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ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey
@ewanmg.bsky.social
6.2K followers 2.1K following 260 posts

🎓Law Professor @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social, CBR, Cambridge + @granthamlse.bsky.social
🌹Labour law, enterprise law, pensions, corporations, human rights
🌍Cares about stopping inequality, climate damage + war
🕸️ https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/ewan-mcgaughey .. more

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ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 16h
The most annoying aspect is the BBC defending itself with "legal advice". What is this nonsense legal advice that suggests @rutgerbregman.com doesn't have a right to freedom of expression - protected in common law and human rights alike - or that the BBC could in any way be violating the law?

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 16h
Here's a brief paper, first drafted in 2015, on the deeper issue, which is that Trump is merely a product of a US political system corrupted by money, and mandated by a packed, extremist US Supreme Court under the guise of "free speech". The irony couldn't be greater papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Fascism-Lite in America (or the Social Ideal of Donald Trump)
What explains the election for the 45th President of the United States? Many commentators have said that Trump is a fascist. This builds on grave concern, since
papers.ssrn.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 17h
This is worse than Panorama's drama because:

(1) Trump is “the most openly corrupt president in American history” - beyond Nixon or Harding

(2) Trump did incite the January 6th riot. Any country with a functioning legal system would've jailed him, like Bolsonaro
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
Reith lecturer accuses BBC of censoring his remarks on Trump
Dutch writer Rutger Bregman says claim that Trump was ‘most openly corrupt president in US history’ was removed
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Charles West, Ewan McGaughey

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 1d
'Kendall told a UKRI event on 24 November that nearly a fifth of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s budget will be earmarked for research aligned with Labour’s missions, with £8 billion of UKRI’s £38.6 billion budget over the next five years “targeted towards the UK’s national priorities”.' 1/3
Kendall: Haldane not breached by research spending direction
Science secretary defends decision to dedicate nearly a fifth of UKRI budget to policy priorities
www.timeshighereducation.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 7d
Lords say employment rights will create unemployment, but the actual evidence shows an absence of rights kills jobs.

If useless bosses can fire people without reason, that’s what damages the economy. It’s hereditary peers that need the boot.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
‘Out of touch’ hereditary peers criticised for voting against workers’ rights
Lords look ‘undemocratic and firmly against interest of working people’, say senior trade union and Labour figures
www.theguardian.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 8d
New rule: taxes should be fair, so the rich pay more than the poor, capital pays more than labour, and we tax unearned wealth more than jobs.

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey

peterstefanovic.bsky.social
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 9d
‘It’s Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media’ Says Leader of the UK’s Trade Union Movement

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/14/i...
'It's Time for a Debate About Who Owns Our Media' Says Leader of the UK's Trade Union Movement
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak warns that tech and media billionaires are threatening our democracy, as they campaign to destroy the BBC
bylinetimes.com

Reposted by Brigitte Nerlich, Julie Cupples, Ewan McGaughey

eicathomefinn.bsky.social
Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 10d
'After vigorous and partially successful attempts to save modern languages degrees at Cardiff...and the University of Aberdeen in the past two years, linguists are now called upon to point out the equally obvious folly of cutting modern languages at the universities of Nottingham and Leicester.' 1/3
The latest threat to UK modern languages is yet another faux pas
Nottingham and Leicester are taking a swing at language departments. But those proposing closures have taken their eye off the ball, say four linguists
www.timeshighereducation.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 14d
🚨Fantastic news: the EU Adequate Wage Directive is (mostly) valid!

Every member state must have an action plan to get 80% + collective bargaining coverage. Plans expected by the end of 2025.

The UK has something like 25% to 40% cover (the official staticians don't know!). Britain needs a plan too.

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey

fakehistoryhunter.net
The Fake History Hunter @fakehistoryhunter.net · 17d
Fascinating stuff.
A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire, this study claims to have identified thousands more miles of Roman roads than were previously known.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire - Scientific Data
Scientific Data - Itiner-e: A high-resolution dataset of roads of the Roman Empire
www.nature.com

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey

olifro.st
Oli Frost @olifro.st · 19d
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires?

