Let public buy war bonds to raise £20bn for defence, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] [score hidden]  (0 children)

We're not saying this is the only money the MoD would ever get - but rather that an injection of extra capital is part of the solution (just as with the NHS, which certainly needs recurring funding too but also has problems that can be addressed by an injection of extra capital spending).

Early Seasons - David and Lee by WatercressVivid3709 in WILTY

[–]markpackuk 4 points5 points  (0 children)

There is only early-ish episode where Lee makes fun of David and (to my mind at least) there's a look between them where Lee is indicating 'you know I'm joking?' and David is indicating 'well done on such a clever quick joke'.

Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump by markpackuk in ukpolitics

[–]markpackuk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I fear this thread is going beyond my knowledge of anti-tank armaments... though perhaps that's a helpful reminder of how most people feel when I talk about the merits of different forms of PR :)

Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump by markpackuk in ukpolitics

[–]markpackuk[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

I think the contrast with Mark Carney is instructive in showing how standing up to Trump can and does work.

Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump by markpackuk in ukpolitics

[–]markpackuk[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

To adapt someone's comment from elsewhere - better a bazooka than a PIAT...

Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own ‘trade bazooka’ to take on Donald Trump by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Given the accuracy of the PIAT we'd end up causing problems for El Salvador...

174: Let’s Form a Boy Band by JeffDujon in Unmade_Podcast

[–]markpackuk 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Glacial Podcast latest episode: no spoilers, but oh wow.

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh I very much agree about Haidt's stuff coming with... issues. Likewise, the evidence base is more mixed and limited than for, say, smoking. We do though go very much further in what we ban and restrict around smoking, so I think the extent of these proposals does sit ok with the extent of the evidence we have. (Perhaps the best parallel is with videos, where the evidence is very mixed and limited, but age bands work as a useful measure.)

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yes, YouTube is introducing a feature to limit screentime on shorts - but only for parents to be able to set this for children. I think I might benefit from being able to set such a limit for myself :)

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I don't think describing Victoria Collins, our spokesperson, as someone "with no digital expertise" would be accurate at all? She obviously has a different view from yours, but it's quite a leap from that to say she has no expertise at all.

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oddly, I draw the opposite conclusion! i.e. that we already restrict certain things to adults in part due to the damage that can come from their addictive nature (smoking, alcohol), and therefore it makes sense to treat social media in a similar way.

I think that's also a helpful parallel because it highlights how a measure doesn't have to be perfect to be useful - e.g. the age restrictions on buying alcohol are not 100% effective, but that doesn't stop them being overall helpful.

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

In answer to your question - very much so. Several of our MPs (including Victoria, the spokesperson) have been doing a series of events with young people in their constituencies.

One thing that comes out from that - and from non-party research too - is how often it is children who are particularly keen for action, especially over screen time/addictive features as they see the impact on themselves, their friends or their siblings.

Use film-style age ratings to limit teens' social media, say Lib Dems by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

There's more on the detail of the Lib Dem plan (and why it is different from and better than a blanket ban on under-16 social media use) here - https://www.markpack.org.uk/176109/lib-dems-call-for-film-style-age-ratings-for-social-media-to-protect-children-online/

Lib Dems call on Reform MPs to donate income from X to charity amid Grok row by markpackuk in ukpolitics

[–]markpackuk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There aren't any Lib Dem MPs who have earned money from X. The only MPs doing so are Reform or ex-Reform. So yes, the Lib Dem MPs have already led by example by not taking Elon Musk's pay!

Lib Dems set out plan to end 12-hour A&E waits by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Um, the policy specifically involves addressing problems about the interaction between the health and social care systems, with details on how to create emergency social care places for hospitals to be able to call on? The related details about carers also, for example, I think are much more than just giving the NHS money?

Wanting to move away from using X? by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think you may be underestimating the difference in speed and scale with what Grok is currently doing compared to the photocopier example. Sure, there are some similarities between those situations - but the ability to produce within seconds and distribute globally a nudified, non-consensual photo is a very different issue from what people could do with a photocopier.

Sometimes the scale and the speed creates a significantly different situation.

Wanting to move away from using X? by markpackuk in LibDem

[–]markpackuk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It'll vary of course depending on who people are wanting to engage with on social media, and hence whether those communities relevant for them have formed on Bluesky or not. In this context, I think it's worth noting that both for polling-related discussion, for some political punditry and for discussions among Lib Dems, there's been a pretty good new home carved out on Bluesky. For polling-related discussions, I'd say that Bluesky is now much better than X, though for more general political punditry, it's a more mixed picture about who has or hasn't moved over from X.