Sarah Kerr
@wealtherty.bsky.social
Research Fellow at LSE International Inequalities Institute. Materialist feminist. Writes about wealth, poverty and inequality. Books: Wealth, Poverty & Enduring Inequality: Let's talk wealtherty.
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
👉 Stories about economic change are never neutral. They make politics. In my new article in Sociological Theory @sociologicaltheory.bsky.social, I show how narratives about economic disruption become a source of legitimacy:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
September 1, 2025 at 8:48 AM
👉 Stories about economic change are never neutral. They make politics. In my new article in Sociological Theory @sociologicaltheory.bsky.social, I show how narratives about economic disruption become a source of legitimacy:
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Brilliant @cmmonwealth.bsky.social thread on the public wealth give-away that was 'right to buy'. Love the idea of right to buy back. 🔥 #publicwealth
But the story doesn’t need to end there.
In our latest paper, Adam Peggs lays forth a new proposal: Right to Buy-back.
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
In our latest paper, Adam Peggs lays forth a new proposal: Right to Buy-back.
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
Restoring Council Housing After Right To Buy
Converting existing homes into council housing is a missing piece of the public housing puzzle.
www.common-wealth.org
August 26, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Brilliant @cmmonwealth.bsky.social thread on the public wealth give-away that was 'right to buy'. Love the idea of right to buy back. 🔥 #publicwealth
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
"Instead of tinkering around the edges, with a wealth tax the government could win the argument on fairness – and finally start to reverse toxic wealth inequality in this country."
Your weekend reading, from our Executive Director @faizashaheen.bsky.social!
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Your weekend reading, from our Executive Director @faizashaheen.bsky.social!
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Rachel Reeves needs to find cash fast. A wealth tax really is her only viable option | Faiza Shaheen
The alternatives for the UK chancellor are either unworkable or will lose Labour votes, so here’s what she should try, says Faiza Shaheen of Tax Justice UK
www.theguardian.com
August 22, 2025 at 3:57 PM
"Instead of tinkering around the edges, with a wealth tax the government could win the argument on fairness – and finally start to reverse toxic wealth inequality in this country."
Your weekend reading, from our Executive Director @faizashaheen.bsky.social!
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Your weekend reading, from our Executive Director @faizashaheen.bsky.social!
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
I've been slow to share this because in all honesty I was a little bit hungover on Saturday, but I wrote the New Statesman's weekend essay this week, on why England's ex-mining areas have become especially disenchanted with politics:
www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...
www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...
August 5, 2025 at 5:57 PM
I've been slow to share this because in all honesty I was a little bit hungover on Saturday, but I wrote the New Statesman's weekend essay this week, on why England's ex-mining areas have become especially disenchanted with politics:
www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...
www.newstatesman.com/politics/soc...
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
Listen to @ignaciapinto.bsky.social, our Senior Research and Policy Officer and author of the report, explain why we must tackle wealth inequality - and the options the Government has for taxing wealth.
July 29, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Listen to @ignaciapinto.bsky.social, our Senior Research and Policy Officer and author of the report, explain why we must tackle wealth inequality - and the options the Government has for taxing wealth.
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
Immigrants aren’t the problem. Othering immigrants is a deliberate strategy to encourage people to hate each other rather than examine what severe wealth inequality is doing to our societies.
Image from #SolidaritywithLA poster at US embassy bus stop in London.
Image from #SolidaritywithLA poster at US embassy bus stop in London.
June 12, 2025 at 7:32 AM
Immigrants aren’t the problem. Othering immigrants is a deliberate strategy to encourage people to hate each other rather than examine what severe wealth inequality is doing to our societies.
Image from #SolidaritywithLA poster at US embassy bus stop in London.
Image from #SolidaritywithLA poster at US embassy bus stop in London.
👉 Our new @jrf-uk.bsky.social and @lseinequalities.bsky.social report finds that foregrounding the unfair political influence that extreme wealth can buy in narratives about wealth inequality increases support for higher taxes on the rich. With @michaelvaughan.bsky.social and Annalena Oppel.
