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....
Rupert Lowe comes out in favour of working from home.
February 10, 2026 at 9:53 PM
Rupert Lowe comes out in favour of working from home.
It may well be puny stuff, but it's the sort of puny stuff that voters identify with. I suspect rather a lot of people would like tickets to Wimbledon and Glastonbury
February 10, 2026 at 7:34 PM
It may well be puny stuff, but it's the sort of puny stuff that voters identify with. I suspect rather a lot of people would like tickets to Wimbledon and Glastonbury
Reposted by David Higham
If Jeremy Corbyn was Britain’s unluckiest anti-racist, then there is a good argument than Keir Starmer is Britain’s unluckiest hiring manager.
In the case of Tulip Siddiq’s appointment, yes, he knew. In the case of Matthew Doyle’s peerage: yes. In the case of Mandelson’s appointment, yes, he knew the core fact. There’s a pattern here!
February 10, 2026 at 6:18 PM
If Jeremy Corbyn was Britain’s unluckiest anti-racist, then there is a good argument than Keir Starmer is Britain’s unluckiest hiring manager.
Reposted by David Higham
The United Kingdom has allowed people who hate it and want to see it collapse control over most social media and their own TV channel. Weak and unserious.
February 10, 2026 at 5:34 PM
The United Kingdom has allowed people who hate it and want to see it collapse control over most social media and their own TV channel. Weak and unserious.
Reposted by David Higham
Former Number 10 comms chief Matthew Doyle – who was recently given a peerage by Keir Starmer – has the whip suspended over his ties to a padeophile.
No, not *that* paedophile. A different one.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
No, not *that* paedophile. A different one.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Starmer's ex-comms chief suspended from Labour over links to sex offender
Matthew Doyle, who now sits in the House of Lords, has had the Labour whip withdrawn
inews.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 4:48 PM
Former Number 10 comms chief Matthew Doyle – who was recently given a peerage by Keir Starmer – has the whip suspended over his ties to a padeophile.
No, not *that* paedophile. A different one.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
No, not *that* paedophile. A different one.
inews.co.uk/news/politic...
Reposted by David Higham
Vance once again showed the amateur hour performance of the Trump admin when he caused an international incident just by turning up. He laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial and posted about it, thus massively pissing off the Turks.
Then he deleted the post and pissed off the Armenians.
Then he deleted the post and pissed off the Armenians.
February 10, 2026 at 3:39 PM
Vance once again showed the amateur hour performance of the Trump admin when he caused an international incident just by turning up. He laid a wreath at the Armenian Genocide Memorial and posted about it, thus massively pissing off the Turks.
Then he deleted the post and pissed off the Armenians.
Then he deleted the post and pissed off the Armenians.
Times Radio presenters now apologising for that comment 🤷♂️
Listening to the discussion of The North hosting the Olympics. Impossible to fly into the North directly? Manchester is the only airport in England outside Heathrow with two operating runways (although even the Chancellor didn’t know that) fullfact.org/news/rachel-...
Rachel Reeves wrong to claim Britain has not built a runway since the 1940s – Full Fact
A second runway at Manchester Airport was completed in 2001.
fullfact.org
February 10, 2026 at 4:02 PM
Times Radio presenters now apologising for that comment 🤷♂️
Reposted by David Higham
Getting really tired of "this is all a media concoction"...
Starmer has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history bar Truss. Senior ministers are openly and unsubtly positioning. His Chief of Staff, Director of Comms and Cab Sec have all resigned on the same day.
I mean come on...
Starmer has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history bar Truss. Senior ministers are openly and unsubtly positioning. His Chief of Staff, Director of Comms and Cab Sec have all resigned on the same day.
I mean come on...
February 9, 2026 at 10:32 PM
Getting really tired of "this is all a media concoction"...
Starmer has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history bar Truss. Senior ministers are openly and unsubtly positioning. His Chief of Staff, Director of Comms and Cab Sec have all resigned on the same day.
