A lifelong fan of superhero comics and films, with a love of in-depth analysis! You can now check out my writing at ComicBook.com.
North West, England
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As a Christian, one of the things I find hardest about this new incarnation of Twitter is that it seems to bring out the worst in us as Christians. A big reason for this is tied to the concept of "freedom of speech." ๐งต
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As a Brit, I've been watching the American election results with sorrow for my American friends. Some are comparing it to the Brexit vote here, imagining if we'd voted for Brexit twice. But here's the thing... in a sense, we did. And here are some lessons from it. ๐งต
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For days, I've wondered why the PM was so slow to call in the army to deal with these riots. Today, I've come to understand why; he knows what the far right is attempting to do. ๐งต
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Elon Musk is a fascinatingly odd character. He's set himself on a collision course with the U.K. government, I think because he genuinely believes he's bigger than a country's democratically elected government. ๐งต
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No, @OliverDowden, there's nothing undemocratic about political parties cooperating.
Remember 2010, when Cameron entered into a coalition govt?
Or 2017, when Theresa May needed the DUP to stay in power?
Or 2019, when Johnson struck a deal with Farage?
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In case you're wondering about the weird hysteria gripping the British right at the moment:
-->The Labour government has yet to pass a single piece of legislation, because Parliament is in recess
-->The sentencing guidelines for rioters haven't been changed since the election
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Twitter is an international platform. The law in one country is different to the law in another; indeed, the will of the people in one country is different to the will of the people in another. I strongly suspect you're going to wind up regretting this acquisition.
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So, I've just spent a bit of time looking into the debate on IHT and farming. I... got a shock. First, a note: I have a friend who runs a family farm. In his view, the whole thing is a something and nothing. ๐งต
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There are several problems with your argument, I'm afraid. Firstly, political processes take time, and the technology of social media is always changing and adapting - meaning the law is playing catch-up, and the will of the people is usually ahead of it.
Secondly... which law?
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If you're going to understand Donald Trump's economic and industrial policy, I think there's one word you have to get: Grievance. ๐งต
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Starmer, however, is keen to tell a different story: of a minority of thugs who are causing criminal damage, and who wind up in prison, paying the price for their criminality. It helps, of course, that his story is true. /3
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I don't envy the PM right now. I don't even know if his choices are right. But I think I'm beginning to get it. I pray for him to have wisdom, and to be making the right calls. /end
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Heh. Nice try, but everybody remembers the deal between the Conservatives and Nigel Farage in the 2019 election. If you consider this undemocratic, then what does that make the majority your party won back then?
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Starmer knows there are outsiders desperate to bolster the lie - people like Elon Musk, who prattle on about civil war. We fool ourselves into thinking Musk doesn't know what he's talking about, but he does. He wants to push the lie. /4
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Don't give up. For now? My prayers are with America. I'm sorry for what you're about to go through, and I wish I could do something to help. Just know it's never too late - not in a democracy. /end
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Now stand before the House of Commons and apologise. Correct the record. This isnโt a game.
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Instead, Starmer supports the police in their mission. Hundreds have been arrested already, and are standing before magistrates. Every one of them who is held to account stands as a symbol of the truth: these rioters are criminals who must be held to account, nothing more. /6
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Stories have power, and there is a story they are desperate to tell: a tale of a people persecuted by their own rulers who rise up against them. This story portrays them as heroes, not as villains, so they desperately look for a chance to tell it. /2
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And so the government tread a tightrope right now, wary lest they overstep and give the liars the tools they can use to bolster the lie. That, I think, is why Starmer is so reluctant to call in the army. He senses a trap. /5
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At first glance, this seems appalling and absurd. But there's a reason Rishi Sunak is backed into a corner and can't apologize. Here's why. ๐งต
nitter.app/TweetTheSpeaker/statusโฆ
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BREAKING: PM Rishi Sunak declines to apologise for his PMQs transgender joke as murdered teenager Brianna Gheyโs mother watched on - despite pleas from Briannaโs father
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The question is whether he can break these far right groups before the worst happens. We came terriffyingly close yesterday, when these people tried to set two hotels ablaze while people were inside them. As awful as things have been, they can still get worse. /7
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There's always a tweet, isn't there? @elonmusk
ALT Elon Musk says only the worst sites "build a wall to keep people from escaping." Just months later, his Twitter blocks promotion of other media platforms.
