Dr Peter O'Brien

£3.4m funding secured for cross-regional AI Research Development Network - Yorkshire Universities The AI Research Development Network (AI.RDN+) A joint project by the University of Leeds and Aston University has been awarded £3.4m by the Research England Development Fund to set up a network to ass...

🚨A new cross-regional project has secured £3.4m funding to develop an #AI Research Development Network (AI.RDN+)

The network will bring together 20 #highereducation institutions from our membership and Midlands Innovation.

Read more: bit.ly/4pq7I6y

Yorkshire Universities launches new strategy to champion Yorkshire - Yorkshire Universities Powering Place Unlocking Potential Yorkshire Universities (YU), the representative body for universities and higher education institutions in Yorkshire, has today (Thursday 25 September) published a n...

🚨Yorkshire Universities launches NEW strategy to champion Yorkshire

Our 2025–2030 #Strategy is now live and our strategic priorities are set!

We will:
Amplify Regional Strengths
Unlock New Ideas
Partner to Drive Place-based Impact

🔗Read: bit.ly/YU2025-30Strategy
#yorkshire #highereducation

Radical Collaboration: A Playbook KPMG and Mills & Reeve’s ‘Radical Collaboration’ report moves the conversation on collaboration in Higher Education forward. The report takes the theoretical and translates to the practical by detaili...

We are featured as an established model of regional #highereducation collaboration within this new report, published today by @kpmguk.bsky.social and Mills & Reeve!

🤝 Read the report, 'Radical Collaboration: A Playbook':
kpmg.com/uk/en/insigh...

NEW report showcases Yorkshire Universities and role of higher education institutes in economic place-shaping - Yorkshire Universities How Universities Can Help Drive Local and Regional Economies The Institute of Economic Development and AtkinsRéalis have today (Thursday 24 August) published a report on how universities can help driv...

🚨We are featured in a NEW report documenting how #universities can help drive local and regional economies!

Our Executive Director, Dr Peter O'Brien, discusses the role of Yorkshire Universities and #highereducation institutions in economic place-shaping.

👉Read more: bit.ly/44TLy2U

Yorkshire Universities End of Year Report: 2024-25 - Yorkshire Universities Dr Peter O’Brien, YU Executive Director The end of Yorkshire Universities’ (YU) 2024/25 year coincided with the anniversary of the Government’s first year in office. As we headed into summer, the brea...

⭐This academic year we have supported our members and partners with turning vision into impact!

In our End of Year Report, our Executive Director reflects on challenges facing the HE sector, new #policy initiatives and our role in strengthening #collaboration.

Read more: bit.ly/3UlTzcp

Serious water pollution in England up 60%, government says Last year had the highest number of pollution events by water companies ever recorded.

Disgraceful...https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg5zl75dmm0o

📢“…we can harness all the diverse and different expertise and strengths across our policymakers and also our higher education sector.”

Hear from our Executive Director, Dr Peter O'Brien, discussing the strengths of policymaking #collaboration across the region: bit.ly/ypern2025highlights

We are recruiting! Associate Role - Yorkshire Universities Yorkshire Universities (YU) is recruiting a new Associate to work with the YU Executive Team. The role is for a self-employed contractor to lead YU’s work on employment and skills, especially in the a...

🚨We are recruiting!
Yorkshire Universities (YU) is recruiting a new Associate to work with the YU Executive Team.

Read more here: yorkshireuniversities.ac.uk/2025/07/09/w...

For further details please contact Dr Peter O'Brien at enquiries@yorkshireuniversities.ac.uk by Monday 28 July 2025.

Concerning news that Financial Ombudsman is proposing to radically slash the interest rate consumers get when they're awarded compensation having been mis-sold or mistreated by firms.
Contd

Government confirms £86 billion R&D funding package over the next five years - Yorkshire Universities The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has confirmed that the Chancellor of the Exchequer will announce, at the Spending Review on Wednesday, a funding package for R&D worth £86 ...

📢 The Government has confirmed an £86b R&D #funding package over the next five years, which includes a new £500m Local Innovation Partnerships Fund.

Our Executive Director, Dr Peter O'Brien, has commented on the funding. Read more on our website: bit.ly/4jF89FK

#Yorkshire #innovation #growth

I think Tuchel will be a decent short term appointment for the task he has been assigned (the World Cup) but you can't start Jordan Henderson and then complain about the players not taking the game seriously enough.

Car finance mis-selling update: regulator prepares for compensation scheme – and warns against using claims firms Payouts for mis-sold car finance could be another step closer as the financial regulator has set out the factors it will consider if it were to introduce an industry-wide redress scheme. Martin Lewis'...

Car finance mis-selling update: regulator prepares for compensation scheme – and warns against using claims firms. MSE's quick briefing...

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2025/06...

