Andy Westwood

I’m sure they will all be announced soon (and be appropriately sequenced/joined up)!

Indeed - and announcements last week about new targets, FE/HE and gold standard apprenticeships increase need for this even further?

This is a superb photo. Hats off for spotting and waiting for it to materialise!

A memo sent to nine institutions called for 'institutional neutrality', in an unprecedented attempt by Donald Trump’s administration to impose control on the sector on.ft.com/4mQxxdw

In conference speech Bridget Phillipson announces return of maintenance grants for targeted courses, funded by international student levy. Now in @smfthinktank.bsky.social fringe on widening access, so will be interesting to hear what panel makes of that…

The influence of ‘geoeconomics’ is growing Financial anomalies are another sign of how political factors are shaping economic policies and markets

The influence of ‘geoeconomics’ is growing on.ft.com/4gLqMs3 | opinion

New town locations now out:
- Adlington, Cheshire East
- South Gloucestershire
- Enfield
- Heyford Park in Cherwell
- Leeds
- Manchester, Victoria North
- Marlcombe, East Devon
- A ‘Renewed Town’ in Milton Keynes;
- Plymouth
- Tempsford
- Thamesmead, Greenwich;
- Worcestershire Parkway, Wychavon

The young against the young The real battle is within, not between, generations

I’m with him on ‘Fortunate Son’ (but slightly surprised he didn’t touch very much on education).
www.ft.com/content/3a24...

this is an extraordinary canary in the coal mine

a man wearing a red hat that says donald trump ALT: a man wearing a red hat that says donald trump

Ha!

Quite surprised he didn’t make the team.

I’ll be on one soon. Changing at this station too. Luckily there are one or two decent pubs (and some currywurst) in case of delays…

UK Trade and Productivity Across Space - The Productivity Institute Research examining the nexus between agglomeration economies and international trade premia and whether these two phenomena complement or substitute each other.

🌍 New from The Productivity Institute:

UK Trade and Productivity Across Space shows exporting is easier for firms in dense cities, while smaller regions face disadvantages.

Levelling up trade access could boost productivity across the UK.

🔗 www.productivity.ac.uk/research/uk-...

Bosh.

That’s often been the policy/regulatory line but I actually think it’s much easier to spot the dodgy stuff tbh. In many cases it just involves walking in…

And in both Manchester and Walthamstow I can think of plenty of other things that I’d much rather spend this (scarce) resource on…

Yes. But there’s a white paper (and probably a bill) coming down the line so if the answer is no then there is an opportunity soon enough. And starting policy question is do you want more or less of this stuff?

The Global Banking School is one of the UK’s most lucrative ‘universities’. But who’s footing the bill? Former staff allege the school accepts students who have no intention of ever repaying their loans

Loving this @manchestermill.bsky.social and @wonkhe.bsky.social crossover on HE franchising in Manchester (featuring the intrepid @jimdickinson.bsky.social )…

manchestermill.co.uk/the-global-b...

Shocking. And in plain sight.

two sesame street characters are standing next to each other in a living room . ALT: two sesame street characters are standing next to each other in a living room .

Wolves win football match.

Some added context for that one…

As the late, great Tommy Docherty used to say ‘I’d rather have them in front of me (so I can see what they’re up to)’…’

America is leaving the UK economy behind. How can we catch up? The UK’s productivity gains are poor, while the US economy has proved more resilient to the economic shocks of the past two decades

My Sunday Times piece: Weak productivity, poor resilience and self inflicted damage mean UK GDP per capita, properly measured, is falling well behind the US. We’ve closed the gap before, can we again?

America is leaving the UK economy behind. How can we catch up?

www.thetimes.com/article/54cd...

We must.

Sadly now can’t make it. Long story….

The "Waitrose & GAIL’s effect" vs the "ASDA reality" | Area360 How Waitrose, Gail’s and ASDA affect property prices in London. Data analysis reveals which shops signal pricey or affordable postcodes.

This is brilliant - and actually rather useful for anyone teaching methods (correlation isn't causation etc.) to undergraduates.

😢

Also I might be able to claim some of my holiday costs back as research…

I was having this very conversation with @pollymackenzie.bsky.social a couple of weeks ago…

Indeed. Also (probably) a key location in the formation of the welfare state.