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‘Most magical place’: How Dublin Influences This Mother-Daughter Business: Business NH Magazine
Today, Webber and her daughter, Kate Webber, operate The Gratitude Farm, a Dublin-based studio and business that combines Donni’s nature-inspired pottery with Kate’s landscape paintings.
Handcrafted art helps fight hunger
Buy a soup bowl to help combat local hunger, visit a new spot to make pottery, and stock up on some holiday gifts when Rainbow Springs Art in Dunnellon opens
“Harry Potter” star Bonnie Wright announces birth of second child
She also shares a son, Elio Ocean, with husband Andrew Lococo.
Mystery dinner in Whitesboro to benefit cancer patients
The Joseph Michael Chubbuck Foundation will host a Harry Potter-inspired mystery dinner Oct. 23 at Hart's Hill Inn to benefit cancer patients in financial need.
Art Hounds: St. Paul Art Crawl, dreamlike ceramics and a mental health doc
The Art Hounds recommend the St. Paul Art Crawl, a retrospective of Jim Grittner’s ceramics in Duluth and a documentary screening in Fergus Falls about Minnesota’s mental health institutions.
Chinese pottery discovered in Great Zimbabwe reveals medieval African empire's vast connections spanning thousands of miles
Archaeologists excavating a medieval African kingdom have discovered pottery from eastern China, revealing connections across continents.
J.K. Rowling doc to explore 'Harry Potter' author's career, politics
The BBC is developing a two-part documentary about J.K. Rowling that explores the "Harry Potter" author's life, career and polarizing politics.
CeramiCafe will expand its paint-your-own pottery business to Bend
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Are you looking for a creative way to spend time with family and friends Happening next, a new paint-your-own pottery business is coming to Bend! CeramiCafe, which started in Clackamas back in 2002, is expanding to Central Oregon. The business made the announcement on social media, saying plans are in the
Erie County Department of Health reports potential diphtheria exposure in West Seneca schools
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Erie County Department of Health has confirmed a travel-related case of bacterial illness diphtheria, with schools in the West Seneca Central School District being identified as potential exposure sites. According to the district, notifications have been sent to families at Clinton Primary, Northwood Elementary, Winchester-Potters Elementary & East Middle School. […]
Skydance emerges as entertainment behemoth with Top Gun and Harry Potter
Continuity will be the immediate emphasis for Skydance, the new entertainment giant created by Paramount's takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Skydance now runs two of Hollywood’s legacy film studios. A look at the new company, by the numbers
David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance has completed its $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing two of Hollywood’s most storied legacy film studios under one mammoth media and entertainment conglomerate named Skydance. Now, Skydance must decide how to make the most out of a trove of entertainment assets, including the HBO Max and Paramount+ video streaming services, a film library that includes “Star Trek,” “Barbie,” “Top Gun,” “Harry Potter,” and “Superman,” and two major news organizations, CNN and CBS News. Here’s a look at the new company, by the numbers.
Forma brings a community pottery studio to Napa
Step inside Forma, a new pottery studio at 100 Coombs St. in Napa.
Baubles & Brews brings women-owned businesses together in Pottsville
Candles, pottery, books, and skincare filled tables at Arrow Studio & Events on Saturday as 23 small businesses came together for Baubles & Brews, a fall market centered on women entrepreneurs and the community they have built. For…
Looking at the Ugly Side of the Paramount-Skydance Merger...And How I’d Fix It
A Message from Our Sponsor Certified Fresh with 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, FX’s Adults is an ensemble comedy series about a group of twenty-somethings in New York leaning on each other to navigate love, work, friendship and family. Don’t sleep on “The Sitcom of the Moment” - Awards Buzz All Episodes now streaming on Hulu on Disney+. Watch The Teaser Trailer... (Welcome to the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a newsletter on the entertainment industr(Welcome to the “Most Important Story of the Week”, my bi-weekly strategy column analyzing the most important (but often not buzziest) news story of the last two weeks. I’m the Entertainment Strategy Guy, a former streaming executive who now analyzes business strategy in the entertainment industry. Please subscribe.) Before we dive in, I wanted to congratulate Broadcast Now for being the first to report that Netflix’s How to Get to Heaven from Belfast has been cancelled. (I saw this in a write-up by Kasey Moore of Whats-On-Netflix.) More importantly, I wanted to note that, as of yesterday, none of the other trades had reported the news yet. I have half a guess that eventually one of them will report this. Anyways, it’s time to take a break from my deluge of streaming ratings reports to continue my analysis of the Paramount Skydance Warner Bros. Discovery (PSWbD) saga. As I noted last week, a lot of times when folks use the (sometimes cliched) “the good, the bad and the ugly” framing for an article, “the ugly” section is just more bad. Or very, very bad. In