The blog post is based on an article by David Bokhorst, Meike Bokhorst, and Tijn Croon, published in the Journal of Social Policy. doi.org/10.1017/S004...

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...

The blog post is based an article by Christopher Grollman et al. published in the Journal of Social Policy. doi.org/10.1017/S004...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "The two-child limit did not drive the rise in abortions in England and Wales” by Christopher Grollman, Sophie Wickham, Kate Mason, Andy Pennington, and Rebecca Geary. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/16/t...

The blog post is based on Julie Dick and Jacqueline Harvey's article published in Social Policy and Society. doi.org/10.1017/S147...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "Why Financial Literacy Matters for Closing the U.K.’s “Advice Gap” by Julie Dick and Jacqueline Harvey. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/11/w...

Number of days until we reach the deadline for Trump to release the Epstein Files. (Remember those, legacy media?)

WOW c 10k people have now watched Democracy for Sale's video about our new undercover investigation, with Led By Donkeys. An ex-Tory MP introduced our fake Chinese AI investor into MPs and ministers - and all for just £5k! 😱 Watch the video here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKof...

The blog post is based on Martin Gurín and Janet C. Gornick's article published in the Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. doi.org/10.1017/ics....

New on the Social Policy Blog: "The high-stakes gamble of father leave: Why political courage still falters" by Martin Gurín and Janet C. Gornick. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/09/t...

The blog post is based on Adam Gendźwiłł, Jan Kroszka, Julita Łukomska, and Michał Pierzgalski's article published in the Journal of Social Policy. doi.org/10.1017/S004...

New on the Social Policy Blog: "Female Mayors Do Not Lead to Greater Childcare Provision: Evidence from Polish Municipalities" by Adam Gendźwiłł, Jan Kroszka, Julita Łukomska, and Michał Pierzgalski. socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/12/04/f...

The blog post is based on Isik Özel, Salvador Parrado, and Kerem Yildirim's article published in the Journal of Social Policy. doi.org/10.1017/S004...

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...

What do these corporations have in common? Netflix Ford Tesla T-Mobile Duke Energy DISH Network Metlife Dominion Energy United States Steel In recent years, they all paid their execs more than they paid in taxes. This is what a corporate-rigged system looks like.

‘Remigration’ is a term that comes out of the European far right. Its use by the DHS account is a sign of democratic and epistemic collapse

Normalisation of far right politics is a very concrete and ongoing thing in Germany at the moment… www.reuters.com/world/german...

The blog post is based on Nasar Meer's article published in Social Policy and Society. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

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...

Really excited to get this rolling! I’ve recently started as Media Editor for the Social Policy Association’s journals, and rebooting the Social Policy Blog is one of the highlights. Lots more coming soon — watch this space! Follow it both here and subscribe on socialpolicyblog.co.uk.

The blog post is based on Jonas Wood's article published in the Journal of Social Policy. www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

New on the Social Policy Blog: “Understanding the Disparities in Formal Childcare Uptake Among Migrants in Europe and Australia” by Jonas Wood. @socialpolicyuk.bsky.social @universitypress.cambridge.org @academiclee.bsky.social @v-yilmaz.bsky.social socialpolicyblog.co.uk/2025/11/25/u...

Really excited to get this rolling! I’ve recently started as Media Editor for the Social Policy Association’s journals, and rebooting the Social Policy Blog is one of the highlights. Lots more coming soon — watch this space! Follow it both here and subscribe on socialpolicyblog.co.uk.

Well that’s that then. Curtice has spoken

I can't begin to describe to you the suffering my family in Gaza is going through right now and I am a writer. Words fail me completely, there's no description. I just gasp and hope that you don't forget my words. Keep thinking of this post even when you forget us.

”Finnland ist kein leichter Gegner. Wir haben sie zwar in der Gruppe relativ deutlich geschlagen, aber ich erwarte da ein ganz anderes Team. Ich erwarte eine Reaktion von den Finnen.” BRING IT ON! GO SUSIJENGI! www.fr.de/sport/sport-...

