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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

A real challenge for the sector. We need to change our approach. Call me old-fashioned, can we revive the practice of examining students orally more regularly, either in mini-viva's, or through formal presentations (also a "skill", don't Pro-Vice-Chancellors love those ... )? #University #AI

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Rather than offer up anything tangible, let's just praise a Leader who delivered a catastrophic result, and make a generic call for motherhood and apple pie. Oh dear. Not a very cunning plan, I'd say. #ScottishLabour www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

scotsman.com

Scottish Labour needs a new leader with the X factor - Barrie Cunning

Vague soundbites and a nod to a populist agenda that is steeped in ideology and classism will simply not cut it

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Reposted by Dan Kenealy

New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Outdated fiscal accounting rules are holding back urgently needed investment. Our Senior Economist @jayasood.bsky.social explains ✍️👇 neweconomics.org/2026/08/brit...

neweconomics.org

Britain's state investment institutions can't compete with Europe's

Outdated fiscal accounting is holding us back

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Reposted by Dan Kenealy

Michael Warburton @michaelwarburton.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

ITALIANAMERICAN (1974) is a 49min documentary Film by MARTIN SCORSESE with & about his parents — Catherine & Charles — at their Little Italy flat in New York. It’s a joy.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Happy birthday Robert De Niro, one of the all time greats and one of my favourite #film actors. First saw him as Capone in "The Untouchables" (one of my favourites as a kid). Didn't know how much more there was to discover. For me, his Hall of Fame looks like this:

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

Nice piece of analysis by John Burn-Murdoch at the FT. It will take more than shifting the discourse/narrative about vocational vs. academic training. It will take a more productive economy with better job prospects across the board. www.ft.com/content/1c4a...

ft.com

To fix education, fix the economy first

Weak educational outcomes often owe more to economic performance than education policy

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Reposted by Dan Kenealy

Centre for Cities @centreforcities.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

🎙️ Big devolution announcements We discuss the document published by the Cabinet last Friday, break down some of the key changes coming down the line for devolved powers and what they mean for people in their places. Listen in full 🎧👇 www.centreforcities.org/podcast/city...

centreforcities.org

City Talks: Big devolution announcements - Centre for Cities

Ant Breach is joined by Jess Tulasiewicz and Oscar Selby to discuss the big devolution announcements that came last Friday.

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Reposted by Dan Kenealy

doc shartman @docshartman.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

[under breath] holy fuckin shit

Cinemagic theatre with three movies on the marquee: starship troopers, mars attacks and tremors

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Reposted by Dan Kenealy

New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

In her latest blog, @jayasood.bsky.social writes about the changes we need - including: - More coordination between the Bank of England and Treasury - A national wealth fund that takes equity stakes - Replacing rigid fiscal rules with a fiscal committee neweconomics.org/2026/07/burn...

neweconomics.org

Burnham's economic transformation rests on changing our fiscal and monetary framework

Cost-of-living policies are all well and good, but they won't lead to structural change

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Would be nice to see government elevate universities up the policy agenda, given the vital role they play as anchor institutions for local economies and that we have many globally leading institutions. I hoped for a dedicated minister in DBIST to reboot this policy space. www.ft.com/content/e14d...

ft.com

Labour has harmed universities as much as Trump, London School of Economics head says

LSE vice-chancellor Larry Kramer points to domestic student fees freeze, international student limits and rise in employers’ national insurance

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Interesting little piece of career analysis about UK Chancellors of the Exchequer, from @lseblogs.bsky.social. And one might ask whether the academically economically "qualified" Chancellors - Lamont and Reeves - would come towards the bottom of any rankings? blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

blogs.lse.ac.uk

After Reeves, Healey reverts to Chancellor type | LSE British Politics

Economics expertise is the exception to the rule for a UK Chancellor. But Chancellors, like John Healey, usually come with experience in the Treasury.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Many big Qs remain, including: 1. What equalisation mechanisms will be developed to ensure some broad parity between areas; 2. How will the English devolution "map" be completed, and how might that connect to a future Senate in place of the Lords; 3. What, if any, new powers for devolved nations?

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Let's wait for the full announcement. But a smaller, more strategic "centre" in Whitehall, that does fewer but bigger things, alongside empowered and properly funded local/regional governments is something many people have been willing for a long time. #Devolution www.ft.com/content/160a...

ft.com

Andy Burnham to give English mayors share of income tax from 2028

New prime minister accelerates former chancellor Rachel Reeves’ efforts to move power away from Westminster

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

An interesting piece that perhaps misses the crucial point - the demonstrable flaws of our current political and economic structures require an answer that comes from a different part of the political spectrum this time, compared to 1979. #UKPolitics #Burnham #Devolution www.ft.com/content/5fa1...

ft.com

There is no modern-day Maggie to save Britain from Burnhamism

The right hopes that Labour’s new leader will fail, but who exactly is going to step in and shake things up?

