling it like it is www.ft.com/content/aa0a.... 24113
Reposted by Martin StanleyKate Bevan @katebevan.com · 28/09/2026Has it occured to anyone at City Hall or in No 10 that at some point someone is going to have to step up and do something about the bridges? Because at this rate there aren't going to be any functioning river crossings in central London in a few years' time. 1911624
Reposted by Martin StanleySam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 28/09/2026Times this morning. Me in December last year. It was pretty damn obvious this would happen to anyone who did the maths. samf.substack.com/p/the-oversh... 22696195
Reposted by Martin StanleyDr. Steven Buckley @stevenjcbuckley.bsky.social · 26/09/2026She does this every single week. As someone who studied and taught journalism for several years, if a student handed in a piece like this it'd get a very, very low mark. And yet this is supposed to be one of the BBCs top political 'journalists'. If they need to save £500m I know where to start... 052
Reposted by Martin StanleyAnthony Zacharzewski @anthonyzach.be · 26/09/2026In the National Gallery and unable to stop myself saying “it means it comes from Flanders” as a young man confidently asserts to his companion that “Flemish” (labelling a painting by an unknown artist) was the name of the artist. If looks could kill, I would be on a slab. 4301
Reposted by Martin StanleyJonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Rayner is correct: these proposals are economically damaging and politically counterproductive. Pretty clear that view is now almost universal in the Cabinet/Labour Party and the informed public. www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...thetimes.comAngela Rayner condemns Labour’s migrant visa crackdownSpeaking before the party conference, the housing secretary says Shabana Mahmood’s immigration plans would affect care workers 21677183
Reposted by Martin StanleyIain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 26/09/2026From the Hindenburg to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, previous technologies have seen tragedies. I suspect, sadly, that it will take a mass casualty event to bring home our vulnerabilities to AI. www.edrith.co.uk/p/how-to-thi...edrith.co.ukHow to think about AI’s impactFor good or ill, a new era is upon us 133
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 25/09/2026Definitely worth subscribing to this free c. monthly blog … 111
Reposted by Martin StanleyMark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · 25/09/2026The best explanation of the British Constitution you will ever see 0126
Reposted by Martin StanleyRobert Hutton @roberthutton.co.uk · 22/09/2026Hard to explain how gobsmacking this is. The government opened applications for farm subsidies this morning at 10. And closed it just before 4 because they'd run out of cash. Applying for your livelihood like it's Oasis tickets. defrafarming.blog.gov.uk/2026/09/22/s...defrafarming.blog.gov.ukSFI26: Window 2 now closedWindow 2 of the Sustainable Farming Incentive 2026 (SFI26) has now closed. Thank you to everyone who took the time to submit an application. 1415472
Reposted by Martin StanleyIan Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 22/09/2026Quick take on the Ed Davey speech: It's just not good enough. And everyone in that hall knows it. iandunt.substack.com/p/ed-davy-sp... 3322556
Reposted by Martin StanleyGiles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 22/09/2026"There are no easy policy levers left, if there ever were: no lever marked “streamline regulation”, no “press here to simplify taxes”, no open door leading back into Europe." My commentary on a spendid event at the Lib Dems www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/libe...instituteforgovernment.org.ukLiberal Democrat conference 2026: Does Daisy Cooper’s growth plan add up? | Institute for GovernmentThe Lib Dem Treasury spokesperson drew a large crowd at this year’s IfG fringe event. 1228
Reposted by Martin StanleySharon O'Dea @sharonodea.com · 22/09/2026A landlord making £100,000 a month says young people have “no excuse to be poor”. Excellent. I love financial advice. Gather round, children, let's examine how he himself stopped being poor. metro.co.uk/2026/09/20/i...metro.co.ukI’m a landlord making £100,000 a month — young people have no excuse to be poorSamuel bought his first home aged 17 with a 100% mortgage. 59546219
