Policy discussion explores cost-of-living populism across political coalitions, highlighting governance challenges tied to fiscal space and state capacity.
Could ‘cost of living populism’ offer a way forward for the left? Chris Bick of IPPR sat down with Persuasion UK's Steve Akehurst, the New Statesman's Anoosh Chakelian, and IPPR's Sam Alvis to talk through the politics of affordability. The discussion spans what voters actually mean when they name the cost of living as their top concern, the transmission mechanisms that might make relief visible, where such appeals have been deployed around the world, and the electoral coalitions the strategy might hold together in the UK. Also topics include the potential benefits and pitfalls of picking cost of living ‘villains’, and the challenges of governing as a cost of living populist under constraints such as fiscal space, state capacity, and message discipline.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Alvis et al. (2026) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: