Alex Howarth
@operose.bsky.social
🏳️⚧️🏳️🌈🇬🇧🏴
Written on the 1970s-80s Liberal party, election forecasting.
Parent to Nessie the cat.
Written on the 1970s-80s Liberal party, election forecasting.
Parent to Nessie the cat.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
The gaps in reading scores between England and Wales are incredibly stark
Average reading scores in Wales are lower than for disadvantaged pupils in England
The least disadvantaged group in Wales scores below the average for England
@theifs.bsky.social @tom-richmond.com @samfr.bsky.social
Average reading scores in Wales are lower than for disadvantaged pupils in England
The least disadvantaged group in Wales scores below the average for England
@theifs.bsky.social @tom-richmond.com @samfr.bsky.social
September 8, 2026 at 1:23 PM
The gaps in reading scores between England and Wales are incredibly stark
Average reading scores in Wales are lower than for disadvantaged pupils in England
The least disadvantaged group in Wales scores below the average for England
@theifs.bsky.social @tom-richmond.com @samfr.bsky.social
Average reading scores in Wales are lower than for disadvantaged pupils in England
The least disadvantaged group in Wales scores below the average for England
@theifs.bsky.social @tom-richmond.com @samfr.bsky.social
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Healey could suffer £4bn headroom hit because of lower immigration forecasts ft.trib.al/4ZNIGuO
Healey could suffer £4bn headroom hit because of lower immigration forecasts
New chancellor is seeking to reassure investors as he prepares for first Budget in October
ft.trib.al
August 28, 2026 at 4:24 AM
Healey could suffer £4bn headroom hit because of lower immigration forecasts ft.trib.al/4ZNIGuO
Reposted by Alex Howarth
I actually do not get, at all, the instinct that dolls are not worth studying. It does actually strike me as pretty interesting that we have so consistently throughout history made little people and used them as make belief aides. Why would that be even prima facie contemptible or absurd to study?
well, Craig, we can't all be studying money and bitcoin now can we?
August 26, 2026 at 7:34 PM
I actually do not get, at all, the instinct that dolls are not worth studying. It does actually strike me as pretty interesting that we have so consistently throughout history made little people and used them as make belief aides. Why would that be even prima facie contemptible or absurd to study?
Amazing that the Tories' default response to literally anything is to go for xenophobia
August 23, 2026 at 8:24 AM
Amazing that the Tories' default response to literally anything is to go for xenophobia
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Here's the paper - the abstract suggests that students who outsource their homework to AI later do worse on exams (which makes sense!) papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
August 19, 2026 at 2:21 PM
Here's the paper - the abstract suggests that students who outsource their homework to AI later do worse on exams (which makes sense!) papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Actually using prisons to rehabilitate prisoners is a much better solution to overcrowded prisons than chaotic early releases.
New Scandinavian wings at Wandsworth and Pentonville jails have seen a 45% fall in assaults, 57% drop in self harm and halving of staff absence rates - fascinating results from trial into a more rehabilitative approach to prisons observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
‘Scandi wings’ offering pianos, pool and tea parties coul...
A unit in London’s Wandsworth prison has been transformed using methods from Sweden and Norway that prioritise rehabilitation over retribution
observer.co.uk
August 9, 2026 at 3:52 PM
Actually using prisons to rehabilitate prisoners is a much better solution to overcrowded prisons than chaotic early releases.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
This is crime. It's just crime. You can go to prison for just looking at a CSAM image on your computer. Even an "AI-generated" one.
NEW: Over the last few months, Meta has run dozens of paid ads that included AI-generated CSAM.
The ads, some of which were linking out to “nudify” apps, targeted men in the US, UK, and a dozen European countries. Some were running in the last few days
The ads, some of which were linking out to “nudify” apps, targeted men in the US, UK, and a dozen European countries. Some were running in the last few days
Meta Ran Ads That Contained AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse Imagery
More than 50 offending image and video ads were published across Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, or Threads, according to Meta’s ad library data. Some ran as recently as this week.
www.wired.com
August 6, 2026 at 10:45 AM
This is crime. It's just crime. You can go to prison for just looking at a CSAM image on your computer. Even an "AI-generated" one.
