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Jonathan Portes

@jdportes.bsky.social

63K followers 610 following 4.1K posts

Professor of Economics and Public Policy, King's College London; Senior Fellow, UK in a Changing Europe. Immigration, economics, public policy. Personal views only; usual disclaimers apply. Books: Immigration (Sage), Capitalism (Quercus) .. more

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Jonathan Daniel Portes is a professor of Economics and Public Policy at the School of Politics & Economics of King's College, London and a senior fellow at UK in a Changing Europe.

Source: Wikipedia

Political science 31%

Economics 28%

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 2h

"One study attributes 30-50% of American productivity gains between 1990 and 2010 to skilled migrants. When it shuts the door to mobile talent, America is giving up one of the main ingredients of its success."
www.economist.com/leaders/2025...
From The Economist

Donald Trump’s fortress economy is starting to hurt America

The pain from trade and immigration restrictions cannot be postponed forever

www.economist.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Rafael H. M. Pereira

Diane Coyle @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social · 3h

High-profile departures from the US - congrats to @econ.uzh.ch

Department of Economics @Universität Zürich 🇨🇭 @econ.uzh.ch · 3h

We are thrilled to welcome Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee as the new Lemann Foundation Professors to our department, beginning in the summer of 2026.

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Reposted by Diane Coyle, Jonathan Portes, Sascha O. Becker , and 3 more Diane Coyle, Jonathan Portes, Sascha O. Becker, Gernot Wagner, Kai Gehring, Simon Wiederhold

Department of Economics @Universität Zürich 🇨🇭 @econ.uzh.ch · 3h

We are thrilled to welcome Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee as the new Lemann Foundation Professors to our department, beginning in the summer of 2026.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 4h

🌹 "Democratic socialism and the law" is the topic of my inaugural lecture - next Wednesday 6.30pm, Great Hall, King's College, London.

➡️ Come along! There's even a reception afterwards. Check out the abstract, and register free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-...

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 5h

Just realised, listening to @thetwomatts.bsky.social pod this week, that I forgot to recommend this fab piece on Bobby J by @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com, written before his 'another white face' schtick but very telling anyway.

Robert Jenrick, the hollow man

He heads into the Conservative conference as the stricken party’s likely next leader. But this opportunistic ‘saviour’ could kill off the Tories completely

www.thenewworld.co.uk

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 5h

Unrolled thresd: on claims to have workable, costed Trump-style mass deportation plans from the Conservatives and Restore Britain

What are they each claiming for their plans?

skywriter.blue/pages/did:pl...

Page by Sunder Katwala (sundersays) | @sundersays.bsky.social

The Conservatives have pledged they will increase the number of deportations to 150k/year - while significantly reducing the size of the civil service - without increasing government spending and tax...

skywriter.blue

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 5h

A well known 1983 election poster

42 yrs on, the opposing view 'You can't be British/English if you're Black' is still defended. Powell & the Monday Club did then call for *voluntary* repatriation, a view the Thatcher govt rejected

Many of course disagree(d) w/the poster's claims for other reasons

1983 Conservative election poster stating 'Labour Says He's Black. Tories Say He's British', outlining how their policies will create 'a more equal, more prosperous Britain'

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 5h

LOL.

You, falsely, claimed that Canada rolled over the deal and we got *exactly the same benefits*

Alan, correctly, pointed out they didn't, and we got a worse deal - which *you yourself have admitted*

Why continue to humiliate yourself like this? .

Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Na'amod @naamoduk.bsky.social · 15h

As we came together this evening to mourn all the lives lost on and since the 7th of October, we share in the fragile hope of Palestinians and Israelis welcoming the announcement of a ceasefire and hostage deal that will see Israeli and Palestinian families reunite with their loved ones.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 20h

Netanyahu's mouthpiece, Amit Segal, casually admits on Twitter that his country has been holding 1,700 people from Gaza hostage, including children.

Among other things, according to the decision:

- 250 security prisoners will be released.
- 1,700 residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre will be released.
- 22 minors under the age of 18, residents of the Gaza Strip who were not involved in the events of October 7 and were arrested after the massacre, will be released.
- 360 bodies of terrorists will be returned.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Emissary Of Night | ليلى @diplomatofnight.com · 21h

"I just think armed resistance to military occupation and apartheid is futile, no I don't support cutting off trade with Israel or imposing arm embargoes or doing any boycotts either" is the exact same thing as "I support Ukraine but wish Ukraine would give up all of its territory for peace".

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Gavin A. Schmidt, Alfie Kohn , and 2 more Jonathan Portes, Gavin A. Schmidt, Alfie Kohn, Simon Lester, Dan Immergluck

David Roberts @volts.wtf · 23h

It really can't be said enough: the goal of the "anti-woke" movement was always to destroy social norms against bigotry. And it worked. And there's a whole lot of purportedly "left" thinkers & commentators who helped it -- indeed, it couldn't have been done without them.

