Tom Baker

Text which reads: While Republicans are scripting, recording, and posting, Democrats are stuck in an approvals email chain waiting for a fifth sign-off. By the time our content goes live, the moment has passed. They’ve ripped countless long and short-form videos, shaping the narrative, and we’re playing catch up. And when our content finally goes live, it’s often a recycled TV ad, stump speech, or one-off explainer — content designed for the Obama-era, not the Trump-era algorithm.

Replace Republican for Radical Right, and NGO/Charities for Democrats - the same is true..

Time for us to change our approach - www.fwiw.news/p/democrats-...

WhatsApp message from June 2025 saying: Agreed - I have a whole ‘vibes’ theory of what makes an issue politically salient that I’ve been kicking around in my mind that the individual polling often misses that.

Just saying. Been talking about the ‘politics of vibes’ before it was cool…

Britons believe the UK is seen by the rest of the world as ‘weak’ and ‘soft touch’ Just one in four Brits think the UK is viewed positively on the world stage, with most wanting their country to play a large role in international affairs, exclusive poll shows

Just one in four Brits think the UK is viewed positively on the world stage, with most wanting their country to play a large role in international affairs

New @moreincommonuk.bsky.social polling for @savechildrenuk.bsky.social out today >

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Image of a billboard in Liverpool which says ‘wasn’t the point of winning to lift kids out of poverty’

Our message to everyone arriving for Labour Party Conference - it’s time to scrap the two child limit.

Pro-leadership MP groups, ministers and PPS' back Phillipson, analysis reveals - LabourList Bridget Phillipson's bid to become the next deputy leader of the Labour Party has received support from the majority of ministers and parliamentary private secretaries – and many MPs in pro-leadership...

and this is excellent on where different Labour 'factions'/'tribes' ended up in the nominations - labourlist.org/2025/09/labo...

Labour Deputy Leadership MP Nominations

Super useful spreadsheet for UK political nerds like me..

docs.google.com/spreadsheets...

Text which reads: The first thing I learned in polling is that there is a silent majority out there who are often very different from the noisy people that you hear from. Newspaper headlines do not represent the public view. My email inbox does not represent the public’s views. Planning consultations, which mostly hear from people who are opposed to projects, do not represent the views of the public who often appreciate, for example, the importance of building new homes or energy infrastructure. The second thing I learned is not to sweat the small stuff. Ultimately, there may be an issue here that seems like it's really big, it seems like it's the end of the world, it seems like it's the only thing everyone ever cares about. But most voters are getting on with their lives, trying to look after their families and do their day job. They're not getting obsessed with what we're getting obsessed with.

"But most voters are getting on with their lives, trying to look after their families and do their day job. They're not getting obsessed with what we're getting obsessed with"

Useful reminder from @chriscurtis94.bsky.social in latest Policy Unstuck > policyunstuck.castfromclay.co.uk/p/i-m-not-go...

GB News overtakes BBC and Sky: what this means for PR and brand storytelling GB News becoming the UK's number one broadcast news channel is one of the most pivotal moments in news history and a wake-up call for brand storytellers.

“The rise of GB News is a stark reminder that the way we tell stories has changed. Traditional, values-led narratives are being edged out by content that is emotionally charged, provocative, and – let’s be honest – sensational”

www.clearlypr.co.uk/insights/gb-...

Who are Reform UK's 'red' and 'blue' voters? (Part 2) In part 2 we explore what unites Reform UK's coalition of voters — and where the cracks begin to emerge

Who are Reform UK's 'red' and 'blue' voters?

Good look from @unchecked-uk.bsky.social at what unites Reform UK's coalition of voters — and where the cracks might begin to emerge

unchecked.substack.com/p/who-are-re...

Some important lessons for NGO comms here as well..

Text box that reads For starters, most Democratic campaigns in recent years have struggled to compete in the attention economy. There’s an outdated school of thought in Democratic communications that goes something like this: You start by crafting your poll-tested, focus-grouped message that’s so polished and flawless that it’s utterly boring and unremarkable. Then, you try to shoehorn this perfect message wherever you can — maybe a quote in a paywalled local news article or a wordy tweet that virtually no one reads.

Let's be honest, it's the same for most NGO comms

From www.chaoticera.news/p/opinion-zo...

