I have miners on both sides of my family - admittedly not from God's Own Republic of Yorkshire. But I would never (and I hope my parents would never) ever use that as an excuse not to pay £2m in taxes. Massive Monty Python 4 Yorkshiremen vibes here. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Reindustrialisation Research Group "proposing a target of creating an additional one million jobs in production-based industries above their current level over the next decade" For reference Nissan in Sunderland employs 6,000 people. news.sky.com/story/labour...

Good evening! This week's theme is London Rain 🌧 'Self-reflection at a red signal’ (2013) by Holly Brodie hollybrodie.com

Too many vital British organisations in the UK with large turnovers are dependent on a very narrow set of the Great + the Good with free time + private incomes for their governance and management. Not just local councils but large charities, FE colleges www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/dem...

'BT Tower In The Rain, Westmoreland St' by Edward Luper edwardluperart.com

Another push of last week's piece on Andy Burnham's challenges on trade. The EU is currently in the "too difficult so ignore" bucket, which really isn't a sustain able position. Some fresh thinking on transparency would also be helpful. ecipe.org/insights/new...

Just found this brilliant app which recommends which side of the bus or train to sit on if you want to be in the shade shadyside.app

Magnificent portrait of a woman, 1620, by Artemisia Gentileschi. She was born on this day in 1593.

Really hope Tories find a Votey Mcvoteface candidate that ABF people can vote for.

Responding to popular discontent about globally interdependent economies by putting up the barriers and trying to recreate the industry of 50 years ago is seriously bad politics that we see across Europe.

Cannot overstate just how bad the economic analysis is in general in the UK's two political weeklies. Insular to a point of stubbornness because Brexit failed so badly.

Portuguese drone startup Tekever plans to build a manufacturing base for defense drones in Japan. Japanese trading house Marubeni will be its sales agent in Japan to help develop a customer base. asia.nikkei.com/business/aer...

More from Takaichi's visit to France - lessening dependence on China - joint investment in a rare-earth recycling project - plant to set up in France, with support from state-run Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security and Japanese gas company Iwatani asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...

Ukraine hoping to set up reconstruction fund with Hitachi, Toshiba, Mitsubishi Heavy involving aid and long-term loans from the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. asia.nikkei.com/politics/ukr...

Other news of note from Takaichi Sanae's visit to Europe - a consultation framework for developing AI with France that is not dependent on USA or China to go with the ones with the UK, Brazil, India, Malaysia. 1/2 asia.nikkei.com/business/tec...

I agree with many other analyses - Brexit accelerated negative trends for the UK that were already there and impacted Japanese inward investment, since at least the Global Financial Crisis.

Labour won by 20 points and net immigration is down by over 80% in two years. But sure write your column again.

Alice, Maude and Rupert need a home - unfortunately we don't have a sufficient garden. But my heart is melting for them. www.edp24.co.uk/news/2620397...

Maybe the education bit is this - UK agreeing that it can accept Japanese scientists on longer term study visas asia.nikkei.com/business/edu...

My article on what happened to Japanese investment in the UK since the Brexit referendum. www.linkedin.com/pulse/my-big...

Starmer writes for the Nikkei - regarding "complementary strengths across so many areas, such as technology, renewables, defense and education" Not sure what the education bit is though - a new memorandum of cooperation it says. 1/3 asia.nikkei.com/opinion/new-...

Japanese pharmaceuticals company Eisai to invest £48m into its Hatfield site to move outsourced packaging processes in-house + upgrade warehouse facilities + logistics functions- with from support from UK govt Life Sciences Innovative Manufacturing Fund asia.nikkei.com/business/com...

No surprises but good to see: supply chain strengthening with China in mind Japan offshore wind investment in UK next generation nuclear power semiconductors/AI collaboration GCAP contracts to be renewed at end of June council to be set up on joint development of defence equipment. 1/2

15% growth in Dutch logistics sector since Brexit. “It’s not just British companies. The biggest shift has been from Japanese companies who used the UK as a distribution centre for the EU" giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

#totp this evening has reminded me that I had a secret yearning to be one of those backing girls with guitars for Robert Palmer's Addicted to Love. I did finally get to rock that look aged 30 with the Insanes as one of the not very coloured girls that go do doo do doo for Walk on the Wild Side.

