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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Why are they looking for spending cuts? Laffer says just cut taxes back up the curve to boost revenue, right?

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Stuart Hemingway @stu31.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

A full video is available by the investigative team who exposed the scandal may be worth your time watching it… www.verbatiminvestigations.com/full-investi...

verbatiminvestigations.com

Dirty Money: A Year Undercover in Reform UK

A yearlong investigation into Nigel Farage’s fundraising operation reveals a plot to break the law by bringing foreign money into British politics

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Ed Morrish @edmorrish.com · 17/08/2026

kathleen stock: being neurodivergent should be a barrier to entering academia manchester museum: would you like to see one of our snail collections? :) our scientists have more than one :))

Plaque at Manchester Museum:

EXPLORING VARIATION
The Museum has several collections of snails put together by scientists who studied inheritance and evolution. Arthur Stelfox (1883-1972) was interested in the ways that different shell patterns and colours are inherited. He bred snails of different varieties with one another over a period of sixty years. Collections like this are still used by scientists, who are trying to answer new questions.

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Jonn Elledge @jonnelledge.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I've been thinking about it all morning and have concluded the funniest bit is Laurence Fox coming 6th

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Far Side 1993 - the inspiration for Monsters Inc.?

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Change is the most important promise. In a vacuum, voters tend to feel a new PM needs to honour their party’s last manifesto. But if the ability to deliver change is at stake, more voters choose change over sticking with old promises. www.thinksinsight.com/reports/mood...

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

65 per cent of Britons are owner-occupiers. General elections are won in the Midlands. Most people have a middle class occupation. The United Kingdom's comparative advantage is in services. These aren't facts that Philip Gould invented in order to make Labour feel sad.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

We asked the public why we've had 7 PMs in a decade. #1 selected reason: Britain has become a more divided & polarised in the last decade.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

What will historians give the PM credit for? Here’s @politicshome.bsky.social’s Maddy Richards by on @thinksinsight.bsky.social research in public views of Starmer’s likely legacy: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

politicshome.com

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PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Is Nigel Farage losing his appeal? In recent focus groups with 2024 Labour voters considering Reform UK, for the first time since the general election, people were equivocal about him, writes @benshimshon.bsky.social

politicshome.com

Is Nigel Farage losing his appeal?

There are signs that the party leader's shine is fading with potential Reform UK voters.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

“Few had believed that Farage was really ‘like them,’ but this [the £5m] made it harder than ever to believe he could truly understand their lives.” Quick write up of our recent focus groups with 2024 Labour voters now considering Reform UK: www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Here's a taste of our @thinksinsight.bsky.social #MoodoftheNation update. Sign up here for the full finsings webinar on Thursday: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mood-of-th... Coverage in @politicshome.bsky.social here: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

Burnham opens a window for Labour - especially with Green considerers. But time is not on his side. Great to talk to @politicshome.bsky.social for @adampayne26.bsky.social article covering our newest @thinksinsight.bsky.social Mood of the Nation survey. www.politicshome.com/news/article...

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PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

🚨 OUT NOW 🚨 What's the nation's mood as Burnham takes over? 🌹 MPs @tonia-antoniazzi.bsky.social & @sarahhall-labour.bsky.social & Thinks Insight's @benshimshon.bsky.social join @alaintolhurst.bsky.social & @adampayne26.bsky.social to discuss how Brits feel about their country 🎧: pod.fo/e/44053d

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Quite fun to talk about hope, not (just) gloom!* Great to join @adampayne26.bsky.social Sarah Hall MP and Tonia Anotoniazzi MP on the @politicshome.bsky.social podcast to discuss @thinksinsight.bsky.social Mood of the Nation. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t... *lots of gloom too though, obvs

podcasts.apple.com

What's the mood of the nation as Burnham takes over?

Podcast Episode · The Rundown by PoliticsHome · 3 July · 38min

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

The most insidious shrinkflation. More hole than bagel

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

findagarden.ngs.org.uk/garden/48577... still a few tickets for tomorrow’s open garden.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

These articles, and the previous Substack post about the two deprivations are just so valuable.

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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

This map is absolutely fascinating

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Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

"We hear little of these other incidents because their white perpetrators do not fit the narrative — or the political business model — of the populist right." - terrific column by @robertshrimsley.bsky.social:

ft.com

The business model of white victimhood

Rage on the right and a narrative of disadvantage changing sides is rewarded by social media

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 04/06/2026

DfE pupil data is out today and shows that the number of private school pupils has dropped 5.6% since VAT was introduced. Not 25% like the independent schools council predicted. Or the 50% we saw in some right-wing papers. 5.6%.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

@mattyglesias.bsky.social we found your "Big Ass Truck Abundance" constituency:

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Presented the result of our mega-study of Southern Californian's attitudes to infrastructure at the @politico.com California Agenda event at LA's Union Station yesterday. Charts incoming:

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Abundance has been at the heart of the effort to get stuff built across the US, but particularly in California. Our survey of 5000 Southern Californians, suggests there's a big obstacle to the agenda: Voter trust. Brilliant coverage from @liamjdillon.com: www.politico.com/news/2026/05...

politico.com

A threat to the Abundance movement? Trust.

