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ThinkLabour

@thinklabour.bsky.social
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ThinkLabour is a new strategic force generating bold ideas for Britain | Media enquiries: press@thinklabour.co.uk

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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 6h
Tory Conference is underway. So what does the party’s current strategy look like? We asked Lord Andrew Cooper, David Cameron’s former Director of Strategy, to take a look at Kemi Badenoch’s approach - drawing on ThinkLabour focus groups to examine how voters see the Conservatives today.
thinklabour.substack.com
The Tories Still Don’t Know Why They Lost
Lord Andrew Cooper, Former Conservative Director of Strategy
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
What a conference that was. Our @christabelcoops.bsky.social joined Channel 4 News to discuss Andy Burnham’s speech and ThinkLabour polling showing the public can support a National Care Service and triple lock reform - if the case is communicated clearly.
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Christabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
We also said that the party should make more of its policies to help the economically insecure, such as the Employment Rights Bill and the Renters Rights Bill. They have taken our advice to heart, and the better results are clear to see. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Labour must reunite progressive voters to win the next election, says Lucy Powell
The deputy leader wants the party to take advantage of a split on the right and not be embarrassed to show its values
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Christabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
"Who is Andy Burnham For?" looks at which voters the new PM is winning back based on the groups @thinklabour.bsky.social identified in May: values-driven left-liberals, the economically insecure motivated by material concerns and transactional voters focused on delivery. substack.com/inbox/post/2...
substack.com
Who is Andy Burnham For?
Christabel Cooper, Interim Director of Political Strategy
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
As Labour party conference begins we revisit these groups using new polling to see how Labour’s support has changed since June, where it has made gains, and what this means for the challenges ahead. Read here for new polling which breaks down how different groups of voters have changed since June.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Who is Andy Burnham for? Earlier this year, ThinkLabour argued that Labour could no longer rely on a single group of swing voters. In a fragmented political landscape, Labour needs to hold together a broad coalition of left-liberal, economically insecure and transactional voters.
thinklabour.substack.com
Who is Andy Burnham For?
Christabel Cooper, Interim Director of Political Strategy
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
There’s support for strengthening Britain’s defences - but the trade-offs matter. 60% support raising defence spending to 3% of GDP in isolation. That falls to 33% with welfare cuts, 32% with tax rises and just 19% with NHS cuts. Meanwhile, 47% support a National Resilience Corps.
thinklabour.co.uk
A New Civil Partnership • ThinkLabour
ThinkLabour is a think tank working at the heart of British politics to support the Labour movement with research, strategy, and policy development.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
NEW REPORT: A New Civil Partnership With the British Foreign Policy Group and foreword from Al Carns MP, we make the case for a National Resilience Corps - strengthening our resilience while rebuilding civic participation and giving people a practical role in protecting their communities.
news.sky.com
Report calls for a National Resilience Corps formed of thousands of volunteers
Volunteers would complete 10 days of training, followed by regular volunteering and training, before being available to support responses to emergencies.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In her latest Substack, ThinkLabour Policy Adviser Amelia Wood looks at how these requirements have built up over time, why tackling them one by one isn’t enough, and what government needs to do to genuinely change the way it works.
thinklabour.substack.com
Can the government really stop consulting on microchipping cats?
Here’s one way
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Can the government really stop consulting on microchipping cats? The Government has made good progress with its recent announcements on tackling “consultation culture”. But what does it actually take to end it?
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
But the story isn’t just about values. We also heard how economic insecurity - particularly housing - is shaping politics in Bristol. Our new report looks at what this means for Labour’s future in Britain’s cities. thinklabour.co.uk/thinking/pai...
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
For our new report, Painting the City Red, we went to Bristol to ask voters what they thought about Labour and their values. One answer came through clearly: Labour’s values no longer feel clear enough.