🎶 He's the man/the man with the Midas touch🎶
August 2, 2026 at 9:19 PM
🎶 He's the man/the man with the Midas touch🎶
Nothing like the disrespect of AI-generating an image of the Discworld. Except the failure to check the most basic things, like the turtle having the right number of legs in the right places, or the elephants being on top of the disc instead of underneath, or the disc being a disc not a hemisphere
August 2, 2026 at 1:39 PM
Nothing like the disrespect of AI-generating an image of the Discworld. Except the failure to check the most basic things, like the turtle having the right number of legs in the right places, or the elephants being on top of the disc instead of underneath, or the disc being a disc not a hemisphere
Reposted by Alex Howarth
150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights.
Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing.
BBC News app. Nothing.
Guardian app. Nothing.
This is what actual silencing looks like.
Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing.
BBC News app. Nothing.
Guardian app. Nothing.
This is what actual silencing looks like.
July 26, 2026 at 6:30 AM
150,000 marched yesterday in London for trans rights.
Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing.
BBC News app. Nothing.
Guardian app. Nothing.
This is what actual silencing looks like.
Opened the Sky News app. Scrolled and scrolled. Nothing.
BBC News app. Nothing.
Guardian app. Nothing.
This is what actual silencing looks like.
I saw a post from the Other Place of a Yank mocking cyclists for being unable to afford cars.
Turns out the Yanks can't afford them either.
Turns out the Yanks can't afford them either.
Presenting the $6800 number — the average of all *underwater* car loans — as if it is the average amount of negative equity on ALL car loans is stupid to the point of dishonesty www.jalopnik.com/2222207/near...
Nearly A Third Of Americans Are Underwater On Their Car Loans, Averaging Over $6,800 Of Negative Equity - Jalopnik
With not many transportation alternatives, especially in rural areas, Americans may be forced to continue down the indebted path of literally no returns.
www.jalopnik.com
July 26, 2026 at 12:44 PM
I saw a post from the Other Place of a Yank mocking cyclists for being unable to afford cars.
Turns out the Yanks can't afford them either.
Turns out the Yanks can't afford them either.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Lots of people commenting on how unsporting Argentina’s players are, but let’s be fair and remember that they are also very racist.
French federation files complaint over ‘racist’ song by Argentina players
The French soccer federation pledged to file a complaint with Fifa over ‘racist and discriminatory remarks’ by Argentina players after their Copa América final win
www.theguardian.com
July 15, 2026 at 7:41 PM
Lots of people commenting on how unsporting Argentina’s players are, but let’s be fair and remember that they are also very racist.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
What I like about this is, let us imagine it were correct for a moment. (It's not but never mind) Sorry, it is in fact good Bergen-Belsen was liberated and good that *all of continental Europe* did not end up being absorbed into the Soviet empire!
June 6, 2026 at 5:22 PM
What I like about this is, let us imagine it were correct for a moment. (It's not but never mind) Sorry, it is in fact good Bergen-Belsen was liberated and good that *all of continental Europe* did not end up being absorbed into the Soviet empire!
Reposted by Alex Howarth
The real, damning indictment of this government, the true evidence of failure of leadership, is that the Treasury is still making decisions and projections using forecasts that assume the Home Office changes will not happen for them to work. That is why Starmer must go.
May 13, 2026 at 9:07 AM
The real, damning indictment of this government, the true evidence of failure of leadership, is that the Treasury is still making decisions and projections using forecasts that assume the Home Office changes will not happen for them to work. That is why Starmer must go.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Once again the Guardian coming out in favour of hormone treatments for everyone except trans people.
This is how we do it: ‘Testosterone restored my orgasms – I’m climaxing six to 10 times a session’
This is how we do it: ‘Testosterone restored my orgasms – I’m climaxing six to 10 times a session’
The hormone revitalised Rose’s mind-blowing multiple orgasms, which are a huge turn-on for Jim
www.theguardian.com
April 26, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Once again the Guardian coming out in favour of hormone treatments for everyone except trans people.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Not just bonuses for ICE! The article mentions she was taken to a GEO private prison. Lobbyists for private prison companies give $$$$ to politicians, esp. in the GOP - and they get paid per inmate and per day!
