Plumbers as candidates seems to be a theme of by-elections at the moment, and touches on anxieties about who Labour is for. I speak to that, and how Labour could expand its politics of work, for HopeWorks below.

Bluesky: Govt is too timid and needs to take bold action. Govt: moots voluntary price controls previously delivered by Tories Bluesky: This is an abomination and govt is going too far!!!

Good. Lack of prep in opposition explains much of the current govt’s woes. Nowhere is that more evident than social care www.politico.eu/article/andy...

The debate about rent controls is too often about negative impacts (which need to be taken seriously). But can landlords actually afford to bear more financial risk than they are bearing now? New research suggests yes - important reading for policymakers.

Great to see @jrf-uk.bsky.social research & thinking on improving care leave and a more generous childcare system included here as critical to building a better labour market.

Reform UK claimed to have the “best vetting in the country”. Their candidates told a different story. Here are some with records of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, conspiracy theories and links to far-right groups. They are now in office and must be held to account. 🧵

Happy May Day! Show your solidarity by letting us know if you got your copy of our new work issue <3

Minimum wage increases are some of the most popular policies around. But giving better wages to employed workers while leaving loopholes open for companies to class workers as self-employed (see: Deliveroo) means this could push more into precarity. www.ft.com/content/431a...

It's terrifying that wearing a kippah, or a hijab, or walking around in a neighbourhood where more religious minorities live, or praying in a mosque or synagogue, are increasingly terrifying things to do in the UK.

Under these proposals, people with severe anxiety or ADHD who can't work won't be given financial support. Hard to imagine how this could be defended. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Note the assumption, from Farage, that "ethnic minorities" are not "working people". "The working class" is almost always imagined on the right as old, white & male - never as young, black or female. It's a fantasy version of class politics, that's totally out of kilter with the working population

This was a fun one to write. Here I argue, with @joshwesterling.bsky.social, that the next frontier for workers rights must be those devoid of key rights - the self-employed, insecure workers who are now the worst off. Extending basic protections to them should be the govt’s priority.

Professional news incoming. Until then, my amazing job at @jrf-uk.bsky.social is going and you should apply for it! www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/joseph-...

Big week for workers and workers rights! Good to speak to @lbc.co.uk about why they’re the common sense and popular thing to do to bring more dignity to working lives.

UK Labour Market Unemployment is at its highest since the pandemic and the numbers are getting harder to ignore. Latest ONS data shows a clear and concerning trend. A thread. 🧵

STICK IT ON A FIVE POUND NOTE

A little appreciated aspect of social care is that it doesn't get much attention. Louise Casey is uniquely placed to focus minds and draw attention. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Watching Louise Casey’s speech at @nuffieldtrust.org.uk Health Summit. She traces the history of care from 1948, where Beveridge’s lack of focus on social care was in large part down to lower life expectancies & unpaid care. That’s changed but she says ‘we haven’t looked it in the face’.

Aside from everything else, deeply confused policy from govt here. Is care work (a major driver of migration) low skilled? Or is it, as another govt Department thinks, worthy of better pay and conditions through better collective bargaining (the Fair Pay Agreement policy)?

Graft, insurgent politics and the class politics of the left. At JRF we’re thinking hard about what the new labour market needs & what the politics of that might be.

It’s right that the Government will improve care worker pay through Fair Pay Agreements. Care workers aren’t paid enough for the important work they do. But as well as the cost to care workers, there’s also the hidden cost of low pay. A 🧵

Key Employment Rights Act protections have broad support from the public. Why would a frontrunning populist party want to rip them up?

Undoing the sexual revolution, repealing the Renters’ Rights Act…literally every day these guys add a new liability to the pile.

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The rising minimum wage is one of the most popular social policies in recent history.

This is very good news - disabled people relying on social care will be able to keep more of their own money. www.gov.uk/government/n....

Trade unions are pretty popular! The reluctance to make the case for strengthening them, seems to stem from a historic and now misplaced belief, that unions are still unpopular. Amazing how people who claim to guided by "what the people want" so often fail to look at actual public opinion.

Nothing like enjoying your slightly cheaper pint while imagining the toddler crying from hunger that paid for it.

Last week I asked MPs why we couldn't finally get paternity pay for self-employed dads who are shut out of the system. Glad the govt is thinking about how to fix this problem! www.thesun.co.uk/news/politic...

🗣️ ‘Work should be the best route out of poverty’ Analyst @franladouch.bsky.social explains that for millions across the UK, employment is not the safety net from poverty that it should be. Recent employment reforms are a good start, but the government must go further to protect working families. 🔽

The population is getting older and we don’t have a plan to meet growing and changing care needs. More policy people need to be worrying about this!

🔎 Want to hear more from our experts? Interested in research at the forefront of the policy discussion on how to reduce poverty in the UK? Then our starter pack is for you! Give our colleagues a follow so you can be kept up-to-date on all of our latest work and analysis. go.bsky.app/PLDMAUz

More appalling news from dystopia central www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

Maternity and paternity leave in this country leaves parents in hardship. That’s if you even qualify - low paid self employed people get even less (or none at all). In the 21st century this should be a national scandal. Good to speak to the Beeb about this! www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

As ethnonationalism re-emerges as a defining characteristic of the Right, equality must return as the distinguishing feature of the Left New @ippr.org paper in today's @theguardian.com

This is one of the best things I read this year, and it deserves a reshare. Lots to disagree with but the writing is just incredible. I read the last paragraph to my mum in the car and she said she got chills. www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

🎙️ Hear from our Lead Analyst @datataha.bsky.social as he speaks in depth to the team at @wecarecampaign.bsky.social about a range of topics, including our recent briefing on the care expectation gap.

Employment Rights Bill passed - a milestone. Wrote earlier in the year about how it'll transform the lives of many precarious and low paid workers. www.jrf.org.uk/work/how-the...

V good and important. Not enough discussion of growing unemployment & a lack of jobs, particularly for young people, in the debate about getting people into work.

Was very nice to see the ‘owned by you’ ads at Kings Cross this morning. Hope the ads are plastered all over cities.

Govt’s child poverty strategy today a genuine accomplishment - Starmer putting his money where his mouth is. Beyond 2 child limit reversal there’s changes to childcare for the poorest, child maintenance reforms & more. Will make a tangible difference to millions. www.gov.uk/government/n...

We found that if you talk about scrapping the 2 child limit right (emphasising poverty's role in poor life chances) it's not even unpopular!

The 2 child limit, which drives child poverty and prevents kids from having the same opportunities as their peers, is gone. No small feat given the shrieks from some on the right - but will make a bold difference to the life chances of so many children. www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cy...

This is good news. But the framing that moves to reduce poverty are simply backbench tantrums is bizarre revisionism. The govt has manifesto commitments to reduce foodbank use and MPs and members have a deep commitment to reduce poverty & improve social mobility. Strange to ignore that.

"The grave of my dad, who escaped Lebanon as a refugee, reads: “An Armenian, An Englishman”. A tribute to a life built in the tolerant country he made home."

Characteristic clarity here from @blimeysimon.bsky.social on the false binaries of the social care debate, and how we might navigate them. www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-...

Truly fascinating stuff here! Kitchen table concerns vs things your newsfeed tells you to worry about…

Our inability to sustainably pay for our ageing society’s care needs is hastening the decline of community cohesion and trust. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Props to Reeves here - this can't have been easy, we know they will get flak for this. But it's the right thing to do if getting child poverty down is the goal - which we know it is for Labour voters. www.bbc.com/news/article...