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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 1d

True - but as with the origins of GDS and other tech projects guess they have to start somewhere then scale.

Digital ID scheme: explainer

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 1d

Yes!

"The roll-out will in time make it easier to apply for government and private sector services, such as helping renters to quickly prove their identity to landlords, improving access to welfare and other benefits, and making it easier for parents to apply for free childcare."

www.gov.uk

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Reposted by JP Spencer

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 2d

Last month, the government published a new Pride in Place Strategy. I was really struck by the graph below.

There is a very clear and worrying link between incomes and social trust in an area.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 1d

Been very depressed by the reaction to Digital ID - a discussion which has become very polarised, very quickly.

Other countries use it and it helps them to deliver various public services better - so on balance if done right it is likely to be a good thing as argued in the piece below.

LabourList @labourlist.bsky.social · 1d

'Done right, digital ID could restore trust in the state' argues Dan Howl

‘Done right, digital ID could restore trust in the state’ – LabourList

Trust is the lifeblood of any modern democracy, and the foundation of every successful digital system. And so, in the case of Digital ID, Government…

labourlist.org

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 2d

This must be part of a longer term and wider plan to empower places as I argued for in 'Pride and Prosperity' - giving every place the civic power to deliver.

www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/...

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 2d

The government is giving £20m of funding to some of the most disadvantaged areas, underpinned by locally led decisions on what to spend it on, as part of a Pride in Place Programme.

Alongside the powers in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, this can make a big difference.

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 2d

Last month, the government published a new Pride in Place Strategy. I was really struck by the graph below.

There is a very clear and worrying link between incomes and social trust in an area.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

1/3

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Reposted by JP Spencer

History and Heritage Yorkshire @handhyorkshire.bsky.social · 4d

The National Trust is often thought of as stately homes and historic buildings, but much of its work is about protecting landscapes and wildlife. At Marsden Moor in West Yorkshire, for example, the Trust looks after miles of open moorland, home to curlews, mountain hares, and

At Marsden Moor in West Yorkshire, the NationalTrust looks after miles of open moorland, home to curlews, mountain hares, and rare plants.
Marsden Moor, Jim Grady, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 4d

Great news!

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 4d

The shipbuilding boom in Barrow has made Cumbria the second fastest growing part of England in recent years.

Find out more in the short thread below. 👇

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

A few weeks back, I wrote a post on why Greater Manchester is the fastest growing part of England.

Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.

futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...

🧵

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Reposted by JP Spencer

JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

A few weeks back, I wrote a post on why Greater Manchester is the fastest growing part of England.

Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.

futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...

🧵

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

Full post and data available here: futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

Plans to build submarines etc. at Barrow are having a big impact on the Cumbrian economy, providing good jobs and wages. But, if you strip out the shipbuilding subsector then the Cumbrian economy actually shrunk. Specialisation is good, but can it become over-reliance? Views welcome!

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

Looking at employment and GVA growth, a crude measure of productivity, manufacturing is an outlier in total size but also the increase in GVA/employment. The data shows that ‘Manufacture of transport equipment’ is key - increasing in real terms from just under £250m to £1.3bn from 2015 to 2023.

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

Looking now at Cumbria, I replicated some of the analysis for the GM post – but the result was very different. Whereas GM had seen higher GVA growth across all of its top 10 sectors than the UK average, for Cumbria one sector stood out – manufacturing – as it is the only one growing faster.

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

Looking across the North, productivity growth has been mostly above the UK average with some variation between regions. Places with the most established devolution arrangements are all above the UK average - a trend we should continue to monitor.

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 6d

A few weeks back, I wrote a post on why Greater Manchester is the fastest growing part of England.

Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.

futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...

🧵

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Why is Greater Manchester the fastest growing part of the country?

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 7d

View from a delayed train in Manchester’s notorious ‘Castlefield Corridor’ - planned investment in Northern Powerhouse Rail must alleviate this bottleneck for the long term.

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JP Spencer @jpspencer.bsky.social · 11d

GM post here for background if not seen: futurenorth.substack.com/p/why-is-gre...

Finding answers to the productivity puzzle