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By: Matthew Lesh

Matthew Lesh is Country Manager at Freshwater Strategy and a Public Policy Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs

All 33 Articles
  • Starmer in dire straits as British voters pessimistic on almost every issue

    Opinion

    Leaders rarely fail because of a single decision. Starmer's problem is that voters are pessimistic on almost every major measure.

    Business professionals in a boardroom engaging in a strategic discussion with charts and laptops on the table.
  • The public is running out of patience with this Labour government

    Opinion

    People believe freezing income tax thresholds was an unfair breech of Labour’s manifesto and think Kemi Badenoch would make a better Prime Minister, according to new polling for City AM, writes Matthew Lesh The heist looked, for a moment, as though it might succeed. The Treasury had seeded rumours of a looming fiscal black hole [...]

    Starmer and Reeves have caused huge damage to the UK economy
  • Two thirds of Brits want tax-raising Reeves to resign

    Opinion

    The latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy poll will make difficult for the Chancellor, says Matthew Lesh Last week, Chancellor Rachel Reeves played with fire. In what was officially titled a “scene setter” speech ahead of the Budget, she tried to soften the ground for tax rises. After committing to not come back for more after last [...]

    Reeves has faced a new warning on the implications of a wealth tax.
  • The great Tory comeback? The public’s gonna need a lot of convincing

    October 7, 2025

    A sceptical British public is not willing to listen to Tory promises of credibility after 14 years of government, writes Matthew Lesh.

  • Reform is gathering in Birmingham this week – with plenty to celebrate

    September 2, 2025

    Amidst widespread economic pessimism and the rising salience of immigration, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government faces a collapse in public support as polls show Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging to a commanding lead, writes Matthew Lesh Last month, Keir Starmer’s family summer escape to Scotland was abruptly cut short by an urgent dash across [...]

  • CMA’s Google crackdown will put the UK’s AI revolution on hold

    August 13, 2025

    The heavy hand of the CMA, on Google and tech companies it barely understands, will stop the UK from capitalising on AI, writes Matthew Lesh.

  • Gloomy Brits now think Reform is the party of business

    August 5, 2025

    Almost three quarters of voters (72 per cent) say that they are not confident in the government’s plan to achieve economic growth, and a majority (53 per cent) believe things are set to get worse for the UK economy over the next 12 months, says Matthew Lesh In 1997, Tony Blair promised that things can [...]

  • Labour voters are suffering from buyers’ remorse

    July 8, 2025

    32 per cent of those who voted Labour in 2024 say that they regret voting the way that they did at the last General Election, compared to just 15 per cent of all voters, according to the latest City AM/Freshwater Strategy Poll, says Matthew Lesh Even the Chancellor’s harshest critics must have felt a flicker [...]

  • Reeves’ central mission is in tatters

    June 10, 2025

    The Chancellor is the least popular person in British politics and this week’s Spending Review is unlikely to turn things around for Rachel Reeves, says Matthew Lesh This month’s City AM / Freshwater Strategy Poll lays bare the Chancellor’s precarious position ahead of this week’s spending review. Rachel Reeves is personally the least popular figure in British [...]

  • Reform is rising rapidly, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far

    May 13, 2025

    Reform UK is surging ahead of Labour, but voter frustration can only carry Farage so far, writes Matthew Lesh.

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