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Matthew Barnfield

@mbarnfield.bsky.social

British Academy Postdoctoral Fellow at Queen Mary University of London. matthewbarnfield.co.uk

144 Posts1000 Follower760 Folgt
Political Studies@polstudies.bsky.social · last wk.

Focusing on centrism as a purported set of ideas – a centre beyond left and right – @karlpike.bsky.social offers a new theory of centrism as a structure for political action: a politics which oscillates between left and right. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/fRxUuSv @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social #polisky

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Matthew Barnfield@mbarnfield.bsky.social · 2w ago

The general point here is obviously right, but I'm really not sure it makes sense to make this about voters' attention spans. Strikes me as just vibes and, even if it is a factor, as one that is dwarfed by the many others that the rest of the piece recounts so well.

Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2w ago

"In the era of politics as relentless campaign mania, when attention spans are short and incumbents are an easy target, Burnham must somehow earn voters’ trust and hold their gaze while deferring their gratification." @rafaelbehr.bsky.social sums up the challenge perfectly.

Matthew Barnfield@mbarnfield.bsky.social · 2w ago

This point is coming up a lot today. Last year, I argued that failure to recognise this would be the downfall of Starmer's "decade of national renewal": theconversation.com/keir-starmer...

Luke Tryl@luketryl.bsky.social · 2w ago

None of which is to say long term Isn’t important, but you’re more likely to get people to think things can be better in long term if you help in the here and now and show progress along the way. There is just limited resonance for jam tomorrow style politics 18 years since 2008

Colm Murphy@colmpm.bsky.social · 3w ago

I had a go at exploring what Burnham could actually do, realistically, in the short term. (Always a dangerous choice for a historian...). Despite the structural challenges, on which I'm liable to focus, my answer is not 'nothing'. blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp... @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social

What can Andy Burnham actually do? | LSE British Politics

Andy Burnham might be more charismatic than Keir Starmer but the problems he is inheriting go beyond personality. Can he really make a difference?

blogs.lse.ac.uk

LSE British Politics and Policy@lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social · 3w ago

What can Andy Burnham actually do? More charisma and better communication skills will be helpful, but what about the structural problems facing the Government? Colm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social reflects on what's in Burnham's power to do as the new Prime Minister. blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

What can Andy Burnham actually do? | LSE British Politics

Andy Burnham might be more charismatic than Keir Starmer but the problems he is inheriting go beyond personality. Can he really make a difference?

blogs.lse.ac.uk

Rob Ford@robfordmancs.bsky.social · 2mo ago

The thing about all these projections is they all assume voters will ignore the local tactical stakes. Yet we have seen repeatedly that this just ain’t so.

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Matthew Barnfield@mbarnfield.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Alarmed to realise that my attempt to offer a fresh perspective on the partisan "bias" in electoral expectations, and what it means for democracy, was accepted for publication almost a year ago. tl;dr: voters hope their vote isn't futile, and that's OK.

Political Studies@polstudies.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Is it rational to expect to win elections? @mbarnfield.bsky.social argues so-called "wishful thinking" about election outcomes is part of how voters make rational sense of their role in democracies. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/IbHauRb @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social @uoypolitics.bsky.social @sagepub.com

Abstract It is well established in political science that those who favour an election outcome tend to say it has a higher chance of success than those who oppose it. This tendency towards so-called ‘wishful thinking’ is often treated as a problem for democracy because it shows that voters are, as the term suggests, irrational. In this article, I make the case that partisan electoral expectations are significant not because they demonstrate widespread irrationality, but because they show how voters make sense of their role in democracies. I provide an alternative account of partisan electoral expectations as following a principle of electoral hope. On this account, partisan electoral expectations are rational in a practical, if not necessarily theoretical, sense.
Daniel Gover@danielgover.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Grateful for the chance to discuss private members' bills (usage, reform, etc) today at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk - alongside @kimleadbeatermp.bsky.social, @paulbrand.bsky.social, @drhannahwhite.bsky.social & Luke Norbury. Recording here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/assist...

Are private members' bills a good way for MPs to decide on difficult policy issues? | Institute for Government

An expert panel drew on lessons from the recent assisted dying bill and other PMBs to consider how backbench MPs should approach complex issues.

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Matthew Barnfield@mbarnfield.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Karl here gives an excellent and nuanced overview of some of what our research (w/ @philipjcowley.bsky.social suggests about short-(and long-)termism in British politics. 1/4

Karl Pike@karlpike.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Discussed ongoing research with @mbarnfield.bsky.social and @philipjcowley.bsky.social on the BBC’s Moral Maze yesterday evening - about what the ‘short term’ and the ‘long term’ mean in politics and policymaking. www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...