Tim Hicks

The CIA manual on disrupting activist groups largely explains most meetings in academia.

Problems with the planning system: a personal anecdote (thread). I’m trying to get an air to air heat pump (air con) installed at home, but I’m not sure whether I need planning permission or not. But as far as I can tell, there’s no way for me to find out…

A point made by @drjennings at the BPC event on Wednesday: we are yet to properly consider what would happen to our political system if forecasts (nowcasts) such as this were to play out.

New @VerianGroup random probability poll. #EURef2 vi: Apply to join 56; Stay out 28. Fwork 30.5-3.6.24. veriangroup.com/hubfs/Britain-…

Remarkable fact: Average teacher pay is about the same today in real terms as it was in 2001. Average pay across the economy is about 18% higher than in 2001.

'One of my biggest fears in life is what happens to him when I'm gone.' Speaking on @ITVTonight, Sir Ed Davey opened up about juggling responsibilities as Liberal Democrat leader and caring for his disabled teenage son | @rachyoungeritv reports itv.com/news/2024-06-0…

- climate change is largely absent from this general election so far - and yet the UK had its warmest May and meteorological spring on record according to provisional Met Office figures published today

It’s probably time that UK universities require attendance in seminars/lectures, or no graduation. In additional to the individual losses of not attending, there are significant negative externalities on other students. The status quo is not sustainable. theguardian.com/education/arti…

@gabyhinsliff Thanks for writing this column, it's absolutely spot on theguardian.com/commentisfree/… ! But I think there's a very important missing fraction in "now worth in real terms roughly what it was 14 years ago" that it'd be great to get corrected.

The US doesn't have a national high-speed rail network because our population density is low ... the UK doesn't have one because it's governed by morons.

@GWRHelp what’s up with the (london-bound) Cotswold line this morning? 6.06 from Worcester cancelled. Now next train delayed and showing little sign of progress…

Something of a pickle on #monetarypolicy. A short thread. Policy rates had to rise. Most of the work has been done. We are in the #endgame. Because inflation is expected to fall, given policy response. The issue is now is comms and the interaction with the market. 1/n

🌟WHY POLITICS FAILS LAUNCH DAY🌟 Delighted that Why Politics Fails is out today in the UK. I've written a Substack that sets out why I wrote the book and why I hope you all buy it! And for those who don't want to stop scrolling Twitter, a quick thread. benansell.substack.com/p/why-politics…

Ken Clarke's memoir says that as Justice Secretary in 2010, he was pressed by the Sun editor to buy prison ships, as the paper wanted to campaign on that issue theguardian.com/politics/2017/…

This is a choice. Public finance numbers assume "temporary" cut in fuel duty will be reversed and that (contrary to 13 yrs) fuel duty will rise with inflation. Freezing duty costs £6bn. If govt spends £6bn doing that will be hard for it to argue it couldn't do anything on pay.

@tabouchadi @p_surridge @lucycbarnes @lucycbarnes and/or @killick_anna are the ones for this, I think. Anna's book may be helpful (altho don't recall if it has 'growth' per se) manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526145185/

Has anyone got any polling or focus groups on what voters think 'growth' means both for the economy and for them personally? Doesn't seem the best framing to me but maybe it is more widely understood than I think.

We have achieved an interim statement on USS with UUK that is 100% contingent on pursuing the 2023 valuation. There are no variables. Anyone now arguing that we can ‘build on’ that statement to restore earlier either has not read it or does not understand the valuation process.

71% of Americans think the US should spend more on "assistance to the poor" ... but call it "welfare" and that number drops to 30%

We need to get used to a world where Portugal and Greece are the leaders in fiscal consolidation and prudent fiscal management and Germany is a laggard. At least France is a beacon of stability, although not in a good way...

One of the most astonishing charts from the energy crisis: a reduction of gas consumption in Europe of over 20% with no perceptible impact on industrial output across most countries.