Chris Clarke
@warringfictions.bsky.social
Author of Tha Dark Knight and the Puppet Master: bit.ly/300rMSK https://www.warringfictions.net/ https://parables.substack.com/
Labour’s relationship with working-class voters is in peril - new research with @deborahmattinson.bsky.social for PPI in @theobserveruk.bsky.social Andy Burnham can build on his reputation as “someone who gets things done” but he will need to act fast. observer.co.uk/news/politic...
Why working-class voters have turned their backs on Labour
Our polling reveals a sense of despair among a group we call the ‘worried workers’. Here is how Burnham can allay their fears
observer.co.uk
Ich habe die großartige Artikelserie "Notes on Trust" von @warringfictions.bsky.social übersetzt. Die ersten drei Teile sind online: Scheinerklärungen (www.deliberationdaily.de/2026/07/anme...) /1
Anmerkungen zum Vertrauen - Scheinerklärungen - Deliberation Daily
Anmerkungen zum Vertrauen - Scheinerklärungen - Deliberation Daily ist ein führendes Debattenblog für Politik, Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft.
deliberationdaily.de
Fascinating insights here on which voters favour leaders with "the so-called ‘dark triad’ of personality traits – sub-clinical psychopathy, Machiavellianism and narcissism." And their reason for doing so - essentially that they think these traits are necessary to 'get things done'.
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · last mo.4/ Instead, the argument of the piece is that liberals and social conservatives are looking for very different things from leaders. The article uses research by @timbale.bsky.social and colleagues at the Party Members Project to explore this.
1/ I have done a new article on leadership styles and ‘Southgate-ism’: parables.substack.com/p/getting-th...
‘Getting Things Done’
Southgate, leadership, and the Gordian Knot
parables.substack.com
Really pleased to see 'Notes on Trust' mentioned by @andrewsparrowgdn.bsky.social on Guardian #PoliticsLive this morning (8:58): shorturl.at/6AnIa The first in the series looks at four Red Herring explanations for falling trust. It can be read here: parables.substack.com/p/notes-on-t...
Starmer resigns as prime minister as Streeting backs Burnham for leadership - UK politics live
The prime minister said a new leader will be in place before parliament returns in September
shorturl.at
For Fathers' Day, Keir Starmer posts a photo of his own father, who died in 2018, and a non-political message. The replies are a torrent of vitriol & cruelty, all with hundreds of Likes. We complain a lot about the quality of leadership, but there's a huge problem with the way we treat politicians
I published Notes on Trust last week, exploring anti-politics. It quotes various research, including by @drjennings.bsky.social & @harryqp.bsky.social As polling closes in #Makerfield, a byelection where “white rage is in the air” according to @willdunn.bsky.social, I’m just re-upping the thread.
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
This is a fascinating topic. I did an article in 2022, suggesting three factors that explain the rise of ‘reverse aspiration’: a society which is increasingly egalitarian, an economy which has become more unequal, and a culture which is more individualistic/ meritocratic… unherd.com/2022/12/why-...
Why do we pretend to be working-class?
Progressives are tormented by reverse aspiration
unherd.com
Ben Ansell@benansell.bsky.social · 2mo agoOn Bluesky's favourite topic of the evening - subjective vs objective class - @drjennings.bsky.social noted that the BES Wave May 2025 has data on both (using the NRS class scheme for objective and self-claimed class for subjective). Who would like to see some graphs? Here's the basic breakdown. 1/n
Really enjoyed these. Few unconnected reflections having spent some time on this issue 1. public consistently ask for long form communication from politicians. Social I think is a dead end for ‘elected’ officials or government. You need other people on there doing politics but ministers? Not sure
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
It could be interesting to compare "local news deserts" with places where local news still exist My impression in Germany is that we basically have an incumbent disadvantage on the national level But we do still have an incumbent advantage on the local level, especially if they run as independents
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago13/ Politicians in the UK are disproportionately mistrusted compared to apolitical parts of the state, as the chart shows. My hypothesis is that this comes down to a partisan culture (‘two swords and one inch apart’) – as exemplified by PMQs.
