Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
@fintan-smith.bsky.social
Previously: Polling things at Labour Together | Now: Data Scientist at The Labour Party | Too often confused with a dog called Fenton | Repost / like != endorsement. He / him.
Pinned
Hyper partisan content thrives on social media, increasing affective polarisation and poisoning political discourse. Our new paper @lewan.bsky.social, @almogsi.bsky.social, Dawn Holford, just out in @commspsychol.bsky.social, finds that inoculation interventions may help us tackle the problem. 🧵
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Nus Ghani MP - the Deputy Speaker - moved to the UK as a small child. She has been elected by the voters in Wealden in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2024
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
November 26, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Nus Ghani MP - the Deputy Speaker - moved to the UK as a small child. She has been elected by the voters in Wealden in 2015, 2017, 2019 and 2024
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
More outright racism from the regular GB News & Talk TV contributor Lucy White - who previously called (on GB News) for all Muslims to leave Britain
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
My column in today’s FT: the vision since 2016 has been that the lever British governments pull to fight poverty is to increase the minimum wage. Time for government to start pulling its weight again too:
The minimum wage is not a cure all — we’re asking too much of business
Politicians spend too much time uttering cheap rhetoric about cheap labour
www.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 12:26 PM
My column in today’s FT: the vision since 2016 has been that the lever British governments pull to fight poverty is to increase the minimum wage. Time for government to start pulling its weight again too:
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
The people who make Shein's clothes labor for ten to twelve hours per day (in violation of China's labor laws), some up to seven days a week, and earn as little as 15 to 30 cents per t-shirt.
![Excerpt from a BBC article: ""We usually work, 10, 11 or 12 hours a day," says a 49-year-old woman from Jiangxi unwilling to give her name. "On Sundays we work around three hours less."
She is in an alleyway, where a dozen people are huddled around a row of bulletin boards.
They are reading the job ads on the board, while examining the stitching on a pair of chinos draped over it.
This is Shein's supply chain. The factories are contracted to make clothes on order - some small, some big. If the chinos are a hit, orders will ramp up and so must production. Factories then hire temporary workers to meet the demand their permanent staff cannot fulfil.
The migrant worker from Jiangxi is looking for a short-term contract - and the chinos are an option.
"We earn so little. The cost of living is now so high," she says, adding that she hopes to make enough to send back to her two children who are living with their grandparents.
"We get paid per piece," she explains. "It depends how difficult the item is. Something simple like a t-shirt is one-two yuan [less than a dollar] per piece and I can make around a dozen in an hour.""](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:ks3gpa6ftoyaq7hmf6c4qx4c/bafkreiber7g4o5pujmzmjjzsp5dkz7blfexburuwjispfpv6dki7akjb7a@jpeg)
November 20, 2025 at 12:07 AM
The people who make Shein's clothes labor for ten to twelve hours per day (in violation of China's labor laws), some up to seven days a week, and earn as little as 15 to 30 cents per t-shirt.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
I am very much team ‘you need to reduce the salience of asylum’ - but fixing a manifestly broken system has got to be some part of that surely.
There’s aspects of what was announced yesterday I’m not sure will work, but there’s not enough people on here engaging with the problem itself imo
There’s aspects of what was announced yesterday I’m not sure will work, but there’s not enough people on here engaging with the problem itself imo
What the Home Sec announced today is not the politics of compromise but of being compromised.
Labour has just increased the salience of an issue they will always be outbid on by the right.
Labour has just increased the salience of an issue they will always be outbid on by the right.
@pimlicat.bsky.social: "Multiple studies show that ramping up ever-harsher rhetoric on immigration and asylum never wins over Reform-curious voters. The government would be wiser to make the case for the international institutions and protections we all depend on.”
https://bit.ly/49YBJVD
https://bit.ly/49YBJVD
November 18, 2025 at 12:24 PM
I am very much team ‘you need to reduce the salience of asylum’ - but fixing a manifestly broken system has got to be some part of that surely.
There’s aspects of what was announced yesterday I’m not sure will work, but there’s not enough people on here engaging with the problem itself imo
There’s aspects of what was announced yesterday I’m not sure will work, but there’s not enough people on here engaging with the problem itself imo
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Thought the plan was to smash the smuggling gangs not emulate them.
