Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Prof Gráinne McKeever

@mckeevergrainne.bsky.social

3.5K followers 2.4K following 68 posts

Law Professor at Ulster Uni, Belfast. Co-Editor of Journal of Social Security Law. Former Vice-Chair of Social Security Advisory Committee. Writing a book on 'Legal participation for litigants in person: protecting the right to a fair trial.' .. more

Videos

Law 29%

Political science 26%

Posts Media Videos Starter Packs

Pinned

Prof Gráinne McKeever @mckeevergrainne.bsky.social · May 27

Delighted we'll be publishing our book on 'Legal participation for litigants in person: protecting the right to a fair trial' w @hartpublishing.bsky.social in 2026, following the footsteps of @leader-kate.bsky.social, @jessmant.bsky.social & others, building on our @nuffieldfoundation.org research.

1 6 13

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Natalie Sedacca @nataliesedacca.bsky.social · 10h

Glad to see this! Justice Secretary has said the government will not reintroduce tribunal fees, contrary to recent reports, noting that ‘Everyone, no matter their income, should be able to get access to justice to challenge unfair behaviour at work’ www.lawgazette.co.uk/news/lammy-r...

2 12 29

Reposted by Martin Paul Eve, Gráinne McKeever

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 10h

UK Universities cut 12,000 jobs, more on the way.

40% of Unis in financial crisis.

Major exporter destroyed by successive govts

Obstacles for foreign students.
Low fees in England, lack of govt funding.
£267bn student debt.
Home student numbers down.

How will the UK compete with other nations?

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens

University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

13 110 190

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

womensartbluesky.bsky.social @womensartbluesky.bsky.social · 11h

"I just decided, when someone says you can't do something. DO MORE OF IT."

-Faith Ringgold (1930-2024)

#WomensArt #FridayFeeling

110 590

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Andrew Defty @adefty.bsky.social · 11h

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

Thousands more university jobs cut as financial crisis deepens

University workers will vote on national strike action this month over a 1.4% pay offer made in the summer.

www.bbc.co.uk

6 10

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 21h

I chickened out of my long-time working title:

Trains and Borders and Orangemen, Oh My!

But the first sight of a new publication in the wild still feels nice. Thanks to @conormccormick.bsky.social, David Capper and Norma Dawson for assembling this collection:

www.cambridge.org/core/books/l...

2 17

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 4d

Our reaction to Mel Stride’s big day at the Tory conference

There are savings to be made in the civil service. But an arbitrary headcount target & ignoring new demands on the state won’t deliver them

The hard work of doing that falls to the govt

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mel-...

1 5 7

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · 4d

🚨*Tomorrow morning* you can receive a bumper edition of my Digital Welfare State newsletter, packed with good things about Freedom of Information, including the things I found out (and didn't) about how DWP are using AI

✉️Sign up and join over 110 other lucky readers!

Digital welfare state: origins, controversies, research — ABD Consultancy

How are governments worldwise using AI and other tech to administer the welfare state? Find out about research, policy and investigations into the digital welfare state, including digital surveillance...

www.abdconsultancy.co.uk

4 5

Reposted by David Murakami Wood, Gráinne McKeever, Richard Moorhead

Ian Fraser @ianfraser.bsky.social · 4d

Dr Christopher Rudge, law lecturer at the University of Sydney, says the report that Deloitte prepared for Australia's Department of Employment and Workplace Relations contained “hallucinations” because of an initially undisclosed use of generative AI. Now the government is getting its money back.

Deloitte to pay money back to Albanese government after using AI in $440,000 report

Partial refund to be issued after several errors were found in a report into a department’s compliance framework

www.theguardian.com

37 40

Reposted by Stacy D. VanDeveer, Gráinne McKeever

Anthony Painter @anthonypainter.bsky.social · 4d

Removing benefits from those with indefinite leave to remain will leave 100,000s of families facing destitution. And if you think that mass impaired child development, a mental and physical health crisis is in the national interest, I'm afraid you simply aren't thinking things through.

6 34 130

Reposted by Tariq Modood, Gráinne McKeever

Academic Publishing News @acadpubnews.bsky.social · 4d

New Fund launched by @brisunipress.bsky.social to support Global South scholars and Early Career Researchers www.alpsp.org/news-publica...

