[The Weeping Angel]

A bit of a piss poor effort from Reeves in the Guardian to distract from the fact that everyone's bills are going up today substantially and she's done fuck all to help that. I mean, even under the Tories the minimum wage went up every year.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfr ... hel-reeves
The Guardian probably ain't going to allow comments on that.

Also the minimum wage and national wage have increased.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The policy was announced earlier, of course, but today is when the money actually starts going to Greater Manchester and the West Midlands as an integrated settlement rather than a bunch of special grants. Hopefully more devolution leads to more places getting these soon. More local decision making,

As ever Bluesky isn't enthusiastic, as seems to be standard when the Government do anything at all. My impression is that lots of Bluesky is perfectly able to understand the financial and organizational limitations within which the Government is operating, but can't be arsed because the Government won't do their particularly hobby horse now.

[Tubby Isaacs]

The Government seems to suggest here that at least most of North East, Liverpool City Region, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire will get an integrated settlement next financial year. That wouldn't at all be a bad rate of progress for a government that'll have been in office for less than 2 years at that point.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Hopefully a thumping legal defeat heading the way of these people on private school VAT.

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2 ... court-told

Bruno Quintavalle, representing four private Christian schools and parents who have sent their children to them, said the “ill thought-out proposal” placed parents in “impossible positions”.

“The claimant parents are not prepared to send their children to state schools, because the secular education provided by the state sector would oblige the children to be educated in a way contrary to the parents’ religious convictions or would otherwise expose their children to risks which they cannot in conscience assume,” he said in a submission.

Risks like not having a load of religious dogma rammed down their throats.

[Killer Whale]

Conscience Clause is still a thing, isn't it?
If so, they don't have a leg to stand on.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Never heard of that till you made me look it up. Relatively liberal for 1870.

Surprised if they can make that work with not paying VAT, mind.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Trying to avoid being flattened by tariffs is "amateur hour" apparently. I swear Uber Remainers are some of the most tedious people on social media now. Very easy for them to say "just join up with Canada or the EU". You think either of them would if the boot was on the other foot? Actual trade people and UK exporters seem to be rather less keen on charging over the hill right now. There's a table I saw on Bluesky. The difference in hit between some EU members and Britain is pretty large. Ireland in particular is going to get flattened.

I can see the logic of tariffs to have something you can then concede later as part of a deal. That would work with George W Bush, but does Trump even care about hits the US? More than possible the endgame here isn't any sort of deal or victory, and that what he wants is to sell exemptions. Costs to the US can be recouped from Medicaid cuts.

[Youngian]

Even though Starmer's good cop routine with the White House is amounting to nought, it's not the US's trade rivals who'll take the larger hit. Protectionist models were the global norm in the post war years but their unremarkable results ensures no one in the world is following Trump by retreating into autarky (beyond reciprocating US tariffs).
US retreat throws up new opportunities for America's formula allies especially in defence, security and that crossover into civilian IT. But for American exporters in those sectors, they're looking at a potential abyss.

[Tubby Isaacs]

Actually, rest of her stuff isn't too bad, maybe I was harsh on her. Think the post isn't great.

Anyway, here's something different. I can't tell whether Danny Finkelstein, who isn't stupid, believes this or whether he's thinking "let's wind up the lefties against the Labour Government". Either way, it's bollocks.