## Notes from 10 April 2026 [[2026-04-09|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-04-11|Next note →]] # Bloc Politics and the Infrastructure of the British Right **Joe Slater** writes the Substack newsletter _How Politics Works_, focusing on UK and comparative politics. On February 3, 2026, he published a piece titled _"[How the right is losing](https://howpoliticsworks.substack.com/)"_, analyzing the Conservative-Reform dynamic and arguing that the British right is in a much weaker position than headline polls suggest. **The argument:** Despite Reform leading in polls for over a year and the Conservatives often placing second ahead of Labour, the combined right-wing bloc has not built a meaningful lead over the combined left. The country has not moved to the right; rather, voters have simply concluded that the current government is failing. Slater argues that in a fragmented party system, individual vote shares are becoming irrelevant. What matters now is **bloc strength** (how the left and right aggregates compare) and **bloc efficiency** (how well parties within each bloc coordinate to translate votes into seats). The 2024 election was a story of left-wing efficiency destroying right-wing inefficiency. Conversely, the 2019 election was the reverse: the Brexit Party stood down in Tory seats while "Remain" parties failed to coordinate. As political actors become "self-aware"—understanding that traditional two-party logic no longer holds—the next election will be decided by which bloc coordinates better. Currently, Slater argues the left has stronger incentives and fewer obstacles to coordination than the right, which remains locked in a mutually destructive Conservative-Reform deathmatch. The most interesting concept here is **bloc efficiency**—the idea that coordination within a coalition matters more than raw vote share. This reframes British politics from "who's ahead?" to "who converts support into power more effectively?". Slater concludes with a bleak analysis of the right, noting that there are few signs of cooperation as both parties view each other as existential threats. He identifies a group of the "expanded right"—think tanks, donors, and campaign professionals—who are not formally allied to either party but want the right to succeed. While this group is currently waiting for the dust to settle, Slater suggests they should be building a "policy infrastructure": a platform that could appeal to both parties and be ready for use in government. ### This infrastructure is starting to emerge Real-world signs suggest that exactly the kind of cross-party infrastructure Slater calls for is beginning to emerge. Three examples stand out: - **[[Build for Britain]]**: A centre-right housebuilding campaign launched in early 2026. It is chaired by Sir Simon Clarke (Conservative, Director of [[Onward]]) and co-chaired by Alex Wilson from [[Reform UK]]. This represents rare _policy coordination across party lines_ on housing—a concrete issue where the right can build a credible offer to younger voters. It is a YIMBY initiative that deliberately bridges the Conservative-Reform divide. - **[[Fix Britain]]**: Launched in June 2025 by [[Munira Mirza]], former head of the No. 10 Policy Unit. While describing itself as non-partisan, it is clearly centre-right in orientation (notably, its advisory board includes [[Blue Labour]] founder Maurice Glasman). It focuses on Whitehall reform and state capacity, developing detailed policy options complete with implementation plans and draft legislation. - **[[Civic Future]]**: Also led by Mirza, this charity (founded in 2022) runs talent pipeline programs, such as its Fellowship and Public Leadership Programme. These are designed to identify and prepare individuals for public life—essentially a cadre-building operation for the British right. ### The Project 2025 parallel Taken together, these organizations represent the beginnings of a coordinated right-bloc infrastructure: Build for Britain handles **cross-party policy**, Fix Britain manages **governance preparation**, and Civic Future focuses on **talent development**. This is reminiscent of what the [[Heritage Foundation]] network achieved with [[Project 2025]] in the US: moving beyond mere policy papers to build a comprehensive ecosystem of ideas, implementation plans, and personnel ready to staff a future government. The parallel has limits. The British right lacks the funding, institutional depth, and single convening organization found in the US. Furthermore, the ideological range is wider—Build for Britain includes Reform and Conservative figures, while Fix Britain includes a Labour peer. However, the direction is the same: a recognition that winning an election is insufficient if you do not arrive in government with a ready-made agenda and the people to execute it. The question is whether this nascent infrastructure can develop fast enough to survive the ongoing Conservative-Reform civil war.