The Sun has been told Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood will on Monday propose confiscating jewellery, watches, necklaces from asylum seekers to meet asylum costs
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
This reflects the most controversial aspect of the Danish scheme - the Jewellery Law. The toughest Labour MPs thought this was OTT
November 17, 2025 at 7:43 AM
Thought the plan was to smash the smuggling gangs not emulate them.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
This is true in Britain also. Many such cases! Twitter weirdos are just that - weirdos! Stop treating them as the voice of a generation!
Those claiming Dems should retreat on racial justice aren't hard-headed realists, they're pushing against the electoral tide rather than leaning into it. The story of Gen Z isn't about racist backlash or red-pilled young men. It's the most racially progressive generation in American history. 🧵
November 14, 2025 at 11:37 PM
This is true in Britain also. Many such cases! Twitter weirdos are just that - weirdos! Stop treating them as the voice of a generation!
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
A month ago I looked at what I called Labour's midlife crisis- an obsession with chasing socially conservative Reform-curious voters and ignoring groups of disaffected voters with social attitudes much closer to Labour voters. But some people thought there was method in their madness. Was there? 1/n
November 12, 2025 at 3:01 PM
A month ago I looked at what I called Labour's midlife crisis- an obsession with chasing socially conservative Reform-curious voters and ignoring groups of disaffected voters with social attitudes much closer to Labour voters. But some people thought there was method in their madness. Was there? 1/n
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Voters *already* think Labour have broken their tax promises
So much of UK politics seems as a weird tangled misreading of public opinion.
Shall we raise tax? Voters won’t like it. But need to deliver for voters and tax rises necessary to for that. Voters need to see change. But cant break promise, because voters. But is a U-turn even worse, because voters?
Shall we raise tax? Voters won’t like it. But need to deliver for voters and tax rises necessary to for that. Voters need to see change. But cant break promise, because voters. But is a U-turn even worse, because voters?
November 14, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Voters *already* think Labour have broken their tax promises
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
"The most common response among men aged 18-25, as with their female peers, is to state that they would never consider voting for Reform."
Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte & Emilia Belknap argue that most British young men reject the right
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/most-british-young-men-reject-the-far-right/
Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte & Emilia Belknap argue that most British young men reject the right
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/most-british-young-men-reject-the-far-right/
Most British young men reject the far right - UK in a changing Europe
Emilia Belknap and Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte explain their analysis on the demographics of Reform UK voters in the UK. They argue that while the dominant narrative is that young men are the most likely to turn to the party, the evidence does not support this.
ukandeu.ac.uk
November 1, 2025 at 4:25 PM
"The most common response among men aged 18-25, as with their female peers, is to state that they would never consider voting for Reform."
Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte & Emilia Belknap argue that most British young men reject the right
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/most-british-young-men-reject-the-far-right/
Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte & Emilia Belknap argue that most British young men reject the right
https://ukandeu.ac.uk/most-british-young-men-reject-the-far-right/
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
🚨 Earth's vital signs are flashing red.
🌡️ 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history.
Read the latest Climate report from @williamripple.bsky.social and Christopher Wolf's team, published in BioScience.
oxford.ly/47i6K5j
🌡️ 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history.
Read the latest Climate report from @williamripple.bsky.social and Christopher Wolf's team, published in BioScience.
oxford.ly/47i6K5j
October 31, 2025 at 8:00 PM
🚨 Earth's vital signs are flashing red.
🌡️ 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history.
Read the latest Climate report from @williamripple.bsky.social and Christopher Wolf's team, published in BioScience.
oxford.ly/47i6K5j
🌡️ 2024 was the hottest year in recorded history.
Read the latest Climate report from @williamripple.bsky.social and Christopher Wolf's team, published in BioScience.
oxford.ly/47i6K5j
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Green party voters are the only voter group where a plurality say they have achieved less in life than they expected to when they were younger.
Happiness = reality - expectations!
Happiness = reality - expectations!
October 24, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Green party voters are the only voter group where a plurality say they have achieved less in life than they expected to when they were younger.
Happiness = reality - expectations!
Happiness = reality - expectations!
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Which means they may not be differentially mobilising voters on the right as dramatically as is assumed. Left parties still struggle to mobilise, and I constantly think of Remain voters in 2016, but the 'Reform threat' is going to be a powerful signal for them (unlike expecting Leave to lose).
October 24, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Which means they may not be differentially mobilising voters on the right as dramatically as is assumed. Left parties still struggle to mobilise, and I constantly think of Remain voters in 2016, but the 'Reform threat' is going to be a powerful signal for them (unlike expecting Leave to lose).
