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Reposted by Chris Birt

Centre for Public Policy @uofgpolicy.bsky.social · 1d

Going to the SNP Annual National Conference this weekend?

We're hosting a fringe event on Saturday (tomorrow!) at 5pm❗

Can child poverty be eradicated?

🗣️ @profnicolamcewen.bsky.social @kezdugdale.bsky.social @cdbirt.bsky.social, @sa4dunfermline.bsky.social, and @ginadavidson.bsky.social.

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Can child poverty be eradicated? Professor Nicola McEwen, Professor Kezia Dugdale, Chris Birt, Shirley-Anne Somerville, Gina Davidson, SNP Annual National Conference. University of Glasgow and Centre for Public Policy.

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Save the Children Scotland @savechildrensco.bsky.social · 10d

"What's the modern Scotland that we believe in?"
@cdbirt.bsky.social closing our conference.

Thanks so much to everyone who joined us in Edinburgh today.

Looking forward to working together to built support for a better Scotland 🌟

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · 15d

Good to be in the Scotsman today with Peter Kelly @povertyalliance.org on how Scotland Demands Better can be the alternative to the hate we've seen spill out elsewhere.

Full article available in the paper and online:

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Satwat Rehman @satwatr.bsky.social · Sep 8

Come along tomorrow evening to this public meeting hear from @cdbirt.bsky.social and me about why we are supporting the ‘Scotland Demands Better’ campaign.

Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Sep 8

On 25th October people are taking to the streets of Edinburgh for Scotland Demands Better.

A chance for us to use our voice to demand better from our politicians. A Scotland where everyone can flourish.

Come hear about why tomorrow night with me,
@satwatr.bsky.social and others 👇👇

A poster for a public event in Edinburgh on Tuesday 9 September between 7 and 8.15 pm. In the Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh, EH11 2QA

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Sep 8

On 25th October people are taking to the streets of Edinburgh for Scotland Demands Better.

A chance for us to use our voice to demand better from our politicians. A Scotland where everyone can flourish.

Come hear about why tomorrow night with me,
@satwatr.bsky.social and others 👇👇

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Aug 30

If you can spare a wee bit my wife and pal Liz are doing the Great North Run raising funds for Breast Cancer Now in memory of my Mum and Christina McKelvie and all the other women taken too young.

Well done Liz and El, ha’way the lasses!

ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com/pf/liz-lloyd...

Ellen and Liz do the Great North Run

We are running the Great North Run to raise money for the research and support provided by Breast Cancer Now. We are running in memory of Audrey Birt (El’s mother-in-law and Liz’s friend), Christina M

ajbellgreatnorthrun2025.enthuse.com

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Jul 24

🚨STOP THE BUS🚨

We have a new vacancy in JRF's Scotland Team.

We're looking for a Senior Policy Adviser to join our brilliant team here.

Passionately believe we can deliver a better Scotland free from poverty? Then it could be 🫵

Details 👇🕑 10/8.

www.jrf.org.uk/careers

Careers

Do you want to help build a fairer future, free from poverty? Join us and use your skills to make a real difference.

www.jrf.org.uk

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Jun 30

⏰⏰You may have already seen this but we're looking for a partner to work with us to consider our approach to movement building and grassroots organising in Scotland.

More info in the link below - closing date for applications 16 July.

www.jrf.org.uk/funding

Funding

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation funds and works in partnership with other organisations to unlock the UK from poverty

www.jrf.org.uk

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Jun 18

A pleasure to join Scotcast earlier to talk about a Minimum Income Guarantee.

Quite the contrast while the UKG were attacking the living standards of disabled people.

We need big ideas at the moment, not rehashed cuts.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Scotcast - A minimum income for all - BBC Sounds

Should billions more be spent to guarantee everyone a minimum income?

www.bbc.co.uk

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Jun 13

Sir Geoff Palmer is one of those people that when they pass they leave a massive hole in our society.

He brought such wisdom, passion and drive for justice into Scotland.

A Scottish legend.

Thoughts with his family and friends.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Sir Geoff Palmer, Scotland's first black professor, dies aged 85

Sir Geoff moved to the UK from Jamaica as a teenager and became known as both an academic and a human rights advocate.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · May 22

A couple of weeks ago @satwatr.bsky.social and I wrote the piece below for the Scotsman on how politicians in Scotland can meet the moment we're in.

With their permission have popped it on my Medium for all to see.

Have a shifty - see what you think.

medium.com/@cdbirt/we-c...

We can no longer accept that the only way for our people to prosper is to make small changes around…

Satwat Rehman and I wrote this that was published in the Scotsman on 10 May 2025. With their permission just popping it out from behind the…

medium.com

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · May 22

It's no bad thing that the UKG are looking for ways to re-instate the £300 per year that some pensioners have lost from Winter Fuel Payments.

