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Reposted by Theo Bertram

Rebecca Montacute @beckymontacute.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Politics and policy nerds of bluesky - assemble The Social Market Foundation has launched a Labour leadership policy tracker (if we're missing anything, please do pop us an email at wonkweek@smf.co.uk) @smfthinktank.bsky.social Tracker link here ➡️ docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

docs.google.com

Wonk Watch - Labour Leadership Tracker (Social Market Foundation)

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Struggling to track all the potential candidates and their policy proposals? We're here to help. Check out Wonk Watch - SMF's Labour Leadership Policy Tracker: docs.google.com/spreadsheets... Enjoy!

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 21/05/2026

Struggling to track all the potential candidates and their policy proposals? We're here to help. Check out Wonk Watch - SMF's Labour Leadership Policy Tracker: bit.ly/4u7qhxD Enjoy!

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

Today's local election results show the Starmer government losing support from the left and the right. Director @theobertram.bsky.social explains how the centre can still hold - by rediscovering its reforming ambition. In @politicshome.bsky.social www.politicshome.com/opinion/arti...

politicshome.com

Tepid managerialism is dead but the centre ground is not

For 80 years, the Conservatives and Labour have shared 80 per cent or more of the vote, but – as the results of these elections come in – is the ce...

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 27/04/2025

Join us for our event, Top of the Pops: Charting the rise of Populism in the UK We'll welcome @saschaosullivan.bsky.social & @keiranpedley.bsky.social along with @jamiegollings.bsky.social & @theobertram.bsky.social to discuss our new report, Understanding Populism. 📅 Sign up: buff.ly/BQ8kINO

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 28/03/2025

The last episode of Severance was brilliant. The scene with the brass band - and the intricacy & depth, weirdness & fullness of the portrait of the cult of Egan & Lumon - really reminded me of Matthew Barney's Cremaster Cycle. www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqQN...

youtube.com

Cremaster Cycle Trailer

YouTube video by naradeni

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 26/03/2025

SMF Director @theobertram.bsky.social reacts to the Spring Statement 🧮 You can read the full reaction from the SMF team below 👇 www.smf.co.uk/social-marke...

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 25/03/2025

On @lbc.co.uk , SMF Director @theobertram.bsky.social set out our inventive ideas for the Spring Statement 🧮 ✅ Raise Remote Gambling Duty to raise £4.4bn ✅ Vacant Property Tax to raise £10bn ✅ Tax on house flipping to raise £2.8bn ✅ Tax on non-resident home purchases to raise £6.7bn

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Great to see the @guardian cover our suggestions on the fairer, cost-effective solutions the Chancellor could make ahead of the Spring Statement. You can read our full list of suggestions here 👇 www.smf.co.uk/commen...

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 20/03/2025

The story of the local elections is likely to be Tory losses but if Reform were to win the Runcorn by-election on the same day then the story will be plague-on-both-your-houses, providing some cover for Badenoch. Conversely, if Labour manages to hold the seat then it makes her situation worse.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

Badenoch says: "families being forced to replace perfectly functioning cars, boilers and cookers with more expensive, less reliable versions of the same thing." No one is being forced to buy EVs or heat pumps. It's a common myth that she's deliberately reinforcing.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 18/03/2025

A very significant day of politics - Badenoch going right on net zero, Labour not going left on welfare reform

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 17/03/2025

This was actually a fascinating panel despite the apparent disinterest Colm and I appear to be showing in the image

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 10/02/2025

🧵HOW TO POWER AI - New from @SMFthinktank The UK ranks 4th gl;obally on AI talent & research but infrastructure is the Achilles heel of the UK’s AI ambitions, where we rank 17th. Two problems: planning & energy costs risk us losing our European crown. The problem in one chart:

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 29/01/2025

Today marks a decisive shift in Labour's strategy. Reeves' speech and Starmer's article are less doomsterish and much more bullish - not just about the future but the present.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Alex Jones - banned from Facebook, Apple, Spotify, YouTube, TikTok, Pinterest, Mailchimp, LinkedIn, Paypal - is allowed on X since Musk bought it. Below is an ad promoting Jones & his conspiracy theory that MRNA is causing 'COVID AIDS'. X directly profit from this misinfo.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

