David Higham
oldtrotter.bsky.social
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.
What were you saying about the Irish relationship with country music 🤔
February 12, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by David Higham
Well, well Big Jim....

How's the Old Trafford project going?
February 12, 2026 at 8:33 AM
He might yet save Starmer from himself.
February 12, 2026 at 8:33 AM
Indeed.
February 12, 2026 at 8:26 AM
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-...
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
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.)
February 12, 2026 at 6:35 AM
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.
February 11, 2026 at 8:42 PM
An example of government by headline.
February 11, 2026 at 10:41 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.
February 11, 2026 at 10:40 PM
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?...
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
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
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.
February 11, 2026 at 10:19 PM
Reeves in February 2026. Who’d have thought governing could be so complicated?
February 11, 2026 at 10:15 PM
Judging by the BTL comments FT readers are as sympathetic to his whinging as everyone else .
February 11, 2026 at 10:04 PM
This is great stuff.
February 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM
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
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
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’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
Every cloud and all that...
February 11, 2026 at 5:54 PM
Extraordinary that the press indulge him.
February 11, 2026 at 5:53 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...
February 11, 2026 at 5:49 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...
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
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