So, as far as i can tell every university did brilliantly in the NSS and is top of the league table that they choose to define, based on a subset of questions that they deem to be the most important?

www.theguardian.com/politics/202... I imagine hes in for a serious tutting

Ive just overheard a conversation between two people who earn their money installing solar panels - they are both voting reform …..

Some musings on “regional productivity” and financial services. Just applied to transfer shares post probate. I had to put all info it all in one place to speed up the process - £60 per holding for 5 mins work - and then Londons productivity looks high - not productivity, but profits.

With a heavy heart…. It’s research fish day - IYKYK

Not surprised perhaps but spoke at this to about 500 manufacturers. Their take on industrial strategy is miles away from whitehalls. www.linkedin.com/posts/jonhil...

Last time i was a keynote speaker i was copied into an email i should not have been - it said “get driffield, even if he doesnt say anything insightful its entertaining” www.nmsummit.co.uk/RqMZBv?sms=7...

Very touched !

The Thinking Executive thethinkingexecutive.substack.com?r=2r9tjg&utm...

Walked into a cafe on campus, music playing is teenage Kicks, bloke (student) playing it refuses to believe i remember it on top of the pops , hes just looked at me like im 150 ….. now its the clash…..

If you are doing a phd, and you pass the viva, please call your supervisor (or invite them in to hear the verdict). Calling parents / partner first is acceptable (just) but after that call your supervisor - dont just F**k off out - we are very anxious!

Do charities have to declare their senior salaries? insider.iea.org.uk?utm_source=n...

Just spat my coffee out laughing. Allbunyan chapeau sir !

To quote “Brexit had reduced UK GDP by 6% to 8%, with the impact accumulating gradually over time. We estimate that investment was reduced by between 12% and 18%, employment by 3% to 4% and productivity by 3% to 4%.” - NB investmnet is the main driver of productivity www.nber.org/papers/w34459

Brexit brought us - giving a voice to charlatans. Very expensive school, started working at the company started by his grandfather, and now he gets to expound on things like neurodivergent kids as though he has any more credibility on the subject than a yoghurt. www.lbc.co.uk/article/rich...?

Is anyone in agreement with this ? www.politicshome.com/news/article...

Interesting that we keep hearing what a huge success story Manchester is www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Professionally, nothing beats the unbridled joy of a phd student getting their first acceptance (except possibly the 2nd one for the ex student who needed two for a visa) .

Last week was a TAS week - kind of typical for what I do …

How to feel old - ive just discovered i taught one of our politics professors when he was a second year UG ….

So within a generation business schools will be staffed only by the posh. Schools give generous bursaries but the only way to get one is to do a masters, adding about 40k to already high student debt. Would have ruled me out.

Currently reading a phd - restricting labour mobility causes factor market distortions that advantage firms and workers are paid below their MRP - who would have thought it . Ps gets worse as labour protection is eroded. Reform anyone ?

Personally I’m unconvinced that a 1.5bn investment from palentir into our data fills me with confidence…..

Very grateful for being highlighted in this way, but a shame these things have to look backward rather than focus on what im doing this week

Anyone else old enough to remember contestable markets ? BT were messing me about terribly having closed by accounts in error. Was only solved when i said “i have the skyBB order page open and if you dont solve in 5 mins im going to click ‘order’”

Nothing is as quiet as a house the evening before à level results

Ok so this is a long shot, and I’ve posted on various Facebook groups, but just in case ……

Congratulations to all of the report authors: @teraallas.bsky.social, @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social, Patrick Diamond, @athenedonald.bsky.social, @nigeldriffield.bsky.social, Jun Du, @tomforth.co.uk, @richardaljones.bsky.social, @timleunig.bsky.social, Philip McCann, @econstevem.bsky.social 3/4

Just read Sebastian payne’s “broken heartlands”. The fact that it was political book of the year is a sad indictment of the judges / who I assume didn’t know this, living in their Westminster bubble

Brilliant !

Dear Mr. Clegg I have started a business, selling the contents of your house I knew when I launched I did not have legal access your house Without this access my company will not be profitable Others have told me I have a flawed business model, but I disagree Please advise how I should proceed

The Telegraph has disappeared this from their website, possibly out of mortal shame. You know what to do... (Link is to archive copy. The internet never forgets.) archive.is/2025.05.25-1...

An insight into midlands connectivity. Thinking of going to cricket at Worcester (28 miles) 1 hr 34 mins. Getting to lords, 1 hr 41 mins …..

Wise words ! theconversation.com/to-fend-off-...

Who doesn’t want to see a massive swan made out of balloons www.facebook.com/share/v/16J7...

We get the productivity we deserve @productivity.bsky.social in cafe, person run off her feet, other staff sat chatting while we queue. Don’t blame them, shift starts 745, no reason they work for free, but firms employment policy should be more focussed on performance and less on monitoring

Someone called this 100 days of trump (it wasnt me !) www.linkedin.com/posts/warwic...

Heard a great quote from a (podcaster?) on radio 5 - « football is the most important of the unimportant stuff » - seems to sum things up nicely.

One at least !

“Party” for sale

This is something I genuinely do not understand. Why does Labour not do something about it now?

@pernillerudlin.bsky.social ive seen a few comments about Japanese firms divesting from the US but cant find anything definite on this - you seen anything ?

My eldest daughter Claudia once asked me why there isn’t a provision that says that convicted felons can’t be president and this was *exactly* my answer

Winning bigly with the art of the deal

"a trade deficit is ... a reflection of an affluent society with relatively high wages buying products from countries that can produce them more cheaply. Trump’s tariffs will hurt Americans first" @nigeldriffield.bsky.social theconversation.com/trumps-obses...

Not sure there is much insight in this, but they seemed very keen for me to do it Trump’s obsession with trade deficits has no basis in economics. And it’s a bad reason for tariffs theconversation.com/trumps-obses...