davelevy.info
type: channel
description: my site; opinion, notes and record
date: 2025-12-23T09:42:26Z
update period: hourly
update frequency: 1
update base: 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00
generator agent: https://wordpress.org/
items: A breeze in Downing Street
items: A manifesto for the Labour Movement for Europe
items: UK–EU Defence: Stronger Together
items: Untimely Atlanticism, a note on the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal
items: On the autumn statement 2026
items: On Citizens’ Assemblies
items: Digital Justice in the EU
items: The EU Hokey Cokey
items: Parties need pluralism
items: Immigration based on compassion and dignity
items: About the AI Boom
items: Labour’s membership
items: The downsides of the A.I. industry.
items: How much has Brexit cost us?
items: Today’s issues for Labour
items: #Lab25 will get to debate rejoining the EU
items: A more hostile environment
items: On the necessary regulation of AI
items: Thoughts on Labour’s NPF Report ’25
items: Agile, SCRUM and optimism

A breeze in Downing Street
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-12-23T09:40:05Z
subject: Politics
subject: thoughts
subject: europeanunion
subject: labour
subject: politics
subject: rejoineu
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-50x50.png 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Are we moving closer to joining the EU? It's been quite an eventful month, culminating in Wes Streeting’s call for the UK to join the EU’s Customs Union. This article looks at the current state of thinking of HMG on negotiations with the EU, comments on the velocity and direction of travel, contrasting the red lines vs the numerous programme adoptions, recent polling evidence that a majority of people in the UK now want to rejoin, the House of Commons vote on rejoining the customs union, and the announcement of the UK’s rejoining Erasmus+, the EU’s student exchange scheme. It concludes looking at a Guardian EB piece questioning if British Politics is fit to survive the current challenges and the Labour Party’s abysmal response. The full article, is overleaf, use the "Read More" to see it ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10DowningSt-ruichamberlain-unsplash-w750x250-50x50.png 50w" sizes="(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Are we moving closer to joining the EU? It’s been quite an eventful month, culminating in Wes Streeting’s call for the UK to join the EU’s Customs Union. This article looks at the current state of thinking of HMG on negotiations with the EU, comments on the velocity and direction of travel, contrasting the red lines vs the numerous programme adoptions, recent polling evidence that a majority of people in the UK now want to rejoin, the House of Commons vote on rejoining the customs union, and the announcement of the UK’s rejoining Erasmus+, the EU’s student exchange scheme. It concludes looking at a Guardian EB piece questioning if British Politics is fit to survive the current challenges and the Labour Party’s abysmal response. What HMG thinks is happening. I reported and commented on the UK hosted EU-UK Parliamentary Partnership Association meeting with a seemingly imaginative title of “The EU hokey cokey” but it seems many people are now using it to describe the UK approach. The day I watched was on trade & defence, and in reviewing the speeches of NST, the HMG Minister for Europe, and Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commissioner for Trade there is still a way to go to make further agreements, or even get back on the same page. In my commentary, I said, One problem is that the UK Government is behaving as if it doesn’t really care. There is no strategy and given a choice betwe…

A manifesto for the Labour Movement for Europe
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-12-16T10:43:25Z
subject: diary
subject: Politics
subject: labour
subject: LME
subject: politics
subject: rejoineu
description: I am standing for election to the LME national committee in the London region. I’ve been a member of the LME for many years. It’s interesting that over the last couple of weeks it seems that even the government recognises
encoded: I am standing for election to the LME national committee in the London region. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="626" height="626" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave.png" alt="" class="wp-image-7271" style="width:760px;height:auto" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave.png 626w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave-300x300.png 300w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/demo-dave-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 626px) 100vw, 626px" /> I’ve been a member of the LME for many years. It’s interesting that over the last couple of weeks it seems that even the government recognises that we need a better trade agreement with the European Union and that the “reset” is not going well. Mood is not enough. The simplest and most complete relationship is of course full membership which I support. We need to rejoin. Brexit is a mistake and more and more people realise this. But the UK cannot rejoin the European Union until it is ready to be good citizens, this will not happen without Labour commitment and leadership. If elected I will seek to bring the LME to a position where it campaigns to rejoin the single market in preparation for rejoining the European Union and calls on the Party to commit to full membership of the EU and to argue for rejoining as good citizens. This Labour government has the impossible policy of seeking to Fix Brexit; this is not possible. The Labour Government’s cherry-picking approach is making little headway and the claim that they will not sign deals not in the interests of the British people while pursuing a topic by topic approach makes achieving deals at speed exceedingly hard and provokes resistance in the European …

