Richard Brown
@richardbrown.bsky.social
Cities, urban economics, housing, puns, poetry and pop music. Views are mine.
Cyber expert? Pah. Nothing short of a full judge-led public enquiry is called for.
OBR calls in cyber expert over botched release of Budget analysis
OBR calls in cyber expert over botched release of Budget analysis
Rachel Reeves's statement was thrown into chaos after journalists were able to access the document early.
www.bbc.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:46 AM
Cyber expert? Pah. Nothing short of a full judge-led public enquiry is called for.
Reposted by Richard Brown
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Today's migration stats illustrate the migration doom loop in action...
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
(from my presentation at the IMF last week)
Radio4 Today talking about the 'post-literate society' and 'close reading', using 'This Is Just To Say' as a text. I get the corrosive impact of social media, but I didn't know that poem before it became a meme.
November 27, 2025 at 7:47 AM
Radio4 Today talking about the 'post-literate society' and 'close reading', using 'This Is Just To Say' as a text. I get the corrosive impact of social media, but I didn't know that poem before it became a meme.
Oh dear.
"It will certainly take political courage to stick to these plans."
@ruthcurtice.bsky.social has everything you need to know about the Budget, in two minutes ⏰ ⤵️
@ruthcurtice.bsky.social has everything you need to know about the Budget, in two minutes ⏰ ⤵️
November 26, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Oh dear.
Reposted by Richard Brown
The second problem with this — after the fact that it will bankrupt a bunch of institutions — is that the government doesn’t seem to know if it wants to a) raise lots of money from intentional students or b) discourage universities from relying on international students. You can’t have both!!
These are HEPI estimates of the 20 institutions affected: I think this illustrates the impact if the tariff is absorbed in full by institutions.
What share of the 6% tariff different universities may try to pass on to fees - or the impact might be on demand if they did - is not publicly known.
What share of the 6% tariff different universities may try to pass on to fees - or the impact might be on demand if they did - is not publicly known.
November 24, 2025 at 11:06 AM
The second problem with this — after the fact that it will bankrupt a bunch of institutions — is that the government doesn’t seem to know if it wants to a) raise lots of money from intentional students or b) discourage universities from relying on international students. You can’t have both!!
If this combines with other crackdowns on education exports (eg, stricter visas and shorter graduate visas) to send international students away, then we will lose skills, tax revenue and possibly businesses, as explored in this London Higher report from last week. londonhigher.ac.uk/resource/glo...
November 24, 2025 at 7:27 AM
If this combines with other crackdowns on education exports (eg, stricter visas and shorter graduate visas) to send international students away, then we will lose skills, tax revenue and possibly businesses, as explored in this London Higher report from last week. londonhigher.ac.uk/resource/glo...
"A machine for booking Ubers". Would that be a mobile phone?
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
November 23, 2025 at 10:27 AM
"A machine for booking Ubers". Would that be a mobile phone?
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Rod Liddle's terrible experience of London seems almost unreal.
Wide range of views on the Covid report on R4 Any Answers. From 'hindsight is a wonderful thing, they did their best', to 'they should be ashamed', to 'lockdown was unnecessary', to '23,000 is made up', to 'why are we wasting all this money on enquiries'. Much more diverse and nuanced than media.
November 22, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Wide range of views on the Covid report on R4 Any Answers. From 'hindsight is a wonderful thing, they did their best', to 'they should be ashamed', to 'lockdown was unnecessary', to '23,000 is made up', to 'why are we wasting all this money on enquiries'. Much more diverse and nuanced than media.
Fading trails seen from Wimbledon Common this morning.
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
Fading trails seen from Wimbledon Common this morning.
Reposted by Richard Brown
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
November 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
November 16, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Very suspicious 'Lunch with the FT' with former head of MI6 Richard Moore this week. On the cover, he's wearing a poppy badge. Inside, he's not.
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
Does he have a double? Is the poppy a 'Moscow Rules' distress code? Did the lunch even happen?
The heart of darkness that is the Sunday Times landlord advice column.
November 15, 2025 at 1:55 PM
The heart of darkness that is the Sunday Times landlord advice column.
Europeans shouldn't say mean things about the USA, says Noah Smith. www.noahpinion.blog/p/eurocope
November 14, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Europeans shouldn't say mean things about the USA, says Noah Smith. www.noahpinion.blog/p/eurocope
Looking forward to presenting London Higher research on employers' attitudes to the value offered by international graduates at their 'London as a global magnet for talent' conference next Wednesday. Sign up at link.
londonhigher.ac.uk/event/intern...
londonhigher.ac.uk/event/intern...
International conference: London as a global magnet for talent - London Higher
We are the voice of the higher education sector in London
londonhigher.ac.uk
November 14, 2025 at 10:45 AM
Looking forward to presenting London Higher research on employers' attitudes to the value offered by international graduates at their 'London as a global magnet for talent' conference next Wednesday. Sign up at link.
londonhigher.ac.uk/event/intern...
londonhigher.ac.uk/event/intern...
