Log inSign up
Benjamin Lewis
114.1K posts
Image
user avatar
Benjamin Lewis
@tc1415
Master of Physics, Doctor of Philosophy. A Tory, a conservative, and a unionist. Technically a citizen of London. Tweets are mine and not my employer's.
Ely, England
blog.benl.co.uk
Joined May 2008
1,413
Following
5,622
Followers
  • Pinned
    user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Jul 15, 2021
    FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT THIS IS *NOT* ME. (Though, I would like to know who it is because this one made me laugh)
    user avatar
    Calgie
    @christiancalgie
    Jul 15, 2021
    Incredible FoI just submitted via Whatdotheyknow
    Image
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Aug 9, 2025
    There are a small number of corporate entities in England which exist by prescription. I.e. no one knows when they were founded so they're just assumed to have always existed. The classic is the Corporation of London, which likely predates a unitary Kingdom of England.
    user avatar
    Mytho Britannia
    @MythoBritannia
    Aug 8, 2025
    Share your favourite lore about Britain
    Image
    1.7M
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Aug 9, 2025
    Replying to @tc1415
    Several bishoprics (yes that's a word!) are corporations sole by this mechanic too. Fundamentally this is a consequence of England never having a revolutionary break in legal continuity since the Conquest (and arguably that wasn't, either). So things just "exist"
    111K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Aug 6, 2019
    Haven't done it for a while so here goes. Hi, I'm Dr. Lewis, PhD in theoretical astronomy, magnetohydrodynamics expert and someone who knows an unhealthy amount about the formation of ~1 solar mass stars. Am I 'intellectually challenged'? Or are you just rude?
    user avatar
    Dame Maureen alcorn#FBPE
    @jackalsbynight
    Aug 6, 2019
    If you’re still supporting Brexit after all that’s emerged about its dire and damaging effects, illegality, Russian interference and funding of Leave campaign via Aaron Banks, tax evasion, role of IDOX etc then you must be intellectually challenged. There’s no other explanation.
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Nov 4, 2025
    It would end the UK's tech industry. No one would be able to WFH, so everyone would just leave Even I the person who said he'd stay and fix the place would have to think long and hard if the UK became the only place in the world tech employees can't WFH (when I'm not travelling)
    user avatar
    No to Digital ID
    @NoToDigitalID
    Nov 4, 2025
    The Government is launching a consultation on banning VPNs. We’d bet they don’t understand what a VPN is or how a ban would harm them and national industry. notodigitalid.org/donate/
    266K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Oct 3, 2024
    This should be misconduct in a public office. No minister who correctly considers his role could make this decision except in extreme bad faith.
    user avatar
    Guido Fawkes
    @GuidoFawkes
    Oct 3, 2024
    Labour Gives Away Crucial Chagos Islands to China-Aligned Mauritius order-order.com/2024/10/03/lab…
    Image
    59K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    May 29, 2025
    I'm quite the Jenrick sceptic (for a whole bucket of reasons - and yes I have met him in person too). But that video is actually sublime, and he deserves rather a lot of credit Also, it's going to cut right through, and even those saying otherwise know it will.
    54K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Sep 20, 2024
    The United Kingdom counts (the Western Isles and sometimes St Ives, depending on the tides, aside) an entire country's election between 10 pm and about 6 am By hand. Without a computer in sight. Grow another one.
    user avatar
    Yashar Ali 🐘
    @yashar
    Sep 20, 2024
    NEWS The Pro-Trump Georgia election board has voted to require hand counts of ballots. This would delay the certification of the results by weeks if not months. 
Critics plan to sue saying the new requirement would almost certainly lead to errors. Full Story:
    Image
    170K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Dec 6, 2024
    It still continues to astound me how Civil Servants don't understand that when given an instruction by a minister, their only two options are "comply" or "resign". "Refuse" (or slow walking, or anything else of that nature) simply isn't on the table.
    139K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Nov 8, 2025
    Well, guess I'll be reducing my pension contributions then...
    user avatar
    Politics UK
    @PolitlcsUK
    Nov 7, 2025
    🚨 NEW: Rachel Reeves will use the Budget to impose a £2k-a-year limit on how much salary can go into a pension before paying National Insurance The move will raise £2bn and hit salary sacrifice schemes [@thetimes]
    179K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Sep 26, 2025
    Exactly. It'll be "oh I see you've used your digital ID to buy two bottles of gin this month. To protect the NHS we're suspending it"
    user avatar
    David Frost
    @DavidGHFrost
    Sep 26, 2025
    My primary concern is not the data. It's that a digital ID will not be used for proof but for control - that you'll soon need a digital ID to be allowed to do certain things and that the govt will set the conditions for that. Then it is only one further step to having to remain
    40K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Aug 9, 2025
    Replying to @Object_Zero_
    I explictly didn't include Scotland because my knowledge of time immemorial corporations there is sadly very lacking :-)
    65K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Apr 11, 2025
    So tomorrow, HM Government is going to ask Parliament to pass a law in a day. Which is entirely constitutionally proper, correct, and valid. But next time a minister says they "can't" do something, remind them of tomorrow 😉
    37K
  • user avatar
    Benjamin Lewis
    @tc1415
    Jul 2, 2020
    It is quite something to behold how "flattening the curve" has morphed into "totally eliminate the virus, even if we flatten everything else on the way".

New to X?

Sign up now to get your own personalized timeline!

Create account

By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, including Cookie Use.

Terms·Privacy·Cookies·Accessibility·Ads Info·© 2026 X Corp.
Don't miss what's happening
People on X are the first to know.
Log inSign up
Advertisement
Advertisement