Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 13hNew post: Reasons to think the Greens are losing their countryside base www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... 031
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 05/10/2026New post: The Burnham Bounce betrays what's happening in London, and why Holborn may still be a tight(er) fight (and other, less ideal, things for the Greens) www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... 030
Reposted by Ben WalkerWill Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 14/09/2026For political scientists headed to Liverpool for EPOP this week (and anyone else interested!), @bjpols.bsky.social has made a collection of articles available on elections, public opinion and parties free to read...cambridge.orgEPOP collectionEPOP collection 11815
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 14/09/2026New post: Support for Reform among 2024 non-voters has almost halved... BUT the decline and fall of Brand Farage isn't all it's made out to be. Context please. Read all about it: www.newstatesman.com/politics/pol...newstatesman.comReform has peakedScandals have tarnished the party's image 141
Reposted by Ben WalkerMichael Goodier @michaelgoodier.bsky.social · 02/09/2026interesting election data from my old colleague @bwalker.uk who has managed to gather ward-level results for the Greater Manchester mayoral britainelects.substack.com/p/catch-up-g...britainelects.substack.comCatch up: Greater Manchester mayoral results by wardWhat’s more remarkable, that Labour swept Gorton and Denton; or that the fourth-placed Tories were still winning wards? 152
Reposted by Ben WalkerAnoosh Chakelian @anooshc.bsky.social · 14/08/2026New @newstatesman1913.bsky.social pod! @bwalker.uk and I analysed the results as they came in the Clacton count, and tell you the story of a bizarre by-election night. Listen here:shows.acast.comFarage wins again at Clacton circus | The Politics Show 243
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 10/08/2026Radicalisation of the radicals, new post for the NS www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...newstatesman.comRestore voters can't stomach Nigel FarageIt will take more than a pact to win back the radical right 030
Reposted by Ben Walkerbort @crushbort.bsky.social · 09/08/2026a true crime podcast I would listen to is one where the victims families walk in and sit down in the studio halfway through the episode 121307143
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 09/08/2026A very geeky post but important for the discourse britainelects.substack.com/p/what-the-p... 250
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 08/08/2026I have a pretty geeky post out tomorrow morning on what forecasters might be getting wrong about where the parties are. Something good and bad for everyone. BritainElects.com 161
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 03/08/2026Brand Burnham at 35% positive, 24% negative according to Britain Elects poll tracker britainelects.substack.com/p/how-popula... 171
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 02/08/2026Putting Brand Badenoch into perspective, staved the Tories from oblivion, but... www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... 251
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 01/08/2026Greater Manchester debrief britainelects.substack.com/p/mancman-ba...britainelects.substack.comMancman Backs Burnham — who knew?What you won't read elsewhere 050
Reposted by Ben Walkerflyingrodent @flyingrodent.bsky.social · 31/03/2026Please show this to various people in politics and media, while filming their reactions www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...newstatesman.comAre the Greens taking Reform votes?The Green surge might do more than just upend Labour 1469
Reposted by Ben WalkerAdam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · 31/03/2026I'm late to it but @bwalker.uk spots something that makes sense, but is still fascinating: the Greens seem to be taking votes from Reform "Some voters are looking more to Shake Things Up than pursue a necessarily right or left platform. They may see little difference in a Green or Reform vote"newstatesman.comAre the Greens taking Reform votes?The Green surge might do more than just upend Labour 157028
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 18/03/2026Hello geeks. Has anyone done any good work on the relationship and/or effect list MPs/elected reps have with the constituents, compared to say constituency reps? 242
Reposted by Ben WalkerBen Ansell @benansell.bsky.social · 17/03/2026Important data about Gorton & Denton from @bwalker.uk. 1. Only around 5% of Lab 2024 voters switched to Reform vs 36% to Greens. 2. No evidence of support for Reform among under 35s (sub 10%) - it's all over 55s 3. Progressives were undecided til last minute www.newstatesman.com/politics/pol...newstatesman.comThe rise of the undecided voterExclusive polling shows how late the Gorton and Denton by-election was decided 7455169
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 15/03/2026Great idea, any and all activists who have recollections from the EUref counts should get involved 024
Reposted by Ben WalkerAlexandra Lanes @ajlanes.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Wow! makes me think of Willie Rennie!!! (Cartoon from @neilslorance.com ) 0134
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 26/02/2026Gorton and Denton by-election forecast. The three charts you need to know: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... 3121
Reposted by Ben WalkerJames Ball @jamesrball.com · 25/02/2026Yes, I know some tactical voting sites say otherwise. I refer you to the statement above. The polling is a toss up, maybe favouring the greens a tiny amount. Labour has the more established ground operation. It is too close to call. 4335
Reposted by Ben WalkerJames Ball @jamesrball.com · 25/02/2026Honestly: anyone telling you polling “clearly” shows you should vote either Green or Labour to stop Reform in Gorton & Denton probably has a vested interest in that party winning. It’s a toss up. There isn’t a guaranteed move here. You might choose wrong. So just vote the one you like best. 3324536
Reposted by Ben WalkerThe New Statesman @newstatesman1913.bsky.social · 25/02/2026Gorton and Denton prediction: parties just hundreds of votes apart 📊 @bwalker.uknewstatesman.comGorton and Denton prediction: parties just hundreds of votes apartNew factors have put Zack Polanski's party neck-and-neck with Labour and Reform 122
