Big gay dancing bear #GayNotQueer #GoldStarGay ๐ #UppityPoof Alter ego @DJBrumBear. Just because I follow someone doesn't mean I agree with what they say.
Birmingham, UK
Joined November 2012
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Massive demo in support of the Iranian revolution in Birmingham today. Good to see Iranians, British and Israelis out in support, and paying against a barbaric regimes killing tends of thousands of its own people. #IranProtests2026 #IranRevoIution2026 #birmingham
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
I read a piece in the FT this week about the price of being middle class in Britain now and it said a couple earning ยฃ436,000 combined take home ยฃ216,000. Thatโs a crazy amount of tax, and it doesn't include VAT on purchases, council tax, stamp duty or other taxes (I think does include pension contributions). I canโt stop thinking about it.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Govt: So voters, what do you want?
People: Less immigration.
Govt: Really though?
People: YES. LESS IMMIGRATION.
Govt: Ok got you. To show we've listened to you, we'll give 450 Million people the ability to move to the UK whenever they want. Happy?
People: WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
If Burnham is keen on securing free movement with someone, why not with CANZUK? That would be mutual movement (including Brits going to Aus, Canada, NZ) & thus much better than the highly asymmetrical movements, overwhelmingly resulting in net immigration, we'd have with the EU.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Chart of the Day ๐ค
By popular demand, here's one of UK exports both of goods and of services, and to both the EU and the rest of the world... ๐ค
Three quick takeaways:
1โฃ exports of services are more important than exports of goods - and have continued to grow rapidly
2โฃ exports of goods to the EU have fallen slightly in volume terms since 2019, but they had barely grown for many years - even when the UK was in the EU
3โฃ exports of goods to the rest of the world have also been relatively weak since 2019 - so any problems on the goods side cannot just be due to Brexit
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Burnham has spent the day going on about how the only way for the UK economy to survive is to get close to the collapsing EU
The he announces a policy of cutting import tariffs, something he can only do because of Brexit
Itโs not so much that the left hand doesnโt know what the right hand is doing but the left hand not knowing of the existence of the right hand & denying that it even exists in the first place
๐จ NEW: Andy Burnham has announced five "everyday fixes" ahead of the Budget
1. Carer's Allowance will be changed so carers no longer lose their entire benefit when they earn over the limit - instead, their support will reduce by ยฃ1 for every extra ยฃ1 they earn
2. Import tariffs will be removed on more than 100 products, including baked beans, chocolate and gherkins, to save households up to ยฃ21 on their food shop a year
3. Tax-free mileage rates for workers using their own cars will be made permanent at 55p per mile for the first 10,000 miles, with the rate for additional miles rising from 25p to 35p
4. Parental pay will be extended to over 150,000 more parents a year, including self-employed fathers and partners
5. Hundreds more Post Office drop boxes will be rolled out to save people queueing at branches
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Rejoining the EU might help Labour squeeze the Lib Dems - but it would also mean gutting Andy Burnhamโs own policy agenda, from devolution to reindustrialisation to trade to regulation. My latest for @theipaper inews.co.uk/opinion/burnham-โฆ
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
We have had a 10 year hissy fit from the elite and lanyard class after the Brexit vote that people they consider their intellectual, social and moral inferiors vote against them. Politics since has just been continual punishment beatings.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Britainโs new minimum wage: ยฃ27,456 a year.
Higher-rate income tax kicks in at ยฃ50,270.
Wage compression the Soviet Union could only have dreamed of.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Interesting difference between the PM and his Home Secretary over Brexit and small boats.
Andy Burnham today blamed the crisis on Britain losing its EU returns agreement after Brexit but Shabana Mahmood has previously rejected that argument.
She told the Home Affairs Committee in February: "I am sure there are lots of other debates to be had about the rights and wrongs of Brexit, but is Brexit responsible for the boats? I do not think that is true...
โThe idea that this has happened because we have lost the access to Dublin and the returns agreement with the EU - I think that is too much of a stretch.โ
In September, she went further, arguing that under Britain's one-in, one-out deal with France โmore returns have happened than ever was the case under the Dublin arrangements, when we were still members of the EU".
