BLOG | What sectors will benefit from the Industrial Strategy? A place-based strategy means that what happens in the eight sectors does not have to stay in the eight sectors. Read our latest blog 👇 buff.ly/FDxHB7B

The spending review required MCAs to set out local growth plans, which are key to implementing the new Industrial Strategy. MCAs will be given resources (details TBD). They should focus on horizontal measures: skills, transport, etc. This would be more effective than targeting a few sectors.

NEW REPORT | Checking out: The varying performance of high streets across the country 🛍️ Our new report finds that that there is large variation between the performance of city centre high streets. 🧵👇 buff.ly/UfCfnlF

🆕 BRIEFING | Eight sectors, one story Our latest briefing sets out the geography of the eight chosen sectors in the Industrial Strategy and what this means for its implementation. Read the briefing 👇 buff.ly/eKA9qf4

First response: fine, as long as London is not ignored and/or is given greater powers to raise funds at regional level, because without a strongly-growing London you will not have a strongly-growing UK. www.theguardian.com/politics/202... #london

I was quite surprised by how little curiosity young British voters had towards the far right compared to similar demographics everywhere else. Then I saw the discourse on “working men’s club.” I wonder how many of these young voters would actually know what that is.

The cutting edge of the economy is increasingly based in cities 🏙️ The Government’s Industrial Strategy must work with that. Our latest bog from @yz18.bsky.social explains👇 buff.ly/oZQ2Kso

The unbelievable condescension we’re already seeing today towards working class people- suggesting they don’t travel to Europe or their kids might not want to go to university and study in Europe- is quite something to behold.

Not disputing that “left behind” places exist and need interventions, but our discourse on this in the aftermath of the local elections is misguided for two reasons.

There is an idealised Proper Working Class, who is heavily implied to be straight, white, working in manual labour and socially conservative with it. With no aspirations for their kids but to be the Same As Them. It exists predominantly in the minds of Blue Labour and post-liberals.

Get ready for an onslaught of “the rise of populism” stories again. 🇬🇧

Loved writing this. A key issue with the "left behind" theory is that, other than London, most big cities are simply not doing that well to leave surrounding towns behind. If anything, their underperformance contributes to the decline of nearby towns.

You probably get a similar result for other professions that are respected but not well paid (e.g. care workers or apprenticeships in the UK). Ultimately, people mostly choose jobs based on pay, not vibes. So people are happy to support more of these respected jobs, but not keen on taking them.

Honestly one of the most interesting analyses I have done. First time having to do research in response to real-world events. Everyone loses due to the tariffs. But already struggling or less productive British cities could be hit harder.

What’s £2 billion? 💵 This blog from @mauricelange.bsky.social looks at how recent Government announcements about Affordable Homes spending compare to recent and historic spending 🏡 Read now 👇 www.centreforcities.org/blog/whats-2...

The fact that a Black Senator breaks Strom Thurmond's record for longest filibuster, protesting the Civil Rights Act, makes it even more special. 😘

Not just because most of the British public, including 76% of Conservative voters and 52% of Reform(!) voters support net zero.

BLOG | Reaction to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill 📄 The Planning and Infrastructure Bill was laid in Parliament this week. Here are Centre for Cities’ 3️⃣ key takeaways 👇

Three of these seats come up in 26. Of those, Shaheen and Peters are retiring, and Durbin probably will too. The backlash may land on House Dems and other Senate Dems, who all voted against this.

LBJ’s first rule of politics just never gets old

The Die Linke number is 👀. The split from BSW may be making the party base more conventionally progressive and less Russophile. Could impact the party’s policy down the road.

Seems fitting to dedicate my first Bluesky post to my first blog at @centreforcities.bsky.social. I was a lucky resident of MSP when the big zoning reform happened. Good to see that it can now be an example for cities everywhere.