Iain Martin's Avatar

Iain Martin

@iainmartin1

Director of the London Defence Conference. Engelsberg Ideas editor. Weekly newsletter at Reaction on Substack. Author.

4,845
Followers
172
Following
197
Posts
11.11.2024
Joined
Posts Following

Latest posts by Iain Martin @iainmartin1

Preview
Is child poverty really as widespread as official figures show? Labour has staked its credibility on cutting it, so it’s worth straightening out the data

You’ll find this interesting then.

“Is child poverty really as widespread as official figures show?”

www.thetimes.com/article/fb88...

11.02.2026 16:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

For goodness sake man, pull yourself together. You began this by insulting my friend and colleague and now want everyone to be nice to you. Stroll on.

25.01.2026 20:49 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Why doesn’t BlueSky ever catch on? It’s such a mystery… @greenmirandahere.bsky.social

25.01.2026 19:23 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0

“Do you wanna make tea at the BBC? Do you wanna be, do you really wanna be a cop?”

23.12.2025 20:28 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
The battle for New York Zohran Mamdani's election as mayor of New York City is part of a decades-long clash between competing visions of America's greatest metropolis, and a historic contest between entrepreneurial aspiratio...

Zohran Mamdani's election as mayor of New York City is part of a decades-long clash between competing visions of America's greatest metropolis.

The battle for New York | John Ketcham

engelsbergideas.com/essays/the-b...

22.12.2025 11:48 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Classic Bluesky post, thank you. Smug, sanctimonious, and a swear word too. Pops up in my notifications once a month or so and reminds me why I almost never bother with ridiculous Bluesky.

14.12.2025 18:00 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

So your contention is we would have grown almost three times fast than Germany despite Covid. Why? How?

12.11.2025 18:19 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

As an economist told me, it fails the basic sniff test: “If our GDP had increased an extra 6-8% since 2016, we would have grown by as much as 20%, far outpacing France's 11.5% and Germany's 5.5%, and not far short of the US 24.7%. I just don't believe that!”

12.11.2025 17:47 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Do you agree with it?

12.11.2025 12:57 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0
Preview
How do the Liberal Democrats become more relevant in a landslide parliament?

Bear with, bear with ... hotfoot from Bournemouth, I was allowed by the chaps to do my own 5-point plan on what the Lib Dems need to do next (after Tim's similar re Reform) ... 📻 ... *hard hat*. With @steverichards.bsky.social @iainmartin1.bsky.social and Montie open.spotify.com/episode/2YHL...

24.09.2025 09:03 👍 19 🔁 4 💬 8 📌 0
Post image

Action replay of this earlier contretemps? No! But just Montie and me this week as @iainmartin1.bsky.social and @steverichards.bsky.social are gallivanting - NAO new ep about political friendships from different 'teams' open.spotify.com/episode/5FUd...

13.08.2025 10:12 👍 22 🔁 2 💬 8 📌 0

No, not nearly enough.

09.08.2025 21:31 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

Broad spectrum of views!

06.07.2025 16:43 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0

You are quoting Led By Donkeys. Goodness, what a weird sanctimonious bubble Blue Sky is. No wonder it is struggling.

06.07.2025 16:31 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 2 📌 0

You will no doubt have followed the debate closely, and the various debunkings of the methodology. Or maybe not, being on this place. I recommend the work of @julianhjessop.bsky.social if you really want to get a handle on all this.

02.07.2025 20:05 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 3 📌 1

Around 4%?

02.07.2025 18:25 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

No it wasn’t and no it wasn’t.

02.07.2025 18:14 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 1 📌 0

Of course not. That’s not how it works. Really.

02.07.2025 18:10 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Labour rebels making a catastrophic economic error sending Britain leftwards I hope to be proven mistaken when I say that this brings us close to a crunch moment, when we will be lucky to avoid a Greek-style crisis.

Labour rebels making a catastrophic economic error leading Britian leftwards. Me on the cost of the last couple of days of chaos. www.reaction.life/p/labour-reb...

02.07.2025 18:04 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 3 📌 0
Preview
Iran’s regime stuffed - what if the autocratic CRINK is losing? The Iranian regime made fatal miscalculations that undermine the axis of countries working for the defeat of the West.

Iran’s regime stuffed - what if the CRINK is losing? My newsletter for subscribers. open.substack.com/pub/reaction...

14.06.2025 22:49 👍 4 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0

Plus, stop the small boats or Farage becomes unstoppable. And on feeling sorry for young trans protestors who were misled by adults who should have known better. All that and more in my latest newsletter.

02.06.2025 08:35 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
What if Remain had won the Brexit referendum? Podcast Episode · Not Another One · 30/05/2025 · 51m

Happy 1st birthday to us! A year of the Not Another One podcast with Steve Richards, Tim Montgomerie, Miranda Green and me. Concept was Tim’s - on most political podcasts everyone agrees. We disagree but we like each other. Here’s to year two. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

30.05.2025 19:47 👍 15 🔁 1 💬 3 📌 0
Preview
Britain’s economy and our politics were broken by the financial crisis The impact of the collapse and rescue of RBS was much bigger than we understood at the time

Britain’s economy and its politics were broken by the financial crisis. My latest newsletter for subscribers, on RBS and the ongoing impact of the crash… open.substack.com/pub/reaction...

02.06.2025 08:31 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
What if Remain had won the Brexit referendum? Not Another One · Episode

📻 🎂 🎉A double birthday! - I turn *sorry I didn't quite catch that* today (a medical miracle) and Not Another One is A YEAR OLD! First anniversary Brexit ep - it's been growing through word of mouth: Montie @steverichards.bsky.social @iainmartin1.bsky.social open.spotify.com/episode/3noq...

01.06.2025 11:38 👍 20 🔁 1 💬 1 📌 0

Thank you!

30.05.2025 20:01 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
What if Remain had won the Brexit referendum? Podcast Episode · Not Another One · 30/05/2025 · 51m

Happy 1st birthday to us! A year of the Not Another One podcast with Steve Richards, Tim Montgomerie, Miranda Green and me. Concept was Tim’s - on most political podcasts everyone agrees. We disagree but we like each other. Here’s to year two. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

30.05.2025 19:47 👍 15 🔁 1 💬 3 📌 0
Preview
Is Rachel Reeves losing her control over the government? Podcast Episode · Not Another One · 28/05/2025 · 54m

Is Rachel Reeves losing her control over the government? Latest episide of Not Another One with Steve Richards, Tim Montgomerie, Miranda Green and me. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

28.05.2025 21:47 👍 9 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
Is Rachel Reeves losing her control over the government? Podcast Episode · Not Another One · 28/05/2025 · 54m

Is Rachel Reeves losing her control over the government? Latest episide of Not Another One with Steve Richards, Tim Montgomerie, Miranda Green and me. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...

28.05.2025 21:47 👍 9 🔁 3 💬 2 📌 0
Preview
Why Trump and the US backed the Chagos deal America gets to keep on using the base, India is pleased and the poor old British taxpayer pays the bill

Why Trump and the US backed the Chagos deal. My latest newsletter for subscribers. open.substack.com/pub/reaction...

26.05.2025 17:47 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Preview
Why Trump and the US backed the Chagos deal America gets to keep on using the base, India is pleased and the poor old British taxpayer pays the bill

Why Trump and the US backed the Chagos deal. My latest newsletter for subscribers. open.substack.com/pub/reaction...

26.05.2025 17:47 👍 5 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0