Both sides living up to their stereotype today: BlueSky: growth is good, nimbys are bad and actually PR is really quite possible, probably inevitable X: growth growth is good, nimbys are bad and actually the death penalty is quite sensible, probably inevitable

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 23/01/2025

🧵New analysis on public attitudes to net zero from @SMFthinktank First, the good news - Brits are much less likely to be climate change sceptics than the US. 'Drill, baby, drill' is not going to be a 'vibe shift' in the UK, as it was in the US.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

We have had so much in recent weeks about suspected cover ups and the damage to trust attributed to various key institutions in the UK. Will those folks extend that criticism to The Sun, or does that institution get a free pass?

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 22/01/2025

It will be interesting to see whether those who frequently are quick to criticise the BBC or mainstream media now make any criticism of The Sun.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Why is the triple lock 'unsustainable' in the long run? Because it guarantees that we as a country pay out (pensions) more than we pay in (earnings) and eventually that becomes unaffordable for workers. The IFS modelled it here:

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

To this point by @rmcunliffe.bsky.social, is there a definitive list of politicians who have acknowledged (publicly, rather than just in private) that the triple lock can't last? Mel Stride: "does become unsustainable in the long-term" Torsten Bell: “not a sensible mechanism for pensions uprating”

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Social Market Foundation @smfthinktank.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Reasons why Chancellors have left ✔️Mutiny ✔️Govt majority collapses ✔️They become PM Not reasons why Chancellors leave ❌Barbs in the Commons ❌Opinion polls 👇Thoughts by @theobertram.bsky.social on the speculation this week regarding Chancellor Reeves www.smf.co.uk/commentary_p...

smf.co.uk

No, Reeves is not hanging on by her fingertips - here's why - Social Market Foundation.

Theo Bertram takes a look back, reminding us that Chancellors have a history of enduring through the barbs, the polls, and bad headlines.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

The start of this week was wild. Lots of people in Westminster got completely carried away with Tory wishful thinking that Rachel Reeves was about to be replaced. Why did this obviously daft idea get taken seriously? I've figured it out. I blame the noobs. 🧵

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

The US at home: preparing to ban TikTok because it's not US-owned & they fear foreign influence & suspect (unproven) links to China govt. The US abroad: Musk using his platform to destabilise other democracies & support far-right groups, while Zuck wants US to overturn other democracies laws.

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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

1/ This goes beyond a criticism of the EU Digital Services Act (on the grounds that the US First Amendment should apply worldwide). It argues the EU should not apply its *competition* law to US tech companies on the EU market either. A rejection of the very idea of the EU regulation of its market.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

This is bad. And - at least in Europe - seems doomed to fail as a strategy. Hard to see Europeans saying 'yeah, you're right, US big tech should just operate as you feel without complying with our laws'. Europe is not going to roll over. Especially while Musk uses his platform as a political weapon.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Today's must read. This is a very perceptive analysis by @davidallengreen.bsky.social. The further observation I would make is that the big US tech companies would like the world to be one regulatory environment, specifically the more favourable US regulatory environment.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

You can imagine, at some point in the future, following the precedent set by her successful defamation case against Starmer: - Truss & Johnson sue Sunak (£££) - Cameron sues them (££££) - Miliband & Brown sue all of them (£££££) - Blair sues all of them (££££££) - Corbyn sues them all (jackpot).

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Reposted by Theo Bertram

Ben Chu @benchu.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Important and comprehensive work by Verify colleagues on the alleged "lifestyle choice" Home Office memo👇 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

How Elon Musk seized on baseless memo claim to create wave of misinformation

The X owner shared false claims that a Home Office memo urged police not to intervene in child grooming cases.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 07/01/2025

This is a really interesting & significant intervention. For the last 20 years, US tech companies were moving in only one direction on the trade off between safety & free speech: towards safer platforms. Now Meta & X are moving back towards free speech. www.facebook.com/zuck/videos/...

facebook.com

327K views · 4.3K comments | It's time to get back to our roots around free expression. We're replacing fact checkers with Community Notes, simplifying our policies and focusing on... | By Mark Zucker...

