In light of recent discussions, this is the proposed new comments policy for this blog, the purpose of which is to make my life, and that of any people who might volunteer to join me in the task of moderation, easier than it is at present by making much clearer what will not be published or responded to. Comments are also going to be restricted to 300 words in length now for reasons noted.

Comments, within the spirit of this policy, are welcome.

Comments policy (from April 2026)

A revised comments policy will apply on this blog from April 2026.

The change is necessary. Traffic on this site has grown fourfold over the past four years. At the same time, the volume of comments that make requests that consume my time without contributing to broader debate has increased disproportionately. Since I am finite, this creates a demand on my time that makes it harder to fulfil other priorities. As a result, the conditions under which comments are accepted are being tightened.

What this blog is, and is not

This blog is a narrative commentary on political economy and what I describe as a politics of care. It was never intended to be an open discussion forum.

Comments are welcome, but when they are offered for publication, that outcome will always be made available at my discretion, and on the basis that the conditions set out below are understood and accepted.

The core requirement: comments must add value

The basic principle applied when accepting a comment for publication is that it must contribute constructively to the discussion I am developing in the post to which it relates.

From April 2026, all comments must:

• Be no more than 300 words in length
• Develop a point already made in the original post
• Present a clear and constructive argument that adds to debate
• Be complete in itself
• Not necessarily require a response

If a point cannot be made within 300 words, it is not a comment. It is a post and should be published elsewhere.

Note that few newspapers publish letters that are longer than 300 words, and, in effect, comments here will now be judged by the standards used for letters to a newspaper.

What will NOT be published

Some comments impose disproportionate demands on my time and will be deleted. These include:

• Requests for information (for elaboration, see below)
• Requests that I undertake specific actions, such as writing a blog post or producing a video
• Assertions that I am wrong that are not supported by a reasoned argument

Disagreement is welcome. Unsupported contradiction is not. Even where an argument is provided, I reserve the right not to publish if the point being made contravenes the requirements noted above.

Requests for information

If a comment asks a question that could reasonably be answered by searching this blog, using a general search engine, or consulting AI tools, I reserve the right to delete it without reply.

I have written more than 24,000 posts. I do not have time to repeat material that is already available. I do not provide an “explanation on demand” service.

Standards of conduct

Comments must address the ideas under discussion, not the character of the author or other contributors.

Repetition, bad-faith engagement (also described as 'trolling'), or attempts to provoke unproductive exchanges will result in deletion and may lead to the person commenting being blocked from posting further comments.

Identity and good faith

Given the scale of comment activity, priority is always given to those who appear to be acting in good faith.

The following significantly increase the likelihood that a comment will more often than not be deleted without explanation:

• Use of incomprehensible or apparently random usernames
• Email addresses that appear disposable or are not in genuine use
• Email addresses or URLs associated with known trolling behaviour
• Use of a single first name only (a first name and at least one initial is required, except for established commentators)

It is accepted that these are not necessarily guarantees of bad faith, but they are indicators that will be taken into account when moderating.

Commentators identified as using multiple identities will always be blocked.

Editorial control

All comments are subject to editorial control.

• I make the final decision on publication, and there is no appeal
• I reserve the right to edit comments to remove what I consider to be inappropriate material

Submission of a comment constitutes acceptance of the conditions published here.

Legal responsibility

By submitting a comment, you confirm that:

• You have the legal right to publish it
• It does not infringe the rights of any other person
• You accept unlimited liability for any costs arising from a breach of these conditions.

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