Ed Shackle

.@bertslide1 and I spent 5 days observing people in Bolton pubs. Why did we do it? And what did we learn? (1/10)

This work marks the start of a wider project we are running over the coming months, which explores modern Britain, and the values and identity shared across the UK today. Full story below: (4/4) thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

But we also found signs that Remembrance Day is becoming a political wedge, with people in Sunderland using the day to channel concerns over a perceived erosion of British values & identity. While at the same time, fears of this happening were raised in Saffron Walden. (3/4)

Today is Remembrance Day, but is it still seen as important in modern Britain? With The Times, we spoke to voters on Remembrance Sunday in 2 very different parts of the country - Sunderland & Saffron Walden - to find out if it still holds relevance in these communities. (1/4)

Voters don’t choose Reform because of their policy position on net zero. ✍️ Ed Shackle spectator.co.uk/article/badeno…

By vowing to repeal the Climate Change Act Kemi Badenoch has fundamentally misread public opinion on net zero. She also risks confirming voters' worst prejudices about politicians. The public want promises delivered, not ditched. Me in The Spectator. spectator.co.uk/article/badeno…

I spoke to @NatashaLeake about why places like Bootle - strongholds long considered electorally untouchable - are now no longer safe. telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/09/1…

1 year on from the election, @Ed_Dorrell I sat down with Labour voters in 2 swing seats to find out what they’ve made of the Govt’s progress. Interestingly, such was their frustration, and it was Boris Johnson who they harked back to… thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

Yesterday Nigel Farage gave a speech in Port Talbot pledging to 'reopen' the steelworks. But what do people in the town really think? & what do they make of the promised electric arc? @bertslide1 & I spent 6 days there interviewing residents to find out. public-first.shorthandstories.com/port-talbot/

The government is right to revive levelling up. Why it ever went away is baffling. ✍️ Ed Shackle buff.ly/xO3vEKY

Good piece from Ed - especially this Government is absolutely right to want to revive levelling up (or whatever you want to call it) - but they can’t risk not delivering this time. It would shatter public confidence in the state’s ability to deliver anything - perhaps right too

Today we learned that the Gov is likely to revive the levelling up agenda. Given the levels of political discontent & junkyard of broken promises in provincial Britain, it really is last chance salon for levelling up. My piece in the Spectator. spectator.co.uk/article/its-th…

Wrote in Politico today about what will happen next. There’s a risk of massively over complicating something very simple to diagnose and very hard to fix. politico.eu/article/shock-…

Reform’s likely victory here in Greater Lincolnshire, and successes across the country in these local elections suggest their strategy is working – for now. ✍️ Ed Shackle buff.ly/wnjvJrT

Thank you to @ed_shackle and co at Public First for running some of this polling for us. (And to @iconeighbours for letting me borrow the rest.) From my latest: economist.com/britain/2025/0…

Ahead of tomorrow's local elections I've written in The Spectator about Reform's problem: how do you normalise the party brand to appeal to moderates while at the same time avoid being seen as establishment? spectator.co.uk/article/are-re…

Our immersive research in Greater Lincolnshire speaking to Tory and Labour voters shows evidence that a Reform detoxification is underway. thetimes.com/uk/politics/ar…

You can read our opinion research in full here, including findings from our focus groups in locations with a high level of hyper-local need across England. publicfirst.co.uk/wp-content/upl…

Great to see our work with @iconeighbours in Tom's brilliant piece. Our polling, aligned using postcode data to ICON's Hyper-Local Needs Measure, explored people's attitudes towards their area; issues they care most about; local pride; & levels of community involvement.

I wrote in today's Times about how Gen Z are often politically misunderstood. Rather than just simply shifting in one direction, they are seeking radical solutions on both the right and the left. thetimes.com/uk/society/art…