James Kanagasooriam
@jameskanag.bsky.social
Pollster. Chief Research Officer of @focaldata.bsky.social and Honorary Professor @UofGlasgow.bsky.social
Huge fun with Marina Hyde doing a mini series on culture with Goalhanger’s Rest is Entertainment. 1st episode we is on “Tradwives”. Later episodes cover celebrities and politics, Taylor Swift, changing tastes in music. All with lots of @focaldata.bsky.social polling open.spotify.com/episode/0yvo...
Have Tradwives Killed Feminism?
Spotify video
open.spotify.com
Join Scarlett Maguire, @jameskanag.bsky.social and myself live with @mattchorley.bsky.social from 5 past 3 for our regular @bbc5live.bsky.social Poll Position segment! Do tune in!
A rather glum New Year’s Eve Times column on Scottish independence and the rise of Reform UK. www.thetimes.com/article/57aa...
Farage is pushing Scotland to independence
Wales and Northern Ireland may not be far behind as the further right Westminster goes, the more the Union falters
thetimes.com
Interesting piece by Bloomberg’s Alan Crawford fleshing out my thesis on “collar flipping” in the UK, and how this might shift the political geography of the U.K. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...
The "collar flip"....what if class politics shifted in the UK?
Why the rise of AI, might change our politics in the UK (and US!)
open.substack.com
Very likely to be the truest measure of voting intention today given their Methodology and the expense of doing so / record at the general election. Reform surge real, labour collapse at worse end of expectations, big gains for liberals and greens. Tories at higher end of polling
Election Maps UK@electionmaps.uk · 8mo agoWestminster Voting Intention: RFM: 27% (+12) CON: 21% (-3) LAB: 18% (-17) LDM: 15% (+3) GRN: 13% (+6) Via @veriangroup.com, 12-15 Dec. Changes w/ GE2024.
New post just out: Six lessons from the 2024 election. And what they mean for the next one. Covering: Labour's fatal misunderstanding about why they won; effects of a more fragmented system; changes in media/polling. (£/free trial) samf.substack.com/p/six-lesson...
Six lessons from the 2024 election
And what they mean for the next one
samf.substack.com
Podcast: Why Is Britain So Depressed? • James Kanagasooriam On Our "Low Agency" Culture And How To Fix It
Podcast: Why Is Britain So Depressed?
James Kanagasooriam On Our "Low Agency" Culture And How To Fix It
ian-leslie.com
Why we should pay more attention to political humour @jameskanag.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/8bf3...
We’ve underestimated the power of humour in political revolutions
If Keir Starmer could make us laugh like Donald Trump or Nigel Farage, he’d be doing far better in the opinion polls
thetimes.com
I had enormous fun writing this piece over the half term break for @thetimes.com Why humour is the superpower of politics. Featuring polling from @focaldata.bsky.social and @ipsosintheuk.bsky.social
Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 9mo agoWhy we should pay more attention to political humour @jameskanag.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/article/8bf3...
George Abaraonye takes hard to nail. It’s interesting for orthogonal reasons. 1/ private fleeting moments blowing up to global scrutiny - a la Coldplay 2/ Oxford’s admissions criteria 3/ political reasoning across left and right that is sociopathic 4/ free speech debate 5/ why is Oxford in the news
🚨 The UK Youth Poll 2025 is here! 🚨 Young people believe in democracy but fear for its future. They want better politics & financial stability. 📊 Read the #UKYouthPoll2025 now: www.ukyouthpoll.com @focaldata.bsky.social @uofglasgow.bsky.social #Nationwide
Parenting becoming more effort filled is downstream of so many things - the necessity of dual incomes in some areas, housing, atomised living, geographically dislocated families, a public realm that doesn’t have lots of nice free stuff, a culture of individualism over community, declining faith.
I’ve written today for @thetimes.com on how our shortening attention spans are damaging our politics. Another slightly doomery column
The sheer number of non voters towards the lower end of the income spectrum indicates the potential for much higher turnout in a multiparty system
Paula Surridge@psurridge.bsky.social · 11mo agoThe lovely people @britishelectionstudy.com released the random probaility data which means we can begin to unravel some unanswered questions about turnout in 2024. A substack to follow but a starter of social class and vote/non-vote. Which party represents the working class? None of the above.
