Prof David Bailey

‘Too little, too late’: damning report condemns UK’s Covid response Report on handling of pandemic contains stinging criticism of ‘toxic and chaotic’ culture inside Boris Johnson’s No 10

“If a lockdown had been imposed on 16 March, a week earlier than took place, modelling suggests this could have cut the number of deaths in England in the first wave of the virus by almost half, equating to 23,000 lives saved” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

*BREAKING* We reveal total paid out in mgt expenses to 97 UK Local Gvt Pension funds last yr was record-high of *£2.7Billion*. blogsfromtheblackstuff.com/bftbblog251120 £2.4B in investment fees for pathetic 3.3% return. Paid for mainly through council tax. How much did your local fund shell out?

UK plans for pay-per-mile electric vehicle tax could make the system fairer – or provoke a fierce backlash New fees could stall the transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles.

theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...

What might be the implications of a pay-per-mile tax on electric vehicles? In a new blog post, @dgbailey.bsky.social & @prt1969.bsky.social discuss the policy and how careful implementation will be essential for fairness and maintaining support for the green transition. buff.ly/N1IVYdD

UK plans for pay-per-mile electric vehicle tax could make the system fairer – or provoke a fierce backlash New fees could stall the transition to more environmentally friendly vehicles.

UK plans for pay-per-mile electric vehicle tax could make the system fairer – or provoke a fierce backlash. New @uk.theconversation.com piece + @prt1969.bsky.social @ukandeu.bsky.social theconversation.com/uk-plans-for...

Beyond print: Regional Studies in the digital age Published in Regional Studies (Vol. 58, No. 9, 2024)

Beyond print: @RegionalStudies in the digital age. Exciting new era as the journal shift to Build content online (BiO) and drops print. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

This weeks post: UK Productivity and the Budget mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/uk-p...
if the Chancellor is going to break her tax pledge, she should do so in a big rather than small way. What she wants to avoid at all costs is finding herself in the same situation in a year or two years time.

Mystery deepens on Nexperia this morning.

After White House claimed it was solved and Sefcovic hailed progress, a MOFCOM statement today throws the Dutch government under the bus

"The Dutch side continues to act unilaterally without taking concrete steps to resolve the issue"

New post: UK Productivity and the Budget
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/11/uk-p...
When it comes to breaking their tax pledge, the phrase ‘better late than never’ applies. Better now than in a budget nearer the election, both from a political and economic point of view.

Reeves refuses to say she will stick to manifesto pledge on tax rises and insists she must face world ‘as it is’ – UK politics live Chancellor says she is focused on priorities for British people in pre-budget speech laying ground for expected tax rises

As @jillongovt.bsky.social and @iandunt.bsky.social point out, this is late and may not help Reeves much politically. But at least she's acknowledging that Brexit has been damaging.
www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Indeed. They lost a whole year.

Third of British farmers made no profit in past year, report finds Only 14% of farmers surveyed for Farmdex report had 10% or more profit margin amid drop in subsidies since Brexit

Third of British farmers made no profit in past year, report finds www.theguardian.com/environment/...

China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show - BBC News Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.

🚨🚨 #China intimidated @sheffieldhallamuni.bsky.social to ditch #humanrights research conducted by @lauratmurphy.bsky.social . Absolutely disgraceful behaviour by Sheffield Hallam uni.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....

UK small businesses struggling to take advantage of trade deals British Chambers of Commerce urge ministers to do more to help exporters

UK small businesses struggling to take advantage of trade deals on.ft.com/3WwK2Ah

Considering he's supposed to be innocent of all accusations against him, this is a very 'HE'S GUILTY AS ALL FUCK' move from his brother.

AAG?

"The worst social policy ever" We have a couple of bonus guest posts over the next week.

New post out:

"The worst social policy ever"

Today we have a guest post from @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social on the abomination that is the two-child limit and why Labour need to scrap it ASAP.

Lots of data but also powerful testimony.

(Free to read)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...

Always worth listening to!!

So bilingual - 28 October 2025 - Motoring Podcast We start with Follow Up as the UK counts the cost of the JLR shutdown. Potential new chip crisis incoming. Porsche financial results are grim again. Ford Europe gets a new boss. UK Government funds a ...

Show starts with Follow Up and the impact from the JLR shutdown, thanks to Professor @dgbailey.bsky.social's article linked in the show notes. Will lessons be learnt? 🤷‍♂️

To 👂 via streaming click 👉 www.motoringpodcast.com/episodes/202...
To 👂 via other services click 👉 mpnewsshow.captivate.fm/listen

In critical dialogue with @nickbernards.bsky.social’s recent book 'Fictions of Financialization: Rethinking Speculation, Exploitation, and Twenty-First-Century Capitalism'

Challenging the ‘fictions of financialisation’: a commentary on explanation in financial geography Financialisation is a key concept in financial geography, used to explain various phenomena. But have we sufficiently explained financialisation? Nick Bernards’ recent book, Fictions of Financializ...

New in Finance & Space! 📢

Why does financialisation happen — and who benefits?
Hannah Hasenberger digs into the politics behind state financialisation

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

UK auto’s low volume crisis in 2025. Implications for suppliers. New blog.
blogsfromtheblackstuff.com/bftbautoblog...

This is the perfect read for a Sunday afternoon when it’s getting dark too early.
And yes, it’s also very good. 👇

@tobyn.bsky.social
bsky.app/profile/john...

Counting the cost. New blog on the Cyber Monitoring Centre Report. blogsfromtheblackstuff.com/bftbautoblog...

Looks like Maccabi have saved the UK government from the spectacle of somehow overturning an expert public safety assessment.

Either politicians make public safety at sports stadiums an absolute priority or they do not.

#AVFC

Great! I wish you were on every week.

Top 5!

In global asset terms this converts to $0.63 Trillion. If UK LGPS a combined fund it would be the 5th biggest pension fund in the world on the latest TAI | P&I 300 ranking.

Yes a former student told me - she told me how grey I look!