Jamie Aitkenhead

South East-based Scot. Works in Energy. Likes reading up on things. History, Politics, Economics, Business. Non-tribal. RTs mean little. Tries to be nice

[Merryn Somerset Webb @MerrynSW]

To repeat. The UK is not ungovernable. It is badly governed. These are different things.

[Matt Singh @MattSingh_]

File under “technically true”

[Matt Edwards @Matedwards7]

In 1943 William Foyle, founder of Foyles bookshop was enjoying a spot of sailing on the River Chelmer in Essex when he spotted this place, Beeleigh Abbey. He liked what he saw and bought the house and estate. Yesterday on a boiling hot day I rolled up there on my bike.
Thread.

[Jake Wallis Simons @JakeWSimons]

If you know you know

[Dr Anton Howes @antonhowes]

It's strange that we have such arbitrary dating for the unofficial term "Prime Minister". Robert Walpole widely called the first, but why not Thomas Cromwell, John Dudley, William Cecil, Robert Cecil, and so on? They were all unofficially primus inter pares on the privy council.

[Michael Simmons @Simmons__]

This is going totally missed in SW1. Bring down – permanently – inflation expectations and the gilt market will let you away with a heck of a lot more

[Anglo Futurism Capital LP 🇬🇧🐿️ @RollingHedge]

@GreatBritishTT @DamianPudner

[Shortlad @RAT1704]

What a wally

[john sturgis @sturgios]

In an era of widespead historical grievance and calls for long-retrospecive reparations it's good to see Scotland fans laughing off the Viking mass murder, enslavement and cultural annilation of the Picts in the ninth century

[UK Property Insight @ukhpinfo]

Top 4 areas for drawdowns from all-time highs

City of London: -40.05%
City of Aberdeen: -39.48%
City of Westminster: -33.49%
Kensington and Chelsea: -23.19%

[WG RumblePants @WG_RumblePants]

Lord George Harris, former England captain, arriving for the 5th Ashes Test at The Oval in London on 17 August 1926.

[John Jones @ThatJohnJones]

When I was a kid, there were a couple of kids at school whose parents banned them from watching TV – any TV.

So, while I watched episodes of Horizon, The Computer Programme, Tomorrow’s World, The World at War, countless programmes about art and culture, and Top of the Pops and the Old Grey Whistle Test, … they didn’t.

I will always feel sorry for them for missing out. Because, they really missed out.

[Nigel Gould-Davies @Nigelgd1]

In the past week:

UK Defence Minister resigns

FCDO implements 25% cuts in UK-based staff

Russian-paid arsonists found guilty of targeting the Prime Minister

Russia escalates attacks on Kyiv.

[JIC @JohnRosier]

How can UK business/industry compete with that?

[James Heale @JAHeale]

Ten years today since the Battle of the Thames

[Dan Robson @don_mustang]

@PJTheEconomist @rorysutherland Tax only non-residents to control price inflation. Locals should not be taxed when buying a home, especially their primary residence.

[Marc Jennings @MarcJennings90]

Once in a generation night for Scotland’s coke dealers

[Gordon Brown @GordonBrown]

Delighted to be in the USA watching Scotland play Haiti tonight, honouring a promise I made to my youngest many years ago that if Scotland qualified we'd go together to see them play... and hopefully win.

[Brendan Simms @brendanpsimms]

“London is the land of make-believe power,” wrote John le Carré in 1993.

Since then, China has overtaken Britain economically and the chorus of declinism has only grown louder.

But Britain remains a nuclear power, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, a global intelligence leader, and one of the very few states able to project force worldwide.

Predictions of British decline have a long history. So too does Britain’s habit of confounding them.

My piece in the @spectator:

[UK Property Insight @ukhpinfo]

Cotswold house prices are down 13.5% since peaking in October 2024.