Urban and Regional Economics Research Seminar Group

Article discusses how various national policies will sit alongside global markets, as I've been discussing for just a few months now...

This is a bit weird. It’s an international summit. The other counties present do not necessarily share our priorities. It’s not unreasonable that they wanted to talk about theirs.

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Oh, if there was ever an evening for the intro to "Plaistow Patricia"... (nsfw)

A lot of people seem to struggle with the simple reality that Labour government comms are not part of some grand game of 4D chess they are playing. They are just bad. I mean, really, really bad.

Eurostar on the attack with its big order of 30 trains which is attempt to wipe out potential opposition...why did they not do this 20 years ago? And can St Pancras cope?

“It's just a nightmare importing anything into Japan. They have what's called non-tariff barriers”.

...no need to wonder too hard why UK exports have not increased since 2019.

Not least given the usual tepid quote from government.

Treasury expected to close tax loophole for online giants Overseas retailers can send small packages worth less than £135 to the UK without incurring import duties

Won't be a great look for a government that supposedly supports open trade to follow the EU and US in ending de minimis exemptions, bad news for consumers and small businesses in particular, but protecting incumbents is a large part of today's economic policy www.ft.com/content/f432...

Whenever politicians push anti-immigration policies they should be made to repeat the definition of "reciprocity".

The levels of exceptionalist ideology it takes to think that targeting people from other countries doesn't risk biting you hard when those countries respond is pretty astounding.

Labour is trapping itself in a new lie. Saying that the costs of Brexit are the fault of how it was implemented implies that you can implement it in a way that undoes them. Labour's red lines on the Customs Union and Single Market mean we have to live with almost all of those costs.

They should built a replica of Old Oak Common steam marshalling yard as a visitor attraction site. Only logic of course unless they are renaming it Heathrow Terminal 6 🤔

Work to link HS2 to west coast mainline to be delayed for four more years Decision to extend pause on 18-mile stretch north of Birmingham part of ‘reset’ to troubled rail project

It really will be the Acton to Aston shuttle...

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Trump says he has final say on paying himself $230m for past investigations President says government owes him ‘a lot of money’ for federal investigations during and after first term

Are the guardrails of the American Constitution ever going to kick in? www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

A curious approach from people who don't like the concept of immigration

Sky News now offering clarification.

They’d previously stated that the Maccabi ban was just about safety of Maccabi fans.

Now they admit it was also about Maccabi violence.

Ladies & gentlemen, our corrupt journo-political complex just got caught out.

How Ringo Starr made the Beatles | The Observer Tom Doyle's biography shows how Ringo used his light-entertainer charm and instinctive talent to become the engine of the Beatles sound

Good piece. Listen to the Pete Best version of Love Me Do and you know why they needed a new drummer. His apotheosis was on Let it Be and Abbey Road. McCartney was never anything more than a workaday drummer as the Ballad of John and Yoko showed observer.co.uk/culture/book...

I’ve just noticed that UK Onward have archived their pre-2025 one-nationy output on levelling up, net zero and so on, which is a shame.

It’ll be interesting to see where they go long term, but I’m not sure UK conservativism needs another lower taxes, freer markets, harder borders think tank

Nelson's Victory crew included a Brazilian and a Russian, 2 Indians, 2 Swiss, 2 Portuguese, 3 Danes and 3 Norwegian sailors. There were 3 Germans, 4 Italians, 6 Swedes, 7 Dutchmen, 9 West Indians and an African, as well as 21 Americans, 63 Irish, 64 Scots, 441 English.... oh, and 3 French men, too.

Arsenal paid Isington Council £61m for new facilities when Emirates built but wouldn't pay TfL for extra lift at Holloway Road tube or direct access from Drayton Park. Plans to expand capacity to 80000 but in tight urban space can't see it happening unless New Suits/ Specsavers Starmer intervenes

Cathedrals of capital: Europe’s stadium arms race escalates As Barcelona’s revamped Spotify Camp Nou begins to reopen, the game’s new temples promise both grandeur and gridlock

“In Manchester, United’s fantasy is a 100,000 seat arena with a mini city wrapped around it, with an estimated £2bn cost. Urban regeneration is the go-to spin for clubs chasing local authority help and even central government funding” One for @daveproudlove.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/sport/a...

Here Lam explicitly sets out her proposal - which is official Conservative Party policy - to deport long-standing legal permanent residents who have *ever* claimed any benefit, including the state pension or child benefit (even if the child is British), or who earn less than £39K.

Labour sheds support from impatient Britons Research shows party losing voters who want results now, with women more likely to prioritise short-term gains

Yet another data point on why it was foolish to talk about "pulling the growth lever" If one existed governments would have pulled it long ago. Delivering short term boosts to output is easy (ask Barber or Lawson), long term growth much harder on.ft.com/47iDASm via @FT

This, this, this. If journalists don’t scrutinize this and explain it properly now then they have failed on their duty and will bear a share of the blame if such policies are enacted (most of the public oppose them and don’t I think realise what is being proposed yet).

One of my many eccentric opinions is that if we actually tried to make the planning process accessible to people, we might get more buy in to the outcomes democracy.stockport.gov.uk/documents/s2...

Fascinating how quickly Premier League football evolved from Pepball everybody in the exact position as dictated by the computer back towards long balls long throws long shots etc

Zappa has a cameo in their feature film HEAD.

ChatGPT Is a Bullshit Generator Waging Class War ChatGPT isn't really new but simply an iteration of the class war that's been waged since the start of the industrial revolution.

I wrote 'ChatGPT Is a Bullshit Generator Waging Class War' in Feb 2023 i.e. 2 months after it was released. With the exception of a focus on datacentres, I'm not sure how far critique has advanced. We need a more radical vision of our alternatives ✊ www.vice.com/en/article/c...

Whether it is immigration or China the UK political debate is completely in denial about realities (same could actually be said of the Middle East).

While lots of people can be blamed, a successful government is one that sets a narrative. Evidently this one doesn't.

I love Brighton stint Danny Welbeck has managed to put together post-Arsenal. Proper professional, great guy, always underrated and has finally had some luck with fitness over the past few years.

Foodbank charity says it is not celebrating ten year anniversary Fans Supporting Foodbanks has recently been given charitable status.

One of my long held beliefs is that this is exactly the mentality anyone working in such areas of the charity sector, including human rights, should have. At the end of the day, our goal should be to put ourselves out of a job because what we do is no longer needed.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...