Tom Sasse

Spot on from the Economist.

What a second week of war will bring
economist.com/middle-east-...

Chart showing lifetime average GDP growth for Brits by year of birth. 20-year-old Brits have experienced an average of 1.4% growth, compared with 2.4% for 75-year-olds

Part of the issue is a lack of growth. A recent study showed that cohorts who experience more GDP growth in their lifetimes are more likely to trust the government and have positive perceptions of their living standards. academic.oup.com/qje/advance-... In Britain, such voters are dying out

This is so beautifully put. I'd recommend reading the whole thing. (I'm assuming this is @bryce.lol's prose in the latest Alphaville Substack post.)

Great Janan www.ft.com/content/9247...

Britain’s “Hillsborough law”, pledging candour, is avoiding it A bill to jail dishonest bureaucrats may result in a less honest state

The Hillsborough law is a noble, popular and bold idea: to make it a crime for the state to lie. The problem is it may make for a less honest and open state. My note this week on good intentions and unintended consequences

www.economist.com/britain/2026...

The Economist’s science and technology internship We invite applications for the 2026 Richard Casement internship

Science-heads who are journalism-curious! This is one of the best internships imaginable. Many of its holders have gone on to great careers at The Economist.

Please help spread the word.

www.economist.com/science-and-...

Ready, steady, unionise!
Trade unions have high hopes for the new Employment Rights Act. The most overlooked provisions - on union recruitment, recognition and industrial action - are probably the most important. But where they lead, no one knows

economist.com/britain/2026...

Thanks Aveek!

The remarkable recovery of Narendra Modi Despite an electoral reverse in 2024, the prime minister now seems as dominant as ever

When Narendra Modi became Indian prime minister, Obama was president, Cameron was PM and Merkel was chancellor. Twelve years later, Modi enjoys a 70% approval rating is eyeing taking the title of India's longest-serving PM from Nehru.

@tomsasse.bsky.social on why Modi is as dominant as ever

economically rational but emotionally challenging

Is it better to rent or buy? Much depends on long-term interest rates

www.economist.com/finance-and-...

State capacity is the issue of the age The Labour Party and its rivals agree on much about what is wrong with government

Starmer, Farage, Badenoch et al share a strange consensus: that state capacity is broken, and the answer is a stronger prime minister in a faster, more centralised system - pulling levers like the Fat Controller and grabbing power back from agencies. Is it smart?

www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Russian generals explode all the time, but a canal boat falling into a sinkhole... that's public-interest news!

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has moderated in office Aside from some eye-catching gestures, Reform councils have focused on potholes and budget holes

Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has moderated in office
economist.com/britain/2025...
from The Economist

Martin Parr transformed photojournalism Six images captured by one of Britain’s best photographers

Martin Parr transformed photojournalism
economist.com/culture/2025...
from The Economist

Why Britain’s police forces are taking to AI There are big benefits if they can overcome the obstacles

Why Britain’s police forces are taking to AI:
www.economist.com/britain/2025...

The news that net migration to Britain is plummeting should have been met with cheers from across the political spectrum. But something in the statistics released on November 27th bothered commentators: the number of British citizens emigrating appears to have rocketed in recent years. The Times and Telegraph called it an “exodus”. The Daily Mail called it a “brain drain from Starmer’s socialist chaos”. They could not be more wrong.The Office for National Statistics (ons) confirmed that total net migration—inflows less outflows—was just 204,000 in the year to June, the lowest level since March 2021. That overall figure is composed of three types of people: Europeans, non-Europeans and British citizens. Look at just the last group in isolation and the net outflow of British citizens has risen from 82,000 to 109,000 over the past six years, a 33% increase.

Brace yourself, but it appears that when it comes to emigration, the Mail and the Telegraph may be full of ***t
www.economist.com/britain/2025...
From The Economist

Self-driving cars will transform urban economies A robotaxi boom is coming. The impacts might be broader than you expect

Self-driving cars will transform urban economies
www.economist.com/finance-and-...
Really thoughtful, evenhanded analysis from The Economist, that suggests to me the transition will be more jagged than optimists expect

British voters would like politics to go away

Which country is most similar to Britain? Clue: none of the ones its politicians obsess over

Canada and France both have similarities with Britain. But the place that comes closest according to our measures may seem a surprising one

Narendra Modi plans to free up India’s giant labour force Socialist employment restrictions will be swept away

2) an assessment of whether Narendra Modi's latest reforms will help India take advantage of its abundant labour: www.economist.com/finance-and-...

Meet the road-building, Muslim-baiting monk who could rule India Some see the leader of India’s biggest state as a visionary. Others fear him

In the meantime I have a couple of pieces in this week's magazine:
1) an interview with Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (with @robertguest.bsky.social): www.economist.com/asia/2025/11...

Some personal news: I will be moving to Delhi in January to be the Economist's South Asia bureau chief.

I am obviously hugely excited about this. Welcome all recommendations and tips.

Narendra Modi plans to free up India’s giant labour force Socialist employment restrictions will be swept away

Narendra Modi plans to free up India’s giant labour force by @tomsasse.bsky.social www.economist.com/finance-and-...

dreadful week

Visa restrictions are bad for Indians—but maybe not for India Remittances may fall, but opportunities are opening up

Visa restrictions are bad for Indians—but maybe not for India
economist.com/finance-and-...

This bodge-it budget does not give Britain what it needs Without ambitious reform, the country will not thrive

Do read this on the budget, by our economics editor, Henry Curr. (Much better than the Kemi version): www.economist.com/leaders/2025...

How to get the UK out of its economic hole Reeves’ challenge is to remedy the disaster that Brexit has been for the country

This really is v good.

on.ft.com/47YTi6P How to get the UK out of its economic hole

Britain’s controversial experiment in regulating the internet The effects of a new law have been less dramatic than critics warned

Most of the criticisms of Britain's Online Safety Act seem to have been wrong: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

The seven deadly sins of corporate exuberance A frenzy of financial innovation has ensnared America Inc. What could go wrong?

Silicon Valley, Wall Street and Washington are conspiring in one of American capitalism’s great money-making eras. CEOs are embracing risky financial strategies that involve jaw-dropping feats of paper engineering—and offer clues as to the nature of the coming crash www.economist.com/business/202...