They should feel bad.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Lesley A. Hall

Sophie Molly @sophiemolly.co.uk · 1d

www.thepinknews.com/2025/10/09/n...

17-year-old trans girl's suicide over NHS wait times was preventable says coroner

A 17-year-old trans girl's death by suicide over NHS wait times could have been prevented with swift intervention, a coroner has ruled.

www.thepinknews.com

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

must have been up early to find it without the usual huge crowds..

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Anna Clarke @annaclarke.bsky.social · 1d

Latest stats on greenbelt land published today - I think people are always surprised by this map, which shows that the large majority of land across England is neither built up, nor greenbelt. Most of it's just ordinary, unprotected farmland. www.gov.uk/government/s...

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

don't know about "forever", but entirely agree that was both wrong on substance and presentation

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Anand Menon , and 1 more Jonathan Portes, Will Jennings, Anand Menon, Jill Rutter

UK in a Changing Europe @ukandeu.bsky.social · 1d

"Are they [MRPs] any use to anyone at this stage of the Parliament? No! Do something more useful. Stop producing these polls. They're not magic."

Expert pollster @psurridge.bsky.social reflects on polls and electoral reform

Catch up on the discussion in full here 👇 www.youtube.com/live/ivRLHUb...

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

Sigh. If you can't/don't want to address the Windrush point that Stephen and others have made, fine, but why make a fool of yourself like this? Embarrassing. Let's leave it.

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

It's very easy to turn that round. If people are deported /made homeless because of the lack of a secure govt id recording system will *you* be saying the same thing?

Oh wait. That already happened.

I broadly agree with @stephenkb.bsky.social here.

www.ft.com/content/4c35...

Online safety demands trust — ministers should not outsource it

Age verification is needed but government, rather than tech companies, should be responsible for developing tools

www.ft.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Yair Wallach @yairwallach.bsky.social · 1d

Make no mistake. Those who spearheaded the Gaza genocide will try to relaunch it in a more ruthless manner, at the earliest opportunity.
They will fail only if there will be an alternative vision, one of recognition, life and equality for everyone.

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

James Austin @jamesdaustin.bsky.social · 1d

And, you know, the whole war crimes thing.

So, so many reasons he should spend the rest of his life in jail - along with most members of this Israeli govt

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Juliet Lodge

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 1d

Leunig, a former gov adviser, said scrapping it — while it would boost growth and productivity — would be “a very, very big tax cut for rich people”. One effect would be to boost house prices, making the main beneficiaries the existing owners of expensive properties in the south-east of England.

Should stamp duty be scrapped in the UK?

Conservative party says property tax deters people from moving house and stifles productivity

www.ft.com

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Graham Lanktree @glanktree.bsky.social · 1d

Hooray for Bollywood! UK looks to India as Trump threatens movie tariffs

www.politico.eu/article/hoor...

Hooray for Bollywood! UK looks to India as Trump threatens movie tariffs

Prime Minister Keir Starmer was joined in India by a delegation of U.K. industry representatives.

www.politico.eu

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

I hate to break it to you, but there are literally hundreds of research articles by Indian researchers with actual evidence/data on this, so maybe I might place more faith in them than your random "zero benefits" claim 😉

Goodnight.

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

That's presumably why the centrist and left wing opposition parties have pledged to scrap it? Like the CPI did in Kerala? Oh, wait. 😉

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

??? The "direction of travel" is from 2009, isn't it? And which Indian political parties have called for Aadhar to be scrapped?

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

Aadhar was first introduced by Manmohan Singh..(not exactly a fascist!) and its main function has been to enable access to welfare/services for poorer Indians.

Not necessarily an argument for digital IDs here but saying we can't learn anything from India is exactly what it sounds like...

Hanniba-LINA Lecter 💀 @agirlcalledlina.bsky.social · 1d

Wow cool, follow the direction of travel of a fascist regime

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Keir Starmer to look at India’s digital ID system during visit to Mumbai

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

Most Indian progressives are for fairly obvious reasons. They make it possible to implement progressive social welfare programs, and that's Aadhar's most important function.

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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 1d

Seriously? You might want to check on that. Calling Manmohan Singh a fascist is a bit of a stretch...

Reposted by Jonathan Portes

Hanniba-LINA Lecter 💀 @agirlcalledlina.bsky.social · 1d

Wow cool, follow the direction of travel of a fascist regime

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 1d

Keir Starmer to look at India’s digital ID system during visit to Mumbai

Prime minister hopes to learn from success of scheme rolled out to most of country’s 1.4bn citizens Keir Starmer is to examine India’s digital ID system on his visit to Mumbai as a potential model for the UK, praising the system as a “massive success”. Speaking on his two-day trip to Mumbai, where he met an expert on India’s digital ID system, Starmer defended the introduction of a similar measure in the UK, saying he believed the rollout of a voluntary system could be expanded to school applications, mortgages and driving licences. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

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