Net migration has fallen dramatically over the past few years; but people are still irked by immigration. What's going on? My latest: www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Immigration remains at the forefront of British voters’ minds

The focus has shifted to asylum and small boats

economist.com

Some good news from the coal-face... Petrol prices have peaked.

The war in the Middle East has been quick to reach Britain's shores. The cost of petrol has risen by 16p to £1.49 a litre and diesel is up 32p to £1.74 a litre—the highest for about 18 months. But is driving actually that expensive? A thread (1/7) www.economist.com/britain/2026...

By our calculations, motoring in Britain has rarely been so cheap

Petrol prices in Britain rose after Middle East conflict, but fuel efficiency gains and lower real costs make driving cheaper than at any time since 1990.

economist.com

Good time to plug @fransham.bsky.social's Starmer tracker: www.economist.com/interactive/... Keir Starmer isn't just unpopular because of his presentation. He also hasn't made any progress on voters' priorities

Last week there was a storm brewing over pubs' rising business-rates bills. The the government is due to announce the details of its U-turn in the "coming days". My piece crunches the numbers on how much tax relief will cost the government (and ultimately you). www.economist.com/britain/2026...

Another U-turn from Britain’s government

This time over property taxes

economist.com

This week's work: a pithy little note on the lacklustre Labour government. www.economist.com/britain/2026...

The UK government published a new road safety strategy today (the first since 2011). Road deaths are now a third higher per mile travelled than in Sweden. Here's a piece I wrote in the depth of last winter about how to reduce deaths: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Why Britain has fallen behind on road safety

More than 1,600 people still die each year in road collisions

economist.com

There's a lot of flu around the UK at the moment; and lots of Christmases will be ruined for it. What if we adopted some of the preventative measures such as at-home testing, monitoring and mitigation that we did during covid? My piece from 2022 explored this: www.economist.com/britain/2022...

What if the flu were treated more like covid, not the other way round?

A post-pandemic thought experiment

economist.com

Trivia Q: when was the last time that a British governing party was polling in third place? www.economist.com/interactive/...

In this week's Economist I've written about how, contrary to the breathless hot-takes last week, the emigration of British citizens from the UK is actually falling. (A thread 1/17) www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Are Brits really leaving the country in droves?

No. We estimate that emigration is lower now than it was five years ago

economist.com

In light of today's new mansion tax, re-upping my piece from last year on council tax. Why Buckingham Palace, valued at around £1bn, pays less tax than an average three-bedroom semi in Blackpool: www.economist.com/britain/2024...

Britain’s council tax is arbitrary, regressive and needs fixing

Based on estimated house values 33 years ago, it is not fit for purpose

economist.com

What happens when you stick 61 budget speeches into OpenAI? www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Words to watch out for in Rachel Reeves’s budget

Our analysis of 50 years of chancellors’ speeches

economist.com

Tax avoidance schemes, such as snail farms, can be brazenly amusing. But they have serious impacts on government coffers. The £24bn tax yield from commercial property has fallen in recent year, as landlords and their tenants take advantage of carve-outs. My latest: www.economist.com/britain/2025...

A slimy scheme to avoid property tax

From snail farms to sham churches—the British will do anything to dodge taxes

economist.com

Britain's biggest political party...

I'm calling it: peak Nigel. Reform UK hitting their ceiling at 30%; Tories and Labour bottoming out, too. Just updated: www.economist.com/interactive/... [no paywall]

Gen Z, a much maligned and panicked-about generation, are behind a remarkable collapse in weekend violence. Great reporting from @fransham.bsky.social www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Why Brits love gas boilers...

🗳️🇩🇪 We have launched our German election forecast! The hard-right AfD is 2nd in the polls and has been gaining ground on the centre-right CDU/CSU. But none of the other parties want to work with it. Which coalitions will be possible? Follow the runners & riders: www.economist.com/interactive/...

2025 German election polls and prediction model

Track who is ahead in the polls, and explore our forecast model in the run-up to February’s election

economist.com

Every day around five people die on roads across Britain. We accept 1,600 deaths a year as simply the cost of going about our daily lives. But if the same happened for planes, trains or ships then these modes of transport would be at a standstill. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Why Britain has fallen behind on road safety

More than 1,600 people still die each year in road collisions

economist.com

The UK government has set a lofty goal of "ending homelessness for good". But homelessness in England has increased by 26% over the past five years. My reporting from the streets of Manchester demonstrates how difficult it will be to tackle. www.economist.com/britain/2025...

Homelessness in England has risen by 26% in the past five years

Manchester demonstrates how hard it will be to tackle

economist.com

Which company should you work for if you want to get ahead? To find out The Economist has created a new index with the Burning Glass Institute, a think-tank. Explore how 151 of Britain's biggest and most well-known firms are rated, here: www.economist.com/opportunity-...

The best British companies to work for to get ahead

A new ranking of firms by pay, promotions and hiring practices

economist.com

Excellent piece by @fransham.bsky.social about Britain's pathetic mobile service. Download it on wifi if you're in central London www.economist.com/britain/2024...

It has long been a pioneer in telecoms: the first commercial telegraph in the 1800s; the first transatlantic telephone call in the 1920s; and the first text message in 1992. But today this country has the rich world's worst mobile service: www.economist.com/britain/2024...