Recovering politician, writes columns, editor of The Case For The Centre Right.
Why solving the prison capacity crisis is hard but unavoidable. My piece for Arguably on why there’s no alternative to an early release scheme. www.arguably.uk/p/britain-is...
Britain is in denial on the prisons crisisBurnham’s decision to pause early releases is good politics but bad policywww.arguably.ukThere are some important lessons to be learnt from the failures of the Conservative government of 2019-2024 but it looks like both Burnham & Badenoch are learning the wrong ones. My ConHome piece on the new government plus “the purge of the wets”. conservativehome.com/2026/07/20/d...
David Gauke: Getting the blame game wrong - you purge if you want to but it's lazy who they are purging | Conservative HomeLook at the drivers of the decline of the Conservatives’ popularity: there was always likely to be a moment when Johnson’s lack of integrity was likely to cause a political crisis; there was always li...conservativehome.comThere’s a good case for more devolution but there are big problems in Andy Burnham’s plans. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2026/07/06/d...
David Gauke: Burnham's devolution plans won't work | Conservative HomeThis, I repeat, is not an argument against devolution. But it is an argument for a hard-headed devolution that considers local responsibility to be more important than regional equality, and makes the...conservativehome.comWhat the Makerfield and Aberdeen South by-elections tell us. My piece for ConHome on a good night for the Tories and why tactical voting could be disastrous for Reform. conservativehome.com/2026/06/22/d...
David Gauke: Bye bye to the big by-election everyone remembers, but don't forget it wasn't the only one | Conservative HomeIn the context of Kemi Badenoch’s improving personal rating (now the least unpopular party leader in the country) and the growing evidence that the air is leaving the Reform balloon, in the gains of 1...conservativehome.comWhy what went wrong when the police arrived at the scene might have nothing to do with race, but the police still need to change their wider approach. Plus why Reform’s response shows why the Tories can’t do business with them. My ConHome piece on the Nowak case. conservativehome.com/2026/06/08/d...
David Gauke: The political lessons of the murder of Henry Nowak, are not just about policing and the law | Conservative HomeContrary to his parents' wishes, the murder has become a political – and divisive – issue. Naturally there is close scrutiny of how the police acted and about wider police culture. But it has also re...conservativehome.comHow Andy Burnham has to speak to Makerfield voters, Labour members & the bond market - and what his policy contortions tell us about the Labour Party. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2026/05/25/d...
David Gauke: Burnham cannot muddle through fiscal policy forever | Conservative HomeAt some point tough decisions on public spending are going to have to be made, and neither Burnham nor his party are reconciled to that. He can kick the issue of EU membership into the long grass, but...conservativehome.comIn the circumstances where a centre left government will have failed but most of the country does not want a Reform government, there is plenty of space for a centre right platform to prosper. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2026/05/11/d...
David Gauke: Cannons to the right of them, cannons to the left - Labour's dilemma is also that of the Tories | Conservative HomeThe strategic challenge for the Tories is that it has been losing support to both its right and left. Move decisively to the right and more votes get lost to left-wing parties, move decisively to the...conservativehome.comMy ConHome piece on the election results and why the Conservatives need to change strategy and appeal more to swing voters and anti-Reform tactical voters. conservativehome.com/2026/05/11/d...
David Gauke: Cannons to the right of them, cannons to the left - Labour's dilemma is also that of the Tories | Conservative HomeThe strategic challenge for the Tories is that it has been losing support to both its right and left. Move decisively to the right and more votes get lost to left-wing parties, move decisively to the...conservativehome.comThis is fascinating about a part of the electorate that is too often ignored by our political parties.
Sam FreedmanNew post just out: "Where's the centre?" I have an exclusive new poll which challenges conventional wisdom on one of the biggest questions in British politics. It turns out median voters aren't actually in the centre. (£/free trial) open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/w...
It was worse in the 1970s but it can certainly feel like history repeating itself. My piece for ConHome on the echoes of Tony Benn we’re hearing today. conservativehome.com/2026/04/27/d...
David Gauke: It was worse in the 1970s but it can certainly feel like history repeating itself | Conservative HomeWe know now that the country got out of its 1970s malaise thanks to a government committed to fiscal discipline and a market economy. Were matters worse in the seventies compared to today? Yes. Will...conservativehome.comIf you’re looking for radical economic reform from Reform, think again. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2026/04/13/d...
David Gauke: If you're looking for radical economic reform from Reform, think again | Conservative HomeFor all the hope of bringing renewed dynamism to the British economy, Reform UK will not have assembled a pro-growth electoral coalition. The country may well need a brave and radical government, but ...conservativehome.comHow should policymakers respond to higher energy costs? My ConHome piece on two unpopular realities - we cannot afford to do much, and that the price mechanism is a useful way to change behaviour. conservativehome.com/2026/03/30/d...
David Gauke: The short term assumptions fuelling the petrol debate show politics still has its head in the sand | Conservative HomeThe Government – hoping to change the subject from scheduled fuel duty rises – accused fuel retailers of “price gouging” or“profiteering” despite no evidence to support that. Tory opposition is smart ...conservativehome.comMy ConHome column on Iran and why British politicians should keep their distance from Donald Trump. conservativehome.com/2026/03/16/d...
David Gauke: Donald Trump is not our friend and all parties should be wary of being too close | Conservative HomeWanting the US action against Iran to replace an evil regime with something much better is one thing, but the odds were always that is not going to be the case. In such circumstances, reticence in su...conservativehome.comGorton & Denton: why, unusually, this was an important by-election. My piece for ConHome. conservativehome.com/2026/03/02/d...
David Gauke: Welcome to the new world of multi party politics - whose entrance was via Gorton | Conservative HomeThis was a by-election that showed political support is fragmenting. Neither of the two traditional parties finished in the top two. The Greens got over 40 per cent of the vote but we're now in a wor...conservativehome.comMany thanks to all those who came to the Rose & Crown, Chorleywood on Wednesday to hear about @prosperuk.bsky.social.
Prosper UKIf the Conservatives want to govern again, they must win back the centre ground. That requires honesty about past mistakes - and a clear, pro-growth offer for the future. Prosper UK’s role is to strengthen that argument and reconnect with voters who feel overlooked.
Labour will go left and lose those people whose lukewarm vote was for something else. My piece for ConHome on the opportunity this creates for the Conservatives. conservativehome.com/2026/02/16/d...
David Gauke: Labour will go left and lose those people whose lukewarm vote was for something else | Conservative HomeA move to the left will mean that more centrist voters will be up for grabs. It is a huge opportunity that the Conservative Party cannot afford to miss.conservativehome.comMy piece for ConHome on why so many of the criticisms of Prosper UK miss the mark. conservativehome.com/2026/02/02/d...
David Gauke: Bemoaning the people and prospectus behind Prosper UK is just part of politics - but at least get it right | Conservative HomeThis isn’t about putting forward easy simplistic answers to complex problems because we know that rarely works and there's plenty of others filling that space. It's a serious centre right organisation...conservativehome.com