Susan J. Smith
@sjs1869.bsky.social
President,The British Academy. Writes about housing and economic inequality. Life Fellow at Girton College, Emerita Honorary Professor in the Dept of Geography, Cambridge University, UK. (Views my own).
Worried about the mansion tax? Not sure that many #housing scholars can make much sense of it either. Here’s John Muellbauer FBA with a better, fairer, more workable option. There’s still time! www.inet.ox.ac.uk/publications...
No. 2026-24 - Property tax reform in England: a fresh look
The Starmer government’s 2025 Budget introduced the government’s High Value Council Tax Surcharge (HVCTS), which is an addition to an unchanged Council…
inet.ox.ac.uk
So much of, and in, the world is experienced and understood through music… week in, week out…
Neat reflection on #housing studies in the long run. I think we managed to get the message across in the closing plenary that research expertise does matter in designing the future… housingevidence.ac.uk/reflections-...
Reflections from Housing Matters: How Did We Get Here and Where Are We Going? - UK Collaborative Centre For Housing Evidence
Last week, at the Grosvenor hotel in the city’s west end, CaCHE hosted a Housing research conference with 150 delegates over two days. We had more than 50 workshop papers […]
housingevidence.ac.uk
Thought-provoking intervention that also profiles the opinion of three outstanding FBAs
Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 4d ago'Humanities & social sciences research is central to ask questions about how and in whose interests technology is being developed, how it can be adopted, deployed & governed and how to create a world where AI can benefit the many, not the few' My blog for @ukri.org ukri.substack.com/p/why-ai-wil...
Where did that week go? What a tremendous turn out for a first rate meeting with a brilliant theme, superbly chaired!
RGS-IBG Higher Ed@rgs-ibghe.bsky.social · 2w agoWe've just heard Professor Susan J. Smith deliver this year's opening keynote at the Annual Conference on the shape of inequality and the weight of the world, introduced by our Chair Professor Peter Hopkins. A great start to the week and we're looking forward to more sessions tomorrow! #RGSIBG26
Great idea to tax residential property wealth progressively. Neither council tax nor this peculiar new surcharge fits that bill. Brilliant scholars with years of experience have a host of better, fairer, far more cost-effective proposals than this. Just saying… www.thetimes.com/article/42ab...
How mansion tax inspectors could get into your home and fine you £500
The government is targeting 165,000 homeowners for a surcharge — but when a state valuer is cleared to enter your property it’s a civil liberties matter, say experts
thetimes.com
Councils’ ‘right to sell’ long precedes tenants’ ‘right to buy’; it might be simpler and more even handed to restore the earlier status quo?
Jules Birch@julesbirch.bsky.social · 3w agoFinally… but why just mayors? Let all councils in all areas apply to suspend the right to buy giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Burnham looks at giving mayors in England power to block sale of council homes
Oh dear… 1440 under-occupied properties face quadruple council tax, unless perhaps some are exempt? All the other unused bedrooms are free; some even attract a 25% discount. Errr…. www.gbnews.com/money/counci...
Thousands of second homeowners face £16,000 council tax bills under Edinburgh 'super-tax'
The proposed premium would apply to around 1,440 properties from January 2027
gbnews.com
Cutting to the chase, it’s a fine balance between changing preferences and shrinking opportunities…
The British Academy@britishacademy.bsky.social · last mo.For A level results day, the British Academy has looked at two decades of data on take-up of SHAPE subjects across the UK. Although SHAPE subjects still make up the majority of entries, there is an evolving picture beneath that headline figure. Read the full analysis here: https://bit.ly/4xE87FQ
Sad loss, but what a fascinating life (including great service to the @britishacademy.bsky.social not least during a spell as President) www.thetimes.com/article/9577...
Sir Anthony Kenny obituary: eminent philosopher
Giant of Oxford University whose brilliant but doubting mind led him away from the Roman Catholic church and into the groves of academe, dies aged 95
thetimes.com
Incorrect decision, imho, if what you want is a fair property tax, and a workable way of funding local government…
Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · 2mo agoCorrect decision, obviously. Genuinely there are quite a few Labour MPs I just want to ask “without googling, how many parliamentary seats do you think there are in the south?”
Chuffed to give an opening keynote at the RGS-IBG conference this year. That said, all the Chair’s events look unmissable. Great vision, as ever, from @peterhopkins.bsky.social www.rgs.org/research/ann...
Chair's events | Annual International Conference
Discover our line up of Chair's events and speakers for this year's Annual International Conference.
rgs.org
This is a fantastic resource; establishing it was an inspired move, keeping it on the road should be a priority.
Understanding Society@usociety.bsky.social · 2mo agoOur latest annual report is out today—all the highlights of 2025, including Wave 15 of our main survey, W17 of the Innovation Panel, increased research use, growing influence on government policy, and a very productive scientific conference…
Just to be clear: replacing council tax with a fair property tax would not ruin landlords. It would, though, stop millions paying an order of magnitude more (as a proportion of the value of their homes) than others just because of where they live. www.thetimes.com/article/3393...
Why Andy Burnham’s property tax would ruin landlords
Fears that ‘preposterous’ plans to replace council tax will lead to higher rents and a shortage of homes
thetimes.com
Subjects that make a world of difference, lost to a generation… why take that risk?