🧵New @jrf-uk.bsky.social and @lseinequalities.bsky.social report by @wealtherty.bsky.social @michaelvaughan.bsky.social and Annalena Oppel:
We showcase three different ways of talking about wealth inequality and what difference it makes to public attitudes.
1/3
www.jrf.org.uk/wealth-fundi...
We showcase three different ways of talking about wealth inequality and what difference it makes to public attitudes.
1/3
www.jrf.org.uk/wealth-fundi...
Talking about wealth inequality
Looking at perceptions of, and attitudes towards, wealth and wealth inequality — and how to increase public support for a fairer distribution.
www.jrf.org.uk
June 9, 2025 at 5:47 PM
👉 Our new @jrf-uk.bsky.social and @lseinequalities.bsky.social report finds that foregrounding the unfair political influence that extreme wealth can buy in narratives about wealth inequality increases support for higher taxes on the rich. With @michaelvaughan.bsky.social and Annalena Oppel.
Great @lseinequalities.bsky.social post from @sachahilhorst.bsky.social & Insa Koch on the new class politics: “the political & analytical challenge ahead lies in recuperating the radical potential implied in corruption talk for a solidarity across ethnic, racial, gendered and generational lines.”
Has class consciousness disappeared from UK politics – or merely taken on a new form? From their interviews with communities in several towns and cities, @sachahilhorst.bsky.social & Insa Koch uncover attitudes to wealth and power that remain deeply classed #LSEInequalitiesBlog
🔗 buff.ly/f32BEYC
🔗 buff.ly/f32BEYC
What “corruption talk” tells us about class politics today - LSE Inequalities
Has UK class politics disappeared? Interviews with working class people suggests not, with deeply classed attitudes to wealth, power and corruption revealed
blogs.lse.ac.uk
June 4, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Great @lseinequalities.bsky.social post from @sachahilhorst.bsky.social & Insa Koch on the new class politics: “the political & analytical challenge ahead lies in recuperating the radical potential implied in corruption talk for a solidarity across ethnic, racial, gendered and generational lines.”
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
We've written to Pat McFadden welcoming the review of the ONS but also to express our concerns about plans to cut back work in areas like wellbeing & living standards to focus on core economic stats. Data on employment and growth are important but there's more to our economy - including unpaid care.
Letter to the Government about the independent review of the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
We welcome the independent review into the data collected and published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). We are writing to the Government and the UK Statistics Authority to ask that the te...
www.wbg.org.uk
April 24, 2025 at 11:10 AM
We've written to Pat McFadden welcoming the review of the ONS but also to express our concerns about plans to cut back work in areas like wellbeing & living standards to focus on core economic stats. Data on employment and growth are important but there's more to our economy - including unpaid care.
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
Let's talk about tax! After 2 weeks of events organised by member states, NGOs, UN agencies & other multilateral institutions, listening to different voices from all over the world, WBG's Viktoria Szczypior shares her key take away from the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
April 1, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Let's talk about tax! After 2 weeks of events organised by member states, NGOs, UN agencies & other multilateral institutions, listening to different voices from all over the world, WBG's Viktoria Szczypior shares her key take away from the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women.
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
New blog from Professor Susan Himmelweit and our Senior Research and Policy Officer,
@ignaciapinto.bsky.social
“Tax isn’t a burden—it’s how we build a fairer, more caring society.”
Why we need progressive reform to tackle gender inequality.
Read more: www.tax.org.uk/guest-blog-t...
@ignaciapinto.bsky.social
“Tax isn’t a burden—it’s how we build a fairer, more caring society.”
Why we need progressive reform to tackle gender inequality.
Read more: www.tax.org.uk/guest-blog-t...
Guest blog - Tax is not a burden the view from the Women's Budget Group | Chartered Institute of Taxation
In this guest blog, Professor Susan Himmelweit and Ignacia Pinto, Senior Research and Policy Officer at the Women’s Budget Group, discuss the importance of progressive taxation in tackling gender ineq...
www.tax.org.uk
April 1, 2025 at 8:23 AM
New blog from Professor Susan Himmelweit and our Senior Research and Policy Officer,
@ignaciapinto.bsky.social
“Tax isn’t a burden—it’s how we build a fairer, more caring society.”