UK–EU Defence: Stronger Together
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-12-11T18:29:47Z
subject: Politics
subject: brexit
subject: defence
subject: europeanunion
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="nato warships" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-230x230.png 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />How damaging is the European union’s rejection of the UK’s attempts to join its SAFE programme; SAFE Is the European Union’s new defence funding programme. The most succinct report that I can find is on Euroweekly News in an article,
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="nato warships" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/snmg1-w750-cropped-viaNATO-230x230.png 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> How damaging is the European union’s rejection of the UK’s attempts to join its SAFE programme; SAFE Is the European Union’s new defence funding programme. The most succinct report that I can find is on Euroweekly News in an article, entitled, “UK excluded from €150bn EU defence deal” which states that, On November 28, the UK government announced that negotiations to join the EU’s €150 billion Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence fund had failed, marking a significant blow to what had been billed as a “reset” of UK‑EU post‑Brexit relations. However, Euroweekly News, also states that SAFE has a 35% access to 3rd party countries, which some might consider generous given that the programme is to be funded by ECB bond issue of €150bn. The cap is however per contract which would, almost certainly, for instance, make selling warships ineligible for SAFE funding, not to mention the fact that numerous EU countries can build both warships and warplanes. The EU were asking for a UK contribution, some might say, a large contribution, to the fund, before lifting the cap to 50%. It also interests me that the whole argument is about selling to the EU, and not the UK buying European weapons, although the Euro benefit to this is massively undermined by the UK decision to buy US warplanes and more US nukes. The UK proving once again that it is “a nation of shopkeepers” walked away from this deal. Defence co-operation was meant to be the most advanced topic of the EU-UK May reset agreement. Even with defence …

Untimely Atlanticism, a note on the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-12-02T17:13:33Z
subject: Politics
subject: artificial intelligence
subject: data centre
subject: international trade
subject: politics
subject: technology
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="an aisle in a computer hall" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I wrote a response to the US/UK Technology deal which was eventually published in the Chartist Magazine. They entitled it, “Untimely Atlanticism” with a sub title, “US AI data centres drain power and offer little for UK jobs while in Europe opportunities call “. The rest of the article, is overleaf, behind the "Read More" button. I talk about the new data centres, their immense scale, the digital colonialism, the import implications of the deal, and question the short term and long term economic benefits of AI. I finish by oitin g out the European co-operation might be more beneficial. ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="an aisle in a computer hall" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/datacentre-ismailenesayhan-unsplash-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I wrote a response to the US/UK Technology deal which was eventually published in the Chartist Magazine. They entitled it, “Untimely Atlanticism” with a sub title, “US AI data centres drain power and offer little for UK jobs while in Europe opportunities call “. In the Chartist article I say, One of the few substantial outcomes from Donald Trump’s second visit to the UK is the announcement of a UK-US Tech deal, also named the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal. TechUK states that the key areas for co-operation are Artificial Intelligence, civil nuclear technology, quantum technologies and network technology & cyber-security. The most eye-catching proposals are to enable the US Big Tech companies to build some very large data centres to host nodes in their AI configurations. The Government press release argues that this will help research significant bioscience advances. The scale of some of these data centre builds is enormous. The proposed Microsoft/Nscale data centre is planned to be 50 megawatts with a burst capability of 90 megawatts; these metrics do not include the power draw necessary to run the cooling systems. Google Gemini reports that 50 megawatts could be expected to power 30,000 homes. AI systems and their Data Centres aren’t a public good; the rules-bases, i.e. the knowledge is owned by the software company, and the data centres compete with people for power, water, land, and capital. The US corporate domination…

