Cam Vargas
@camvargas.bsky.social
Head of Comms at Labour Together | 🇵🇪🇬🇧 | COYI ⚒️
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Yesterday, we put out a report on the most important issues to voters.
We know that immigration now tops the traditional most important issues question (see below from @yougov.co.uk).
But that doesn't tell the full story.
Here is a rundown of the experiments we did to test this out (A THREAD):
We know that immigration now tops the traditional most important issues question (see below from @yougov.co.uk).
But that doesn't tell the full story.
Here is a rundown of the experiments we did to test this out (A THREAD):
November 17, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Yesterday, we put out a report on the most important issues to voters.
We know that immigration now tops the traditional most important issues question (see below from @yougov.co.uk).
But that doesn't tell the full story.
Here is a rundown of the experiments we did to test this out (A THREAD):
We know that immigration now tops the traditional most important issues question (see below from @yougov.co.uk).
But that doesn't tell the full story.
Here is a rundown of the experiments we did to test this out (A THREAD):
Top top work here from @cwp-weir.bsky.social
As immigration dominates the brief this morning, here’s my two cents on the salience vs. the importance of the issue:
labourlist.org/2025/11/immi...
(Full report linked below - Many thanks to @emmaburnell.bsky.social!!)
labourlist.org/2025/11/immi...
(Full report linked below - Many thanks to @emmaburnell.bsky.social!!)
'Bread, circuses, and polling errors: Are we truly measuring what matters?' - LabourList
Pollsters who ask questions that add nuance are rewarded with a richer look at the public’s outlook argues Labour Together's Calum Weir.
labourlist.org
November 16, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Top top work here from @cwp-weir.bsky.social
Reposted by Cam Vargas
This is an interesting piece but I just read it going “the missing bit is the section on how the internet has fried everyone’s brains”.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Buxton: Why one small town with very little immigration turned to Reform UK
How national concerns affected a local election in the heart of the Peak District.
www.bbc.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:26 AM
This is an interesting piece but I just read it going “the missing bit is the section on how the internet has fried everyone’s brains”.
www.bbc.com/news/article...
www.bbc.com/news/article...
Reposted by Cam Vargas
The map below shows how far behind France and Germany we are in mass transit. In France, every place with over 150,000 people has some form of tram or metro.
But if mayoral areas can 'become builders' as @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social puts it in the foreword, we can turn this around.
🧵
1/9
But if mayoral areas can 'become builders' as @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social puts it in the foreword, we can turn this around.
🧵
1/9
October 9, 2025 at 7:10 AM
The map below shows how far behind France and Germany we are in mass transit. In France, every place with over 150,000 people has some form of tram or metro.
But if mayoral areas can 'become builders' as @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social puts it in the foreword, we can turn this around.
🧵
1/9
But if mayoral areas can 'become builders' as @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social puts it in the foreword, we can turn this around.
🧵
1/9
Reposted by Cam Vargas
A few weeks back, I wrote a post on why Greater Manchester is the fastest growing part of England.
Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.
futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...
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1/6
Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.
futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...
🧵
1/6
Is Cumbria seeing a resurgence in manufacturing?
And a Northern productivity league table
futurenorth.substack.com
October 2, 2025 at 8:04 AM
A few weeks back, I wrote a post on why Greater Manchester is the fastest growing part of England.
Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.
futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...
🧵
1/6
Today, I’ve followed this up by creating a Northern productivity leaderboard and then looking at the second fastest: Cumbria.
futurenorth.substack.com/p/is-cumbria...
🧵
1/6
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Ministers could give mayors control of schools and hospitals in devolution shake-up
Ministers could give mayors control of schools and hospitals in devolution shake-up
Exclusive: Labour Together report, endorsed by Steve Reed, says devolving power can improve services while saving money
*
Labour thinktank hopes Starmer will devolve more power to his potential rivals
Ministers are drawing up plans to give mayors significant new powers over hospitals and schools as part of a new wave of devolution that could change how public services are run in England.
Steve Reed, the local government secretary, wants to give mayors control over many more local services, and is weighing up handing over some NHS services and even parts of the criminal justice system. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
September 22, 2025 at 5:10 AM
Ministers could give mayors control of schools and hospitals in devolution shake-up
Reposted by Cam Vargas
So google maps updated some satellite footage, here’s one single Ukrainian village. One out of thousands
September 21, 2025 at 6:22 PM
So google maps updated some satellite footage, here’s one single Ukrainian village. One out of thousands
Reposted by Cam Vargas
September 15, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Reposted by Cam Vargas
See also the *massive* cocaine epidemic among 40- to 50-something men. The media keeps talking about young people and drugs but peak deaths are among 40-49 year olds now.