Why we need progressive reform to tackle gender inequality.
Read more: www.tax.org.uk/guest-blog-t...
@ignaciapinto.bsky.social
“Tax isn’t a burden—it’s how we build a fairer, more caring society.”
Why we need progressive reform to tackle gender inequality.
Read more: www.tax.org.uk/guest-blog-t...
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
🚨The chancellor's spring statement has reinforced the austerity doom loop the country is stuck in.
Only by replacing the fiscal rules can we get out of this cycle of austerity and economic decline.
Only by replacing the fiscal rules can we get out of this cycle of austerity and economic decline.
March 27, 2025 at 5:03 PM
🚨The chancellor's spring statement has reinforced the austerity doom loop the country is stuck in.
Only by replacing the fiscal rules can we get out of this cycle of austerity and economic decline.
Only by replacing the fiscal rules can we get out of this cycle of austerity and economic decline.
🙄 What does the persistent lack of good gender-sensitive data say about how much women matter in policy?
👉 Agnotology lit talks about ignorance as the effect of decisions made to take knowledge in some directions *and not in others*. We count what matters, right?
👉 Agnotology lit talks about ignorance as the effect of decisions made to take knowledge in some directions *and not in others*. We count what matters, right?
ONS employment data out today highlights why we need better gender-sensitive economic data.
Declining survey responses & reliance on admin data risk overlooking women’s contributions—especially unpaid care work. We need accurate gender-sensitive data to inform effective policymaking. 🧵 1/3
Declining survey responses & reliance on admin data risk overlooking women’s contributions—especially unpaid care work. We need accurate gender-sensitive data to inform effective policymaking. 🧵 1/3
March 20, 2025 at 1:29 PM
🙄 What does the persistent lack of good gender-sensitive data say about how much women matter in policy?
👉 Agnotology lit talks about ignorance as the effect of decisions made to take knowledge in some directions *and not in others*. We count what matters, right?
👉 Agnotology lit talks about ignorance as the effect of decisions made to take knowledge in some directions *and not in others*. We count what matters, right?
📣 Great opportunity to work with an organisation that is fleet, informed, puts out loads of amazing content and has a team you'd be mad not to want to work with. Looking forward to meeting the eventual role holder...
JOB ALERT: ADVOCACY MANAGER 💼 We’re looking for an exceptional person to help us to build the profile of the Fairness Foundation with our core audience - the decision-makers and influencers who can help to build a fairer Britain. fairnessfoundation.com/jobs/advocac...
Advocacy Manager at the Fairness Foundation
Help us make the case for a fairer Britain: fostering external relationships, engaging with policymakers, and driving our advocacy strategy in 2025
fairnessfoundation.com
February 28, 2025 at 5:43 PM
📣 Great opportunity to work with an organisation that is fleet, informed, puts out loads of amazing content and has a team you'd be mad not to want to work with. Looking forward to meeting the eventual role holder...
📣 Are you presenting a paper at the Social Policy Association conference this year? Does it have a tax dimension? If so - join our symposium! More detail here: www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-...
Sarah Kerr on LinkedIn: Social Policy Association and East Asian Social Policy Research Network -…
📣 Are you presenting a paper at the Social Policy Association (SPA) Conference this year? 📣
📣 Does your paper have a tax dimension? 📣
📣 Would you like…
www.linkedin.com
February 28, 2025 at 10:59 AM
📣 Are you presenting a paper at the Social Policy Association conference this year? Does it have a tax dimension? If so - join our symposium! More detail here: www.linkedin.com/posts/sarah-...
