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Simon Wren-Lewis

@sjwrenlewis.bsky.social

7.9K followers 140 following 780 posts

Emeritus Professor of Economics, Oxford University.

Simon Wren-Lewis is a British economist. He is a professor of economic policy at the Blavatnik School of Government at Oxford University and a Fellow of Merton College.

Source: Wikipedia

Economics 95%

Political science 5%

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 13h

This weeks post: The uphill struggle to stop Reform mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
It is hard to imagine that any socially liberal voter will take the combination of Labour’s position on ILR and their attempt to ban repeat marches and think that makes them more likely to vote Labour.

The uphill struggle to stop Reform

Making political predictions is foolish, but I can only see two political parties that can stop a Reform government in the UK: Labour and ...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 1d

This weeks post: The uphill struggle to stop Reform mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
For socially liberal parties to be able to stop a Reform government requires two things to happen, both of which are individually very unlikely, but not impossible. Which suggests only Labour can do so.

The uphill struggle to stop Reform

Making political predictions is foolish, but I can only see two political parties that can stop a Reform government in the UK: Labour and ...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Patrick Dunleavy, Alex Callinicos, Simon Wren‐Lewis

Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 2d

Y'days post: The uphill struggle to stop Reform mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
Only two political parties are likely to stop a Reform government: Labour and Reform themselves. While Starmer at their conference showed Labour can fight Reform, they also fight against their core vote.

The uphill struggle to stop Reform

Making political predictions is foolish, but I can only see two political parties that can stop a Reform government in the UK: Labour and ...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

6 8

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 3d

Spot on on how politicians think about tax. Unfortunately I agree likely we shall have minor fiddling again. But better options exist - eg Resolution Foundation suggestion. Since even small tweaks upset someone, why not be bolder and go for principled reform? Politics, that’s why.

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 3d

New post just out:

"Staying alive vs taking control"

Labour's big choice at the budget is whether they just want to try and survive it or whether they're willing to take some bigger risks that would have future payoffs.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...

Staying alive vs taking control

Labour's budget choices

open.substack.com

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 3d

New post: The uphill struggle to stop Reform
mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/10/the-...
Only 2 political parties are likely to stop a Reform government: Labour and Reform themselves. While Starmer at their conference showed Labour can fight Reform, they also continue to fight their core vote.

The uphill struggle to stop Reform

Making political predictions is foolish, but I can only see two political parties that can stop a Reform government in the UK: Labour and ...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

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Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis, Jonathan Hopkin

Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 4d

Not a single mention of the NHS--not least in the section on what the Tories did in government that, in her words, "lost us the trust and confidence of the public". Unless the Party gets the extent to which the crippling of key public services helped lose them the election, then they're truly sunk.

Kemi Badenoch’s opening speech to Conservative Party Conference 2025

YouTube video by Conservatives

youtu.be

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Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 5d

ICYMI: Misunderstandings on the left (and elsewhere) about the OBR, independence and the bond market mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/09/misu...
Government delegating some technical tasks to independent experts doesn't create a democratic deficit, but it helps transparency + avoids wishful thinking.

Misunderstandings on the left (and elsewhere) about the OBR, independence and the bond market

I often see pieces from those on the left criticising the OBR. Here is Louise Haigh , for example, talking about the “rigid orthodoxy of t...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 6d

Reliant on the Treasury for what?

Reposted by Anna O. Law, Stefan Reis, Jacob Montgomery , and 8 more Anna O. Law, Stefan Reis, Jacob Montgomery, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Ailsa Cameron, Serge Egelman, Clifford Stott, Richard Larouche, Rebecca Zorach, Martin S. Flaherty, Colin Woodard

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 6d

History repeats.

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

And why would the Treasury doing the forecasts change this?

Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

So you think the Treasury would do a better job?

Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

In what way did the OBR support his approach to economics?

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

But public investment is not part of the fiscal rule that is currently binding, and I've always said that it shouldn't be a part of any fiscal rule.

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

No one is saying you shouldn't be critical. My point is at least you know what they do, while if the government did the forecast you probably wouldn't. Also not sure they are that big an organisation given what they have to do.

Reposted by Steve Peers, Simon Wren‐Lewis

Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 7d

The politics of drawing a moral line: When we need to call out racism for what it is open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

The politics of drawing a moral line

The politics of drawing a moral line.

open.substack.com

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

Thanks. Nicely put.

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

Like what? (Reeves has made it 3 years now, which is a mistake in my view.)

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Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 7d

This weeks post: Misunderstandings on the left (and elsewhere) about the OBR, independence and the bond market mainlymacro.blogspot.com/2025/09/misu...
The government delegating some technical tasks to independent experts doesn't create a democratic deficit, but it does avoid wishful thinking.

Misunderstandings on the left (and elsewhere) about the OBR, independence and the bond market

I often see pieces from those on the left criticising the OBR. Here is Louise Haigh , for example, talking about the “rigid orthodoxy of t...

mainlymacro.blogspot.com

3 6

Reposted by Simon Wren‐Lewis

Simon Wren-Lewis @sjwrenlewis.bsky.social · 8d

What possible politics am I blind to?

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