Delighted to have received the MRS President’s Medal for our State of Us report on community cohesion and the impacts of the riots. It’s been a pleasure & a privilege to have worked together with @heather-rolfe.bsky.social @jillyrutter.bsky.social & our friends at @belongnetwork.bsky.social on this

I'm not sure a squeezed middle isn't an almost inevitable consequence of demographics. There are 13 million pensioners in the UK. Compared to 25 million full time workers. Do the maths, it won't be pretty however you cut it.

"If the government is to have any hope of getting itself back into the driver’s seat of our political moment, of getting its future back, it must start arguing in terms of a bold and coherent vision for the future." @mbarnfield.bsky.social on the budget and the government's empty long-termism

It is good to see cross-party challenge to overt racism in British political and media discourse: Labour MP Sarah Owen, who chairs the women & equalities select committee, challenges the racist claim from GB News contributor Lucy White that Deputy Speaker Nus Ghani should be barred from parliament

An update on this: today's More in Common has no change in Reform score. That fits with this trend as the five most recent More in Common results for Reform have been: 33 (oldest) 31 31 30 30 (newest)

The government’s decision to halve the time limit for refugees to leave Home Office accommodation is driving people into homelessness and exploitation, according to migrant rights campaigners and homelessness charities By me, for @theleaduk.bsky.social national.thelead.uk/p/new-asylum...

“By rushing through these draconian immigration reforms now – at precisely the same moment the Government proclaims it is investing to end homelessness – we know the very opposite will happen: more people at risk of destitution and even sleeping on the streets." @josephinewy.bsky.social

I wrote for @indyvoices.bsky.social about whether competing to win the "least welcoming nation" league is either desirable or possible for Britain www.independent.co.uk/voices/uk-as...

I am surprised about Facebook (relatively high) and Whatsapp (relatively low), but this might be US-specific. I use YouTube, Instagram (passively), Whatsapp, Bluesky. bsky.app/profile/conr...

Mahmood/government should say explain *objective* of increasing time to settlement for 15 years for care workers who arrived 2022-24 Is it A) to get them to leave? Why? B) to save money? Then why not just restrict benefits? C) to "encourage integration"? How? Will do opposite.

In a future leadership contest Labour MPs + members will need to value candidates ability at attentional politics. The way it'll be covered will put more emphasis on broadcast ability and what the lobby think/deems acceptable. Not that these are totally unimportant but certainly less so than before.

Labour MP and former minister @jimmcmahon.co.uk responds to my story about Labour MPs calling for a minister-led review of the government’s use of X

This is one of the changes in the UK media landscape that should be more remarked on: the fact that being a very open, proud, outright racist is no longer a bar to being a pundit on some TV stations (in this case GBN and Talk TV).

Antisemitism Trust report dramatic spike in antisemitic on X. Some racist speech is extreme but lawful, CCDH says X defending unlawful antisemitic abuse it is obliged to remove. MPs want Ofcom to assess if X is breaching its legal duties. (Spoiler alert: it is) www.politicshome.com/news/article...

"Nigel Farage has been paid over £330,000 by GB News in the last year alone. Farage is deep in the pockets of a company that aims to replace the BBC". Punchy video from @eddavey.libdems.org.uk.

LETS BRLT GREAB!

Nice and clear explainer from the ONS on the changes made to their migration methods today: blog.ons.gov.uk/2025/11/18/u...

I'm reading through the white paper or whatever it is. RESTORING ORDER AND CONTROL: A statement on the government’s asylum and returns policy www.gov.uk/government/p...

The share of the public who say they feel proud of their country has dipped below a majority, falling from 56% to 46% in the last five years. National pride is now lowest among 16-24s at 29% (down 18 points) and ethnic minorities at 38% (down 16 points) ➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/news/uks-sen...

Channel 4 news: will a tougher stance fix the UK's asylum system? I think the question is what would work to gain control, maintain compassion & rebuild public confidence www.channel4.com/news/debate-...

The Prime Minister said in September that we are at a fork in the road. These asylum proposals suggest we have taken the wrong turning. The idea that recognised refugees need to be deported is wrong. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Progressives urgently needs a more united effort to regulate + detoxify social media. Days like today really highlight the tilted playing field we are working on trying to tug the Overton window on platforms that will only amplify the extremes

Asylum seekers who can work are also then expected to make significant payments for their hotel accomm, usually far greater than most can afford on minimum wage. The ability to work is really only viable for those who have family/friends to house them

In the end, we no longer operate in a marketplace of ideas. Platforms run a marketplace of feeling, where attention, not evidence, decides what rises. Emotional charge beats truth every time. Politics adapts to that logic, producing hollow performances instead of functional decisions.

