George Eaton
@georgeeaton.bsky.social
Senior Editor (Politics), New Statesman
Subscribe to my daily briefing Morning Call here: https://morningcall.substack.com/subscribe
Subscribe to my daily briefing Morning Call here: https://morningcall.substack.com/subscribe
Reposted by George Eaton
"Government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU."
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social: Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social: Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
Why government insiders are urging the Prime Minister to embrace a customs union with the EU
www.newstatesman.com
December 2, 2025 at 1:44 PM
"Government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU."
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social: Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social: Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
Reposted by George Eaton
Why government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
Why government insiders are urging the Prime Minister to embrace a customs union with the EU
www.newstatesman.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Why government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Why government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Keir Starmer’s European opportunity
Why government insiders are urging the Prime Minister to embrace a customs union with the EU
www.newstatesman.com
December 2, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Why government insiders are urging Keir Starmer to “break glass” and embrace a customs union with the EU. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Starmer declaring “we have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU” is a significant moment.
Reflects transformation in public opinion + need for economic growth.
Reflects transformation in public opinion + need for economic growth.
December 1, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Starmer declaring “we have to keep moving towards a closer relationship with the EU” is a significant moment.
Reflects transformation in public opinion + need for economic growth.
Reflects transformation in public opinion + need for economic growth.
Reposted by George Eaton
Why Keir Starmer’s U-turns have left all sides in Labour craving more ideological definition. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
December 1, 2025 at 12:18 PM
Why Keir Starmer’s U-turns have left all sides in Labour craving more ideological definition. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Your Party’s decision to adopt a “collective leadership” model is yet more good news for Zack Polanski.
November 30, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Your Party’s decision to adopt a “collective leadership” model is yet more good news for Zack Polanski.
A fact being ignored even more than usual: 70% of the money from abolishing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work (via @ippr.org).
November 29, 2025 at 10:42 AM
A fact being ignored even more than usual: 70% of the money from abolishing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work (via @ippr.org).
Reposted by George Eaton
Also not all welfare spending is the same. Eliminating child poverty is to an extent not just redistribution but an investment in their education, employment, future earnings, tax payments, and propensity to be involved in crime.
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 28, 2025 at 8:39 AM
Also not all welfare spending is the same. Eliminating child poverty is to an extent not just redistribution but an investment in their education, employment, future earnings, tax payments, and propensity to be involved in crime.
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 28, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Reposted by George Eaton
A mansion tax is one of the most popular things that Labour has done - 67% in favour, 19% against.
November 27, 2025 at 8:37 PM
A mansion tax is one of the most popular things that Labour has done - 67% in favour, 19% against.
Reposted by George Eaton
Have written for years that this Labour government would be more left wing than most expected, so I’m pleased it’s become the consensus. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
Labour’s manifesto is quietly radical
The UK is being offered a change of ideology as well as a change of government.
www.newstatesman.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Have written for years that this Labour government would be more left wing than most expected, so I’m pleased it’s become the consensus. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
Have written for years that this Labour government would be more left wing than most expected, so I’m pleased it’s become the consensus. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
Labour’s manifesto is quietly radical
The UK is being offered a change of ideology as well as a change of government.
www.newstatesman.com
November 27, 2025 at 2:25 PM
Have written for years that this Labour government would be more left wing than most expected, so I’m pleased it’s become the consensus. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...
Reposted by George Eaton
As the smart people of the New Statesman point out (@georgeeaton.bsky.social et al) the Mansion tax announced yesterday *is* a wealth tax. £5k on a £3m house lowers its value by £100k or so... That's 3%.
November 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM
As the smart people of the New Statesman point out (@georgeeaton.bsky.social et al) the Mansion tax announced yesterday *is* a wealth tax. £5k on a £3m house lowers its value by £100k or so... That's 3%.
