Cam Vargas
@camvargas.bsky.social
Work: @arguablymag.bsky.social 🇵🇪🇬🇧 | COYI ⚒️
What do Andy Burnham and Michael Heseltine have in common? Both have long wanted to bring order to England’s messy geography of public services. Pleased to write for Arguably on why the Burnham administration needs to tackle the Incoherent State. www.arguably.uk/p/the-incohe...
The Incoherent State is holding England back
For devolution to succeed, Burnham needs to end the dizzying array of boundaries
arguably.uk
The Incoherent State is holding England back – sharp piece by Jack Shaw for @arguablymag.bsky.social on why Burnham needs to end the dizzying array of boundaries to improve state delivery. www.arguably.uk/p/the-incohe...
The Incoherent State is holding England back
For devolution to succeed, Burnham needs to end the dizzying array of boundaries
arguably.uk
Absolute joke for a Green Party to oppose solar panels. But very much in keeping with why the UK and whole of Europe are failing on energy policy. Other priorities... www.ft.com/content/6fe7...
The one climate issue uniting Greens and Reform in Kent
Insurgent parties of left and right find common cause in stance over major solar farm scheme but UK government will have final say
ft.com
Why opposing data centres isn’t progressive – essential deep dive by @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social for Arguably. “Many of the fears around data centres are overblown, and the benefits – to national security, tax revenue, public services – are substantial.” www.arguably.uk/p/opposing-d...
Opposing data centres isn’t progressive
The fears around them are overblown, while the benefits are substantial
arguably.uk
This is crazy. Unchain the beast.
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2w agoSet London free! No other leading G7 city has such limited powers – it's chained by Westminster. New piece for Arguably on the case for radical devolution to boost growth, housing and infrastructure and end the begging-bowl culture that still holds the city back. www.arguably.uk/p/set-london...
Perhaps the most shameful thing on the ‘too difficult, sort later’ list of policy problems facing Britain. Great piece today on @arguablymag.bsky.social from former Justice Secretary @davidgauke.bsky.social This one is FREE to read!
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2w agoBritain is in denial on the prisons crisis – essential reading from @davidgauke.bsky.social on how we could run out of places *by November* if Burnham abandons the sentencing reforms. www.arguably.uk/p/britain-is...
yup someone has burned that journo relationship and for what?
Will Davies@will-davies.bsky.social · 3w agoHow to lose political friends and alienate financial journalists
Can Andy Burnham reverse Thatcherism? My deep-dive interview with @mathewlawrence.bsky.social of @cmmonwealth.bsky.social covering public ownership, wealth taxes, fiscal rules and Burnham's choice of chancellor (£/free trial). www.arguably.uk/p/can-andy-b...
Can Andy Burnham reverse Thatcherism?
Mathew Lawrence on what a new era of public ownership would look like
arguably.uk
A growth manifesto for Andy Burnham – essential from @davidlawrenceuk.bsky.social on 23 ways to end our stagnation from housing to energy to infrastructure. “There are many solutions that simply have not been tried: most of them popular, and ready to implement”. www.arguably.uk/p/a-growth-m...
A growth manifesto for Andy Burnham
23 ways the next PM can end Britain’s multi-decade stagnation
arguably.uk
A growth manifesto for Andy Burnham – 23 ways the new PM can end Britain’s stagnation from housing to energy to infrastructure. “There are many solutions that simply have not been tried: most of them popular, and ready to implement”. www.arguably.uk/p/a-growth-m...
A growth manifesto for Andy Burnham
23 ways the next PM can end Britain’s multi-decade stagnation
arguably.uk
How can Burnham get UK growth firing? Well, first things first, read this... Subscribe to Arguably now and get a 7-day free trial www.arguably.uk/p/a-growth-m...
A growth manifesto for Andy Burnham
23 ways the next PM can end Britain’s multi-decade stagnation
arguably.uk
Yesterday, as a personal project, I put out a UK poll tracker: pollingpolis.co.uk It has UK Voting Intention, Best PM, Net Approval and Vote by 2024 Vote, Region and Age. A quick tour of how it works 🧵
Wonderful speech from David Miliband - "Kings, Priests and Prophets: Power and its Missing Guardrails” - delivered tonight as the 2026 Jonathan Sacks Memorial Lecture. Read the full transcript on @arguablymag.bsky.social. No paywall on this one. Enjoy. www.arguably.uk/p/david-mili...
