Emma Norris

Ahead of Budget, where do voters stand on tax and the dilemmas facing government?

Big new @persuasionuk.bsky.social report out today on this.

TL;DR as risky as breaching the manifesto is for Lab - failing on public services, cost of living and child poverty is *far riskier* for Lab.

🧵

Ahead of the Budget, voters are sceptical of higher tax and doubt government delivery. But @ippr.org work with @persuasionuk.bsky.social suggests there is a way through: close loopholes and ensure those with the broadest shoulders contribute first, and take visible action to cut the cost of living.

The absolute bloody vandalism of austerity in one chart. Good analysis of the overall picture here.

English councils to remain poorer than in 2010 despite funding rise, says report Exclusive: Impact of austerity cannot be undone by end of parliament despite above-inflation funding, analysis finds

NEW: Part 1 of the brilliant @instituteforgovernment.org.uk Performance Tracker

@stuarthoddinott.bsky.social & @amberdellar.bsky.social have dug deep into local government services & finances

It’s.. gloomy

As @theguardian.com @kiranstacey.bsky.social reports

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Yep - and low level anti-social behaviour, fly tipping, street crime and so on persist and in some places ramp up. Completely agree that neighbourhood-level problems are a big driver of a more pervading sense of decline and dissatisfaction.

Politics is not like selling biscuits, where the task is to find out what people like & flog it to them.

It's a moral activity. It's about arguing for the things you believe in. It's about *shaping* the "median voter".

Farage has moved the centre-ground of politics. His opponents can move it back.

Today's speech was easily the best Starmer has given.

For the first time since the election, he told a compelling - & optimistic - story about what the government is trying to do; charged that story with moral purpose; & drew clear battle lines with the Right.

A few quick thoughts & a challenge...

Enjoyed talking with @markpackuk.bsky.social @calummillerld.bsky.social @greenmirandahere.bsky.social this morning about how progressives can fight right-wing populism: root politics in place, listen to what really matters in people’s lives and show courage on reform when systems are failing.

Lib Dem conference 2025 | The antidote to populism: Building the centre ground in a divided age YouTube video by Institute for Public Policy Research

IPPR's conference season kicks off at the Lib Dems with a fringe on populism, with:
- @markpackuk.bsky.social
- @calummillerld.bsky.social
- @greenmirandahere.bsky.social
- @emmanorris.bsky.social

www.youtube.com/live/e_PBCpz...

Regret to inform we still spend every week saying this… eight years in…

My god.

This is homophobia pure and simple. The kinds of things I heard as a child; growing up in a gay household. I thought we were past this.

But they are out of step with the majority of people who support, know & care for families like mine.

Josh MacAlister, Liv Bailey and Georgia Gould going to DfE massively strengthens the department at a critical moment. A big positive from the reshuffle.

NEW: UK taxpayers are losing £22 billion every year from losses at the Bank of England - the same as the entire Home Office annual budget. This is the result of a flawed implementation of the BoE's quantitative easing programme. We propose two steps to fix this leak. (1/4)

Educational outcomes across England | Institute for Government Examining the performance gaps in schools.

NEW REPORT: how does where you live and your background affect how you do at school?

- Inequalities have widened around the country and between groups of children since the pandemic

- Progress depends on sharing what works to support disadvantaged pupils & cutting high absence

🧵👇

Very sorry to hear it Sam - sending best wishes, and get well soon.

Ministers aim to export London’s academic success to England’s struggling schools Exclusive: Bridget Phillipson says Rise scheme will use techniques from Blair government’s London Challenge

Interesting @theguardian.com story about the govt trying to replicate the success of Blair's London Challenge to raise school standards outside London www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Just imagine a world in which streets were cleaner, high streets better maintained, crime was a bit lower, there were more good jobs, public transport was a bit more frequent, council tax bills didn't go up 5% every year, some new libraries and leisure centres open. These are things people notice.

