YIMBY. Failed politician. I had a blog.. then I had a podcast... and now I am back to blogging (occasionally) again...
Joined June 2012
- Tweets81.5K
- Following2.5K
- Followers3.9K
- Likes58.4K
Leo Gibbons retweeted
I think this is bang on. Impassioned permissibility where not caring / not enforcing boundaries on others is akin to a moral virtue
I don’t even think it’s being pro unlimited migration that drives much of the real pro migration sentiment in the centre of politics. It’s something closer to “impassioned permissibility” where the only thing they care about is not enforcing rules / hierarchies / categories at an abstract level.
Not enforcing a boundary on another is THE highest order value. They don’t actively want bad things to happen, they just don’t want to push back against a liberalisation of a category even more.
Leo Gibbons retweeted
“Yes immigrants commit more crimes but it isn’t loads so we don’t really care” is a far better pro-immigration position than usual. An actually honest response that can counterintuitively be superior to denialism because revealed preference many voters do indeed not actually care
A hard look at Britain’s data suggests so. But it is hardly an epidemic economist.com/britain/2026/1…
Leo Gibbons retweeted
This is madness.
The Soho Society has struck again.
It is now…
Objecting to the redevelopment of an abandoned building in Soho.
Why?
It could cause “over activation”.
Twentieth Century House, right in the middle of London, vacant for 5 years.
There’s a plan to bring it back to life:
🏢 Affordable workspace for small businesses.
🛍️ New shops.
🍽️ A courtyard with bars and restaurants replacing an empty alley.
🚶♂️➡️A public walkway connecting Dean Street to Soho Square.
The Soho Society would rather it remain DERELICT.
They hate the idea that people might want to have fun in the capital’s prime nightlife district.
We disagree.
Westminster councillors have the final say. They should prove they are pro-growth & approve it.
What do you think?
Leo Gibbons retweeted
They came, they renovated our kitchens, they brought their lager, and then they left 🫡
Polish Population In UK
🇬🇧 2000 ⟶ 🇵🇱 58,000
🇬🇧 2001 ⟶ 🇵🇱 60,711
🇬🇧 2002 ⟶ 🇵🇱 63,000
🇬🇧 2003 ⟶ 🇵🇱 66,000
🇬🇧 2004 ⟶ 🇵🇱 95,000
🇬🇧 2005 ⟶ 🇵🇱 170,000
🇬🇧 2006 ⟶ 🇵🇱 274,000
🇬🇧 2007 ⟶ 🇵🇱 411,000
🇬🇧 2008 ⟶ 🇵🇱 512,000
🇬🇧 2009 ⟶ 🇵🇱 540,000
🇬🇧 2010 ⟶ 🇵🇱 579,000
🇬🇧 2011 ⟶ 🇵🇱 681,000
🇬🇧 2012 ⟶ 🇵🇱 713,000
🇬🇧 2013 ⟶ 🇵🇱 726,000
🇬🇧 2014 ⟶ 🇵🇱 813,000
🇬🇧 2015 ⟶ 🇵🇱 916,000
🇬🇧 2016 ⟶ 🇵🇱 1,002,000
🇬🇧 2017 ⟶ 🇵🇱 922,000
🇬🇧 2018 ⟶ 🇵🇱 905,000
🇬🇧 2019 ⟶ 🇵🇱 842,000
🇬🇧 2020 ⟶ 🇵🇱 738,000
🇬🇧 2021 ⟶ 🇵🇱 682,000
🇬🇧 2022 ⟶ 🇵🇱 669,000
🇬🇧 2023 ⟶ 🇵🇱 651,000
🇬🇧 2024 ⟶ 🇵🇱 633,000
🇬🇧 2025 ⟶ 🇵🇱 615,000
🇬🇧 2026 ⟶ 🇵🇱 598,000 (est.)
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census & Annual Population Survey.
I want this map so bad
Ever wondered what 1980s Yugoslavia thought about UK place names?