A sweeping poll finds that Southern Californians want housing and infrastructure built faster, but don't trust their elected officials to weaken regulations.

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Great coverage of our mammoth survey of Southern Californians’ attitudes to infrastructure development. The Abundance agenda chimes with what voters want, right up until you ask them to just trust politicians and developers to get on with it…

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Alex Andreou @sturdyalex.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

Sneaking a giant screen into the flagshagger march is one of the funniest things @ledbydonkeys.org have ever done. "STAY HYDRATED" 😂🤣😂

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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

we only know about the £5m Harborne donation thanks to journalists at the Guardian, but sure trash the MSM for clicks

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Who Targets Me @whotargets.me · 05/05/2026

Reform is now running a digital ad for each and every rival for this week's elections. British political fragmentation writ large on the nation's social media feeds.

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Steve Akehurst @steveakehurst.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

This time next week there's going to be a lot of hot takes and spin knocking around, especially re: Reform. I've written a short primer for @politicshome.bsky.social on how to stay sane and navigate the immediate post-election chaos. Thread here too. 🧵 www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

politicshome.com

Misunderstood, over interpreted, unrepresentative: How to read the local election results

The internet will be teeming with hot takes as soon as the first declarations come in on Friday morning. To help you navigate a weekend of noise, h...

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PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · 03/05/2026

To help navigate a weekend of misunderstanding, over interpretation and misrepresentation, here are some tips for making sense of the 7 May local elections, writes @steveakehurst.bsky.social including, Labour losing council seats to Reform does not necessarily mean Labour losing votes to Reform

politicshome.com

Misunderstood, over interpreted, unrepresentative: How to read the local election results

The internet will be teeming with hot takes as soon as the first declarations come in on Friday morning. To help you navigate a weekend of noise, h...

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Petter Törnberg @pettertornberg.com · 23/04/2026

Social media is no longer social. Most of it is passive viewing of videos and pictures from people we've never met. But we're still studying social media like it's 2010. We've entered the post-social media era — and research needs to catch up. osf.io/preprints/so... preprint w/ Richard Rogers

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Owen Winter @owenwntr.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Build-a-voter is back! @fransham.bsky.social's creation is now updated for 2026 with data from More in Common. www.economist.com/interactive/... My profile is predictably Labour-leaning...

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Owen Winter @owenwntr.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

trying to do a NYT-style swing map but the swings are too mad

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

I am a free thinker. This place has confirmed all the prejudices I had when I arrived.

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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 27/03/2026

Matt Goodwin has tweeted twice since this news broke. Weird that he doesn't seem to have mentioned or retweeted it??

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Time to dissolve the people and elect another.

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Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

When a squeeze / tactical voting Q was put to them, Green considerers leaned towards Labour in order to stop Reform This suggests Polanski has work to do to turn current popularity / momentum - which is significant - into solid, sticky support at the next GE me for @politicshome.bsky.social

politicshome.com

How Strong Is Support For The Greens?

Zack Polanski's leadership of the Greens has generated significant interest in the party. Nearly half of people are considering supporting them at ...

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Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

However... That 48% is relatively shallow, with 31% being 'soft' considerers, and most people considering the Greens are considering three or more parties in total Nearly 3/4s of people strongly considering the Greens said they would vote for the party best-placed to stop Reform UK locally

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Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

"It’s clear that the Green Party are picking up momentum, and our findings show they should be taken seriously. Almost half of UK adults are considering voting for them, including two-thirds of those who voted Labour at the last election," @thinksinsight.bsky.social's Allie Jennings told PolHome

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Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

Our poll found 48% of people are considering voting Green at the next general election Putting ordinary people over billionaires is a big perceived attraction In focus groups in Sheffield and East London, Green considers described Polanski as charismatic, refreshing and straight-talking

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Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

How strong is Green support? Ahead of Gorton & Denton, PolHome teamed up with @thinksinsight.bsky.social to have a close look at people considering voting for the party at the next general election The findings suggest Polanski has some work to do to turn mid-term popularity into hard votes...

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benshimshon.bsky.social @benshimshon.bsky.social · 22/02/2026

In comparison to those considering Reform, Green considerers are more numerous, but less convinced. Zach is a ‘breath of fresh air’, and offers the focus on social justice many 2034 Labour voters are looking for. But few believe the Greens can win, and many are worried they’re too idealistic.

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