Rob Ford
@robfordmancs.bsky.social
Politics Professor, University of Manchester.
Author of "The British General Election of 2024", "The British General Election of 2019" & "Brexitland"
My Substack, "The Swingometer", is here: https://swingometer.substack.com/
https://www.robertford.net/
Author of "The British General Election of 2024", "The British General Election of 2019" & "Brexitland"
My Substack, "The Swingometer", is here: https://swingometer.substack.com/
https://www.robertford.net/
Pinned
Rob Ford
@robfordmancs.bsky.social
· Jul 29
I have some good news for election nerds - "The British General Election of 2024" will be out this autumn, and if you're quick you can grab a 25% pre-order discount from Waterstone's by ordering your copy by 31st July, just enter code SUMMER25 www.waterstones.com/book/the-bri...
What is wrong with these people. They just spent two weeks rolling the pitch for a U-turn on a policy they didn’t even do yet?
November 13, 2025 at 10:50 PM
What is wrong with these people. They just spent two weeks rolling the pitch for a U-turn on a policy they didn’t even do yet?
Reposted by Rob Ford
Brain-dead Labour retreats to its comfort zone: campaigning on.ft.com/4p1Orak | opinion
Brain-dead Labour retreats to its comfort zone: campaigning
Downing Street’s bizarre war on itself is a symptom of a government whose ideas dissolve on contact with reality
on.ft.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:39 PM
Brain-dead Labour retreats to its comfort zone: campaigning on.ft.com/4p1Orak | opinion
Reposted by Rob Ford
Except it isn't broadly split between left and right flanks unless you position the LibDems to the right.
Half of voters who backed Labour in 2024 have deserted the party, according to internal polling shared with Labour MPs, reports PolHome's Harriet Symonds
The figures suggest Labour's lost vote is broadly split between its left and right flanks, demonstrating the electoral challenge facing the party
The figures suggest Labour's lost vote is broadly split between its left and right flanks, demonstrating the electoral challenge facing the party
Half of 2024 Labour Voters Have Gone Elsewhere, Party Privately Tells MPs
Half of voters who backed Labour at the last general election have deserted the party, according to internal polling shared with Labour MPs.
www.politicshome.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Except it isn't broadly split between left and right flanks unless you position the LibDems to the right.
Brings to mind the line in @pronouncedalva.bsky.social piece about contempt being the he biggest predictor of a terminally broken relationship.
I am obliged to report that when the No 10 spokesman gave this part of the statement there was a brief but heartfelt outbreak of laughter from journalists, one of whom later asked if the PM might thus be interested in a bridge he had to sell.
November 13, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Brings to mind the line in @pronouncedalva.bsky.social piece about contempt being the he biggest predictor of a terminally broken relationship.
Reposted by Rob Ford
'Do you ever miss not being in the lobby every day?'
'Sometimes,' the columnist admitted.
'Sometimes,' the columnist admitted.
I am obliged to report that when the No 10 spokesman gave this part of the statement there was a brief but heartfelt outbreak of laughter from journalists, one of whom later asked if the PM might thus be interested in a bridge he had to sell.
November 13, 2025 at 12:39 PM
'Do you ever miss not being in the lobby every day?'
'Sometimes,' the columnist admitted.
'Sometimes,' the columnist admitted.
Reposted by Rob Ford
I agree with Stephen's point that listening and reflecting is a habit you can form. But whether you're likely to try, & how good you are at it, will also be influenced by some powerful factors outside of your control. Not everyone is equally blameworthy for being a negligent fool.
November 13, 2025 at 1:59 PM
I agree with Stephen's point that listening and reflecting is a habit you can form. But whether you're likely to try, & how good you are at it, will also be influenced by some powerful factors outside of your control. Not everyone is equally blameworthy for being a negligent fool.
Reposted by Rob Ford
Extraordinary day and historic for the wrong reasons - a cyber attack featured in the GDP figures
November 13, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Extraordinary day and historic for the wrong reasons - a cyber attack featured in the GDP figures
Reposted by Rob Ford
How we do pensions and retirement income in this country is predicated on a few assumptions, one of which is that old people have minimal housing costs and/or security of tenure. It's not happening anymore, and will get worse.
www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk/p/the-other-...
www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk/p/the-other-...
November 13, 2025 at 8:17 AM
How we do pensions and retirement income in this country is predicated on a few assumptions, one of which is that old people have minimal housing costs and/or security of tenure. It's not happening anymore, and will get worse.
www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk/p/the-other-...
www.joxleywrites.jmoxley.co.uk/p/the-other-...
Reposted by Rob Ford
100% this. FWIW I think a single earner on minimum wage should be able to buy a cheap terraced house in Chatham, as was the case when I was a kid, growing up there, in that sort of family. Build more f***ing houses! More power to @stephenkb.bsky.social
Anyway: both the state and private developers need to build at far greater rates, the default aim should be 'a dual earner couple on average incomes can live in non-crowded conditions and raise a family', and the model family *for policymakers* should be three for obvious reasons.
November 13, 2025 at 8:03 PM
100% this. FWIW I think a single earner on minimum wage should be able to buy a cheap terraced house in Chatham, as was the case when I was a kid, growing up there, in that sort of family. Build more f***ing houses! More power to @stephenkb.bsky.social
Reposted by Rob Ford
Net migration IS coming down quite fast, and we will soon know who was right about whether it was a good or a bad idea economically and politically.
November 13, 2025 at 9:08 PM
Net migration IS coming down quite fast, and we will soon know who was right about whether it was a good or a bad idea economically and politically.
Reposted by Rob Ford
![[Scene is a kitchen - a middle aged woman called JANET is boiling peas at the stove. A younger more colourfully dressed woman named LIZ approached her.]
JANET:
Ugh...
LIZ:
What's up?
JANET:
I am so bored of cooking peas!
LIZ:
Have you tried...
AI peas?
JANET:
AI peas?
LIZ:
They're peas with AI!
[Liz holds up to us a packet of peas labelled: Pea-i AI - Peas with AI].
LIZ:
Al-powered peas harness the potential of your peas
JANET:
What
LIZ [Now a voiceover as we cut to a whizzy technology diagram of peas all connected by meaningless dotted lines]
Why not take your peas to the next level with Al Peas' new Al tools to power your peas?
[Show a techno diagram of a pea with a label reading 'AI' pointing to a random zone in it]
LIZ:
Each pea has Al in a way we haven't quite worked out yet but it's fine
[Show Janet and Liz now in a Matrix-style world of peas]
LIZ:
With Al peas you can supercharge productivity and make AI work for your peas!
JANET:
What
LIZ:
Shut up
LIZ:
Our game-changing Pea-Al gives you the freedom to unlock the potential of the power of the future of your peas workflow
From opening the bag of peas
to boiling the peas
to eating the peas
To spending millions on adding Al to the peas and then having to work out what that even means.
JANET:
Is it really necessary to-
LIZ [Grabbing Janet by the collar]:
THE PEAS HAVE GOT AI, JANET
[Cut to an advert ending screen, with the bag of peas and the slogan:
AI PEAS: Just 'Peas' for god's sake buy the AI peas.
[Ends]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4m3we4apbjayclzcnhwe3pfp/bafkreiayqa37f7kik7l7s7fbtfp2sir5ckb662ry2lylinyjrfa2rkvvka@jpeg)
Reposted by Rob Ford
Marvellous piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social , this: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Does Keir Starmer realise how much trouble he's in?
The Prime Minister is facing a crisis of contempt among his own MPs
www.newstatesman.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Marvellous piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social , this: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by Rob Ford
When I worked for @electoralreform.bsky.social probably the biggest ever media hit I got was predicting that turnout for the first ever PCC elections, in 2012, would be 18.5% (it came in at 15%).
I still have a mug that's emblazoned with '18.5%' somewhere that my colleagues got me as a leaving gift
I still have a mug that's emblazoned with '18.5%' somewhere that my colleagues got me as a leaving gift
Police and crime commissioners to be abolished, government to announce
Police and crime commissioners to be abolished, government to announce
System introduced in 2012 across England and Wales has faced criticism from police chiefs
*
UK politics live – latest updates
The controversial system of police and crime commissioners is to be abolished by the government, the Guardian has learned.
Under the system, introduced under the Conservatives, all 43 police forces covering local areas across England and Wales had to answer to an elected official. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
When I worked for @electoralreform.bsky.social probably the biggest ever media hit I got was predicting that turnout for the first ever PCC elections, in 2012, would be 18.5% (it came in at 15%).
I still have a mug that's emblazoned with '18.5%' somewhere that my colleagues got me as a leaving gift
I still have a mug that's emblazoned with '18.5%' somewhere that my colleagues got me as a leaving gift
Reposted by Rob Ford
A month ago I looked at what I called Labour's midlife crisis- an obsession with chasing socially conservative Reform-curious voters and ignoring groups of disaffected voters with social attitudes much closer to Labour voters. But some people thought there was method in their madness. Was there? 1/n
November 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM
A month ago I looked at what I called Labour's midlife crisis- an obsession with chasing socially conservative Reform-curious voters and ignoring groups of disaffected voters with social attitudes much closer to Labour voters. But some people thought there was method in their madness. Was there? 1/n
Reposted by Rob Ford
The Economic and Social Research Council core budget for 24/25 was £134m, not £8 billion.
