First Violinist, The Parliamentary String Quartet
Joined December 2009
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Emily Benn retweeted
There will now be a temptation in many parts of Europe, including the UK, to think that things will eventually go back to normal with the US and that Europe can stop its reluctant shift towards strategic autonomy. That would be a serious mistake.
Emily Benn retweeted
Massive constitutional crisis brewing over Netanyahu’s refusal to accept the election results and his use of the Shin Bet for political purposes.
Shin Bet Chief Zini (Netanyahu appointee) is demanding to question Arab party leaders in the foreign election funding case.
Attorney-General Baharav-Miara just put out a statement that citizens, especially elected MKs, can only be questioned if there’s supporting evidence and Zini has prevented the Shin Bet from passing any evidence to her or the police for two days now.
Eisenkot: “Likud and Netanyahu are trying to commit a pogrom of the democracy and the rule of law”
Emily Benn retweeted
כל הדיבורים על מי יישבו בקואליציה או יתמכו מבחוץ בממשלת השינוי מסיטים את תשומת הלב מהאירוע המרכזי שהוא קריטי לקיומנו. אנחנו במציאות בה נעשה שימוש פוליטי בוטה בשב״כ, כשבצה״ל חוששים שישראל תצא למלחמה נוספת באיראן בתואנות שווא ובעיתוי אסטרטגי הרסני, וכשעושים הכל להבעיר אינתיפאדה בגדה.
יושבת קבוצת הנהגה חלופית שכוללת רמטכ״ל וסגן רמטכ״ל לשעבר. שני ראשי ממשלות ושרי ביטחון לשעבר. ראש שב״כ לשעבר. כולם מודעים היטב למה שמתחולל בצמרת הביטחונית, ללחצים שמופעלים על ראשיה ולמניעים שמפעילים את הכוחות בשטח.
השאלה אם תקום ממשלת רוב או מיעוט, עם תמיכה של מפלגות ערביות או חרדיות, צריכה להיות כרגע עבורם לא יותר מדיון טכני.
הכורח להחליף את הידיים שעל הגה השלטון ואת האצבעות על הכפתורים האדומים היא ברמת דחיפות קיומית. איזנקוט, בנט, גולן וליברמן יודעים את זה. יש להם את המספרים בכנסת לפעול. השתהות מיותרת עלולה להיות בכייה לדורות.
Emily Benn retweeted
Agreed. Sadly, the tax simplification agenda continues to be endorsed by 100% of think tanks and 0% of chancellors.
Emily Benn retweeted
This puts into perspective. You can see average income growth over a 60 year period. This decade by the far the worst. Even worse than in 2010s which, at the time, were the worst in post war history.
Emily Benn retweeted
Extraordinary letter in @ft from former UK defence attaché at Moscow embassy - we warned you about Putin but you listened to the City instead
Emily Benn retweeted
Don’t think it’s been internalised what it says that Trafalgar Square now has to have anti-ramming bollards and gates about the terror threat. If these are to be permanent, is there not some way we can have iron gates befitting the dignity of the square?
“Fixing the childcare problem is the right thing to do, but fundamental reform to our broken tax and childcare system will be needed to do it… We urgently need a tax system that incentivises productivity, career progression and procreation”
Spot on. The current system is mad
High earners are right to wail about childcare costs ft.trib.al/Jjo1JDl | opinion
Emily Benn retweeted
If we grant that @DanNeidle's figures here are broadly reasonable then, well, you have at least one tax cut that really would pay for itself and another (abolishing the £100K taper) that is both just and a no-brainer.
Who on earth chooses the anniversary of the largest massacre of Jews since the Second World War, to protest against Jews - and not just anywhere, but outside one of the main communal groups of Jews?
It is beneath contempt
Emily Benn retweeted
Will the Green Party have serious power, even win a general election? Probably not.
But have they just shifted the Overton Window, making it that bit more acceptable for political parties and the general public to be openly antisemitic? Absolutely yes
Emily Benn retweeted
Andy Burnham: when it comes to devolution, the electoral system, even Europe — a constitutional radical.
However, when it comes to growth, the Prime Minister still strikes me as rather timid from planning to tax reform.
He’s totally right we need a radical offer to unify the Left and win the election. But I think we need to get radical on growth to be strongly competitive going into it.
When it comes to the budget the Chancellor needs to be as bold on growth as Burnham was on the constitution today.
Emily Benn retweeted
One of the more alarming things we’re living through in the West on the progressive side of things is a minority tendency to wish away or even deny the Jihadist core and terrorist nature of Hamas. Doesn’t help any Palestinian or Israeli.
Hamas planned coordinated terrorist attacks in Berlin and Vienna to mark the second anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre in Israel, according to a 214-page indictment filed by Germany’s federal prosecutor.
politico.eu/article/hamas-pl…
Emily Benn retweeted
Amazingly, this is no longer true. A parent with two children is tens of thousands of pounds worse off once they earn over £100k (due to loss of childcare + 62p rate).
The next Budget should fix our absurd marginal tax rates. arguably.uk/p/britain-cant-a…
I am not defending the student loan system.
I am saying you're still always better off earning more.
In my case, of every extra £ I earn I pay 40p tax, 2p Nation Insurance, 13p pension, 2p levy to Labour, 9p student loan, 8p tithe - but that still leaves me 26p better off!
Readers added context they thought people might want to know
Marginal interest rates on UK incomes exceed 100% in many cases, for example, for earners crossing £100k income and having childcare subsidy for 2 small children. This means it is not always better to earn more. taxpolicy.org.uk/wp-content/ass…
Absolutely bloody fantastic Prom tonight at the Royal Albert Hall. Bach, Beethoven and Jessie Montgomery
Bravo @BBCPhilharmonic @Abel_Cellist @Philchorus @classicjacko - an awesome night
Emily Benn retweeted
The £100,000 tax trap is pushing increasing numbers of GPs to work part-time. Now only 19% of GPs work full time, with the figure declining to 11% for the under 40s
Unlike many salaried employees, GP partners & many sessional GPs have considerable control over their hours, making labour supply relatively flexible. Unsurprisingly they choose to work less to avoid paying tax of 60% or more.
The 60% rate at £100K is an inefficient policy that restricts the availability of medical care. It falls on workers who have scarce professional skills, can often choose their hours & are in occupations with significant shortages.
Removing the tax penalty at £100k would result in some 400 additional full-time-equivalent GPs & around 2m additional GP appointments a year.
Emily Benn retweeted
Mary Lindell, one of the few women parachuted into France for MI9, ran escape lines under the alias Marie-Claire.
Despite arrest and concentration camp imprisonment, she continued organising routes for downed airmen.
Her resilience helped save hundreds of Allied lives and exemplified MI9’s daring operations.
Have you heard of her before?
