James Kanagasooriam
@jameskanag.bsky.social
Pollster. Chief Research Officer of @focaldata.bsky.social and Honorary Professor @UofGlasgow.bsky.social
I’ve written today for @thetimes.com on how our shortening attention spans are damaging our politics. Another slightly doomery column
September 2, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I’ve written today for @thetimes.com on how our shortening attention spans are damaging our politics. Another slightly doomery column
The UK is in a bad place; but it seems campaigners across the spectrum are starting to piece together what might fix our country. Agency.
Substack here open.substack.com/pub/politica...
Substack here open.substack.com/pub/politica...
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The UK is in a bad place; but it seems campaigners across the spectrum are starting to piece together what might fix our country. Agency.
Substack here open.substack.com/pub/politica...
Substack here open.substack.com/pub/politica...
The global public affairs firm Edelman found this in their global trust tracking and found the U.K. to be toxic and world beating in its levels of grievance.
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The global public affairs firm Edelman found this in their global trust tracking and found the U.K. to be toxic and world beating in its levels of grievance.
Once you realise agency is low in Britain you realise how many things suffer from the lack it - growth, productivity, accountability, positivity. At the heart of our political problems is a culture of grievance so wide it captures some of the luckiest people alive
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Once you realise agency is low in Britain you realise how many things suffer from the lack it - growth, productivity, accountability, positivity. At the heart of our political problems is a culture of grievance so wide it captures some of the luckiest people alive
The story of how Britain became a low agency culture is interesting. Lots of candidates. Dopamine culture, the realignment with the centre right tossing Thatchers intellectual legacy, growth in the philosophy of intersectionality, decline of religion (see AA’s concept of grace)
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The story of how Britain became a low agency culture is interesting. Lots of candidates. Dopamine culture, the realignment with the centre right tossing Thatchers intellectual legacy, growth in the philosophy of intersectionality, decline of religion (see AA’s concept of grace)
When you frame politics as “what could increase individual and group agency” you start to understand why very different political parties are starting to entertain similar policy fixes…
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
When you frame politics as “what could increase individual and group agency” you start to understand why very different political parties are starting to entertain similar policy fixes…
The groups that stress people’s agency are the ones that have been making waves across labour, conservative and reform. People want to take back control
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
The groups that stress people’s agency are the ones that have been making waves across labour, conservative and reform. People want to take back control
Our findings reflect work from @moreincommonuk.bsky.social and @luketryl.bsky.social work - agency is likely to be as big a thing in UK politics as the identity / multiculturalism axis over the next 5 years or so
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Our findings reflect work from @moreincommonuk.bsky.social and @luketryl.bsky.social work - agency is likely to be as big a thing in UK politics as the identity / multiculturalism axis over the next 5 years or so
Things that drive high agency, high consciousness, pluralist, trusting and optimistic traits are three things.
1/ Money - income and inheritance and a stable familial set up
2/ Mindset (low levels of neuroticism and high amounts of agency)
Hard to pinpoint causation but patterns are clear
1/ Money - income and inheritance and a stable familial set up
2/ Mindset (low levels of neuroticism and high amounts of agency)
Hard to pinpoint causation but patterns are clear
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Things that drive high agency, high consciousness, pluralist, trusting and optimistic traits are three things.
1/ Money - income and inheritance and a stable familial set up
2/ Mindset (low levels of neuroticism and high amounts of agency)
Hard to pinpoint causation but patterns are clear
1/ Money - income and inheritance and a stable familial set up
2/ Mindset (low levels of neuroticism and high amounts of agency)
Hard to pinpoint causation but patterns are clear
Broadly our polling suggests that there exists an ever shrinking band of voters who are optimistic, high agency and trusting “OATs” - and that the traditional parties (Labour and Conservatives) disproportionately draw people from this shrinking group
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
Broadly our polling suggests that there exists an ever shrinking band of voters who are optimistic, high agency and trusting “OATs” - and that the traditional parties (Labour and Conservatives) disproportionately draw people from this shrinking group
My latest substack is a labour of love (link below) on the issue of agency, and how bringing it back at the personal and institutional level might be critical to improving our politics again. Featuring detailed polling and analysis from us here at @focaldata.bsky.social
August 10, 2025 at 8:43 PM
My latest substack is a labour of love (link below) on the issue of agency, and how bringing it back at the personal and institutional level might be critical to improving our politics again. Featuring detailed polling and analysis from us here at @focaldata.bsky.social
Our take on the Canadian election from @focaldata.bsky.social + @politico.com. Liberals ahead by 3 pts which is likely to translate into a small majority. Trump has had a material effect. One pause for thought. “Wisdom of the crowds” has a 4 point Conservative lead. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
April 26, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Our take on the Canadian election from @focaldata.bsky.social + @politico.com. Liberals ahead by 3 pts which is likely to translate into a small majority. Trump has had a material effect. One pause for thought. “Wisdom of the crowds” has a 4 point Conservative lead. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
Full piece here
April 21, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Full piece here
Tomorrow I'll upload some transcripts we've collected overnight from our @focaldata.bsky.social AI tool (www.focaldata.com) the initial comments are...something....