I mean come on...
Starmer has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history bar Truss. Senior ministers are openly and unsubtly positioning. His Chief of Staff, Director of Comms and Cab Sec have all resigned on the same day.
I mean come on...
Listening to the discussion of The North hosting the Olympics. Impossible to fly into the North directly? Manchester is the only airport in England outside Heathrow with two operating runways (although even the Chancellor didn’t know that) fullfact.org/news/rachel-...
Rachel Reeves wrong to claim Britain has not built a runway since the 1940s – Full Fact
A second runway at Manchester Airport was completed in 2001.
fullfact.org
February 10, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Listening to the discussion of The North hosting the Olympics. Impossible to fly into the North directly? Manchester is the only airport in England outside Heathrow with two operating runways (although even the Chancellor didn’t know that) fullfact.org/news/rachel-...
Reposted by David Higham
Yeah, British politics is simple. You just need to improve public services without any meaningful tax increases, reduce immigration without any labour market impacts, and deliver growth and you'll be hugely successful.
Right, but if you strip out the hyperbole it's just "the public are angry about the cost of living, immigration and the NHS and don't particularly understand any of them" which, sure, but what do I do with that?
You may not like it, but strip out the hyperbole and abuse and it's quite hard to argue with this Cummings asssessment of the public mood
February 10, 2026 at 3:18 PM
Yeah, British politics is simple. You just need to improve public services without any meaningful tax increases, reduce immigration without any labour market impacts, and deliver growth and you'll be hugely successful.
Featuring another appearance by the abyss.
Anyway, today's newsletter, etc etc, give it a read. Or don't and just post some weird nonsense about how I am calling for Starmer to be 'redeemed'.
Keir Starmer’s route to recovery
Scottish leader’s blow to PM rallies party, but government needs to make tough choices and rejig agenda
www.ft.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:19 PM
Featuring another appearance by the abyss.
Reposted by David Higham
It's tough for Starmer, given he needs to diversify his cabinet to survive, but has hitherto worked quite hard to not learn anything about the PLP, relying on his advisors to do a lacklustre job in his behalf, the most trusted of whom no longer work for him (and were giving him bad advice anyway).
Anyway, today's newsletter, etc etc, give it a read. Or don't and just post some weird nonsense about how I am calling for Starmer to be 'redeemed'.
Keir Starmer’s route to recovery
Scottish leader’s blow to PM rallies party, but government needs to make tough choices and rejig agenda
www.ft.com
February 10, 2026 at 2:11 PM
It's tough for Starmer, given he needs to diversify his cabinet to survive, but has hitherto worked quite hard to not learn anything about the PLP, relying on his advisors to do a lacklustre job in his behalf, the most trusted of whom no longer work for him (and were giving him bad advice anyway).
Reposted by David Higham
Yes great, but the last time he said this he followed it up with asylum policies which divided people and played on their sense of grievance. Hopefully the departure of McSweeney means things will be different this time, but I'm sceptical.
Starmer:
"The real fight is not in the Labour Party. It's with the right-wing politics that challenges that. The politics of Reform... Divide, divide, divide. Grievance, grievance, grievance. That will tear our country apart... I will be in that fight as long as I have breath in my body."
"The real fight is not in the Labour Party. It's with the right-wing politics that challenges that. The politics of Reform... Divide, divide, divide. Grievance, grievance, grievance. That will tear our country apart... I will be in that fight as long as I have breath in my body."
February 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM
Yes great, but the last time he said this he followed it up with asylum policies which divided people and played on their sense of grievance. Hopefully the departure of McSweeney means things will be different this time, but I'm sceptical.
Reposted by David Higham
Also many redundancies at The Onion as the Trump Regime becomes increasingly self-sufficient in satire.
