Sean McLaughlin
Sean McLaughlin is independent political scientist and data analyst and an Associate of the Free Market Foundation. He worked as a data analyst for Wood Mackenzie, a provider of data and research for the energy industry, from 2021 to 2024. Prior to that, he worked in market intelligence on Latin America and Spain between 2016 and 2020 for Acuris (now part of ION Analytics). He has written extensively on the issue of Northern Ireland in the EU-UK Brexit negotiations for think tank VoteWatch Europe. He holds a degree in Arabic and International Relations from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, as well as a degree in Data Science for Business from the University of Stirling, Scotland. Any views expressed are personal.
Articles By This Author
Zille for Joburg mayor: tenacity, high stakes and 21st century renewal
Centrist parties the world over generally hold control of major cities. Why South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) does not hold control of Johannesburg is not
The pathway for a new political party: The road to success for a political alternative in SA
Amidst South Africa’s political realignment, less well-considered is how a new political force could emerge to replace the African National Congress (ANC). I have written
Operation Tailwinds: Scrap BEE in return for an amnesty
*This extended essay is a longer version of an article I previously published in Business Brief in July 2024* *** The challenges facing South Africa
In defence of the DA (and Helen Zille)
Life is often hardest for those doing the best work. Rabble-rousing is easy. The business of clean governance and administration is harder. Until recently taking
Why South Africa needs a Sovereign Wealth Fund
Is it extreme to suggest a country with immense poverty should establish a national savings and investments pot, or a Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF)? No.
How the centre can hold and South Africa can thrive
Last year I wrote a 2034 optimistic time travel piece on SA; many saw it as naïve. 2023 was a hard year to be bullish
The Great British election misses the mark: Why we will stumble on
The United Kingdom has the aura of a success story. Its economy is open and vibrant, its political system, centuries old, is rock solid. That
The DA’s cautious path to victory
I write with trepidation on matters changing so fluidly. Yet one thing will stay the same: South Africa’s Democratic Alliance (DA) will remain the most
How the ANC and the DA can find each other
What is effectively happening here is a head-to-head. The once dominant African National Congress (ANC) can no longer govern alone, having nosedived to 40.18% in