Grateful to @insidehousing.bsky.social for hosting a round table discussion with London leaders on the challenge of temporary accommodation. My key point: let’s focus on prevention so fewer people - especially children - are placed in temporary housing. www.insidehousing.co.uk/interactive-...

Notice the heatwave coincided with 10 days of street celebrations by Arsenal supporters. Now the parade is done, yup, it can rain

My lapel badge

A bean sandwich for lunch at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool (I left it a bit late and not much was left) … I like sandwiches … I like beans … but together? :-/

Recruitment has begun for chair of the UK Statistics Authority. Could you help rejuvenate our official statistics? An important role 3 days a week / £75-£81k / 5 year term / apply by 5th September uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/applica...

Please can someone direct me to a good open access resource for British political speeches e.g. with full text of leaders' speeches to annual party conferences?

Street scene …

Great to be in Liverpool, working with the city region / local + public authorities … and to see that seagulls in Liverpool have no more respect for royalty (Prince Albert, since you ask) than anywhere else

A superb piece of journalism in The Observer: it seems like the one of the sacred texts of Nature Writing (TM) is not quite as much of an unflinchingly honest read as claimed observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

I was a guest at a fine dinner in Liverpool before speaking at the Local Govt Assn conference…not sure about my place name, though

Good article in @insidehousing.bsky.social discussing homelessness prevention investments - with an excellent tangible example: light-tough universal screening in secondary schools for risks of homelessness www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/how-can...

That’s A LOT of books to take on holiday …

Sneak preview of the opening of my speech at the Orwell Prizes Ceremony, where I’ll introduce the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness 🗣️📜

Little trip to Dover to share a progress update with our partners delivering a randomised controller trial of the impact of allocating a personalised case budget to people impacted by homelessness

Bulletin on BBC One’s News At 10 about a missing dog? Really 🤷‍♂️

Say what now?

This never ceases to shock me …

Encouraging …

Really pleased to see this article by @ligia-teixeira.bsky.social CEO of @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social making a care to prioritise prevention of homelessness in the forthcoming Spending Review: on.ft.com/4mO09oZ

I've written a piece for @pressgazette.co.uk on a checklist for reporting homelessness we commissioned at @homelessnessimpact.bsky.social based on academic research on ways to avoid associations with stigma. Take a look👇 pressgazette.co.uk/comment-anal...

Visited Edinburgh last week … this made me smile

Slightly startled, when waiting for my coffee to dispense at the train buffet car, to hear the young man behind me - a well spoken American - order two gin and tonics … it’s 9.10am

En route to Edinburgh … I’m going to spend A LOT of time on trains today …

Cycling past Green Park in London and a young woman on a Lime bike in front of me suddenly braked and swerved right, cutting across me and stopping. I jammed on my brakes, lurched forward, but thankfully didn't make contact. 'Oh la la!' she exclaimed, as I remounted and cycled on ....

Good summary of our report with the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk calling for a 'turn' to focus on homelessness prevention, rather than crisis responses: www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/a-smart...

Join us in September for our biggest Impact Forum yet! Details below👇

Niche …

The Wallace Collection is one of London's hidden gems ...

Every cyclist in London is blinking and rubbing their eyes because of this wretched pollen …

Unusual story in FT about baboons ‘breaking into elegant houses’ and ‘making off with a half bottle of gin’

I’m very sorry to hear of Patrick’s death. He and I shared an office (the famous Room 11) in the parliamentary press gallery when we first began our careers as lobby correspondents for regional newspapers … my condolences

My Dad came over with an unexpected memento … turns out the hospital where I was born gave me a provisional name with echoes of a Dr Seuss story book

I can see the sea … little trip to Abbotsham and Instow, north Devon

Many many memories of going out to the Leadmill while visiting friends at Sheffield University …

Great to catch up with Dr Apurv Chauhan, lecturer in social and cultural psychology at King’s College London, lead author of our forthcoming research project into language, stigma and homelessness … to be published soon!

“Good prose is like a windowpane.” — George Orwell Clarity. Honesty. Evidence. These are the hallmarks of journalism that matters—reporting that brings the world into sharp focus and reveals the structures shaping people’s lives. Congratulations to those shortlisted—and thank you for your work. 🙌🏽

I really value our partnership with the Orwell Foundation to deliver the Orwell Prize for Reporting Homelessness .. it does really important work

I've worked with @ligia-teixeira.bsky.social and @njdavies.bsky.social on a report that agues a fundamental shift is needed to focus on preventing homelessness, instead of our failing and ruinously expensive model of crisis responses. Check it out: www.homelessnessimpact.org/publication/...

Rainfall in England since the end of February. [Source: Met Office. Crown copyright, 2025. All rights reserved. Environment Agency, 2025]

Very excited to be involved in this - the UK's first randomised controlled trial to test the impact of direct cash transfers for people experiencing homelessness...

Very powerful to visit the house where John Milton wrote (finished) ‘Paradise Lost’ and see a first edition of ‘Areopagitica’ his pamphlet in defence of free speech published in 1644

Sounds like the refrain from a punk rock song

The right must fight before it can unite: @robertshrimsley.bsky.social www.ft.com/content/61c8...

Droplets on pear blossom after overnight rain

Not sure if this interview with a ‘non dom’ leaving the UK for tax reasons is calibrated to win our sympathy?

How has homelessness spending become a threat to many local council budgets? What should we do about it? Read our submission to the Public Accounts Committee: committees.parliament.uk/writtenevide...

I’m still overcoming my surprise after listening to a presentation that referred to ‘adultism … discrimination and bias against young people based on the belief that adults are superior in knowledge, experience and authority’

London street scene …

Yikes …

Important research by the Children's Commissioner for England shows a direct correlation between pupils' housing instability and lower exam grades at school: www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/no-chil...