Chris Davies

Today is #PokemonDay, the 30th anniversary of Pokémon Red and Green coming out in Japan.

Here's your reminder that Britain is Charmander country:

PREFERRED RED/BLUE STARTER POKEMON
🔥 Charmander: 51%
💦 Squirtle: 21%
🍃 Bulbasaur: 15%

yougov.com/en-gb/articl...

He’ll have no chance of paying it off working part time

We used to be a real country

We’re getting worried about Great British Railways Nationalisation can work, but the Government isn’t doing it right

I found this really interesting (perhaps because I’m a middle aged man)

open.substack.com/pub/catching...

Tory economic reputation is reviving, as Labour struggles persist Polling shows that Britons have more faith in the economic competence of the Conservatives — but that is more a verdict on Rachel Reeves

My Sunday Times piece: Deserting a sinking ship? Perhaps not. As senior figures leave the Tories, the party’s lead on who voters trust most to run the economy has risen to a four-year high:

Tory economic reputation is reviving, as Labour struggles persist

www.thetimes.com/article/aa0a...

Whenever I look at this graffiti I just think the person who did it must have been wearing waders

Our @yougov.co.uk data journalism extraordinaire Matt Smith has compiled all news tracker results from 2025 into this stunning graphic

This tells us so much about what 'cuts through', how news cycles evolve, and what grabs attention re: flash moments vs ongoing stories

yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

Obviously I get it, but in theory this series could still end 3:2 - these might look a bit odd if it does

Here’s Clive, making the case for draconian regulation of the buy to let sector

Hmm. I had my shot cancelled yesterday because they hadn’t had a delivery and that wasn’t Boots.

Some names on this gig listing, think disgraced proctologist is probably my favourite

How have Britons reacted to the 2025 Budget? | YouGov While the government may have protected themselves by dropping their income tax plans, the public reaction to the Budget has still been negative

Here’s the definitive Budget feedback from the British public: yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

By are margin of 48% - 21%, Brits view the Budget as “unfair”.

Some individual measures poll well, but as a whole Brits think it will make them, and the country, worse off.

In the summer I was at a large all- ages event and it was very noticeable that all the people who, 10 years ago, would have been swapping stories about house prices were talking about ISA rates.

I think that’s a good point, and unfortunately a side effect might be a fair few of them will be discovering their retirement plans don’t work as a result.

Trump: the teacher we can’t ignore The American President is pioneering a new form of political communications. We must swallow our pride and learn from him.

I don’t know if you’ve seen Peter Hyman’s writing on the difference between New Labour era comms and today, but it’s excellent: peterhyman21.substack.com/p/trump-the-...

How Whitehall suppressed the truth about the doctors strike The Times was fed a front-page story that misled its readers

This is very good from Peter - and basically shows how the British Polling Council rules are supposed to work.
kellnerp.substack.com/p/how-whiteh...

Actually, if dynamic pricing really is the future, why not? The tech for this exists.

Is there anything to suggest that an economic ministry to oversee the PM’s priorities would be anything different to what the Treasury currently does, overseen by a Minister who does what the Chancellor currently does?

With Rachel Reeves seeming to suggest she will scrap the 2 child benefit cap, our polling shows that 59% of Britons - including 54% of Labour voters - want to see it kept in place

yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...

I grew up in one of these towns, and my advice to anyone thinking of moving there has always been “rent a BnB for a few weeks around February. See if you still fancy it after that”

We’ve made this investigation free to read because so many people in Sheffield are affected by this story.

Our journalists have been knocking on doors for weeks and we’ve had to employ lawyers because of the legal threats made against us.

We can only do this kind of journalism with your support.

Is there a sale on?

I’d be quite interested to hear what this person thinks comms and strategy people do

A side point to a good thread, but knowing “the government can move fast if it chooses” makes the dissatisfaction at the fact it doesn’t in so many areas more understandable

Is there public support for large-scale removals of migrants? | YouGov Public attitudes towards immigration are heavily influenced by the belief that most migration to the UK is 'illegal’

YouGov polled something along these lines: 47% of Britons incorrectly think there are more migrants staying in the UK illegally than legally: yougov.co.uk/politics/art...

After many years, an exception is found to Betteridges’ law of headlines

YouGov's first MRP since the 2024 election shows a hung parliament with Reform UK as the largest party and the Tories pushed into fourth place

Reform UK: 271 (+266 from 2024)
Labour: 178 (-233)
Lib Dems: 81 (+9)
Conservatives: 46 (-75)
SNP: 38 (+29)
Greens: 7 (+3)
Plaid: 7 (+3)
Others: 3 (-2)

The Oh