David Higham
@oldtrotter.bsky.social
Former economist and civil servant. Former (age related) national cycling champion. Still a music fan. Sewn up member of the Zipper Club.
Pinned
David Higham
@oldtrotter.bsky.social
· Jan 21
Beyond ‘Levelling up’: how to improve regional policy in England: 10 lessons from 20 years
‘Levelling-up’ as a political slogan in the UK may be finished, but a commitment to reducing regional inequalities remains, as highlighted in the 2024 Green Paper on Industrial Strategy. This paper...
www.tandfonline.com
A short summary of my thoughts on regional policy. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
What were you saying about the Irish relationship with country music 🤔
February 12, 2026 at 9:12 AM
What were you saying about the Irish relationship with country music 🤔
Reposted by David Higham
Well, well Big Jim....
How's the Old Trafford project going?
How's the Old Trafford project going?
February 12, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Well, well Big Jim....
How's the Old Trafford project going?
How's the Old Trafford project going?
He might yet save Starmer from himself.
February 12, 2026 at 8:33 AM
He might yet save Starmer from himself.
Reposted by David Higham
Public reporting deters crime. We urge it for burglary, assault, fraud — so why not road danger?? Reporting helps tackle reckless driving and save lives. The Daily Mail mocking this as “villainy” misses the point. Accountability on our roads protects everyone.
www.the-londoner.co.uk/jeremy-vine-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/jeremy-vine-...
Jeremy Vine loves him, motorists hate him. Is this man London’s most controversial cyclist?
How Cycling Mikey's quest for road safety divided London
www.the-londoner.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 6:45 PM
Public reporting deters crime. We urge it for burglary, assault, fraud — so why not road danger?? Reporting helps tackle reckless driving and save lives. The Daily Mail mocking this as “villainy” misses the point. Accountability on our roads protects everyone.
www.the-londoner.co.uk/jeremy-vine-...
www.the-londoner.co.uk/jeremy-vine-...
Reposted by David Higham
A bit long but here’s Marx from the 1844 manuscripts providing an exposition of Goethe and Shakespeare on the power of money that all happens to sum up exactly where we are right now. (Reminded of this passage by Epstein’s capture of prominent academics.)
![That which is for me through the medium of money - that for which I can pay (i.e., which money can buy) - that am I myself, the possessor of the money. The extent of the power of money is the extent of my power. Money's properties are my - the possessor's - properties and essential powers. Thus, what I am and am capable of is by no means determined by my individuality. I am ugly, but I can buy for myself the most beautiful of women. Therefore I am not ugly, for the effect of ugliness - its deterrent power - is nullified by money. I, according to my individual characteristics, am lame, but money furnishes me with twenty-four feet. Therefore I am not lame. I am bad, dishonest, unscrupulous, stupid; but money is honoured, and hence its possessor. Money is the supreme good, therefore its possessor is good. Money, besides, saves me the trouble of being dishonest: I am therefore presumed honest. I am brainless, but money is the real brain of all things and how then should its possessor be brainless? Besides, he can buy clever people for himself, and is he who has [In the manuscript: "is. - Ed.] power over the clever not more clever than the clever? Do not I, who thanks to money am capable of all that the human heart longs for, possess all human capacities? Does not my money, therefore, transform all my incapacities into their contrary?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:givg3amslsq46o3f25ga5esh/bafkreig4odpf2rmnmzzaiw45dbmsiiltel6wiv4sv32o7ojwdz3vpuf34q@jpeg)
February 12, 2026 at 6:35 AM
A bit long but here’s Marx from the 1844 manuscripts providing an exposition of Goethe and Shakespeare on the power of money that all happens to sum up exactly where we are right now. (Reminded of this passage by Epstein’s capture of prominent academics.)
Reposted by David Higham
This is an extraordinary interview in which the former FCDO perm sec basically tells No 10 not to appoint Antonia Romeo to be cab sec, and that they should talk to him about her record.
‘Due diligence vitally important’ in next top civil servant appointment – Lord McDonald
www.channel4.com/news/due-dil...
www.channel4.com/news/due-dil...
‘Due diligence vitally important’ in next top civil servant appointment – Lord McDonald
Another high profile departure from No 10 in the wake of the Mandelson scandal is due to be Britain's top civil servant.
www.channel4.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:42 PM
This is an extraordinary interview in which the former FCDO perm sec basically tells No 10 not to appoint Antonia Romeo to be cab sec, and that they should talk to him about her record.
An example of government by headline.
February 11, 2026 at 10:41 PM
An example of government by headline.
One of the great forgotten albums, mainly remembered for Time of The Season which a lot of people (like me) got to know about because of its inclusion on the first rock sampler album The Rock Machine Turns You On.
