Duncan Robinson
@duncanrobinson.bsky.social
Write Bagehot column for the Economist. Comment writer of the year at British Journalism Awards 2024
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
It’s a lot closer to five decades than it is to four. Now that is a fact.
November 27, 2025 at 3:14 PM
It’s a lot closer to five decades than it is to four. Now that is a fact.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
Anyway it's not "the last five decades" unless you think the world is about to end. It's "the most recent five decades".
Terminological imprecision on Bluesky these days is absolutely out of control.
Terminological imprecision on Bluesky these days is absolutely out of control.
November 27, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Anyway it's not "the last five decades" unless you think the world is about to end. It's "the most recent five decades".
Terminological imprecision on Bluesky these days is absolutely out of control.
Terminological imprecision on Bluesky these days is absolutely out of control.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
Surely 50 years ago was the 1960s?
Oh no.
Christ, I’m old.
Oh no.
Christ, I’m old.
November 27, 2025 at 2:51 PM
Surely 50 years ago was the 1960s?
Oh no.
Christ, I’m old.
Oh no.
Christ, I’m old.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
November 27, 2025 at 9:06 AM
The thing about "left on the economy, right on culture" is it's based on analysis of swing voters. Those voters are often low attention and their politics are often not especially coherent. Which is fine for them, it's not their job to run the country, but, you know, the government is
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
Call it the Great Vibes-Economics Divergence.
It seems to be happening all over.
Probably has something to do with mass media fragmentation, and its replacement with self-contained social media & information ecosystems.
It seems to be happening all over.
Probably has something to do with mass media fragmentation, and its replacement with self-contained social media & information ecosystems.
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Call it the Great Vibes-Economics Divergence.
It seems to be happening all over.
Probably has something to do with mass media fragmentation, and its replacement with self-contained social media & information ecosystems.
It seems to be happening all over.
Probably has something to do with mass media fragmentation, and its replacement with self-contained social media & information ecosystems.
blast the pdf on the side of parliament, Led By Donkeys-style
I'm as guilty of this as anyone else but I do think to capture the full benefit it still has to be a leak because that made reading a dry economic document excitingly illicit. We can make it part of the pageantry of budget day as the OBR finds ever more elaborate ways to leak its analysis
The main takeaway from the leak: I think coverage was much improved by giving analysts, journalists and politicians earlier site of the documents. Release it at the same time next year, imo
November 27, 2025 at 1:09 PM
blast the pdf on the side of parliament, Led By Donkeys-style
"If the OBR cannot organise its document handling, how can we trust it to get the judgment on productivity or the tax richness of GDP forecasts right?" Well, because they're different things, for one. www.ft.com/content/b1af...
The OBR’s careless leak has damaged us all
The fiscal watchdog’s error is worse than other Budget leaks because it exists solely to improve the process
www.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:51 PM
"If the OBR cannot organise its document handling, how can we trust it to get the judgment on productivity or the tax richness of GDP forecasts right?" Well, because they're different things, for one. www.ft.com/content/b1af...
Wrote about exactly that this week www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Wrote about exactly that this week www.economist.com/britain/2025...
A brief piece on British emigration from the other year: Britain's history of immigration is generally a history of emigraiton www.economist.com/britain/2022...
Emigration is in the air for Britons
Plenty of people want to come to Britain. But lots also want to leave
www.economist.com
November 27, 2025 at 12:15 PM
A brief piece on British emigration from the other year: Britain's history of immigration is generally a history of emigraiton www.economist.com/britain/2022...
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
The bodge-it budget
"With the deficit still gaping at 4.5% of GDP, Ms Reeves succumbed to her own worst instincts and those of her backbenchers by increasing borrowing, relative to her previous plans, for four years"
My leader and our cover story
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
"With the deficit still gaping at 4.5% of GDP, Ms Reeves succumbed to her own worst instincts and those of her backbenchers by increasing borrowing, relative to her previous plans, for four years"
My leader and our cover story
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
This bodge-it budget does not give Britain what it needs
Without ambitious reform, the country will not thrive
www.economist.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:46 AM
The bodge-it budget
"With the deficit still gaping at 4.5% of GDP, Ms Reeves succumbed to her own worst instincts and those of her backbenchers by increasing borrowing, relative to her previous plans, for four years"
My leader and our cover story
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
"With the deficit still gaping at 4.5% of GDP, Ms Reeves succumbed to her own worst instincts and those of her backbenchers by increasing borrowing, relative to her previous plans, for four years"
My leader and our cover story
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
"Principles were hidden in the name of political expediency. Now that they are on show, few believe they are sincere. How could they be?" Oof.
