Jim Pickard

of all the interviews I’ve done this week, this podcast with @tommctague.bsky.social was probably the most reflective m.youtube.com/watch?v=NiCH...

“Farage claimed last year to have “bought a house” in his constituency but the property is actually owned in the name of his partner, meaning he legally avoided higher-rate stamp duty on the purchase of an additional home – given he already owns other properties” www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Bluesky isn’t perfect but at least its owner isn’t demanding violent insurrection in the UK from thousands of miles away

one immediate dramatic consequence of the Hungarian result: Magyar has promised to repair relations with the EU and unblock a €90bn EU loan for Ukraine

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was heading for a crushing defeat in parliamentary elections on Sunday night after official projections based on interim results put the opposition Tisza party on course for a clear majority in parliament. www.ft.com/content/a9b6...

Crispin Odey has dropped his £79mn libel claim against the Financial Times over its reporting of sexual misconduct allegations against him, acknowledging that the FT would win in its defence.  www.ft.com/content/6966...

US inflation jumped to its highest level in two years in March driven by a historic surge in petrol prices, knocking consumer sentiment to record lows as the fallout from Donald Trump’s war in Iran hits the world’s top economy. www.ft.com/content/7573...

brevity is the soul of wit

ancient amphitheatre, Taormina

so the strait - which was open six weeks ago - will reopen and that will be presented as some kind of victory?

Dubai exodus: Official estimates obtained by the FT show 30,000 British residents — or between 10-15 per cent of the prewar, long-term population — are outside the UAE, raising concerns among school operators banking on growth in student numbers www.ft.com/content/3fcc...

this is why I have encouraged friends and fellow journalists to quit, with mixed results

town square, Sicily