jonnyrichards.bsky.social
@jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Tax and benefit measures announced this Parliament so far benefit children the most.
This is due to the abolition of the two-child limit, the expansion of Free School Meals to children in families receiving UC in England, and the above-inflation increases to the UC standard allowance.
This is due to the abolition of the two-child limit, the expansion of Free School Meals to children in families receiving UC in England, and the above-inflation increases to the UC standard allowance.
December 18, 2025 at 7:30 PM
Tax and benefit measures announced this Parliament so far benefit children the most.
This is due to the abolition of the two-child limit, the expansion of Free School Meals to children in families receiving UC in England, and the above-inflation increases to the UC standard allowance.
This is due to the abolition of the two-child limit, the expansion of Free School Meals to children in families receiving UC in England, and the above-inflation increases to the UC standard allowance.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
The even more unbelievable crime fact (which I learned relatively recently) is that burglary has fallen by more than 90% since the 1990s.
Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!
Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!
Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
September 23, 2025 at 6:53 AM
The even more unbelievable crime fact (which I learned relatively recently) is that burglary has fallen by more than 90% since the 1990s.
Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!
Did anyone notice? Nope. Does anyone believe it? Nope. But is is true? It is!
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
September 23, 2025 at 6:29 AM
Useful reminder from Peter Kellner on the problems we refuse to acknowledge are getting better, and the politics of hopelessness that this breeds
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
open.substack.com/pub/kellnerp...
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Bear with me, I anticipate your disagreement. There is a clear pattern to the advice given to those who want to press back against rising racism. What it boils down to is that if you point out that racism is often being dressed up as “legitimate concerns” you will alienate people. /1
September 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Bear with me, I anticipate your disagreement. There is a clear pattern to the advice given to those who want to press back against rising racism. What it boils down to is that if you point out that racism is often being dressed up as “legitimate concerns” you will alienate people. /1
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
This is a key table to understanding public opinion on migration. *When confronted with the real trade offs* people go for protecting the NHS and the economy over reducing migration.
The problem as per the rest of the thread is many don't believe those trade offs exist.
The problem as per the rest of the thread is many don't believe those trade offs exist.
When presented economy vs immigration trade-offs, Britons typically opt for economic benefit over lower migration
Those who support requiring large nos of migrants to leave would pick fully staffing NHS over reducing immigration, but economic arguments hold less sway
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
Those who support requiring large nos of migrants to leave would pick fully staffing NHS over reducing immigration, but economic arguments hold less sway
yougov.co.uk/politics/art...
August 5, 2025 at 8:19 AM
This is a key table to understanding public opinion on migration. *When confronted with the real trade offs* people go for protecting the NHS and the economy over reducing migration.
The problem as per the rest of the thread is many don't believe those trade offs exist.
The problem as per the rest of the thread is many don't believe those trade offs exist.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation
August 5, 2025 at 6:27 AM
New YouGov polling. A monumental failure of our political class to educate, a monumental failure of our media to report fairly, for a generation
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
February 19, 2025 at 4:42 PM
Stand by this: www.politico.com/newsletters/...
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
An eye-catching stat from a recent ICAI report:
By 2027/28, UK aid spending excluding domestic support for asylum seekers (i.e. ‘traditional’ aid spending on stuff like famine relief) will be at its joint-lowest level in 50 years -- lower than in every year of the Thatcher government.
By 2027/28, UK aid spending excluding domestic support for asylum seekers (i.e. ‘traditional’ aid spending on stuff like famine relief) will be at its joint-lowest level in 50 years -- lower than in every year of the Thatcher government.
July 17, 2025 at 11:10 AM
An eye-catching stat from a recent ICAI report:
By 2027/28, UK aid spending excluding domestic support for asylum seekers (i.e. ‘traditional’ aid spending on stuff like famine relief) will be at its joint-lowest level in 50 years -- lower than in every year of the Thatcher government.
By 2027/28, UK aid spending excluding domestic support for asylum seekers (i.e. ‘traditional’ aid spending on stuff like famine relief) will be at its joint-lowest level in 50 years -- lower than in every year of the Thatcher government.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
There's a single correct response to this kind of finding, which is utter despair
More than a quarter of people think MPs expenses are one of the top three costs for government. A higher % than think the same for pensions or education.
July 8, 2025 at 7:49 AM
There's a single correct response to this kind of finding, which is utter despair
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
This would mean a figure roughly equivalent to the military and civilian casualties in WWI.
Elon Musk casually, and illegally, dismantled USAID. According to a new study in the Lancet, that action will lead to *14 million* premature deaths between 2025 and 2030.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Again: Elon Musk is directly responsible for 14 million coming deaths. 4.5 million will be children.
Evaluating the impact of two decades of USAID interventions and projecting the effects of defunding on mortality up to 2030: a retrospective impact evaluation and forecasting analysis
USAID funding has significantly contributed to the reduction in adult and child mortality
across low-income and middle-income countries over the past two decades. Our estimates
show that, unless the a...
www.thelancet.com
July 2, 2025 at 8:08 PM
This would mean a figure roughly equivalent to the military and civilian casualties in WWI.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
A good excuse to re- up my piece asking if the government really can save £45bn from AI deployment
freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/t...
freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/t...