Peter Navarro: "The jobs report comes out tomorrow. We have to revise our expectations down significantly for what a monthly job number should look like ... Wall Street has to adjust for the fact that we're deporting millions of illegals out of the job market."
February 10, 2026 at 3:02 PM
Also many redundancies at The Onion as the Trump Regime becomes increasingly self-sufficient in satire.
Reposted by David Higham
The answer to both these questions is 'by writing a great newsletter than loads of people enjoy, where I've set out before what the things Labour needs to do to win the election (raise taxes on median earners, improve public services)'
The second of these "things to do" is 'tough choices to be in place to win the next election'. Simples!
Does Stephen include any of these "tough choices"? Nope.
If you're curious, the others are 'get other policies', 'sell this to MPs', and 'improve in the polls'.
How do you have a job, Stephen?
Does Stephen include any of these "tough choices"? Nope.
If you're curious, the others are 'get other policies', 'sell this to MPs', and 'improve in the polls'.
How do you have a job, Stephen?
February 10, 2026 at 10:06 AM
The answer to both these questions is 'by writing a great newsletter than loads of people enjoy, where I've set out before what the things Labour needs to do to win the election (raise taxes on median earners, improve public services)'
Featuring the return of the abyss. Readers called, and Stephen answered. Keir Starmer’s route to recovery - www.ft.com/content/e0d5... via @FT
Keir Starmer’s route to recovery
Scottish leader’s blow to PM rallies party, but government needs to make tough choices and rejig agenda
www.ft.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:26 AM
Featuring the return of the abyss. Readers called, and Stephen answered. Keir Starmer’s route to recovery - www.ft.com/content/e0d5... via @FT
Magnificent. The Retail Park is indeed 150m away. What the sign doesn't say is that there is no pedestrian access. Brilliant work to grant this on appeal.
February 10, 2026 at 10:55 AM
Magnificent. The Retail Park is indeed 150m away. What the sign doesn't say is that there is no pedestrian access. Brilliant work to grant this on appeal.
"The first thing China will do is to terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada"
February 10, 2026 at 7:39 AM
"The first thing China will do is to terminate ALL Ice Hockey being played in Canada"
Reposted by David Higham
If you're wondering why Canadians are nervous, it's never good to become the focus of the mentally unwell ruler of a larger nuclear armed neighbour
February 10, 2026 at 5:35 AM
If you're wondering why Canadians are nervous, it's never good to become the focus of the mentally unwell ruler of a larger nuclear armed neighbour
AI coming up Trumps (I'll get my coat ).
February 10, 2026 at 7:29 AM
AI coming up Trumps (I'll get my coat ).
Please elect me as Leader www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Ignore the smears: I was never a close friend of Peter Mandelson. And I fully understand the lessons we must learn | Wes Streeting
I knew him but not well, and worry now that he thrived in our political culture. There was a failure of moral seriousness, says health secretary Wes Streeting
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Please elect me as Leader www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
The campaign to spread British culture to ungrateful Europeans continues.
February 9, 2026 at 9:41 PM
The campaign to spread British culture to ungrateful Europeans continues.
Reposted by David Higham
If everyone apart from the person who appointed them all leaves then that will sort it.
EXCL: Chris Wormald, the most senior civil servant in Downing Street, is negotiating his exit as part of a wider shakeup of Keir Starmer’s operation after dramatic day - @kiranstacey.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days
Exclusive: Cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is expected to follow Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan out the door
www.theguardian.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:44 PM
If everyone apart from the person who appointed them all leaves then that will sort it.
The pedant in me requires that I point out that no one knows what happened at Little Big Horn.
MPs cheering Keir Starmer at the PLP meeting "like the troops at Little Bighorn," remarks one exasperated Labour MP leaving the room
February 9, 2026 at 7:00 PM
The pedant in me requires that I point out that no one knows what happened at Little Big Horn.
Magnificent by the Poles
February 9, 2026 at 6:53 PM
Magnificent by the Poles