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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

European free movement is “far less damaging" than the alternatives, writes @johnspringford.bsky.social. www.arguably.uk/p/eu-free-mo...

arguably.uk

EU free movement is an opportunity, not a threat

Progressives need to rediscover the positive case for immigration

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Chris Brooke @chrisbrooke.bsky.social · 11h

The Cambridge student newspaper Varsity is reporting that James Orr (or, as they call him, "Disgraced theology professor James Orr") hasn't been turning up to his own lectures.

archive.varsity.co.uk

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Free Movement @freemovement.bsky.social · 8h

🧵 1. Would the UK public accept free movement as part of a closer relationship with the EU? New British Future research suggests support depends on whether it brings benefits to trade and opportunities for UK citizens.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

John Springford @johnspringford.bsky.social · 9h

Now that Andy Burnham has reopened the Europe question, free movement will be at the centre of debate. For @arguablymag.bsky.social I argue that it's a big benefit, not a price to be paid for a better trade relationship. www.arguably.uk/p/eu-free-mo...

arguably.uk

EU free movement is an opportunity, not a threat

Progressives need to rediscover the positive case for immigration

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Turing Police Andúnië Branch 🇺🇦🇱🇹🇵🇸🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 @dov.bsky.social · 7h

For context, for some time now GPEW has been internally pretending to have a fight between Zionists and anti-Zionists that is in actual fact a fight between normal anti-Zionists and antisemitic anti-Zionists. This guy is the latter.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Anand Menon @anandmenon.bsky.social · 7h

Me on the Brexit debate second time round ukandeu.ac.uk/here-we-go-a...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

QTWTAIN Marvellous piece by @mtkonczal.bsky.social in which he carefully examines, and completely demolishes, claims that Trump's deportations have helped native-born US workers. A lesson for the UK obviously. newsletter.mikekonczal.com/p/can-we-fin...

newsletter.mikekonczal.com

Can We Find Literally Any Sign Deportations Are Helping Native-Born Workers?

Shoot the moon! Ten hypotheses, ten charts, and no payoff for native-born workers.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Michael Clemens @mclem.org · 22h

"It takes a lot of effort to make immigration look zero-sum" A forceful piece by the brilliant @jerusalem.bsky.social on what it might take for populist politicians to take their migration-skeptical supporters' concerns seriously—>

theargumentmag.com

Stop trying to make xenophobia sound smart

No one actually cares about how immigration impacts the economy

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Simon Usherwood @simonusherwood.bsky.social · 7h

Good read, if underplaying how we need to act, rather than just hope, when it comes to having an informed and engaged debate

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 9h

🙏 "Think tankers like me were disappointed by the standard of debate last time round. Now, in the Burnham spirit, I am daring to hope." ✍️ @anandmenon.bsky.social reflects on the prospects of a second EU referendum and the risks of another low-quality public debate. ukandeu.ac.uk/here-we-go-a...

ukandeu.ac.uk

Here we go again - UK in a changing Europe

Anand Menon reflects on the prospects of another EU referendum and the risks of repeating the low quality of public debate seen...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 11h

Braverman not being "racist against myself" on her own identity To say Sunak & Marcus Rashford can not be English without at least English grandparents= an exclusionary racialised worldview, whether the MP saying it is white or Asian, just as saying they should be barred as MPs withoit one would be

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 10h

From Politico. That motion is absolute fucking poison and by failing to stand up to it, the Greens have allowed that poison to seep into the party.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 20h

“With births barely exceeding deaths, and likely to fall, idea UK faces inexorable immigration-driven population growth is detached from reality. The long-term challenge is how we sustain the workforce, public services and tax base as the population ages.” www.thetimes.com/article/uk-p...

thetimes.com

UK population grows at slowest rate since 1998, ONS figures show

The slowdown is largely due to the ongoing fall in net migration

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 20h

thetimes.com

UK population grows at slowest rate since 1998, ONS figures show

The slowdown is largely due to the ongoing fall in net migration

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Julian Jessop @julianhjessop.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Another rollercoaster day sees gilt yields end lower as US Treasuries rally - could all change tomorrow after US payrolls! I get that some people want to make this all about Burnham, but it really isn't. Just look at France, with Italy now also being dragged into another EU debt crisis... 👇

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

newsletter.mikekonczal.com

Can We Find Literally Any Sign Deportations Are Helping Native-Born Workers?

