CLES has a fresh new identity 🌱 From today, we are the Centre for Local Economies - an independent think tank and charity that puts economics in its place 🏘️ 🔗 www.cles.org.uk

This week, we joined other civil society organisations, led by @soifutures.bsky.social, for an event on long-term thinking in UK politics 🔗Our research shows short-termism is holding us back: fairnessfoundation.com/posts/missio... and change is overdue 💡Great to be part of this growing momentum

Today, we've released a new report by political economist and author Will Hutton. It explains why Britain is stuck- and what policymakers can do about it. Read the full report today👇 🔗 fairnessfoundation.com/escaping

On Thursday, we'll be launching a new report from political economist Will Hutton at Parliament, outlining how to fix Britain's broken political economy. 🔗Read Will's preview of the report, published in Sunday's Observer: observer.co.uk/news/columni...

Most economists agree: Britain’s property tax system is a mess. Yet fixing it has proven politically unpalatable. As we develop new work on the politics of property taxation, we’d welcome evidence, ideas and collaboration. 👇 🔗Read more: www.faircomment.co.uk/p/the-politi...

Last Thursday we brought parliamentarians, researchers and campaigners together in Westminster as part of the launch of our new report on the UK’s racial wealth gap. A great discussion on the scale of the challenge, and what policymakers can do next. 🔗 www.faircomment.co.uk/p/a-tale-of-...

This morning the Fairness Foundation and the Black Equity Organisation launched our new joint report in Parliament on the UK’s racial wealth gap. Combining evidence and case studies, it reveals the scale of racial wealth inequality today. Read more 👇 fairnessfoundation.com/a-tale-of-tw...

@andyburnham.bsky.social, Mayor of Greater Manchester, talks to @jasonbunting.bsky.social about how to build a fairer economy in all places👇

Interesting to hear @chriscurtis94.bsky.social calling out a broken economic model which rewards grifters over grafters (wealth extractors over creators)- immediately followed by a piece on the wealth management industry (!). All politicians should draw this line, as Hannah Spencer did last night.

Our monthly look-back at what we've been writing about: making the case for a new economic agenda that can tackle wealth extraction, reform our tax system and restore trust in democracy

📢 Only a few hours left to pre-order The Fair Necessities with 25% off! Written by our Chief Executive Will Snell, the book explores why Britain needs to become a fairer country- and how we get there. 🔗 Offer ends 23:59 tonight: waterstones.com/book/the-fai... Code: FEB26

Our Chief Executive Will Snell's new book is out in September! In it, he explores why we need a fairer Britain, and how we get there. 🔗 Waterstones' 25% pre-sale promotion is running until Friday, so now's the perfect time to grab a copy: www.waterstones.com/book/the-fai... Code: FEB26

25% off 'The Fair Necessities'. 📚 This book argues that unfair #Inequality undermines everything from faith in government to economic growth, yet a fairer country is within reach. #WPreorder 🛒Save 25% on your pre-order at #Waterstones with code FEB26. https://ow.ly/Ve7550Yh6HR

Read the fantastic new report 'Making or Taking', released today by COLA coalition partner @fairness.bsky.social: fairnessfoundation.com/making-or-ta...

We've released new polling this morning on wealth creation which sends a clear message to policymakers: Back Britain’s genuine wealth creators - and take on the extractive practices draining our communities. 🔗Read more: fairnessfoundation.com/making-or-ta...

Pleased to contribute to this piece, which reveals the scale of the financial strain on graduates. Campaigners like @rethinkrepayment.bsky.social are right to demand the Chancellor unfreeze repayment thresholds & commit to meaningful reform, before a generation loses faith in the system altogether.

Really good piece here by @fairness.bsky.social on why the Epstein/Mandelson scandal, is about a society debased by wealth inequality, working entirely as it is designed to should. Includes a very good quote by Lisa Nandy too. www.bearlypolitics.co.uk/p/is-the-man...

If the Mandelson/Epstein files left you thinking, now more than ever, that “the system feels rigged”, you’re definitely not alone. Will Snell from @fairness.bsky.social joins Bearly Politics today to discuss how wealth inequality fuels that perception - and whether it’s perception at all.

Council Tax is outdated and unfair, often forcing people on lower incomes to pay much more than those in wealthier places. It's long past time to fix it. That's why we're backing @fairershare.bsky.social's petition to review this broken system. ✍️ Sign here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/75...

Our response to the publication of the Representation of the People Bill 👇 🔗 www.faircomment.co.uk/p/statement-...

🤝We're proud to be a partner of the Cost of Living Action campaign. Together with civil society and grassroots groups, we’re pushing for a fairer economy, one where everyone can afford the essentials 👇

@helenmiller.bsky.social, Director of @theifs.bsky.social, talks to Will Snell about how to build a better tax system 👇

Today, alongside 60+ organisations, we’ve welcomed progress on the Bill to remove the two-child limit: cpag.org.uk/news/stateme... The policy was always unfair, arbitrarily penalising children in bigger families. Progress on its removal is a welcome step for families across the UK.

New, with @fairness.bsky.social : HMRC surveys suggest tax avoidance & evasion may be becoming more acceptable among the youngest cohort of UK taxpayers, esp men 16-34. Changes are small so far, but we need to start asking if it's real, and why it's happening

Are young people losing faith in the tax system? A joint post with Mike Lewis at @taxwatch.bsky.social about some concerning HMRC survey data

Poverty is deepening. 🔎 Our #UKPoverty2026 report was launched this morning. People in very deep poverty now make up the biggest group of people in poverty, at 6.8 million people. This is unacceptable for the fifth richest country in the world, and it has consequences.

