It is always worth asking who has mandated it. People often say "the government". But when pushed they cannot point to any evidence for that claim... @returningdoctor.bsky.social @ramshackle78.bsky.social
Thanks Tim. @lloydalter.bsky.social wrote about this recently too - he's also pro Japanese toilets but favours grab-bars over height open.substack.com/pub/lloydalt...
This week my (free to read) substack looks at the benefits of high tech Japanese toilets. I explain why installing them will help older people maintain their independence and their dignity, and save the country money. timleunig.substack.com/p/how-to-red...
Surely the question to ask is: why was Karen Pierce, a competent, experienced, well respected diplomat who had the ear of Trump administration, replaced?
Bad decision by Electoral Commission, esp to allow the logo, so enabling the kind of deliberate spoiler effort it was created to stop (eg running "Literal Democrats")
I personally think both the climate and economic cases against North Sea oil and gas are very poor.
@timleunig.bsky.social's article puts it very well.
observer.co.uk/news/busines...
It's a genuinely world-class place, as is the Institute for Cancer Research which feeds research into its practice. Let's expand our world-class places.
New TPI research shows that Brexit redirected £22bn of UK outward investment and over 100k jobs into the EU from 2016-2019
This was driven by regulatory friction, not tariffs.
The message: deeper UK–EU regulatory cooperation matters.
Full findings: www.productivity.ac.uk/research/cer...
Always great to be praised in public by a former boss. And yes, I am absolutely still a member of the @libdems.org.uk. I enjoyed working for Michael Gove - who knew that trying to recruit me to the @conservatives.bsky.social would have been a waste of time!
The failure of the Islamabad peace talks increases the chance that we will run out of petrol. My substack (£/free trial) shows how we can cope better than we managed in 2012. timleunig.substack.com/p/how-to-rat...
Price discrimination?
Where would you put a gigafactory?
Years ago I wrote some very pessimistic stuff about prospects for Northern cities. History has proven me wrong. This week my free to read substack looks at the lessons of Silicon Valley to make our Northern cities even more successful - timleunig.substack.com/p/what-can-l...
A lovely piece on English choral music - which I also love - from @neildotobrien.bsky.social. Happy Easter! open.substack.com/pub/almondtr...
Are you interested in the link between happiness, wellbeing & economic growth? There’s less than a month to go until our webinar featuring Prof @timleunig.bsky.social, Lara Fleischer, Prof Nigel O'Leary, Gary Gillespie & Prof Sabina Alkire discussing just that. ➡️ acss.civiplus.net/civicrm/even...
Estimated share of abortions that are unsafe Horizontal bar chart showing estimated percentage of abortions that are unsafe by region, with a global average highlighted at 45%. A note above explains safe abortions have a fatality rate of less than 1 per 100,000 abortions and that unsafe procedures can have fatality rates hundreds of times higher. Footer notes and data sources: based on modelled estimates over the period 2010 to 2014 (more recent data is not available); estimates of abortion rates and their safety are uncertain for many countries, particularly where abortions are banned or severely restricted. Data source: Ganatra et al. (2017), titled "Global, regional, and subregional classification of abortions by safety, 2010–14: estimates from a Bayesian hierarchical model." Published on OurWorldInData.org; chart licensed under CC-BY by the author Hannah Ritchie.
Estimates suggest that 45% of abortions globally are unsafe — but this varies widely across regions.
Around 4 in 10 women worldwide live in countries where abortion is illegal or highly restricted.
Travelodge's highest paid director, presumably the CEO, was paid £3.8mn in 2024. Her staff offered someone who complained about a sex assault in their room £30.
I struggle to see how this isn't a resigning matter.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
I have an EV. But there are loads of petrol cars on the roads, and they aren't all going to be scrapped tomorrow. Why should I not try to help those people save £200 a year and reduce global warming.
This week my substack (£/free trial) sets out the best way to help people with energy bills this winter. I think it is new and better than the other ideas out there... timleunig.substack.com/p/what-the-c...
Thanks @mikebrewerecon.bsky.social - It means a lot to me that a knowledgeable and sensible person like you agrees that my ideas (below) on how to sort out the energy crisis would work. Thank you.
If you are a civil servant or a journalist I will get you a free subscription - sign up with your work email and I will upgrade you.
This week my substack (£/free trial) sets out the best way to help people with energy bills this winter. I think it is new and better than the other ideas out there... timleunig.substack.com/p/what-the-c...
If you want to be join us, to go to 2030prosperityalliance.co.uk, and sign up. Together we can achieve a decade of national prosperity.
Lack-lustre UK growth gives us the chance to catch up with countries that are richer than us. That was true in the 1970s, and it is sadly all too true now. I look forward to being part of the 2030 Prosperity Alliance, offering my experience as an economist and a policy maker.
Backed up by PublicFirst economics and polling we will create new ideas that will both work and be supported not only across the political spectrum, but in the country at large. The aim is vote winning policies that work in the medium and long term, and have popular appeal.
The people involved are of remarkable calibre - many outstanding business chairs, an ex-civil service COO, a ex head of MI6, former Cabinet Ministers and so on.
The most exciting thing for me this week is the launch of the 2030 Prosperity Alliance. Run by my Public First colleague and old friend, @pjtheeconomist.bsky.social. It is a non-political group that aims to get Britain going again.
Guess what? I have written something! I think it is interesting!! How to get more building!!!
3 small but concrete steps to ease the cost of living crisis — and, fittingly, in a free-to-read post!
