The most amazing thing about the Dom Cummings takes is how **old** they are. How commonplace. Establish a No 10 command and control center. Right-ee-ho, Lloyd George.
Gets some experts in, real cutting edge maverick stuff. Hey, Harold Macmillan! How ya going with that weird Keynes stuff? Yo, Herbert Asquith, how's yer man Beveridge getting on at the Board of Trade?
We need programme review and analysis! We need computers! Yeah, Mr Heath! How's Rothschild doing in the Think Tank?
We need stats! We need multiple non-linear regression and disruptive rules! We need non-civil servants on committees! We need an insurgent economics department! Have you met Mr Harold Wilson? Have you read about his stats reform committee of the Cabinet?
I mean, 🙄🥱
*Checks for incriminating lockdown photos*.
Pretty sure this isn't me. /END
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I thought that I would write quite a long thread on why strike ballot turnout looks fairly low in many universities - something which may puzzle outsiders, and some colleagues. This in lieu of an article, since I've got four Zoom calls coming up. 1/? /THREAD
1/ First and foremost, this is not unusual, but in fact the norm. Organising academics is indeed like herding cats - they are often highly individualistic Rule Governed Achievers... 2/?
1/ (Cont.) Who sit in that uncomfortable professional place - a bit like GPs - which says 'am I am employee, or am I a self-organising, self-employed sole actor?' Days spent in the office can be far fewer than those on their own - it's not conductive to collective action. 3/?
I have become extremely concerned about the pro-M*ller letter circulating among academics, which let's be clear does *not* defend him on free speech grounds but suggests agreement with his views (see below).
It has become clear over the last 18 months or so that British HE may be irretrievably broken. I'm not sure how this relates - these unacceptable views have always been there - but the narrowing of the talent pool may play a role in propagating this level of junk work.
Two things I've been thinking: (1) this is how the posion spreads out, via perhaps naive or well-meaning staff who think they are defending academic freedom. People are drawn in who wouldn't normally have dreamt of it.
Did a lot of writing this year. What were my highlights? Here are six: (1) January. What should #Labour do after a humiliating election defeat? TL:DR, sort themselves out, they get taxpayers' money for this and they're a rabble: publicpolicypast.blogspot.com/2020/01/
I'd just like to place on record that #NoDealBrexit is just about the worst *political* idea I've ever heard. In the 1000% unlikely event I was advising the PM, I would be extremely strongly against.
It's the classic Weak Man's Strong Man decision, like Steve McClaren dropping David Beckham. Sugar rush of the call, then all your problems get much worse.
It supercharges your opponents, allows Labour all the political landscape, is a *vast* gift to the SNP, revives the Lib Dems - all at a stroke.
Astounding to see how #Labour has acted in three prejudicial ways that challenge law: 1. Timing. Many cases take *years*. One day if you're privileged. 2. Case subject. This case clearly about #antisemitism, even if technically not. One rule *again* on this, another elsewhere.
3. Treatment. This a bit more arguable, but there are signs of backroom dealing.
They have just been found to have *broken the law* *multiple times* on all these fronts. Yet they do it again!
These people are just total amateurs with no understanding of how even a medium-sized public body or private company would act in three circumstances. Just burning through reputation, credit and cash. Hopeless.
It's hard to get the tone right on this, but let's remind ourselves of why #Corbyn is having to go: he was a complete disgrace from start to finish. /THREAD
First and foremost, he made #Labour a frightening and unsafe place for Jews. He was so arrogant he invented a new meaning for the word 'Zionist' and then divided Jews into good and bad. Sinister and frightening.
He turned Labour into a site of hatred, threats and misogyny. His staff covered up and lied, and then covered up and lied some more.