Super helpful tool for getting an insight into the ‘tribes’ within the Labour Party.

One week to go to apply to be the next Head of Hub Cymru Africa!

We’re looking for a thoughtful, experienced leader to take forward this important role at a key moment for us.

📍 Hybrid and flexible

🗓️ Fixed term to March 2027

Apply by 13:00 on Friday, 11th of July 2025.

Overview and key findings of the 2025 Digital News Report This year’s report comes at a time of deep political and economic uncertainty, changing geo-political alliances, not to mention climate breakdown and continuing destructive conflicts around the world....

Loads more over at reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/digital-news...

7% of access news podcast weekly with Spotify and BBC Sounds are main access points.

Top podcasts are:
1. The Rest is Politics
2. News Agents
3. PoliticsJOE

Traditional media brands have remained more resiliant in the UK - but in many markets there is a rise in personality-based news driven by influencers.

For example in the US 22% said they had come across podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan discussing or commenting on news in the previous week.

Facebook, YouTube and X are the biggest social, messaging, and video networks for news.

In 2025 for the first time more with a right political leaning are using X/Twitter.

Bluesky has reach 2% or less for news globally

Overall trust in news is at 35% but lower than before the Brexit referendum (2016). BBC, Channel 4, and ITV remain the most trusted news brands along with the Financial Times. More opinionated news brands tend to have lower trust levels, along with tabloid newspapers.

2. The BBC still dominates where we get our news from - both online (47% get news weekly from the Beeb) and offline (41%).

Behind that its more fragmented - Guardian and Mail big online, ITV, Sky and GB News offline. Commercial radio reaches more than any daily paper.

The annual Digital News Report 2025 from @reutersinstitute.bsky.social is a treasure trove of insight into news consumption.

A few snippets from the latest report for the UK.

1. Most of us now get our news online and on mobile - audiences for TV (down to 48%) and print (down to 12%) from 2013.

The Electrifying Campaign It's time to throw out the rule books and campaign like insurgents!

Best piece I've read on why Zohran Mamdani won - definitely some lessons from UK politicians in this.

reframingamerica.substack.com/p/electrifyi...

How No 10 went from bullish to badly damaged as rebels forced further welfare bill concessions Tumultuous 24 hours capped by last-minute climbdown on cuts to Pips could define rest of Starmer’s time as PM

More in here about the rebellion - esp the importance of having the right MP to lead it www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The measure of a nation’s character is how we respond to those who need help. In Wales, our heritage demands solidarity at home and abroad.

As too many world leaders are turning away from global solidarity, we call on the next Welsh Government to make Wales a globally responsible nation.

#Senedd26

Why can’t we agree on ‘what is to be done’, when everything is on fire? I’m using dogs to explain the rift in strategic thinking within progressive circles today. Bear with me I think I’m on to something!

‘create a ‘clubhouse’ of right-thinking that establishes purity of vision as it’s main objective and shuts itself off to the outside world’

@tomliacas.bsky.social on traps that progressives can fall into when seeking to build power

medium.com/@TomLiacas/w...

Inside The Secretive Network that Shaped the Right-Wing Media Machine Also inside: Elon Musk’s PAC gets into the ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ discourse with ads, a major MAGA merch shop is making $$ off of ICE puns, and more

Culture is upstream from politics - and this shows how in the US (and suspect in UK) the right is investing in the media landscape.

open.substack.com/pub/fwiwnews...

Also imagine MP postbag was full with very real examples of impact, while WhatsApps from party members unhappy AND sense this was another potential Winter Fuel type issue.

Morning Call: Inside Labour’s welfare revolt Keir Starmer’s political authority is now on the line.

Useful look inside Labour revolt of disability benefits.

Lessons from it for others:

> organised by respected backbenchers who had standing in the PLP
> distributed organising caught No10 unaware
> drew support from across party tribes

open.substack.com/pub/morningc...

‘Dignity is the Starmerite code’

Useful para from this long @newstatesman.com profile of the Prime Minister on what drives his approach.

Useful summarised in this podcast - podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...

Key reminder of what voters what spending to be prioritise on.

Helpful look at how UK voters are moving over the last 12 months.

From www.electoralcalculus.co.uk/blogs/pseph_...