📣 Out today - a new article with @michaelvaughan.bsky.social on visual representations of wealth inequality, by UK news media and civil society orgs journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
February 28, 2025 at 9:30 AM
📣 Out today - a new article with @michaelvaughan.bsky.social on visual representations of wealth inequality, by UK news media and civil society orgs journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
🧵Happy to announce our Special Issue on the #Political and #Transformative Uses of #Time is out! Coedited by me & E Colin Ruggero. Many thanks to all our contributors and to @timeandsociety.bsky.social. Hope it will be useful for those thinking time politically.
journals.sagepub.com/toc/tasa/34/1
journals.sagepub.com/toc/tasa/34/1
Sage Journals: Discover world-class research
Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.
journals.sagepub.com
February 24, 2025 at 6:05 PM
🧵Happy to announce our Special Issue on the #Political and #Transformative Uses of #Time is out! Coedited by me & E Colin Ruggero. Many thanks to all our contributors and to @timeandsociety.bsky.social. Hope it will be useful for those thinking time politically.
journals.sagepub.com/toc/tasa/34/1
journals.sagepub.com/toc/tasa/34/1
📣 Why should extreme wealth be at the heart of conversations about poverty, and social and economic justice? Join me & @mikesavagelse.bsky.social, Armine Ishkanian, @jrf-uk.bsky.social Frank Soodeen & Rajiv Prabhakar to discuss ideas in my new book. Sign up here: www.lse.ac.uk/Internationa...
Wealth, poverty and enduring inequality: let's talk wealtherty
Public event at LSE | Sarah Kerr, Armine Ishkanian, Rajiv Prabhakar, Frank Soodeen | Weds 19 February, 6.00 to 7.30pm
www.lse.ac.uk
February 10, 2025 at 11:37 AM
📣 Why should extreme wealth be at the heart of conversations about poverty, and social and economic justice? Join me & @mikesavagelse.bsky.social, Armine Ishkanian, @jrf-uk.bsky.social Frank Soodeen & Rajiv Prabhakar to discuss ideas in my new book. Sign up here: www.lse.ac.uk/Internationa...
"Child poverty cannot be separated from women's poverty." Thank you @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social. We won't #EndChildPoverty if we don't also #EndWomen'sPoverty.
📣 Our new report - Women’s and Children’s Poverty: Making the links - explores how women’s and children’s poverty are interconnected, and highlights solutions to address poverty. #EndChildPoverty www.wbg.org.uk/publication/...
February 7, 2025 at 11:34 AM
"Child poverty cannot be separated from women's poverty." Thank you @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social. We won't #EndChildPoverty if we don't also #EndWomen'sPoverty.
🔥 Seeing these two chat about inequality is a *total* treat. And there's a whole mini-series! 🤓 🙏
Inequality is about more than wealth.
👉 youtu.be/bMg-1raozPA 👀
Thomas Piketty & Michael Sandel argue that economic systems must restore dignity to workers, not just redistribute income.
First in our mini-series based on their book "Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters"
👉 youtu.be/bMg-1raozPA 👀
Thomas Piketty & Michael Sandel argue that economic systems must restore dignity to workers, not just redistribute income.
First in our mini-series based on their book "Equality: What It Means and Why It Matters"
The Dignity Deficit: Inequality, Work, & Recognition
YouTube video by New Economic Thinking
youtu.be
February 6, 2025 at 4:13 PM
🔥 Seeing these two chat about inequality is a *total* treat. And there's a whole mini-series! 🤓 🙏
Great thread from the consistently brilliant @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social here drawing out the gendered nature of housing poverty: 52% of housing support claimants with a shortfall between rent and housing benefit are single women v 18% single men. 66% of those women have dependent children.
The Chancellor must be bolder than the previous Govt and permanently re-link LHA rates to rents to ensure that housing benefit actually meets the cost of renting. Unless she acts on this, thousands of families will be pushed into poverty. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...
Nearly 1m children in UK at risk of poverty due to housing costs – report
Thinktank suggests ministers’ failure to raise LHA will push 90,000 more families into hardship in the next year
www.theguardian.com
February 3, 2025 at 2:04 PM
Great thread from the consistently brilliant @womensbudgetgrp.bsky.social here drawing out the gendered nature of housing poverty: 52% of housing support claimants with a shortfall between rent and housing benefit are single women v 18% single men. 66% of those women have dependent children.
