Holger Nehring | Lightnews

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4h

There's probably some other stuff going on, and he doesn't want to do this to himself.

This whole debate has only marginally, if at all, been about the leak.

Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 4h

More fuel for the ‘some top jobs are becomg impossible’ to do. Yes the leak was bad and dumb and embarrassing! But on the whole i think resign when you have demonstrably hurt someone/failed in a core duty. Nobody died of ‘having an URL people can guess’ www.theguardian.com/business/202...

OBR chair quits after inquiry into early release of Reeves’s budget

Richard Hughes departs after investigation into how official forecaster accidentally published budget 40 minutes early

www.theguardian.com

Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 4h

More fuel for the ‘some top jobs are becomg impossible’ to do. Yes the leak was bad and dumb and embarrassing! But on the whole i think resign when you have demonstrably hurt someone/failed in a core duty. Nobody died of ‘having an URL people can guess’ www.theguardian.com/business/202...

OBR chair quits after inquiry into early release of Reeves’s budget

Richard Hughes departs after investigation into how official forecaster accidentally published budget 40 minutes early

www.theguardian.com

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 5h

Yeah. If there is a read across at all it's: 'They had to prioritise their forecasting function to such an extent that they had to neglect IT/ website.'

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 5h

'The report shows the importance of...interventions that address the root causes of poverty’s impact on child health, & the critical role of services that support families and schools, including health visiting and school nursing. However, experts noted concerning declines in these vital services.'

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 5h

As the Government prepares to publish its child poverty strategy a joint @acmedsci.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social roundtable report on the factors affecting educational performance shows tackling poverty should be a priority
acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/de...

‘Devastating’ health impacts of child poverty require action, Academy urges

acmedsci.ac.uk

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 5h

As the Government prepares to publish its child poverty strategy a joint @acmedsci.bsky.social @britishacademy.bsky.social roundtable report on the factors affecting educational performance shows tackling poverty should be a priority
acmedsci.ac.uk/more/news/de...

‘Devastating’ health impacts of child poverty require action, Academy urges

acmedsci.ac.uk

Wolfram Lacher @wlacher.bsky.social · 7h

Highly recommend this excellent new report by @emadbadi.bsky.social on the UAE's supply lines to the RSF via Libya and Chad to ayone interested in the regional conflict complex in which the war in Sudan is enmeshed, and in the networks serving UAE interests.
globalinitiative.net/analysis/imp...

Collateral circuits: The impact of the Sudan's war on arms markets and mercenary networks in Chad and Libya

The war in Sudan has transformed far more than its own frontlines. It has reshaped the security economies of its neighbours, activating new supply nodes and embedding weapons and combatants into cross...

globalinitiative.net

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 8h

At its core, I don't think you can do the political stuff well if you don't understand that a) £4bn of 'headroom' is no headroom at all and b) that as it stands Reeves' spending plans mean a whole world of pain for the government in 2027-9.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 1d

The letter writer in this case gently chides the author of the article for being 'forgivably incorrect'...

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 1d

I see there are some keen LRB letter readers on here...cf. Benjamin Letztler's letter in the 4 December 2025 issue.

prbeckman @prbeckman.bsky.social · 2d

Tom Stoppard, one of my favorite writers, has died. My mom took me to see the Real Inspector Hound when I was in junior high school and I was hooked. www.theguardian.com/stage/2025/n...

Tom Stoppard, playwright of dazzling wit and playful erudition, dies aged 88

A theatrical sensation since the 1960s, whose dramas included Arcadia, The Real Thing and Leopoldstadt, Stoppard also had huge success as a screenwriter

www.theguardian.com

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 3d

And I think this is where the problem is. You don't have to give intellectual speeches - few people would listen or engage. But you have to be able to think your way through to your positions and policies. Which Blair did.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 3d

Doesn't the UK taxpayer do similar things already?...E.g. datacentres as alleged drivers of regional growth; regional airports as alleged drivers for regional growth when they have already been shown not to be profitable (Doncaster)...and the public money does not necessarily stay in the UK.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 3d

I did.

timoconnorbl.bsky.social @timoconnorbl.bsky.social · 3d

Pretty much anything wild boar is amazing.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 3d

I think we know what the wrong answer was. The country the UK needs to pay much more attention to is Switzerland - obvs a very different economy in some ways & different issues, but similar challenges on all levels. UK can see there what works and what doesn't.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 3d

The UK position seems to have been to offer to pay 50p when the ask is 1000 pounds or more. Whoever is responsible for that UK negotiation strategy should be fired, especially, as you rightly say, agreement should be possible.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 3d

Got told by a GP today 'Trust me, you must have neck pain based on what you say'.

The problem is I really don't.

So, what am I to conclude with regard to my trust in the ability of said GP? [Rhetorical question].

Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 4d

Your universe is a photocopy of a photocopy of a…
on.ft.com/4ahkNKa

Al-generated content has surpassed human-written articles
Graph

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4d

Ein sehr großer Verlust für die ARD...aber sehr schön, dass Sie in London bleiben.

Katrina Navickas @katrinanavickas.bsky.social · 4d

I was teaching the history of racial discrimination in housing in Britain 1958-1981 to my wonderful cohort of 3rd year undergraduates.
I showed them an example of the "no Irish, no Blacks, no Dogs" sign, and got the genuine question of why anti- Irish sentiment existed in 20thC Britain.

Dan Kaszeta FRHistS @dankaszeta.bsky.social · 4d

Lots of British racists don’t really consider Eastern Europeans to be white. If you go back a ways in UK history you get people considering Irish as not quite white

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 4d

Another very large decline in net migration in today's ONS figures, with immigration falling and emigration rising. I'm sure this will get just as much media and political coverage as the earlier sharp rises, right? www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

Long-term international migration, provisional - Office for National Statistics

Estimates of UK long-term international migration, year ending June 2012 to year ending December 2024.

www.ons.gov.uk

John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

So it's really just a 'best guess', and explains why the OBR thinks the government has about a 60% chance of meeting its fiscal rules. It's all very knife-edge, and it would have been more prudent to be make more reforms, however politically difficult.

obr.uk/briefing-pap...

Briefing paper No.9: Forecasting productivity - Office for Budget Responsibility

obr.uk

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4d

Sorry...should have read the rest of your thread...you say as much there.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4d

But it wasn't only about modified vehicles. It's basically about using the mobility allowance to lease a car. I am still puzzled by this new policy, though: removing Audis etc does not change the fact that people who need it still get the mobility allowance. So what's the point of the new policy?

John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 4d

The most interesting OBR paper yesterday was the one that didn't leak - the justification for their productivity downgrade. There's a very important assumption in it that could make or break the government.

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4d

'The ship is heading towards an iceberg: let’s not do anything drastic like change course. That wasn’t Rachel Reeves’ explicit message in the Budget but it might as well have been.'

Some great analysis here.

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 5d

The second year of magical thinking: this evening's newsletter on the Budget:

Rachel Reeves doubles down on wishful thinking

A government that can’t make tough choices now is unlikely to do so on the eve of an election

www.ft.com

Holger Nehring @holgernehring.bsky.social · 4d

This is important.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 5d

Threshold for repaying student loans to converge with minimum wage on.ft.com/3M2AYkD

Threshold for repaying student loans to converge with minimum wage

Surprise move from chancellor means some university graduates in England may have to pay back debts sooner

on.ft.com

Elle @centristmum.bsky.social · 5d

I hadn't thought of this aspect of why the salary sacrifice change is insane... Imagine thinking it's a good idea to have bigger disincentives for ordinary people saving for retirement than for high income people saving for retirement. It's obviously a terrible idea!