As Rachel Reeves (finally) swings behind an explicit statement that Brexit has cost the UK around 8% of GDP, we might ask what that looks like:

It equals around £224bn a year (in 2025), which given the UK's tax burden of around 35% is £78bn in lost tax revenue a year.

So if you wondering why the public sector is under-funded, while a continuing austerity logic is always in play, this lost tax income for the state is also contributing to budget shortfalls.

#Brexit #politics
h/t Observer

Trump fumes at Japanese refusal to send Godzilla to Strait of Hormuz

Donald Trump has hit out at Japan after it refused his demands to send the fictitious monster Godzilla to the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at the White House where he criticised the US ally for their refusal to send the giant monster to help secure the Strait of Hormuz.

“We didn’t refuse anything, Gojira is a fictional character,” said Prime Minister Takaichi, not quite believing she actually had to say those words out loud.

Sorry but it is Friday! ;-)

https://newsthump.com/2026/03/20/trump-fumes-at-japanese-refusal-to-send-godzilla-to-strait-of-hormuz/

I don't understand the current fuel crisis. In 2022 when Russia invaded Ukraine, fuel prices spiked. We all realised just how dependent we are on single use fossil fuels imported from far away lands. Understanding this vulnerability, we've used the time since to do a massive roll out of solar and wind. With tens of GW of wind for every nation bordering the north sea...

We've rolled out lots of electrically powered public transport. And heavily subsidised heat pumps for home heating.

Right?