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
Tomorrow I'll upload some transcripts we've collected overnight from our @focaldata.bsky.social AI tool (www.focaldata.com) the initial comments are...something....
The timing for Jaguar's ad soon post US election is something. There's a few things worth thinking about. 1/ The UK's millenial cohort is left wing in ways that other international cohorts are not. If millennial Brits doing your branding - maybe check yourself and their work.
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
The timing for Jaguar's ad soon post US election is something. There's a few things worth thinking about. 1/ The UK's millenial cohort is left wing in ways that other international cohorts are not. If millennial Brits doing your branding - maybe check yourself and their work.
We also asked what people made of an old Jaguar advert from 10 years ago, and asked them to compare it to today's. Answer 81% vs 19% preferred Old Jaguar. Results on the new logo were even worse 83% vs 17%. Mixed case logos are a massive red flag.
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
We also asked what people made of an old Jaguar advert from 10 years ago, and asked them to compare it to today's. Answer 81% vs 19% preferred Old Jaguar. Results on the new logo were even worse 83% vs 17%. Mixed case logos are a massive red flag.
When we asked the UK public what they made of the Jaguar advert the most common reaction was weird (38%) and confusing (34%).There's a lesson there for hyper progressives. Your ideas aren't necessarily hated, but people might think your ideas are really weird and confusing.
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
When we asked the UK public what they made of the Jaguar advert the most common reaction was weird (38%) and confusing (34%).There's a lesson there for hyper progressives. Your ideas aren't necessarily hated, but people might think your ideas are really weird and confusing.
Interestingly, the public's reaction is slightly less visceral than social media, but it's not great. A small minority used positive words - but most people thought it was pretty confusing. Bit of a progressive fit.
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
Interestingly, the public's reaction is slightly less visceral than social media, but it's not great. A small minority used positive words - but most people thought it was pretty confusing. Bit of a progressive fit.
Firstly, when we asked the U.K public what they thought the Jaguar advert was about - the most common inference was that it was a tv spot for a fashion brand or paint advert. Nice.
November 23, 2024 at 5:39 PM
Firstly, when we asked the U.K public what they thought the Jaguar advert was about - the most common inference was that it was a tv spot for a fashion brand or paint advert. Nice.
@alwynturner.bsky.social posted the following screen grab, and I’ve never seen a better example of the decline of British political culture.
November 16, 2024 at 12:45 PM
@alwynturner.bsky.social posted the following screen grab, and I’ve never seen a better example of the decline of British political culture.
The sheer closeness of the race (still reflected in swing state results outside Nevada / Arizona)
November 14, 2024 at 3:59 PM
The sheer closeness of the race (still reflected in swing state results outside Nevada / Arizona)
The evidence we’ve collected on the cost of incumbency
November 14, 2024 at 3:59 PM
The evidence we’ve collected on the cost of incumbency
Also worth reflecting on Trump’s lead on the fundamentals
November 14, 2024 at 3:59 PM
Also worth reflecting on Trump’s lead on the fundamentals
Still reflecting on the US polling miss and our Focaldata “wisdom of the crowds” question indicating massive differences to voting intention. Similar to Brexit. Interestingly in the Australian Voice referendum the two converged and were both right
November 14, 2024 at 3:52 PM
Still reflecting on the US polling miss and our Focaldata “wisdom of the crowds” question indicating massive differences to voting intention. Similar to Brexit. Interestingly in the Australian Voice referendum the two converged and were both right