Another map for @JHCPAL
From Sarajevo 80s Museum
Leo Gibbons retweeted
imagine if someone suggested cramming all these people onto the pavements to make space for motor traffic down the middle
They came, they renovated our kitchens, they brought their lager, and then they left 🫡
Polish Population In UK
🇬🇧 2000 ⟶ 🇵🇱 58,000
🇬🇧 2001 ⟶ 🇵🇱 60,711
🇬🇧 2002 ⟶ 🇵🇱 63,000
🇬🇧 2003 ⟶ 🇵🇱 66,000
🇬🇧 2004 ⟶ 🇵🇱 95,000
🇬🇧 2005 ⟶ 🇵🇱 170,000
🇬🇧 2006 ⟶ 🇵🇱 274,000
🇬🇧 2007 ⟶ 🇵🇱 411,000
🇬🇧 2008 ⟶ 🇵🇱 512,000
🇬🇧 2009 ⟶ 🇵🇱 540,000
🇬🇧 2010 ⟶ 🇵🇱 579,000
🇬🇧 2011 ⟶ 🇵🇱 681,000
🇬🇧 2012 ⟶ 🇵🇱 713,000
🇬🇧 2013 ⟶ 🇵🇱 726,000
🇬🇧 2014 ⟶ 🇵🇱 813,000
🇬🇧 2015 ⟶ 🇵🇱 916,000
🇬🇧 2016 ⟶ 🇵🇱 1,002,000
🇬🇧 2017 ⟶ 🇵🇱 922,000
🇬🇧 2018 ⟶ 🇵🇱 905,000
🇬🇧 2019 ⟶ 🇵🇱 842,000
🇬🇧 2020 ⟶ 🇵🇱 738,000
🇬🇧 2021 ⟶ 🇵🇱 682,000
🇬🇧 2022 ⟶ 🇵🇱 669,000
🇬🇧 2023 ⟶ 🇵🇱 651,000
🇬🇧 2024 ⟶ 🇵🇱 633,000
🇬🇧 2025 ⟶ 🇵🇱 615,000
🇬🇧 2026 ⟶ 🇵🇱 598,000 (est.)
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census & Annual Population Survey.
Leo Gibbons retweeted
The Youth Unemployment crisis is primarily driven by it being too expensive and risky to employ young people in return for return for what employers get for their labour.
The 'placements' and 'skills courses' that British politicians love to promise barely shifts the needle
Leo Gibbons retweeted
Thank god we can find and intercept lost hikers as they mistakenly run away from rescue in dense forest!
Purdue University's IDEAS Lab built an autonomous drone that tracks runners through dense forests completely without GPS or cloud networks.
By running 3D LiDAR mapping and obstacle-avoidance AI entirely on-chip, it can weave under tree canopies and predict target movement through blind spots in real time.
Massive implications for next-gen search & rescue and edge AI.
Perhaps the best coming of age film?
A 4K restoration of Alfonso Cuarón’s ‘Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN’ will be released next summer in honor of the film’s 25th anniversary.
(deadline.com/2026/10/y-tu-ma…)
Leo Gibbons retweeted
A wee stat ahead of Wednesday's budget, on a policy that almost certainly won't change:
In 2021, roughly 1 in 10 full-time nurses paid 40% income tax. In 2026, it's closer to 1 in 3.
That's the power of the "fiscal drag" tax. The term "high earner" has been quietly redefined.
Leo Gibbons retweeted
Cheeky bit of log scale usage by the Economist to make the difference less visually obvious
A hard look at Britain’s data suggests so. But it is hardly an epidemic economist.com/britain/2026/1…
Leo Gibbons retweeted
The Economist's estimate of Britain's age- and sex-standardised conviction rates for sexual offences by the offender's nationality
economist.com/britain/2026/1…
I agree with all this. However, I have absolutely no faith that any of our political parties would ever deliver this, even if they had a government with a large majority.
THREAD (1/7) Britain’s Budget on Wednesday is expected to be low-key. After recent chaos, that is no bad thing.
But escaping the country’s economic drift will require something far bolder: a dose of shock therapy.
My latest column for @FT:
as.ft.com/r/aa18babc-96c7-4f…