this case, yeah, I do think it’s ugly. In more than one way. Unfortunately, we’re only going to have time to tackle one of those ways today: the ugly pile of debt to finance this deal. (In a future article, I may cover the entire process for how it went down, which was very, very ugly.) Last issue, I explained why I liked this deal in a vacuum. Unfortunately, “vacuums” don’t exist outside of space. Let’s dive in. Subscribe Most Important Story of the Week - The Ugliness of the Paramount/Warner Bros. Merger More than one person sent me a note speculating that the big problem with Paramount Skydance buying Warner Bros. Discovery is the “Warner Bros.” portion of the deal. In fact, that’s a take I read a lot about Warner Bros., ever since they caught Netflix’s, and then Paramount-Skydance’s, eye. In short, multiple companies (Time, AOL, AT&T, Discovery) have bought and then regretted buying Warner Bros. Since it’s nearing Halloween, you could almost say it’s like the folks think WB is cursed! It’s a haunted studio—like the town of Derry in movie studio form—and whoever takes possession of it will fall into misery! Yet...I just don’t like that story, because it doesn’t explain the “why” behind why those deals fell through. Especially when Warner Bros. has continued to succeed as a TV and film studio in the intervening two decades. Lord of the Rings? Harry Potter? Game of Thrones? Everything HBO? Considering it never fully owned a broadcast TV channel, this media company has done pretty well. So what went wrong? Well, in recent years, companies bought Warner Bros. instead of the other, smarter option. Explaining POCD (And Applying It to Mergers & Acquisitions) As I explained last issue, one of my favorite frameworks is the POCD tool for evaluating venture capital investments: People Opportunity Context Deal The bar to invest as a VC is high. (Or I might say “was” since cheap interest rates made life easier last decade.) You review a thousand prospectuses, get pitched by a hundred, and invest in the ten best, with the hopes that one of those ten would pay for the rest. That means every element of a deal needed to pay off: you needed the right people running the companies, who could capitalize on the right opportunity, in the context of an industry that was ripe for disruption. If you could then not overpay, you could make some money in a smart deal. The analogy isn’t perfect here, but close enough. For a merger or acquisition to work, you need the combined company (which is the opportunity) to make more than the price you need to pay (which is the deal). Note: the people and context still matter, but with M&A, it’s a little more straightforward: does the opportunity exceed the cost? And usually with Warner Bros., it hasn’t. If you want to find out the single biggest mistake made by the Warner Bros. suitors over the last few years (and my simple fix) become a paid subscriber. I’ll also touch on who I think Paramount-Skydance could (shockingly) consider buying next, TBD, and more. Sign up here.
Harry Potter and the British business of international schools
Nord Anglia, Cognita, Inspired Education and other private equity-backed groups are profiting from history and rising global demand
Could Potter be England's next breakthrough star?
With Sarina Wiegman set to name her latest England squad on Tuesday, there is one name everyone is talking about - Lexi Potter. Here is why.
Rosholt fourth-graders kick off yearlong NASA science program
Over the coming months, students will work in small groups called Crews to take surface temperature readings.
Archaeologists uncover centuries-old mystery of Tampa Bay’s secret community of migrant potters
Key Points Archaeologists have debated for decades over how Mississippian-style pottery ended up in Tampa Bay, an area long left off of maps showing the Mississippian culture stretching across the Southeast and into northern Florida starting a thousand years ago. Trevor Duke, a doctoral stud
'Gray a hard act to follow'
Hibs fans, we asked for your opinions on the 1-1 draw with Aberdeen at Easter Road. John Potter stuck to basically same formats as a David Gray team including his subs. Whoever comes in has a hard act to follow, Gray is a legend.
Brentford 3-0 Chelsea
Campbell: Fantastic win; Damsgaard outstanding, Keane Lewis-Potter was also very good. Took on and beat Chelsea in midfield and never reverted to a low block; a clear sign of the development of the team under Andrews. Brilliant game and evening if you're a Brentford fan and I hope we see more.
National team boss defends Arsenal player after call-up
Viktor Gyokeres has been named in Sweden’s squad for the upcoming international break, and Graham Potter has insisted he’s not worried about the striker’s club form.Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty ...
Why Kit Harington says ‘Harry Potter’ series is ‘great idea’ despite backlash
Kit Harington is opening up about his decision to join HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ series amid a fraught time for the franchise.
The September Pixel Drop improves the VIP contacts widget, adds Harry Potter themes
Audible just released Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions audiobooks and Google is offering a free two-month trial to eligible users.
Gudmundsson selected for Sweden’s September/October fixtures
Leeds United defender Gabriel Gudmundsson has been named in Graham Potter’s Sweden squad for the upcoming September/October international break.The 27-year-old, who was born in Malmö, has won 28 ca...
