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Benjamin Lewis
@tc1415
Master of Physics, Doctor of Philosophy. A Tory, a conservative, and a unionist. Technically a citizen of London. Tweets are mine and not my employer's.
Ely, England
Joined May 2008
Posts
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    FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT THIS IS *NOT* ME. (Though, I would like to know who it is because this one made me laugh)
    Incredible FoI just submitted via Whatdotheyknow
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    There are a small number of corporate entities in England which exist by prescription. I.e. no one knows when they were founded so they're just assumed to have always existed. The classic is the Corporation of London, which likely predates a unitary Kingdom of England.
    Share your favourite lore about Britain
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    Replying to @tc1415
    Several bishoprics (yes that's a word!) are corporations sole by this mechanic too. Fundamentally this is a consequence of England never having a revolutionary break in legal continuity since the Conquest (and arguably that wasn't, either). So things just "exist"
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    Haven't done it for a while so here goes. Hi, I'm Dr. Lewis, PhD in theoretical astronomy, magnetohydrodynamics expert and someone who knows an unhealthy amount about the formation of ~1 solar mass stars. Am I 'intellectually challenged'? Or are you just rude?
    If you’re still supporting Brexit after all that’s emerged about its dire and damaging effects, illegality, Russian interference and funding of Leave campaign via Aaron Banks, tax evasion, role of IDOX etc then you must be intellectually challenged. There’s no other explanation.
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    It would end the UK's tech industry. No one would be able to WFH, so everyone would just leave Even I the person who said he'd stay and fix the place would have to think long and hard if the UK became the only place in the world tech employees can't WFH (when I'm not travelling)
    The Government is launching a consultation on banning VPNs. We’d bet they don’t understand what a VPN is or how a ban would harm them and national industry. notodigitalid.org/donate/
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    This should be misconduct in a public office. No minister who correctly considers his role could make this decision except in extreme bad faith.
    Labour Gives Away Crucial Chagos Islands to China-Aligned Mauritius order-order.com/2024/10/03/lab…
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    I'm quite the Jenrick sceptic (for a whole bucket of reasons - and yes I have met him in person too). But that video is actually sublime, and he deserves rather a lot of credit Also, it's going to cut right through, and even those saying otherwise know it will.
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    The United Kingdom counts (the Western Isles and sometimes St Ives, depending on the tides, aside) an entire country's election between 10 pm and about 6 am By hand. Without a computer in sight. Grow another one.
    NEWS The Pro-Trump Georgia election board has voted to require hand counts of ballots. This would delay the certification of the results by weeks if not months. 
Critics plan to sue saying the new requirement would almost certainly lead to errors. Full Story:
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    It still continues to astound me how Civil Servants don't understand that when given an instruction by a minister, their only two options are "comply" or "resign". "Refuse" (or slow walking, or anything else of that nature) simply isn't on the table.
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    Well, guess I'll be reducing my pension contributions then...
    🚨 NEW: Rachel Reeves will use the Budget to impose a £2k-a-year limit on how much salary can go into a pension before paying National Insurance The move will raise £2bn and hit salary sacrifice schemes [@thetimes]
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    Exactly. It'll be "oh I see you've used your digital ID to buy two bottles of gin this month. To protect the NHS we're suspending it"
    My primary concern is not the data. It's that a digital ID will not be used for proof but for control - that you'll soon need a digital ID to be allowed to do certain things and that the govt will set the conditions for that. Then it is only one further step to having to remain
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    Replying to @Object_Zero_
    I explictly didn't include Scotland because my knowledge of time immemorial corporations there is sadly very lacking :-)
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    So tomorrow, HM Government is going to ask Parliament to pass a law in a day. Which is entirely constitutionally proper, correct, and valid. But next time a minister says they "can't" do something, remind them of tomorrow 😉
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    It is quite something to behold how "flattening the curve" has morphed into "totally eliminate the virus, even if we flatten everything else on the way".