So the more people locked up - even tourist grandmas - the more profits! #ThisIsAmerica
So the more people locked up - even tourist grandmas - the more profits! #ThisIsAmerica
A British grandmother with a valid visa detained by ICE for 6 weeks.
"So why did ICE detain her, and keep her locked up for so long? ICE officers are paid a bonus every time they detain someone. 'Individual ICE agents get money per head that they detain – the guards told me that,' Karen says."
"So why did ICE detain her, and keep her locked up for so long? ICE officers are paid a bonus every time they detain someone. 'Individual ICE agents get money per head that they detain – the guards told me that,' Karen says."
‘Don’t go to the US – not with Trump in charge’: the UK tourist with a valid visa detained by ICE for six weeks
Karen Newton was in America on the trip of a lifetime when she was shackled, transported and held for weeks on end. With tourism to the US under increasing strain, she says, ‘If it can happen to me, i...
www.theguardian.com
February 21, 2026 at 4:55 PM
Not just bonuses for ICE! The article mentions she was taken to a GEO private prison. Lobbyists for private prison companies give $$$$ to politicians, esp. in the GOP - and they get paid per inmate and per day!
So the more people locked up - even tourist grandmas - the more profits! #ThisIsAmerica
So the more people locked up - even tourist grandmas - the more profits! #ThisIsAmerica
And that's how Rinku got out there - through the shot early, didn't get any kind of real contact there. Hardik really has to bat (at least) the next six overs. 150 is probably a winning score though!
February 7, 2026 at 2:30 PM
And that's how Rinku got out there - through the shot early, didn't get any kind of real contact there. Hardik really has to bat (at least) the next six overs. 150 is probably a winning score though!
Starmer does politics in the same way I play chess. I do not mean this as a compliment.
One of Starmer and his team's weaknesses is an ability to read many moves ahead. Everything is reactive. You only become at the mercy of events if you do not anticipate them. The UK needs to rethink its whole approach to relations with the US (and how the politics could benefit the government too).
The UK "was not involved in the action in Venezuela," says Prime Minister Keir Starmer. "I want to speak to President Trump."
January 3, 2026 at 12:55 PM
Starmer does politics in the same way I play chess. I do not mean this as a compliment.
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey: “Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
“Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”
“Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”
January 3, 2026 at 11:48 AM
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey: “Keir Starmer should condemn Trump’s illegal action in Venezuela. Maduro is a brutal and illegitimate dictator, but unlawful attacks like this make us all less safe.
“Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”
“Trump is giving a green light to the likes of Putin and Xi to attack other countries with impunity.”
This, I think, is one of the scarier points - it's not just about what AL can/can't do (I won't say that's trivial!) but more about *our perceptions* of agency and responsibility, which are being challenged in a very new way
I don't recall off hand who made the point about AI being, more than anything else, a machine for displacing responsibility. That increasingly looks like its most reliable feature
This is a thread of major media outlets falsely anthropomorphising the "Grok" chatbot program and in doing so, actively and directly removing responsibility and accountability from individual people working at X who created a child pornography generator (Elon Musk, Nikita Bier etc)
#1: Reuters
#1: Reuters
January 2, 2026 at 9:03 PM
This, I think, is one of the scarier points - it's not just about what AL can/can't do (I won't say that's trivial!) but more about *our perceptions* of agency and responsibility, which are being challenged in a very new way
Reposted by Alex Howarth
Meanwhile Robin Ince genuinely has been cancelled for daring to voice his opinions and for defending trans people.
Where's the outrage from the "cancel culture" lot?
What are the Free Speech Union doing to help him?
Where's the outrage from the "cancel culture" lot?
What are the Free Speech Union doing to help him?
Robin Ince reveals to last night’s audience at a recording of Infinite Monkey Cage that the BBC has forced him to resign over his support of trans people
December 13, 2025 at 11:29 AM
Meanwhile Robin Ince genuinely has been cancelled for daring to voice his opinions and for defending trans people.
Where's the outrage from the "cancel culture" lot?
What are the Free Speech Union doing to help him?
Where's the outrage from the "cancel culture" lot?
What are the Free Speech Union doing to help him?
I know the Telegraph has been off the deep end for a while but their headlines have been *something else* recently
August 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
I know the Telegraph has been off the deep end for a while but their headlines have been *something else* recently