June 2025, around 21.3% of NHS staff in England reported a nationality other than British. That amounts to roughly 325,000 out of about 1.5 million staff.

In this map @eurostats shows us that the total fertility rate in the EU stood at 1.38 live births per woman in 2023. My beloved Tenerife recorded the lowest rate of the whole of Europe (0.79). Source: link.europa.eu/p8WYPC

"It’s not just me that’s perhaps not being heard"

OBR commentary on the budget: "The implementation of digital ID cards is provisionally forecast to cost £1.8 billion in total over the next three years". Govt says the cost will be met from existing departmental budgets. Which services will be cut? Will the budget overrun? obr.uk/docs/dlm_upl...

The large drop in immigration seen in today's ONS data will likely have huge consequences for social care. The sector has been entirely reliant on care workers from overseas to meet growing demand. Read our statement from Researcher @cglobont.bsky.social 👇

The threat to UK growth from falling net migration. How could the government have missed this?

Public Law Project's latest report finds that the average universal credit sanction is hundreds of pounds more than a criminal fine.

Who benefits from changes made in this budget? Low-income families with children, particularly with three or more children, are clear winners. In 2028-29, a low-wage single parent with 3 children who receives UC will be £4,960 per year better off, thanks to the removal of the two-child limit.

Benefit cap excludes those working (enough £) and those on UC Health post WCA, so very much the minority still affected. The DWP spreadsheet linked says how many families benefit by the change (excluding the still benefit capped). www.gov.uk/government/p...

➡️ ALL parts of our special report into the Lucy Letby case are now available online: www.private-eye.co.uk/special-repo... 🧵3/3

This Government has hugely increased public spending, which will have large in-kind benefits for households. Families across the income distribution will benefit, but poorer households will benefit more as they use public services more, and these represent a larger proportion of their income.

Barry Elliott, a Reform councillor in the Blyth ward of Newsham, appeared in court on Tuesday in relation to more than £38,000 worth of council tax and business rates owed to Northumberland County Council www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-e...

The Autumn Budget 2025 is here, but what does it mean for the world of health and care? Siva Anandaciva runs us through the headlines of the budget for the NHS, social care and the announcements away from health that might help improve population health. https://bit.ly/4oCDTy9

The two-child cap pushed half of children in larger families into poverty. Today, Labour abolishes it. I stood for office to stop drawing charts and start changing them. This change will see the biggest drop in child poverty of any parliament on record. Know what that is? Hope.

Cue rich people moaning about how they can no longer afford to live in their castles.... God it's all so horribly predictable

Cost of extending the fuel duty cut plus cancelled uprating next year: £2.4 billion. Cost of freezing rail fares next year: £145 million. Sixteen times more expensive to maintain the fuel duty cut/freeze than to freeze rail fares Imagine how much fares could be *cut* by ending car fuel subsidies.

Bicycles showing the way on #WorldSustainableTransportDay #ThisMachineFightsClimateChange 🚲🚲

Frustrating to see the fuel duty cut extended again. This is a policy that benefits the richest households much more than the poorest as they spend more on petrol. That's without even accounting for the environmental impact.

Side point, but it can’t be said often enough that so much of today’s political debate is taken up with migration, when it is *plunging* 📉 (from OBR docs):

Whatever else this government do (and there's plenty of issues with this budget) ministers will always be able to point to this as an incredible important contribution to the country's future. Almost half a million kids taken out of poverty.

Budget 2025 live: Rolling update .... .... live updates on the social welfare law highlights from today's #Budget2025 www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/69056

An update on this: today's More in Common has no change in Reform score. That fits with this trend as the five most recent More in Common results for Reform have been: 33 (oldest) 31 31 30 30 (newest)

Peter Etedgui, a Jewish former classmate of Nigel Farage, says he is angered by Reform leader claiming his recollection of racist bullying is untrue. Two former classmates bsck Etedgui's challenge to Farage's (partial) denial among 20 who recalled Farage's conduct then www.bbc.com/news/article...

Wes Streeting made a speech today, on the eve of the budget, addressing child health, poverty and the two child limit.

