Many thanks to Peter for stepping up to serve as Chair of the APPG on Wellbeing Economics. The World Wellbeing Movement is delighted to be providing the secretariat - very much looking forward to working with Parliamentarians and others to promote ideas that will improve wellbeing in the UK.

Wellbeing economics provides an idealistic and pragmatic framework for addressing some of our biggest policy challenges – find out more about the revived APPG on Wellbeing Economics here wellbeingeconomics.co.uk or drop me a message.

Running a council isn't easy, the challenges are bigger that they seem from the outside and savings are few and far between. Revelatory insights from Reform Leader in Lancashire. Those who carp from the sidelines of politics at a local or indeed national level are finding it harder to do.

Back outside Parliament as the assisted dying bill has its second day of Second Reading - standing with those asking for dignity, compassion and choice

The APPG on Wellbeing Economics has been revived to provide a home in Parliament for discussion and debate about wellbeing in the UK. Secretariat provided by the World Wellbeing Movement. Watch this space for updates and check out the website wellbeingeconomics.co.uk?trk=feed_mai...

Public health and wellbeing relies on an active government taking evidence-based steps such as this. Hugely welcome.

‘Let us not risk getting trapped in the last war.’ My piece for @pbe.co.uk on why the wellbeing v GDP framing has run out of road pbe.co.uk/insights/bey...

The question we need to ask about the rising benefit bill is ‘why is there such an increase in illness, in particular mental health conditions?’ Reforming criteria focuses on cost control when what matters is causes. Shift priority to improving wellbeing, savings will follow.

Important initiative. Key will be measure of success. A good option is people's life satisfaction (how we feel about our lives) as recorded by the ONS. Our recent World Wellbeing Movement report explores the state of wellbeing in the UK. worldwellbeingmovement.org/news/uk-well...

The UK has a proud history of developing new approaches to reducing road injuries and deaths and LTNs represent another positive step forward. It is a shame that some politicians and parties have sown seeds of division over sensible changes to make communities safer for everyone.

TOMORROW | The Nolan Principles at 30: What does the future hold for standards in public life? On Thursday 19 June, the IfG will host expert panels and keynote speakers - including former prime minister Sir John Major - for our conference on standards in public life Check out our event lineup👇🧵

A challenging read. But a call to action

New: 2025 UK Wellbeing Report Nearly 7 million UK people – around 13% of the population aged 16 and above – are estimated to be living below the Happiness Poverty Line (HPL). The HPL refers to people who rate their life satisfaction at 5 or under (on a 0-10 scale).

📢 9.3 million people are facing hunger and hardship in the UK! We support the Joseph Rowntree Foundation @trusselluk.bsky.social and and 100s of people at @ukparliament.parliament.uk today calling on MPs to Guarantee our Essentials. Here's why it matters: bit.ly/3FEZKnK #EssentialsGuarantee

The difficulty with cutting/limiting spending on other things to prioritise the NHS is that many of those other things create better health and wellbeing thereby helping reduce pressures on the NHS.

Positive that Labour is investing more in the NHS. Many will say it is not enough and there will rightly be a debate about value for money. My concern is that the NHS and health are different things. We see more funding for the NHS and think it is more money for health...

What do the public really think about what causes ill health? And who do they think is responsible for taking action? We have compiled recent work on public attitudes to health, with some surprising and important headlines. Read more ⬇️ https://bit.ly/3FEKo2N

‘Health’, ‘Department of Health and Social Care’ and the ‘NHS’ are used interchangeably in commentary about the Spending Review. They are different entities and where money is allocated sends a strong signal about the government’s health strategy and priorities.

Assisted Dying Bill has had “more scrutiny than any government bill” - former MP and @dignityindying.org.uk Chair Paul Blomfield www.dignityindying.org.uk/blog-post/as...

Reposting some thoughts in the context of the Spending Review. Health and wellbeing are not in conflict with a thriving economy. There is no wealth without health. And why would we want to be rich but unhappy?

Much Spending Review coverage will focus on individual areas of spending and whether they are up or down. Important. But a vision is more than the sum of its parts - what kind of society and economy will this one help create?

"The language of priorities is the religion of socialism" - Aneurin Bevan.

Whilst the winter fuel policy has attracted a lot of noise and emotion, adjustments must be considered within the broader context of poverty reduction and focussing on the groups most likely to be experiencing it. commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-bri...

My letter in today's Times, calling for a #PublicHealth response to the crisis in #MentalHealth, rather than a punitive kneejerk reaction playing into the Culture Wars www.thetimes.com/comment/lett...

We are misdiagnosing poverty. It used to be related to unemployment but now 70% of children in poverty are in working households. So, the issue is low pay, not fecklessness. Gordon Brown speaks with a moral fervour which is urgently needed in politics today. www.youtube.com/watch?v=viV8...

Gordon Brown has been speaking eloquently about the cause of child poverty - it is an issue at the core of what it means to be Labour. It is so important that the Government is developing a coherent strategy, no single policy will achieve sustainable reductions - and an end once and for all.