On the autumn statement 2026
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-28T10:14:00Z
subject: economics
subject: Politics
subject: brexit
subject: budget
subject: politics
subject: rachel reeves
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Rachel Reeves in front of No 10/1 with a red box" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />A quick note on the budget, remembering I wasn’t as critical of last year’s as some, at least not on macro-economic grounds. I was obviously against the failure to abolish the two child cap, but also against the failure to
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Rachel Reeves in front of No 10/1 with a red box" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/reeves-freemalaysiatoday-cc-by-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> A quick note on the budget, remembering I wasn’t as critical of last year’s as some, at least not on macro-economic grounds. I was obviously against the failure to abolish the two child cap, but also against the failure to properly fund universities, students, and local government. So this budget is, to me, a bit meh and I agree with Fisher, why wait for a year? Still nothing on HE or Local Government finance, and the wealth taxation is very weak and poorly focused. No capital gains tax equalisation, no financial transaction tax. The freezing of tax free allowance amounts is probably more damaging to those on the margin of the upper rate tax band but as I read it, it’s a piece of accounting magic. There were no plans to change it for the next two tax years anyway, and they can change their minds, although some of the impact will occur after the next election. Also the FT reports that leading business people consider it insufficiently stimulating of growth, which in their case is probably not code for, “We need to rejoin the single market and customs union.”, although there are many, including me and Liz Webster, that are saying so; our macro-economic arguments recently augmented by a report from the US non-partisan National Bureau of Economic Research and by Ryan Bourne’s recanting of his pro-Brexit positi…

On Citizens’ Assemblies
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-27T16:28:26Z
subject: thoughts
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />“Your Party”’s decision to make their founding conference a sortition selected meeting is causing some interest, although often from observers. The two articles to/on which I am replying and commenting are Against sortition by Michael Chessum at Prometheus and For
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> “Your Party”’s decision to make their founding conference a sortition selected meeting is causing some interest, although often from observers. The two articles to/on which I am replying and commenting are Against sortition by Michael Chessum at Prometheus and For democracy, against sortition by Will Roberts in Solidarity. In this article, I look at their arguments and their proposals for democratic engagement, and then look at how sortition selected citizen assemblies can improve decision making and democratic engagement. I feel there is a danger of losing the good in citizens’ assemblies within the polemic of democratic power. Sortition and politics Both articles promote classical, debate based forms of policy development, with local meetings, delegates and conferences. Within the trade union movement, an important part of the labour movement’s deliberative process, distinguishing it from Parliaments is that conferences are made-up of delegates who received mandates and so discussion occurs at both the local level on the national level. It is unfortunate that certainly within the Labour Party, too many MP’s and councillors take the Burkean view that all they owe their voters and parties is their judgement i.e. they cannot be instructed on how to vote, certainly not by local activists or even voters. The Labour movement’s practice has grown out of the requirement of the Unions for the discipline of collective action; strikes only work if they stop work in the workplace and they need to have confidence that delegates …

Digital Justice in the EU
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-24T09:21:45Z
subject: Politics
subject: Crime
subject: europeanunion
subject: justice
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Image Sign in front of the CJEU's Palais de la Cour de Justice" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />The Commission of the European Union has issued a report proposing what they call the digitalization of justice. At the moment, this is mainly about best practise, although it seems they plan to improve digital access to the European court’s
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Image Sign in front of the CJEU's Palais de la Cour de Justice" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/CJEU_complex-and-sign-March_2023-cropped-via-wikipedia-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The Commission of the European Union has issued a report proposing what they call the digitalization of justice. At the moment, this is mainly about best practise, although it seems they plan to improve digital access to the European court’s case law. A commentary has been made by the EU’s agency for fundamental rights cautiously welcoming the report but highlighting both the risks to privacy and the threat that such schemes will fail to improve justice for citizens, or worse. A further commentary can be found at the EU Observer, taking an equally cautions approach.