Sir Keir Starmer is facing growing demands to ditch a new government edict that bans senior health officials, military leaders and even the head of the civil service from speaking openly in public. In a letter in today's Times the leaders of more than a dozen think tanks, including the Royal Society and Nuffield Trust, warned the prime minister that the new rule was having a "chilling effect on public discussion" with some events already being cancelled. In private, several former cabinet secretaries are understood to have made their concerns clear to Downing Street. The new rules have even been condemned by Alastair Campbell, Tony Blair's former head of communications, who was himself not shy about controlling the messaging of No10.

In their letter the think tanks describe the new rules as a "mistake", saying that "effective government" relies on public servants hearing directly from businesses, charities and citizens to help them make better policy. They warned: "They should be able to explain government activity to those same groups. It the guidance] is causing confusion and a chilling effect on public discussion. The government should withdraw it."

Story tonight about our joint open letter to The Times

We’re calling for the guidance that is preventing civil servants from participating in public and stakeholder events to be withdrawn

www.thetimes.com/article/2e4f...

I am writing a policy pamphlet. Here are all the ways to demonstrate I don't really have a policy answer, that I need to avoid:

a. You call for a "national conversation or debate"
b. You suggest that what is needed is “a change in culture”
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Senior Research Fellow, AI and the economy | IPPR The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) is an independent charity working towards a fairer, greener, and more prosperous society.

Excited to be hiring a Senior AI Research Fellow @ippr.org . With AI progressing rapidly, the economic and social impacts could be huge – from job disruption to misinformation. We design bold, sector-specific policies to ensure AI delivers public value.

www.ippr.org/jobs/senior-...

What choices did the government make in the 2025 spending review? | Institute for Government IfG experts provided instant analysis of what Rachel Reeves’s spending review means for public services, investment and the government’s missions.

If you missed our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk webinar this afternoon, with our take on the Spending Review, you can listen/watch back here www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/2025-s...

with @njdavies.bsky.social @drbenpaxton.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social

How to read and why I love reading and I love advice about how to read.

I wrote this about how to read and why.

Books remain the best technology ever invented to understand life and the world. There is no alternative.

Every book you read helps you build a richer picture of the entire world.

jmarriott.substack.com/p/how-i-read

Spending review 2025: Six key questions for Rachel Reeves to answer | Institute for Government IfG experts set out the six questions they will be looking out for at the spending review.

What are we @instituteforgovernment.org.uk looking out for at next week's spending review?

Our latest comment highlights six key questions 1/9

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/spen...

Thrilled to be appointed as Director of Policy and Politics at @ippr.org, after a decade with the amazing team here at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk IPPR is a powerhouse of progressive thinking, and this is the moment it is needed most. Looking forward to getting started later this summer.

If you are interested in public policy do look at the new @theifs.bsky.social report on the impact of Sure Start - a powerful piece of work. Here are the estimated benefits and costs.

Really pleased @nuffieldfoundation.org supported this programme of work.

IfG event banner for an event titled 'Effective urban leadership: What are the international lessons for England’s mayors?'. Event is on Wednesday 21 May 2025, 09:30 — 10:30 (BST). Speakers: - Professor Jorrit de Jong, Director of Bloomberg Center for Cities at Harvard University - Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government - Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution.

EVENT | Effective urban leadership: What are the international lessons for England’s mayors?

Join us on 21 May to discuss what lessons England’s mayors can learn from other countries with Jorrit de Jong, Director of Bloomberg Center for Cities.

🎫
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/effect...

THANK YOU!

The Trump challenge: What is a better way to reform government than copying Elon Musk and DOGE? | Institute for Government Join us to explore better ways of reforming government than the Trump/Musk approach.

superlooking forward to chairing @instituteforgovernment.org.uk discussion tomorrow on lessons or warnings from DOGE... great line-up with @donmoyn.bsky.social joining us from US, Munira Mirza, @jenitennison.com and our own @alexgathomas.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/trump-...

Universities have ‘lost sight of responsibility over public money’ Baroness Smith says institutions failing to rein in spending despite demanding financial support from government

Intriguing report of the thinking of the Universities Minister
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/05...

Reducing school absence | Institute for Government Learning from the last Labour government can help Keir Starmer reduce school absence.

Important new report for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk by former Social Exclusion head Moira Wallace on how last Labour govt reduced school absence. Lots of lessons - and proof govts can make change happen www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/... Look out for further instalments..