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Christabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Our @thinklabour.bsky.social report on the Greens challenge to Labour is in the Guardian today. Our diagnosis of why Labour's vote fell in cities is high housing costs for young people, plus progressives worried that Labour doesn't reflects their values. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
theguardian.com
Greens just four points behind Labour in urban areas, poll reveals
Exclusive: UK’s Green parties could take 40 seats if result replicated at next election, according to Labour-linked thinktank
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Our recommendations include a much more ambitious approach to housing, giving mayors stronger incentives and powers to build, and being clearer about Labour’s progressive and socially liberal identity. Read the full report here:
thinklabour.co.uk
Painting The City Red • ThinkLabour
ThinkLabour is a think tank working at the heart of British politics to support the Labour movement with research, strategy, and policy development.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
We focus on Bristol - a canary in the coal mine for Labour’s urban coalition. Two forces stand out: 🏠 Economic insecurity, particularly the housing crisis. 🌹 A growing disconnect between Labour and voters’ social and political values. The challenge is to build an offer that speaks to both.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
NEW REPORT: Painting The City Red by Christabel Cooper and Dan Mead. Labour has a problem in our cities. Once dominant across metropolitan Britain, Labour’s support has fallen sharply - while the Greens have made significant gains in many of the places that should be among Labour’s strongest.
theguardian.com
Greens just four points behind Labour in urban areas, poll reveals
Exclusive: UK’s Green parties could take 40 seats if result replicated at next election, according to Labour-linked thinktank
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
A government that wants to get things done needs to be willing to make decisions, not endlessly defer them. Great to see the Government turning that argument into action.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Last month, in our paper The Lame Leviathan, we argued that Britain needed to end its culture of endless consultation and start putting decisions into action. Today, the Chancellor, First Secretary of State and Attorney General are setting out a plan to do just that.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
The UK’s financial state is unusually centralised. The Treasury issues 99% of UK government debt borrowed from the private sector. In France, it’s around 78%. In Germany, just 55%. That matters for how we finance investment - and how much power we give our towns and cities.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Britain once had a thriving municipal bond market. In 1899, English municipal debt was equal to half the national debt, helping cities like Birmingham fund ambitious public investment. Could bringing it back help Labour build the infrastructure we need?
thinklabour.substack.com
Gas, water and bonds - the Labour case for a municipal bond market
James Howat, Director of Policy
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
He argues that an “over-obsession with procedure” is undermining effective government and public confidence in democracy, while making the case for protecting essential rights and returning political decision-making to our elected institutions.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
What happens when protecting rights starts to make government slower and less effective? In today's substack, former Home Secretary Jack Straw reflects on his experience of watching public law and legal processes develop over five decades - and the impact this has had on government decision-making.
thinklabour.substack.com
The Lame Leviathan
Jack Straw, Former Home Secretary
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
The report sets out key recommendations to get the system working more effectively: - No more consultations - Reform judicial review; strengthen Parliamentary scrutiny instead - Prioritise core delivery in public services; not ancillary statutory goals
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
In Jack Straw’s, former Home Secretary, forward he sets the need to shift political decision making away from the courts, to where it must and should belong, our democratic assemblies, local councils and Parliament.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Whether it’s the prison crisis, the NHS, the immigration system or building more houses you can find procedures and laws that are holding the country back. More details on the report are covered in the Indepdendent this morning! inews.co.uk/news/politic...
inews.co.uk
The asylum loophole Burnham can close, by ex-Home Secretary
Jack Straw, who served under Tony Blair, said an explosion in judicial review and public law has made it harder to implement asylum policy
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
If the state is lame, voters have no good reason to support social democracy. Government has become too good at process - and too bad at delivery. Our new report, The Lame Leviathan, argues that decades of rules, consultations and legal checks have made it harder for governments to get things done
thinklabour.co.uk
The Lame Leviathan • ThinkLabour
ThinkLabour is a think tank working at the heart of British politics to support the Labour movement with research, strategy, and policy development.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
We are happy to see our recent substack in Stephen Bush's (@stephenkb.bsky.social) Inside Politics this morning. The driving test back log is a simple example where headlines are prioritised rather than results. You can read the full substack here: thinklabour.substack.com/p/why-josh-w...
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Finding that not only has the composition changed since the 2020 leadership election, the membership now has some surprising views on welfare and defence spending.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 11/08/2026
Labour members are more likely to think that welfare spending is too high than the general public. In today's substack @christabelcoops.bsky.social examines our latest Labour members polling. Read more here: thinklabour.substack.com/p/labour-mem...
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The Guardian @theguardian.com · 04/08/2026
Labour members ‘have tougher view on welfare than you might think’, poll suggests
theguardian.com
Labour members ‘have tougher view on welfare than you might think’, poll suggests
Survey finds party members see health, the economy, cost of living and climate crisis among biggest challenges Andy Burnham has inherited a Labour membership that is sceptical about increased welfare spending, supportive of higher defence spending, and ranks the climate crisis as one of the country’s biggest challenges, according to new polling. The survey of 788 members between the end of June and the end of July shows them ranking health (43%), the economy (42%), cost of living (39%) and climate change (29%) as Britain’s most important issues, ahead of welfare benefits (7%) and immigration (6%). Continue reading...