Reposted by Martin StanleyHetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 21/11/2025This is a good note to end the week. The plight of @britishlibrary.bsky.social has been picked up in @nature.com’s influential daily briefing. Thanks everyone (including @floragraham.bsky.social) who is getting the word out there about our national library us17.campaign-archive.com?u=2c6057c528... 68543
Reposted by Martin StanleySteven (with a PH) @sjksalisbury.bsky.social · 20/09/2026Christening a baby is nothing like christening a ship. I know that now. Once again I can only apologise. 160191333863
Reposted by Martin StanleyRachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 20/09/2026This is a fun time to work in AI if you are on multiple people's list of "emergency women to invite to an event when you remember that not everyone in the world is a man under 40" 611318
Reposted by Martin StanleyAlex Hall Hall @alexhh.bsky.social · 19/09/2026That’s a hard agree from me. I am genuinely astonished at the number of otherwise sensible commentators who still discuss his latest wild actions as if they’re within the parameters of the normal policy making process. 28948233
Reposted by Martin StanleyDave Karpf @davekarpf.bsky.social · 19/09/2026Anthropic employees: NEXT-GEN AI COULD WIPE OUT HUMANITY WITH A SUPERVIRUS! Normies: that seems like a big leap. How would this AI disseminate such a virus in the real world? Anthropic employees: oh, through the wet labs we built and hooked it up to, of course. Normies: …😬😤 20746236
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 19/09/2026You may have heard of the experiment that showed that richer people were more likely to steal kids' sweets. Here is the full (and quite short) TED talk, full of fascinating - or maybe predictable? - similar discoveries. 011
Reposted by Martin StanleyStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 19/09/2026It’s been two years, you’d hope that by now, Labour would realise that they are a government, not an opposition, and their criminal justice policy needs to be about, you know, reducing crime, not merely making positional announcements that have no meaning. 1216021
Reposted by Martin StanleyStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 19/09/2026The reason the use of parent orders have fallen - in my direct experience of being an observer in courts - is that it is just really hard to tell when they reasonably apply. “Child neglect” is a crime, as is conspiracy to commit an offence! 1313316
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 18/09/2026"The Government is trying to have it both ways [and might] perpetuate a culture of increasing disregard for law and order". Thought-provoking commentary by @publicsectorlawyer.bsky.social on HMG's new Legal Risk Guidance. publicsectorlawyer179.substack.com/p/does-it-ma...publicsectorlawyer179.substack.comDoes it matter if the Government deliberately breaks the law?In a previous post ("No one likes being told they're breaking the law") I looked at how lawyers advise governments and others when what they’re doing or proposing to do is plainly, or highly likely to... 052
Reposted by Martin StanleyPeter Smith @redpeter99.bsky.social · 18/09/2026A lifeboat crew responds to a call and finds a dingy in distress full of migrant men, women and children. Do they leave or rescue them? No-one with a shred of humanity would turn round and head back. 1701226332
Reposted by Martin StanleyPete Apps @peteapps.bsky.social · 17/09/2026More detail about the building in Poplar where a man died in a fire at the weekend: - Building was fitted with combustible Hemsec insulated panels, which were non-compliant at the time of build (oddly described as 'inflammable' by the manufacturer) peteapps.substack.com/p/a-fire-in-...peteapps.substack.comA fire in PoplarA fire at a building awaiting cladding remediation claimed the life of a man at the weekend. What do we know about this blaze, and what do we still need to know? PLUS - thoughts on the new PAS 9980 22221
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 16/09/2026*Hitler - My part in his diaries*. ("The production crew explained to me that buying the drinks was an essential part of my job".) Delightful reminiscences from @rorycj.bsky.social . rorycellanjones.substack.com/p/hitlers-di...rorycellanjones.substack.comHitler’s Diary.....in my BBC notebookI have been listening to the excellent BBC podcast about the Hitler Diaries Scandal with particular interest. 000
Reposted by Martin StanleyDavid Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Have a good evening everyone. Trump’s madness is going to drag the world economy into crisis. 1114
