Here is the main thing I reflect on the A-level marking debacle - this years students had their marks predominantly set by an algorithm.

"The computer says" and you receive.

And I fear it says something about our politics for too long - we're putting numbers ahead of people. https://twitter.com/Frances_Coppola/status/1294553970816552961

I can also see a "numbers before people" approach in the recently unveiled planning reforms. Building for targets, never mind the quality or what people think of the buildings.

But the approach dates back to some years before this current government.

"Numbers before people" perhaps dates back to the latter years of Blair / Brown governments, when public service reform seemed to be all about managerialism, with little thought to individuals. Covered up at that time with a lot more spending.

Now we are apparently going to transform the government with more data scientists and moving civil servants out of London. I'm missing how that will help people get their GP appointments, or fix problems with housing or anti-social behaviour or whatever.

Not that I heard any of this from Labour in the 2019 election either - too much nationalisation and spending money, not very much about people's lives either. And I don't think I'm hearing a lot about it from them now either.

Powerlessness and frustration makes a breeding ground for populism. But I don't see a political response. This isn't primarily about the policies or the response to crises, but the principles and vision behind them. What is it?

Finish with my own subject, trade. We can laugh at the UK putting a Japanese trade deal at risk over stilton, but at least that's something real, better than trade deals without purpose. Trade deal have to reflect domestic priorities. Hard if we don't know what they are. /end