John Burn-Murdoch
@jburnmurdoch.ft.com
Columnist and chief data reporter the Financial Times | Stories, stats & scatterplots | [email protected]
📝 ft.com/jbm
📝 ft.com/jbm
Pinned
We’re going to hear lots of stories about which people, policies and rhetoric are to blame for the Democrats’ defeat.
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Some of those stories may even be true!
But an underrated factor is that 2024 was an absolutely horrendous year for incumbents around the world 👇 
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
There's too many primary school places in London for not enough kids. So schools are competing to stay alive, copying private school marketing tactics with Instagram ad campaigns — and in one case offering a £50 Amazon voucher referral scheme for parents. www.londoncentric.media/i/184437718/...
Amazon vouchers to fill school places
Plus: How engineers installed phone signal on the London Underground, how many freemasons can you fit in a police force, and the house with a swimming pool in the middle of the living room.
www.londoncentric.media
January 15, 2026 at 9:19 AM
There's too many primary school places in London for not enough kids. So schools are competing to stay alive, copying private school marketing tactics with Instagram ad campaigns — and in one case offering a £50 Amazon voucher referral scheme for parents. www.londoncentric.media/i/184437718/...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
The Age of Academic Slop is Upon Us
what happens when AI automates "normal science"?
open.substack.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:38 PM
I just finished a three-year term as an editor at an international relations journal. I began at the start of the LLM era but ended right in the middle of it. Our volume of submissions tripled and our desk reject rate rose to 75%. I have some thoughts.
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
open.substack.com/pub/hegemon/...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Debate about London is obscured by the false binaries both sides put on it. Best on it is @jburnmurdoch.ft.com who shows it is both case violent crime down (an undisputed good) & crimes of disorder (shop lifting, snatching) up which affects/is visible to more but far less devastating consequences
January 13, 2026 at 10:29 AM
Debate about London is obscured by the false binaries both sides put on it. Best on it is @jburnmurdoch.ft.com who shows it is both case violent crime down (an undisputed good) & crimes of disorder (shop lifting, snatching) up which affects/is visible to more but far less devastating consequences
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
‘Contra the narrow focus of policymakers on Stem subjects or coding, now more than ever our economy rewards broad skillsets: team players, problem solvers, good communicators and creative thinkers.’ @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
How to AI-proof your job
The data suggests soft skills more than quantitative competency equal success in a rapidly changing labour market
www.ft.com
January 10, 2026 at 8:16 AM
‘Contra the narrow focus of policymakers on Stem subjects or coding, now more than ever our economy rewards broad skillsets: team players, problem solvers, good communicators and creative thinkers.’ @jburnmurdoch.ft.com
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
www.ft.com/content/5e25...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
I am extremely confused as to why the UK government and police are saying Grok’s mass-scale CSAM generation is an issue for Ofcom.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
January 7, 2026 at 7:37 AM
I am extremely confused as to why the UK government and police are saying Grok’s mass-scale CSAM generation is an issue for Ofcom.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
This isn’t about X failing to moderate CSAM, which is an Online Safety Act issue. It is about the company and its technology being actively involved in its generation.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
As it's the end of 2025, I'm just reposting our 'Outside the box' starter pack.
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
December 30, 2025 at 11:48 AM
As it's the end of 2025, I'm just reposting our 'Outside the box' starter pack.
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
This features accounts who think across tribal lines. Those on it have ideological sympathies, but are open to different traditions and consider issues on a case-by-case basis.
Shares welcome ;-)
go.bsky.app/HZxZgvh
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
What are the stories that will define 2026? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, the FT's chief data reporter, unwraps the big ideas shaping the year ahead.
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
December 29, 2025 at 9:35 AM
What are the stories that will define 2026? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com, the FT's chief data reporter, unwraps the big ideas shaping the year ahead.
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
A little gift from #FTEdit 🎁 Follow for more #FTEditpresents
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This is incredibly obviously going to be the rolling problem with a “tougher” immigration stance. We still need people to do things. And, ultimately, either we hire/retain them or the things don’t get done. Everything else is hollow rhetoric.
Hundreds of foreign prison staff 'offered emergency extension to visa' to stop the prison system collapsing
Hundreds of foreign prison staff 'offered emergency extension to visa' to stop the prison system collapsing
Hundreds of foreign prison staff who could have faced deportation and the sack have been offered an emergency extension to their visa in order to stop the prison system collapsing, Sky News understands.
news.sky.com
December 19, 2025 at 3:39 PM
This is incredibly obviously going to be the rolling problem with a “tougher” immigration stance. We still need people to do things. And, ultimately, either we hire/retain them or the things don’t get done. Everything else is hollow rhetoric.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This by the excellent @jburnmurdoch.ft.com confirms my view that political trends are being driven by the halting of the upward economic conveyor belt - striking charts: www.ft.com/content/30a4... Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
A stalled economic conveyor belt is behind the rise of anti-system, anti-growth parties on both the right and left
www.ft.com
December 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
This by the excellent @jburnmurdoch.ft.com confirms my view that political trends are being driven by the halting of the upward economic conveyor belt - striking charts: www.ft.com/content/30a4... Welcome to the age of zero-sum politics
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
If you're lucky enough to be able to read the @financialtimes.com these evidence-based conversations between @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com are particularly fascinating. Here's the latest.