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Particularly notable that Reform was beaten in a high turnout election. At May's locals they seem to have benefitted from turning out people who did not vote in 2024 - looks like we're now seeing a similar turnout among more progressive voters, motivated to beat them.
Scale of Plaid win in Caerphilly is significant, not least because of what it says about the potential for progressive tactical voting in (relatively) high turnout elections to block Reform. Voters in this race knew it was a Plaid-Reform contest and voted accordingly.
October 24, 2025 at 7:46 AM
Particularly notable that Reform was beaten in a high turnout election. At May's locals they seem to have benefitted from turning out people who did not vote in 2024 - looks like we're now seeing a similar turnout among more progressive voters, motivated to beat them.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
People keep telling me the UK is so over and they're going to move to Dubai and, like, fine. Go on then. Would you like directions to the airport?
You definitely shouldn't move to Dubai, writes V&A director Tristram Hunt on.ft.com/46MfW1t
Don’t move to Dubai — this is still the place to be
[FREE TO READ] Better to buy the dip and celebrate the UK as an enduring cultural behemoth
on.ft.com
October 11, 2025 at 6:56 AM
People keep telling me the UK is so over and they're going to move to Dubai and, like, fine. Go on then. Would you like directions to the airport?
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Data is available upon request … but only in the form of one hundred non sequential 3.5” floppy disks containing a segmented zip file, inside of which are confusingly named files that can only be opened using the 1996 application StatView for Apple Mackintosh. Enclose a cashiers check for postage.
September 26, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Data is available upon request … but only in the form of one hundred non sequential 3.5” floppy disks containing a segmented zip file, inside of which are confusingly named files that can only be opened using the 1996 application StatView for Apple Mackintosh. Enclose a cashiers check for postage.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
All reminiscent of liberals’ paralysis pre-2016. Complacency + dismissive contempt for Farage + dislike of incumbents + embarrassment in defending the status quo.
Retrospectively removing indefinite leave to remain would be immoral and economically damaging. It would tear families apart.
Attacking it as ‘potentially illegal’ is completely beside the point.
Argue with the (awful) idea. Don’t try ’well, actually you can’t do that’.
Attacking it as ‘potentially illegal’ is completely beside the point.
Argue with the (awful) idea. Don’t try ’well, actually you can’t do that’.
September 22, 2025 at 8:31 AM
All reminiscent of liberals’ paralysis pre-2016. Complacency + dismissive contempt for Farage + dislike of incumbents + embarrassment in defending the status quo.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
I'm not sure this should be a 'true question' for liberals at all! Irrespective of public opinion, the liberal defends minority rights.
The true question right now is whether you believe in the moral character of the British public. If you do, you'll want to have the fight with Reform. You'll believe that the public will hate the idea of breaking up families, spying on & deporting people who've worked here for years.
September 22, 2025 at 9:28 AM
I'm not sure this should be a 'true question' for liberals at all! Irrespective of public opinion, the liberal defends minority rights.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Feel like we should bring back the old twitter follow friday to boost good people on here who maybe didn't get an initial boost from the starter packs.
So follow @psurridge.bsky.social and @profjanegreen.bsky.social - two excellent and thoughtful political scientists.
So follow @psurridge.bsky.social and @profjanegreen.bsky.social - two excellent and thoughtful political scientists.
September 19, 2025 at 12:16 PM
Feel like we should bring back the old twitter follow friday to boost good people on here who maybe didn't get an initial boost from the starter packs.
So follow @psurridge.bsky.social and @profjanegreen.bsky.social - two excellent and thoughtful political scientists.
So follow @psurridge.bsky.social and @profjanegreen.bsky.social - two excellent and thoughtful political scientists.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
Constantly amazed at the desperation to make “young men love Reform a thing”, despite all evidence to contrary
September 14, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Constantly amazed at the desperation to make “young men love Reform a thing”, despite all evidence to contrary
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
I don't disagree with the first two sentences, but I think in general there's been far too much movement from 'not really noticing the problem' to 'despair'. Let's experiment with 'people and organisations try and enforce the norm' and then see if it is actually hard for it to be re-bottled.
I worry that the decades it took to build anti-racism norms are unravelling quite quickly. Clearly the protests/social media drumbeat has created a permission structure that makes people think they can behave like this. Hard to see how it can be easily re-bottled.
Sickening footage from Nuneaton tonight, where a Sky News interview with a local businessman was disrupted by racists hurling abuse.