Bristol University Press Launches Global Social Challenges Development Fund to Tackle Inequity in Academic Publishing

Bristol University Press has launched the Global Social Challenges Development Fund to support marginalised voices in academic publishing and make vital rese...

www.alpsp.org

4 2

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Joseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 4d

Around 1 in 4 children in Scotland are living in poverty.

Poverty remains far too high, and people are feeling overlooked and ignored by politicians.

The next Scottish Parliament is an opportunity to build a better future for all children in Scotland. 🔽 1/4

2 28 44

Reposted by Dave O’Brien, Colin Murray, Patrick O’Brien , and 3 more Dave O’Brien, Colin Murray, Patrick O’Brien, Aileen McHarg, Daniel Wincott, Gráinne McKeever

Ben Yong @bymyong.bsky.social · 4d

I‘m giving a public talk at UCL on Thurs 16 Oct. The title is “Bureaucracy and distrust: the civil service in the constitution” looking at the civil service’s constitutional foundations, and how it might respond to a populist govt. @sirJJkc.bsky.social will chair!
www.ucl.ac.uk/laws/events/...

Hybrid | CLP - Bureaucracy and Distrust: The Civil Service in the Constitution

This lecture will be delivered by Dr Ben Yong, as part of the Current Legal Problems Lecture Series 2025-26

www.ucl.ac.uk

3 24 46

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Liam Thorp @liamthorp.bsky.social · 9d

A very busy few days covering the Labour Party Conference here in Liverpool. We have wanted to make the creation of a Hillsborough Law front and centre of our coverage as it means so much to this city.

Thanks to colleagues @danhaygarth1.bsky.social and @lottgibbons.bsky.social for the team effort

10 49

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Clodagh Tait @clodaghtait.bsky.social · 9d

1950s Ireland, when capital was the key to matrimony.

4 10 19

Reposted by Paul Davies, Gráinne McKeever

The Guardian @theguardian.com · 9d

Labour considering charging workers for employment tribunal claims, sources say

Exclusive: Reintroducing tribunal fees would be ‘a gift for bad bosses’, says TUC chief Paul Nowak Workers could be charged a fee to take their bosses to court under plans being explored by Labour as it faces pressure from businesses lobbying to water down its landmark changes to employment rights. In a development described by unions as a “disaster”, sources in Westminster said ministers were looking at reviving a proposal made by the last Conservative government to impose fees on employment tribunal claims. Continue reading...

www.theguardian.com

29 15 29

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Paul Spicker @paulspicker.bsky.social · 9d

If the i paper is right, 'lifting' the 2-child limit might be for working families only, or a 3-child limit. Neither is good enough. Both exclude some of the poorest children. Both impose a penalty for blending families. And both call for questions about rape.

2 2

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

rightsnet @rightsnet.org.uk · 9d

The way we talk about child poverty doesn’t always help

@savechildrenuk.bsky.social @jrf-uk.bsky.social

www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/68383

1 2

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

rightsnet @rightsnet.org.uk · 9d

Government’s £500 million Fair Pay Agreement for social care workers is welcome, but it’s only a downpayment on a long-term solution

www.rightsnet.org.uk/now/post/68377

1 1

Reposted by Stuart White, Gráinne McKeever

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 9d

Rumours swirling that Government may try to avoid fully scrapping 2 child limit by changing it to a 3 child limit, only lifting it for some groups or giving lower support to 3rd and subsequent children. Helpfully @resfoundation.bsky.social already crunched the numbers, finding that...1/4

2 12 35

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Prof Ruth Patrick @ruthpatrick0.bsky.social · 9d

Such vital and important research! Excited to see what the @cfpjustice.bsky.social does - very timely after yesterdays speech too!

1 2

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 9d

Is there room for compromise on the two-child limit?

Entirely scrapping it would have the biggest impact on child poverty and be most cost-effective.

The two-child limit means that an
additional 500,000 children are
currently growing up in poverty. If current policies remained in place,
we would expect one-in-three British
children to be growing up in poverty
by the end of the decade

immediate abolition would cost £3.5 billion
per year and lift half a million children out
of poverty by the end of the decade. How do less ambitious options measure up?

Other rumoured options would be less cost effective

and other options would risk creating new cliff edges.