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I'm well aware of Project 2025 and the like. But here's the thing: Trump isn't interested in the Project 2025 agenda. He's interested in the Trump agenda. He doesn't want to be managed or controlled. /8
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You can probably see the parallels here, and hopefully see why I'm drawing some of this out. Trump is Johnson multiplied by a factor of ten or more. Do NOT expect a coherent agenda. /7
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Likewise: My strong suspicion is that Donald Trump's government will fail. It will do so largely because of the character of the man in charge. /16
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Here in the UK, we saw what happens when a clown has turned government into a circus at a time when you need actual government. That, I'm afraid, is what America is about to experience too. /14
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OK, it simply has to be done. For the sake of my own amusement, I'm going to do a "diary" of Riishi Sunak's campaign - let's see if it can improve! First, a recap...
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First, an explanation: The U.K. chose Brexit in a referendum in 2016. But Brexit did not become truly inevitable until 2019, when the country doubled down on this decision and gave Boris Johnson a massive 80+-seat parliamentary majority. /2
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Does this mean Trump's government will do no damage? No. But it does mean the damage it does will be scattershot, rather than the focused agenda seen in Project 2025. I don't know how far it'll get - I pray not far. /11
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I don't know whether all this will give you relief or leave you even more stressed. But here's the thing to remember: Boris Johnson's government failed. It did so largely because of the character of the man in charge. /15
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Don't expect to ever be able to say "I told you so" to Trump voters, incidentally. The goal isn't to be proved right; it's to win them over. "I told you so" causes people to dig in. So spend time listening and engaging. /17
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Johnson liked power in theory, but had no real interest in what to do with it other than serve his own interests. He ran Downing Street like an old Medieval court, where people vied for his patronage. /5
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Trump will run his White House like a Medieval court. He'll pursue an agenda for only so long, until he either loses focus... or somebody else catches his attention and he pursues their agenda instead. /10
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Figure out how to WIN them, how to persuade them, how to play to their interests. Here in the U.K., Keir Starmer managed a remarkable feat in winning a strong majority through smart strategy. Do your own version. Engage. Persuade. Win. /18
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Did you see how the election changed tone over the last few weeks, when he got bored of being kept under control and in check. You really think he'll sign up to somebody else's agenda? Or at least... sign up to it for long? /9
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And make no mistake: there WILL be events. There are people all over the world eager to take advantage of the opportunity they've been given now - a chance to cause yet more chaos. /13
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But the Johnson government got almost nothing done. Why? Well, to be fair, partly it was due to unforeseen circumstances: a global pandemic. But it was also partly because of Johnson himself. /4
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Policy agendas were pursued as long as one person was up, and then dropped as soon as they were down. Johnson's attention moved from one thing to another, lacking any real direction. /6
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But it's not over, because not all of it will happen. There will be a lot of damage, and it will take a very long time to repair the damage. Here, it'll probably take a decade or more. I'm afraid I suspect it'll take you longer still. /21
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In context: our parliamentary system gives someone with an 80+-seat majority in parliament pretty much unlimited power. Their only real opposition comes from their own side. /3
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And there's a second factor to consider: events, dear boy, events. We have the misfortune of living in "interesting times." For Johnson, the unforeseen event was a global pandemic. What will Trump's events be? /12
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You know, looking at Twitter tonightโฆ I canโt help but feel this social media site has outlived any value to society. The moderation strategy has failed, to the point where I'm not sure whether it can be salvaged tbh. ๐งต
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โฆHmmm I foresee problems with this. I often have periods where I donโt use Netflix for a while - usually because Iโm watching something elsewhere. Iโm gonna wind up blocked even though I havenโt password shared lol
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I can only conclude this is pure ego. But it's a battle he will lose, and indeed must lose, if we truly live in a country where a democratically elected government has primacy. /end
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Ten landowners - just ten! - own one sixth of Dorset. They include Jonathan Harmsworth... whose family own the Daily Mail. Are alarm bells beginning to ring over the way this debate's being framed? /14
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Likewise, right now, you feel crushed. Donald Trump and the Republican agenda seems unassailable. The constitutional reforms the Republicans are proposing have the potential to cement them in power for a long, long time. /20
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I have an odd reaction to Labour's decisions of late. Whether we like it or not, they are driven by one simple fact: the country is in serious financial trouble. Public services are crumbling, and require heavy investment to recover. ๐งต
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And this third point is very significant: we have evidence the rich are deliberately investing their money in land to avoid paying IHT. Jeremy Clarkson himself admitted that was why he bought so much land in an interview with the Times back in 2021. /5
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Still on the conspiracy train and yet trying to pretend you arenโt a right winger lol?