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Agreed. In 90 seconds there's a policy agenda and one that might just, developed properly and in a focused way, create a different narrative about economic and political power in Scotland and how that affects public service delivery. #JoeFagan #ScottishLabour

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

As another reorganisation of the business-trade-science-technology-digital space goes through, it'll be interesting to see who is appointed to minister of state roles. I would like to see a strong, high-level minister for universities, science and innovation, predominantly based in DBIST.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

4. The biggest question of all - what will Pete Hegseth make of Wes Streeting?

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

3. After all this talk of constitutional reform (replacing the Lords with a Senate of the Nations and Regions, a move towards PR), how is the Prime Minister going to get that ball rolling? I hoped to see a Cabinet-level minister given a big "Minister for Constitutional Reform" task. But, no.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

2. Is Miliband going to be a "David Cameron"-esque foreign secretary? If so, what are the priorities? Will foreign policy be an external projection of what Burnham wants the UK's domestic strengths to be (renewables, innovation, finance) plus development and strong international institutions?

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

An interesting set of Cabinet appointments from #AndyBurnham but some big questions I have - 1. Where is the political leadership for Number 10 North and how will it interface with the Ministry for Housing & Local Government?

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Miatta Fahnbulleh as Paymaster General; Angela Smith stays as Leader of the Lords; Anna Turley for Chief Whip; Sally Jameson as Party Chair; Nick Thomas-Symonds as Leader of the Commons (and Constitutional Reform); Torsten Bell as Chief Treasury Secretary; Sarah Sackman as Attorney General.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

Wes Streeting to Defence. Heidi Alexander stays at Transport. Dan Jarvis moves to Energy. Lucy Rigby to Justice. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to Michael Shanks, Stephen Doughty, and Angela Eagle. That leaves Culture (Anneliese Midgley maybe); Environment (no idea ...); and the odds and ends

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

The big domestic delivery ministries might see some chopping and changing. My guess is something like this: Lisa Nandy promoted to Education; Angela Rayner back into Housing; Bridget Phillipson to Work & Pensions; Jonathan Reynolds to a rebranded Trade & Industry ministry, including science/tech.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

That leaves the Home Office as the big question mark at the top of government. So many names circulating for this (Rayner, Streeting, Phillipson) but I'm going to pick John Healey. That means Rachel Reeves and Yvette Cooper probably have to go as the demotions would be too much to accept probably.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

As deputy leader, there's no obvious reason not to make Lucy Powell Deputy PM as well, the question then being what department she gets (could be Health, Education or Housing). Let's say Health as it's unlikely James Murray sticks around in the Cabinet. And Louise Haigh gets the Cabinet Office.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

With Shabana Mahmood seemingly the pick for Chancellor (and her economic views might be more aligned with Burnham than people think), Ed Miliband will surely be offered the Foreign Office and given the task to make the UK a global leader in energy, renewables and development (again) ...

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

I love a bit of #Cabinet #Reshuffle speculation, and not just for the political gossip. If policy matters, so does personnel and process (machinery of government, etc.). So as #AndyBurnham prepares to step into Downing Street tomorrow, my guesses for his Cabinet -

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

As this great graphic from the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk shows, there has been a lot of reorganisation, especially since 2007. The less said about the ill-fated effort to create PENIS (Productivity, ENergy and Industry Secretary) in 2005 the better. #Whitehall #Cabinet #Reshuffle

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Interesting and balanced piece by Salford Uni Professor Philip Brown in @uk.theconversation.com. The ability of political leaders to develop, articulate, and steer a clear policy framework is really important. #AndyBurnham theconversation.com/andy-burnham...

theconversation.com

Andy Burnham promised to change Greater Manchester. Almost ten years on, how did he do?

Just weeks before he was elected as Greater Manchester’s first metro-mayor in 2017, I interviewed Andy Burnham for The Conversation.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Appoint a joint Financial Secretary-Paymaster General across Treasury and Cabinet Office to push the growth and productivity agenda on an equal footing with the more traditional accounting function held by the Cabinet-rank Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Sounds like a job for Miatta Fahnbulleh.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

I agree with those, including #AndyBurnham, who think a full-on break-up of the UK Treasury would be a distraction right now. The #PrimeMinister should remember the title that is actually on the 10 Downing Street letterbox - "First Lord of the Treasury".

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

"No wonder crucial capital investments have too often been deprioritised simply because their long-term returns do not fit easily within a rigid, shorter-term fiscal window." Balanced assessment in today's FT from Mohamed El-Erian.

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

"... reducing national policy to short-term spreadsheets can too easily obfuscate the need for a broader, dynamic vision of the economy that drives productivity and growth." www.ft.com/content/b2be...

ft.com

The lessons Burnham must heed on the economy

Policy must go beyond mere announcements and budget arithmetic

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Dan Kenealy @dankenealy.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Here's hoping the incoming #PrimeMinister doesn't have a moment like this over the weekend. #Burnham #Number10

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