Another local said, "Warwickshire Council Council has gone to Reform... It's given certain people a licence to be aggressive and racist."
Another local said, "Warwickshire Council Council has gone to Reform... It's given certain people a licence to be aggressive and racist."
September 1, 2025 at 11:18 PM
I don't disagree with the first two sentences, but I think in general there's been far too much movement from 'not really noticing the problem' to 'despair'. Let's experiment with 'people and organisations try and enforce the norm' and then see if it is actually hard for it to be re-bottled.
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
The story of the weekend looks like about 3000+ people protesting asylum, 2000+ counterprotestors while 210k people do parkrun
August 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
The story of the weekend looks like about 3000+ people protesting asylum, 2000+ counterprotestors while 210k people do parkrun
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
I suppose this is the point when I should say again that:
the amount of money the videogames industry brings into the UK economy every year is *more than double* the value of the fishing and steel industries *combined*
what this country is really good at is producing culture
the amount of money the videogames industry brings into the UK economy every year is *more than double* the value of the fishing and steel industries *combined*
what this country is really good at is producing culture
yes. yes yes.
the UK is (not just the originator but) the setting for some of the most popular culture in the world. there is a whole genre of videogames that are set in an imagined Britain. 'soft' power is real economic and even political power.
the UK is (not just the originator but) the setting for some of the most popular culture in the world. there is a whole genre of videogames that are set in an imagined Britain. 'soft' power is real economic and even political power.
Agree. One thing that I really liked about @jpspencer.bsky.social’s Labour Together report is it included culture in “growth spending”. So much policy about regional development in the UK basically regards culture, tourism, etc. as distractions from the real work of building trains to nowhere.
August 17, 2025 at 7:18 AM
I suppose this is the point when I should say again that:
the amount of money the videogames industry brings into the UK economy every year is *more than double* the value of the fishing and steel industries *combined*
what this country is really good at is producing culture
the amount of money the videogames industry brings into the UK economy every year is *more than double* the value of the fishing and steel industries *combined*
what this country is really good at is producing culture
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
This would be a strong entry in normal years, but unfortunately for Maurice, the bar for “vapid and useless suggestions to the UK’s soluble problems” is now set at “remigration”. Good luck in next year’s tournament, Mo!
This smacks of performative self-satire
August 16, 2025 at 9:46 AM
This would be a strong entry in normal years, but unfortunately for Maurice, the bar for “vapid and useless suggestions to the UK’s soluble problems” is now set at “remigration”. Good luck in next year’s tournament, Mo!
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
I spent the day with Curtis Yarvin and the "dissident right" at a garden party in Surrey and wrote quite a few words about it.
My cover story for today’s FT Magazine
on.ft.com/4ooXS4t [GIFT LINK! 🎁]
My cover story for today’s FT Magazine
on.ft.com/4ooXS4t [GIFT LINK! 🎁]
Sunday at the garden party for Curtis Yarvin and the new, new right
[FREE TO READ] What you learn at a gathering of neoreactionaries, Very Online rightwingers and the formerly cancelled
on.ft.com
August 9, 2025 at 8:26 AM
I spent the day with Curtis Yarvin and the "dissident right" at a garden party in Surrey and wrote quite a few words about it.
My cover story for today’s FT Magazine
on.ft.com/4ooXS4t [GIFT LINK! 🎁]
My cover story for today’s FT Magazine
on.ft.com/4ooXS4t [GIFT LINK! 🎁]
Reposted by Fintan Smith (Mac Gabhann)
New post:
"The Radicalisation Spiral"
Why are so many people becoming radicalised? Is there any way to stop it?
With an antivaxxer running the US health dept + extreme discourse dominating politics it's an increasingly pressing question.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
"The Radicalisation Spiral"
Why are so many people becoming radicalised? Is there any way to stop it?
With an antivaxxer running the US health dept + extreme discourse dominating politics it's an increasingly pressing question.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
The radicalisation spiral
Why does it happen and can it be stopped?
open.substack.com
August 2, 2025 at 8:09 AM
New post:
"The Radicalisation Spiral"
Why are so many people becoming radicalised? Is there any way to stop it?
With an antivaxxer running the US health dept + extreme discourse dominating politics it's an increasingly pressing question.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
"The Radicalisation Spiral"
Why are so many people becoming radicalised? Is there any way to stop it?
With an antivaxxer running the US health dept + extreme discourse dominating politics it's an increasingly pressing question.
(£/free trial)
open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...