The British elites’ crazy rage against Elon Musk spiked-online.com/2024/08/07/the…

These figures need to be interpreted with caution - at the very minimum we are some way from the end of 2024 and the figures appear to be projections. But they aren't implausible as taxpayers react to high tax UK.

Our analysis suggests that the Treasury is on track to spend £15.4 billion annually on housing benefits for pensioners by 2035 - more than double the current expenditure. Read the full article in this weekend's The Telegraph here: telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/…

Stat of the day from Cebr Housing benefit for retirees is forecast to cost £15.4bn a year by 2035. The current bill is £6.7bn. The reason for this increase? An ageing population and a decline in home ownership which will mean that more people are renting post-retirement

This is extraordinary.

Before the Spring Budget The Growth Commission pointed out (with assistance of former Spurs legend Paul Miller) that amongst industries hit by rise in non dom tax wd be the Premier League. Sad to see this is already happening enhanced by its own spending limits thetimes.com/sport/football…

It's a rather good article by Jon Moynihan His forthcoming book should be a cracker!

Wisdom

You couldn't make it up. Social criteria are already incorporated into cost benefit analysis - the only reason for moving the goal posts is that hard headed analysis doesn't give the results they want! Madness...

Any advice about for whom I should vote on to MCC Membership and General Purposes Committee and the Nominations Committee to reflect view that MCC is doing rather badly at combining being both a world class sports venue and a membership club. Wd appreciate thoughts, poss by DM

My Cebr colleagues responded to the excellent Tom Witherow's request from the Times to estimate the impact on the economy of the Oasis reunion. Less than Taylor Swift apparently!

Last night a minister failed to turn up for a dinner which she had accepted. Last week my guest at Lords was phoned while watching cricket to meet the minister the same afternoon who then couldn't be bothered to turn up. Is power is going to the heads of some Labour politicians?

It's worrying that civil servants have such a distorted view of their roles.

So sad to hear. I used to work with him and admired his pithy comments.

It's odd that they think that repeating it more often makes it true...

Yesterday I attended the launch of Return to Growth by Jon Moynihan . It's worth buying and reading.

As ever good sense from Andrew Neil

I never fully understand why environmentalists are trying to push people away from roads and on to tubes where the pollution is multiple times worse.

Absolutely unimprovable: Police minister has her purse nicked - at a conference of senior police officers Where she warned of an "epidemic of antisocial behaviour, theft and shoplifting" on.ft.com/3XhIhqu via @financialtimes

So wonderful. Surrey nearly batted out time. Two good spinners played a blinder and got Somerset over the line. Although I admire Surrey for their player development, they often seem a bit greedy in hoovering up too many of the best players. So great to see Somerset win.