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Reposted by David Edgerton

The New Statesman @handle.invalid · 8d

Keir Starmer’s Labour conference speech: our writers’ verdicts

David Edgerton, Faiza Shaheen and Maurice Glasman respond to the Prime Minister

Keir Starmer’s conference speech: our writers’ verdicts

David Edgerton, Faiza Shaheen and Maurice Glasman respond to the Prime Minister

www.newstatesman.com

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Jonathan Shainin @shainin.bsky.social · 23d

Our new magazine, Equator, is officially out in the world — and here @equatormag.bsky.social
Sign up for preview emails, donate, and get tickets to our launch event in London: equator.org

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Ewan Gibbs @ewangibbs.bsky.social · 24d

We’ve heard a lot about flags but turbines and steelworks are the true stuff of economic sovereignty. Britain has been blatantly exposed as dependent on foreign governments and multinationals, as demonstrated by the recent closure of Grentmouth oil refinery. Read more in my @lrb.co.uk article ⬇️

Ewan Gibbs · Goodbye to Grangemouth

Any form of ‘just transition’ – managing the move to a greener economy while also protecting workers and...

www.lrb.co.uk

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Aug 24

A rich study of the extraordinary radicalisation of the British right.

John Merrick @johnmerrick.bsky.social · Aug 23

For the @newstatesman.com i profiled Dominic Cummings – a case study in elite radicalisation
www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2025/0...

The rage of Dominic Cummings

Britain’s rogue intellectual has predicted a civil war. Is he also cheerleading one?

www.newstatesman.com

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Michael Peel @mikepeeljourno.bsky.social · Aug 4

I think often about how the historian @davidedgerton.bsky.social predicted the disturbing extremist slide in UK politics, in this interview conducted in the summer of 2023 and recounted in my book What Everyone Knows About Britain* (*Except the British).

linktr.ee/whateveryone...

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jul 30

Yup www.ft.com/content/a48c...

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jul 30

Quite right - it macerated the brain. It’s time to retire the word ‘technology’

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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · Jul 24

I'm a big fan of the colourful briefs given by government teams regarding how brilliant they were to achieve trade deals, obviously effort was involved, but a mostly tariff reducing UK-India deal was always on offer - it was lowering UK ambition that got the deal. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

‘People said it would never be done’: UK and India trade agreement defies expectations

For Britain, this is a much-needed post-Brexit boost, and for India it shows decades of protectionism are in the past

www.theguardian.com

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jul 16

Starmer's party has an extraordinary capacity to prove its critics right. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Keir Starmer removes Labour whip from four ‘persistent rebel’ MPs

Rachael Maskell, Neil Duncan-Jordan, Brian Leishman and Chris Hinchliff pushed out and three trade envoys lose roles

www.theguardian.com

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jul 14

Even declinism gets worse - nice from @johnmerrick.bsky.social

The Guardian @theguardian.com · Jul 14

The right wants us to think Britain is on the verge of ethnic conflict. The truth is worse than that | John Merrick

In blaming problems on migrant ‘outsiders’, prophets of decline are paving the way for harder borders and mass deportations, says John Merrick, deputy editor of the Break-Down

www.theguardian.com

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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · Jul 7

If only I didn't waste my time researching stuff and instead just went on about "blockchain-based trade initiatives" I could presumably earn a lot more money...

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jul 4

I've written about Keir Starmer's government in its first year www.newstatesman.com/politics/lab...

Annus horribilis

Keir Starmer’s government does not represent the true Labour Party.

www.newstatesman.com

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jun 28

I agree that not running things well is a big problem but I think what we take to be management, and management training, is part of the problem rather than the solution …

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jun 24

Yup - big, big problem.

David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · Jun 24

An ECIPE colleague suggested some time ago that most developed countries sought similar industries - cars, pharma, diverse advanced manufacturing, ICT etc - whereupon the main flaw of the UK industrial strategy - that it tries to make this focus the main story. www.ft.com/content/ec40...

Was Labour’s industrial strategy worth the wait?

Long-awaited plan focuses on bringing down energy costs and promoting eight sectors, but includes repurposed commitments

www.ft.com

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jun 23

Haven't digested yet, but there are 16 world-leadings and 8 superpowers in the text ...
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/685854...

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk

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David Henig @davidheniguk.bsky.social · Jun 23

"The only debate now is whether you are agile enough to seize future chances or be rapidly left behind. That is the driving purpose of my plan for change."

Oh dear. Whatever a strategy is, this isn't it. www.ft.com/content/a033...

The industrial strategy will provide certainty for business

Debates about big or small government belong in the past; being agile enough to seize future chances is what matters

www.ft.com

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Ewan Gibbs @ewangibbs.bsky.social · Jun 20

Ukania ✅ Original New Left critique of the peculiarities of British capitalism.

Yookay ❌ Boorish far right mantra of surface level gripes, real or imagined.

Tom Nairn had your number.

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jun 17

An idea for Keir ...
crane-dragonfly-8ey5.squarespace.com/blog/2025/6/...

My Idea for Keir, from the New Statesman — David Edgerton

Begin to appreciate that many of the problems the country faces are the product of implemented New Labour and Tory policies, not the lack of competence of the Tories. They got what they wanted done. Y...

crane-dragonfly-8ey5.squarespace.com

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David Edgerton @davidedgerton.bsky.social · Jun 17

This is a wonderful discussion of my Rise and Fall of the British Nation, and the first to note the importance to it of my critique of Cain and Hopkins, which I took, along with that of Anderson and Nairn, to be richest existing analyses of the twentieth century British nation and empire.

Angus Bylsma @angusbylsma.bsky.social · Jun 17

This week’s review! — on @davidedgerton.bsky.social’s The Rise and Fall of the British Nation. Well, less of a review than a discussion of how Edgerton sheds light on the pitfalls of gentlemanly capitalism. Plus a bit about Hobsbawm the nationalist at the end!

Out of Empire

The Rise and Fall of the British Nation: A Twentieth Century History, David Edgerton, 2018.

unevenandcombinedthoughts.substack.com

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🍁🇨🇦Team Canada Forever🇨🇦🍁 @teamcanadaforever.bsky.social · Jun 15

Honestly I still can’t stop laughing 😂😅🤣

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P. Nájera @srtasodio.bsky.social · Jun 12

David Edgerton durante su conferencia “What can chemistry tell us about capitalism, and what can capitalism tell us about chemistry?” en la #14ICHC @euchems-histchem.bsky.social