Who remembers that Brexit campaign slogan from 2016? 🤔

Regardless whether this poll reflects a downturn for Reform - let's just take a minute to note that five parties are polling 15% or more, under a winner-takes-all voting system. Few would have believed it possible 15 years ago. The results are likely to be quite bonkers if this keeps up...

The government’s decision to halve the time limit for refugees to leave Home Office accommodation is driving people into homelessness and exploitation, according to migrant rights campaigners and homelessness charities By me, for @theleaduk.bsky.social national.thelead.uk/p/new-asylum...

Money launderers, fraudsters, tax dodgers and sanctions evaders have all used Britain's own Overseas Territories to hide and stash their dirty cash. Our reputation as a clean and fair place to do business has been dragged through the mud. It is time to throw open the books.

Consultation on changes to the immigration rules. ukhomeoffice.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

This is the lowest support for Reform in a YouGov poll since April

An independent Electoral Commission is a basic requirement for a modern democracy. The Government need to free the Electoral Commission

I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

‘Is there anything we can do to alleviate flash flooding?’ Lots - & it’s good to see @floodmary.bsky.social talking here about working with nature, reducing paved areas & rain gardens But we also need land use change across whole catchments - more trees, restored peat www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"There is the great paradox of Your Party’s journey so far: chaos at the top, impressive grassroots efforts at the base. The large local meetings have been undermined by factionalism, reckless conduct and incompetence from those (on all ‘sides’) centrally involved in the project."

A ‘mansion tax’ on homes worth over £2m to raise about £400/450m a year is everything wrong with a ‘smorgasbord’ approach. Lots of potential political pain for a public finances rounding error. Coupled with a new weird cliffedges. Either reform property tax to raise proper money or don’t.

Why ‘Henrys’ are turning their back on the Tories on.ft.com/43N9K7z | opinion

The difficult political and fiscal choices presented by this week's Budget reflect the economic consequences of failing to protect working-age health. @davefinch.bsky.social​ argues that government must focus on the longer term action needed to build a healthier workforce⬇️ https://bit.ly/4okAqE5

And not one of them in the UK. The 30 Most Bike-Friendly Cities in the World, the 2025 Copenhagenize Index Arrives | Momentum Mag https://momentummag.com/the-30-most-bike-friendly-cities-in-the-world-the-2025-copenhagenize-index-arrives/

ukhomeoffice.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... Consultation on proposed changes to the immigration rules

Is Reform UK’s success a mirage based on media hype? Right-wing influencers and the media conspire to create an air of invincibility around Reform, but the recent trajectory is underperformance By Alex Mair @alexmairyorks.bsky.social

US peace plan: What could Ukraine compromise on? on.ft.com/4ih4cIz

Powerful piece by @drrachelclarke.com on the COVID inquiry. Those who say it’s easy to be wise in hindsight are being utterly disingenuous. Many of us spoke out at the time, and it’s in the public record. @independentsage.bsky.social observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

Scrapping the two-child limit *is* welfare reform. Defining ‘reform’ solely as ‘cut’ is one reason why it’s proved so difficult

Private Eye Christmas cards are now available to order.  ✅ Each pack contains eight different designs and includes envelopes ✅ Free UK delivery ✅ While stock last ➡️ eyexmas.co.uk

The @greenparty.org.uk is now the largest in Europe.

The Bishop of Norwich has taken aim at the Home Office’s asylum reforms, warning they’ll make integration harder and deepen division. A rare intervention – and a sharp one. @eastangliabylines.co.uk

The number of medical school graduates and international applicants is rising but places in advanced specialist training are not keeping up. The mismatch leaves thousands of doctors competing for posts and without appropriate work. www.ft.com/content/8b6e...

In 2023/24, UK govt gave £78.2bn tax relief on pension contributions. 32% benefitted 29.2m basic rate (20%) taxpayers. 68% went to higher and additional rate (40% and 45%) tax payers. Equalizing tax relief at 20% to all, leaves govt £14.5bn spare to alleviate poverty.

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/propert... Has my house increased in value by 24% in a year?