The EU Hokey Cokey
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-21T10:35:18Z
subject: Politics
subject: defence
subject: EU-UK PPA
subject: europeanunion
subject: internationaltrade
subject: politics
subject: rejoineu
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="dancers in a european square" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I watched the first day of the EU UK parliamentary partnership assembly. The first session was on general issues & trade and the second on defence. I made some notes which you can read overleaf. Following the agenda of the meeting, I talk of Trade and Defence in two parts. Throughout, I question the UK's half hearted commitment. Use the read more button to see the whole article. ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="dancers in a european square" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/eudance-danielsilva-unsplash-w750h250-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I watched the first day of the EU UK parliamentary partnership assembly. This was set up by the trade and co-operation agreement and meets every six months. It consists of parliamentarians from the European Parliament and the UK Parliament. The first session was on general issues & trade and the second on defence. I made some notes which follow that structure, and add some comments of my own. Trade I think there was some very polite disagreement between NST and Šefčovič whose speech was read. I don’t think HMG really understand the EU’s position on the eight UK treaty infractions required to fully meet the withdrawal agreement on citizenship and the Windsor agreement on the NI/Irish customs border. HMG think they’re making progress I’m not so sure The MEPs reinforced importance of Erasmus and the youth experience scheme and the need for pace on Erasmus, CBAM (energy) and SAFE (Defence). The UK’s delay seems to be focused on money. It seems that too many have not read the recent communique after the May summit in full. I comment on the May summit, with articles on my first impressions, where I sum up the meeting as a draw and explaining the basic compromises, second thoughts where I examine the transatlantic dimension of politics as it impacts EU/UK relations and a 3rd piece where I quote a number of press sources critical of the ambition and pace of…

Parties need pluralism
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-18T18:03:29Z
subject: Politics
subject: emanuelle avril
subject: labour
subject: management
subject: new labour
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Ed Miliband at #lab14" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />I was writing about something else, and wrote this on party management. It’s coherent, but doesn’t belong in what I am writing, and so I thought I’d share it now, “Your Party” is planning a Sortition based founding conference. It
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Ed Miliband at #lab14" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/lab14-2-w650-guardian-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I was writing about something else, and wrote this on party management. It’s coherent, but doesn’t belong in what I am writing, and so I thought I’d share it now, “Your Party” is planning a Sortition based founding conference. It has probably chosen this for reasons of control but, “Your Party”’s problems occur in many parties, and I am reminded of the white paper “The (Unintended) Consequences of New Labour: Party Leadership vs Party Management in the British Labour Party…, a white paper to the PSA” by Emanuelle Averil on New Labour, which examines its managerialism and the destruction of its activist commitment and influence. The paper was published in 2015 before the General Election. I read it in 2017 and strangely ended up sitting next to her at Conference ’19. I posted my comments in a blog, A note on Emanuelle Averil’s “the unintended consequences of New Labour” and in that article I selected some quotes. While being 20 years old, these comments seem equally relevant today, particularly about the Labour Party. I quote her on how suppressing the activist layer was mistaken and led to a failure to connect to the electorate, how factionalism suppresses plurality which made renewal impossible, how triangulation led to voter alienation and its control freakery led to a toxification of its image. We might debate about the noughtie…