10 14

Prof Gráinne McKeever @mckeevergrainne.bsky.social · 9d

Follow our real-time research into making of #HillsboroughLaw and join the debate on how laws are made, used and applied to help victims achieve justice: youtube.com/@centreforpe.... #CentreForPeoplesJustice #CFPJ @cfpjustice.bsky.social

Centre for Peoples Justice

Hillsborough Law Project: real-time research about the making of Hillsborough law. Advancing people-powered knowledge to improve law and improve lives. Alliance of 7 universities across 4 U.K. nations...

youtube.com

Reposted by Ruth Patrick

Prof Gráinne McKeever @mckeevergrainne.bsky.social · 9d

As part of the work of our new #CentreForPeoplesJustice
@cfpjustice.bsky.social we've created this video about the making of #HillsboroughLaw (aka the Public Office (Accountability) Bill), intended to get public authorities to tell the truth: youtu.be/MCoSZzEOWLk?...

Hillsborough Law in Parliament - The journey begins

YouTube video by Centre for Peoples Justice

youtu.be

1 1 3

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Jen Raso @jenraso.bsky.social · 9d

It may be that the future isn't jobless, but it's worth asking which jobs persist, who performs them, where, under what conditions. And importantly which types of *labour* are maintained, intensified, devalued, etc. Often, AI/tech create more labour, but not necessarily in the form of paid jobs.

1 2 1

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever, Tim Leunig

Alex Clegg @alexclegg.bsky.social · 9d

Very encouraging to read that the Government is preparing to lift the two-child limit as part of its child poverty strategy, but it is disheartening that options short of scrapping it entirely are still being considered. Thread on why this would be the wrong choice for an ambitious strategy:

Rachel Reeves to lift two-child benefit cap in November budget

Exclusive: Officials exploring options to change rule that affected 1.7 million children in Great Britain last year

www.theguardian.com

2 22 59

Reposted by Ruth Patrick, Gráinne McKeever

Child Poverty Action Group @cpaguk.bsky.social · 9d

To reduce child poverty, government must scrap the two-chid limit. And that means fully scrapping it – no benefit cap, no tapers, no new limit. All children deserve the best start in life, and messing around the edges of this policy won’t cut it. 2/2

1 14 20

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers, Graham Dutfield , and 2 more Jonathan Portes, Steve Peers, Graham Dutfield, Christina Pagel, Gráinne McKeever

Dan Sohege @danielsohege.bsky.social · 10d

Migrants already "earn the right to settlement" through extortionate visa costs, which can run into tens of thousands of pounds. They prop up key services, including through the Immigration Health Surcharge.

Pushing the hostile environment on steroids helps no-one.

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

Mahmood demands migrants earn right to settlement in UK

New tests will include learning English to a high standard, paying National Insurance and not claiming benefits.

www.bbc.co.uk

27 150 480

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Centre for Peoples Justice @cfpjustice.bsky.social · 14d

Do you trust that the new Hillsborough Law can stop public officials from lying to the public?

See our new video on the Hillsborough Law in Parliament and follow for real-time updates:
youtube.com/watch?v=MCoS...

#HillsboroughLaw #CentreForPeoplesJustice #CFPJ

Hillsborough Law in Parliament - The journey begins

YouTube video by Centre for Peoples Justice

youtube.com

10 8

Reposted by Gráinne McKeever

Charlotte O'Brien @cobrien.bsky.social · Sep 10

Did you know that the Scottish Government has immediate plans to introduce a top-up benefit for families in Scotland affected by the UK's two child limit? Short 🧵

The Scottish Commission on Social Security scrutinised the draft regulations at pace this summer & I was invited to submit observations

Front page of Scottish Commission on Social Security Scrutiny report on draft Regulations:
The Two Child Limit Payment (Scotland) Regulations 2026

1 5 7

Reposted by Stuart White, Gráinne McKeever

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · Aug 28

Campaigners have warned that nearly 600,000 disabled people could be at risk from the next round of the government’s welfare reforms.

The figures relate to the DWP's plans to abolish the Work Capability Assessment (WCA).

By me, for the Big Issue: www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

600,000 disabled people at risk of Labour's next round of benefit cuts

Campaigners have warned that nearly 600,000 disabled people could be at risk from the next round of the government’s benefit cuts.

www.bigissue.com

10 69 97