She also warned that it was โa mistake to see the EUโs new pact as some sort of new silver bulletโ that would eliminate Britain's migration problems.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
One thing that's surprised me about Andy Burnham is the extent to which he just lies.
He says this morning small boats are because of Brexit and "we can't return people".
The FACTS:
In last 5 years of Dublin agreement the UK took in far more migrants than it sent back.
2016: net 200
2017: net 150
2018: net 1000
2019: net 500
2020: net 800
Five years = net 2,500 more migrants than sent back.
Plus, now we'd have to sign up to the migration and asylum pact so the numbers will be enormous.
He knows this. His advisors know this.
They are just lying to you.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
There are no tangible benefits to returning to the EU. Not a single one. If there were to be a referendum, the claims of doom & gloom peddled by Remain diehards would fall apart quicker than a Tesco suit. The EU we voted to leave in 2016 was a basket case - it's 10x worse today.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Number Crunching
"16,400" - estimated number of (mostly very small) businesses which have stopped exporting to the EU since Brexit
2,790,000 - total number of businesses in the UK (registered for VAT or PAYE)
(FYI, 16,400 is about 0.6% of 2,790,000)
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
If thatโs true, someone gave him a tap on the shoulder and told him, his constituency could recall him through a petition for campaigning under false pretences.
This would be devastating for Labour. Loss of an MP and leader in one swoop.
The electorate in Makerfield hold an immense amount of power and leverage over Andy Burnham.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
An increase to ยฃ13.20p/h equates to a minimum wage of ยฃ27,456, based on a 40 hour week.
Once you factor in employers NI and basic pension contributions, the MINIMUM cost to hire a 21 year old for a company would be ยฃ31,461.
This is before you factor in any overarching business costs like office space, laptops, phone, software, training, support staff, vehicles etc.
This is going to be devastating to SME's who cant put together a simple 12 month budget without the goalposts being moved & their margins squeezed.
It'll also be catastrophic to youngsters opportunities because businesses will simply not be able to afford to hire them.
What's also incredible is that anything above ยฃ50,270 is seen as 'high earnings' in the UK and is taxed at 40%!
We are governed by financially and economically illiterate morons.
This will not end well.
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
The reasons people voted to leave the EU in 2016, are even stronger reasons to stay out of the EU and its many tentacles of control in 2026.
Those who campaign to rejoin want to ignore this. To obscure and deny it. But the facts are there for all to see.
They will lose. Again.
๐ค Made with AI
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
So just so we are all clear.
Despite his promises that he will not go faster than the public, he is *already* negotiating rejoin options with the EU.
In all my days, I have never seen such a flagrant betrayal of voters.
This will not stand.
Exclusive from @benclatworthy
Britain is holding talks with the EU about a potential return to free movement and other options for closer alignment
The Times has been told that the UK is discussing a series of options about the future relationship which are due to be unveiled within weeks
Andy Burnham plans to set out his vision for closer ties with the bloc, including the potential of rejoining the union, and have a โconversation with the British public about our long-term futureโ
The options that will be presented are being discussed with officials in Brussels to ensure both sides would ultimately be able to agree
One source said all such routes would be โdiscussed using diplomatic channelsโ before any โbig bangโ launch of the options on the table
thetimes.com/article/4ef6707โฆ
Tim Bailey ๐ณ๏ธโ๐๐ฌ๐ง๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ญ๐ฐ retweeted
Extremely serious allegations against the government tonight.
Sir Ben Wallace, the former Defence Secretary, has accused Labour of artificially inflating the defence budget by including security services spending.
This has been done, he alleges, to try and hoodwink Nato that we are on course to meet the commitment of defence spending as 3.5% of GDP by 2030.
DESPITE Nato rules clearly excluding security services in it's measurement.
The UK Statistics Authority is "considering" his complaint.
It doesn't need much consideration. It needs investigating, and if true, those complicit must pay the political price.