Immigration based on compassion and dignity
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-17T11:13:26Z
subject: Politics
subject: asylum
subject: immigration
subject: labour
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The Government have announced major regressive changes to the Asylum regime. These are all regressive, & vindictive. They must be opposed, and those MPs & Peers opposing these measures supported. This article looks at a couple of statements in opposition, and points at the Momentum model motion. While various press sources seem to have seen the proposals, I can't find the formal government statement. (10:57), see overleaf for more ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Control-Immigration-Mug-w750-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The Government have announced major regressive changes to the Asylum regime. These are all regressive, & vindictive. They must be opposed, and those MPs & Peers opposing these measures supported. This article looks at a couple of statements in opposition, and points at the Momentum model motion. While various press sources seem to have seen the proposals, I can’t find the formal government statement. (10:57) Here’s my Union branch’s short statement on it, and here’s Stella Creasy MP, my Union branch’s short statement and Tom Vaughn MP. Stella’s article ends, “As another row on immigration and refugees awaits parliament, it is clear the problem is not immigrants, but politicians themselves” My union branch, Our branch strongly supports the GMB policy of welcoming migrants and allowing them to build lives here. Our branch officers condem these further additions to the hostile environment and its extension to those granted asylum. …https://t.co/6GusZhrauy — GMB London Central (X58) (@GmbX58) November 17, 2025 The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning. The idea that recognised refugees need to be deported is wrong. We absolutely need immigration controls. And where those controls decide to… — Tony Vaughan KC MP (@tonyvaughanMP) No…

About the AI Boom
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-11-04T12:23:53Z
subject: economics
subject: Politics
subject: technology
subject: AI
subject: artificial intelligence
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="an AI chip on a board" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />Five things It’s useless as a pillar of a growth/industrial policy.
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="an AI chip on a board" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/aichip-via-unsplash-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Five things There’s no positive business model, they can’t replace staff, or at least not without new supervisors. They are now borrowing to invest in each other. Hallucinations are a feature, it gets things wrong, The rule base’s ownership is obscure and Code is Law It’s [deliberately] wasteful of resources which people need to live. It’s useless as a pillar of a growth/industrial policy.

Labour’s membership
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-10-22T10:58:49Z
subject: Politics
subject: labour
subject: labour money
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="a red rose" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />The Labour Party staff stopped reporting membership to the NEC earlier this year, but they reported the end of year membership to Annual Conference and of course the electoral commission. A number of years ago, I made a chart showing
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="a red rose" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/ashkan-forouzani-rosegarden-unsplash-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> The Labour Party staff stopped reporting membership to the NEC earlier this year, but they reported the end of year membership to Annual Conference and of course the electoral commission. A number of years ago, I made a chart showing Labour’s membership from 1989 to 2021; I have just updated it using the end of 2024 figures. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="414" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1024x414.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13598" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-1024x414.png 1024w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-300x121.png 300w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image-768x310.png 768w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/image.png 1269w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /> There are stories published that Reform have overtaken Labour in terms of membership numbers; it would take an extraordinary amount of departures for this to be true. This article in the New Statesman published under a pseudonym as a gossip column is headlined as such and points at Labour List reporting the membership in Feb as 309,000.

The downsides of the A.I. industry.
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-26T17:33:40Z
subject: economics
subject: Politics
subject: technology
subject: AI
subject: artificial intelligence
subject: cloud computing
subject: karenhao
subject: novaramedia
subject: openai
subject: politics
subject: samaltman
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Karen Hao in front of a book shelf" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I have recently, watched the YouTube video, “How tech CEOs are lying to you”, where Karen Hao is interviewed by Aaron Bastani on Novara Media's channel. Ms Hao has just published a book, “Empire of AI” and the interview covers the topics of the book. At the centre of her arguments are, that large language modules aka AI, and their use of resources, water, power, land and rare metals are a choice, and one that society cannot afford. She questions the business model of the AI industry, sees it as a threat to [US] wealth and notes its scofflaw approach to its own regulation and its oppression of poor and vulnerable communities. She is highly critical of the motivations of the oligarchs funding the AI bubble. The remainder of this article, which is over 2000 words is overleaf, use the "Read More" button ....
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Karen Hao in front of a book shelf" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/karenhao-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I have recently, watched the YouTube video, “How tech CEOs are lying to you”, where Karen Hao is interviewed by Aaron Bastani on Novara Media’s channel. Ms Hao has just published a book, “Empire of AI” and the interview covers the topics of the book. At the centre of her arguments are, that large language modules, and their use of resources, water, power, land and rare metals are a choice, and one that society cannot afford. She questions the business model of the AI industry, sees it as a threat to [US] wealth and notes its scofflaw approach to its own regulation and its oppression of poor and vulnerable communities. She is highly critical of the motivations of the oligarchs funding the AI bubble. What follows is my notes of the interview. I have rearranged the order to try and tell the story without repetition or diversion. She argues that at the centre, the industry’s self serving ideology , the messianic commitment of its protagonists, the questionable value of the industry, the public cost in land, water, electricity and talent, and the threat to democracy as they avoid and corrupt the regulators are all things we should be highly concerned about. She also argues the lack of business model and its failure to create wealth is a threat to the [US] economy. They talk about what is AI, how it came to be, OpenAI vs Google, the immense resources required to run the infrastructure and…

