I’m old enough to remember when many of the voices saying very little tonight told us very loudly that Obama and Biden were anti-British.

The Employment Rights Bill has passed. This is about good work for the many not the few: - Exploitative zero hours contracts banned - Sick pay extended to low earners - Notice of shifts - Family leave strengthened Change promised. Change delivered.

NEW - The Employment Rights bill has finally passed, after a tortured time in the Lords. Christmas cheer for ministers and trade unions

There is a need to address quality and accessibility if our housing stock is to meet the needs of an ageing society The benefits are significant for NHS, cost of living and downsizing Read Millie Brown from @ageingbetter.bsky.social and I for @insidehousing.bsky.social on how we can do this 👇

New paper out today:

The Sea Wall matters to Labour They are looking to Reform, but the government can win them back There should be a relentless focus on the cost of living But the Gov needs to show the country values the contribution that coastal communities make Read my column for @labourlist.bsky.social 👇

There was no state. Who does she think crucified him, an anarchist collective?

Today's 70% fall in net migration to 205,000 was not one of the six stories in BBC ten o'clock news. Ta massive assymetry in whether rises in immigration and falls in immigration are considered newsworthy by broadcasters Down by 140k isn't thought to be. Up by 140k undoubtedly would be.

And here we also recommend a living standards task force, to report in to such a committee:

We recommended a cabinet committee to oversee economic policy - with PM and Chancellor, and other ministers attending as needed: fabians.org.uk/wp-content/u...

Great to see a new cabinet committee focused on growth and living standards - two vital cross-Whitehall agendas, and the right way to coordinate decision making (if done right!): www.gov.uk/government/p...

Read more about our research in tbe @theguardian.com. www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...

Our recent @thefabians.bsky.social report by @sasjkia.bsky.social set out how we could build a National Occupational Health Service, with employers, employees and the state working together to keep people well in work. Have a read here 👀 fabians.org.uk/publication/...

Good to see the Mayfield Review launched. The rise in health-related inactivity is bad for workers, employers, and public finances. If we want to address this rise, we need to keep people well in work. That will require stronger incentives & better support for employers.

"With the next state pension age increase imminent, the government must act urgently to support those who struggle to make it to 67 and beyond.” The government must support older workers as the state pension age increases, argues @sasjkia.bsky.social. leftfootforward.org/2025/10/the-...

If you want to partner with us next year, get in touch. And if you are passionate about ideas, and if you share our commitment to building a more equal society, join us! fabians.org.uk/membership/j...

The Festival of Ideas was the biggest and boldest Labour Party Programme we’ve ever had at @thefabians.bsky.social ✅42 events across 4 days ✅Over 2,000 attendees ✅Over 50 Ministers & MPs ✅Exploring the big issues of our time

The UK has a proud record on overseas aid. But in recent years we've seen cuts in the development budget, and a fracturing on the political consensus around aid. In 'Promising Development', we explore the future of aid in an uncertain world.

Please tell me the algorithm knows something I don't

Read the full report: fabians.org.uk/publication/...

Day one sick pay and lower earnings limit reforms due to be nacted in the #employmentbill are hugely welcome. It is clear though that the Government must do a wider review of sick pay, including the rate if it is serious about tackling the UK's health, productivity and living standard challenge

Great contribution to the debate and evidence-base on the future of workplace health from @thefabians.bsky.social @sasjkia.bsky.social Key recommendation on Statutory Sick Pay: - add an immediate raise to the rate - review and pathway towards a higher rate in line with wages

Great to see coverage of @sasjkia.bsky.social’s report, ‘Nye Bevan’s lost legacy’ in both the @financialtimes.com and @theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s... www.ft.com/content/868f...

To find out more about how to fix health at work. Read the report here 👇 fabians.org.uk/publication/...

Require employers to write to the government four weeks before dismissing a sick worker 💼

Raise statutory sick pay, so people are better off in work than on benefits 💷

Provide legal clarity on reasonable adjustments ⚖️

Offer support to employers experiencing high levels of sickness absence 📉

Introduce occupational health support in neighbourhood health centres 🏘️

To tackle health-related absence from work, the government should create a national occupational health service 🏥

Work-related mental illness has increased by 93% during this period and particularly affected young people and women💥

1.7m people reported illnesses caused or worsened by work in 2023-24 – up 44% since Labour was last in government 😷

Working-age disability is up 4.3 million in the 14 years to 2023-24 while for pensioners rates stayed the same 📈

The Labour government inherited a crisis of people dropping out of work due to ill health 🤒

Angela Rayner has played a crucial role in Labour's journey from a devastating defeat, to a historic victory. She has driven the agenda on housing and workers' rights, two of the most important and popular parts of Labour's programme. She can be proud of all she has achieved.

Angela Rayner has helped deliver the biggest uplift in workers' rights in a generation.

I don't say this as any huge fan of her politics. I just don't see how governments are meant to function when ministers are never allowed to make mistakes. We can't demand more "human" politicians if we don't make some allowances for human error. Anyway. I am sure she'll be back some day

Yes she should have gone to experts. But she tried to rectify it as soon as she realised. There is no suggestion of deliberate wrongdoing or tax avoidance. Our politics should be able to handle ministers making mistakes, and take account that they are human, with family challenges just like anyone

I am hardly a natural Rayner cheerleader, but genuinely furious that she's gone. Laurie Magnus's verdict confirms she acted on advice, she just missed the disclaimer saying she should get extra advice. Not just an honest mistake - a mistake literally anyone could make. There but for the grace etc...

I'm in the Times arguing why there should be a lifetime cap on tax-free gifts. Income gained through luck or crafty financial planning shouldn't always be tax-free. If we believe in equality of opportunity, a cap is necessary. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...

A good chance as August progresses to do some deeper reflection - and this blog piece by @teraallas.bsky.social CBE on the role of management in promoting good work - is great place to start: www.ifow.org/news-article...

⬇️ #onlinesafetyact www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Read the report here: fabians.org.uk/publication/... And coverage in FE Week here: www.feweek.co.uk/labour-think...

ICYMI - this week @sasjkia.bsky.social and I released new @thefabians.bsky.social research supported by @cipd.bsky.social and Youth Futures Foundation, setting out how we can reform the apprenticeship levy in order to unleash growth and unlock opportunity 1/2

UK economy grew 1% in first half of 2025 US economy grew 0.6% I present these figures without comment

📰Read coverage of the report in @feweek.bsky.social feweek.co.uk/labour-think... And read the full report here fabians.org.uk/publication/... Massive thanks to @cipd.bsky.social and Youth Futures Foundation for supporting the research.

3⃣ Make the levy more flexible and strategic: Give employers flexibility in how they can use their funds Drive investment in industrial strategy sectors Link skills policy and immigration strategy Give Mayors the ability to shape incentives to drive local growth plans

2⃣ Rebalance investment Re-focus levy funds on non-graduates, saving £270m. Introduce an Apprenticeship Grant for Employers to boost investment in young people and at SMEs Introduce an Apprenticeship Grant for Providers to incentivise them to support SMEs