NEW: January Roundup 👇 💰 Money in politics (@spotlightcorruption.org @transparencyuk.bsky.social @oxfamgb.bsky.social) 🤝 Fairness & social cohesion (@moreincommonuk.bsky.social, @uclpolicylab.bsky.social) ⚖️ A fairer economy (@balancedeconomy.bsky.social) 🔗 www.faircomment.co.uk/p/january-20...

January 2026 roundup: Examining the powerful forces and vested interests shaping our economy, and how fairness can restore social cohesion

Making the case for bolder fiscal #devolution 📊 👇 In the latest blog - Jason Bunting of @fairness.bsky.social explores how local fiscal autonomy could help tackle regional inequality in the UK’s highly centralised economy 🌍 Read more: www.radixbigtent.org.uk/news-comment... #RegionalInequality

When even millionaires, like us, recognise that extreme wealth has cost everyone else everything else, there can be no doubt that society is dangerously teetering off the edge of a precipice. We want our democracies back. We want our communities back. We want our future back.

🎥 "The situation we have at the end of the day is... whatever rules you have, all of this conversation is about policing the perimeter." Yesterday @duncanhames.bsky.social gave evidence to parliament and explained to MPs and Peers why caps on donations are key to ending undue influence in politics.

📈 New research shows billionaire wealth surging to its highest level ever ⚖️ The findings expose the UK’s extreme wealth inequality: the richest 56 people now hold more wealth than 27 million people combined, undermining both economic + political equality 👉 Full report below

Unbalanced: Claire Godfrey, Executive Director of @balancedeconomy.bsky.social, talks to Jack Jeffrey about how concentrated corporate power threatens democracy, innovation, and fairness

Government policy sometimes prioritises the wishes of certain groups over the public interest. This is partly driven by unfair influence on decision-making. But what other factors are at play? www.faircomment.co.uk/p/the-power-...

🆕 POLLING New YouGov polling shows 67% of the public want political donations capped at £50k or less. The public has spoken loud and clear – it's time to get big money out of UK politics. Read more ⤵️ https://www.transparency.org.uk/news/latest-yougov-poll-shows-public-want-end-big-money-politics

Fairness isn’t just a moral ideal. It is one of the civic conditions that makes collective life possible. A guest article by @emekaforbes.bsky.social

📈New research from the @highpaycentre.bsky.social shows that FTSE 100 CEOs earn the median full-time worker’s annual salary in just over two days. Sensible measures such as worker representation on boards should be advanced without delay. 🔗 www.theguardian.com/business/202...

What we wrote about last month and how others covered the same issues: fiscal fairness, political transparency and tax accountability

Twelve months of fairness: prepare to feel festive?

Yesterday’s Treasury Committee questions, including from @bobbywdean.bsky.social and John Glen MP, highlight important concerns about whether the decision to freeze income tax rates was truly fair. 🔗That's an issue we also explored in our Budget response here: www.faircomment.co.uk/p/budget-202...

📢 Our new report sets out a clear message: a fairer economy demands real fiscal powers for local places. The Budget's move to devolve tourism-levy powers was welcome, but it's a small down-payment on the long-term vision we need. 🔗Full report: fairnessfoundation.com/a-fair-share

We’ve teamed up with @transparencyuk.bsky.social to write this joint piece on the case for caps on political donations. It follows new TIUK polling that shows 84% of people believe wealthy individuals use political donations to advance their personal interests. Fair politics needs fair limits👇

For a fair system where politicians are accountable to the public, not just those who bankroll them we need limits on political donations.

Today's publication of the Child Poverty Strategy marks a landmark moment in building a fairer society. The measures announced today will help arrest the deep unfairness of children growing up locked out of opportunity, while their families struggle to afford the basics. 🧵

"Who gets to complain about housing policy in this country? Depends where you live, and how much your house is worth." Great analysis from @jonathanliew.bsky.social in @theguardian.com at www.theguardian.com/commentisfre..., linked to our budget commentary at www.faircomment.co.uk/p/budget-202...

Resourcing HMRC is incredibly good value: every £1 for tax compliance brings in £23. Private-sector orgs dream about ROI like that. But some everyday/automated tax enforcement is error-prone, or hits the poorest hardest. We need to measure tax **enforcement** incidence.

“If Reeves and Starmer have the political will to abolish the two-child limit, they should be able to muster the same boldness for reforming the tax system” – Will Snell of @fairness.bsky.social on the UK Budget in our latest blog post #LSEInequalitiesBlog

We need HMRC to work better for ordinary taxpayers: both fairness and our public finances depend on it. A guest post by Mike Lewis, Director of @taxwatch.bsky.social www.faircomment.co.uk/p/we-need-hm...

📌 Our Budget verdict: Ending the unfair two-child limit on Universal Credit is welcome, but the overall package is a missed opportunity. 🧵 🔗 Full analysis: www.faircomment.co.uk/p/budget-202...

Are you happy to let aristocrats and tech billionaires speak for you? If so, you'll love our new report in the Guardian on money, the media, and the House of Lords 👇