How much has Brexit cost us?
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-19T19:22:56Z
subject: economics
subject: Politics
subject: brexit
subject: growth
subject: NIESR
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Reuters Square, if its still called that in black and white." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />While posting my notes on my reference back for Labour Conference I fell back on the OBR statistic that Brexit had cost the UK 4% of GDP. I thought a chart would have been helpful and so went looking for
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Reuters Square, if its still called that in black and white." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/cw-arielpilotto-unsplash-w750-cropped-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> While posting my notes on my reference back for Labour Conference I fell back on the OBR statistic that Brexit had cost the UK 4% of GDP. I thought a chart would have been helpful and so went looking for one. The NIESR published an article, Revisiting the effects of Brexit, which now they’ve archived it, no longer has the chart they made from the model, but google search can still find it today. <img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1018" height="673" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brexit-and-GDP-NIESR.png" alt="" class="wp-image-13575" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brexit-and-GDP-NIESR.png 1018w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brexit-and-GDP-NIESR-300x198.png 300w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Brexit-and-GDP-NIESR-768x508.png 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1018px) 100vw, 1018px" /> Their model tries to disentangle the effects of the COVID slump, and the article, dated 2023, says, These estimates suggest that Brexit had already reduced UK real GDP relative to the baseline by just under one per cent in 2020 as consumers and businesses adapted their expectations even before the TCA came into force. Our estimates further suggest that three years after the transition period, UK real GDP is some 2-3 per cent lower due to Brexit, c…

Today’s issues for Labour
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-19T09:15:28Z
subject: Politics
subject: bridget phillipson
subject: labour
subject: lucy powell
subject: politics
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Portraits, Powell and Phillipson" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Labour is holding an election for the position of Deputy Leader, I have five questions I want to ask them. Use the "Read More" button to see what they were ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Portraits, Powell and Phillipson" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/PowellPhillipson-OGL-w750-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Labour is holding an election for the position of Deputy Leader, I have five questions I want to ask them. Where do you stand on immigration and the fact that copying Reform legitimises and emboldens them? Where do you stand on closer relations with the EU on defence, trade and economic co-operation? Where do you stand on rejoining the single-market? Where do you stand on fiscal/monetary policy? How can we end austerity and make people feel better off and what will you do? Where do you stand on Welfare reform? Why are we increasing poverty? What do you think the Government should do about Gaza and Palestine? I believe a Deputy Leader, in fact all MPs, should represent the Party membership to the PLP and its leadership, will you start to do this? What measures will you take to turn the Party’s democracy back on? Now how to put these questions to them.