Governments and voters are both reacting to algorithm-shaped “public opinion,” not grounded priorities. Immigration feels urgent because platforms amplify fear, pulling parties into hollow performances of toughness. The far right reads that drift as confirmation it’s winning.

If you want more significant numbers of asylum seekers to work and find their own housing, rather than rely on statutory asylum provision, then you presumably need to…allow them to work? What am I missing

Labour MPs should join the Lib Dems... “It’s economically and culturally illiterate,” one said. “Are we really going to take the wedding rings of victims of trafficking, tell Ukrainians they can never put down roots?” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

If the UK is on the brink of civil war, as Musk claims, it follows that in 300 years time there will be be a new generation of civil war re-enactment societies. "Geoff,you defend Laurence Fox. Can you guys shout outside a hostel. Brian, i need you to relentlessly slag off Nish Kumar on Facebook."

🔉What dangers does X pose to our democracy? And should the government stop using it? Good to hear yesterday from @sundersays.bsky.social and @petergeoghegan.bsky.social on the immense risk of X as it ignores legal obligations and its owner tries to influence UK politics. @commonswec.parliament.uk

Unclear why Islamophobia is not mentioned in Liz Kendall's letter to Ofcom today - which has a section on (obviously abhorrent) antisemitism. Anti-Muslim hate is absolutely rife on platforms like X and Facebook today, and is not being dealt with. Afraid of riling Reform? www.gov.uk/government/p...

EVENT, THURSDAY 27 NOVEMBER 12-1pm: New Net Migration Figures - What Next for Policy and Politics? Join our expert panel, on the day that new net migration figures are released, to discuss how they will shape the politics and policy of immigration. Register here: www.eventbrite.com/e/new-net-mi...

Ireland's media regulator has launched an investigation into X It has good reasons to suspect X is not meeting its legal obligations to run a legally compliant complaints system in Ireland. It is not giving users who report unlawful content the chance to appeal www.cnam.ie/coimisiun-na...

Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments: One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.

A vigorous call to arms from @pollytoynbee.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A national newspaper journalist went on a British TV channel to claim police stats showed asylum-seekers committed 44% of sex crimes in Dorset. This shocking claim was treated as fact by the channel which promoted the clip on social media where it was amplified by AI. Except... it's bollocks.

The Liverpool City Region has been growing strongly in recent years – not too far behind Greater Manchester and third in the leaderboard of Northern productivity growth. But why is this the case? And what can we learn for the UK productivity problem? Short 🧵 1/5

New net migration figures are published by ONS this month (27 Nov). Join our lunchtime webinar that afternoon for expert analysis of what the figures mean for the politics & policy of immigration - with @alanmanning4.bsky.social , Marley Morris of IPPR + our team www.eventbrite.com/e/net-migrat...

Fascinating newsletter from Jay on the role of sporting identities in breaking down 'them' and 'us' divides. From marathon runners to Man-U supporters sport can be one of the most powerful social unifiers

Anyone who will lie unapologetically about mass violent attacks to push their own profile and political cause is beneath contempt. There’s no need to book such people, to platform them, or to listen to them. That’s not because of their politics, or their views: it’s because of their dishonesty.

Don't believe the myth of young men flocking to Reform en masse (though complacency would also be foolish)

Akeela Ahmed of the British Muslim Trust talks about the new reporting service for anti-Muslim hatred & the challenge of tackling the prejudices that legitimise it www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

NEW from me: Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent. That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀

“National populism works because it offers a story of the nation — coherent, emotional, and rooted in belonging. Most of its opponents don’t. Here’s why that matters 👇”

I’ve written for @financialtimes.com about the need for belief in the future to get things built on.ft.com/47cO3Qs Why optimists build better infrastructure

LOOOOOOOOOL

"Stop...or I'll say 'stop' again!"

We're delighted to be shortlisted for the Smart Thinking Think Tank of the Year award 2025 – recognising excellence and impact across the UK’s policy community. #SmartThinkingAwards

ah well nevertheless *NETANYAHU ORDERS IDF TO CARRY OUT 'POWERFUL' GAZA STRIKES

We take no joy criticising a young left-wing UK political figure who has often spoken up for workers' rights and progressive causes. But these barely coherent comments from Zarah Sultana on Ukraine sum up much of what is wrong with her wing of the left www.instagram.com/reel/DQT62ys...

It is significant that Wes Streeting - the 'right' of the party - is saying this. Charlie Falcolner is also a Blairite voice saying the government's voice needs to shift centre-left/progressive. The Prime Minister is inclined to agree. But the PM"s political team in No 10 more ambivalent about it!