Demos

❗Employment trends remain a cause for concern.

Researcher, Nicola Stokes reacts to the OBR's Spring forecast and points to new work coming from Demos on pooling the strength of local business networks to address national gaps in skills and job creation. ⬇️

#SpringStatement2026

The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop: Social media and the breaking of the state-citizen relationship Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

The paper, authored by @philtinline.bsky.social, argues that breaking this cycle requires:

⚖️ rebalancing public and private power,
📱 developing new platforms and algorithms designed to support epistemic security, and
🤝 deliberation and a renewed alliance between citizens and the democratic state.

Our latest guest paper examines the role of #socialmedia and private power in the "democratic doom loop".

The doom loop, first coined by Polly Curtis, describes a negative spiral doing ever greater damage to the legitimacy of modern #democracy.

Deliberative democracy folks: the UK government is taking inputs on the future of the BBC till 10th March - and they’re asking how to involve citizens more. Here’s the proposal I led for @demos-uk.bsky.social, including a ‘public lock’:

demos.co.uk/wp-content/u...

A very quiet spring statement...

💭 Demos Lead Researcher, Dan Goss reacts to the Chancellor's spring forecast and suggests the time is coming for a shift from reassurance to renewal.

#SpringStatement2026

Power and participation in public tech This conference is for anyone interested in how to achieve better outcomes in the delivery of digital, data and AI work in the public sector through the involvement of the public, communities and workers. Come if you’re a public servant trying to engage or involve the public in your work on technology. Come if you’re working in civil society, in the union movement, or with grassroots groups, trying to be heard. Come to share what you’re up to, and to learn from others; leave with new insights, ideas, and connections.

📢 Later this week we'll be at our conference on 'Power and participation in public tech'. You can be there too - registration is still open.

📆 Friday 6th March
🕰️ 10:00 - 17:00
🏢 Manchester, UK

🔗 connectedbydata.org/events/2026...

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How to detoxify the immigration debate | LSE British Politics Polling and focus groups can't tell us what people really want from immigration policy - public deliberation is the way out of this polarised debate.

We know immigration is a priority for the UK public. But what do they want from policymaking?

Polling & focus groups aren’t enough to answer this question: public deliberation is the way forward through this polarised debate @hanakappy.bsky.social @demos-uk.bsky.social @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social

How to detoxify the immigration debate | LSE British Politics Polling and focus groups can't tell us what people really want from immigration policy - public deliberation is the way out of this polarised debate.

💡New! Polling and focus groups can't tell us what people really want from immigration policy - public deliberation is the way out of this polarised debate, argues Hana Kapetanovic @hanakappy.bsky.social of Demos @demos-uk.bsky.social.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

How to detoxify the immigration debate | LSE British Politics Polling and focus groups can't tell us what people really want from immigration policy - public deliberation is the way out of this polarised debate.

How can Britain detoxify the immigration debate?

🔗 In a blog for @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social this week, Lead Researcher Hana Kapetanovic @hanakappy.bsky.social explores the role that public deliberation can play in lighting the way forward on immigration policy: blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop: Social media and the breaking of the state-citizen relationship Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

📕 Read 'The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop' paper authored by @philtinline.bsky.social here: demos.co.uk/research/the...

🎙️ @philtinline.bsky.social unpacks the 'digital-democratic doom loop' which he argues is a central force behind the breakdown in the state-citizen relationship, on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social ⬇️

Listen to the full interview from 01:17 👉 lnkd.in/esViXNTT

I spend a lot of my time thinking about how to improve democracy in the UK, and it turns out there's some low hanging fruit!

Proud to finally have this report out, many thanks to @demos-uk.bsky.social for their help.

Democracy on Default Settings: How outdated systems undermine the day-to-day work of members of parliament Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

The report sets out practical, low-cost reforms - in leadership, onboarding, skills and digital tools - that bring parliamentary office practices into the 21st century, and in turn, transform how democracy delivers for citizens.

📕 Read the report here: demos.co.uk/research/dem...

MPs’ offices are found to be overly reliant on individual heroics and dedication rather than robust processes.