Cape Pottery Trail Returns Sept. 25-27
The 2nd Annual Cape Cod Pottery Trail returns September 25–27, inviting art lovers, collectors, curious visitors, and pottery enthusiasts to explore the studios of some of the Upper Cape’s most
'Harry Potter' TV series casts Moaning Myrtle and more key roles
The "Harry Potter" TV show is opening "The Chamber of Secrets." The upcoming HBO adaptation has cast three more roles for Season 2, which will be based on the second
Gary Oldman says ‘Harry Potter’ TV show will be ‘more satisfying’ than films because of this change
‘Harry Potter’ alum Gary Oldman tells EW that the ‘Harry Potter’ television show will be ‘more satisfying’ than the original films because of this key change.
“Harry Potter” star reveals ‘most extraordinary’ act of kindness Alan Rickman did on set before his death
“He was such a darling like that,” said Sirius Black actor Gary Oldman at the Toronto International Film Festival.
How Matt LeBlanc landed ‘Harry Potter’ star a ‘Friends’ guest role
‘Harry Potter’ actor Gary Oldman revealed how Matt LeBlanc secured him a ‘Friends’ guest spot that later led to an Emmy nomination.
Warner Bros. Discovery to Showcase Entertainment Portfolio at BLE
Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products highlights franchises including Harry Potter, DC and animation properties at the London trade show.
Microsoft said it would cut Windows 11 ads, then put a Harry Potter ad on your desktop if you use Bing Wallpaper
If you’ve set up Bing-powered wallpapers on Windows 11 (and Windows 10), you might see a full-fledged advertisement for J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter + Fantastic Beasts 11-film collection. And if you haven’t seen it yet, the ad doesn’t appear to be showing up on every PC because of how Bing chooses wallpapers, which are auto-rotated […]
BID NOW: Bisons Harry Potter 'Patronus Jersey' Auction includes game-issued, autographed jerseys from Schneider, Harry & more!
The Official Site of Minor League Baseball web site includes features, news, rosters, statistics, schedules, teams, live game radio broadcasts, and video clips.
Gascoine transforms a pottery hobby into thriving Monson business
MONSON — More than a quarter century ago Jemma Gascoine noticed an ad for an evening pottery class when she flipped through a copy of “Time Out London” magazine someone had left on a seat of the London train back in her native United Kingdom. Gascoine soon stopped by a class offered by Barry Guppy and attended his workshop classes for two years.
UAE Indoor Entertainment Sector Expands with New Attractions
Explore the rapid expansion of the UAE's indoor entertainment industry, featuring new Harry Potter and Disney attractions, record revenues, and a surge in family entertainment centers.
Indoor entertainment fuels UAE attractions boom
Harry Potter land to join expanding number of theme parks on Yas Island
'Harry Potter' TV series cast reveal: Ginny Weasley, Tom Riddle
Expect to see some fresh faces around Hogwarts.
HBO's new 'Harry Potter' trailer looks familiar. Some fans say that's the problem.
New actors are taking over the iconic roles, but the latest trailer suggests HBO isn't straying far from the wizarding world fans already know.
‘Harry Potter’ trailer reveals Quirrell first look, Sorting Hat, and more book moments
HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ television adaptation has released a new teaser trailer filled to the brim with book moments, including the first look at Professor Quirinus Quirrell.
Rupert Grint will become Ron Weasley again
Rupert Grint, known as Ron Weasley from the “Harry Potter” movies, will reprise his role on Broadway in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” He will perform at the Lyric
Kit Harington boards ‘Harry Potter’ season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart, replacing Nicholas Hoult
‘Harry Potter’ shake-up: Kit Harington will play Gilderoy Lockhart in season 2 after Nicholas Hoult’s surprise exit.
Kit Harington Joins ‘Harry Potter’ Season 2 As Gilderoy Lockhart In Recasting, Reprising Voice Role
EXCLUSIVE: Game of Thrones star Kit Harington is joining another tentpole fantasy series for HBO. He will play Gilderoy Lockhart in Season 2 of Harry Potter. Harington replaces Nicholas Hoult who was ...