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
4.3 million children are in poverty
UK govt won’t see progress on child poverty by 2029 even with high economic growth 📢
Our analysis shows under our central scenario only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029 in part due to social security policies 1/5
UK govt won’t see progress on child poverty by 2029 even with high economic growth 📢
Our analysis shows under our central scenario only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029 in part due to social security policies 1/5
January 29, 2025 at 7:50 AM
4.3 million children are in poverty
UK govt won’t see progress on child poverty by 2029 even with high economic growth 📢
Our analysis shows under our central scenario only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029 in part due to social security policies 1/5
UK govt won’t see progress on child poverty by 2029 even with high economic growth 📢
Our analysis shows under our central scenario only Scotland will see child poverty rates fall by 2029 in part due to social security policies 1/5
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
What is the historical relationship between wealth & ethnic background in the UK? By matching surnames to likely ethnic groups, Prof Neil Cummins uncovers five surprising facts about the evolution of ethnic wealth gaps since the 1850s #LSEInequalitiesBlog
Ethnic wealth inequality in England: Surprising shifts from 1858 to today
What is the historical relationship between wealth and ethnic background in the UK? Until now, there has been little empirical work in this area. But by matching surnames to likely ethnic groups,&n…
buff.ly
January 22, 2025 at 9:32 AM
What is the historical relationship between wealth & ethnic background in the UK? By matching surnames to likely ethnic groups, Prof Neil Cummins uncovers five surprising facts about the evolution of ethnic wealth gaps since the 1850s #LSEInequalitiesBlog
🔥 Love this new #TaxTheSuperrich DIY sheet from @taxjusticenet.bsky.social. Concise and accessible framing which communicates lots of information about tax and the economy per se, AND makes a compelling case for taxing those who can most afford it to deliver fairness for all. Perfection! 💪
Extreme wealth is making our economies insecure, we must #TaxTheSuperrich. It's so straightforward, we can sum it up in a "wikihow" or DIY sheet.
✒️Sign up here and let’s fight for a fairer future for people and planet: taxthesuperrich.world
taxjustice.net/2024/08/19/w...
✒️Sign up here and let’s fight for a fairer future for people and planet: taxthesuperrich.world
taxjustice.net/2024/08/19/w...
Wiki: How to tax the superrich (with pictures) | Tax Justice Network
The extreme wealth of the superrich is making our economies insecure and poorer than the sum of their parts. Our economies were designed to let people earn the wealth they need to lead secure and comf...
taxjustice.net
January 22, 2025 at 3:53 PM
🔥 Love this new #TaxTheSuperrich DIY sheet from @taxjusticenet.bsky.social. Concise and accessible framing which communicates lots of information about tax and the economy per se, AND makes a compelling case for taxing those who can most afford it to deliver fairness for all. Perfection! 💪
Reposted by Sarah Kerr
📣 WE'RE HIRING! 📣
📚 We're looking for a Head of Research to lead the research team and portfolio of the UK's leading racial justice think tank
⏳ Deadline, Thursday 6th February (9am)
Apply here 👉 ow.ly/VNZw50UKgnO
📚 We're looking for a Head of Research to lead the research team and portfolio of the UK's leading racial justice think tank
⏳ Deadline, Thursday 6th February (9am)
Apply here 👉 ow.ly/VNZw50UKgnO
January 21, 2025 at 4:00 PM
📣 WE'RE HIRING! 📣
📚 We're looking for a Head of Research to lead the research team and portfolio of the UK's leading racial justice think tank
⏳ Deadline, Thursday 6th February (9am)
Apply here 👉 ow.ly/VNZw50UKgnO
📚 We're looking for a Head of Research to lead the research team and portfolio of the UK's leading racial justice think tank
⏳ Deadline, Thursday 6th February (9am)
Apply here 👉 ow.ly/VNZw50UKgnO