Duncan Robinson
@duncanrobinson
Bagehot columnist and political editor at The Economist. https://www.economist.com/topics/bagehot
Affordable housing requirements are like a gateway drug for left-NIMBYISM. You think you're just having a quick puff on the "we need more units at X% below market rate" pipe, but soon after you're injecting "supply can't solve the housing crisis" directly into your eyeballs.
867 new homes to replace a car park and shopping arcade in Peckham. Rejected by the council (and opposed by the local MP, Labour environment minister @Miatsf). standard.co.uk/news/london/pe…
We are hiring a growth marketing person to grow Works in Progress's online audience and sell Stripe Press books (and, soon, WIP magazine subscriptions). Come help us reach our next million readers! London-based, and base pay is £75,200 – £112,800. stripe.com/jobs/listing/g…
💇🏻♂️ Do you spend a normal amount on your haircut? The average Brit spends £17. Most men say they spend under £20 but women are much more spread out across the different price bands.
Fantastic column. The unspoken truth about the baby bust via @FT on.ft.com/4kLRMYA
On Thursday night, we heard that government was making big concessions on its planning bill, putting lots more controls on its nature recovery plans. I find this disappointing. And to explain why, I have to tell a story I’ve been holding off from sharing.
Strange how fact we did suspend the triple-lock during pandemic is ignored in debate
The OBR report predicting a tripling in the national debt has caused genuine jitters. Some Labour MPs think the triple lock is no longer affordable- but might need a “modern Beveridge Report” to get rid of.
Have to say I am more concerned about the bombardment of political messages tailored to pensioners at a sensitive point in their development - and there are many, many more of them
Really interesting thread here @SophyRidgeSky – I do also worry about the bombarding of young people with political messages which will be tailored to them at a sensitive point in their development.
Hot take: Expanding the right to vote to 16/17 year olds will have little impact on election results - outside of hyper marginal seats. The government's proposals to introduce automated registration are less eye catching but could be far far more impactful electorally...
How might 16 year olds have changed the last election result? Maybe not very much. Assuming they voted similarly and at similar rates to 18-24 year olds the differences to the final vote shares would have been at one decimal place level.
Returning to this great @duncanrobinson piece: economist.com/britain/2025/0…
Blair didn't need to suspend Corbyn or McDonnell, but then again he had a plan for government and the drive to see it through.
People say there's no state capacity any more, but here the government pulled off a multi-billion pound relocation of tens of thousands of people with all the planning, execution and spending kept completely secret from the country
UK set up secret £7bn Afghan immigration scheme after data leak and gagged media ft.com/content/f6b411… via @ft @LOS_Fisher
Healey says that he expects now Parliament and select committees to scrutinise It's a bit late for that. Most of the key decisions have been taken. This is what the judge called a "scrutiny vacuum" and our democracy being put into "cold storage"
Great points
This is good news and post-HS2 services through this station could be turn-up-and-go tube level frequencies. That’s the kind of transformation HS2 enables: an overground underground system for the West Midlands. Leaders need to grasp this and stop talking about links to London.
Fantastic job going
Would you like to write for The Economist in Washington, DC? We’re looking for writers to cover politics and public policy for a global audience. Apply by August 1st economist.com/united-states/…
Would you like to write for The Economist in Washington, DC? We’re looking for writers to cover politics and public policy for a global audience. Apply by August 1st economist.com/united-states/…