A reminder for anyone new to Bluesky (or who just wants to follow more policy wonks here) that I've made a starter pack of all the think tanks I've spotted on the platform and the researchers working at them (if you're missing and want adding in let me know!) - go.bsky.app/Geu9Jd8

X is not safe for women - this is absolutely disgusting and will push women out of public life, so much of which is now online. That's not free speech, it's harassment (note - example below is thankfully age restricted, so only the prompts are visible and not the generated images).

A new year reminder we're (@smfthinktank.bsky.social and @suttontrust.bsky.social) looking for case studies of successful relationships between schools and early years provision - that can be a nursery inside of a school, or local providers with strong links ⬇️

There's been a huge focus on how young men's voting preferences are changing, but much less (and as the piece points out - not surprisingly - given how women's preferences tend to get far less attention generally) on women's, even though they're changing more drastically. Really interesting piece -

A pay-per-mile tax for EVs is a sensible step - but it needs to be done well. New Zealand's approach did huge damage to EV sales, but there have been better approaches ⬇️

Walking in a winter wonderland ❄️ (Also, love a good public transport accessible country walk)

Remember when the right-wing press and the private schools lobby said VAT would mean an exodus to state schools causing a crisis? Not so much. (From this FT analysis: www.ft.com/content/c979...)

"Responsible use of AI" in the BBC's Titanic documentary includes boats with disappearing oars, and some lifeboats with tiny vs others with gigantic passengers.... 🤣

New Year's Eve ➡️ New Year's parkrun 🏃‍♀️🎊 #parkrun

Woooo 2026! 🎉

Looking back at 2025, I'm deeply concerned this year has brought the increasing normalisation of views which should be no where near mainstream political discourse - particularly the suggestion that people who aren't white can never be "truly" British, that non-white Brits "shouldn't be MPs"...

What better way to end 2025 than getting our paper published in Global Environmental Change 🥳💚 We studied perceptions of the feasibility of climate-relevant behavior change and how these perceptions connect to income differences and climate policy support. Let me tell you all about it🧵👇

A paper published in Nature in September suggests a quarter of heatwave events from 2000-23 would have been near impossible without anthropogenic climate change. The paper also indicates that major carbon emitters are responsible for around 50% of the increase in intensity of these events. ⚒️ 🧪

A very grey Bristol day

"Oh, you want to travel back over Christmas after seeing family? That'll be a 6+ hour trip rather than the usual 2 and a half, and you can go on the most horrible train we have available - Merry Christmas!"

Also as I can't do one this Saturday, that's a total of 35 parkruns this year (most ever in a year) at 22 different locations 🎉 #parkrun

Merry Christmas parkrun! 🎄

Interesting/worrying finding re awareness of the government funded early years expansion by deprivation level (area based) - www.independent.co.uk/news/educati...

Liverpool Christmas markets are 10/10 would visit again

Final bit of work pre logging off for the Christmas break - just on @lbc.co.uk radio to talk about the best ways to measure class background for access schemes ⬇️

Alun Francis is right to say there needs to be an 'overarching narrative' to achieve social mobility. That's why we called on Gov't to set out a Social Mobility Strategy fit for the next decade Read our work: buff.ly/dOZ1tpx

Police leadership on brink as investigation times triple Read Aaron Newbury's write-up of our latest report in the @express.co.uk

Great thread of data on the performance of police forces 🚓 , and how the rate of charges/summons has changed over time 📉

Important article about the current mess with funding for energy saving measures - Government announced ending the current scheme last month, but details of the replacement scheme, via the Warm Homes Plan (promised by October) still aren't out. The supply chain can't plan or invest in this situation

⚡ Important piece from Niamh O Regan on the risks of cutting funding for energy efficiency schemes (particularly the current gap in funding between schemes) - making it much harder for the businesses doing this work (often small businesses or sole traders) to survive

Fewer crimes are resulting in charges, and police investigations are taking longer. What's going wrong? The SMF's Richard Hyde and Niamh O Regan look at the data in our latest report ⬇️

View from the SMF's @gideonsalutin.bsky.social on yesterday's announcements on planning reform 🏠

Important (but potentially not that surprising) new research on quality of housing and school abscences. Efforts to improve social mobility can't just look at what's happening in schools - they need to look at the wider circumstances a child is growing up in: cls.ucl.ac.uk/children-in-...

