iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Frederick Harry Pitts @fhpitts.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

A privilege to contribute an essay to Reindustrialising Britain, @futureoftheleft.bsky.social's collection on the new politics of production, alongside interventions by @ben-glover.bsky.social @drodrik.bsky.social @paulmason.bsky.social @davidedgerton.bsky.social @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social 🔗⬇️

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Robotaxis are here! Last week, Uber & Wayve started offering driverless journeys in London, and Waymo is not far behind. We should welcome autonomous vehicles (AVs), but they come alongside three big problems. In a new report for @britishprogress.org, @anyamartin.bsky.social & I make a plan... 🧵

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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Why opposing data centres isn’t progressive – essential deep dive by @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social for Arguably. “Many of the fears around data centres are overblown, and the benefits – to national security, tax revenue, public services – are substantial.” www.arguably.uk/p/opposing-d...

arguably.uk

Opposing data centres isn’t progressive

The fears around them are overblown, while the benefits are substantial

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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

What Britain can learn from Taiwan – excellent from @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social for Arguably on what the country gets right on tech, infrastructure, welfare and land taxes. www.arguably.uk/p/the-island...

arguably.uk

What Britain can learn from Taiwan

The island offers a masterclass in strategic and economic sovereignty

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Kane Emerson @kaneemerson.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

NEW from @britishprogress.org Robotaxis are here in London! Should they be taxed more? A new CBP paper by @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social & @anyamartin.bsky.social argues for an AV charge to tackle congestion, replace lost fuel duty and manage the transition👇 www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

theguardian.com

Self-driving cars should be taxed to offset job losses, thinktank urges

Report says widespread autonomous vehicle adoption would put hundreds of thousands of private hire jobs at risk

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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Must we kill the newts? This is an excellent reflection from @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social on the three mistakes the Yimby movement made and why it needs to replace the language of warfare with “win-win” solutions. www.arguably.uk/p/must-we-ki...

arguably.uk

Must we kill the newts?

Where ‘Build, Baby, Build’ went wrong

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

YIMBYism promised to be the next big thing in progressive politics. But a couple of years after the PM declared himself a YIMBY, housebuilding has stalled, and YIMBYs have found themselves on the side of killing newts. Where did 'build baby build' go wrong? 🧵

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

Is there a progressive case for new North Sea exploration? In my first column for @arguablymag.bsky.social, I look at the case for and against. This could be Ed Miliband's "Nixon goes to China" moment: only he can credibly make the case that further extraction would not increase emissions.

arguably.uk

The progressive case for North Sea licences

For Ed Miliband, this could be a “Nixon goes to China” moment

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Centre for British Progress @britishprogress.org · 17/04/2026

What if the residents of a street could collectively decide to build more homes on it - and share directly in the benefits? That's street votes. In our new paper with @labourtogether.bsky.social we set out how community-led street votes could help Steve Reed build 1.5 million new homes.

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Keir Starmer wants to make your food cheaper. He says "every minute we focus on anything other than cost of living is a wasted minute”. Food is the most visible part of inflation, & prices have gone up 40% since 2020. But there's a problem: the Government has little control over food prices...

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Fabian Society @thefabians.bsky.social · 06/01/2026

“Those of us who care about growth should stop framing it as being in conflict with environmental objectives.” The truism that economic growth threatens the climate may not be so true after all, writes @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social. fabians.org.uk/growing-pains/

fabians.org.uk

Growing pains? | Fabian Society

Fabian Society

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 17/12/2025

I'm in the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social & @renewaljournal.bsky.social today arguing why rejoining the EU Customs Union won't fix Labour's growth woes. The basic reason: UK and European stagnation predate Brexit, and the real challenge is competing with US and Chinese dynamism.