Why politicians are punchlines at the Edinburgh Fringe
There was a time when satire had an easier gig. Politicians said something ridiculous, comedians made fun of them, audiences laughed, and everyone went home. Subscribe Now the joke is often the headline. In a world where the unbelievable regularly makes the news, where politics can veer into parody before the comedians have had time to write the punchline, you might reasonably wonder: is satire running out of material? Not in Edinburgh. At the Fringe, I can confirm satire has a pulse, even in a relentless and rapid news cycle. Politicians as punchlines Take NewsRevue, the world’s longest-running live sketch show, where politicians are turned into punchlines at industrial speed. Its latest target? Andy Burnham - or, more accurately, his doppelganger, pictured below in the middle. The joke, he tells us, is that there have been so many politicians coming and going that even satire risks suffering from political fatigue. But perhaps that revolving door is precisely why comedy matters. When the news cycle moves faster than our ability to process it, comedians can hold up a mirror - and make us think twice. Small talk Take Ayoade Bamgboye, the Saturday Night Live UK star who won the Best Newcomer prize at last year’s Edinburgh Comedy Awards. Her Fringe debut was critically acclaimed; this year she is turning her attention to one of Britain’s most baffling social rituals: small talk. Share It’s a reminder that satire doesn’t always need a politician in its sights. Sometimes the target is simply us civilians - the strange little rules and rituals we have collectively agreed to pretend are normal. Politics and Palestinian identity For British-Palestinian comedian Sami Abu Wardeh, pictured below, comedy has a more urgent job. His new show, Sami Abu Wardeh Hates You, asks who gets to hate, and whether anger belongs to everyone, not just the far right. His comedy confronts politics and Palestinian identity while refusing to surrender the simple business of making people laugh. Shakespeare meets climate crisis And then there is HAM: an “eco-hijacking” of Hamlet, which its creators describe as “a sordid wrestle between a vegan and a sausage-lover”. Shakespeare meets the climate crisis. Meat meets moral panic. The end result? You’ll leave promising to become vegan and swiftly bulk buying Linda McCartney sausages. HAM was created by theatre company Hotter Project, aka Ell Potter and Mary Higgins, pictured below. They say comedy helped them avoid the preachiness sometimes associated with climate activism - using Shakespeare as a vessel for uncomfortable questions about the planet, politics and the way we live. Perhaps that is satire’s secret weapon. It doesn’t necessarily make the world less absurd. It makes the absurdity crystal clear. And at a moment when reality increasingly feels like it has been written by a sketch writer, the Fringe is proving there is still plenty to laugh and cry at. Satire isn’t dead. It’s alive, subletting and having the time of its life at the Fringe. Subscribe Share Channel 4 News Leave a comment
Analysis: Bees everything Spurs were not
Brentford boss Keith Andrews admitted on the eve of the season that expectations have risen after they finished ninth last season, missing out on a European place on goal difference. The Mali midfielder, signed from Lens, was at the heart of Brentford's best moves, producing two key passes, registering one shot on target and providing the assist for Lewis-Potter. Brentford were everything Spurs were not - well-organised, full of energy and hard-working.
amBroadway | Tom Felton extends ‘Harry Potter’ run for final time, reality stars to join ‘Just in Time’ cast and more
Tom Felton will remain on Broadway a little longer than expected, extending his run as Draco Malfoy in “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” through Jan. 3,
FTC investigating Epic Systems over potential antitrust violations
The agency is looking into claims that the EHR vendor is blocking data access to its over 300 million patient records. If true, such actions would violate federal regulations.
August 20 Vallejo/Vacaville Arts-Entertainment Source: Faces and Places
From burgers to judges to the trophy created by ceramic artist Amy Stellato, studio co-owner of Happy Life Pottery, the entire competition stayed in Benicia. It was made here, judged here, and awarded here.
Family Fun Day returns Sept. 19 with free food, entertainment and activities
A longtime community tradition will return next month as the Sciotoville Church of the Nazarene and Potter’s House Ministries host their 17th annual Family Fun Day on Sept. 19.
Hogwarts Legacy 2 Officially Announced By Warner Bros.
It's official: a sequel to the hit Harry Potter RPG is coming
Was a champion powerlifter’s world-record attempt sabotaged by a racist ‘spotter’?
After Sonita Muluh's record lift was compromised, Ernestas Kusinas, a volunteer spotter, was banned from the sport for life
Nicholas Hoult cast in HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ season 2 as Gilderoy Lockhart
Nicholas Hoult is joining the second season of HBO’s ‘Harry Potter’ show as Gilderoy Lockhart, the wizard previously played by Kenneth Branagh on the big screen.
Ari Emanuel's Mari to Acquire Broadway and West End Theater Giant ATG Entertainment
ATG operates 70 venues across the U.S., U.K., Germany and Spain and hosts Broadway productions such as "The Lion King," "Wicked" and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"
ATG Entertainment, Owner of 7 Broadway Theatres, Acquired by MARI
The group will control a global fleet of theatres including Broadway's Lyric, Hudson, Al Hirschfeld, and more.
'Harry Potter' star Jessie Cave says joining OnlyFans 'saved' her life
Jessie Cave has revealed she has already made more money on OnlyFans than she did in her nearly two-decade career as an actress, which includes several "Harry Potter" movies.
‘Harry Potter’ star reveals how much money she’s made from OnlyFans
‘Harry Potter’ actress Jessie Cave shared a staggering milestone about how much she’s earned in her 1.5 years on OnlyFans: ‘It’s genuinely saved our lives.’