Authors argue even modest improvements in staffing and tools could be transformational for how citizens experience democracy day-to-day.

📒 a lack of diversity of skills and experience
🎯 a lack of strategic direction
🤝 a lack of practical leadership support
💷 underutilised staffing budgets
📈 low pay contributing to high turnover
💬 insufficient training and feedback

In-depth interviews, surveys and fieldwork with parliamentary staff expose how the current running of parliamentary offices is holding back modern democracy and trapping MPs in “fire-fighting mode”.

⬇️ Authors found a myriad of operational issues, including…

Democracy on Default Settings: How outdated systems undermine the day-to-day work of members of parliament Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

⚙️ New Report: Democracy on Default Settings

Authored by Hannah O’Rourke from @campaign-lab.bsky.social and Edward Saperia from Newspeak House, this new report lifts the lid on the day-to-day reality of MPs’ offices - the frontline of UK democracy.

Read here: demos.co.uk/research/dem...

Why is the design of social media so corrosive of the relationship between citizen and state? And what can we do, before it's too late?

Great to be back in the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social developing the argument in my new paper for @demos-uk.bsky.social

The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop: Social media and the breaking of the state-citizen relationship Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

This piece builds on the arguments set out by Phil in new Demos guest paper 'The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop' published this week.

Read the paper here: demos.co.uk/research/the...

How Starmer can escape the digital doom loop Europe needs its own big tech companies

✍ @philtinline.bsky.social writes for the @newstatesman1913.bsky.social exploring how the design of algorithmic social media and big tech power has contributed to the breakdown of the citizen-state relationship - and how we might begin to renew it.

Read here: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...

Power and participation in public tech A conference hosted by CONNECTED by DATA DEMOS We are pleased to announce Demos as a conference partner Join us on Friday 6* March in Manchester https://connectedbydata.org/events/2026-03-06-conference

⭕ We're pleased to announce DEMOS as a 'power and participation in public tech' conference partner.

📆 Friday 6 March
🕰️ 10:00 - 17:00
🏢 Manchester
🔗 connectedbydata.org/events/2026...

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I think @philtinline.bsky.social has hit in a really important idea here – working out why we keep getting trapped in doom loops is going to be crucial in the next few years. Working out how to escape them, even more so.

Very pleased to write this for @demos-uk.bsky.social who have been doing great work in this territory.

The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop: Social media and the breaking of the state-citizen relationship Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

The paper examines the breakdown in relationship between state and citizen - highlighting key influences, from the 2008 financial crash to the private power of big tech ‘elites’ - to surface thoughts for breaking the doom loop and restoring the health of our democracies.

Read the full paper ⬇️

🤳 Phil builds on this concept, arguing the already damaging cycle is exacerbated in modern democracies by algorithmic social media which hollows democratic debate and blurs the line between fact and falsehood.

The ‘Democratic Doom Loop’, first coined by Demos Chief Executive Polly Curtis in her paper 'Upgrading Democracy’, describes a negative spiral doing ever greater damage to democratic legitimacy in the UK.

demos.co.uk/research/upg...

The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop: Social media and the breaking of the state-citizen relationship Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

⚠️🔄 New Paper: The Digital-Democratic Doom Loop

In a new guest paper, author and journalist @philtinline.bsky.social argues modern democracies are caught in a “digital-democratic doom loop”, driven by the power of big tech and damaging social media algorithms.

Read the paper ⬇️

Epistemic Security Network Demos is Britain’s leading cross-party think-tank. We produce original research, publish innovative thinkers and host thought-provoking events.

📌 If you’re interested in joining our Network and attending our next monthly meeting, apply to become a ESN member here: demos.co.uk/epistemic-se...

“We've seen the spread of mis- and dis-information about electoral candidates and its chilling effect on the democratic process.

"We need a Code of Practice produced by Ofcom and the Electoral Commission to protect candidates and encourage democratic participation.”

🗣️ Tallulah Belassie-Page

“60% of young people said they ignore what politicians or political parties say online because they don’t know if they can trust them … Tackling this issue around misinformation is seen as a shared responsibility - with governments, schools, platforms and parents playing a role.”

🗣️ Mitali Sud