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Ben Johnson @ersatzben.com · 21/07/2025

🚨 NEW REPORT 🚨 The Alan Turing Institute has visibly struggled, and is now at a critical juncture. The Secretary of State has intervened. What happens next? A new report for @britishprogress.bsky.social by me and @jujulemons.bsky.social sets out a plan: 🧵

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

🚧 A challenge for this Government, and for Britain: can we build a new runway in under four years? Our answer? YES, but only if ministers use their powers decisively. In a new paper, @labourtogether.bsky.social & @britishprogress.bsky.social set out a plan to let Britain fly 🛫 Here's how:

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pedroserodio.com @pedroserodio.com · 19/06/2025

Will throwing more money at British companies actually help our economy? Politicians keep threatening to direct British savings & pensions to UK equities. But this won’t fix the underlying reasons for Britain’s low investment & productivity – and could deliver worse returns. 🧵

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Ben Johnson @ersatzben.com · 16/04/2025

🚨 NEW PAPER KLAXON 🚨 @britishprogress.bsky.social's first research report is out! It is all about the Government's announcement of a new defence innovation unit – UK Defence Innovation. Here’s how to build this unit for maximum impact on security and prosperity: 🧵

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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 07/04/2025

New episode of THE ABUNDANCE AGENDA! Why we love Luton Airport, and a terrible plan for changing the London Mayoralty. Plus we speak to @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social and @jujulemons.bsky.social about the launch of @britishprogress.bsky.social ! Listen: www.abundancepod.com/p/why-we-lov...

abundancepod.com

Why we love Luton Airport, and a terrible plan for changing the London Mayoralty

Plus the exciting launch of the Centre for British Progress

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Christopher Smith @christophersmith.bsky.social · 05/04/2025

@britishprogress.bsky.social A new project focussing on policies for British growth for the material and social well being of the British people. Very much worth following, and featuring the excellent @ersatzben.bsky.social

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Marley Miller @marleygmiller.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Very excited to be working with @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social @jujulemons.bsky.social and team to make the progressive case for growth as a fellow at the new Centre for British Progress @britishprogress.bsky.social

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David Klemperer @dmk1793.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

This is an intriguing addition to the centre-left think tank space, with an impressively dynamic leadership - I will be interested to see the ideas they produce!

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UK Day One @ukdayone.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

The @ukdayone.bsky.social election year project has now concluded and is now part of @britishprogress.bsky.social - you can check out our founding essay here... 👀

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James O'Malley @jamesomalley.co.uk · 03/04/2025

Also very interesting to note that threaded throughout this excellent essay is the importance of the state in unlocking postal innovation. 👀

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Julia Willemyns @jujulemons.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

I am incredibly proud to be founding @britishprogress.bsky.social with @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social. For the past year, we've been publishing ideas on economic growth and British progress with @ukdayone.bsky.social. This will be a continuation and expansion of that work.

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Joe Hill @jo3hill.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Great to see the team launch the Centre for British Progress today! And fantastic to see people across the political spectrum making the case against Everythingism. Well done @jujulemons.bsky.social, @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social and the rest of the team!

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Freddie Poser @freddieposer.com · 03/04/2025

So excited to be joining this team! Can't wait to work with @jujulemons.bsky.social and @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social!

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/04/2025

Here is what I've been working on for the last few months: we are launching the Centre for British Progress to make the progressive case for growth. Our founding essay describes how Britain once drove our collective progress, and how we must rediscover this dynamism.

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Centre for British Progress @britishprogress.org · 03/04/2025

💫 We’re launching the Centre for British Progress Our founding essay: Rediscovering British Progress is a case for growth that drives shared progress, rooted in Britain's values and industrial heritage. It all starts with a postcard from 1870 👇 britishprogress.org/articles/red...

Cover of the essay Rediscovering British Progress available at https://britishprogress.org/articles/rediscovering-british-progress

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 20/02/2025

As @aveek18.bsky.social says, the birth rate challenge is too important to be left to the right. My small contribution to this essay collection is on the economics of childcare. Unlike many other parts of the economy, expensive childcare is not primarily a 'supply side' issue... 🧵

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Chris Curtis MP @chriscurtis94.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

Brilliant thread this, even if I would say so. We have quietly built an economic superpower, and people rarely talk about it, mostly driven by snobbery.