Los Pueblitos at Market Square closing after 30 years in business
Los Pueblitos, a colorful shop known for handcrafted pottery, jewelry, clothing and gifts from Mexico and other Latin American countries, is closing its doors at Market Square after more than 30 years in business.
'It got higher, and higher': Businesses hit hard by severe flooding in Gallup
"This is one of the worst floods I've ever seen in my life," New Mexico Pottery Company owner Thomas Piano told KOAT.
'Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone' coming back to theaters with 12 minutes of bonus footage
‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ returning to theaters with 12 minutes of bonus footage (exclusive)
For its 25th anniversary, ‘Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone’ will return to theaters in late August with 12 minutes of never-before-seen bonus footage.
Palliative Care team manifests dreams of butterbeer and Harry Potter
The Vanderbilt Health Palliative Care team worked magic to make a dream trip possible for a patient with terminal pancreatic cancer.
Unity Pond Pottery marks 40 years in business
A local pottery business marked its 40th anniversary Saturday with a community celebration, bringing together longtime customers and new visitors alike.
City Council settles November ballot: ShotSpotter in, ICE and pension questions out
A City Council standoff over advisory referendum questions means Chicagoans will vote on reviving gunshot detection technology and creating a permanent festival venue, while proposals on immigration costs, pensions and other issues won't make the November ballot.
Potter Center Announces 2026-27 Entertainment Lineup
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””] The Boulevards: 50’s Rock and Roll Band. Courtesy photo. (July 13, 2026 9:19 AM ET) Jackson College’s Potter Center has announced its 2026-‘27 entertainment season. Tickets will go on sale to the public on July 20. This year’s schedule includes: Chris Janson, 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026 Award-winning artist, producer and songwriter…
Potter Center announces 2026-27 entertainment lineup with country, rock and circus acts
Jackson College's Potter Center has unveiled its 2026-27 entertainment season, featuring 11 shows spanning country music, rock tributes, circus performances and wildlife education.
Open & Shut: Anchorage gets a Turkish diner, an El Green-Go’s eatery, a Nordic spa and a dog boarding business
A pottery shop and a stationery store also opened, plus there’s a new club in place of the Gaslight Lounge. A barbecue joint has closed.
Resale boutique thrives amid tariffs
At Le Shoppe Modern in Keego Harbor, shoppers can browse art, vintage pottery, lamps, furniture and more at prices ranging from $50 to $500,000.
This weekend in Clarksville: Science guy, rodeo, Nunsense, ‘How to Train Your Dragon’
From science to fantasy, from rodeo to religion, there's a range of stuff going on in Clarksville this weekend.
The best Prime Day Lego deals include 'Star Wars' ships, Disney villain cars, and more — top finds start at $28
Lego fans can save big during Amazon Prime Day, with deals on “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars,” Lego Technic, and Ninjago sets, plus builds inspired by Marvel, Disney, “Jurassic World,” Minecraft, Formula 1 racing, and more. We've rounded up Prime Day’s 17 best Lego deals, including several at their lowest prices ever
Brobbey shines at World Cup
Netherlands have all but guaranteed their place in the last 32 of the World Cup after a dominant display against Sweden on Saturday. Sunderland's Brian Brobbey scored twice in the 5-1 victory to help see off Graham Potter's side and you can catch all of the best action in the highlights below.
Psst! Grab these early Amazon Prime Day Lego deals on collectible sets before the crowds discover them
We found record-low Lego deals at Amazon ahead of Prime Day, including collectible sets from “Harry Potter,” “Star Wars,” Disney, Marvel, Pixar, and “The Lord of the Rings.” Shop favorites like Diagon Alley, a Balrog book nook, and a “101 Dalmatians” puppy while they're at their lowest prices ever
A blind Ukrainian veteran turns pottery into a business and mentors others
VINNYTSIA, Ukraine (AP) — The two burly men stare straight ahead, hands intertwined on a pottery wheel, fingers buried in the clay. They sense each other’s presence through touch alone.
A blind Ukrainian veteran turns pottery into a business and mentors others
One is a veteran who lost his sight in combat and now teaches other blind veterans. The instructor, Ivan Shostak, 37, said he has made more than 1,000 such pieces but has never seen a single one. Th...
Sweden: 2026 World Cup Squad, Fixtures and Schedule
Sweden goes to North America for the FIFA World Cup this summer as they look to make a lasting impact on the global stage after missing out in 2022.Graham Potter steadied the ship in the qualifying pr...
4As Rebrands Coalition for Healthcare Communication to 4As Health as Part of Next Chapter Strategy
The 4As, the leading U.S.-based advertising trade association serving more than 600 member agencies nationwide, today announced that its subsidiary, the Coalition for Healthcare Communication (CHC), will rebrand as 4As Health, effective immediately. 4As Health is a subsidiary of the 4As (American Association of Advertising Agencies), based in New York and led by Executive Director Jim Potter.
