Nigel Driffield

England's most deprived areas named - with Jaywick topping list Jaywick, a seaside town in Essex, has been named the most deprived area for a fourth time in a row.

Interesting that we keep hearing what a huge success story Manchester is www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Professionally, nothing beats the unbridled joy of a phd student getting their first acceptance (except possibly the 2nd one for the ex student who needed two for a visa) .

Last week was a TAS week - kind of typical for what I do …

Hes just told me i looked very young at the time !

How to feel old - ive just discovered i taught one of our politics professors when he was a second year UG ….

So within a generation business schools will be staffed only by the posh. Schools give generous bursaries but the only way to get one is to do a masters, adding about 40k to already high student debt. Would have ruled me out.

Not just pointless but leaves people facing monopsony wages

Currently reading a phd - restricting labour mobility causes factor market distortions that advantage firms and workers are paid below their MRP - who would have thought it . Ps gets worse as labour protection is eroded. Reform anyone ?

Really pleased to have been included in this

Personally I’m unconvinced that a 1.5bn investment from palentir into our data fills me with confidence…..

Very grateful for being highlighted in this way, but a shame these things have to look backward rather than focus on what im doing this week

British Salt and the salt union , beer orders bus services in Kent (why Kent?) ….

Librium and Valium, artificial legs, petrol, electricity meters and condoms (as i recall) ?

Were you there when we did our OFT project - about 1997 ?

Anyone else old enough to remember contestable markets ? BT were messing me about terribly having closed by accounts in error. Was only solved when i said “i have the skyBB order page open and if you dont solve in 5 mins im going to click ‘order’”

Nothing is as quiet as a house the evening before à level results

We have a suggested surname of McKinnon - grew up in formby

Ok so this is a long shot, and I’ve posted on various Facebook groups, but just in case ……

Congratulations to all of the report authors: @teraallas.bsky.social, @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social, Patrick Diamond, @athenedonald.bsky.social, @nigeldriffield.bsky.social, Jun Du, @tomforth.co.uk, @richardaljones.bsky.social, @timleunig.bsky.social, Philip McCann, @econstevem.bsky.social 3/4

Just read Sebastian payne’s “broken heartlands”. The fact that it was political book of the year is a sad indictment of the judges / who I assume didn’t know this, living in their Westminster bubble

Brilliant !

Dear Mr. Clegg

I have started a business, selling the contents of your house

I knew when I launched I did not have legal access your house

Without this access my company will not be profitable

Others have told me I have a flawed business model, but I disagree

Please advise how I should proceed

The Telegraph has disappeared this from their website, possibly out of mortal shame.

You know what to do...

(Link is to archive copy. The internet never forgets.)

archive.is/2025.05.25-1...

An insight into midlands connectivity. Thinking of going to cricket at Worcester (28 miles) 1 hr 34 mins. Getting to lords, 1 hr 41 mins …..

To fend off Reform, mainstream parties must address the tangible decline of British towns This is not a passing trend but a response to long-term institutional failures.

Wise words !

theconversation.com/to-fend-off-...

Who doesn’t want to see a massive swan made out of balloons www.facebook.com/share/v/16J7...

Absolutely , they get a text telling them when to work, log on to clock in and are always understaffed. In a more sensible system they could clock on earlier, get paid and deal with the queue.

We get the productivity we deserve @productivity.bsky.social in cafe, person run off her feet, other staff sat chatting while we queue. Don’t blame them, shift starts 745, no reason they work for free, but firms employment policy should be more focussed on performance and less on monitoring