Accelerating Casey to Summer 2027 is vital for two reasons: 1. It means change can start this parliament. Early views can inform the next spending review - care will need more ££ for reform 2. Legislation and required tax rises can be implemented prior to next GE (if the government really hurries)

This is an obviously good idea - win-win for exchequer and low income households. Can be achieved now by putting VAT on <everything> while ensuring lower ~1/2 left no worse off by increases to personal allowance, state pension, UC, child benefit etc giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

A truly progressive VAT would solve a lot of UK tax problems

Ending exemptions while excluding low-income households would be fairer and bring in far more revenue

giftarticle.ft.com

🎻🎻🎻 giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

More than 600,000 UK high earners could be dragged into pension trap by 2032

If thresholds are not changed, 114,000 more taxpayers face being caught by the tapered annual allowance

giftarticle.ft.com

The language of re-industrialisation is my only real worry with what has otherwise been a v strong start from the new government @chrisgiles.ft.com giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

There's gonna be a new PM. What he needs is an op-ed telling him what to do, of which there's no doubt a lamentable absence. Here's the time-hallowed method for creating one: 1. Set out the problem cleanly, as if the PM had literally no idea that growth, the cost of living and deficit matter. 1/

Brilliant to hear BBC reports that Andy Burnham wants to prioritise a National Care Service. Here’s one I made earlier… fabians.org.uk/publication/...

Support guaranteed | Fabian Society

Fabian Society

fabians.org.uk

Bringing services in house frequently makes sense - I really want to see more homecare in-house to run alongside neighbourhood healthcare. But there is a cost… outsourcers are cheaper because they don’t pay decent pensions. Services run by the state = paying more for better pensions

We spent today in Parliament sharing important conversations around ending poverty in later life. A special thanks to our speakers @annadixonmp.bsky.social @joanna-elson.bsky.social @andrewharrop.bsky.social @torstenbell.bsky.social Paula & Chair of Trustees Richard Anderson www.independentage.org

How do we raise living standards? 💸 Today, the energy price cap goes up, adding further pressure to the cost of living. Improving living standards will be the central priority for the next Prime Minister, and ultimately, the issue that decides the next election.

I wrote the chapter on funding for @thefabians.bsky.social new pamphlet Care To Share: Building the National Care Service. A pleasure to be part of a great collection of ideas.

Fabian Society@thefabians.bsky.social · 2mo ago

New Pamphlet out now 👇 Care To Share: Building a National Care Service, in partnership with @jrf-uk.bsky.social 🧵

Plus contributions from @bencooper1995.bsky.social, @abbyabhaya.bsky.social, @louisewoodruff.bsky.social, @andrewharrop.bsky.social, Samantha Clark, Gavin Edwards, @drsarahyde.bsky.social and @daniellmonaghan.bsky.social

Three years ago, the Fabian Society set out what a National Care Service should look like in a research report, Support Guaranteed. A year later, in its manifesto, Labour drew on the ideas in Support Guaranteed and committed to a new service “delivering consistency of care across the country.”

I’ve always supported PR but before the next GE Labour should consider the AV system (where a candidate needs 50% to win). It would stop extreme parties opposed by the local majority from winning with c30% in each seat. giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Will the UK embrace electoral reform?

Pressure to ditch first-past-the-post gains momentum as the political landscape becomes more fragmented

giftarticle.ft.com

Unfreezing LHA should be the first thing on the list for Labour’s next budget

Chaminda Jayanetti@cjayanetti.bsky.social · 2mo ago

NEW: Labour's housing benefit cuts have hit a million of the poorest renters, often costing them more than £1,000 a year Greater Manchester and the West Midlands have been worst hit My new substack on the cost of living measure the next PM must take chamindajayanetti.substack.com/p/how-labour...

It’s okay for the Tories/Times/Telegraph to pretend that taxes are up “because of welfare”. That’s politics. But if you care about policy you need to understand that is a long way from the truth - and wrestle with the consequences

Had lost touch with quite how large balances in UK cash ISAs have grown.

A chunky part of the productivity puzzle brought to life here - both supply and demand for business lending have been falling for years - the huge emergency lending during the pandemic now just looks like a bump in the road to ever lower lending giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...

Bank lending to UK businesses falls to lowest level in nearly 30 years

Weak economic growth and tighter regulation hit credit for small and medium-sized companies

giftarticle.ft.com

Two fantastic former @thefabians.bsky.social staff members appointed to the EHRC board @sundersays.bsky.social @jemimaolchawski.bsky.social

Salary sacrifice pensions: who will the reforms affect? Really looking forward to speaking at this online @theifs.bsky.social event on Wednesday. I'll be reacting to great new IFS research and sharing @publicfirst.bsky.social poll results on the government's plan. ifs.org.uk/events/salar...

Salary sacrifice pensions: who will the reforms affect? | Institute for Fiscal Studies

This online event will present findings from a new report on how the reform will likely affect different groups of employees and employers.

ifs.org.uk

Another example of Labour - promising to do something - doing it - not telling people they’ve done it

Kiran Stacey@kiranstacey.bsky.social · 3mo ago

One detail I hadn't realised about parliament finishing today - today is the last day a hereditary peer will ever sit in the House of Lords.

“Local authorities are looking to use low-use golf courses as a way of building great places to live” On @listentotimesradio.bsky.social, @bencooper1995.bsky.social explains that making it easier to build on golf courses could open up accessible green spaces for thousands of people.

ONS shows Labour cut the deficit by 0.9% of GDP in 25/26 But almost no ministerial comms, to celebrate and claim credit When this government makes hard choices and delivers, it never tells anyone!!! www.ons.gov.uk/economy/gove...

Looming white collar job cull… in three headlines?

Ready or not? The state pension age starts to rise today Here’s what it means for today’s 60-somethings cradle2grave.substack.com/p/ready-or-not

Will new policies create joined-up neighbourhood health and care services in England? Maybe. But we’re still running health and care in silos My substack post (reacting to the DHSC plan for neighbourhood health) cradle2grave.substack.com/p/good-neigh...

Good neighbours?

Will new policies enable the NHS and local authorities to build integrated neighbourhood health and care services?

cradle2grave.substack.com

New stats: - Overall poverty up - Child poverty up - Working-age adult poverty up - Pensioner poverty up Quite small rises (not statistically significant) but this is what Labour inherited and must now address (relative, AHC) www.gov.uk/government/c...

Households Below Average Income (HBAI) statistics

Statistics on the number and percentage of people living in low-income households in the UK.

gov.uk

NEW POST 3 sobering facts about pension saving today: - ONE THIRD of people in work aren’t saving into a pension at all - HALF of 25-54s are not on track for an adequate retirement income - Typical pension savings for workers at 50 are just £27,000 cradle2grave.substack.com/p/pension-pain

Pension pain

I've just completed research showing who isn't saving for a pension - and who isn't saving enough

cradle2grave.substack.com

1. ONE THIRD of people in work aren't saving into a pension 2. HALF of workers aged 25 to 54 are not on track for an adequate retirement income* 3. A worker around the age of 50 typically has just £27k in their pension* * excludes those with DB pensions 🧵 group.legalandgeneral.com/en/about-us/...

What is the Blair inner dialogue that leads him to say these things? Does he really think it advances causes he cares for or his own personal standing? Or is it an itch he just can’t help scratch?

Roland Smith@rolandmcs.bsky.social · 5mo ago

You've got to be kidding me...