Bryan Foss

@elonmusk Energy and Food Security are critical capabilities for any independent country.

Wow, electricity prices are crazy high in the UK and Europe!

@daveatherton @SadiqKhan Speechless

London Mayor @SadiqKhan arrives in Liverpool FC to watch the game in two gas guzzling Range Rovers. Liverpool beat Bournemouth 3-0.

@KTHopkins Munich has a free drive-through to collect or drop, max time only around 10 mins I recall. Toronto Pearson has no charge, but wardens keep traffic flowing without ticketing. UK is more expensive than most, but why?

This is EXTORTION - targeting the elderly and families with small kids. And it needs to be stopped

The Bank of England crashed the economy and cannot be voted out of power.

@DanNeidle Nope, that kills investment and growth.

@BryanFoss I agree - in principle CGT should be zero. Problem is it’s so hard to separate real capital gains from manufactured ones. That’s why Nigel Lawson equalised the rate - I think he was right.

The Lib Dems just published their manifesto, with a surprisingly ambitious £27bn of tax rises. However around £16bn of this looks questionable. Quick thread.

#PostOfficeScandal #PostOfficeInquiry #StateScandal A former Director of Public Prosecutions Sir David Calvert-Smith, who ­reviewed scores of sub-postmaster ­appeals for the Post Office has said that in at least 12 of the convictions, judges should have “probed” the prosecution case “more deeply”. In 2021 the @PostOffice instructed Calvert-Smith and Brian Altman KC to review the cases of 42 convicted Sub-postmasters before they went to the Court of Appeal. Ultimately, the appeal judge quashed 39 of the convictions. Speaking at a Bar Council (@thebarcouncil ) conference in London at the weekend, Calvert-Smith addressed the question of whether some Crown Court judges who heard the private prosecutions brought by the Post Office had let Sub-postmasters down. Also speaking at the conference, Flora Page, a Barrister who has represented a number of Sub-postmasters, said that in some cases judges had “for sure” failed the defendants. Flora Page described the case of one woman as “an absolute shocker from start to finish — every aspect of the system let her down”. The Barrister described the process as “a show trial” that involved “the Post Office and Fujitsu using the trial to justify the Horizon system. And the judge, unfortunately, fell for it.” Full article 👇 thetimes.com/article/58152a… @FloraClairePage @edwardhenry1 @joerichlaw @RichardMoorhead @PaulMar72224296 @GouldsBlog @SeemaMisra7 @BBCEmmaSimpson

@DanNeidle Fortunately @liztruss extended EIS and SEIS schemes which encourage investment in growth companies and enable zero CGT after an initial 3 year period. Perhaps this separate initiative properly rewards good behaviour?

@DanNeidle Risk-related investments (CGT) is very different from regular income / pay and should be taxed differently if we are to incent growth. If there are income to gains movements to evade tax that's to be tackled of course

There is a good argument for raising CGT. Having so great a gap between income and capital gains enables avoidance, as people flip what would otherwise be income (taxed at 39.35% or even 47%) into capital gains (usually taxed at 20%). taxpolicy.org.uk/2022/10/14/inc…

@DanNeidle There are classifications including VAT exempt and Zero rated (ie current rating is zero but these sales are not exempt).

The worst argument for charging VAT on private school fees is that private schools are businesses. That is not how any of this works. Supermarkets are businesses. They sell food which is 0% VAT.

Yesterday the Ministry of Justice announced it’s to seek Parliamentary approval for a £1,150,000 advance from the Contingencies Fund to undertake its work relating to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill:   theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2024-0…

The UK is now the fourth largest exporter of goods and services in the world, overtaking France, Netherlands and Japan. According to the latest statistics from the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), which leads on global trade for the UN, the UK has overtaken France, Netherlands and Japan to take fourth position, behind only China, the US, and Germany. In a separate report, the recently published 'The True Impact of UK Manufacturing’ shows industry is worth £518bn and supports 7.3million UK jobs directly and across the supply chains/communities it operates in. This represents nearly a quarter of total GDP (23%) and far bigger than the direct contribution of 8.2% that is usually quoted by economists. Carried out by Oxford Economics and the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA), the in-depth report also shows that ‘making things’ accounts for 34.5% of all UK goods and services exports. Full report: bit.ly/MTA_UKMFG

@KTHopkins Perhaps if we wait 15 mins for a response then we can take 15 mins to find the stuff we were calling about - as we went away to do something useful in the meantime :-)

Dear call centre twatspangles. Listen up. Listen good.

#PostOfficeScandal Susan Crichton has finished her evidence session and now sworn in is Chris Aujard who took up the role as GC @PostOffice in 2013 until late 2015. If you would like to take part in #PostOfficeInquiry Bingo then join in now👇 H/t @staticsean #MrBatesVsThePostOffice #MrBates #MrBatesVsPostOffice #MrBatesPBS #PostOfficeInquiry

@RobinsonRG How many in one sitting?

Temptation. . .

@darrengrimes With so many car cams around, that can be properly considered after the event. Instead of relying on inconsistent memories of those involved or nearby.

@UWE_DRAGN Very pleased to take part. More coming....

Missed out on our last #weeknightwebinar? The recording will be out soon. In the meantime register for the next one looking at #datagovernance in LMIC's #research Register now 👇👇👇 app.geckoform.com/public/#/moder…

@Jefferson_MFG Great achievement. Not sure I like the car though.

🇬🇧BUILT IN BRITAIN: Production of the new, fifth generation MINI Cooper is underway at BMW's Oxford plant. Supported by a £600 million investment programme, the factory is also preparing to build two new all-electric MINI models from 2026. The new MINI Cooper is the latest generation to be built in the UK, with all three BMW Group UK manufacturing sites contributing to production. BMW Group Plant Swindon produces body pressings and sub-assemblies, while the the three and four-cylinder petrol engines are built at BMW Group Plant Hams Hall. Finally, these parts come together at MINI Plant Oxford where body shell production, paint and final assembly take place. Since the launch of the first modern MINI in 2001, more than 4.4 million MINIs have been built in Britain. #UKmfg

@liambyrnemp Where you don't get clear instructions you develop and present a plan that meets Purpose and Objectives, then get that critiqued for support or otherwise. You don't sit there and wait... #Empowered

1/. A few thoughts on #PostOffice scandal from yesterday’s 5 hour hearing… Having been a minister in tricky jobs in Govt, I know the value of very clear ‘instructions to deliver’ with deadlines etc. I was horrified that #PostOffice CX, Nick Read told me he didn’t have those

Governance and the #NationalTrust - after many many years we have cancelled our annual charitable donations and moved to #EnglishHeritage

@KTHopkins @BBCRadio2 Concerning.

To @BBCRadio2 management and to Helen Thomas Please stop with your shameless praise of the legend #SteveWright Your hypocrisy stinks. Love to all the old, much loved team. #PaulOGrady #KenBruce #vanessafeltz