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....
Which is why things aren't going to improve anytime soon.
Instability comes from the government being systematically unable to level with the public about the costs of aging, defence and the green transition. Any government that reaches government having promised the impossible will end up the same.
February 9, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Which is why things aren't going to improve anytime soon.
Reposted by David Higham
Mad we might get to see both scenarios here. It’s like getting killed in a video game and then returning to a checkpoint
February 9, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Mad we might get to see both scenarios here. It’s like getting killed in a video game and then returning to a checkpoint
Reposted by David Higham
Jeremy Kyle is interviewing Reform MPs at a live press conference
Discussing who might take over from Keir Starmer as PM, Kyle just said: "She's had a makeover, Angela"
Lee Anderson: "She's throwing her money away, isn't she, to be honest with you"
*applause from the audience*
Discussing who might take over from Keir Starmer as PM, Kyle just said: "She's had a makeover, Angela"
Lee Anderson: "She's throwing her money away, isn't she, to be honest with you"
*applause from the audience*
February 9, 2026 at 3:48 PM
Jeremy Kyle is interviewing Reform MPs at a live press conference
Discussing who might take over from Keir Starmer as PM, Kyle just said: "She's had a makeover, Angela"
Lee Anderson: "She's throwing her money away, isn't she, to be honest with you"
*applause from the audience*
Discussing who might take over from Keir Starmer as PM, Kyle just said: "She's had a makeover, Angela"
Lee Anderson: "She's throwing her money away, isn't she, to be honest with you"
*applause from the audience*
Fancy a musical distraction and only know Boz Scraggs from Silk Degrees, then treat yourself to this old blues cover recorded at Muscle Shoals in 1968 backed by the house band, which featured a young Duane Allman on guitar open.spotify.com/track/05LTrp...
Loan Me a Dime
open.spotify.com
February 9, 2026 at 3:57 PM
Fancy a musical distraction and only know Boz Scraggs from Silk Degrees, then treat yourself to this old blues cover recorded at Muscle Shoals in 1968 backed by the house band, which featured a young Duane Allman on guitar open.spotify.com/track/05LTrp...
Reposted by David Higham
arguably the biggest news of the week that Lisa Nandy is currently doing something related to her brief
Only three cabinet ministers have not Tweeted or put out a message of support for Starmer:
Wes Streeting
Shabana Mahmood
Lisa Nandy (who is at the Winter Olympics)
This could of course change, but it's where we're at just before 3:30pm
Wes Streeting
Shabana Mahmood
Lisa Nandy (who is at the Winter Olympics)
This could of course change, but it's where we're at just before 3:30pm
February 9, 2026 at 3:27 PM
arguably the biggest news of the week that Lisa Nandy is currently doing something related to her brief
Reposted by David Higham
Starmer has to survive 38 days to have had a longer tenure than Rishi Sunak.
If a successor were to be in place by 13th July, we'd have had 7 PMs in a decade, which, by my reckoning, is the most since the 8 of 1827-37.
If a successor were to be in place by 13th July, we'd have had 7 PMs in a decade, which, by my reckoning, is the most since the 8 of 1827-37.
February 9, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Starmer has to survive 38 days to have had a longer tenure than Rishi Sunak.
If a successor were to be in place by 13th July, we'd have had 7 PMs in a decade, which, by my reckoning, is the most since the 8 of 1827-37.
If a successor were to be in place by 13th July, we'd have had 7 PMs in a decade, which, by my reckoning, is the most since the 8 of 1827-37.
If McSweeney has provided poor political advice, Reeves has provided equally poor economic advice.
February 9, 2026 at 2:30 PM
If McSweeney has provided poor political advice, Reeves has provided equally poor economic advice.
February 9, 2026 at 2:15 PM
Reposted by David Higham
The Westminster bubble...in Edinburgh and Cardiff?
February 9, 2026 at 2:10 PM
The Westminster bubble...in Edinburgh and Cardiff?
Reposted by David Higham
I think, in an ideal world, Starmer would be the one who had to make the actually Hard Choices about unpicking the mad budget that he, Morgan and Reeves all co-authored, and can see why none of the serious candidates for leadership are keen to push it before then.
Starmer probably shouldn't lead Labour into the next election, but it feels a bit too early to make a change.
February 9, 2026 at 1:56 PM
I think, in an ideal world, Starmer would be the one who had to make the actually Hard Choices about unpicking the mad budget that he, Morgan and Reeves all co-authored, and can see why none of the serious candidates for leadership are keen to push it before then.
Some of us are old enough to remember another PM who vowed to “fight on”
February 9, 2026 at 1:57 PM
Some of us are old enough to remember another PM who vowed to “fight on”
Anyone produced the Downfall parody? Until then, I suppose Starmer still has some hope.
February 9, 2026 at 1:35 PM
Anyone produced the Downfall parody? Until then, I suppose Starmer still has some hope.
Reposted by David Higham
Serious about *being* in government but not actually serious about government.
The flaw in the McSweeney/Starmer project can be summed up with "the people whose pitch to the electorate was they were serious also had no interest in policy", and when stated that bluntly it seems extraordinary it got this far
One of many things that Starmer and McSweeney have in common is neither is particularly interested in policy, and I think the lack of 'I need goodwill in order to deliver change' and the 'our planning for government goes to another school' all come from that.
February 9, 2026 at 1:14 PM
Serious about *being* in government but not actually serious about government.
Reposted by David Higham
Perhaps we'll hear less from Glasman now?
February 9, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Perhaps we'll hear less from Glasman now?
Reposted by David Higham
You could see that within weeks if not days of the government’s stumbling, awkward beginning. I am sure I was not alone in my jaw metaphorically dropping at each and every mis-step.
The lesson of Morgan McSweeney’s downfall – a campaigning project was never developed into a governing one. www.newstatesman.com/politics/lab...
The lesson of Morgan McSweeney’s downfall
A victorious campaigning project was never developed into a governing one
www.newstatesman.com
February 9, 2026 at 10:48 AM
You could see that within weeks if not days of the government’s stumbling, awkward beginning. I am sure I was not alone in my jaw metaphorically dropping at each and every mis-step.
Reposted by David Higham
Absolutely incredible. No notes.
February 9, 2026 at 10:32 AM
Absolutely incredible. No notes.
Cheer yourself up by enjoying some Portuguese street art
February 9, 2026 at 10:46 AM
Cheer yourself up by enjoying some Portuguese street art
Some columns don't age well. This from 18 January.
February 9, 2026 at 10:22 AM
Some columns don't age well. This from 18 January.
If people in No10 think that this puts Starmer in a good light, then they need to go and lie in a dark room and not come out until they've come to their senses.
February 9, 2026 at 9:58 AM
If people in No10 think that this puts Starmer in a good light, then they need to go and lie in a dark room and not come out until they've come to their senses.
The man who made his reputation defeating the BNP is going to end up delivering the country to Reform.
February 9, 2026 at 8:41 AM
The man who made his reputation defeating the BNP is going to end up delivering the country to Reform.
So Starmer is going to discover his hitherto suppressed ability to articulate and sell a narrative about the purpose of his government? From December 2024.
February 9, 2026 at 8:20 AM
So Starmer is going to discover his hitherto suppressed ability to articulate and sell a narrative about the purpose of his government? From December 2024.
Very much this.
If Downing Street changes tack under a new chief of staff, that should be pretty embarrassing for Starmer.
February 9, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Very much this.