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David Lawrence

@davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social
1.5K followers 935 following 114 posts

Shooting for UK growth & progress with @britishprogress.org Previously: Chatham House research fellow and Labour parliamentary candidate. Britain could have the highest living standards in the world!

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Reposted by David Lawrence
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
Whitehall should empower mayors to decide if they want AVs, and if so, how they want to tax them. Local areas should retain the proceeds of the tax to invest in local infrastructure and public transport. Thanks to @theguardian.com for covering this! 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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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
The Government should act now: it is easier to introduce a tax before AVs are widespread. Even if revenue is initially low, the OBR and bond markets will reward future revenue streams, reducing immediate borrowing costs and increasing fiscal headroom now.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
We have a solution: a small charge on AVs that can raise up to £46 billion – money which can be spent on local infrastructure, public transport and retraining taxi and private hire drivers. We calculate that this will substantially reduce AV-induced congestion.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
In addition to this, fuel duty revenue is about to collapse, creating a massive hole in public finances (that EV taxation doesn’t come close to filling)
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
What's wrong with AVs? 1. They put hundreds of thousands of livelihoods at risk. 2. AVs will increase congestion, as the marginal cost of driving falls to zero. Waymos in California spend half their time empty.
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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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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
Andy Burnham should not give up on building more homes, but to succeed, YIMBYism needs a reset. Read the full piece here: arguably.uk/p/must-we-ki...
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
The overall point: we failed to make Yimbyism win-win. The best argument for building more homes is that everyone can be better off: gentle density in urban centres, with good connectivity across the country, is politically popular, and the best thing Britain could do for growth.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Instead of making YIMBYism about ordinary people who need homes, every conference event, panel and drinks reception ended up being a showcase for big developers. (NB my think tank, the Centre for British Progress, has never taken any money from property developers)
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
3. YIMBYs got into bed with big property developers. Developers prefer the kind of urban sprawl that economists, environmentalists and voters all hate: large, cookie-cutter newbuild developments, connected by roads, on greenfield sites.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Economically, the biggest benefits derive from densifying urban areas, and connecting these to other towns with good transport infrastructure, rather than building more satellite towns.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
2. We failed to prioritise homes where they are most needed. Hot take: not all of the UK faces a housing crisis. In fact, in most parts of Britain, a lack of connectivity is a far more binding constraint on productivity.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Attacking blockers, bats and newts is fine if you are trying to appeal to a niche Twitter audience who agree with you already. It is less smart, however, if the majority of voters are worried about more housing being built near them, and (quite rightly!) want to protect their natural areas.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
In my latest piece for Arguably, I argue that YIMBYs (which includes me) made three big mistakes: 1. We picked unnecessary battles we were bound to lose.
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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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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
Read the full briefing from me, @yuanfenyang.bsky.social & @kaneemerson.bsky.social here: britishprogress.org/briefings/wa...
britishprogress.org
Ways to reduce food prices before 2029
Centre for British Progress and the Living Standards Coalition team up to outline how the UK Government can reduce food prices in the short term.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Previous competition action that enabled the rise of Lidl and Aldi created estimated welfare gains of 3.5% on certain basic products. The Government could go further and introduce a permitted development right for grocery stores, which would make it easier to open new branches in underserved areas.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
1. 🇪🇺 Closer alignment with the EU: agreeing a deal on SPS + customs arrangement, could lower food prices by 3-6%. 2. 🏗️ Reform planning to increase supermarket competition: current planning constraints benefit incumbents and limit the availability of lower-cost shops.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
So what can we do? To answer this question, @britishprogress.org has teamed up with @livingstandardsc.bsky.social to publish new research, drawing on expertise and evidence from @systemiq.bsky.social We find that there are two main levers the Government can pull to get prices down.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
The main drivers of recent food inflation are: 🌾 a global squeeze triggered by Russia’s war in Ukraine 🌡️ climate-related shocks ⚡ higher energy prices, also linked to the war, as well as Britain's dependence on gas. Meanwhile, supermarket margins are razor-thin, and VAT is already set to 0.
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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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Reposted by David Lawrence
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
And in @newstatesman1913.bsky.social here. (Thanks @emilylawford.bsky.social for editing & publishing!) www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
newstatesman.com
A customs union won’t fix Labour’s growth woes
Brexit has been bad for our economy. But it's become an excuse not to pursue growth
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Read the full piece, and my recommendations, in @renewaljournal.bsky.social here (thanks @dmk1793.bsky.social for editing and publishing!) renewal.org.uk/blog/a-custo...
renewal.org.uk
A customs union won’t fix Labour’s growth woes
The Government is, we are told, considering crossing its own red lines and rejoining the EU Customs Union. Indeed, according to one Cabinet source, this is “the only idea around” on growth.  Aside fr...
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Dynamism ≠ innovation. Europe has no shortage of founders & creators. The challenge is continually reallocating talent & capital to productive areas, turning ideas into companies that take on incumbents & scale. Market structure, regulation & infrastructure matter more than ingenuity & skills.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
Brexit didn’t cause our stagnation, but it created an excuse for it. Brexit sucked the air out of our debates, so we never properly interrogated the root causes of low growth. Europe suffers a lack of dynamism. Our largest companies are older than those in the US & weighted towards legacy sectors.
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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
We can build a runway in 4 years. The barriers are all within Parliament’s control. Where there is political will, there is a new runway. Read the full report from @morganwild.bsky.social, @pedroserodio.com, @dantomlinson.bsky.social & me britishprogress.org/briefings/ge...
britishprogress.org
Getting Britain off the ground
Britain needs a new runway at Heathrow, the world's most capacity-constrained airport. Building in Britain can be slow: this paper sets out the options for the Government to speed up infrastructure de...
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
3️⃣ Start with short-haul Instead of relocating the M25 - a requirement for a long runway - a short-haul runway could be built within the current footprint. This would boost domestic and European flights while freeing up space for more long-haul travel on the main runways.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
2️⃣ Tighten the timetable The Public Bill could be passed by early 2026. If ministers are prepared to override Standing Orders as the government did with Scunthorpe steelworks, the Bill could be enacted even faster.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
1️⃣ Speed up planning We struggle to build because our planning system is too slow and restrictive. A Public Bill on Heathrow expansion would empower Parliament to give the new runway the go-ahead, eliminating the risk of Judicial Review & reducing the number of veto players.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
We believe that a new runway in 4 years is possible. But it will require bold decisions. Here’s how you do it:
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
But can we actually build a runway before the next election? Doing so would not only deliver much-needed growth, it would send a clear message to ordinary people who have lost faith in politicians’ ability to deliver: a Britain that can build things again.
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
While previous govts dithered and prevaricated, this government has a chance to succeed where they failed. Heathrow expansion is good for growth, benefits the whole country, and consistent with our climate goals (see our previous piece!) britishprogress.org/uk-day-one/h...
britishprogress.org
Heathrow Expansion: Britain’s Runway to Growth
Heathrow is arguably the most capacity-constrained transport hub in the world. Allowing expansion could generate nationwide economic growth, but needs to be done in such a way to meet the Government’s...
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David Lawrence @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social · 07/07/2025
It is a source of national shame that governments have spent decades failing to expand Heathrow. It is the world’s most congested airport and operates with fewer runways than its competitors (excl Dubai, which runs through the night, and is building a whole new airport)
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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
Full analysis by me and @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social here: britishprogress.org/reports/isa-...
britishprogress.org
ISA & pension reform: Why forced investment is not real investment
Compelling British households to invest in British assets risks undermining their pensions without improving the economy. Creating real investment opportunities requires addressing the barriers curren...
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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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