'Harry Potter' TV show recasting: Gracie Cochrane leaves series
Gracie Cochrane will depart from her role as Ginny Weasley due to 'unforeseen circumstances.' The character will be recast for Season 2 of HBO's 'Harry Potter' TV show.
BUSINESS MONDAY: Spotlight on Bizen Gourmet Restaurant & Sushi Bar in Great Barrington
The Berkshire institution is celebrating 30 years of blending authentic Japanese cuisine, ancient pottery traditions, and a philosophy rooted in craftsmanship, care, and community.
Potter second and Yee fifth on triathlon return
Beth Potter finishes second in Yokohoma for a second consecutive year while Alex Yee comes fifth on his return to the men's triathlon.
Chartbook 449: Voldemort on Threadneedle street. The Bank of England and the "haunted house" of English politics.
Imagine the scene: In some Harry Potter version of 21st-century London, a group of deathless UK Treasury officials gathered from across the last century huddle over warm pints and glasses of Chardonnay. Around the table there are officials from the 1920s, the 1930s, the 1970s, 2022 and today. Inevitably, in May 2026, the subject of conversation is the disintegration of the current Labour government. Despite its huge majority in parliament, it has been reduced to tatters by catastrophic local election result. These exposed the fact that rather than having a government with a clear popular majority, the UK is like most other modern societies divided into 5 segments each of which commands between 26 and 16 percent of the vote. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the leadership at Nos 10 and 11 Downing Street - where the Prime Minister and the Chancellor (Treasury Secretary) work - seem paralyzed. They are caught between mounting discontent over unfairness and the cost of living, and tough fiscal strictures that push them into making unpopular spending decisions. In the London pub, the Treasury officials from across the ages, can barely hide their satisfaction at the latest display of democratic politics caught in the vice-grip of financial logic. “Remember the mur d’argent and the banker’s ramp?” “Just like yesterday!” There are smirks around the table. Then the representative of 2026 pipes up: “One thing you have to say about the current lot (referring to the latest hapless Labour government), you don’t have to teach them about the bond market!” There is a murmur of ascent from the Treasury Mandarins. The trauma of the fiscal crisis of September-October 2022 sits deep. Back then, in the final stages of Tory decay, a ‘mini budget’ that challenged fiscal orthodoxy led to a brief but fierce panic in one of the oldest government bond markets in the world (aka gilt market). Now all you have to do is to mention the “bond market” to hush debate. [ Paul Mason@paulmasonnews In the name of public service, and as ex-economics editor of BBC Newsnight, I offer to do a zoom call, tonight, with any Labour MP who wants to understand why bond markets do not "fall into line" with governments. 1/ 3:57 PM · May 12, 2026 · 466K Views 224 Replies · 674 Reposts · 3.93K Likes ](https://x.com/paulmasonnews/status/2054229532404519082?s=20) “And the funny thing is”, the young man in the huddle continues, “they don’t even want to talk about … ”. There is a sudden hush. Significant looks are exchanged around the table. About? One of the senior figures puts down his glass with a decisive “clink”. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has entered their thoughts. Meanwhile, a few miles away in a grubby pub in Bloomsbury, two conspirators from the camp of Critical Macrofinance huddle over cans of low-alcohol IPA. They look at each other and blurt out loud: “The Bank!” “Everyone in the bloody Labour party is talking about the bond market. But why aren’t they even mentioning … the Bank of England!?” “Why is no one talking about Voldemort?” In Paul Mason’s blogpost, after much chest-thumping about basic fiscal logic, the basic point about the Bank of England is buried in the fine print at #3 in his list of suggestions as to what a radical Labour government might actually be able to do! [ Conflict & Democracy Down with the bond market! Down with gravity! It may seem unfair to focus on Labour MP Paula Barker for her off-the-cuff assertion that the bond market would have to “fall in line” with Andy Burnham, should he replace Keir Starmer as prime minister. But Burnham himself told the New Statesman that Labour had to “get beyond this thing of being in hock to the bond markets… Read more 2 days ago · 100 likes · 3 comments · Paul Mason ](https://htsf.substack.com/p/down-with-the-bond-market-down-with?utm_source=substack&utm_campaign=post_embed&utm_medium=web) Back in Bloomsbury they shake their heads and ask: “Didn’t we learn anything from the Eurozone crisis?” Meanwhile, as if summoned to the conversation by some higher force, the “pink pages” announce: “The days of ultra-cheap government borrowing have come to an end” and Martin “Whizzard” Wolf publishes the graph of the season Look at the UK in 2026, perilously positioned on the upper edge of the pack. No wonder no one in London needs any lessons about the “bond market”. But, look again. Imagine how they feel in Rome. What is London’s nightmare in 2026? The nightmare is that you end up like Italy in the early 2010s during the Eurozone crisis. Once comfortably situated in the middle of the pack, watching with horror as your ten-year yields explode to 7 percent and “spreads” become a national nightmare. One of the largest economies in Europe, a founding member of the euro, stigmatized. But the message of the Italian experience is ambiguous. After all, the stigma didn’t last. In 2026, Italy borrows at rates lower