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Alasdair Smith

@alasdairmsmith.bsky.social

2.4K followers 1K following 460 posts

Trade economist at Sussex (UKTPO and CITP); ex-VC University of Sussex; member of Competition Appeal Tribunal. So I have views on trade, and higher education (also fiscal sustainability, and pensions), but no views on anything to do with competition.

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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 12h

Was indeed an excellent lecture and discussion; also good to talk to you afterwards about the admirable Past, Present, Future podcast and its astonishing host.

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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 1d

And that favouring “research-intensive” universities encourages the cross-subsidy from student fees to research.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 1d

These were caps on numbers at institution level. New proposal seems more micro-managerial: course-level caps , from the party that used to trust the market.

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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 1d

Support good teaching by incentivising research? How to identify research-intensive universities?

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d

'The party would introduce caps on funded courses that consistently “lead to poor graduate outcomes”, allowing it to invest further in the “apprenticeship revolution” it started, it said. Remaining funding will be used to support high-quality courses at research-intensive British universities.' 3/3

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 2d

We’re all looking forward to you meeting Trump in Stockholm.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 7d

Resignation would mean she’d keep her title.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 9d

Goes back to David Ricardo’s analysis of rent. (Same issue arises when individual developers want relaxation of conditions to make their development economic. If they knew relaxation was impossible, they’d have paid less for the site.)

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 9d

This will raise the price of development land and lead to no increase in housebuilding.

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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 11d

If London reduces the ‘affordable’ target, the price of development land will rise and there will be no boost to house building.

Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 11d

London considers lowering affordable homes target to spur house building on.ft.com/3Kn0QH2

London considers lowering affordable homes target to spur house building

Developers complain that 35% goal is too high and makes schemes unviable

on.ft.com

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 12d

Worth noting that Govia Thameslink is not a franchise. It manages a publicly owned service. So the ‘nationalisation’ is a modest change in service delivery.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 19d

But @privateeyenews.bsky.social aficionados will be waiting for Dave’s SParty

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 23d

Is it a paper you wish you had written?

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 23d

There is good guidance for the judiciary, including a warning that questions submitted to an open LLM could be in the public domain (and reveal judicial thinking ahead of a judgment). www.judiciary.uk/guidance-and...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) – Judicial Guidance - Courts and Tribunals Judiciary

You can read the refreshed AI guidance, glossary of terms, and useful help and information

www.judiciary.uk

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 24d

This reassuringly implies his phone believes Sam is more interested in Coke than in coke.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · 29d

open.substack.com/pub/davidaar...

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Sep 5

@dag How common is it for one party to get permission to appeal against the granting of permission to appeal to the other party? Could PA appeal to UKSC if Court of Appeal finds for the Home Office?

Lizzie Dearden @lizziedearden.bsky.social · Sep 5

The government is fighting against Palestine Action's bid for a full judicial review of the decision to ban it as a terrorist group

The Court of Appeal has granted the Home Office permission to appeal the High Court’s grant of permission for the challenge and there will be a hearing on 25 September

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Sep 5

Maybe Dame Priti Patel could be asked for her view on when Rayner could return to government?

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Sep 2

Why do “senior no 10 figures” spend their time briefing this sort of stuff? Doesn’t serve good government but maybe is self-serving?

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer to release new peerage list in attempt to bolster Lords influence

PM hopes list of Labour allies promoted to upper house will rebalance numbers and drive through legislation

www.theguardian.com

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Sep 2

Why do people in the small circle do so much anonymous briefing? If the small circle was focussed on policy rather than briefing, they’d be doing better.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Sep 1

Forget the road-testing of pledges, and spend your energies on effective (not necessarily popular) policies.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Aug 27

Reminds me that 20 years ago planning and transport authorities in Brighton were pretty unresponsive to needs of Sussex University (c 2000 employees) but bent over backwards for B&H Albion football club.

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Aug 27

Perceptions have real effects

www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-insti...

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Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Aug 26

That word always reminds me of George Melly’s Owning Up

Alasdair Smith @alasdairmsmith.bsky.social · Aug 23

Reposted by Alasdair Smith

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Aug 22

Members of my family were tortured and killed in the Holocaust because countries like Britain said it wasn't their problem. Everyone said never again. And here we are. It's sickening beyond belief.

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