Disagree. This is about cap ex in places that specifically haven’t had the same degree of cap ex because cap ex breeds cap ex. It’s not a politically London issue, it’s a policy London issue. You can debate it, but that’s what it is

Rachel Reeves to back Manchester-Liverpool rail link in transport spending boost [FREE TO READ] Chancellor lines up £113bn infrastructure investment package as part of next week’s government spending review

Haven’t even had time to post this. Chancellor is going hard on Manchester-Liverpool railway project as part of capital spending splurge

on.ft.com/43LEbu7

EXCLUSIVE: I've been told by multiple sources that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tomorrow announce mayoral combined authorities will now be getting the billions in transport funding promised by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak back in 2023.

A short thread...

Ilkley Moor today. Stunning scenery...

Great summary of the case for Total Place. As the article says, there's a wide coaltion of organisations who support this.

This was @instituteforgovernment.org.uk's contribution from earlier this month: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Yorkshire Universities: Reflections on Universities and Regional Economic Conference May 2025 — Universities Scotland

What is the value in collaborating across the UK nations and regions?

Dr Peter O'Brien, our Executive Director, and Kate Hainsworth, YU Associate Consultant, explore this question in an article published by Universities Scotland.

Read more: bit.ly/3FmMJiR
#economicgrowth #highereducation

HMRC investigates 33 football clubs over tax exploit claims The inquiry follows a Times investigation that revealed Premier League clubs received millions in public money meant to fund scientific innovation

More football clubs claiming R&D tax credits. Everton used to be called the ‘school of science’, but clearly there are a few more these days.
www.thetimes.com/article/0520...

Since a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in 2020, the number of people killed by the police each year has continued to rise — and Black Americans are still killed in disproportionate numbers. Our data reporter explains his findings. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/24/u...

Sir Alan Bates given ‘take it or leave it’ offer of less than half his Post Office Horizon claim Campaigner calls compensation schemes ‘quasi-kangaroo courts’ after final offer made in response to his appeal Sir Alan Bates, who led the 20-year campaign for justice for post office operators over the Horizon scandal, has revealed he has been handed a “take it or leave it” compensation offer of less than half his original claim. The 70-year-old, who was knighted last year, has accused the government of presiding over a “quasi-kangaroo court” system for the compensation. Continue reading...

Sir Alan Bates given ‘take it or leave it’ offer of less than half his Post Office Horizon claim

Britain and Europe are moving beyond Brexit. Now for the real trade-offs This week’s ‘reset’ deal is a welcome return to pragmatism. But both sides must go further in facing up to the new world order

I wrote the weekend essay in the FT! I’m so chuffed I’ll probably mention it again soon… www.ft.com/content/f725...

Coverage of idiots claiming ‘betrayal’ or ‘surrender’ isn’t just bad journalism, it’s a dereliction of our duty to explain things. I’d actually forgotten just how bad it got but here we are, straight back to treating liars & spivs like authorities of equal weight to experts & honest brokers.

Details of Starmer’s Brexit reset deal revealed including youth mobility scheme

🚨NEW: Senior government source says UK-EU youth mobility scheme and measures to ease trade set to be part of the deal announced at Monday's UK-EU Summit

Full story: independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-reset-deal-starmer-youth-mobility-b2748875.html

Multi-university trusts need to be about more than savings - Research Professional News Schools show centralising can work if it’s focused on mission, not money, says Ian Wiggins

Some university mergers are now very likely. But multi-university groupings will have one big problem: the whole logic will be austerity and desperation, not creativity and opportunity. That could doom each new mega-uni from the start.
www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-v...

James O'Brien Daily - Podcast Episode | Global Player Is Keir Starmer targeting all immigrants?

How Keir Starmer has made foreign-born people in the UK feel…
Brave, brilliant callers.
www.globalplayer.com/podcasts/epi...

Liverpool and Manchester are joining forces today North West newspaper titles come together on the day that our two city region mayors travel to London calling for backing of new Liverpool to Manchester rail link

This is why Liverpool and Manchester’s mayors and its two major newspapers are joining forces today

The Guardian view on better public transport for the north: good politics and good economics | Editorial Editorial: Northern metro mayors are right to demand a step change in public investment at next month’s government spending review

Investing in the North’s connectivity is both good politics and good economics.

Because if growth is the question, better transport is the answer.

On Friday, we're setting out Yorkshire’s Plan for Rail with Mayor of South Yorkshire, @ynymayor.bsky.social and Lord Blunkett.

ow.ly/FuAI50VSj77

Made in Wigan and Bolton: actor Sir Ian McKellen has performed over six decades in genres from Shakespearean drama to popular fantasy and science fiction. Born in 1939 in Burnley, he grew up in Wigan and Bolton. 1/8

Minimum wage is currently £12.21 an hour for 21 year olds and over.
A quick internet search suggests care worker hourly pay around me varies from £12.90 to £13.90 an hour at the moment.
Let’s see what those offered rates are in 6 months’ time.