It's time to get back to our roots around free expression. We're replacing fact checkers with Community Notes, simplifying our policies and focusing on...

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

We're hiring for three new roles at @smfthinktank.bsky.social - Events officer - Researcher/economist - Impact officer (comms & engagement) Apply by end of Friday here: www.smf.co.uk/press_media/

smf.co.uk

Press & Media - Social Market Foundation.

Contacting our press office For comment, interview requests and other media enquiries, please contact press@smf.co.uk

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

If your new year resolution is to work in politics and public policy, then apply for one of three new early career roles at the @smfthinktank.bsky.social - Events officer - Researcher/economist - Impact officer (comms & engagement) Closing date: January 10 Apply here: www.smf.co.uk/press_media/

smf.co.uk

Press & Media - Social Market Foundation.

Contacting our press office For comment, interview requests and other media enquiries, please contact press@smf.co.uk

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 22/12/2024

This makes it sound like Priti Patel sees Prince Andrew as Britain's number one official threat

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

In a 2028/9 scenario where Labour failed to get growth & the electorate are frustrated with endemic stagnation, a Tory proposal for radical tax reform, even a flat tax, could be politically effective. However it could only be done from a position of strong economic credibility.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

Is Reform really a new phenomenon? How is it different to the previous incarnations? There were 4.3m voters for UKIP, now 4.1m for Reform.

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Paula Surridge @psurridge.bsky.social · 10/12/2024

I keep reading pieces that say Reform came from nowhere to win 5 seats and 14% of the vote in 2024 - did everyone forget 2015? Or even June 2019?

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Simon Evans @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org · 05/12/2024

STRIKING NEW DATA: More than a quarter of new cars sold in the UK in November were battery EVs (so much for "stalling sales") 📈BEV sales up 51% year-on-year 📉Petrol sales down 35% year-on-year (!) Data from New Automotive

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Fundamentally, I think today is all about two things: 1. set clear priorities for Whitehall 2. avoid Biden’s strategic mistake, which was to achieve targets that satisfied economists but not voters: hence the targeting of real income rather than just GDP

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

On the specific targets: - Bobbies on the beat helps tackle street crime but feels quite 2000s because it won't address pandemic of online fraud

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

Targets work. They set priorities, provide focus and raise ambition. They say something about what the government is for – and how and what it intends to change.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 03/12/2024

It’s 20 years since the Political Parties Act, so it needs updating: more transparency, stronger investigatory powers, address digital ads. However we need to be cautious about the consequences of capping donations from people and companies. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.com

Government may cap UK political donations to limit foreign influence

Proposal comes after billionaire Elon Musk reportedly said he would donate £79m to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Can Musk buy the UK? 🧵 1. Could Musk legally donate $100m to Reform? Yes. Musk himself cannot donate personally & he cannot give $100m to someone to donate on his behalf but there is plenty of precedent of overseas donors using their UK companies. It's legal, sadly.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

Biden's final deliberation on the pardon would make a great play. Set in Oval Office, starts with West Wing speeches & the arc of a James Graham feel-good-about-politics drama, only to become a Jesse Armstrong depiction of the moral vacuum of modern American democracy. Brutal.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 02/12/2024

What Joe Biden has done for his son is understandable as a father, unforgiveable as President.

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

I don't think this is quite right. I think the situation is worse. I fear the backlog is 100k+, rather than 53.4k. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

independent.co.uk

Winter fuel payment claims skyrocket after Labour changes – with half rejected

There are now 53,400 pensioners waiting for their claim to be processed

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Theo Bertram @theobertram.bsky.social · 28/11/2024

Some notable characteristics of the Aussie act: 1. Bans 'having an account' for under-16s 2. Defines social media where 'the significant purpose is to enable online social interaction between 2+ users' 3. Explicitly includes X, Insta, TikTok, specifically excludes YouTube, WhatsApp

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