Reposted by Ben WalkerIain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 02/02/2026I've previously been critical of some people on here for favouring the YouGov poll over poll-of-polls average - the argument for YouGov being that the average is distorted by Find Out Now. @bwalker.uk of Britain Elects has helpfully shown what impact FON has on the average - and it is minimal. 031
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 02/02/2026New post: likely ward by ward breakdowns of Gorton and Denton if it voted today. It's reasonable to expect Labour to not top the poll anywhere. The Greens may win in the west and Reform the east, but decent Labour seconds all over could see them home. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...newstatesman.comCan the Greens win Gorton and Denton?Gorton voters may support the party, but winning over Denton will be harder 2167
Reposted by Ben WalkerThe New Statesman @newstatesman1913.bsky.social · 02/02/2026Can the Greens win Gorton and Denton? Gorton voters may support the party, but winning over Denton will be harder. 📊 @bwalker.uknewstatesman.comCan the Greens win Gorton and Denton?Gorton voters may support the party, but winning over Denton will be harder 263
Reposted by Ben WalkerGeorgina Sturge @georginasturge.bsky.social · 21/01/2026How do you forecast an election result more accurately than all the professional pollsters? I asked Ben Walker from @britainelects.com and he told me... it's all about using local election microdata. Fascinating stuff in this week's episode of the Talk Data to Me podcast! 282
Reposted by Ben WalkerAlan Wager @dralanwager.bsky.social · 23/01/2026 @bwalker.uk is the one to follow for data points on Burnham and what might happen if it happens. This is particularly striking: 032
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 16/01/2026New best party on the economy poll: Con: 21% Ref: 14% Lab: 12% Biggest disadvantage I've seen for Labour in quite some time. As bad as / worse than some Corbyn periods. 8% of Lab voters now prefer the Cons 17% of Con voters now prefer Ref YouGov d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/P_...d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net 210
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 15/01/2026Newark would vote Conservative in an election held today: Con: 37% (-2) Ref: 23% (+8) Lab: 21% (-12) Britain Predicts 271
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 15/01/2026Jenrick held greater sympathy among Reform voters (30%) than Tory (26%) YouGov, Oct 2025 020
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 02/01/2026A run through of... everything electorally for the year ahead www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZPj...youtube.comWill Labour survive 2026? | UK Politics | The New StatesmanYouTube video by The New Statesman 042
Reposted by Ben WalkerThe New Statesman @newstatesman1913.bsky.social · 21/11/2025Labour understands the public on immigration. But if Shabana Mahmood’s gamble fails, Reform will benefit. 📊 @bwalker.uknewstatesman.comLabour understands the public on immigrationBut if Shabana Mahmood's gamble fails, Reform will benefit 022
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 20/11/2025Looking at the Danish local elections net change in seats... Net losers SocDems (centre-left): -156 Venstre (centre-right): -99 Conservatives (right): -61 Net winners Green Left (left): +80 DPP (far-right): +62 Liberal Alliance (right): +116 Denmark Democrats (far-right): +123 Hmm. 030
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 13/11/2025Guardian — Police and Crime Commissioner roles to be abolished 020
Reposted by Ben WalkerPawel Swidlicki @pswidlicki.bsky.social · 10/11/2025"The problem isn’t that we have a deliberately biased BBC, it’s that we have a BBC that has been consciously reduced in its scope and bullied into dumbing down and retreating." www.ft.com/content/676c...ft.comHome - Financial TimesNews, analysis and opinion from the Financial Times on the latest in markets, economics and politics 091
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 05/11/2025A likely 75 per cent of votes have already been counted and Mamdani's on course to win with half the vote. If the figs stay then Silwa has undergone some extensive squeezing to Cuomo's benefit. But Mamdani has outperformed the polls too. 040
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 05/11/2025Most important issue to voting New Yorkers who've given the win to Mamdani: Cost of living: 56% Crime: 22% >> Immigration: 10% via AP Voter Poll / SSRS 040
Reposted by Ben WalkerRobert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 04/11/2025If parties want credit for telling hard truths, they need to tell them when they're genuinely hard. If Labour had told the truth about taxes & the costs of Brexit before the election, its majority would be smaller. But it would have more real power & the public would put more faith in its judgment 18491109
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 03/11/2025An election petition is being heard because the last placed candidate of the Runcorn by-election regards it as a statistical impossibility he could have got 50 votes in two separate elections. 3123
Reposted by Ben WalkerAnoosh Chakelian @anooshc.bsky.social · 31/10/2025And listen to our snap analysis after it was released on the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social Podcast:podcasts.apple.comEngland's most deprived areas revealedPodcast Episode · The New Statesman: politics and culture · 30/10/2025 · 24m 001
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 31/10/2025New deprivation data: Britain is levelling down www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...newstatesman.comBritain is levelling downPockets of deprivation can be found in all corners of the country 142
Reposted by Ben WalkerSam Greene @samagreene.bsky.social · 18/08/2025The apocalyptic scenario—another blowup in the Oval Office—was avoided, and that’s good. But the second worst possible outcome was that the European leaders who accompany Zelenskyy would breathe a sigh of relief, and I’m afraid that may be what we’re seeing. /3 27416
Ben Walker @benwalker.org.uk · 15/08/2025Spot the election campaign britainelects.substack.com/p/who-do-you... 130
Reposted by Ben Walker@bobhudson.bsky.social @bobhudson.bsky.social · 02/08/2025Truly grim analysis of Labour’s electoral prospects in Wales by @bwalker.uk. 2026 looks to be a politically explosive year. open.substack.com/pub/britaine...open.substack.comDeath spiral? The state of Labour in WalesPlus: the polling which shows how bad it really is 023