Retrospectively removing indefinite leave to remain would be immoral and economically damaging. It would tear families apart. Attacking it as ‘potentially illegal’ is completely beside the point. Argue with the (awful) idea. Don’t try ’well, actually you can’t do that’.

We have to differentiate between defending the right of all to disagree and being indifferent to the impact of what is being said - the message from yesterday is not simply free speech is safe but that we need to work harder to counter those who claim division offers anything for our future.

Støre: “possible for the Social Democrats to win elections even when right-wing forces are on the rise in Europe” www.politico.eu/article/labo...

Radical right accommodation really does not work. New paper out with this exceptionally talented team @katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk doi.org/10.31235/osf...

This moment never ceases to excite. Out in shops on 9 Sept...

I have a new article out at @polstudies.bsky.social. In "Electoral Hope", I make the case that supposedly irrational "wishful thinking" is actually a crucial part of how voters make rational sense of their role in democracies. OA link: doi.org/10.1177/0032...

Today’s newsletter: on the Tory party’s lurching language:

New piece by @zoecrowther.bsky.social in @politicshome.bsky.social covering some of our ongoing research (w/ @karlpike.bsky.social @philipjcowley.bsky.social) into voters' time horizons and its implications for the current UK government's "politics of patience": www.politicshome.com/news/article...

📅Monday 23 June, 6.30pm📅 Does the #ConservativeParty have a future? Join us to hear @timbale.bsky.social, @nigelfletcher.bsky.social and the @newstatesman.com's @rmcunliffe.bsky.social discuss the Conservatives' problems and the challenges of opposition. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/does-the-c...

The Norwegian Labour party (Ap) has kept their newfound popularity for 3 months now, while the pop. right Progress Party (Frp) is down ~5pp. Elections coming up early September.

I may mention this, occasionally, over the next few months.

Tonight, we are exploring what the 1975 and 2016 referendums can teach us about ‘How to Win a Referendum on Europe’. We’re delighted to welcome Neil Carmichael, @sarahobolt.bsky.social and @anandmenon.bsky.social to QM, and to revisit @robertsaunders.bsky.social’s brilliant book, ‘Yes to Europe’!

Karl Pike (@karlpike.bsky.social): Social democracy is about equality

Our paper “Long-Term Time Horizons and Support for Public Investment” is open access @psjeditor.bsky.social (w/ @karlpike.bsky.social @philipjcowley.bsky.social). Whether the public supports policy that pays off in the long term depends on what “long term” means. doi.org/10.1111/psj.70040

Huge pleasure to work on this report, and IPPR’s new Decade of National Renewal programme, with the great Parth Patel, Jane Gingrich and Will Davies.

I'm thrilled to have been published in Past & Present. Diving into the fractious politics of rich-country macroeconomics after 1973, I use the neglected case of protectionist Keynesians to rethink what happened, and why. I highlight statecraft, geopolitics, and Maier's 'territoriality'. (1/2)

I’m old fashioned enough to think the BBC should be leading on what the deal is and what it means. Rather than the political claims from both sides.

Bit from my review of the book Get In for Party Politics. Can read the full thing here (log-in required): journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

People have real problems believing Reform voters don't come from Labour, if not recently, then in the past. A small proportion do, but let's look at how far back you'd have to go now ...

Think this, plus an article from @morganj0nes.bsky.social earlier this week, correct re concern at how Labour reacts: pointing in different political directions, while the policy agenda continues to not really add up (in the case of raising the money to fund ‘the plan for change’, quite literally).

‘Reeves is pushing for Sir Keir Starmer to take an ambitious approach to removing EU trade barriers.’ Positive from the chancellor speaking to the FT. www.ft.com/content/f51a...

My book launch is tomorrow. I’ll be chatting to Aditya Chakrabortty about all things contemporary politics and how we can make sense of it. Anyone in Bath/Bristol, come along!