These articles, and the previous Substack post about the two deprivations are just so valuable.
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
Great articles! IMO this is also very true for urban US politics, people apparently had higher trust in their civic leaders when their houses were getting demolished for highways and every cop was being bribed. It’s never been easier to get info about urban politics, & it’s made people miserable
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
Found these articles – particularly one and two – really excellent in summing up a lot of things I've been thinking about in the last few years.
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
I wrote something about my thoughts on this last year (forgive the horrible war-on-paragraphs style here, not my choice) labourlist.org/2025/07/labo...
'One year on, Labour still hasn't reckoned with collapsing trust in politics' - LabourList
I spent the general election campaign travelling the country for LabourList, visiting marginal seats, talking to candidates and knocking…
labourlist.org
Fascinating stuff here from Chris whose substack is well worth signing up to
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
The thread as a shareable webpage: https://skywriter.blue/@warringfictions.bsky.social/3mo3s54p45k2t
@warringfictions.bsky.social explores the many reasons why British citizens have gradually stopped trusting politicians. But he offers antidote: The Country-Before-Party test! I’d love to see politicians create a voluntary code of conduct based on these values. Let’s call it the Good Faith Code.
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago14/ The piece concludes by exploring the idea of ‘country before party’ – which ought to be the tonic to ‘Blues and Buffs’ style partisanship. I have set out a list of common practices which I believe do not pass the ‘country before party’ test.
Great thread on the decline in political trust in the UK (red herring explanations & credible ones). I'll add my pet theory - not wholly unrelated to cause 1&2 - that the presence of Radical Right parties/politicians *not excluded from the centre-right ecosystem* pushes down trust ...
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
I think any current or aspiring political leader should be aware of this thread...
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 2mo ago1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
1/ I have written a series of articles this week, ‘Notes on Trust’, about where cynicism towards politicians comes from. The below chart, which I shared last year, was the thing which initially prompted me to write the piece. I just want to set out some of the key arguments here…
Really enjoying these thought-provoking parables.substack.com posts on trust from @warringfictions.bsky.social Latest one's here: parables.substack.com/p/notes-on-t...
"If high exposure reduces democratic trust then the implication, by extension, is that a absolute exposure will reduce faith in our leaders absolutely. The 24-hour press and the social media age could grind trust down to nil unless politicians learn to respond in better ways."
Tim Bale@timbale.bsky.social · 2mo agoReally enjoying these thought-provoking parables.substack.com posts on trust from @warringfictions.bsky.social Latest one's here: parables.substack.com/p/notes-on-t...
Trust (lack of) in politics - Chris Clarke proposes four root causes: - the decline of social deference - increased exposure, information and scrutiny - the decline of universally trusted information sources - the heterogeneous society open.substack.com/pub/parables...
Notes on trust #2
Root causes
open.substack.com
Chris Clarke ( @warringfictions.bsky.social) with a persuasive argument here that the loss of trust in our politicians is not for the reasons you think. open.substack.com/pub/parables...
Notes on trust #1
Red herrings
open.substack.com
Really delighted to see this argument written up by @anooshc.bsky.social for the New Statesman this week: www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-... The original analysis is here: parables.substack.com/p/the-two-de...
Chris Clarke@warringfictions.bsky.social · 5mo ago1/ I have done a data dive on ‘The Two Deprivations’ and the govt’s Green-Reform dilemma: parables.substack.com/p/the-two-de... It references the work of @luketryl.bsky.social @robfordmancs.bsky.social
A tale of two Broken Britains - my piece on the parallel worlds fuelling different forms of populism, feat. @warringfictions.bsky.social's revealing local election results analysis:
Alarm clock Britain: a tale of two deprivations
Different kinds of deprivation fuel Reform and the Greens
newstatesman.com