David Miliband: how to end the democratic depression
We must take on the concentration of economic and political power in Westminster
arguably.uk
Why Burnham should go early. Making the case for a snap election in @arguablymag.bsky.social www.arguably.uk/p/dont-be-a-...
Don’t be a bottler, Burnham
The next PM should learn from Gordon Brown’s mistake and call an early election
arguably.uk
Very good piece, especially if - like me - you are following all advice regarding windows and blinds, but your home is still 10bn degrees celsius
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2mo agoWhy progressives should learn to love air con – a timely piece from @samalvis.bsky.social on how it can support rather than hinder the green transition. www.arguably.uk/p/end-the-ai...
remarkable that prominent political journalists who literally do this for a living insist on saying Al 'Cairns' - it's just not his name, and it's really not very hard to get right
I was asked to explain the Starmer situation in football terms to a non-political friend, and the best I could come up with was Assou-Ekotto or Ben White becoming a manger, despite no interest in football, outsourcing all decisions to coaches, having no plan/style, and not telling them what he wants
Really interesting stuff from the newest pollsters on the block
Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)@fintan-smith.bsky.social · 2mo agoNEW from @convergent-opinion.bsky.social Labour 12pts ahead in Makerfield, with Kenyon's sexist comments actively costing Reform votes Lab: 49% Ref: 37% Res: 5% Grn: 5% Other 5% 525 adults, 2-12 June 2026
A 4th poll in Makerfield since candidates named, by Convergent, British Polling Council member www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
George is absolutely right. Total paralysis at the moment as politicians of all stripes just continually lie to themselves, each other, and the public.
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2mo agoThe defence spending crisis – like the welfare cuts debacle – is rooted in Labour’s absurd “tax lock” preventing rational policy. www.arguably.uk/p/the-tax-tr...
Today I've written for Arguably on one big mystery in our public life: why does no-one care about the existential crisis of our universities? Read all about it... 👇 www.arguably.uk/p/the-quiet-...
The quiet collapse of British universities
One of our great triumphs and economic advantages is fading away
arguably.uk
excellent from Glen @gsoh31.bsky.social as always
George Eaton@georgeeaton.bsky.social · 2mo agoWhy is the universities crisis being ignored? Essential piece by @gsoh31.bsky.social for Arguably on the “grim dribbling away of one of Britain's great triumphs and economic advantages” – and why so few politicians seem to care. www.arguably.uk/p/the-quiet-...
Very Bluesky replies/QTs on point 1 It's not that complicated: - no sense of what he is PM for - poor policy choices - pretends there are no trade offs - dreadful communicator - annoying voice - stubborn and slow to react - boring - looks like a generic bureaucrat - Tory legacy inheritance
Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2mo agoMy top two mysteries of the moment in British Politics are: 1) Why does a PM as ineffectual & beige as Keir Starmer inspire quite so much genuine hatred? 2) Why are Tory MPs and members so happy with Kemi Badenoch when she hasn't even managed to pull the Party up to the depths it plumbed in 2024?
Tony Blair's missing project – @torstenbell.bsky.social writes for Arguably on how Blair has failed to grapple with the real choices on austerity, welfare, tax and energy. www.arguably.uk/p/tony-blair...
Tony Blair’s missing project
The former prime minister fails to reckon with the real choices in the Britain of the 2020s
arguably.uk
This is sharp from James Meadway in his interview with Arguably on the “hard truths” that any left project must face. www.arguably.uk/p/what-do-th...
VG from @meadwaj.bsky.social on Green econ policy, eg this on wealth taxes: "The challenge politically, is this does not solve all your problems.. perhaps £10bn... The amount you want to spend on improving public services is an order of magnitude greater" www.arguably.uk/p/what-do-th...
What do the Greens want now?
An interview with James Meadway on a Burnham premiership, public ownership and the “hard truths” the left must face
arguably.uk
To fix the social care crisis, Labour needs a “big bang” for the state, writes @danmead.bsky.social. www.arguably.uk/p/how-to-fix...
How to fix the social care crisis
Labour needs a “big bang” for the state
arguably.uk