not only than the UK but the US. The US, which, as everyone knows, enjoys the “exorbitant privilege” of being the issuer of reserve, safe asets. What kind of magic is this? How did Italy, in the space of fifteen years, go from being good, to bad and back again? Which brings us back to our dissident friends in their Bloombury boozer and their memories of the Eurozone crisis. Italy never was Britain - with its ongoing fiscal deficits. Without interest payments, on primary balance, from 2000 to 2020 Italy ran a tight fiscal ship. Even in 2008 it barely went into deficit and when it was being put on the rack in the early 20210s its primary surplus matched that of austere Germany. So, what happened? How did it end up stigmatized? Of course Italian politics didn’t help. Berlusconi was at the helm and he had legal issues. But amongst friends in the Bloomsbury pub, Berlusconi is a sideshow, the name we whisper to each other is “Trichet”. From 2004 to 2011 the ECB was headed by Jean-Claude Trichet, ex of the French Treasury, more German than the Germans. After 2009 as the news of the Greek fiscal disaster broke, the European bond markets wento into panic mode and Trichet began a brutal game of cat and mouse. Between 2009 and 2011, Trichet intervened in the bond market to help, only when he thought he had compliance with austerity. When he thought they were uncooperative, he withdrew. In the summer of 2011, he even made direct suggestions to his Italian counterparts in Rome, as to how Italy should be governed. It was this cat and mouse game that drove the bond markets crazy and exposed Italy to a violent squeeze. When Mario Draghi took over the ECB at the end of 2011 and declared “whatever it takes”, the pressure on Italy, gradually eased. It is that starring role that has made Draghi into the towering figure in European politics that he remains today. So now you see why voices in London hush when it comes to the Bank of England. “The bond market” isn’t an irresistible objective force like the weather or an avalanche. It can appear like that. But that depends on the way it is being handled, or not handled by the central bank. Which is why the silence about the Bank of England in London right now is so significant. If you think this all sounds a bit fishy, coming from a left-liberal Keynesian like myself, well, let me introduce you to Robin Brooks, who, to put it mildly, plays on a different quidditch team to me. Here, from the position of a fiscal hawk is Robin’s celebratory account of the Bank of England’s role since 2022; In October 2022, at the height of the bond market blow-up in the UK, something incredible happened. Governor Andrew Bailey told British pension funds the Bank of England would end its support program for the country’s fragile gilt market, drawing a line under how much help the central bank was willing to give to exposed pension funds and - implicitly - the government. By the end of that week, Kwasi Kwarteng - the finance minister - had resigned. Prime Minister Liz Truss would soon follow. This episode is so incredible because it contrasts with what happened in the Euro zone earlier that year. Bond markets in Spain and Italy were under pressure amid high inflation and rising interest rates. In the middle of this, Mario Draghi - Italy’s Prime Minister - resigned, compounding pressure on bond markets of high-debt countries on the Euro periphery. Unlike the Bank of England, the ECB caved. It bought Italian and Spanish government bonds in an effort to cap yields and introduced a new tool that signaled to markets it might do such caps more frequently going forward. Faced with pressure on bond markets, the ECB capitulated to political pressure from high-debt countries like Italy and Spain. The Bank of England stood its ground and toppled the Truss government. This kind of thing has long-lasting consequences. It means markets price a higher probability of yield caps in the Euro zone, which keeps Italian and Spanish yields artificially low, while markets feel free to push up UK yields without fear of central bank intervention. As I flagged in yesterday’s post, this means you really can’t compare UK yields to those of other high-debt countries. The UK looks worse, but only because its central bank isn’t interfering with markets. There’s more to this than just that 2022 episode. The Bank of England has also been much more aggressive in its quantitative tightening (QT) than other central banks. If one motivation for quantitative easing (QE) is to lower bond yields - especially longer-dated ones - then it stands to reason QT pushes yields up. The left chart above shows a four-quarter moving average of UK government debt issuance (black line) in percent of GDP and which sectors absorb this issuance, including the Bank of England (blue bars). The right chart above compares the Bank of England’s accumulation or run-off of government bonds (blue line) with that of other central banks, where this blue line is the same as the blue bars in the left chart. The Bank of England was quicker and more aggressive than other central banks in downsizing its bond holdings, so UK yields will have risen more than elsewhere also for this reason, not just because of Governor Andrew Bailey’s remarks in October 2022. Back in October 2025, after a conversation in New York with friends in British politics, my sense of dysphoria was such that I raised the issue of the Bank of England openly in the FT Since 2008, the UK has slid into a deep economic and political predicament. Growth has stagnated to a degree far worse even than in the 1970s. The Tory leadership’s wager on the Brexit referendum spectacularly backfired, leaving the UK isolated from Europe and at the