The discourse is all around deradicalising young men and the crisis among young men.
The discourse would be much better targeted if it was about deradicalising boomers (and increasingly Gen Xers).
The discourse would be much better targeted if it was about deradicalising boomers (and increasingly Gen Xers).
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
September 14, 2025 at 11:59 AM
See also the *massive* cocaine epidemic among 40- to 50-something men. The media keeps talking about young people and drugs but peak deaths are among 40-49 year olds now.
And yet... Under qualified pollsters fighting for attention in an oversaturated market, working with shit quality panels, will continue to churn out this polling, and sell it to naive reporters, whose editors desperately want this to be true
Shot, chaser
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men
September 14, 2025 at 9:01 AM
And yet... Under qualified pollsters fighting for attention in an oversaturated market, working with shit quality panels, will continue to churn out this polling, and sell it to naive reporters, whose editors desperately want this to be true
this is v good
It's shocking how much consensus there is amongst tax policy wonks and economists of Left and Right on the tax reforms the UK needs to boost growth & make the tax system fairer
More shocking: they're reforms that are never mentioned by any politicians
buff.ly/rTfNmFC
More shocking: they're reforms that are never mentioned by any politicians
buff.ly/rTfNmFC
Stop talking about wealth taxes — make these reforms instead
Any sane discussion of changes that both right and left could agree on is being crowded out by tax populism
buff.ly
September 13, 2025 at 9:42 AM
this is v good
Reposted by Cam Vargas
A majority of Labour party members - who are on any metric rather more socially liberal than the average voter - back ID cards. Plenty of polling showing they are popular with voters in general. Perhaps the zombie myth that British voters oppose them will die at last?
labourlist.org/2025/09/digi...
labourlist.org/2025/09/digi...
Majority of Labour members back digital ID card rollout, poll reveals - LabourList
A majority of Labour members want to see the government introduce a digital ID card system, an exclusive poll for LabourList reveals.
labourlist.org
September 3, 2025 at 11:38 AM
A majority of Labour party members - who are on any metric rather more socially liberal than the average voter - back ID cards. Plenty of polling showing they are popular with voters in general. Perhaps the zombie myth that British voters oppose them will die at last?
labourlist.org/2025/09/digi...
labourlist.org/2025/09/digi...
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Greater Manchester has been the fastest growing part of the country in the past decade – measured either by total growth or by productivity growth. I’ve had a look into the data to try to work out what is growing and why.
Below are some of the things I have found.
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Below are some of the things I have found.
🧵 1/7
September 4, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Greater Manchester has been the fastest growing part of the country in the past decade – measured either by total growth or by productivity growth. I’ve had a look into the data to try to work out what is growing and why.
Below are some of the things I have found.
🧵 1/7
Below are some of the things I have found.
🧵 1/7
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Perhaps also you could interview some of those making editorial decisions in the media about whether they are taking their responsibilities seriously?
August 30, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Perhaps also you could interview some of those making editorial decisions in the media about whether they are taking their responsibilities seriously?
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Parks and playgrounds are integral to places, allowing people to relax, children to play and more. Hard to imagine NYC without Central Park, or Ilkley without its moor! This builds on a historic legacy of Victorian era council developing them for the good of their communities.
Short 🧵
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Short 🧵
1/3
August 28, 2025 at 7:53 AM
Parks and playgrounds are integral to places, allowing people to relax, children to play and more. Hard to imagine NYC without Central Park, or Ilkley without its moor! This builds on a historic legacy of Victorian era council developing them for the good of their communities.
Short 🧵
1/3
Short 🧵
1/3
Reposted by Cam Vargas
What has London’s Bakerloo line got to do with the government’s ability to invest in the North?
Put simply, if we let London raise more money from high land values to pay for its infrastructure, this frees up more government spending for the rest of the country.
Read below to see detail 👇
Put simply, if we let London raise more money from high land values to pay for its infrastructure, this frees up more government spending for the rest of the country.
Read below to see detail 👇
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension FREE TO READ!)
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension
One weird trick can extend the Tube, level up the north and make the Treasury happy.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
August 27, 2025 at 1:35 PM
What has London’s Bakerloo line got to do with the government’s ability to invest in the North?
Put simply, if we let London raise more money from high land values to pay for its infrastructure, this frees up more government spending for the rest of the country.
