The Next Generation with Michael Simmons

Join us for our next Next Generation drinks on Tuesday, 3rd November! We are delighted to welcome Michael Simmons, Economics Editor at The Spectator. Michael is one of Westminster’s sharpest journalists, known for unpacking the hidden patterns driving complex economic trends, public finance figures and official statistics. Before entering journalism, he worked as an Assistant Statistician at the National Records of Scotland, giving him hands-on experience with public data sources and using numbers to tell compelling stories. Michael specialises in data journalism, political economy, and fiscal analysis. He brings an incisive, empirical perspective to contemporary economic debates and policy making. Michael will be discussing Who’s Afraid of the ONS? He’ll explore why the Office for National Statistics needs more scrutiny, taking aim at constant revisions, flawed sampling methods, and misleading figures. His talk will examine how inaccurate statistical modeling misleads ministers, distorts public policy, and undermines effective governance—asking just how reliable the official statistics are that drive so much of the national conversation. Michael will make the case that Britain’s statistical authority is broken, explaining the hidden national cost of making critical economic decisions on bad data. It’s an unmissable evening—not just for wonks who care about data and economics, but for anyone interested in how decisions are actually made in Westminster. Housekeeping: Date: Tuesday, 3rd November 2026 Time: Doors open 6 pm sharp Venue: Adam Smith Institute, 23 Great Smith Street, Westminster. SW1P 3DJ Refreshments provided 🍷 A bit more about these meetings: At TNGs, we throw our doors open to Westminster’s finest to enjoy a political discussion over a few glasses of (free) wine. Open to parliamentary staffers, journos, SpAds, consultants, students, and even the odd civil servant, TNGs are a place to network, chat, and relax. Whatever your politics, we just like interesting ideas and we hope you do too. It’s for under-35s, it’s informal, and we normally end up at the Marquis of Granby. Please note this event is exclusively for under-35s. If we reach capacity, we will add you to our waiting list.