Our local council rent out these great e-cargo bikes (pay per 15 mins, ~£5 per hour) which are so useful - this is from the weekend using it to take some bits to the local tip (which if you do by bike you don't need to book or queue for which is another benefit!)

I have a website! All my research work together in one place, with a snazzy filter/search function to find work I've done on different topics - rebeccamontacute.com

This is good news - as long as the overall spending level does stay the same. Lots of families don't register for free school meals and schools then miss out on support. Next - make this income data available elsewhere e.g. to universities for contextual admissions. schoolsweek.co.uk/pupil-premiu...

Higher education is often lauded as education’s ‘jewel in the crown’ – but there are no shortage of criticisms about the sector. Nicola Dandridge writes for the SMF about the role of evaluation, and how best to encourage long-term, evidence-based policy. Read the full briefing: buff.ly/Ak4THUm

📃 Our upcoming research with @smfthinktank.bsky.social, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, will look at the quality and effectiveness of school-based nurseries. We're looking for case studies of good practice - focusing on partnerships serving a high proportion of disadvantaged or SEND children.

We're looking for case studies! 📢 The @suttontrust.bsky.social and @smfthinktank.bsky.social are researching school based nurseries - and we're looking far and wide for schools and early years settings with strong partnerships....

I've written for @labourlist.bsky.social on the government's early years policy - and where it is, and isn't, likely to deliver for young children from lower income homes: labourlist.org/2025/12/scho...

Expand 'smart data' to help poorer households save money on energy bills, groceries and other essentials, the @smfthinktank.bsky.social has said in a new report As things stand, smart data risks being a "middle-class money saver", with low-income consumers missing out, the think tank warned

This government has made opportunity and social mobility a major focus - but so far, their time in government has seen the early years gap widen. In her latest article, @beckymontacute.bsky.social sets out how Gov't must focus on low-income children. buff.ly/UxyYd91

I've written for @labourlist.bsky.social on the government's early years policy - and where it is, and isn't, likely to deliver for young children from lower income homes: labourlist.org/2025/12/scho...

Smart Data has the potential to begin reversing the poverty premium - but without Gov't action, low-income households may see no lowering of their bills. Read the write-up of our latest report in @politicshome.bsky.social buff.ly/5IvtiO4

Top 0.08% Taylor Swift listener globally is I think actually quite an impressive achievement (previously managed 0.5% and 0.1% so a new personal best 😂)

📝 New report 📝 SMF research out today looks at the potential benefits, but also the risks, of the roll out of Smart Data for consumers 📊 The only active use of Smart Data in the UK now is the Open Banking scheme - introduced to increase competition in the provision of retail banking services...

If you're considering where to make a Christmas Donation, can strongly recommend the amazing charity INQUEST. They gave me vital support to navigate the system after my mum died and do so much for families like mine. The funding landscape is v tough atm, anything you can spare would be a big help -

If you're considering where to make a Christmas Donation, can strongly recommend the amazing charity INQUEST. They gave me vital support to navigate the system after my mum died and do so much for families like mine. The funding landscape is v tough atm, anything you can spare would be a big help -

Fun bit of parkrun tourism this morning 🏃‍♀️

Kew Gardens Christmas lights are quite good as per ✨

Here's data on the early years attainment gap over time (including today's new data) - the government have framed their early years strategy as offering "the best start in life", regardless of background - but their policies (30 hour offer not being available to many poorer families....

I've long been worried the government's "school readiness" goal risks widening the early years attainment gap - because it doesn't include a specific goal for lower income young children or the gap itself, + it's likely easier to push better off kids over the line - and the gap is widening.

📕What happened in today's Budget?📕 Today the Chancellor has largely, as expected, looked to raise funds through incremental changes rather than bolder reforms. A few notable points....

#Budget2025 has seen the Chancellor focus on fairness as well as growth. As @theobertram.bsky.social outlines, there seems to have been a shift away from the 'decade of renewal'.

Personally very happy about the two child cap being removed - the more children growing up in poverty, the fewer able to reach their potential - with long term impacts for social mobility - and with it the wider economy.