Read below to see detail 👇
Put simply, if we let London raise more money from high land values to pay for its infrastructure, this frees up more government spending for the rest of the country.
Read below to see detail 👇
Reposted by Cam Vargas
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension FREE TO READ!)
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension
One weird trick can extend the Tube, level up the north and make the Treasury happy.
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
August 26, 2025 at 6:45 AM
This is how we pay for the Bakerloo Line extension FREE TO READ!)
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/bakerloo-e...
Reposted by Cam Vargas
About a sixth of the public endorse very extreme views on making legal/settled migrants leave & then follow up on the specifics. (This overlaps with the 8% who say they support violence in protests & liked the riots, so it should be challenged, not indulged)
August 5, 2025 at 9:25 AM
About a sixth of the public endorse very extreme views on making legal/settled migrants leave & then follow up on the specifics. (This overlaps with the 8% who say they support violence in protests & liked the riots, so it should be challenged, not indulged)
Reposted by Cam Vargas
After 800 people attended across 8 protests on Friday, up to 2000 across a dozen modest protests on Saturday, "UK braces for more protests" is an absurd headline
Largest protests & counter so far this weekend well below 500 people (but a much larger Gaza protest on Friday night mostly unreported)
Largest protests & counter so far this weekend well below 500 people (but a much larger Gaza protest on Friday night mostly unreported)
August 24, 2025 at 8:12 AM
After 800 people attended across 8 protests on Friday, up to 2000 across a dozen modest protests on Saturday, "UK braces for more protests" is an absurd headline
Largest protests & counter so far this weekend well below 500 people (but a much larger Gaza protest on Friday night mostly unreported)
Largest protests & counter so far this weekend well below 500 people (but a much larger Gaza protest on Friday night mostly unreported)
Gna be fascinating and depressing to see the coverage of a property tax (if it happens) massively skewed by every commentator and newspaper editor owning an expensive house in London or the southeast and standing to lose out
August 19, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Gna be fascinating and depressing to see the coverage of a property tax (if it happens) massively skewed by every commentator and newspaper editor owning an expensive house in London or the southeast and standing to lose out
Reposted by Cam Vargas
Really good piece and thread (really worth signing up to this newsletter!) I think the big question, as a longtime supporter of fiscal devolution, is: what do you do about the fact that the tax base is now quite weak in a lot of places?
Thank you to everyone who has shared or read Future North in its first week!
This week I have started with two pictures. But can you guess what they are and why they are important?
Short thread.
1/5
This week I have started with two pictures. But can you guess what they are and why they are important?
Short thread.
1/5
August 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
Really good piece and thread (really worth signing up to this newsletter!) I think the big question, as a longtime supporter of fiscal devolution, is: what do you do about the fact that the tax base is now quite weak in a lot of places?
Reposted by Cam Vargas
More A-levels taken in PE than in French, German and classical languages combined! on.ft.com/3Hw6eq3
August 13, 2025 at 12:10 PM
More A-levels taken in PE than in French, German and classical languages combined! on.ft.com/3Hw6eq3
Reposted by Cam Vargas
A bit behind schedule, but how voters moved in the year since the 2024 election.
Labour facing same splintering of the last govt: a significant bloc crossing floor to primary electoral opposition, with a numerically larger chunk moving to opponents on same side of spectrum, plus many 'don't knows'.
Labour facing same splintering of the last govt: a significant bloc crossing floor to primary electoral opposition, with a numerically larger chunk moving to opponents on same side of spectrum, plus many 'don't knows'.
August 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM
A bit behind schedule, but how voters moved in the year since the 2024 election.
Labour facing same splintering of the last govt: a significant bloc crossing floor to primary electoral opposition, with a numerically larger chunk moving to opponents on same side of spectrum, plus many 'don't knows'.
Labour facing same splintering of the last govt: a significant bloc crossing floor to primary electoral opposition, with a numerically larger chunk moving to opponents on same side of spectrum, plus many 'don't knows'.
preach
August 8, 2025 at 11:07 AM
preach
Reposted by Cam Vargas
large parts of UK politics are swinging far-right with very, very frightening speed, and racists are getting increasingly open about expressing their bigotry.
it's "cool" that every conservative pundit in the UK basically seems to want to turn the country into Norsefire
This man is a Conservative MP and former No.10 adviser.
August 4, 2025 at 5:58 AM
large parts of UK politics are swinging far-right with very, very frightening speed, and racists are getting increasingly open about expressing their bigotry.