📢 JUST ANNOUNCED: The first Ministers, Mayors and Chairs joining us at the Fabian Society Festival of Ideas at Labour Party Conference. Many more still to be announced! 👀 Follow the link below for the full programme fabians.org.uk/labour-party...
Marcus Johns
@cllrmarcus.bsky.social
Labour Co-op Councillor for Deansgate in Manchester City Centre 🐝 Deputy Exec Member for Housing & Regeneration 🏗️ Senior Researcher at the Fabian Society 🌹 Views all mine!
"Many countries similar to the UK have implemented various forms of rent controls, to provide renters with stability and security" The rental market is failing renters - Labour should intervene to regulate rents, writes @cllrmarcus.bsky.social fabians.org.uk/priced-out/
Priced out | Fabian Society
Fabian Society
fabians.org.uk
How can we fix the teacher retention crisis? 👨🏫 Teaching offers the opportunity to change lives, but recently we've seen a growing number of teachers leave the state sector. In our new report, @joedromey.bsky.social & @cllrmarcus.bsky.social set out how we can tackle the teacher retention crisis.
"Manchesterism" is everywhere right now: cranes, growth, a city building its way forward. It involved a muscular local state willing to intervene in markets to get change done. We can apply that lesson to the affordability crisis renters have described to @thefabians.bsky.social in our research.
How we can learn to tackle the renting crisis from Manchester
Marcus Johns is a senior researcher at the Fabian Society. There is much talk of ‘Manchesterism’ at the moment. I have witnessed it on my own doorstep – the cranes in the sky, the growing populatio...
leftfootforward.org
By 2027, Established Mayoral Strategic Authorities will together control £31bn annual spending. And if you heard Andy Burnham's speech, you'll know this will likely grow soon. Today, our report argues an upgraded accountability architecture will enable further fiscal devolution.
Robust local checks and balances are crucial if we want mayors to take on more power - and have more freedom from Whitehall. This report from @cllrmarcus.bsky.social fleshes out a comprehensive and practical proposal.
Fabian Society@thefabians.bsky.social · 3mo ago🚨 NEW REPORT - Accountability Gap: How Robust Accountability Can Unlock Devolution's Promise Supported by @apsenews.bsky.social, this report by @cllrmarcus.bsky.social says we should go further and faster with “Manchesterism 2.0” to boost growth 🧵
🚨 NEW REPORT - Accountability Gap: How Robust Accountability Can Unlock Devolution's Promise Supported by @apsenews.bsky.social, this report by @cllrmarcus.bsky.social says we should go further and faster with “Manchesterism 2.0” to boost growth 🧵
At @thefabians.bsky.social Housing Summit, I spoke about 3 longstanding problems renters have told us in our focus groups on private renting: insecurity, poor quality homes & unaffordable rents. Insightful & passionate discussion on how gov is improving conditions for renters, and where to go next.
In this collection of essays looking at raising living standards, I've set out how a whole-of-government approach should be taken to boost living standards and rebuild meaningful prosperity — a throughline of the things government say and do.
Fabian Society@thefabians.bsky.social · 3mo agoHow 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.
Rising food prices are one of the clearest examples of the cost of living crisis, and it's something that shoppers have to contend with every week. In @thefabians.bsky.social new pamphlet, I set out what a new Labour government can do to to bring inflation down.
Fabian Society@thefabians.bsky.social · 3mo agoHow 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.
🌹Labour Party Conference is coming soon! @thefabians.bsky.social will be delivering an exciting programme of receptions, panels and roundtables, exploring the big issues of our time. This conference will be hugely consequential. If you want to talk to us about an event, get in touch!
Well there's clearly a lot of policy discussion going on (!) But amongst it all, I've set out why Labour must build a more visible and accountable state, for @labourlist.bsky.social And yes it was an excuse bang on about buses - but not for long, I promise! labourlist.org/2026/05/visi...
'Labour is building a visible, accountable and confident state' - LabourList
Behind the scenes the government is reforming the state so that where it treads, it does so confidently, visibly and accountably.
labourlist.org
And there it is...the devolution bill is an Act. Hard to comprehend how big a deal this is for devolution. It is huge step forward, and something many of us have been working toward for some time - not least the minister! @miattafahnbulleh.bsky.social www.gov.uk/government/n...
