Poorest Britons lose right to financial privacy. The Public Authorities (Fraud, Error and Recovery) Act 2025 empowers the state to 24/7 snoop on the bank accounts of recipients of universal credit; employment and support allowance; state pension credit. No court order needed. No right of appeal.

In our first paper on instrumental inclusion we showed that people update their views on LGBTQ+ rights in response to out-group threat. Here we extend the theory to test diverse cases of selective inclusion doi.org/10.1017/psrm...

NEW report from @nehaldavison.bsky.social and I. Why have successive governments failed to tackle persistent inequalities in early years outcomes? We set out 5 systemic policy making failures that lead to some children being 'left behind'. 🧵⬇️ www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "Amsterdam and the New Frontiers of Welfare State Change: How Cities are Shaping the Social Investment State” by David Bokhorst, Meike Bokhorst, and Tijn Croon. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/18/a...

Just 15 more sleeps until people stop calling it ‘sleeps’

🚨New research published today🚨 Reforms to Scottish disability payments suggest that the system can be kinder without being costlier. Full story 👉 buff.ly/OAMzq06

Time to register for our January seminar at @qpapinfo.bsky.social with @kevinguyan.bsky.social presenting on the Rainbow Trap. You don't want to miss this one!

📢 Call for Submissions UK-based early career researchers in political science, political economy & public policy: apply to our January Early Career Workshop at LSE. 🗓️ Deadline: 28 Dec 2025 🔗 forms.gle/HXU4DnBq9HmX...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "How robust is support for education spending? Attitudes on trade-offs in a cross-country analysis" by Isik Özel, Salvador Parrado and Kerem Yildirim. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/02/h...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "Rethinking vulnerability in climate adaptation" by Nasar Meer (@nasarmeer.bsky.social). @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social @universitypress.cambridge.org @alessiodangelo.bsky.social @enricoreuter.bsky.social socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/11/27/r...

New blog post with @drdavebeck.bsky.social and Vanessa Boon making the case for the socio-economic duty to be embedded in the Budget. www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/11/24/a...

We’re now live on Bluesky! And we're back online and preparing for a full re-launch next week! We’re the companion blog to the SPA's journals — Journal of Social Policy, Social Policy & Society, and Journal of International & Comparative Social Policy. Follow us here and at socialpolicyblog.co.uk

Really interesting listening to @jamesbloodworth.bsky.social talk about his book. Unexpectedly generated thoughts linking to the monograph on time/temporality and welfare (off to the publisher's soon) and a paper I've been working on regarding social security. Need to find time for further thinking

New post on Transforming Society with @drdavebeck.bsky.social and @VanessaBoon - our argument regarding the socio-economic duty and how it should be drawn upon in developing the child poverty strategy by the UK government. www.transformingsociety.co.uk/2025/10/21/a... Three key take-aways:

Working in #PublicPolicy? Discover how to craft and publish effective #PolicyBriefings that make an impact. 🔗

junior parkrun marshal duties today had a temporary course obstruction...

1,611 homeless Britons died last yr, including 11 children & babies under the age of one. Contrary to Suella Braverman, homelessness isn't a lifestyle. It is a failure of society. Yet govts cut wages/benefits, public services, local council funding; no curbs on profiteering. How civilised are we?

Keeping people in poverty is an expensive luxury. My column on the false economies of austerity, which costs us all a fortune. Despite the government's claims, austerity continues under Labour. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Providing a progressive social democratic alternative to the far right & being a social democratic party in power are not mutually exclusive, despite what Starmer might currently think. In a world full of Keirs, be a Pedro.

Wasn't this on Black Mirror?

Poverty rates in the UK are higher than at any point in the 20th century. The government is once again being urged to scrap the two-child benefit limit, this time by the cross-party Poverty Strategy Commission. Eliminating child poverty is a moral obligation for our party.

It’s out! An article by @clemmiehilloconnor.bsky.social and I about lived experience as a form of evidence in anti-poverty policymaking. Published in Policy & Politics journal bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/view/journal...

I can’t help but wonder that if proposing a nationwide bathroom ban for trans people isn’t enough to get supposed trans allies to leave the Labour Party, what will actually do it? You should campaign for parties that align with your beliefs. If you don’t believe in bathroom bans, resign.

There are decades and more of research into how damaging the social security system is. But governments just remain wedded to an economic ideology that punishes the poor in a misguided belief it's the right thing to do.

Cuts to the health element of universal credit will push tens of thousands of people into poverty despite the increase in the standard rate.