November 27, 2025 at 9:36 AM
"Principles were hidden in the name of political expediency. Now that they are on show, few believe they are sincere. How could they be?" Oof.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
I also think that part of this is the weird disappearance of economics from our national debate.
It just... doesnt seem to matter that much to many people
It just... doesnt seem to matter that much to many people
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 9:02 AM
I also think that part of this is the weird disappearance of economics from our national debate.
It just... doesnt seem to matter that much to many people
It just... doesnt seem to matter that much to many people
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
By going left on the economy and veering to the right on culture, “Labour is chasing a voter who barely exists,” writes @duncanrobinson.bsky.social. Just so
Britain’s left-wing government is left-wing
An obvious fact. But still an overlooked one
www.economist.com
November 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM
By going left on the economy and veering to the right on culture, “Labour is chasing a voter who barely exists,” writes @duncanrobinson.bsky.social. Just so
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 27, 2025 at 8:58 AM
Starmer and Reeves run probably the most economically left-wing government of past five decades and yet bleeding support to its left thanks to dumb strategy www.economist.com/britain/2025...
This week’s column👇
Britain's left-wing government is left-wing www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Britain’s left-wing government is left-wing
An obvious fact. But still an overlooked one
www.economist.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:55 AM
This week’s column👇
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
"The botched political strategy of Ms Reeves and her boss, Sir Keir Starmer, created a strange impression of the government. Punching the left, even while pursuing an avowedly left-wing economic strategy, was seen as wise politics."
Britain's left-wing government is left-wing www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Britain’s left-wing government is left-wing
An obvious fact. But still an overlooked one
www.economist.com
November 27, 2025 at 8:48 AM
"The botched political strategy of Ms Reeves and her boss, Sir Keir Starmer, created a strange impression of the government. Punching the left, even while pursuing an avowedly left-wing economic strategy, was seen as wise politics."
A line by Andrew Palmer, now the Bartleby columnist
One for @duncanrobinson.bsky.social and @matthewholehouse.bsky.social - though the Daily Star popularised the lettuce story, it was in fact the Economist who introduced the salad based political life expectancy metric.
November 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
A line by Andrew Palmer, now the Bartleby columnist
Doing a U-turn on a tax the market both wanted and expected on the day of the budget itself would have been absolute smackhead behaviour. From great piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
November 25, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Doing a U-turn on a tax the market both wanted and expected on the day of the budget itself would have been absolute smackhead behaviour. From great piece by @pronouncedalva.bsky.social www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
The amount of sweat and tears being shed you might think it was the third Greek bailout, rather than a relatively small adjustment with a large number of levers available to the chancellor
November 25, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The amount of sweat and tears being shed you might think it was the third Greek bailout, rather than a relatively small adjustment with a large number of levers available to the chancellor
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
Ultimately the minimum wage is a brilliant tool, but it can’t compensate for “we haven’t built any housing”, “we have cut cash transfers to the bone” and “all the third spaces have been cut to pay for social care”.
The minimum wage is not a cure all — we’re asking too much of business
Politicians spend too much time uttering cheap rhetoric about cheap labour
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:46 PM
Ultimately the minimum wage is a brilliant tool, but it can’t compensate for “we haven’t built any housing”, “we have cut cash transfers to the bone” and “all the third spaces have been cut to pay for social care”.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
How exactly do they imagine the milk gets back into the baby after you pump it??? Just astonishing stuff.
November 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM
How exactly do they imagine the milk gets back into the baby after you pump it??? Just astonishing stuff.
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
This is a company that makes breast pumps to get milk out so women can pump at work and and feed their kids breast milk, and yet:
November 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM
This is a company that makes breast pumps to get milk out so women can pump at work and and feed their kids breast milk, and yet:
Reposted by Duncan Robinson
Guys guys guys I regret to inform you the absolutely mental breastfeeding people are At It Again. www.medela.com/en-us/lactat...
Our Commitment to Breastfeeding
We are fully committed to the International Code and resolutely support mothers, babies and families along their breastfeeding journey.
www.medela.com
November 23, 2025 at 8:25 PM
Guys guys guys I regret to inform you the absolutely mental breastfeeding people are At It Again. www.medela.com/en-us/lactat...