English Devolution Bill receives Royal Assent
Act follows on from the English Devolution White Paper, which set out government agenda for devolution.
gov.uk
Excellent speeches too from Councillor Irene Robinson and @cllrmarcus.bsky.social - both of whom (like me) have lots of experience, both good and bad, of the private rented sector. Motion is carried. Such good news for private renters in Withington, and across our city. ❤️🌹
Labour's spring statement showed progress but Gorton & Denton proved people still feel the pinch and popular policies haven't cut through. I argue policy & narrative must work together, relentless delivery backing up a story proudly told at every turn 👇 leftfootforward.org/2026/03/fabi...
Fabian’s column: Labour is delivering on the economy: Now it must sell
Improving material living standards isn’t enough. Selling Labour’s economic agenda is politically imperative too.
leftfootforward.org
Labour is at risk of being ejected out of power by a populist wave from Reform and the Greens. So how should the party respond? I argue in my @labourlist.bsky.social column that Labour embrace its own authentic tradition of populism. labourlist.org/2026/03/ben-...
Ben Cooper column: 'Labour needs to rediscover its own authentic populism' - LabourList
Labour needs to rediscover its own authentic populism and deliver on it in government.
labourlist.org
Today is Economy & Regeneration day at @mancitycouncil.bsky.social! Our Committee will discuss: 🏠 our housing services regulatory judgement 🏡 our Tenancy Strategy 📈 business support for Manchester businesses 🌳 growing and supporting the green economy.
Brilliant atmosphere as we gear up for the #labourdoorstep in Gorton & Denton today with our big union campaign day to get Labour's Angeliki Stogia elected. Labour strengthened rights to make work fairer, Reform voted to block them. Only Labour offer solidarity, instead of division with Reform.
It's Economy & Regeneration day at @mancitycouncil.bsky.social! Today our committee will discuss: 🏛️MCC's 2026/27 budget and how new investment will be spent in Growth & Development and Highways 🌆 MCR's evening & night-time economy 🏩 MCR's visitor economy & the ABID*
Enjoyed my first @thefabians.bsky.social Conference as a staff member this weekend. I met many members, thinkers & ministers enthusastic about renewing Britain. At our renewing local government session, I was privileged to introduced @allymcgovern.bsky.social, who's helping drive that renewal.
Many lessons from devolved governance in different countries: 1. Devolving is hard (eg France) 2. Coordination and respect are vital (eg Italy) 3. Fiscal devolution is essential (eg Germany) The Devolution Bill is England's chance to do this properly.
Fabian Society@thefabians.bsky.social · 9mo ago🇪🇺 What can Europe teach us about devolution? By international standards, the UK is highly centralised, causing regional inequality in productivity, income and health. This collection of essays looks to our European neighbours to explore what works and what doesn’t 🧵
📢 New Year Conference: Renewing Britain PLUS... A very special guest keynote speaker. 👀 Want to know who it is? Get your ticket and find out on Saturday 24 January!
This is really good news - and timely after I pushed again at Economy and Regen Scrutiny for @mancitycouncil.bsky.social to have greater powers to tackle pavement parking. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article... @cllrmarcus.bsky.social @manchesterlabour.bsky.social @jeffsmithmp.bsky.social
New powers for councils in England to fine pavement parkers
Councils will be able to take action against those creating
bbc.co.uk
This evening the Deansgate Labour team have been asking residents in Castlefield how they want Manchester City Council to invest the extra funding that our Government is allocating to Manchester.
New paper out today: How can we provide income security for the self-employed? Pleasure to work with @communityunion.bsky.social @prospectunion.bsky.social @bectu.bsky.social This paper sets out potential solutions for this vital group of people
Jeevun Sandher MP spoke on the BBC to say "I am really proud about the fact that the way I look has never made me feel any less British". He said that is not what Nigel Farage believed as a school child. It is not what Sarah Pochin believes today. x.com/JeevunSandhe...
2024 was quite a year for Manchester. From world class events, more jobs and a record number of council homes built. Here’s to making Manchester an even better city. The best place to grow up and get on- where everyone benefits from our growth.
The Sea Wall matters to Labour They are looking to Reform, but the government can win them back There should be a relentless focus on the cost of living But the Gov needs to show the country values the contribution that coastal communities make Read my column for @labourlist.bsky.social 👇
“This is a strong budget, grounded in Labour values.” Our General Secretary, @joedromey.bsky.social welcomes the budget and the Chancellor’s commitment to lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty.