I spoke to The i about the doom and gloom among the public ahead of tomorrow's Budget inews.co.uk/news/politics/…

Why did the Tories lose the election? Can they recover? If so, how? Today, Centre for Policy Studies publishes a major piece of work by James Frayne, based on pre-election polling of 4,000 people plus immersive work and focus groups in key electoral battlegrounds. So what did we find? 🧵

James' analysis on why the Tories lost and how they can rebuild is well worth a read. Based on 4,000 person national poll and immersives in (what were) marginal Tory seats.

Our latest immersive study in The Times. We spent 6 days in Port Talbot exploring how the blast furnace closure had impacted life; the mood among residents; & their thoughts on the future. Full report out soon. Thanks to Lara Spirit for joining us thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Public First’s Port Talbot research written up in The Times and The Sunday Times. Ed Shackle and I spent 6 days in the town speaking to locals about how the closure of the last blast furnace was affecting the community. Great trip! thetimes.com/article/55ac2b…

We've spent an extraordinary amount of time speaking to people across the country this year. Here's a few of the things I've learned publicfirst.co.uk/public-first-i…

Far from enjoying Musk's attacks on the PM, working-class voters want him to stop. I've written about why Starmer must stand up to Musk and show some strength to an increasingly weary electorate. spectator.co.uk/article/elon-m…

I wrote in today's Times about how Gen Z are often politically misunderstood. Rather than just simply shifting in one direction, they are seeking radical solutions on both the right and the left. thetimes.com/uk/society/art…

Our immersive research in Greater Lincolnshire speaking to Tory and Labour voters shows evidence that a Reform detoxification is underway. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Ahead of tomorrow's local elections I've written in The Spectator about Reform's problem: how do you normalise the party brand to appeal to moderates while at the same time avoid being seen as establishment? spectator.co.uk/article/are-re…

Reform’s likely victory here in Greater Lincolnshire, and successes across the country in these local elections suggest their strategy is working – for now. ✍️ Ed Shackle buff.ly/wnjvJrT

Thank you to Ed Shackle and co at Public First for running some of this polling for us. (And to Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods for letting me borrow the rest.) From my latest: economist.com/britain/2025/0…

Wrote in Politico today about what will happen next. There’s a risk of massively over complicating something very simple to diagnose and very hard to fix. politico.eu/article/shock-…

Today we learned that the Gov is likely to revive the levelling up agenda. Given the levels of political discontent & junkyard of broken promises in provincial Britain, it really is last chance salon for levelling up. My piece in the Spectator. spectator.co.uk/article/its-th…

Good piece from Ed - especially this Government is absolutely right to want to revive levelling up (or whatever you want to call it) - but they can’t risk not delivering this time. It would shatter public confidence in the state’s ability to deliver anything - perhaps right too

The government is right to revive levelling up. Why it ever went away is baffling. ✍️ Ed Shackle buff.ly/xO3vEKY

Yesterday Nigel Farage gave a speech in Port Talbot pledging to 'reopen' the steelworks. But what do people in the town really think? & what do they make of the promised electric arc? Bertie Wnek & I spent 6 days there interviewing residents to find out. public-first.shorthandstories.com/port-talbot/

1 year on from the election, Ed Dorrell I sat down with Labour voters in 2 swing seats to find out what they’ve made of the Govt’s progress. Interestingly, such was their frustration, and it was Boris Johnson who they harked back to… thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…