February 11, 2026 at 10:40 PM
One of the great forgotten albums, mainly remembered for Time of The Season which a lot of people (like me) got to know about because of its inclusion on the first rock sampler album The Rock Machine Turns You On.
Dear me. This really isn’t going well.
Almost impossible to get across how strongly a former foreign office head must feel about Antonia Romeo's potential appointment as cabinet secretary to make this intervention (from 11 mins in or so)
youtu.be/4QCFOKd8hlg?...
youtu.be/4QCFOKd8hlg?...
More scandal for Starmer over vetting of another aide’s links to sex offender
YouTube video by Channel 4 News
youtu.be
February 11, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Dear me. This really isn’t going well.
Reposted by David Higham
Why 'island of strangers' and the 'incalculable damage' of immigration (as stated by Starmer) was so catastrophically wrong.... in one tweet.
February 11, 2026 at 10:20 PM
Why 'island of strangers' and the 'incalculable damage' of immigration (as stated by Starmer) was so catastrophically wrong.... in one tweet.
Commendably quick out of the blocks here. Ratcliffe might just have created a problem for himself here when he seeks public funding for his Old Trafford scheme.
'Offensive And Wrong': Starmer Says Jim Ratcliffe Should Apologise For Migrants Comment
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/offens...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/offens...
'Offensive And Wrong': Starmer Says Jim Ratcliffe Should Apologise For Migrants Comment
The billionaire co-owner of Manchester United said the UK "is being colonised".
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
February 11, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Commendably quick out of the blocks here. Ratcliffe might just have created a problem for himself here when he seeks public funding for his Old Trafford scheme.
Reeves in February 2026. Who’d have thought governing could be so complicated?
February 11, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Reeves in February 2026. Who’d have thought governing could be so complicated?
Reeves in October 2025 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Rachel Reeves clears planning blockage amid ‘good relationship’ with developer
Exclusive: Chancellor says 20,000 homes were being held up due to ‘some snails that are a protected species or something’
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Reeves in October 2025 www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Judging by the BTL comments FT readers are as sympathetic to his whinging as everyone else .
February 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
Judging by the BTL comments FT readers are as sympathetic to his whinging as everyone else .
This is great stuff.
February 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM
This is great stuff.
On which point, apart from McCartney's excellent bass player, Ringo's drumming is also exceptional on Rain.
February 11, 2026 at 6:58 PM
On which point, apart from McCartney's excellent bass player, Ringo's drumming is also exceptional on Rain.
Reposted by David Higham
It is so embarrassing that it has taken nearly a decade for a British minister to say this, a statement of the absolute bloody obvious
February 11, 2026 at 7:40 AM
It is so embarrassing that it has taken nearly a decade for a British minister to say this, a statement of the absolute bloody obvious
He got a good kicking when he tried to play tough with Big Pharma and his handling of the resident doctors hasn’t been a great success either.
February 11, 2026 at 6:38 PM
He got a good kicking when he tried to play tough with Big Pharma and his handling of the resident doctors hasn’t been a great success either.
He’s a crap drummer, as he demonstrated on the Ballad of John and Yoko, and he’s written some appallingly trite songs.
February 11, 2026 at 6:35 PM
He’s a crap drummer, as he demonstrated on the Ballad of John and Yoko, and he’s written some appallingly trite songs.
Every cloud and all that...
February 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Every cloud and all that...
Extraordinary that the press indulge him.
February 11, 2026 at 5:53 PM
Extraordinary that the press indulge him.
Doesn't pay UK taxes but does expect UK taxpayers to support his business plans. I guess that's how you become rich. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
February 11, 2026 at 5:49 PM
Doesn't pay UK taxes but does expect UK taxpayers to support his business plans. I guess that's how you become rich. www.theguardian.com/football/202...
Are we talking about the same Jim Ratcliffe? Loves to opine on the UK and never one to pass up the opportunity of public sector support (see the proposed expansion of Old Trafford), just doesn't like paying taxes. Rights and responsibilities are for others www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, UK's richest person, moves to tax-free Monaco
Brexiter Ineos boss, who has an estimated £17.5bn fortune, officially changes tax domicile
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 5:44 PM
Are we talking about the same Jim Ratcliffe? Loves to opine on the UK and never one to pass up the opportunity of public sector support (see the proposed expansion of Old Trafford), just doesn't like paying taxes. Rights and responsibilities are for others www.theguardian.com/business/202...
We don't disagree on that but do we have any evidence that past relocations have led to better decision making? The other element of this is central government happily taking over the functions of local government without bothering to develop any knowledge about places.
February 11, 2026 at 5:37 PM
We don't disagree on that but do we have any evidence that past relocations have led to better decision making? The other element of this is central government happily taking over the functions of local government without bothering to develop any knowledge about places.