”A survey has found that just over half of highly educated immigrant women in Finland feel that the country's societal climate has deteriorated in recent years.” yle.fi/a/74-20182098

Applies to other countries too: “I guess what we’re saying today is that anybody in a leadership position should think about how we can reduce and defuse tensions, and not sow division.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Hieno keikkareissu eilen Reinin rannoille Uusikuun kanssa, vielä jonkin verran väkeä riitti sunnuntaillekin. Viulussa @drmkuisma.bsky.social

“Higher education is among the top 10 sectors for exports in most cities and large towns with universities because of the fee-paying international students they attract to the local area.” www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Bit of nostalgia for followers of British politics here...

This is how you do it.

"Kennedy’s disgust with and devaluation of autistic people fits neatly into a eugenic logic that views health as virtue, and sees illness, or difference, as a kind of moral lapse which should be subject to punishment or censure."

”Moni on sanonut, ettei Suomessa edes katsota ulkomaisia tutkintoja. Eli jos ei ole suomalaista koulutusta, ei ole koulutusta ollenkaan.” www.hs.fi/talous/art-2...

POLSIS celebrated its ruby anniversary last night in the glamorous environs of the Vault in the Exchange. Thanks to all who came! #PSA25

Kuntavaalien suurin häviäjä: persusetä. Grafiikka: @hs.fi #kuntavaalit

An article by @drmkuisma.bsky.social and I on the Brexit referendum campaign(s) corroborates this (www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....). Starmer has chosen the path of political opportunism and so-called 'electoral calculus', rather than having political principles.

US District court halts the destruction of Radio Free Europe about.rferl.org/article/us-d...

Dear Media: you don’t need to give the far right a platform (eg interview or op-Ed) to inform your listeners/readers/viewers about their views.

Wow — Mike Waltz on Fox News suggests Jeffrey Goldberg somehow schemed his way into the Signal group instead of just being invited by accident

Former Canadian PM Jean Chrétien, aged 91, to Trump: "From one old guy to another, stop this nonsense. Canada will never join the US... My mother taught us good manners. She would have been ashamed of me if I had treated anyone the way the president has treated my PM and the President of Ukraine."

Nothing to see, just the #farright #AfD's co-leader, once considered a/too 'moderate' within her party, adopting the notion of "remigration", i.e. a plan for expelling immigrant-origin citizens.

Ghosts of the landscape: how folklore and songs are key to rewilding Finland’s reindeer. #suomimainittu www.theguardian.com/environment/...

“The Washington Post’s slogan, irrelevant since Jeff Bezos bought the paper, was: “Democracy dies in darkness.” Well, democracy is dying here in plain sight. Merry Christmas your arse, I pray God it’s our last.” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Kulttuurista leikkaaminen on poliittinen valinta! ”Purra sanoo, että nykyoloissa ei ole varaa suomalaisen kulttuurin kaltaiselle ”luksukselle”. Että valtiolla on 170 miljardia velkaa ja siksi pitää säästää teattereilta, museoista ja taiteilija-apurahoista 18 miljoonaa.” www.hs.fi/mielipide/ar...

Last day of teaching in 2024 and so close of the holidays 20/21 of my qualitative research methods class for the MPPSC degree course was in attendance (and the last one had sent in apologies for a legitimate absence). Feeling very proud of our fantastically dedicated students! Now breathe…

Kiitos, @saskasaarikoski.bsky.social - annoit ajattelemisen aihetta!

”Raamattu on ihan selkosuomea: Kun hukkuva huutaa apua, se on Jeesus, joka huutaa. Kun lapsi pyytää leipää, se on Jeesus, joka pyytää. Miten tämä asia voi olla selvä minun kaltaiselleni ei-uskovalle ihmiselle, mutta niin vaikea monelle, joka itseään kristityksi kutsuu?” www.hs.fi/mielipide/ar...

In my old home town Oxford there’s South Parade to the North of North Parade and the actual reason is less exciting than the rather widespread Civil War based parade theory… myth well and truly busted! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... @bbcoxford.bsky.social

Tänä vuonna Lucia toi valon niin, että hän toi näkyviin suomalaisen rasismin laajuuden koko karmeudessaan ja vallanpitäjiemme hampaattomuuden ja osin välinpitämättömyyden sen torjumisessa.