“The idea that the child limit has achieved totemic status among potential Lab-Reform switchers in the Red Wall is for the birds” >> time to end the two child cap. Well said @eddorrell.bsky.social for @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2025/05/two-...

By me

I've written for @labourlist this week on why Reform-intrigued voters are not in fact the snarling right wingers that the Guardian-readers of London might assume they are. (Also, on why they'll support reversing the two-child benefit cap.) labourlist.org/2025/05/two-...

Just explaining #Eurovision to my 6 year old daughter: "... and what's more, lots of the songs are funny..." "Like 'Beans, Beans Are Good For Your Heart'?"

Voters know we need sane fiscal policies - but 2025 isn't 2010 and they don't want a repeat of Osborne endlessly banging on about "failing to fix the roof while the sun was shining". They'd like to imagine that ministers do actually want to spend some cash... labourlist.org/2025/05/revi...

Really not sure how I feel about that Chinese flag #snooker

Brilliant from @racheljanetwolf.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/shoc...

Delighted that I've still got three years left to make the final at the Crucible #snooker

So so so... maybe the long shadow of covid is genuinely in retreat. Could youth mental health be improving? New polling by Public First suggests so.

"From national security to job security to border security to home security to financial security, voters are deeply concerned about a scary world." My latest piece for LabourList: labourlist.org/2025/04/labo...

Comrade Honecker had an exceptional day’s hunting.

Chilled monkey brains

One of my favourite quotes about journalism is, "If a newspaper headline is a question, then the answer is always 'no'. Unless the headline is in the Guardian/Observer, in which case the answer will be 'who cares?'" This is the greatest example I've seen for some time.

Shocked, i tell you. Shocked. www.spectator.co.uk/article/aman...

My kind of planning reform. www.france24.com/en/live-news...

Just published the results of polling we've been doing with teachers and parents on the impact of mobile phones in the classroom. Many stark stats stand out, but here's one: 66% of teachers deal with phone-related interruptions at least 5 times per week. Shocker. www.thetimes.com/life-style/p...

"It might leave a bad taste for many supporters, but it was probably the best day of popular politics the Keir Starmer administration has mustered up since July 2024." My take in @labourlist.bsky.social on the politics of the aid/defence switch. labourlist.org/2025/02/aid-...

The only thing I'd like to do for a job more than the thing I do now, or the thing I used to do (journalism), is be a historian. Unfortunately, having the attention span of a pineapple would, I fear, be career-limiting.

I wonder how all those passionate Ukraine-backing Conservative politicians who also signalled their support for Trump are feeling now. Trump is selling Zalensky down the river - and in its wake is the last tiny reason anyone might have found to defend Boris Johnson.

Preaching perfect behaviour to your kids, and then behaving like this in a meeting is not exactly modelling what you hope your students to become... x.com/Ed_Dorrell/s...

Public First’s landmark study on conspiracies and disinformation in classrooms and among young people (led by @eddorrell.bsky.social and @sallyburtonshaw.bsky.social) publishes today after a year’s work. Rather timely really.

Binning USAID would be morally bankrupt in itself. Doing it without any tapering seems to me to be a) a huge opportunity for China to fill the void and b) evil

Not everyone will agree. There were always going to be critics when the report card was published. FWIW, I think today's proposals will give parents a much more nuanced picture of schools. And insodoing reduce pressure on school staff - if only as a second-order consequence.

- Elon Musk has $420 billion - over a billion people live on less than $1 per day

The growth vs. immigration paradox for the UK, clearly laid out by Ed. @eddorrell.bsky.social 👇

"No growth that benefits both public sector investment and people’s pockets = no second term; No slowing of immigration and no stopping of the boats = no second term; No immigrants to build new buildings and start-ups = no growth." Me on Labour's horrible paradox. labourlist.org/2025/01/news...

🌹'The idea that most migration is legal – and economically essentially – gets completely lost in the debate.' @eddorrell.bsky.social writes about Labour's political paradox on growth and immigration: labourlist.org/2025/01/news...

That moment of pride when you notice your nearly-9-year-old absentmindedly singing along to "sorted for Es and wizz"

"Bridget Phillipson's emerging vision marks an end to competition as the primary driver of school improvement" My latest piece for Schools Week is on the Children's Wellbeing Bill schoolsweek.co.uk/can-educatio...

The "could" in this headline is doing so much heavy-lifting, it's thinking of entering the weightlifting ar the Olympics www.thetimes.com/article/1a9d...

Reducing incarceration rates to W European average would save £2.5 billion a year and cutting to Scandinavian level would give Treasury £5.5 billion a year - fascinating economic analysis by @publicfirst.bsky.social for @thetimes Crime and Justice Commission www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/art...

I mean, what could possibly go wrong? www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...

In case you missed it on Friday, I've done a little piece for Progressive Britain on the very different ideas that underpin Labour's reform agendas I'm education and health. Tldr, it's collaboration vs competition. www.progressivebritain.org/the-unnotice...

When you read about how authoritarianism in places like Russia and Turkey was slowly replaced with a form of authoritarianism, the creep is always illustrated by stories like this

Thinking of writing a piece about what Gladiator can teach us about Populism vs Good Government

Life in a gerontocracy: now the oldest living presidents are the current one and the next one

RIP Jimmy Carter. Here he is in 1977, receiving the freedom of the City of Newcastle - complete with cheering crowds and a spirited attempt by Carter at "Howay the Lads". "Mr President, Sir, you are a Georgian. You have now become a Geordie". www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Y1...

Dec 27th 1982 vs Dec 29th 2024

Ffs I've been given 47 Borders by @jonnelledge.bsky.social three times this Xmas, despite already owning it. Tbf, I'm also the guy who asked his wife for a map of the fullest extent of the French colonial empire for Xmas. So... the 47 Borders thing isn't that surprising

"I am convinced Santa, or Father Christmas, will visit you whatever your political persuasion. As long as you've been good." - me in @inews.co.uk, talking about whether you're a Santa family or a Father Christmas family. Perhaps the best quote I've ever given.

Wonder what odds you'd get on City being relegated

I fell into a Tom Lehrer hole this evening. I'm not sure I'd ever truly appreciated his lyrical genius until now. This one, for example, is incredible satire, but the wordplay is just glorious. youtu.be/frAEmhqdLFs?...

It's time. R4 Today off, Step Into Christmas on.

Notable that Streeting and Phillipson are pursuing radically different models of public service reform (as this astute piece by @eddorrell.bsky.social first noted). www.progressivebritain.org/the-unnotice...

Not sure I've ever felt more patriotic than when, earlier this evening, I stumbled across a pub quiz round: "Is it the name of a cheese or the name of a service station?"

Our latest recording can be found here... we quote @eddorrell.bsky.social again! And @tesmagazine.bsky.social @schoolsweek.bsky.social twoheadspodcast.podbean.com

"The important political lesson is that voters really will recognise if broken Britain is being fixed." Pleased to be able to highlight some really important new Public First research in my latest piece for @labourlist.bsky.social labourlist.org/2024/12/news...

@eddorrell.bsky.social excellent at Uni of Birmingham Education Leadership Academy seminat this afternoon. Fascinating sense-making about the current policy environment. Thanks, Ed. www.birmingham.ac.uk/schools/educ...

Thank you @steverichards.bsky.social for the big fat namecheck in your latest podcast! open.spotify.com/episode/0OLk...