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The reality is, if X wishes to operate within our territory it must play by our rules. If it doesn't wish to play by our rules, it will either be fined until it does... or it will be blocked. /2
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In 2019, I was crushed. A British government with a parliamentary majority of 80+ should've been unassailable. The constitutional reforms the Tories were proposing should've cemented them in power for a decade more. /19
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We're literally at the stage of proposing benefit cuts for the poorest to pay for tax cuts for the rich. That's not reform, it's sabotage, and it will rightly drive the Tories out of power.
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Today's Times contains some very important, and illuminating, quotes on Rishi Sunak. I'm not always a huge fan of Tim Shipman's columns - they focus too much on the Westminster "games" rather than policy - but this week's has some really useful nuggets. ๐งต
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So: Rishi Sunak strays into yet another subject he is utterly unqualified to speak about, mental health. Let me tell you my story... ๐งต
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To give a sense of comparison? Jeremy Clarkson purchased a whopping 400 hectares (20 times the average farm size) back in 2008. So whatever you do, don't think he's the average farmer; he really isn't. /7
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โฆDude, we get it, you were expecting to be the centre of attention and the worldโs just ignoring you. Seriously, attention-seeking to this degree isnโt healthy.
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What's more, the fact Musk has been daft enough to pick this fight means a whole lot of other countries while follow our lead. /3
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A third of all farmland in the UK is farmed by tenant farmers like my friend (and everybody he knows around here), who'll be completely unaffected by the IHT changes. /2
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An argument that assumes, 1) That No Deal threats were leverage (they werenโt), 2) That we were ready for No Deal (we werenโt even ready for a deal lol). You literally havenโt learned anything, have you?
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Not long now till you lot are out of office, and you can stop disgracing the country. Good riddance.
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Let me get this straight. The government tell people to get tested. They introduce new rules that end isolation earlier once you've tested negative. And then they make it so you have to pay to be tested.
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Heโs the first PM to resign not because of policy but deficient character. That you applauded him says a lot about your own party.
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You didnโt have a mandate. The public never supported your policies, and they crashed the country. A (much longer) period of silence and self-reflection would show maturity.
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Brianna Ghey's father has used exactly the right word to describe this: it is "dehumanising." That is exactly what these words are designed to do, they strip others of their humanity.
news.sky.com/story/brianna-gโฆ
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How big a problem is this? Well, almost half of all farms have less than 20 hectares of land. Incredibly, though, the average UK farm is 82 hectares - a staggeringly high sum that indicates how much land is owned by a minority. /6
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And incidentally if your best counter-argument is trolling, then Iโm afraid Angela Rayner isnโt the one whose intelligence is in question right now.
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Meanwhile, Labour jot down every one of your attack lines, aware YOUR party is funded by business interests, Russian oligarchs, and companies you're supposed to be regulating. You people really aren't very bright.
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This dehumanising of the vulnerable is not a bug, it is a feature. When a politician in a position of power deploys words to this effect, they are punching down on the vulnerable. Deliberately.
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This, of course, is NOT the discussion that's happening in the media. Why not? Well, partly because a lot of famous, wealthy, and vocal people WILL be affected by the change to IHT (Jeremy Clarkson, Lloyd Webber, etc). /13
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Want to get a sense of how things are getting worse? According to property consultants Strutt & Parker, non-farmers were responsible for less than a third of farmland purchases in 2010... but this had risen to 56% by last year. /8
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โAs a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.โ
Proverbs 26:11
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Donald Trump has always been convinced he is a victim. Sure, he is a billionaire who became president of the United States, but he's convinced the game has always been rigged against him. /2
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*sigh* What's this particular meme even about?