My quote in The Independent 👇 government measures introduced in the last ~18 months have drastically reduced numbers of overseas care staff and their dependents arriving in the UK; however the full impacts of this on the health and care sector has not been assessed

Wrote a piece for LabourList about how Reform might fare actually running councils - and whether it will help or hurt the national Party brand

This morning we were delighted to be joined by @ashleydaltonmp.bsky.social, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health and Prevention in the Department of Health and Social Care at our #KFHealthInequalities conference.

Keir Starmer has talked about Labour going "further and faster" following last week's local elections. My latest piece for @labourlist.bsky.social outlines what that could look like in terms of public health reform, building on notable progress so far. labourlist.org/2025/04/birm...

Absolutely love this FT letter. "Thought experiment: what if no one buys a new car?"

In this month's Presidential blog, Greg Fell considers the challenges caused by poverty across the UK and the approaches that can be taken to alleviate the problems. 👀Read in full➡️ bit.ly/3RIvHOH

As promised here’s the link to recent honorary Prof lecture at Salford University #citzenledpublichealth definitely one for @sallywarren.bsky.social @lucatiratelli.bsky.social @jobibby.bsky.social @sallygainsbury.bsky.social @hetanshah.bsky.social @charliepickles.bsky.social vimeo.com/1026581234

Kicking off our event, @jamessmithrf.bsky.social says that the Chancellor announced a huge increase in public investment at her Autumn Budget - an increase of around £100 billion over the Parliament compared to plans inherited from the previous Government.

Q. What does the latest data on life expectancy tell us about health inequalities? A. The gap in LE between local areas in the highest and lowest deciles in Great Britain grew from 5.0 years in 2011–13 to 5.8 in 2021–23. Read more here: www.health.org.uk/reports-and-...

‘Birmingham’s bin strike underlines why public health matters. Labour should talk more about it’. My latest piece in a personal capacity for @labourlist.bsky.social. labourlist.org/2025/04/birm...

PODCAST: After 9 months of Labour in office, we assess progress on the health mission so far with @jobibby.bsky.social and @drhannahwhite.bsky.social Listen now 🎧 buff.ly/z4CZbYc

Harrow Council is falling woefully short on affordable housing. Given its motto - Salus Populi Suprema Lex, roughly translated as the wellbeing or welfare of the people is the highest law, this is not good enough. Housing is key to wellbeing. www.harrowtimes.co.uk/news/2503915...

Increasingly thinking the abolition of NHS England has some key (potential) benefits for public health policy. NHSE is not just a body focussed on delivering services effectively and managing NHS resources. It holds huge influence over government spending and policies at a national level.

The Spring Statement is the right time to think about what really matters. World Happiness Report 2025 explores the benefits of caring behaviour and the benefits to those who care for others. As Professor Lord Richard Layard says "it’s not ‘the economy, stupid’, it’s ‘wellbeing, stupid'."

Prof Lord Richard Layard appeared on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social this morning to mark the publication of the World Happiness Report and spoke about wellbeing in the context of the UK spending review. Listen here (from 02:54:36) www.thetimes.com/radio/show/2....

Happy World Happiness Day! The World Happiness Report offers insights into what boosts our wellbeing - this year the theme is sharing and caring. Politicians can and should view their words and actions through a wellbeing lens. Let's make the UK spending review count for wellbeing.

The state can and should create health and wellbeing, not just pick up the pieces. That means, decent employment rights, affordable and secure housing, investing in mental health services. Freedom is health, health is freedom.

The welfare debate is missing something fundamental - the causes of mental ill health. We should want a society and an economy that promotes health and wellbeing - we don’t have that right now www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

🚨🚨🚨 One week left to apply for this Assistant Director role at the Health Foundation. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

New Harrow Council bins have the borough's motto on them - Salus Populi Suprema Lex. Roughly translated as the wellbeing or welfare of the people is the highest law. This is such a powerful vision, Harrow Council should put it at the heart of policy and funding decisions not just on bins.

Reforming health cannot just be about reforming the NHS. The causes of poor health are not made in GP surgeries and hospitals but in our homes, communities and workplaces. Sweeping social and economic change needed to improve health and narrow health inequalities. Health is bigger than the NHS.

"Too many people continue to live less healthy lives because of where they live - meaning that they are denied the opportunities to thrive that we all deserve" Health inequalities are holding back entire communities. This has to change. 💭👇 ow.ly/rokF50VeBXQ

At the launch for our #healthierworkinglives report Commission chair - Sacha Romanovitch- sets out the challenge in numbers: ☑️ 8.2m working age adults with a health condition ☑️ 300k leaving the workforce each year ☑️ 51% businesses concerned about employer health

I hope that, as part of these reforms, Ministers and the DHSC considers collaboration across Whitehall and genuine partnerships with charities, businesses and local govt on health and wellbeing. www.thetimes.com/article/3563...