Reposted by Martin StanleyLeifH @lhdinton.bsky.social · 14/09/2026This thread reminds me of this... 1358
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Civil service numbers have fallen - by 1,000 - bucking a long term post-Brexit trend. 011
Reposted by Martin StanleyAlex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 15/09/2026Helen Whately on Sky News: "We want to bring down the tax burden on working people. Kemi has asked her economic unit for a fiscally responsible way to bring down inheritance tax, another tax that hits hard working people hard." One of the dumbest people in politics. Liz Truss levels of stupid. 1281107221
Reposted by Martin StanleyThe Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 14/09/2026And remember settlements are usually for *less* than the maximum legal liability. But this one appears to be for *more*. One can only wonder why. 3543
Reposted by Martin StanleyThe Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Remember being told confidently that there would be hardly any pay-out to Wormald, as he had not been in post that long. Well. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...theguardian.comTop civil servant sacked by Starmer received record £860,000 payoutSpecial approval needed for amount that surpassed what Chris Wormald was ‘contractually entitled to’ 611428
Reposted by Martin StanleyJonathon Booth @jboothhistory.bsky.social · 14/09/2026Incredible distillation of American evangelical Christianity 195
Reposted by Martin StanleyAndrew M @ducalincome.com · 14/09/2026I hope they make a little haircut detector van that drives around and can tell when somebody is using scissors on hair without a license. 1316
Reposted by Martin StanleyTim Leunig @timleunig.bsky.social · 14/09/2026My free to read substack looks at the policy implications of the recent "PISA" results for schools. My answers may surprise you... timleunig.substack.com/p/pisatimleunig.substack.comPISAThe education test, not the place in Italy 253
Reposted by Martin StanleyMichael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 13/09/2026BOB DYLAN writing in The New York Times on being 80. We’re so used to Dylan being an enigmatic & elusive trickster that it’s always a delightful surprise when he writes something so personal, heartfelt and wise. 11481150
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 13/09/2026I recently tiptoed into the AI debate because I was struck by this analogy: 'Chimpanzees can't understand how we built our civilisation; We similarly won't understand how an AI system much more intelligent than us took over our world.' I have since seen some excellent further analysis:- 1/n 110
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 11/09/2026I published a short Substack yesterday about ASI 'doom'. This thread adds excellent and well balanced further analysis. 123
Reposted by Martin StanleyMark Carney @mark-carney.bsky.social · 11/09/2026Canada will never forget. 1482594741
Reposted by Martin StanleyMark Harris @markharris.bsky.social · 10/09/2026As if the headline isn't enough incentive, do read this short news story to the last paragraph because MAN does it escalate! playbill.com/article/man-...playbill.comMan Sentenced to 2-Year Jail Sentence After Strangling Fellow Theatregoer for Singing Along During We Will Rock YouThe dust-up happened at a 2023 press performance in London's West End. 1171074330
Martin Stanley @ukcivilservant.bsky.social · 10/09/2026What does your gov't lawyer mean when they tell you that your proposed decision/policy is "high risk"? Interesting and important analysis:- 130
Reposted by Martin StanleyTom Wilson @feedthedrummer.bsky.social · 09/09/2026This does suggest Britain is a) very good at integration b) actively attracts the world's smart and ambitious people who want to get on and do well for themselves Both of these are very good, competitive qualities to have and should be celebrated. 936298
Reposted by Martin StanleyRachel Cunliffe @rmcunliffe.bsky.social · 10/09/2026"Try also to notice, though, that what you won’t have heard much of is British Jews defending the actual thing — Israel’s settlement policy — that Miliband’s sanctions are attacking." Every word of this. www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...thetimes.comSettlements are a step too far for many British JewsAmong all the outrage about Ed Miliband’s sanctions, what you won’t hear much of is defence of Israel’s expansionist policies 1377