Fantastic piece this. So many maddening bits where you go 'there's a really easy solve here!'

Point about Farage’s drift from xenophobia to outright racism is that the Tories wilfully threw open the Overton window - and Labour have refused to redraw the norms clearly. And now every tragedy will be forced into this frame and we have to keep fighting a rearguard action to condemn the rhetoric.

The Milburn review published today is warning of a 'lost generation' of young people not in work or education. But crucially it identifies that this is a systemic problem, not an issue of individual responsibility. @georgebangham.bsky.social responds.

First time since autumn 2013 that the number of 18-24 year-old NEETs surpasses 1 million. A sorry milestone and a system-wide failure. It’s refreshing to see the Milburn review identify this, and reject lazy tropes about this problem somehow being young people's own responsibility.

Not denying the scope for reform but 1) it’s essential, just and inevitable that some are going to get back far more than they contribute 2) the welfare system *is* sustainable already and it’s a libertarian trope that it is not. [Deleted and reposted due to confusing typo].

Finally, we have data to show vast majority of landlords earn supernormal returns: even with high interest rates, 63% outperform a 60:40 equity-gilt portfolio & 71% beat the broader real estate sector. Proud to have co-authored this with @autonomy-institute.bsky.social autonomy.work/portfolio/th...

Today is Cost of Rent Day. The point in the year when England’s renters have basically earned only for their landlord. In 2026, that’s until 11 May, over 4 months of wages or benefits gone on rent. High rents are driving people into poverty. Watch to find out more:

Michael Lewis's book The Fifth Risk is all about how the modern federal government was set up to reduce & eliminate a vast array of invisible problems, which it has done so well that it opened a door to wreckers who claim it did nothing, & are now making that lie true—with disastrous results

Interesting suggestion that HM Treasury might consider regulating private rents. Putting aside the obviously unwise one-year rent freeze suggested here, there’s several modern rent control systems to learn from like in Ireland, Scotland, Spain and France. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Palantir put out a 22-point summary of their CEO's book The Technological Republic. It's pitched as a defence of the West, but if you read it through the VDA framework, verification, deliberation, accountability, what it's actually doing looks rather different. twitter-thread.com/t/2045574398...

Extremely normal and fine for a company to put this in a public statement

“Lunch with George Clooney at Lake Como; a walk-on role in Star Wars; a Lamborghini blessed and signed by the late Pope Francis.” Some excellent stories about Omaze in this New Statesman piece by my colleague @hollies.bsky.social… with some reflections on what it says about our political economy.

If the govt tried to shield incomes and demand entirely from the current cohort, rather than just redistribute, the BoE would find itself pushing back with higher rates, as, to repeat, the economy can't magic more supply to meet unchanged demand.

I missed this: Govt published LPC's remit for the 2027 minimum wage rates on Monday (the rates coming in next month are already set). Main take-away is Govt wants a more cautious approach to the youth rates. It has dialed up the 'worry about employment' bit of the remit. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Crikey (Source: reporting from the Tories' Spring Conference in Harrogate - www.thenewworld.co.uk/patience-whe...)

“This technology disrupts humanities-trained—largely Democratic—voters, and makes their economic power less. And increases the economic power of vocationally trained, working-class, often male, working-class voters.” —Palantir CEO Alex Karp newrepublic.com/post/207693/...

Opposition to the United States' military action against Iran has risen by 10pts among Britons over the last week Support: 25% (-3 from 2 March) Oppose: 59% (+10) yougov.com/en-gb/daily-...

It's too early to know if the Iran war will lead to a 2022-style energy price shock. But in any case the Treasury should urgently build new infrastructure to support households with energy bills: it can't wait until crisis hits. I've sketched out some early thoughts open.substack.com/pub/georgeba...

I love how Ipsos show the margin of error on their charts. Should be industry standard!

This is just the most incredible chart... if the UK government implements current policies on taxes and benefits, public debt is stable (contrary to what the OBR always mistakenly tells us) My column as.ft.com/r/e69f1407-e...

If the Iran war leads to a spike in energy prices, the government will have to intervene to support households who will struggle most with bill increases. NEF head of social policy @georgebangham.bsky.social says in response to the spring statement.

To be fair to Mr Farage, stopping the people who won’t vote for you from voting is quite good election tactics. The rest of us need to to recognise this is the first step in delegitimising the election process. The “we did win this election” approach. /1

The real threat to democracy doesn't come from 'family voting'. It comes from the losing side refusing go accept they've lost

"It's unfair to blame people for not having jobs, when the jobs simply aren't available." @georgebangham.bsky.social talking about the benefits system and work on BBC One's Sunday Morning Live

Where do parents find the time to parent? Less sleep, work and screens. Amazing chart feat. in @alphaville.ft.com Further Reading. homeeconomics.substack.com/p/where-do-p...

And here is my story: ‘Absolute hell’: Irishman with valid US work permit held by Ice since September www.irishtimes.com/world/us/202...

Excited to join @neweconomics.bsky.social today as Head of Social Policy, focusing on living standards, housing, social security etc. (and also to start saying things online again, now I’m no longer a civil servant!). Please do get in touch if you’re interested in working together!