UK business leaders have become so fed-up with our skills system that they’re now refusing even to discuss it. Asked what the priorities for skills reform should be over the next five years at one of the recent party conferences, one prominent business leader rolled his eyes and replied with a sigh, ‘I’m not interested in talking about that, it’s boring. What’s the point?’

Seriously – one prominent business leader saying “boooriing” equates to “UK business leaders have become so fed up with our skills system [our what, by the way?] that they’re refusing to discuss it”? The quality of analysis in these “Centre for Cities” posts hasn’t got any better, has it? Isn’t analysis and argument what think tanks are supposed to be good at? Sheesh.

I was not aware that we had a “skills system”. More like an expensive alphabet soup.