## Notes from 12 February 2026 [[2026-02-11|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-02-13|Next note →]] I’ve just read a compelling opening piece from a new Substack called **Statecraft**, written by [[Bruno Dent]], titled _"[Insurgents and Institutionalists: The forces reshaping the British state](https://brunodent.substack.com/p/insurgents-and-institutionalists)"._ It outlines a growing rift within the British Labour government over how to fix a state that they now realize is far more broken than they initially anticipated. The core of the debate is a split between two emerging camps: - **The Insurgents:** They argue that the primary political axis has shifted from "Left vs. Right" to "Disruptor vs. Disrupted." For them, the government must act as an anti-establishment force, breaking through bureaucratic barriers to deliver results quickly. They fear that if the "system" isn't forced to work now, the door will swing wide open for populist parties like [[Reform UK]]. - **The Institutionalists:** This camp cautions against "smashing things up." They believe reform must happen within established constitutional and legal boundaries. To them, the insurgent rhetoric feels like buck-passing that risks damaging the civil service relations Labour promised to "grown-up government." What is particularly interesting is the "vibe" of this tension. The insurgents often share a diagnosis with the radical right (specifically the "move fast and break things" approach associated with figures like [[Dominic Cummings]]) which creates an "allergic reaction" among some members of the Labour establishment. As Dent notes, many in the party might agree with the substance of the critique but simply "don't like the smell of it". This debate has global implications. Just as New Labour exported "Third Way" models in the 90s, the outcome of this struggle could ripple across the Anglosphere. We are already seeing the "insurgent" toolkit being imported from the US... themes like the "[[Abundance Agenda - Progress Studies|Abundance Agenda]]" and "[[Not In My Back Yard (NIMBY)]]" urbanism. Looking at the left in other countries, I'm not sure this same divide is playing out explicitly elsewhere. But there are more interesting cases: [[Macronism|Macron]] came from the left but positioned himself outside it as an insurgent, despite being the ultimate product of France's institutionalist establishment (ENA). His campaign was insurgent, his governing style was... reformist? Mixed results, complicated global context, and now he's in a difficult position. There's something to learn there.