This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.

Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for billionaires.

They’re for everyone.

Reposted by John F. McCarthy, Joe R. Feagin, Will Jennings , and 17 more

marklemley.bsky.social
Mark Lemley @marklemley.bsky.social · 20d
Australia has so much electricity from solar power that it is going to start offering free electricity to everyone for at least three hours during the day as the wholesale price of power goes negative

electrek.co/2025/11/04/a...
Australia has so much solar that it's offering everyone free electricity
Australia's extensive solar power penetration makes so much energy that the government wants to offer free electricity at peak hours.
electrek.co

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 21d
As Mamdani wins NYC by a landslide, we must ask, why is democratic socialism so successful - indeed across all wealthy democracies?

My talk unpacks the theories of capitalism's failures, and DS's 3 main goals: common ownership, economic democracy, and fair taxes.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSZ9...
'Democratic socialism and the law', Inaugural Lecture by Prof Ewan McGaughey (15 October 2025)
YouTube video by Ewan McGaughey
www.youtube.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 21d
“That’s right - HS2 have been forced to build a two-lane, state-of-the-art, multi-million pound road bridge to join what is essentially an overgrown footpath to a sort of bridleway with delusions of grandeur.”

Wow: martinrobbins.substack.com/p/how-hs2-bu...

m.youtube.com/watch?v=qNPF...
How HS2 built a bridge to nowhere
YouTube video by The Value of Nothing
m.youtube.com

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey

alysiablackham.bsky.social
Alysia Blackham @alysiablackham.bsky.social · 28d
This is great to see, but should apply to all grounds of discrimination - not just sexual harassment. Regulating just one area is going to create a mess.
australia.theguardian.com Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 28d
Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria
Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria
Exclusive: If passed, laws would ban non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by an employee * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A long-awaited bill to curb the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases will be introduced to Victorian parliament, in an Australian-first move the government says will prevent victim-survivors from being silenced. The premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer and industrial relations minister, Jaclyn Symes, will announce the introduction of the bill to parliament on Wednesday, which if passed would ban NDAs in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by the employee. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey, Alysia Blackham

australia.theguardian.com
Guardian Australia @australia.theguardian.com · 28d
Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria
Australian-first bill to ban use of NDAs to silence sexual harassment victims introduced in Victoria
Exclusive: If passed, laws would ban non-disclosure agreements in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by an employee * Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast A long-awaited bill to curb the use of non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases will be introduced to Victorian parliament, in an Australian-first move the government says will prevent victim-survivors from being silenced. The premier, Jacinta Allan, and treasurer and industrial relations minister, Jaclyn Symes, will announce the introduction of the bill to parliament on Wednesday, which if passed would ban NDAs in workplace sexual harassment cases unless expressly requested by the employee. Continue reading...
www.theguardian.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · 29d
“Democratic socialism and the law” was my inaugural lecture - now on YouTube, with slides!👇🏽

Are democracy and socialism compatible? And what is its relation to the law? It runs through basic critiques of capitalism + sets out 3 main goals of democratic socialism today.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=WSZ9...
'Democratic socialism and the law', Inaugural Lecture by Prof Ewan McGaughey (15 October 2025)
YouTube video by Ewan McGaughey
m.youtube.com

Reposted by Albert Weale, Andrew Novak, Ewan McGaughey

ukstaiger.bsky.social
Uta Staiger @ukstaiger.bsky.social · Oct 18
Kudos to the Guardian for reporting on research published in the European Journal of Political Research. Also: how many more studies on this do we need before centrist parties begin to rethink their strategies?

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/o...
German far right setting agenda as opponents amplify its ideas, study finds
Normalisation of far-right stances likely to affect success of such parties at ballot boxes across Europe, say researchers
www.theguardian.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Oct 10
Peter Thiel says that Carl Schmitt helped him form the core of his beliefs.

