Author | Lightnews

Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · 11h

An election petition is being heard because the last placed candidate of the Runcorn by-election regards it as a statistical impossibility he could have got 50 votes in two separate elections.

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · 2d

£4bn raised from 4 per cent of households

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Anoosh Chakelian @anooshc.bsky.social · 3d

And listen to our snap analysis after it was released on the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social Podcast:

England's most deprived areas revealed

Podcast Episode · The New Statesman: politics and culture · 30/10/2025 · 24m

podcasts.apple.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · 3d

New deprivation data: Britain is levelling down www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Britain is levelling down

Pockets of deprivation can be found in all corners of the country

www.newstatesman.com

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Sam Greene @samagreene.bsky.social · Aug 18

The apocalyptic scenario—another blowup in the Oval Office—was avoided, and that’s good. But the second worst possible outcome was that the European leaders who accompany Zelenskyy would breathe a sigh of relief, and I’m afraid that may be what we’re seeing.

/3

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Aug 15

Spot the election campaign britainelects.substack.com/p/who-do-you...

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Reposted by Ben Walker

@bobhudson.bsky.social @bobhudson.bsky.social · Aug 2

Truly grim analysis of Labour’s electoral prospects in Wales by @bwalker.uk. 2026 looks to be a politically explosive year.
open.substack.com/pub/britaine...

Death spiral? The state of Labour in Wales

Plus: the polling which shows how bad it really is

open.substack.com

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Anthony Green @anthonycgreen.bsky.social · Jul 6

Reform has eaten the Tory recovery
britainelects.substack.com/p/reform-has...
— @bwalker.uk

Reform has eaten the Tory recovery

Things aren't so rosy for Britain's Grand Old Party

britainelects.substack.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 29

New post: Will Labour's trumpeted re-Brexit deal bite it in the backside? www.newstatesman.com/politics/pol...

Labour has put the EU back on the agenda. Will the party regret it?

The issue is low on the agenda for almost all British voters. But the reset could still be a political gift for the government.

www.newstatesman.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 14

Reform opens up a 4pt lead; Tories below 20%. Britain Elects poll tracker
britainelects.substack.com/p/whos-ahead...

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 4

*looking at divisions which changed hands*
Oh, there's a Labour one over there. What happened?
*looks*
ah

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 3

Re-upping what I wrote in January now there's 600+ Reform councillors:

"The left" (Labour or otherwise) does not know how to debate immigration
open.substack.com/pub/britaine...

Does the left know how to debate immigration?

Labour's deference to Reform narratives on boats and borders is losing them the debate from the get-go.

open.substack.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 1

Don't think you can stream on Bluesky dot com, so for the anti-Twitter crowd that's youtube.com/@britainelects

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · May 1

10 o'clock streaming service over at @britainelects.com

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Ethan Fleischer @ethanfleischer.bsky.social · Apr 29

What I like about role-playing games is that they allow you to act out power fantasies that you could never achieve in real life.

Screencap from Elder Scrolls Oblivion. A dialog box says "How long would you like to sleep? 9 Hours."

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Adam Payne @adampayne26.bsky.social · Apr 30

A nugget in this story:

Defence Secretary John Healey this week told the PLP that Runcorn was too tight to call and urged Labour MPs to get up to Cheshire before polls close on Thursday

@bwalker.uk modelling suggests there could be just a few hundred votes in it between Labour and Reform

PoliticsHome @politicshome.bsky.social · Apr 30

A spokesperson for Starmer said they had "nothing to add" when pushed on whether the PM would visit Runcorn before Thursday's by-election

The Labour v Reform contest is believed to be very close, and Labour MPs fear the Prime Minister would do “more harm than good” by turning up to campaign

Keir Starmer Would Harm Labour’s Chances In Runcorn By-Election, Say Labour MPs

Keir Starmer would do “more harm than good” if he visited Runcorn and Helsby before the by-election on Thursday, Labour MPs who have campaigned the...

www.politicshome.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 30

Reviewing our local election forecast

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 27

Okay interesting. More in Common polling gives us some variation on the mayorals.

Greens ahead by 4 or behind by 5 in the West of England.

Reform ahead by 15 or 3 in Lincolnshire.

Cons ahead by 12 or 7 in Cambs and P'borough.

& Reform ahead by 13 or 3 in Hull and E Yorks.

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 25

Britain Elects stream this weekend.

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 23

I think all mention of the Lord Ashcroft poll should note the glaring undersampling of the rural (less Reform friendly) third of the constituency. It accounts for just 2% of the weighted sample!

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Apr 23

New post just out:

My preview of the local elections which includes predictions for every council, mayoral election, and the Runcorn by-election.

I've sub-titled it "Tory cataclysm edition" which will give you a bit of a clue...

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/l...

Local Elections 2025: The Preview

Tory cataclysm edition

open.substack.com

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 21

Runcorn will define the next four years in a way other mid-term parliament protests don't.
👉 britainelects.substack.com/p/1st-may-20...

1st May 2025: the most important local elections in decades?

The elections of 1st May could decide the next four years in a way other "mid-term" contests don't

britainelects.substack.com

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Reposted by Ben Walker

Smooth Dunk @smoothdunk2.bsky.social · Apr 16

right winger getting cancelled vs. trans person getting cancelled

4 panel comic titled Right Winger getting cancelled

Panel 1: Newspaper headline: I HAVE BEEN CANCELLED.
Subheading: Bront Fondant speaks exclusively to the Times.

Panel 2: Bront Fondant speaking on BBC Radio: “…Forced into silence”

Panel 3: Bront Fondant talking to Sky News: “Unseen. Unheard.”

Panel 4: Bront Fondant giving a speech in front of a huge audience. He screams “CONDEMNED to live in OBSCURITY”

4 panel comic titled Trans Person Getting Cancelled

Panel 1: Is empty

Panel 2: Is empty

Panel 3: Is empty

Panel 4: Is empty

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 20

Labour has lost its lead on the economy. Why?

On the offensive: it has misread the room on welfare, + poor comms has meant the only memorable policy has been winter fuel.

On the defensive: voters want cost of living relief. Until that happens...

👉 britainelects.substack.com/p/labour-los...

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Ben Walker @bwalker.uk · Apr 18

Something to consider:

Few councils will be counting on Thu night. Of those that will they are more Reform friendly than the typical.

There's also Runcorn.

Could be a very good night for Reform (defining Fri's coverage too), with little airtime for any other winners.

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