#Lab25 will get to debate rejoining the EU
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-05T07:44:35Z
subject: Politics
subject: #lab25
subject: brexit
subject: labour
subject: NPF
subject: politics
subject: rejoineu
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> At the General Committee of Lewisham North last night we agreed to send a motion calling for the abolition of the two child benefit cap, and also proposed a reference back of the NPF report. I intiallly proposed the words in a blog article posted last week. This article repeats some of the text of the reference back and my notes for my moving speech, and right of reply, as it was opposed by both those who think that being outside the EU is a good thing, and those who fear Farage and think the time is wrong. For those details, read overleaf ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="Labour Conference 2019 from the balcony" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lab19-votes-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> At the General Committee of Lewisham North last night we agreed to send a motion calling for the abolition of the two child benefit cap, and also proposed a reference back of the NPF report. I intiallly proposed the words in a blog article posted last week. This article repeats some of the text of the reference back and my notes for my moving speech, and right of reply, as it was opposed by both those who think that being outside the EU is a good thing, and those who fear Farage and think the time is wrong. The crux of the reference back is, Conference calls on the NPF to look beyond the ’24 manifesto commitments with respect to the EU relationship and to press for faster re-alignment with the EU single market within this parliament and to examine the possibility of rejoining the European Union being a manifesto promise for the next general election. Here are my notes, in moving the proposal, The NPF report talks of much progress but draws little conclusions. It makes much of the UK-EU summit in May, which itself was inconclusive. No agreements were made. Not even on the softest of targets, Defence. This reference back calls for the NPF to consider looking beyond the ’24 manifesto commitments with respect to the EU relationship and to press for faster re-alignment with the EU single market, within this parliament, and to examine the possibility of rejoining the European Union being a manifesto promise for the next general election. In addition to its lack of ambition, the report fails to mention the reset meetings req…

A more hostile environment
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-03T09:38:32Z
subject: thoughts
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="the ECtHR building from the air and at night" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-50x50.png 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-45x45.png 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />On 1st September, 2025, Yvette Cooper made yet another immigration policy announcement, most startlingly, prohibiting, refugees, who enter the country irregularly from bringing their family with them: reported by the Guardian & BBC. We should bear in mind that there
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="the ECtHR building from the air and at night" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-50x50.png 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ECHR-Building-at-Night-via-ECtHR-w750x256-45x45.png 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> On 1st September, 2025, Yvette Cooper made yet another immigration policy announcement, most startlingly, prohibiting, refugees, who enter the country irregularly from bringing their family with them: reported by the Guardian & BBC. We should bear in mind that there are no legal routes for refugees to enter the country and they have the right to claim asylum here, In addition there’s a growing mood music inside the Government to amend, or leave the ECHR; this demans originates from the Tories and Reform and is entering the Labour Party via the parasitic Blue Labour current. It’s now being repeated by cabinet members. We should all bear in mind that the UK is currently a good citizen as far as the ECtHR is concerned, it only appeared three times last year, and only lost once, and that was to the Daily Mail in a dispute about libel costs. The ECHR and the UK’s Human Rights Act are designed to protect citizens that’s you and me from oppressive governments. If it’s a problem to governments, then they can easily solve their problem by behaving decently. The Labour Campaign for Free Movement is campaigning for a motion on immigration, refugees and asylum to go to Labour Conference 25. I have set up my #lab25 conference.…

On the necessary regulation of AI
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-09-01T19:35:47Z
subject: economics
subject: technology
subject: AI
subject: artificial intelligence
subject: technolgy
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="a robot issuing a parking ticket, generated by deepai.org" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-50x50.png 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-45x45.png 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />I wrote a piece for Chartist on AI & its regulation, which I have signposted on LInkedin. I look at its likely macro-economic effects and the essential defence of Article 22 of the GDPR, where I say, … the most
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="a robot issuing a parking ticket, generated by deepai.org" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-50x50.png 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/robot-parkingticket-deepai_org-45x45.png 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I wrote a piece for Chartist on AI & its regulation, which I have signposted on LInkedin. I look at its likely macro-economic effects and the essential defence of Article 22 of the GDPR, where I say, … the most important defences that we as citizens, workers, and consumers have is the EU’s GDPR, which in Article 22 & Recital 71 establishes what they call a right to “freedom from profiling”. This, through the rulings of the CJEU, has become quite extensive and now prohibits such things as ‘general monitoring’, a legal protection brought forcefully to light by the French supervisory authority fining Amazon €32m for violations of the GDPR within their workforce management regime. In the article, I talk about the problem of Authority vs Popularity, the need for open source, and source citation. I also review the need for some innovators for privacy and competitive advantage and the possible future of regulation of AI to ensure decency and accountability. I also look at the patchy European response and the paradoxical attitude of the US. I conclude. In summary, there are plenty of laws to ensure that AI and its owners behave decently, and in some European countrie…