And seriously, why is the guy who wants to go to Mars wasting so much time on Twitter memes?
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In the last year alone, 400,000 hectares of agricultural land have been taken out of use for farming, as the wealthiest purchase land. Doing so allows them to avoid IHT. /9
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...Your party has been in government for THIRTEEN YEARS. You are the establishment. You are, by definition, the "business as usual Government."
Is this the best you can do? To pretend the last 13 years of Conservative government didn't happen?
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It is โone of the most fundamental issuesโ TO YOU. The rest of us are much more concerned with things like energy bills, the cost of living, etc. Your obsession is myopic.
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Well, to be fair, they're not wrong. Anything has a "legitimate chance" of happening in a script that hasn't been written ๐
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Traditionally, IHT hasn't been applied to farmland to avoid the breakup of family farms. Now, though, that's working against the country; the wealthy are purchasing vast tracts of land that avoids paying IHT. /10
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People's circumstances change. My mum, for example? Complications during pregnancy, with longer-term health issues. My dad was made redundant, and later diagnosed with longer-term health issues due to chemicals he'd worked with. Circumstances change. Show compassion and humanity.
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You know what happens in that scenario? The family farms that we're talking about trying to protect... are gone. If you want to talk about food security, the reality is that things are getting worse. /11
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I agree. So stop talking about "invasions" and using racist dog-whistles of the kind that led Germany towards the Holocaust. Oh, and do something about the 200 missing children your department has failed to protect.
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Grievance isn't just his character: it is his constituency, his electoral pitch. Because he also represents those who have grievances - both legitimate and imagined - against the way the world works. /3
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Of course, given there's no demonstrable problem requiring voter ID, this is actually all about voter suppression.
Irony: It's beginning to look as though traditional Conservative voters may be the ones worst impacted.
You lot really are absurd.
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It's strange; if you asked me who I really thought "failed" over the local elections, it wouldn't be a political party. It would be the media.๐งต
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I freely admit, after looking into the stats, I was left shaken. I had no idea British farming was in quite this bad shape. /end
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Three things are worth noting: Firstly, any transfer of assets more than seven years before death is outside the scope of IHT. Secondly, the tax isn't a one-off sum - it's payable over a 10 year period, interest free. /4
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If it's "leftist" to consider war a bad thing, then I suspect most people are leftists.
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Looking at this, there seems a strong case for IHT reform. The current situation is both unsustainable and deeply problematic, leading to an outcome we desperately want to avoid - where the wealthy own almost all the land and family farms are dying. /12
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In fact, a culture war is not DESIGNED to be victimless. The whole point is to deliberately create an environment of hostility, anger, and tribalism. Such emotions naturally lead to vulnerable people suffering - because those emotions need targets.
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Remember: 400,000 hectares of agricultural land were taken out of use for farming IN THE LAST YEAR. We can't allow that to continue, and so IHT reform seems like it's needed - to protect the industry. /18
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And so Sunak and his supporters twist, and twist, and twist, pretending the people who were angered are the real culture warriors. It's soulless, but it's all they have. And, of course, they try to ignore the family, the vulnerable they have harmed.
nitter.app/KemiBadenoch/status/17โฆ
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Every murder is a tragedy. None should be trivialised by political point-scoring. As a mother, I can imagine the trauma that Esther Ghey has endured.
It was shameful of Starmer to link his own inability to be clear on the matter of sex and gender directly to her grief. (1/2)
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All in all, then, Trump's whole strategy seems pretty foolish. If you wanted to design a system that encourages both companies and countries to start cutting the US out, this would be it. /end
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And this is why Sunak cannot apologize for his actions. As far as he and his advisers are concerned, yesterday was a political mistake - deploying dehumanising words in a context where they became too visibly crass.
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I genuinely think the challenge facing the next government will literally be to undo everything this government has done.
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Regarding the "young people have no discipline" - every young person I know followed lockdown willingly, no matter the cost. The same was not true of Conservative MPs or Boris Johnson, and even their current Prime Minister was fined for a breach of lockdown.
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โInvasion.โ Good grief, the woman is insane. Her job is to calm things down, notโฆ THIS.
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