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 19/02/2025

What’s so exciting about the Oxford-Cambridge ‘growth corridor’? It’s not just Oxford and Cambridge, which make up less than 15% of the corridor’s GDP. It’s also places like Milton Keynes, one of the most innovative and productive parts of the UK. 🧵

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Chris Curtis MP @chriscurtis94.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

The Sunday Times is right—Milton Keynes is one of the most exciting and innovative places in the Oxford-Cambridge Arc. A city built for growth, with the infrastructure, ambition, and economic strength to lead the UK’s next phase of development. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

thetimes.com

New rail link, big tech sector — time to move to Milton Keynes?

The city straddling the Oxford-Cambridge corridor believes its forward-looking ethos will draw skilled people from both university cities

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Reforming Judicial Review is one of the best things we can do to get 🇬🇧 building. JRs have held up critical infrastructure and cost the taxpayer millions. Delighted to see Starmer making reforms that Gabriel Moberg & I proposed for @ukdayone.bsky.social last year! ukdayone.org/briefings/re...

ukdayone.org

Reforming Judicial Review to get Britain Building - UK Day One

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Joe Jarnecki @jjarnecki.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

Yesterday, DSIT announced plans to review pay for digital professionals across the public sector. With an objective to make it 'sustainable and more competitive with the private sector' Here's what they should do (1/7) THREAD www.gov.uk/government/n...

gov.uk

Shake up of tech and AI usage across NHS and other public services to deliver plan for change

The government has announced a new plan to leverage technology and AI tools like

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

We're hiring! @ukdayone.bsky.social is looking for an exceptional leader to become our Head of Operations. It's a great time to join the team - we are building the next stage of the organisation and looking to the future. Full details here: ukdayone.org/headofopps

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John Myers @johnrmyers.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

UK Day One is an inspiring organisation working to drive UK growth and progress. This is a great opportunity for someone enthusiastic to work with the brilliant @jujulemons.bsky.social and @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social, and make a real difference helping the whole country. ukdayone.org/headofopps

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

I really enjoyed this IFP Statecraft interview with @andrewgreenway.bsky.social & @pahlkadot.bsky.social, which is surprisingly positive about the potential for UK state capacity. We need more of this! Full interview here: www.statecraft.pub/p/what-can-t...

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 31/12/2024

One of my 2024 highlights was moderating a conversation between the Archbishop of Canterbury and Rory Stewart. Welby resigned three days later, for unrelated reasons. We talk about Trump, AI, vocations and extreme poverty. You can watch the conversation here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hzdt...

youtube.com

Faith, Poverty, and the Future: Rory Stewart & Justin Welby in Conversation

YouTube video by Christians for Impact

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Elle @centristmum.bsky.social · 29/12/2024

RIP Jimmy Carter 🫡

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Adam Corlett @adamcorlett.bsky.social · 27/12/2024

One of my wishes for 2025: Labour needs to take forward mandatory animal welfare labelling, which Defra consulted on before the election. Here’s one mock-up:

A mock-up of an animal welfare label, with 5 categories. A, B and C would exceed baseline UK standards; D would merely follow UK law; and X would be for imports with unproven standards. Picture based on a Defra example but with adjustments.

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 28/12/2024

As the year draws to a close, here are some of my favourite @ukdayone.bsky.social briefings from 2024. I'm so proud of the work of the UKD1 team & all our amazing contributors!

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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 26/12/2024

Here are the most appalling clichés of modern political economy writing, that it's possible to read everywhere all the time. 1. Inequality is always getting worse and we never talk about it 1/

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

A chilling description in the FT of how bureaucratic environmental regulations + government austerity contributed to a lack flood defences in Valencia - where over 200 people have died from flash flooding.

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

At a panel event and just found out that there apparently "isn't just one single solution to the climate crisis"?? Huge if true.

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 15/12/2024

The fact that recently stagnant European economies can experience dramatic catch-up growth gives me hope for the UK

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 13/12/2024

What do you do when you walk in to find that your 1 year old has somehow switched on GB News?

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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 11/12/2024

...but guess which industry is going to be a sticking point in the Government's plans for a closer UK-EU relationship?

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