Shoot the moon! Ten hypotheses, ten charts, and no payoff for native-born workers.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Rachel Strohm @rachelstrohm.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Insightful from @jdportes.bsky.social 👇 While I'm very excited about Labour's post-conference policy direction overall, I've found that immigration is a hard line for me - I couldn't vote for a party which has such evident disdain for non-white immigrants

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The NEET rate basically hasn't changed for the whole of this century (except post-GFC and post Covid). It's been the same with tougher welfare sanctions and weaker. More apprenticeships and fewer. Higher employer national insurance and lower. I draw two conclusions from this....

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Dan Davies @dsquareddigest.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I would be very careful with this factoid because it is very dependent on generous defined benefit schemes which future generations of pensioners, beginning with late GenX to early millennials, will not have

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Genuinely funny that this guy started by telling me "this has nothing to do with racism, Burnham didn't say anything at about Europeans being white" [true], and ended up with ..this: bsky.app/profile/adjw...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Treacle @nessggd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Interesting thread here pushing back on Burnham's awful argument about immigration.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Marta Zboralska @marta-zboralska.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Well this is quite funny because Nigel Farage himself once argued that people “from India and Australia” are preferable to migrants from “behind the Iron Curtain” because they are more culturally aligned with Britain (0:45 to 2:00)… youtu.be/G6nZ37OLV3E?...

youtu.be

Nigel Farage on immigration preferences - Newsnight

YouTube video by BBC Politics

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

On stay/return rates, some very rough and ready data from the Census. Doesn't exactly back up Burnham's argument [this probably understates short-term circular migration from the EU. However, idea that free movement was mostly/mainly "revolving door"/temporary, as Burnham suggest, is complete BS.]

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Free movement *does* benefit migrants by giving them more freedom/options, and improves labour market flexibility overall. These are good arguments for it, compared to a managed system, that I've made many times. Burnham's "it gives us Gastarbeiter" is both false and regressive.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Scornflake Ghhhoul @scornflakegrrrl.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

So apparently immigrants are both expected to stay transient and to integrate and I don’t know how to put it without shouting expletives but that stance is fucking idiotic

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Chris Terry-Enescu @cjterry.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

We don't actually need carve outs for either. Schengen is not required for EU membership (Ireland being the most notable non member) and while theoretically every EU country is supposed to join the Euro in reality there's no mechanism to actually force you. Sweden has simply not joined and won't EG

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Ben Dunnell @bendunnell.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I think the talk of a ‘revolving door’ and the way in which permanent settlement is clearly described as a negative development forgets that these are human beings, wanting the best lives for themselves. And I’d add the right never has to make these concessions.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Quite. We don't have to invent barriers that are surmountable. The real ones are big enough. bsky.app/profile/jdpo...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Chris Boyd @paperghost.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

but the narrative is essentially "brown people are bad/worse/more likely to stick around, isn't that bad too" tied to "europeans are great though because they all sod off", and neither of these are in support of migration, and especially settlement (for either cohort)

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Luke Piper @lukepiper.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Baffling that this context wasn't in his mind. That is 4MILLION granted settled status since the scheme launched less than a decade ago following the most politically divisive event that he is keen to address. He was Mayor during the peak drive to get people applying to protect their rights!

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This is a dreadful argument from Burnham. Empirically false - almost 6m people were granted settled status; about 4m are currently resident. More importantly panders to racism/xenophobia, and directly contradicts argument made in his speech about migrant contributions.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I can't help but feel the answers here rather undercut the claim they want a single state with equal rights for all those living there. Its not equal rights if one group gets the seize the land, and have a 'justice and reperations process' over the other.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Priyamvada Gopal @priyamvadagopal.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

The outrage at Mamdani on the left is just embarrassing, shameful in itself, but also just leaning into a stereotype that will be wielded gleefully.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Samantha Asumadu @samanthaasumadu.substack.com · 30/09/2026

Six days ago I wrote the thread linked below. Times Higher Education's lack of interest in James Orr had bothered me for weeks. Today Byline Times published the investigation that explains this very British scandal at length. Corruption, racism, sycophancy & graft bylinetimes.com/2026/09/30/t...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

🚨 Breaking news: we fucking WON!!!!!!!!!! 🚨 www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/...