This is the graph worrying Labour MPs – living standards growth set to be the second worst on record. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
November 27, 2025 at 11:49 AM
This is the graph worrying Labour MPs – living standards growth set to be the second worst on record. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by George Eaton
Just occured to me that following the budget the government has now done five of the ten "quick wins" I suggested for their their first few months. Took them a little longer...
(Two child limit; processing asylum seekers; indexing tuition fees; increasing depts delegated authority; ethics rules)
(Two child limit; processing asylum seekers; indexing tuition fees; increasing depts delegated authority; ethics rules)
November 27, 2025 at 10:52 AM
Just occured to me that following the budget the government has now done five of the ten "quick wins" I suggested for their their first few months. Took them a little longer...
(Two child limit; processing asylum seekers; indexing tuition fees; increasing depts delegated authority; ethics rules)
(Two child limit; processing asylum seekers; indexing tuition fees; increasing depts delegated authority; ethics rules)
Rachel Reeves’ Budget was classic tax-and-spend social democracy.
But she needs growth for the good times to truly return – for Labour and for voters. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
But she needs growth for the good times to truly return – for Labour and for voters. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Did Rachel Reeves do enough?
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
www.newstatesman.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Rachel Reeves’ Budget was classic tax-and-spend social democracy.
But she needs growth for the good times to truly return – for Labour and for voters. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
But she needs growth for the good times to truly return – for Labour and for voters. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
Reposted by George Eaton
Did Rachel Reeves do enough?
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social
Did Rachel Reeves do enough?
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
www.newstatesman.com
November 27, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Did Rachel Reeves do enough?
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social
The Chancellor desperately needs growth to offer more than austere social democracy
📫 Today’s Morning Call, with @georgeeaton.bsky.social
Why Rachel Reeves’ approach is best understood as left fiscal conservatism. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
November 27, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Why Rachel Reeves’ approach is best understood as left fiscal conservatism. www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
A good day for Ed Miliband: mansion tax introduced, green levies moved off bills to taxation, ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences confirmed.
November 26, 2025 at 9:59 PM
A good day for Ed Miliband: mansion tax introduced, green levies moved off bills to taxation, ban on new North Sea oil and gas licences confirmed.
Why Rachel Reeves has embraced bread-and-butter social democracy – podcast with @rmcunliffe.bsky.social and Oli Dugmore. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Rachel Reeves’ tax-heavy budget
Podcast Episode · The New Statesman: politics and culture · 26/11/2025 · 24m
podcasts.apple.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Why Rachel Reeves has embraced bread-and-butter social democracy – podcast with @rmcunliffe.bsky.social and Oli Dugmore. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Reposted by George Eaton
Nine of the ten constituencies most hit by the 'mansion tax' are held by Labour MPs, via Bradshaw Advisory
As I say on Coffee House Shots, the London borough elections next year could be interesting
As I say on Coffee House Shots, the London borough elections next year could be interesting
November 26, 2025 at 4:55 PM
Nine of the ten constituencies most hit by the 'mansion tax' are held by Labour MPs, via Bradshaw Advisory
As I say on Coffee House Shots, the London borough elections next year could be interesting
As I say on Coffee House Shots, the London borough elections next year could be interesting
Flashback to Labour’s 2015 manifesto: “a Mansion Tax on properties worth over £2 million”.
Torsten Bell a key player then and today.
Torsten Bell a key player then and today.
November 26, 2025 at 2:47 PM
Flashback to Labour’s 2015 manifesto: “a Mansion Tax on properties worth over £2 million”.
Torsten Bell a key player then and today.
Torsten Bell a key player then and today.
The UK has become a significantly higher tax and spend country and Reeves made a far more explicit case for that today than last year.
November 26, 2025 at 1:41 PM
The UK has become a significantly higher tax and spend country and Reeves made a far more explicit case for that today than last year.
Labour vs Greens is now serious electoral warfare: they’re winning around 20% of Lab’s 2024 vote at present (more than any other party).
November 26, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Labour vs Greens is now serious electoral warfare: they’re winning around 20% of Lab’s 2024 vote at present (more than any other party).