Tim Bale (@ProfTimBale) / X

Tim Bale

94K posts

Tim Bale

@ProfTimBale

aka @timbale.bsky.social Teach politics at @QMPoliticsIR. New book: "The Conservative Party After Brexit: Turmoil and Transformation"

Suntrap of the South, Sussex.

Joined October 2010

Pinned
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Jul 20, 2020
Peter Bale. Born Bristol, 12.7.1937 Scholarship boy. Aircraftman. Botanist. Biology teacher. Exercise physiologist. Wing three-quarter. Opera-lover. Sun-worshipper. Liberal-socialist. MS-patient. My Dad. Died Eastbourne, 15.7.2020.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Jan 24, 2023
You're 23 (twenty-three) times more likely to be prosecuted for benefit than tax crime, even though tax fraud and error costs an estimated £20bn a year compared to £2bn in benefit fraud and error. (h/t @paulwaugh)
taxwatchuk.org
Equality before the law?
We reveal the huge disparity between the way in which benefits crime is treated when compared to tax crime.
1.1M
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Sep 7, 2022
Folk (including @BBCr4today) are (rightly!) celebrating diversity in the 'great offices of state'. But it's maybe worth noting that Kwarteng, Cleverly, and Braverman were all privately-educated. Fact is that, nowadays, the real lack of diversity in Parliament is class-based.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
May 12, 2020
I've got a great idea: let's abolish all speed limits on England's roads and just rely on people using their 'common sense'! Come on, who's with me?
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Apr 12, 2022
Anyone keeping a precise tally of how many MPs are prepared to debase themselves in order to save the PM’s skin?
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Aug 4, 2020
If only there were a bunch of people paid £81,932 a year by the UK taxpayer whose job it was to examine this stuff really, really carefully before the government committed to it.
Iain Duncan Smith MP Chingford & Woodford Green
@MPIainDS
Aug 3, 2020
Replying to @MPIainDS
To avoid their own budget black hole, the EU gets £39billion as a “divorce payment” from us, reflecting our share of the current EU budget. But it gets worse. Buried in the fine print, unnoticed by many, is the fact we remain hooked into the EU’s loan book. (2/3)
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Jul 15, 2021
Bukayo Saka achieved four A*s and three As at GCSE. I'll just leave that there.
Paul Embery
@PaulEmbery
Jul 15, 2021
Please remember, whenever you read a ‘heartfelt statement’ from a high-profile footballer, it has almost certainly been ghost-written by a press officer. Not a criticism, but we should recognise how these things work.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
May 26, 2020
We're at quite a pivot point/historic hinge here. If nothing happens and we all move on, then political accountability in this country - at least between, if not actually at, elections - is essentially over. Anybody in a position of power will be able to do pretty much anything.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Jun 18, 2024
BREAKING: Bloke who reckons he can cut government waste by billions spaffs £144k on work that never got done.
363K
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Sep 29, 2022
Highly misleading. Water’s the wrong colour and he still has a paddle.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Jan 8, 2022
Frankly, I don't know why Labour, instead of continually talking bollocks about the Tories wanting to flog the NHS off to the highest bidder, don't just stick this on posters, leaflets and social media every week and leave voters to draw the obvious conclusion.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Dec 8, 2019
Probably the most profound paragraph about British politics you'll read throughout this whole sorry election campaign. By Robert Crampton in the Sunday Times thetimes.co.uk/article/why-do…
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Dec 15, 2020
Of all the f*cking stupid quotes in a f*cking stupid year, this has to rank as one of the most f*ucking stupid.
Tim Bale
@ProfTimBale
Aug 26, 2022
Something's changed - he sounds *way* better than usual.
Keir Starmer
@Keir_Starmer
Aug 26, 2022
Today, Ofgem have announced an energy price cap rise that almost triples bills since last winter. This rise will be devastating to people across the country. Labour has a fully costed plan to freeze energy bills, meaning people won’t pay a penny more this winter.
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