Legal 500 workers win full pay claim after strike action

Wednesday 30 September 2026
Share
Dozens of publishing staff at Legalease, the publishers of legal industry-bible The Legal 500, have won a dramatic victory in their industrial dispute over pay.

Staff who had been on strike for two and a half weeks accepted an offer that fully met their original pay claim of a £2000 pay increase for every worker. This was despite the company originally claiming it would not pay such an increase.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

All of the above. I'd note that a few months ago under Starmer all of these political factors arguably applied in directly analogous form to the UK. Early days yet but if Burnham does succeed in turning them around then UK prospects will be considerably brighter. www.ft.com/content/e7c0...

Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://help.ft.com/faq/gifting-and-sharing-an-article/what-is-a-gift-article/.
https://www.ft.com/content/e7c044f0-5448-4d90-9b86-9786ffafbc7b?shareType=nongift

Never in the post-Whatever-It-Takes- era have 10-year and 30-year French bond spreads traded as high as they do now over their German equivalents.

Are investors spooked by polls showing that the Eurosceptic far-right Marine Le Pen is on track to win the presidency next year? Or by leftist challenger Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s idea to cancel some of France’s debt? Or maybe just by the seeming inability of the current minority government to win any kind of support from left or right to shrink next year’s budget deficit down to a mere 5 per cent of GDP?

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

A very good start. The unions should make clear that there should be no retrospection - any changes to settlement should only apply to new arrivals. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

inews.co.uk

How migration reforms could be watered down - as Mahmood plans talks on concessions

The Home Secretary is weighing up how to soften indefinite leave to remain changes

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Can Labour get immigration right? How much will Home Secretary's rebalancing voice - control first, but more now on compassion & fairness - see settlement/ILR reform + other policies shift? Report @futuregovforum.bsky.social + @britishfuture.bsky.social fringe www.britishfuture.org/event/can-la...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Byline Times @bylinetimes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Times Higher Education, Sponsored by Orbán’s Hungary, Failed to Report James Orr Allegations The publication signed a partnership with Viktor Orbán's government and has since published no coverage of the allegations around a Cambridge academic and former Reform UK policy chief whose foundation…

bylinetimes.com

Times Higher Education, Sponsored by Orbán’s Hungary, Failed to Report James Orr Allegations

The publication signed a partnership with Viktor Orbán's government and has since published no coverage of the allegations around a Cambridge academic and former Reform UK policy chief whose foundation receives Hungary-linked funding

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

That'll be @anandmenon.bsky.social then? bsky.app/profile/simo...

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

A very good start. The unions should make clear that there should be no retrospection - any changes to settlement should only apply to new arrivals. inews.co.uk/news/politic...

inews.co.uk

How migration reforms could be watered down - as Mahmood plans talks on concessions

The Home Secretary is weighing up how to soften indefinite leave to remain changes

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Paul Bernal @paulbernal.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Then be honest about immigration too, please. Pretty please?

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Chris Dillow @chrisdillow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

True. Labour should be calling higher petrol/diesel prices & higher bond yields the Trump tax - which is far more accurate than saying that Truss crashed the economy.

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Chris Dillow @chrisdillow.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

If these are the arguments for keeping or scrapping the TL, then gawd help 'us, coz they're abysmal.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

To be fair to PM he seems to be doing just that - talking about a National Care Service with almost nothing about how it will be financed (since triple lock review is essentially irrelevant here except as symbolism)

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The Institute for Fiscal Studies @theifs.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

💡 Want to work at the Institute for Fiscal Studies? We're currently recruiting for the following roles with November deadlines ⬇️ 📊 Research Economist (apply by 8 November) 📊 Research Economist - postdoctoral (apply by 15 November) 📊 Postdoctoral Fellow (apply by 15 November)

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