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....
Reposted by David Higham
The Westminster bubble...in Edinburgh and Cardiff?
The Westminster bubble has shown over the last week how disconnected it’s become from the average people on the street.
People aren’t clamouring for Starmer to step down. Instead they’re asking who the media are so silent on Farage? Why they haven’t asked about Farages mentions in the Epstein files
People aren’t clamouring for Starmer to step down. Instead they’re asking who the media are so silent on Farage? Why they haven’t asked about Farages mentions in the Epstein files
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.
“Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan”
February 9, 2026 at 8:09 AM
“Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan”
Reposted by David Higham
Alistair Campbell’s exit was a blow to Blair because he was good at his job.
But his departure did not — and was never going to — fundamentally alter the direction of the government. Because that was set by Blair himself!
But his departure did not — and was never going to — fundamentally alter the direction of the government. Because that was set by Blair himself!
February 9, 2026 at 7:56 AM
Alistair Campbell’s exit was a blow to Blair because he was good at his job.
But his departure did not — and was never going to — fundamentally alter the direction of the government. Because that was set by Blair himself!
But his departure did not — and was never going to — fundamentally alter the direction of the government. Because that was set by Blair himself!
Reposted by David Higham
As the newsletters are busy guessing what might soon happen again this morning, here's my little pushback @theobserveruk.bsky.social against the addiction to 'could':
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
The media hedges its bets on the profits of doom
We don’t need our newsrooms to predict the future – just make sense of the here and now
observer.co.uk
February 9, 2026 at 7:39 AM
As the newsletters are busy guessing what might soon happen again this morning, here's my little pushback @theobserveruk.bsky.social against the addiction to 'could':
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
Reposted by David Higham
Morning. A reminder that the names will continue to change with regularity in UK politics until leaders realise that there are no easy solutions and that difficult choices have to be made and justified.
February 9, 2026 at 6:59 AM
Morning. A reminder that the names will continue to change with regularity in UK politics until leaders realise that there are no easy solutions and that difficult choices have to be made and justified.
Reposted by David Higham
I'm no political strategist but has anyone in Labour considered *not* alienating any huge chunk of their base? I just feel like they tried alienating the left and the centre left and the public sector workers and the academics, and none of those things worked great, so maybe give my idea a whirl?
February 8, 2026 at 9:44 PM
I'm no political strategist but has anyone in Labour considered *not* alienating any huge chunk of their base? I just feel like they tried alienating the left and the centre left and the public sector workers and the academics, and none of those things worked great, so maybe give my idea a whirl?
Reposted by David Higham
Skipping the figure skating (when the US was *highly* favoured for gold, too) is *such* a fragile masculinity thing to do. Incredibly on brand for JD Vance.
JD Vance giving the figure skating a miss lest those tight outfits awaken some deeply repressed feelings
February 8, 2026 at 10:01 PM
Skipping the figure skating (when the US was *highly* favoured for gold, too) is *such* a fragile masculinity thing to do. Incredibly on brand for JD Vance.
Reposted by David Higham
"Full speed ahead to uber-woke, net-zeroist rejoinerism" is the funniest thing a Labour MP has said for some time I'll give it that. It's like a Jordan Peterson quote about Elmo.
Yes, god help we risk a floundering government that feels like no one is in charge.
February 8, 2026 at 5:42 PM
"Full speed ahead to uber-woke, net-zeroist rejoinerism" is the funniest thing a Labour MP has said for some time I'll give it that. It's like a Jordan Peterson quote about Elmo.
Reposted by David Higham
If I could be arsed I would write a long read on my theory that football phone ins directly contributed to the coarsening of our culture by making rage baits and the opinions of morons mainstream
February 8, 2026 at 9:02 PM
If I could be arsed I would write a long read on my theory that football phone ins directly contributed to the coarsening of our culture by making rage baits and the opinions of morons mainstream