oliviacrossborder

@magicwhiteboard @MerrynSW more likely than Scotland replacing the UAE

@MerrynSW Isle of Wight could be new Hong Kong - would attract money from EU and beyond

Scotland could be the big winner here. Introduce a low flat rate tax.. say 15%.. and we would be rich in no time.

@NimPar1575 @MerrynSW you tax the midge spray, those moving there pay to protect themselves.......

@MerrynSW I still think a midge tax is a winner. Ok, monetising them is challenging and they are seasonal, but they are a prolific natural resource.

@critithinkstar @MerrynSW selfie sticks with umbrella built in..........

@MerrynSW I can just picture all the latest instachatters live streaming their walk in the rain. 🤷‍♂️

@FootieGeekMatt @MerrynSW Brexit offered the opportunity to be more like the UAE, it is leftie politicians and the welfare mindset that causes the problems

@MerrynSW I'd argue Scotland can't outpace Westminster's chaos. The UAE already offers zero income tax and the institutional stability post-Brexit Britain abandoned.

@MerrynSW Unfortunately at this point the UK is politically unstable. It has opportunities to attract wealth, but it is unlikely to be an attractive destination for investment until it becomes more stable. At this point wealth taxes are more likely than a business friendly tax regime.

@AccrueReturns @MerrynSW If only we could teach Rachel Reeves this......

@MerrynSW Whoever wins the race to a fair, simple and competitive corporation tax regime will attract the best talent, the most ambitious businesses and huge pools of capital.

@MerrynSW @MummyMay58 Midge spray tax for all the new users?

@MummyMay58 Massive influx of rich people paying 15%. And using no services bar infrastructure. Net taxpayers!

@MerrynSW Scotland doesn't have the wealth mindset to win this.

Very sad to learn of the death of Len Deighton, who was one of the two greatest spy thriller writers of all time and in some regards was Le Carre’s superior. Anyone who has not read Deighton should try Funeral in Berlin, Bomber or SSGB. Most of all they should seek out Berlin Game, the start of an epic 10 book Cold War series focused on Bernard Samson. Deighton’s writing was sharp, satirical, gripping and often amusing. His office infighting in the intelligence services was delicious and his characters are beautifully drawn. The Samson cycle starts with a meticulously plotted run of five books (Berlin Game, Mexico Set, London Match, Spy Hook and Spy Line) which all stand alone but tell one big story from the jaded but dedicated perspective Bernard a brilliant field operative. Len’s genius idea was to use the sixth, Spy Sinker, to retell the whole cycle from the perspective of everyone else, exposing what Bernard didn’t know and misunderstood. There is then an origin story about Bernard’s dad during the war, Winter, and then a concluding trilogy of Faith, Hope and Charity, which is not as high quality but deals with the fallout from the events of books 1-5. It’s an epic achievement and the greatest long series in spy fiction, accepting that the Smiley series is the greatest short series. Do yourself a favour, give it a try

@mattlynnwriter Some excellent books, agree better than Le Carre

Very sad news about Len Deighton. Without question, the finest spy/thriller writer of the post-war era, and miles better than the massively over-rated Le Carre.

Only two bottles of this whisky exist in the world — and #SothebysHongKong has one of them. Known for its intensity, boldness and structure, Sotheby’s Freeman Ho offers an inside look at The Macallan ‘Distil Your World’ Hong Kong Single Cask Edition. One day to go. Bid now >> bit.ly/3NmclQW All proceeds from the auction will go to the Society for Community Organization. #TheMacallanHK

He wants to deploy UK forces we don’t have to keep oil and gas flowing 3,000 miles away but forbids any new investment in our sector of the North Sea. Bonkers.

Encouraging signs that this regime may well collapse.

Britain’s Inheritance Tax ‘One of the Harshest in the World’ order-order.com/2026/03/16/bri…

While the Milibands of this world bang on about "price gouging" and "profiteering", the reality is that the cost of petrol has risen by far less than the cost of crude. An increasing number of retailers will actually be losing money (gross margins are only around 6%).... 🤔

I hear the first event is being held on April the 1st…

Adopting more EU rules and sending them money we cannot afford means slower growth, not faster. The Chancellor is wrong to think re set will help us prosper. It means giving them too much of our fish, subsidising their students to come here, and giving them more money.

EXCL: Sir Keir slaps EU Net Zero taxes on British ships as part of ‘Re-Set’ just as fuel prices soar. N.I. impacted hard BUT he exempts Scotland, with 20 Labour MSPs sunk in May elections? Our shocking report on secretive tax: facts4eu.org/news/2026_mar_… Pls re-post!

@LabourfutureUK CANZUK makes a lot of sense for the UK and our allies certainly more worthy than trying to align with the failed EU.

Is now the time for the Labour government to look to our Commonwealth Allies- Canada, Australia and New Zealand to build a new bloc of middle powers? 'CANZUK' is a body Labour government that we could champion and make a new positive force in the world. labourfuture.co.uk/labour-should-…