Since publishing Rainbow Trap in June, I've been sharing ideas from the book across the UK and getting a feel for what ideas about LGBTQ data resonate with audiences and what ideas fall flat. Here's my list of 10 things I've learnt when talking about LGBTQ data 👇 📝 kevinguyan.com/2025/08/07/1...

19th July was my last visit as an event ambassador to one of the events I supported and one of several I set up. I'm stepping away from the Event Ambassador role now and stepping into the Regional Event Ambassador for Birmingham and the Black Country - with some big shoes to fill!

Govt dropped cuts to PIP, but today's Committee report highlights MPs' concerns that many disabled people will be pushed into poverty by remaining cuts to Universal Credit's health element. In evidence to the inquiry I warned of the hardship this will cause. 1/5 www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Disabled people’s access to flexible work is not evenly spread. There is significant variation by workplace size, sector and education level. Read 'Opening doors' now ⤵️ buff.ly/d9KvJpj

TalkTV is airing attacks on trans people without broadcasting the views of those who support trans rights. Call on Ofcom to take action:https://goodlaw.social/66f6a3

Our special issue of the Journal of European Social Policy on bridging the continental divide in social policy research is out: journals.sagepub.com/toc/espa/35/3 We have an amazing line up of contributors and great papers that feature both European and North American cases. Must read :-)

Amnesty warns DWP's use of AI and automation in welfare is harming disabled people and digitally excluded claimants.

There are 130 UK universities. Many currently on recruitment freezes so no staff replacement (jobs dissolve). Many have already shed 200-400 staff (eg Cardiff, Durham, York). Some like Edinburgh are going for major job cuts. And others like Dundee nearly collapsed making 700 redundancies.

Parents are taking unpaid leave from work and "racking up debts" as a result of high childcare costs over the summer holidays

What are the impacts of the new Employment Rights Bill? Raising job quality and tackling hours insecurity will be key. Here's what you need to know ⬇️ Get all the details our latest Low Pay Britain report: buff.ly/9KXMofS

Well this is very much worth a read by @pollytoynbee.bsky.social "Former trustees suggest Aberdeen may have had complaints from clients who hate research about poverty and wealth that exposes unjust tax reliefs for the rich" www.inkl.com/news/to-all-...

Over 1.6m children are now impacted by the Two-Child Limit - 11.6% of all children This is a cruel policy that unnecessarily drags children into deeper levels of hardship It needs to go, and the longer it is kept, the greater the scarring effects on children's health and education will be

Excellent work by Academics Stand Against Poverty @academiclee.bsky.social www.bigissue.com/news/politic...

🏳️‍🌈 Rainbow Trap is currently 30% off in the Bloomsbury Summer Sale! Get your hands on a hardback copy for just £14.00 or $18.90: 📕UK: www.bloomsbury.com/uk/rainbow-t... 📘US: www.bloomsbury.com/us/rainbow-t... @bloomsburyacad.bsky.social @bloomsburypol.bsky.social

The problem is an exploitative, extractive economic system rigged against most people and our planet. The solution is not further cuts - we need to tax extreme wealth instead. 10 alternative proposals to disability benefit cuts from Labour MPs last week, totalling up to £120bn:

A Ministry of Poverty Prevention and Cure could look for answers to the terrible damage done by poverty to schooling, health and prospects.

Here is further press coverage of Lacking ambition: insights from three poverty audits of UK election manifestos by @academiclee.bsky.social & G. Arriaga-Garcia @unibirmingham.bsky.social The full article is open access here: doi.org/10.51952/978... @phys.org.web.brid.gy phys.org/news/2025-06...

Pleased to see coverage of @academiclee.bsky.social & G. Arriaga-Garcia @unibirmingham.bsky.social in the @bigissue.com You can read the full article in our new edition of SPR37 plus other excellent contributions to contemporary social policy. All chapters are open access! doi.org/10.51952/978...

Second presentation of @easp-spa-2025.bsky.social later today

Day two of @easp-spa-2025.bsky.social and the first of my presentations (a paper in the early stages of development) is ready to go... honest...

All ready for my first conference event for @easp-spa-2025.bsky.social - I've probably got more notes to speak to for this than my presentations...

And see @bigissue.com for coverage www.bigissue.com/news/politic... “The is a general lack of ambition to tackle poverty, and that’s what we need to revisit and challenge. It’s been a consistent problem in our society for over 100 years... 1/2

Open access version of the chapter is now online: bristoluniversitypressdigital.com/edcollchap-o...

New book chapter now published (I think open access soon to follow)