Hetan Shah@hetanshah.bsky.social · 2mo ago‘Prof Susan J Smith, president of the British Academy, recently described the situation as “an emergency, threatening all subjects”, and singled out the problem of “cold spots” where some disciplines are at risk of disappearing.’ www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Well placed to bring some sanity to the tangled, inefficient, unfair system of property tax. Wonder if she’ll bite the bullet. Here’s the challenge: www.economicsobservatory.com/what-future-...
What future for residential property taxation in Britain? - Economics Observatory
Council tax is unpopular, unfair and overdue for reform. An alternative would be to fund statutory services through central government, introduce a modest local service charge, and absorb stamp duty a...
economicsobservatory.com
Chartered Institute of Housing @cihhousing.bsky.social · 2mo agoCongratulations to Angela Rayner on her reappointment as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. During her previous tenure she led significant reforms, boosted housing supply, strengthened renters' rights & increased investment in affordable & social homes buff.ly/yqudjPJ
Well that’s one to watch. I’ve appreciated Patrick Vallance’s tenure - those are big shoes to fill in any department…
Margot Finn@eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 2mo ago'The news came as reports emerged that the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is likely to be abolished as part of a governmental reorganisation. The stand-alone department, created in 2023, looks set to be subsumed into the Department for Business and Trade (DBT).' 3/3
Two brass anorak posts in a day, but it doesn’t get much better than this… www.bbc.co.uk/events/ev6mzc
Black Dyke Band
Yorkshire’s esteemed Black Dyke Band shows off its virtuosity and versatility in a programme of contemporary pieces, arrangements of popular classics and excerpts from soundtracks by John Williams and...
bbc.co.uk
‘At a time when society is grappling with radical uncertainty, in the face of technological, economic and environmental change, the humanities and social sciences have never been more important’. … www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/92-new-...
92 New Fellows welcomed to the British Academy in 2026
92 distinguished scholars have been elected to the British Academy’s Fellowship this year in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the humanities and social sciences.
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
Check this out. Without a major reset, the skills and capabilities we need to thrive may simply disappear… www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/news/loss-of...
Loss of academic staff and "cold spots" for humanities and social science degrees threaten strategically important skills for UK, says British Academy
A new data map released today shows a sharp and widespread decline in opportunities for university staff in the humanities, social sciences and arts subjects in 2024-25. The data shows a precarious la...
thebritishacademy.ac.uk
‘The past we inherit, the future we build’ (or a grand day out if you are a brass band anorak!). www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/news/2627252...
Banners, brass and pride fill the streets as thousands flood Durham for Big Meeting
Thousands of people flooded the streets of Durham with banners and flags as the Durham Miners’ Gala returned for its 140th instalment.
thenorthernecho.co.uk
‘Government must urgently rethink this decision and restore funding to arts courses to meet its own growth strategy and allow students from all backgrounds to pursue their creative career ambitions.’ www.ism.org/news/univers...
Decision to cut HE arts funding is ‘devastating’ - Independent Society of Musicians
The Independent Society of Musicians calls on government to rethink decision to cut funding for music and arts university courses
ism.org
Ta Dah! ‘a single national contributions levy to replace six separate taxes’ (including stamp duty and council tax). www.thetimes.com/article/1c9b...
Time to replace stamp duty and council tax, Andy Burnham told
Leading British economists at UCL say the tax system needs a structural overhaul and simplifying to combat high debt and low economic growth
thetimes.com
Hanging on to human ingenuity in an age of AI…
Lyndsey Stonebridge@lyndseystonebri.bsky.social · 2mo agoI have been writing literary criticism again after a long pause, and never before have I felt so keenly the generative qualities of creative language - how much we need it to survive, how imperilled the whole project of human imagination currently is, & how much we have to fight for.
‘We need to show the power of science advising and why it’s so important in a functioning democracy’…
Roger Highfield@rogerhighfield.bsky.social · 2mo agoIncoming US science academy chief vows to ‘double down’ on research www.nature.com/articles/d41... I also talked to @neilshubin.bsky.social for my @royalsociety.org talk share.google/2qsihitcnrMi...
The present direction of travel risks irreversible damage to UK higher education, research and innovation, to scholarship, and to our capacity to shape the future…
The British Academy@britishacademy.bsky.social · 2mo agoAs the crisis in UK higher education and research deepens, the British Academy’s President, Susan J Smith (@sjs1869.bsky.social) has urged an immediate and comprehensive review to secure the sector's long-term sustainability. See the full statement: https://bit.ly/4v8jdks
Stating the obvious (about the taxation of #housing assets), Australian style: pearlsandirritations.com/post/2026/07...
New supply won't fix housing while investors keep winning
To fix the housing crisis, further reform is needed that shifts taxation away from earnings onto passive assets.
pearlsandirritations.com
More on the alarming direction of travel in Australian #housing www.housing-critical.com/home-page-1/...
Rentier Capitalism, Australian Style - Critical Housing Analysis
housing-critical.com
It’s the Ruths who are the litmus for the insane world of property tax. That dwindling minority who are running two homes get all the flack attracted by the Richards and none of the tax breaks available to the Henrys. Tackle property tax to level the playing field. www.thetimes.com/article/e51d...
In defence of the ‘Richards’ — the rich who refuse to downsize
Older people are made to feel guilty about simply having space. Here’s why that’s nonsense
thetimes.com
