to show on one graph, here’s the UK’s fiscal performance vs other OECD countries* over time y-axis = revenue/GDP x-axis = spend/GDP green area = surplus red area = >3% deficit 4/5

when a government is allocating spending based on how media friendly a fund-raising stunt is, serious questions need to be asked [ftaod i’m not questioning the fan’s motives or how worthy the cause is - this is about how governments decide where to invest tax-payers’ money]

Grant to a leading government funded charity dressed up as a “donation” to grab some World Cup headlines. Cynical performative stuff from a party that has written the manual on government as a performance.

The truth is that for 99% of MSPs for 99% of the time they vote and do what their party managers instruct them to do. Hence the fact that there was no competition for Committee convenorships. It was all stitched up by party bosses and worst of all MSPs all went along with it. I know how it works. The group is told that it is Jimmy’s turn for chairing a committee and the rest all fall in line.

going to see if they’ll sponsor my next 10k

June at St Andrews golf course. Photos: facebook.com/share/p/1Dp9Dfz…

Scotland eh?

Oops. @ProfJMitchell responds (see quoted tweet) to Ross Greer’s suggestion in parliament that the Scottish Green amendment is closest to his proposals.

sound analysis from Dan, as per 👇

Look forward to Ross Greer being asked whether he agrees with Zack Polanski that supermarket food is both too cheap and too expensive…

Britain isn’t a high-tax country and middle-earners should pay more. New post on the alternative to cutting infrastructure spending yet again. arguably.uk/p/the-tax-truth-…

[on my death bed] "Why didn't I just buy a normal bed?"

There are a few things that might be said about this intervention by those who have not, say, recently emerged from a prolonged coma. But I'll limit myself to this:

Interestingly, many people (correctly) pointing out that Yes Scotland and the SNP had to be legally completely independent, to comply with Electoral Commission rules. @Ross_Greer might regret revealing the CEO of the SNP organised a pay rise for him at Yes Scotland…

Thanks for your critique, Janet. We actually tried a couple of episodes where House (Hugh Laurie) (please put the brackets in the right place) gets it right first time, but they were only 6 minutes long. NBC weren’t happy. Then we tried some where House never gets it right and the patient dies. The audience wasn’t happy. One could apply your trenchant analysis to other art forms: JS Bach wrote 30 Goldberg variations on the same chord structure; Frida Kahlo painted 50 portraits of herself; Henry Moore, what?? The point is, or was, variations on a theme; if all you see is hospital, medical blah blah, then it wasn’t meant for you. Nonetheless, I look forward to your first novel!

a reminder that despite very different tax/spend models, in 2019 prior to the pandemic there were no European OECD countries running what the EU would define as an excessive deficit - latest 2025 figures tell a very different story

working on something and couldn’t resist sharing some funky graphs … many people seem to think the UK is a high tax economy: this is UK government revenue as share of GDP vs other OECD countries* over time 1/5

to show on one graph, here’s the UK’s fiscal performance vs other OECD countries* over time y-axis = revenue/GDP x-axis = spend/GDP green area = surplus red area = >3% deficit 4/5