Not so long ago the Conservative Party would have seized upon the notion of deporting Ukrainians and Hong Kongers and extracted a heavy political price for it. Instead the position yesterday from CCHQ was that Farage is "once again copying Conservative ideas."

All reminiscent of liberals’ paralysis pre-2016. Complacency + dismissive contempt for Farage + dislike of incumbents + embarrassment in defending the status quo.

Farage did not become Trump's interlocutor; the White House did not torpedo the UK-EU deal; MAGA's dystopian view of Britain did not poison the well. The UK-US relationship has survived better than some feared - or hoped - a year ago. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

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UK MoD says the ceremonials for President Trump's visit will be unprecedented in size and arrangement. NB: "An extra-large guard of honour presented to President Trump for inspection."

In which the Conservative party looks to the politics of America and says, yes, some of that please

A fascinating case study in the evolution of the British right. From Cameron's speechwriter in opposition to Farage. And going to be a very interesting test of whether Farage is capable of building a party of figures with views and profiles of their own

Starmer as it happens hasn't made a public speech outside chamber since mid-July. Hard to think of a PM who has made so little use of the normative power of his office. Unlike eg Cameron who really did think No 10 had the capacity and obligation to attempt to frame debate on all manner of issues

BES Research Fellow @jamesdgriffiths.bsky.social has spoken with The Economist about our Parliamentary Affairs paper on how British voters are volatile, but their choices are now structured by party blocs after the Brexit realignment. Read here: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

The British electorate is volatile, but not random. Like shoppers on Stevenage high street, voters disappointed by one brand are trying its most similar competitor. My piece on the latest BES research on fragmentation and the rise of party blocs: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Once elections were fought between left and right. Now the main fight is within these camps

The British electorate is volatile, but not random. Like shoppers on Stevenage high street, voters disappointed by one brand are trying its most similar competitor. My piece on the latest BES research on fragmentation and the rise of party blocs: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

“I know a little bit about this”

I was always leaning for the ChatGPT candidate, but getting the obligatory "rooted in our communities" in there sealed the deal

Early in the term for fmr cabinet ministers to denounce the manifesto they were elected on. ("Unlike the Conservatives, Labour will never sideline the Office for Budget Responsibility for political convenience. Instead, we will strengthen the role of the OBR.") www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Reshuffle complete. All told a big round of ministerial appointments/promotions for class of 2024..

Striking gear change in tempo and acuity of Labour's attack on Reform in past 48 hours - on tax, Connolly and vaccines.

Curious how a party that prides itself on breaking moulds and redrawing terms has put a lot of effort into recreating the stalest, most redundant part of British politics

Darren Jones to be CDL as well as the new Chief sec to PM. A short lived innovation!

Ahead of Farage’s speech, my podcast on the art of the Reform rally from earlier in the summer. It owes a little to Donald Trump, and a lot to a lost English tradition of the public meeting, which Farage has spent 30 obsessive years practising www.economist.com/podcasts/202...

“This is the spirit behind our constitution in this country,” says Mr Yusuf. “The will of the people must be obeyed, right?” On Reform, parliamentary sovereignty, and an ambition to turn back the constitutional clock www.economist.com/britain/2025...

“This is the spirit behind our constitution in this country,” says Mr Yusuf. “The will of the people must be obeyed, right?” On Reform, parliamentary sovereignty, and an ambition to turn back the constitutional clock www.economist.com/britain/2025...

fascinating to watch what used to be known as the centre-right mistake these guys for their median voter

Fascinating CCHQ release. Time was when the Conservative party would really rather not talk about the generosity of its donors and their relationship with the leader.

Do they appear prescient in some regards?

Not possible, it seems, for loto to draft six new questions at 40 minutes' notice.

Bagehot makes good point. In rejoining, UK would have to give up even more sovereignty than before. EU has already changed a lot since referendum, & direction of travel is more integration. These are not things Rejoiners will be eager to focus on any time soon... www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Fun to see Truss once again presenting herself as a austere spending cutter who was foiled by her party who wouldn't countenance doing tough things. In reality, the author of a universal energy bailout bigger, blunter, longer and more generous than anyone thought sensible.

Anduril campaign in Westminster tube. The agency got the “securonomics is back” memo

It's all about timing. 'Europe’s annus horribilis made Brexit unstoppable.' www.economist.com/britain/2025...

[email protected]'s new book on the history of British euroscepticism is tremendous. But it prompts a question: why, when Britons think about 2016, Boris and the red bus, do we so often forget the crises that made Europe at that moment unsellable? www.economist.com/britain/2025...

[email protected]'s new book on the history of British euroscepticism is tremendous. But it prompts a question: why, when Britons think about 2016, Boris and the red bus, do we so often forget the crises that made Europe at that moment unsellable? www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Reform voters want people to be deported to Afghanistan, but they resent paying Afghanistan to do so. You have a sense they are going to like Farage being in government more in theory than practice.

You see the logic but it does underscore the bigger problem: the struggle of this government to define its Europe policy on its chosen terms, free from the paradigms cast in 2016. A government with a 400+ majority does not need to use a retired Michael Gove and Vote Leave as the benchmark.

Nick Thomas-Symonds speech tomorrow at the Spectator. News: 1) SPS deal sought by 2027. 2) Clear Labour will fight Reform on Europe as part of a bigger economic risk argument at the next election 3) Belatedly makes the case for dynamic alignment after a year of ducking

Really excellent piece about how the government needs to start taking the Church of England - our state religion! - seriously

Any attempt by future Reform/Conservative governments to prise solar from the hands of farmers in the name of protecting the countryside will be fascinating to watch. A quarter of farms now draw income from it...

It is often said that farming is a tiny part of the British economy. It’s also a tiny part of the rural economy. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

I have 3 pieces in this week's magazine looking at the global criminal business behind the rise in car and phone theft 1. On the new geography of stolen goods -- why Britain has become world leader & why the model is likely to spread www.economist.com/interactive/...

Such a good cover this week

Reckon a decade ago the Telegraph reader would have recoiled at the thought of tying flags to lampposts; not for political reasons, but because it would lower the tone of the street, and house prices. Perhaps the British right is more open-minded and demotic now. www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/2025...

The Milibang

An important piece from an important figure in the Reform UK /New Right firmament on the case for UK isolationism. Albeit without much evidence that support for Ukraine was a net negative for the Tories in 2024. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08...

Main thing we learn from this case is that if Connolly had plead not guilty and gone to trial, like Jones, she might have been acquitted by a jury. Instead she plead guilty. Hard to know how a government minister is meant to rectify that disparity.

farming industry convincing people that domestic production is "national security" is such 10/10 lobbying. it doesn't matter. observer.co.uk/style/food/a...

Britain’s services model of “Butler to the World” taken to new levels

Fascinating, in that Labour made reform of judicial review to unlock construction a centrepiece of the 2023 conference. Could have been through the Commons and scored by the OBR by the Oct 2024 budget if they wanted. www.ft.com/content/e3fa...

Nothing is more elite than having views on an Olympic ceremony of 13 years ago

If you enjoyed internal Labour Party politics 2020-24, then House of Windsor is the show for you