November 12, 2025 at 12:22 PM
The Economic and Social Research Council core budget for 24/25 was £134m, not £8 billion.
Reposted by Rob Ford
This is just trying to be too clever and only likely to fuel cynicism about the government. Anyone earning above £46k are obviously still working. Voters hate this sort of spin. If the government has to raise taxes, it should simply own the decision and not try to fudge it.
November 12, 2025 at 1:00 PM
This is just trying to be too clever and only likely to fuel cynicism about the government. Anyone earning above £46k are obviously still working. Voters hate this sort of spin. If the government has to raise taxes, it should simply own the decision and not try to fudge it.
Reposted by Rob Ford
If only there was - say - an ESRC research centre on trust and governance... ah well.
On broken prisons, a besieged BBC and the problem of collective politics in a climate of mistrust www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
There’s a missing link in British public life – and it underpins crises from the BBC to our prisons | Rafael Behr
A declining sense of collective identity is corroding trust in our institutions and undermining democratic politics, says Guardian columnist Rafael Behr
www.theguardian.com
November 12, 2025 at 11:26 AM
If only there was - say - an ESRC research centre on trust and governance... ah well.
Reposted by Rob Ford
This started off life as a question: would you rather govern with no money or no majority?
But on reflection, it was a stupid one. Not just because you don’t get to choose, but also because so many UK governments have enjoyed neither.
✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/keir-starm...
My newsletter, out now.
But on reflection, it was a stupid one. Not just because you don’t get to choose, but also because so many UK governments have enjoyed neither.
✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/keir-starm...
My newsletter, out now.
November 12, 2025 at 9:58 AM
This started off life as a question: would you rather govern with no money or no majority?
But on reflection, it was a stupid one. Not just because you don’t get to choose, but also because so many UK governments have enjoyed neither.
✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/keir-starm...
My newsletter, out now.
But on reflection, it was a stupid one. Not just because you don’t get to choose, but also because so many UK governments have enjoyed neither.
✍️ www.linestotake.com/p/keir-starm...
My newsletter, out now.
Reposted by Rob Ford
📢 Since launching EPSS in June 2025, we’ve been thrilled by the positive feedback from across the political science community.
Now that Call for Papers for EPSS Conference in Belfast has closed, we want to share the response has been extraordinary!
🧵
Now that Call for Papers for EPSS Conference in Belfast has closed, we want to share the response has been extraordinary!
🧵
November 12, 2025 at 9:59 AM
📢 Since launching EPSS in June 2025, we’ve been thrilled by the positive feedback from across the political science community.
Now that Call for Papers for EPSS Conference in Belfast has closed, we want to share the response has been extraordinary!
🧵
Now that Call for Papers for EPSS Conference in Belfast has closed, we want to share the response has been extraordinary!
🧵
Reposted by Rob Ford
Reposted by Rob Ford
Absolutely delightful interview with Joe Marler, this: www.thetimes.com/article/7778...
November 11, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Absolutely delightful interview with Joe Marler, this: www.thetimes.com/article/7778...
Reposted by Rob Ford
“Households hit by the two child limit” and “households who will be disproportionately hit by taxing salary sacrifice” are both “Labour 2024” voters. Keir Starmer managed to get “the dream electoral coalition for Blairism” but he is too embarrassed by success to govern for and with it.
November 11, 2025 at 5:58 PM
“Households hit by the two child limit” and “households who will be disproportionately hit by taxing salary sacrifice” are both “Labour 2024” voters. Keir Starmer managed to get “the dream electoral coalition for Blairism” but he is too embarrassed by success to govern for and with it.
Amid all the bad things that are happening, a "good things are coming" story
Batteries are coming to Europe. Earlier this year Europe’s largest battery storage site went live at Blackhillock, Scotland.
The facility has a capacity of 300MW/600MWh.
Much larger batteries are under development: A huge 1 GW / 4 GWh system is being constructed in Jänschwalde, Germany.
The facility has a capacity of 300MW/600MWh.
Much larger batteries are under development: A huge 1 GW / 4 GWh system is being constructed in Jänschwalde, Germany.
November 11, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Amid all the bad things that are happening, a "good things are coming" story