But how, then, can they defend the £4,500 per year loss ON AVERAGE, through PIP alone, they want to take away from disabled people? 🤨🤨

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Satwat Rehman @satwatr.bsky.social · May 10

@cdbirt.bsky.social & I wrote a piece on the urgency to tackle child poverty.
‘We no longer live in a country where a tweak to the status quo will meet people’s expectations. We can no longer accept that the only way for our people to prosper is to make small changes …’

Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · May 10

In today’s Scotsman @satwatr.bsky.social and I on why defending the status quo is no longer a serviceable political strategy.

So politicians must take on poverty and deliver what people want. Decent homes, decent pay and services when they need them.

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

SNP and Labour need to take poverty more seriously – or malign actors will profit

There are those seeking to exploiting poverty to drive a wedge between communities

www.scotsman.com

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · May 10

In today’s Scotsman @satwatr.bsky.social and I on why defending the status quo is no longer a serviceable political strategy.

So politicians must take on poverty and deliver what people want. Decent homes, decent pay and services when they need them.

www.scotsman.com/news/opinion...

SNP and Labour need to take poverty more seriously – or malign actors will profit

There are those seeking to exploiting poverty to drive a wedge between communities

www.scotsman.com

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 27

📢Head on over to Carla's Corner 🛣️for a bit of a deeper dive on the Poverty and Inequality statistics published today.

What we've called "a thundering wake up call" to the Scottish Government and all the parties in the Scottish Parliament in the race to meet the child poverty reduction targets.

Carla Cebula @carlaonion.bsky.social · Jan 8

As I am new here and it's a new year I thought I would do a round up of what I got up to at @jrf-uk.bsky.social in 2024. It was a busy year and we have even more planned in Scotland for 2025, keep your eyes peeled 👀

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 27

Currently hammering refresh on the SG's poverty stats website...

Worth noting, although probably obvious, that the Chancellor's cuts yesterday won't be reflected in these annual stats which cover the period up to April 2024.

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 26

Crucial analysis from over on Mordor from my colleague @iainkporter.bsky.social

Welfare cuts actually increase poverty by closer to 400,000 but DWP sleight of hand attempting to mask it.

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · Mar 26

The Chancellor said today that she would not do anything to put household finances in danger

Yet the government’s own assessment shows their cuts to health related benefits risk pushing 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children 📢

Their assessment also found... 1/3

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 26

Confirmation of chunky cuts to SG and NI Executive budgets because of PIP cuts.

Big choices for those Ministers as to whether to copy the cruel choices of UKG.

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 24

📢Not just a big week with the Chancellor's statement on Wednesday...

📝Thursday will tell us whether or not the Scottish Government have met the Scottish Parliament's interim Child Poverty Reduction targets.

Signs not great, catch up work needed in the next Parliament.

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · Mar 23

The lowest income households will be £900 per year worse off than they are today, a 6% fall in their disposable income.

The poorest third are disproportionately affected and could see their overall incomes fall twice as fast compared with the middle and the top.

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · Mar 23

NEW: Analysis from @jrf-uk.bsky.social ahead of the Chancellor’s spring statement this week shows families worse off by £1400 by 2030.

This would mean missing the PM’s living standards milestone and could be the first government since 1955 to see a fall in living standards across a parliament.

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Reposted by Chris Birt

One Parent Families Scotland @opfs.org.uk · Mar 21

💜 Happy #SingleParentsDay !

📣 Today, we’re joining 16 orgs across the UK & Ireland to launch the #SingleParentCommunity campaign!
Together, we’re amplifying voices, raising awareness of support & building a community for single parents.

💜 Follow, share & get involved!

🔗

Together we are celebrating Single Parents day 2025

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Chris Birt @cdbirt.bsky.social · Mar 20

Have always loved @aiannucci.bsky.social but added a wee bit more after this episode of Strong Message Here.

People spouting mince about things they know nothing about on disability benefits cuts would do well to give it a listen.

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Strong Message Here - Britain Isn't Working - BBC Sounds

Armando and Helen look at how we talk about those on welfare, and how it's changed.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Chris Birt

Iain Porter @iainkporter.bsky.social · Mar 18

Big picture today is Government chose to cut unprecedented £5bn of income from disabled people at highest risk of hardship. This drive for cost savings undermines any positive changes contained in the disability benefits green paper.

Here are some other big problems:🧵1/11

JRF Chief Executive Paul Kissack said:

"No truly moral choice would leave disabled people without the very support that is designed to allow them to lead a dignified life, nor would it leave them facing hardship. These would be unprecedented disability benefits cuts.

“Ideas like the Right to Try Guarantee help to remove the barriers that prevent people from working but enormous cuts mean the Government risks undermining these positives. Making it harder for people to qualify for support, or cutting their support, puts more pressure on people who are already struggling to cope.

"Ministers should boost the basic rate of Universal Credit without taking the extra support from the pockets of disabled people receiving UC health. It should be funded by those with the broadest shoulders.

"A government that came to office pledging to end the moral scar of food bank use clearly should not be taking steps that could leave disabled people at greater risk of needing to use one."

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