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Read the full article for more insight into the nuance of Labour members!
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Though they do have clear preferences on some benefits they do not want to see cut.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Labour members are also actually more likely than the public as a whole to think welfare spending is too high. In our polling, 47% of members with an opinion, thought the government spends too much on welfare, while only 21% thought it spends too little.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
More than two-thirds of Labour members (68%) think Britain should spend more on defence, while only 11% think spending should be reduced.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
People often assume they know what Labour members think. We decided to ask them. The results might surprise you. Labour members back higher defence spending in an increasingly uncertain world and support reducing welfare spending.
theguardian.com
Labour members ‘have tougher view on welfare than you might think’, poll suggests
Survey finds party members see health, the economy, cost of living and climate crisis among biggest challenges
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
When asked whether they'd rather pay more for a driving test and wait just 7 weeks, or pay the current fee and wait 22 weeks, most people chose to pay more for the faster test. Sometimes improving affordability means fixing the system first - not simply keeping prices low.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Keeping test fees artificially low might sound like it helps with the cost of living. In reality, it leaves learners paying far more in extra lessons, lost opportunities, and even scalpers. Our polling suggests the public is more pragmatic than politicians assume.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Why is it still harder to book a driving test than get Glastonbury tickets? Our latest substack looks at why the driving test backlog still hasn't been fixed six years after the pandemic - and argues the real obstacle isn't logistics, it's politics.
thinklabour.substack.com
Why Josh Widdecombe’s wife is a victim of the cost of living
Amelia Wood, Policy Advisor
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
You can read some of our papers on this by our former Director of Devolution Policy, JP Spencer, who is now helping deliver this agenda from within government. thinklabour.co.uk/thinking/pri...
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
We're delighted to see today's announcement pushing this agenda forward. Since the election, devolution has been at the heart of ThinkLabour's thinking, and it's encouraging to see a number of the recommendations we've championed now being taken forward.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Fiscal devolution is one of the most important reforms this government can deliver to drive growth, strengthen local leadership and improve public services.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
The National Care Service has been promised before. Why could this time be different? Our latest substack by Policy Director, @abbyabhaya.bsky.social, explores the politics of care reform, intergenerational fairness, and whether Labour can finally deliver a National Care Service.
thinklabour.substack.com
The debt of dignity - reviving the National Care Service
Abby Jitendra
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
If you'd like to watch the full discussion, you can find it here on our YouTube! www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptq8...
youtube.com
Who is Labour For? With Lucy Powell MP [15.07.2026]
YouTube video by ThinkLabour
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
It was great to hear Lucy endorse many of the report's conclusions on the electoral coalition Labour needs to build to win the next election: a coalition centred on three key voter groups – left-leaning liberals, the economically insecure, and transactional voters. As Christabel explains here.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
In the days before Andy Burnham became Prime Minister, we welcomed Deputy Leader Lucy Powell to discuss one of our latest reports, Who is Labour for?
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Today Britain has a new Prime Minister. So we brought together a focus group with Labour considerers to ask a simple question: what do they actually think of Andy Burnham? Read about the challenges he faces in public opinion in our latest substack, by @cwp-weir.bsky.social
thinklabour.substack.com
Turn and Face the Strange.
Calum Weir, Research Manager
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
A statement regarding our CEO.
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Driven by a recent paper from our Director of Research, Christabel Cooper. We explored what Labour's coalition looks like today, who it must represent in government, and what that means for the future. You can read the full report here - thinklabour.co.uk/thinking/who...
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ThinkLabour @thinklabour.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Who is Labour for? With a new PM stepping into number 10 on Monday, that question has never been more important. At ThinkLabour, we’re keeping it front and centre. Yesterday we sat down with the Deputy Leader of the Labour party, Lucy Powell, to tackle it head on.
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Calum Weir @cwp-weir.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Hello! Outside of my work at @thinklabour.bsky.social, I’ve been squirrelling away at a polling aggregator. This is www.pollingpolis.co.uk! It has all the usual stuff but, crucially, also has a wee view for Age, Gender and Past Vote, plus much more for customising and sifting through. Have fun!
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