Thoughts on Labour’s NPF Report ’25
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-08-27T09:44:40Z
subject: Politics
subject: #lab25
subject: european union
subject: labour
subject: labour rules
subject: NPF
subject: politics
subject: rejoineu
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> This article looks at the development of Labour's Policy as its annual Conference approaches. It looks at the rules commitment to "voting in parts", and reproduces an NPF report reference back motion on the subject of the relationship with the EU that I shall take to my local party. My motion calls to rejoin the single market immediately and to promise to rejoin the EU in the next manifesto. To read the whole article, use the "Read More" button ...
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-150x150.png" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-150x150.png 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-270x270.png 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-230x230.png 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/lab23-platform-w750-cropped-cc0-dfl-50x50.png 50w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> Critically this article makes a call for a contemporary motion to #Lab25 modifying the NPF report conclusions on relationships with the European Union. It also looks at the development of Labour’s Policy as its annual Conference approaches. It looks at the rules commitment to “voting in parts”, and reproduces an NPF report reference back motion on the subject of the relationship with the EU that I shall take to my local party. My motion calls to rejoin the single market immediately and to promise to rejoin the EU in the next manifesto. Each year the Labour Party produce a report from the National Policy Forum which has a major responsibility for developing the manifesto. This year’s report can be found at NPF Report (https) or via my mirror. It has been written in a banal and non-actionable fashion but the party rules permit the report to be voted for in parts, Chapter 3.III.2.G Party conference shall consider policy reports and draft reports as part of the rolling programme, the NPF report, the NEC annual report, NEC statements and development strategy. Conference has the right to refer back part of any document without rejecting the policy document as a whole. I have been advised that each organisation can move one reference back per policy commission up to four commissions. Such r…

Agile, SCRUM and optimism
type: item
creator: Dave
date: 2025-08-04T14:33:01Z
subject: technology
subject: scrum
subject: software engineering
subject: theory x / theory y
description: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="two men at a transparent wall board" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-150x150.jpg 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-270x270.jpg 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-230x230.jpg 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-50x50.jpg 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-45x45.jpg 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" />I have posted an article to my Linkedin blog. I had come across an article on medium, and so probably behind their paywall, called, “The Death of Agile: Why Tech Giants Are Abandoning Scrum and What They Use Instead”. One
encoded: <img width="150" height="150" src="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-150x150.jpg" class="attachment-thumbnail size-thumbnail wp-post-image" alt="two men at a transparent wall board" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-150x150.jpg 150w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-270x270.jpg 270w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-230x230.jpg 230w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-50x50.jpg 50w, https://davelevy.info/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/diggity-marketing-s8HyIEe7lF0-unsplash-45x45.jpg 45w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /> I have posted an article to my Linkedin blog. I had come across an article on medium, and so probably behind their paywall, called, “The Death of Agile: Why Tech Giants Are Abandoning Scrum and What They Use Instead”. One of the alternatives the author suggests is a zero methodology regime. I extracted what I consider important from the article and argue these are critiques of SCRUM not necessarily of Agile. I made a note in 2021, called SCRUM, where after listing a series of critiques of SCRUM, I highlighted four of the principles from the Agile manifesto, which I think remain relevant, · Individuals and interactions over processes and tools · Working software over comprehensive documentation · Customer collaboration over contract negotiation · Responding to change over following a plan While not a fan of poor documentation, as I don’t consider the product finished without good documentation, these are useful, people centric and optimistic strategies.They rely on empowering talent, not micromanaging it. I first wrote about Theory X/Theory Y in my blog article “Maximising Creativity” (2004), where I acknowledge its authorship by Doug…