On Tuesday March 25th in Bath, I will be in conversation with the brilliant Aditya Chakrabortty to mark the launch of my new book, HOW TO THINK ABOUT POLITICS. Tickets are free, you can book and find more details here — tiny.cc/HTTAPlaunch

Huge pleasure working with Karl, Eunice and Craig on Renewal - & really looking forward to seeing what @morganj0nes.bsky.social, @dmk1793.bsky.social, Lise Butler & Jack Jeffrey do with the journal going forward. Some of my favourite pieces from last 2 years, all of which hold up pretty well: 🧵

And there was a bit on Brexit, discussing a piece from @stellacreasy.bsky.social in the issue.

Here’s what we said in the opening paragraphs:

The print copy of the most recent Renewal arrived recently, completing this volume and our last as the current editorial team.

what's particularly bonkers is the sheer expense, political effort, complicated negotiations and pain for exporters - for a result which the public have now largely disowned

This will be a brilliant read, really looking forward to it.

The @labour4europe.bsky.social has campaigned for the UK to join PEM as one way to help cut the red tape and costs brexit has caused for British business because it reduces the paperwork connected to the rules of origin requirements. This is very welcome news - www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Latest piece for @thehousemag.bsky.social... It's only partly about Votes at 16. It's just as much about being honest when you make a mistake. www.politicshome.com/thehouse/art...

Reading @guardianheather.bsky.social excellent UK-EU reset piece from December again (here: www.theguardian.com/business/202...) and it made me think how a classic public policy theory – Kingdon’s multiple streams framework – helps us keep track of Labour’s approach to the ‘reset’.

Stella Creasy @stellacreasy.bsky.social and I have published an op-ed today on the UK govt’s economic inheritance, growth, and the importance of the UK-EU “reset” (including the politics of it): inews.co.uk/opinion/stel...

@karlpike.bsky.social reviews Alexandre Lefebvre's, Liberalism As A Way Of Life journals.lwbooks.co.uk/renewal/vol-...

Introducing my final issue as @renewaljournal.bsky.social editor. Very sad it's over, but we're going out on a major high with this collection mostly focused on Labour's climate strategy, brought together by Sean McDaniel journals.lwbooks.co.uk/renewal/vol-...

My piece for the new @renewaljournal.bsky.social on how Labour talks about its history, how it's kind of remarkably unremarkable, and what that says about the party's ideological orientation. A qualified defence of Plain Old Labour. journals.lwbooks.co.uk/renewal/vol-...

Winter Graduation at Queen Mary today! Congratulations to all our brilliant graduates in @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social. @karlpike.bsky.social

From our new article "What do Britons Want in a Political Leader? (journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....) Table 2 on "The Darker Side of Leadership" - the General Public, Tory and Labour members (two tribes or what?).

We (@lisazanottiphd.bsky.social & Noam Titelman) are organising a workshop on polarisation and democratic decline in March/April at @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social. Please share and apply! www.qmul.ac.uk/politics/res... @qmpoliticsir.bsky.social @qmulhss.bsky.social

'Getting Over New Labour' next research seminar pôle 3 @crew-ur4399-usn.bsky.social Karl Pike @karlpike.bsky.social Senior Lecturer in Public Policy Queen Mary University of London @qmul.ac.uk talking about his new book Tuesday 3 Dec 2024 4-6pm (French time) www.agendapub.com/page/detail/...

Fab to see this paper published. More Midgley-inspired social science! And a really interesting interpretive approach to understanding political parties.

With Angela Merkel’s memoir in the news, some work from @timbale.bsky.social and I on the expectations within British politics around Merkel and Brexit may be of interest. Here is a blog that summarises a longer academic paper: theloop.ecpr.eu/brexit-and-t...

Grateful for the chance to discuss PMBs on this, alongside @ruthfox.bsky.social, Roz Savage & @alaintolhurst.bsky.social.

📢 OBR-la-di, OBR-la-da 🎵 My new post on why Rachel Reeves's first budget was better than it seems craigberry.substack.com/p/obr-la-di-...

Am quoted here to say the Chancellor’s very fair challenge to the Conservatives is an important one: what would you do? The debate up to and including the GE was not a real one. www.lesechos.fr/monde/europe...

Would dearly love some of it to ‘disappear’ into upgrading my kids’ crumbling comp.

The test the Chancellor set was to turn the page on the incoherence and fantasy of recent years. Her decisions deliver on that test: a coherent policy package, and recognition that taxes need to go up to rescue public services.

Reasons for optimism.