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....
Here we go again www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Lib Dems call for ‘anti-growth’ Treasury to be split up – UK politics live
Liberal Democrats call for Treasury to be replaced with big growth department, and smaller spending department
www.theguardian.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:00 AM
Here we go again www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
Reposted by David Higham
It is cope to believe this is all confected. My whole job is talking to MPs and ministers, I talk to a dozen different ones every day, I spend the week in Parliament in the same corridors, same coffee queues. Sometimes even I have been taken aback by the strength of feeling about the need for change
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 10, 2026 at 9:49 AM
It is cope to believe this is all confected. My whole job is talking to MPs and ministers, I talk to a dozen different ones every day, I spend the week in Parliament in the same corridors, same coffee queues. Sometimes even I have been taken aback by the strength of feeling about the need for change
Reposted by David Higham
'Always verify your references' was his sage advice to younger scholars. Still apposite in our current information age ... his personal library is a jewel of @dulib.bsky.social
This daguerreotype of Magdalen's President Martin Routh was taken on his 99th birthday on 18 September 1854. In it, he can be seen wearing his famous wig, more typical of fashions of the 1750s than the 1850s.
See this, and the wig itself, in our Old Library.
📍Old Library
📆🕑 OPEN Today, 2-4:30pm
See this, and the wig itself, in our Old Library.
📍Old Library
📆🕑 OPEN Today, 2-4:30pm
February 11, 2026 at 10:17 AM
'Always verify your references' was his sage advice to younger scholars. Still apposite in our current information age ... his personal library is a jewel of @dulib.bsky.social
Reposted by David Higham
Streeting did this to the entire staff of NHS England, who found out their dept was being abolished and they were losing their jobs via BBC push notification. As someone once said: you can't play politics with people's jobs and people's lives.
One of the things that ought to change in any Number 10 shake up is this sort of thing. Whatever you think of whether he’s the right person for the job he’s dedicated his life to public service and no one (in any job!) deserves to be treated like this.
February 11, 2026 at 10:31 AM
Streeting did this to the entire staff of NHS England, who found out their dept was being abolished and they were losing their jobs via BBC push notification. As someone once said: you can't play politics with people's jobs and people's lives.
What sort of person buys their dog a personalised toy?
February 11, 2026 at 10:17 AM
What sort of person buys their dog a personalised toy?
Those great inter war years. And people wonder why Attlee won in 1945.
February 11, 2026 at 9:05 AM
Those great inter war years. And people wonder why Attlee won in 1945.
From the latest Andrew Adonis newsletter. This is a major weakness of the current government: a weak cabinet, made weaker by the last reorganisation. This is not a Team of Rivals
February 11, 2026 at 8:54 AM
From the latest Andrew Adonis newsletter. This is a major weakness of the current government: a weak cabinet, made weaker by the last reorganisation. This is not a Team of Rivals
Reposted by David Higham
Labour's problem isn't merely one of personnel. It's that the main factions of the party lack an analysis of capitalism, & therefore an awareness that boosting growth (the answer to many problems) requires a lot of work. Here's one I wrote 5 years (!) ago: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/starmer-an...
Starmer and the C-word
Starmer's Labour is incurious about the nature of capitalism.
chrisdillow.substack.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Labour's problem isn't merely one of personnel. It's that the main factions of the party lack an analysis of capitalism, & therefore an awareness that boosting growth (the answer to many problems) requires a lot of work. Here's one I wrote 5 years (!) ago: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/starmer-an...
Siri, find me an example of Asimov’s comment that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge”.
February 11, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Siri, find me an example of Asimov’s comment that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge”.
Reposted by David Higham
These days if you privately own the means of production, you’ll get arrested and thrown in jail
February 11, 2026 at 7:52 AM
These days if you privately own the means of production, you’ll get arrested and thrown in jail
Paul Krugman on a key element of Epstein's influence here, which links to the Ganesh piece on the "two elites"
February 11, 2026 at 8:11 AM
Paul Krugman on a key element of Epstein's influence here, which links to the Ganesh piece on the "two elites"
One of Lennon's lesser known compositions, released as the B side of Paperback Writer. One of their first uses of sounds played backwards, which was a key feature of Revolver. open.spotify.com/track/3ZZ7z7...
Rain - 2022 Stereo Mix
open.spotify.com
February 11, 2026 at 8:05 AM
One of Lennon's lesser known compositions, released as the B side of Paperback Writer. One of their first uses of sounds played backwards, which was a key feature of Revolver. open.spotify.com/track/3ZZ7z7...
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.