The AI Shift: Is AI about to break polling?
Online surveys are susceptible to bogus respondents and synthetic samples warrant scepticism
www.ft.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:59 AM
If you're lucky enough to be able to read the @financialtimes.com these evidence-based conversations between @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com are particularly fascinating. Here's the latest.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
This is fascinating and disturbing from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on rise of 'financial nihilism' (cc @aminsamman.bsky.social !) in the asset economy www.ft.com/content/c17a...
The housing crisis is pushing Gen Z into crypto and economic nihilism
Locked out of home ownership, young adults are turning to risky financial behaviour
www.ft.com
November 28, 2025 at 9:04 AM
This is fascinating and disturbing from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com on rise of 'financial nihilism' (cc @aminsamman.bsky.social !) in the asset economy www.ft.com/content/c17a...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
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...
Attention is on NEETs today, but the problem is much worse.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
November 20, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Attention is on NEETs today, but the problem is much worse.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
NEETs include stay-at-home parents & jobseekers.
Strip those out to focus on people not working, not seeking work, not in education & not parenting: this group of economically & socially dislocated young adults has *doubled* in a decade.
Worth noting:
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
November 18, 2025 at 12:40 PM
Worth noting:
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
• Upward revision applies to entire 2021-2024 series — the *trend* in emigration is *roughly* flat
• As infuriating as big revisions are, they mean data is getting better
• BUT wild that we ever used a survey to gauge movements into and out of the country instead of counting people!
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
ONS is so bad. (This is about specifically British nationals.) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
November 18, 2025 at 11:26 AM
ONS is so bad. (This is about specifically British nationals.) www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...
Excellent column from @stephenkb.bsky.social on what
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
Labour needs a way out of the infernal circle of immigration policy
Politics today is about ‘open vs closed’, but the UK government’s approach risks appeasing no one
www.ft.com
November 18, 2025 at 11:05 AM
Excellent column from @stephenkb.bsky.social on what
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
@alanmanning4.bsky.social refers to as the “infernal circle” of immigration policy www.ft.com/content/1144...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
November 18, 2025 at 9:05 AM
The basic problem with the temporary refugee status policy - especially one lasting up to 20 years - is it leads to very few removals (based on Denmark's experience) but does significantly worsen integration.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
November 14, 2025 at 10:13 AM
Is AI making job recruitment less meritocratic? We're getting some v interesting research studies on this question now, and the news is... not good. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com & I dive in, in the latest edition of our newsletter The AI Shift www.ft.com/content/e5b7...
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
November 10, 2025 at 1:43 PM
Quick thread on the BBC and the political and societal significance of recent developments:
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
One of the main reasons the UK has historically been so much less polarised than the US, is that Britain has a shared source of information, consumed and trusted by most people regardless of their politics.
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
November 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Tax policy on the British left is pure "anti-bedtime left". Bizarre idea that you can have a big social democratic welfare state without everyone contributing properly www.economist.com/britain/2025...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Zohran's relentless disciplined campaign was truly impressive - he brought every message/issue back to the cost of living and built a model for what bringing attention to a positive affordability message can look like
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Ali Mortell on X: ".@ZohranKMamdani ran a phenomenal, authentic campaign focused on affordability. Blue Rose Research is proud to have partnered with @MiddleSeatCo on ad testing and to support their work in helping build the momentum for a more affordable New York. LFG 🌹 https://t.co/0HLenkSSrv" / X
.@ZohranKMamdani ran a phenomenal, authentic campaign focused on affordability. Blue Rose Research is proud to have partnered with @MiddleSeatCo on ad testing and to support their work in helping build the momentum for a more affordable New York. LFG 🌹 https://t.co/0HLenkSSrv
x.com
November 5, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Zohran's relentless disciplined campaign was truly impressive - he brought every message/issue back to the cost of living and built a model for what bringing attention to a positive affordability message can look like
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Proud to have Blue Rose do ad testing for the Zohran IE!
x.com/alimortell/s...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 6:56 AM
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
NEW from me:
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
October 31, 2025 at 2:32 PM
NEW from me:
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Political hostility, high visa fees and (in the case of the UK) stagnant incomes are making the UK and US less attractive destinations for top international talent.
That steep decline in the appeal of moving to the US after 2016 is 👀
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
2nd edition of our The AI Shift newsletter is out. The question today: could AI be making us LESS productive? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2480... At the individual level, it's clear we're not reliable witnesses on this Q. At an organisational level, it gets even more interesting...
October 30, 2025 at 1:11 PM
2nd edition of our The AI Shift newsletter is out. The question today: could AI be making us LESS productive? @jburnmurdoch.ft.com www.ft.com/content/2480... At the individual level, it's clear we're not reliable witnesses on this Q. At an organisational level, it gets even more interesting...
Reposted by John Burn-Murdoch
Read the headlines and you’ll see wildly different conclusions about whether AI is taking jobs or not. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com break down what the data actually shows in their new newsletter The AI Shift. It's free to read here: on.ft.com/4niHdxo
October 23, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Read the headlines and you’ll see wildly different conclusions about whether AI is taking jobs or not. @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @sarahoconnorft.ft.com break down what the data actually shows in their new newsletter The AI Shift. It's free to read here: on.ft.com/4niHdxo