mercy of its special relationship with the US, many of whose political class regard the UK as a basket case. After years of austerity, the Labour party lurched to the left and then back to the centre. The Tory party has been eclipsed by the populist nationalism of Reform. Any British government should be worrying first and foremost about how to restart growth. Instead, Keir Starmer is beset by shades of the gilt market panic triggered by the Liz Truss government in 2022. The debt level is higher than in recent years, but there is no cause for panic. UK debt is at far from critical levels and of long duration. Whether you want to “take back control” or launch progressive economic policy, a democracy dogged by fear of bond market vigilantes is unhealthy. In a country that is a monetary sovereign, this climate points to one thing: a disconnect between the government and the central bank. Since 1997, the independence of the Bank of England has become a sacred cow. But independence is what you make of it. And in the wake of the gilt market crisis of September 2022, relations between the Bank of England and the UK government need a reset. In normal times, there is no doubt that an inflation-targeting independent central bank can serve a country well. But since 2008, the UK and other advanced economies have not had the luxury of such simple problems. To their credit, central bankers around the world have not stood on orthodoxy. After 2008, the US Federal Reserve rescued the global banking system and, through quantitative easing, it stabilised the Treasury market in the face of huge deficits. In Europe, things were trickier. Both the Bank of England under Mervyn King and Jean-Claude Trichet’s European Central Bank played cat and mouse with national governments. This was a high stakes wager that between 2010 and 2012 escalated bond market tension and triggered a disastrous turn to austerity. Shaken by the impact of those shocks, their successors, Mark Carney and Mario Draghi adopted a more protective stance (assuming you were not the government of Greece). Recall that Draghi’s legendary slogan, “Whatever it takes”, was uttered to face down the City of London’s bond vigilantes. In 2015, Draghi launched QE — financial repression by another name. In 2016, Carney used the authority of the Bank of England to stabilise markets following the vote for Brexit, an exemplary demonstration of how central banks can underpin democratic choice, even when those choices are wrong headed. All these were independent central bankers steeped in the best practice of the 1990s, who recognised that historic crises demanded radical action. It was the price surge of 2021-2023 that poisoned the atmosphere. Though the shock came mainly from the supply side, central banks ended up in the dock. Nowhere more so than in the UK. The Bank of England reacted with aggressive normalisation. Faced with a cost of living crisis, the governor called for workers to accept real wage cuts. In early 2022, as gas prices were at record levels and Russia’s army was poised to invade Ukraine, the Bank adopted a stringent programme of quantitative tightening, elevating interest rates. When the Truss government got itself in trouble, the Bank took almost a week to come to the rescue. Rather than enacting a charade of normality, it is time to recognise that in 2025 the UK faces a period of historic transition. To meet this challenge, what is needed is a new concordat with the Bank. This should not ignore inflationary pressures or the long-run trajectory of debt, but should affirm the priority of reviving investment-led growth. One could follow Donald Trump in demanding interest rate cuts. The Bank could shadow the ECB in its commitment to capping Eurozone yields. But the top priority should be to lay the ghost of September 2022. The Bank’s slowing of QT last month was a concession. An immediate and complete end would send the right signal. Such a concordat will not by itself restore sanity to politics, solve the housing problem or rebuild the NHS. But it would help to lift the fear of bond market crisis, which is paralysing the effort by democratic politicians to answer the fundamental questions facing the nation. Now, that call for a new concordat between government and Bank of Englands seems more urgent than ever. The problem is that in October 2025, Starmer still had some authority. Today the government is in tatters. And when you are the “under the harrow” - to echo a phrase of Montagu Norman’s from the 1920s - it is the worst possible time to consider institutional change. To make general arguments at a time of crisis can only seem like special pleading rather than a general argument for long-term change. The same, unfortunately, is also true for the other basic institutional reform that Britain urgently needs i.e. the abolition of the out-dated first past the post electoral system and its replacement by a moderated form of proportional representation. And thirdly - whilst we are saying the quiet parts out loud - Britain needs to reopen the question of EU membership. What the local election results of 2026 show is that this remains a key issue. And what they also show is that there is a clear majority that would favor a return. Until these basic features of Britain’s political economy are addressed the country will carry on its politics as though in a haunted house, governed by governments that lack actual majorities, conjuring up false constraints whilst ignoring the real ones. This one is for DG and MI. I love writing the newsletter. If you enjoy it too and fancy buying me a coffee once a month, you know what to do. Click below! Subscribe
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