Reposted by Richard Brown
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
November 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
@greyskiesthinking.bsky.social I'm arguing with someone about the recent rise in UC claimants with no work requirements, which I am arguing is at least partly down to migration from legacy benefits. Do you know if there's a way of quantifying that/separating from new claims? Grateful for any help!
November 14, 2025 at 8:49 AM
@greyskiesthinking.bsky.social I'm arguing with someone about the recent rise in UC claimants with no work requirements, which I am arguing is at least partly down to migration from legacy benefits. Do you know if there's a way of quantifying that/separating from new claims? Grateful for any help!
I love the way that Bluesky abbreviates threads, so you can play a game of "How to get from employee benefits to domestic floorspace, in four moves or less?"
November 13, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I love the way that Bluesky abbreviates threads, so you can play a game of "How to get from employee benefits to domestic floorspace, in four moves or less?"
Starmer, Reeves, BBC, Epstein, Trump, Andrew, Starmer, Reeves, BBC, Epstein, Trump, Andrew... Sometimes I feel like a pinball flipping between news bumpers.
November 13, 2025 at 8:18 AM
Starmer, Reeves, BBC, Epstein, Trump, Andrew, Starmer, Reeves, BBC, Epstein, Trump, Andrew... Sometimes I feel like a pinball flipping between news bumpers.
The nuclear standoff of the late Cold War was perhaps a psychological event as much as a geopolitical one. Few physical traces remain, but the cynical and fatalistic spirit of the age can be detected in the irradiated dystopias of the early 1980s pop charts. richardfjbrown.co.uk/2025/11/11/g...
Glad it’s all over
A recent piece by the FT’s Gideon Rachman, on the re-awakening of the nuclear ams race, sent me back to the early 1980s, when the threat of nuclear war stalked the pop charts, even as unseen …
richardfjbrown.co.uk
November 12, 2025 at 5:12 PM
The nuclear standoff of the late Cold War was perhaps a psychological event as much as a geopolitical one. Few physical traces remain, but the cynical and fatalistic spirit of the age can be detected in the irradiated dystopias of the early 1980s pop charts. richardfjbrown.co.uk/2025/11/11/g...
Reposted by Richard Brown
"What I think Blue Labour believe is that Labour voters in the marginal Red Wall district have fundamentally different views on social (and maybe economic) issues than Labour voters in safe London seats. They don’t."
open.substack.com/pub/benansel...
open.substack.com/pub/benansel...
Labour at the Margin...
...of survival
open.substack.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:01 PM
"What I think Blue Labour believe is that Labour voters in the marginal Red Wall district have fundamentally different views on social (and maybe economic) issues than Labour voters in safe London seats. They don’t."
open.substack.com/pub/benansel...
open.substack.com/pub/benansel...
There are very few physical relics of the Cold War nuclear standoff. The silos and bunkers are often isolated and off limits. But a sense of dread is pervades early 1980s popular culture, reflecting the psychological impact of a war that never quite was. richardfjbrown.co.uk/2025/11/11/g...
Glad it’s all over
A recent piece by the FT’s Gideon Rachman, on the re-awakening of the nuclear ams race, sent me back to the early 1980s, when the threat of nuclear war stalked the pop charts, even as unseen …
richardfjbrown.co.uk
November 11, 2025 at 5:44 PM
There are very few physical relics of the Cold War nuclear standoff. The silos and bunkers are often isolated and off limits. But a sense of dread is pervades early 1980s popular culture, reflecting the psychological impact of a war that never quite was. richardfjbrown.co.uk/2025/11/11/g...
...especially since it essentially looks like the same design, dusted down and stretched a bit to fit.
November 11, 2025 at 8:54 AM
...especially since it essentially looks like the same design, dusted down and stretched a bit to fit.
Reposted by Richard Brown
The improvement in the employment rate of non-EU migrants to the UK over the past 15 years is remarkable, especially since the pandemic.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
November 11, 2025 at 8:09 AM
The improvement in the employment rate of non-EU migrants to the UK over the past 15 years is remarkable, especially since the pandemic.
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
www.ons.gov.uk/employmentan...
My understanding of the BBC scandal is not helped by repeatedly confusing Robbie Gibb with the late Robin Gibb.
November 11, 2025 at 7:38 AM
My understanding of the BBC scandal is not helped by repeatedly confusing Robbie Gibb with the late Robin Gibb.
Reading this @gideonrachman.bsky.social piece, I am reminded that Nena's '99 Luftballons' described the type of accidental incident that almost triggered nuclear war in Operation Able Archer (referred to here) a couple of months later. www.ft.com/content/3c30...
November 10, 2025 at 7:21 PM
Reading this @gideonrachman.bsky.social piece, I am reminded that Nena's '99 Luftballons' described the type of accidental incident that almost triggered nuclear war in Operation Able Archer (referred to here) a couple of months later. www.ft.com/content/3c30...