Oops. Just after posting this I saw John Healey resigned due to lack of funding for DIP. I doubt this fund will be seen as an acceptable substitute for not funding GCAP properly.

Japanese PM is meeting with Starmer this Sunday. The hope is they can announce UK go ahead on GCAP funding, depending on DIP OK, but also this start up fund for dual use tech will be announced too. Which would explain one of the sales enquiries I had this morning! asia.nikkei.com/politics/int...

I change my header regularly with seasons. A Japanese originated habit, as are most of the images I choose. This is Claude Monet, the railway bridge at Argenteuil 1873 which I very much think was influenced by Japanese woodblock prints of bridges

Enormity does not mean what he thinks it means. "an outrageous, improper, vicious, or immoral act" I do realise words evolve, but when a useful word gets destroyed (see also disinterested), I feel language is impoverished not enriched. Sigh.

Hairdressers this morning - "have you seen what's happening to the country?" Turns out the first thing she saw on her social media when she woke up this morning was a video of the stabbing last night. Other hairdresser is supportive of the riots - it's a wake up call, he said.

Just spotted in Piolax UK subsidiary annual report (Japanese automotive supplier) that Nissan UK asked its suppliers in FY2025 to switch from local UK sourcing to Japan manufactured, prioritising supply stability, quality consistency + total cost over localisation. @nickgibbs.bsky.social?

Omoto, after fifty years of touring with Japanese troupes, dies in 1916 in Australia. One of her daughters has settled in Denmark and the other two, in Australia, have to face the consequences of World War II. open.substack.com/pub/pernille...

In which Omoto and her family settle in Australia in the 1890s, carry on performing in circuses and one of her daughters marries, her husband dies and the first signs that Japanese people will be impacted by the coming White Australia policies appear. open.substack.com/pub/pernille...

After 25 years of marriage Mr P knows exactly what I mean when I say Tesco chicken rose and purchases same. Which is kind of comforting, and about as romantic as it gets.

Just found the perfect admin task to do in this heat - deleting all the email addresses from my database that have bounced. 🧠💀🥵

Jatco, a Nissan subsidiary, will withdraw plans to build a factory in Sunderland to produce e-axles -- a core EV component integrating motors, inverters and gears. Was due for completion this year. Further specifics on global powertrain production due spring 2027. asia.nikkei.com/business/aut...

Slumming it with son as Mr P is in the King Billy with his bestie. Watching episode 1 season 2 of The Pitt and discovering the joy of Prawn Cocktail flavoured Pringles. 100% bank holiday vibes.

Japanese garden designer Kazuyuki Ishihara won a silver-gilt medal — the second-highest honor in the main Show Garden category — at the Chelsea Flower Show that opened in London on Tuesday.

The fearless Omoto continues to wire walk her way across Britain with the Great Dragon Troupe, even after burying her 15 month old son and becoming pregnant again. open.substack.com/pub/pernille...

Hitachi Information Control Systems Europe based in UK has gone into voluntary liquidation. It was formed after the acquisition of The Railway Engineering Company in 2012. It may just be being folded into Hitachi Rail - no announcement yet. 64 employees - 1/2 of 2019. Shift from UK to Italy?

My next post on Omoto - where she goes on maternity leave, but who is the father of the baby? A row, a court case and a tense Christmas dinner ensue. pernillerudlin.substack.com/p/6-omoto-on...

Let nobody say there isn't a plan in place

There has been a complaint about a social sciences professor at my local university rejecting a researcher because they are Israeli. I looked at the staff listing of the social sciences department (which includes law + international relations) 1/5

Regent Street https://www.wikiart.org/en/william-orpen/regent-street-1910

101. Asakusa Ricefields and Torinomachi Festival https://www.wikiart.org/en/hiroshige/101-asakusa-ricefields-and-torinomachi-festival-1857

funniest thing i’ve ever seen

Must say I prefer cute to the sinister Labubus - Mirumi plush robots from Yukai Engineering going on sale in Harrods from July and KaDeWe in Germany. asia.nikkei.com/business/con...