The lovely people @britishelectionstudy.com released the random probaility data which means we can begin to unravel some unanswered questions about turnout in 2024. A substack to follow but a starter of social class and vote/non-vote. Which party represents the working class? None of the above.
My latest substack is a labour of love (link below) on the issue of agency, and how bringing it back at the personal and institutional level might be critical to improving our politics again. Featuring detailed polling and analysis from us here at @focaldata.bsky.social
Fascinating as per from @jameskanag.bsky.social - loads of great data and analysis but this particular graphic shows shares of those lucky people who are optimistic and have a strong sense both of their own agency/efficacy and trust in others. politicalwhiteboard.substack.com/p/agency-cou...
My latest substack on agency and the role it plays in our politics, inspired by chats with @jburnmurdoch.ft.com and @luketryl.bsky.social and @cate.bsky.social substack.com/@jameskanag/...
James Kanagasooriam (@jameskanag)
My latest substack on agency and politics. I think the time for thinking about agency has come featuring thoughts from @Cate Hall
substack.com
I’ve written up my thoughts on AI and the impending white collar hiring doom to come for the @thetimes.com. Reader I am not optimistic www.thetimes.com/article/a064...
March of AI could prompt a white-collar revolt
The middle classes will lose job security in automated Britain, so what happens politically if everyone feels left behind?
thetimes.com
This is really thoughtful stuff, as per, from @jameskanag.bsky.social. I suspect that elites will be better at protecting their jobs, and that ultimately the number of hand/heart jobs has a (Baumol cost-related) upper limit. But so much to think through here.
The "collar flip"....what if class politics shifted in the UK?
Why the rise of AI, might change our politics in the UK (and US!)
politicalwhiteboard.substack.com
Some afternoon thoughts on UK politics and AI exposure and how it’s so different by geography politicalwhiteboard.substack.com/p/the-collar...
The "collar flip"....what if class politics shifted in the UK?
Why the rise of AI, might change our politics in the UK (and US!)
politicalwhiteboard.substack.com
Our take on the Canadian election from @focaldata.bsky.social + @politico.com. Liberals ahead by 3 pts which is likely to translate into a small majority. Trump has had a material effect. One pause for thought. “Wisdom of the crowds” has a 4 point Conservative lead. www.politico.com/news/2025/04...
2 pieces youshould read side by side today - first fantastic piece from @jameskanag.bsky.social on importance of volunteering/associational life. 2nd a BBC report on the cancellation of 150 year old Shrewsbury Flower Show & Margaret's quote about what it means to her www.thetimes.com/article/d86f...
In an age of defence and geopolitical uncertainty it’s domestic issues like lack of “social capital” that are likely to fall by the wayside. Me in today’s @thetimes.com Making friends is what keeps us happy www.thetimes.com/article/d86f...
Making friends is what keeps us happy
Meeting people through volunteering or a hobby builds ‘social capital’ and we need more of it
thetimes.com
Popped into the local church - curious over anecdata about crowd sizes this Easter and was pretty astonished by the hundreds packing it out with no seats available. Interested in the official data when it’s out
Enjoyed writing this new year piece for The Times on celebrities and politics
Luke Tryl@luketryl.bsky.social · 2y agoGreat piece by @jameskanag.bsky.social on the appeal of celebrity politics. What’s so interesting about celebrities engagement with politics now is that it’s less out of touch luvvies of the past but as James says an ability to evoke a more resonant sense of Britain www.thetimes.com/comment/colu...
Enjoyed doing this with @pimlicat.bsky.social about macro trends in public opinion. Link to my substack here which references some of my thinking open.substack.com/pub/politica...
The Political Whiteboard | James Kanagasooriam | Substack
Substack looking at public opinion trends in politics, business and culture. Click to read The Political Whiteboard, by James Kanagasooriam, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.
open.substack.com
Quiet Riot@quietriotpod.bsky.social · 2y ago📊POLL THE OTHER ONE PART 2 is out now 📊 @pimlicat.bsky.social and @jameskanag.bsky.social in a bumper edition discussing why polls get it wrong, how they’re improving, what voter attitudes to look out for in 2025 & more! 🟢 open.spotify.com/episode/4ukv... 🍏 podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/q...