May 3, 2025 at 6:47 AM
A good excuse to re- up my piece asking if the government really can save £45bn from AI deployment
freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/t...
freethinkecon.wordpress.com/2025/04/30/t...
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
If your best argument against doing something is polling, then you have no argument.
Ministers privately ruling out scrapping two-child benefits cap.
Sources says government is ‘not going to find a way’ to ditch cap despite predictions that child poverty levels will soar.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Sources says government is ‘not going to find a way’ to ditch cap despite predictions that child poverty levels will soar.
www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Ministers privately ruling out scrapping two-child benefits cap
Sources says government is ‘not going to find a way’ to ditch cap despite predictions that child poverty levels will soar
www.theguardian.com
April 22, 2025 at 6:20 AM
If your best argument against doing something is polling, then you have no argument.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Critics like to say the government should audit foreign aid. Guess what it already did.
There are 10x more evaluations per £ of aid spend then there are of the rest of government spending.
www.cgdev.org/blog/uk-aid-...
There are 10x more evaluations per £ of aid spend then there are of the rest of government spending.
www.cgdev.org/blog/uk-aid-...
April 14, 2025 at 4:03 PM
Critics like to say the government should audit foreign aid. Guess what it already did.
There are 10x more evaluations per £ of aid spend then there are of the rest of government spending.
www.cgdev.org/blog/uk-aid-...
There are 10x more evaluations per £ of aid spend then there are of the rest of government spending.
www.cgdev.org/blog/uk-aid-...
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Your regular reminder that almost everything Trump is getting away with is not because of presidential strength, but because of congressional weakness and judicial deference.
The constitutional tools are already there to fix this, but those who can fix it are refusing to do so.
The constitutional tools are already there to fix this, but those who can fix it are refusing to do so.
April 14, 2025 at 8:09 PM
Your regular reminder that almost everything Trump is getting away with is not because of presidential strength, but because of congressional weakness and judicial deference.
The constitutional tools are already there to fix this, but those who can fix it are refusing to do so.
The constitutional tools are already there to fix this, but those who can fix it are refusing to do so.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Autism is genetic, and the reason we’re perceiving that there’s more of it about is because medical science is getting better at spotting it. Diverse brains make the world more interesting. Sadly RFK’s brain has mostly been eaten by a worm
RFK Jr: "By September we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we will be able to eliminate those exposures."
April 10, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Autism is genetic, and the reason we’re perceiving that there’s more of it about is because medical science is getting better at spotting it. Diverse brains make the world more interesting. Sadly RFK’s brain has mostly been eaten by a worm
Highly recommend:
In all the tariff excitement I forgot my paperback is out today.
It's an Economist and FT Book of the year!
Buy it before a global depression means we all have to use books to fuel rudimentary fires!
www.amazon.co.uk/Failed-State...
It's an Economist and FT Book of the year!
Buy it before a global depression means we all have to use books to fuel rudimentary fires!
www.amazon.co.uk/Failed-State...
April 3, 2025 at 11:07 AM
Highly recommend:
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
The USA is now very close, if it is not already there, to a constitutional crisis of when court orders are freely ignored without any sanction.
The full picture is not yet clear, but it seems the federal government is now freely ignoring court orders - and facing no consequences.
The full picture is not yet clear, but it seems the federal government is now freely ignoring court orders - and facing no consequences.
When asked if the Administration will comply with court orders on fired federal workers, WH Press Secretary Leavitt says the orders are unconstitutional: You cannot have a low level district court judge filing an injunction to usurp the executive authority of the President…
March 14, 2025 at 4:41 PM
The USA is now very close, if it is not already there, to a constitutional crisis of when court orders are freely ignored without any sanction.
The full picture is not yet clear, but it seems the federal government is now freely ignoring court orders - and facing no consequences.
The full picture is not yet clear, but it seems the federal government is now freely ignoring court orders - and facing no consequences.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
The abolition of NHS England has taken a lot of the headlines, but let's not forget the signals in yesterday's speech - and over the weekend - about Civil Service reform.
Some thoughts - incl based on what I'm hearing from civil servants.
Some thoughts - incl based on what I'm hearing from civil servants.
March 14, 2025 at 9:32 AM
The abolition of NHS England has taken a lot of the headlines, but let's not forget the signals in yesterday's speech - and over the weekend - about Civil Service reform.
Some thoughts - incl based on what I'm hearing from civil servants.
Some thoughts - incl based on what I'm hearing from civil servants.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
For a rich country the UK has a pretty terrible record on child poverty.
We are among the worst of advanced economies when it comes to the share of our children living below the poverty line.
This has to change.
We are among the worst of advanced economies when it comes to the share of our children living below the poverty line.
This has to change.
March 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM
For a rich country the UK has a pretty terrible record on child poverty.
We are among the worst of advanced economies when it comes to the share of our children living below the poverty line.
This has to change.
We are among the worst of advanced economies when it comes to the share of our children living below the poverty line.
This has to change.
Reposted by jonnyrichards.bsky.social
Cf. Sartre in 1946.
February 20, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Cf. Sartre in 1946.