Anyone who knows Schmitt, and who knows how much money and influence Thiel has, knows this is not great.

www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...
Inside tech billionaire Peter Thiel’s off-the-record lectures about the antichrist
The political svengali and investor has been giving lectures on ‘an evil king or tyrant … who appears in the end times’
www.theguardian.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Oct 10
It really begins with Buckley v Valeo (1976).

Interesting fact, there was unlimited election spending in the Weimar Republic - and guess which party and its industrial cartel backers first figured out they could outspend all parties put together in 1932/1933?

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
Fascism-Lite in America (or the Social Ideal of Donald Trump)
What explains the election for the 45th President of the United States? Many commentators have said that Trump is a fascist. This builds on grave concern, since
papers.ssrn.com

Reposted by Jonathan Portes

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Oct 10
🌹 "Democratic socialism and the law" is the topic of my inaugural lecture - next Wednesday 6.30pm, Great Hall, King's College, London.

➡️ Come along! There's even a reception afterwards. Check out the abstract, and register free here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-...

Reposted by Mark Robinson, Ewan McGaughey

resolutionfoundation.org
Resolution Foundation @resolutionfoundation.org · Oct 2
Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade.

Without action, levels will soon break records.

Scrapping the two-child limit in full would be the most targeted and cost-effective way of reducing child poverty.
chart showing Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade, from 27 per cent in 2013-14 to 31 per cent in 2023-24. As things stand, child poverty is on track to reach record highs within this Parliament

Reposted by Steve Peers, Christopher McCabe, Ewan McGaughey , and 1 more

mellino.bsky.social
Emiliano Mellino @mellino.bsky.social · Oct 2
🚨 Our new investigation out today reveals how thousands of people who've taken their bosses to employment tribunals & won, never got paid, even after they approached the government for help.

This has serious implications for the Employment rights bill.
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Thousands of rogue bosses get away with not paying tribunal awards
The government scheme ‘enforcing’ money owed to workers has been unsuccessful in a staggering three-quarters of cases
www.thebureauinvestigates.com

Reposted by Ewan McGaughey

rooseveltinstitute.org
Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · Sep 30
The gender wage gap is widening again, and showing “worrying trends.”

Top of the list of reasons, to no one’s surprise: soaring child care costs.

Important read from @kedseconomist.com
Quote from article: The first is that the gender wage gap widened for the second year in a row. Women’s earnings as a share of men’s fell to 80.9% in 2024, from 84% in 2022. There is no racial group or educational class within the working population in which women outearn men. The second is that the gender working gap is also widening. Women are leaving the labor force: 383,000 since January, for a 0.6 percentage-point decline in their participation rate, compared to an addition of 690,000 men, an 0.1 point increase. The overall employment picture is even worse: There are 499,000 fewer women working now than at the start of the year, compared to 368,000 more men working.

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Sep 30
Important work on inequality changing children’s brain structure from @divyangana.bsky.social and colleagues.

Best ways to reduce inequality:
1. Fair pay agreements for every sector
2. Abolish two child benefit cap, for universal social security
3. Fair tax.

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Study links greater inequality to structural changes in children’s brains
Researchers say findings show inequality creates toxic environment and reducing it is ‘a public health imperative’
www.theguardian.com

ewanmg.bsky.social
Ewan McGaughey @ewanmg.bsky.social · Sep 26
Seems like you’ve got another big tech media takeover by the far right.

I guess that will be good for Republicans getting votes during elections.
nancylevinestearns.bsky.social Nancy Levine Stearns @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · Sep 25
🚨 Trump will sign an executive order today to hand TikTok over to his friend Larry Ellison. The White House confirmed that users' data will be stored at Ellison's Oracle and the algorithm would be "retrained."

www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Trump expected to sign a TikTok deal Thursday
The proposed structure would comply with a bipartisan law passed in 2024 that sought to ban TikTok if the platform wasn't sold to U.S.-based owners this year.
www.nbcnews.com