Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Child of the North @childofthenorth.bsky.social · 16d

Academic Co-Director of @healthequitynorth.bsky.social @profkepickett.bsky.social will be speaking at our #ChildOfTheNorth panel event at #LabourPartyConference next week, touching on the regional inequalities young people are facing www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/addressing...

2 3

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Sep 4

Great editorial from great colleagues: www.bmj.com/content/390/...

Welfare system is a key public health measure

UK approach needs reconsideration to improve inequalities Health, and health inequalities, are almost universally recognised to have substantial social determinants.12 Although the Conservative gover...

www.bmj.com

5 6

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jul 31

An important and eloquent letter from our friend and colleague, Roberto De Vogli - please read and share
Break the selective silence on the genocide in Gaza - The Lancet www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Break the selective silence on the genocide in Gaza

Substantial and well-documented evidence indicates a catastrophic public health emergency in Gaza (appendix pp 1–5), marked by severe food insecurity and alarming levels of malnutrition-related deaths...

www.thelancet.com

3 6

Inequality News @inequalitynews.bsky.social · Apr 5

📢 #INEQUALITY GRAPH OF THE WEEK (No.1)

✅ More #equal countries are healthier, greener, and have fewer social problems.

❌ Note the positions of the US and UK.

Source: Profs Wilkinson & Pickett and The Equality Trust ♥️). See full report ➡️ media.equality-trust.out.re/uploads/2024...

1 26 46

Earth4All @earth4all.life · Jun 11

A new study identifies ten core principles from new economic thinking that could provide the foundation for a new mainstream economics that actually serves people and planet.

Learn more in a new blog from the co-authors ⏩ vist.ly/3n6kfvv

Mossy roots of a tree with text: New economic thinking offers a vision of prosperity that's more meaningful, more sustainable, and more equitable than what we have right now

2 2

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jun 26

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Ex-world leaders call for ‘powerful shift’ as they warn of extreme inequality

Former leaders urge current state heads to work together to end poverty amid potential of first trillionaires emerging

www.theguardian.com

1 5

Common Sense Policy Group @plancommonsense.bsky.social · Jun 25

CSPG's Epidemiology Lead @profkepickett.bsky.social in @theguardian.com making the case for Basic Income as a powerful upstream intervention to reduce pressure on the NHS and improve population health in the poorest areas.

Read more: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

#CommonSense #BasicIncome

Poorest parts of England to get £2.2bn more for NHS to cut care inequalities

Deprived and coastal areas to get extra cash this year for staff and resources in effort to improve health outcomes

www.theguardian.com

1 6 6

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jun 25

We cannot afford cuts. See our (better) alternative to the Spending Review: commonsense.northumbria.ac.uk/reports/spen...

Spending Review 2025 - Common Sense Policy Group

We Cannot Afford Cuts: An Alternative to the 2025 Spending Review Download ‘We Cannot Afford Cuts’ This report challenges the […]

commonsense.northumbria.ac.uk

2 2

Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · Jun 25

Poorest parts of England to get £2.2bn more for NHS to cut care inequalities

Deprived and coastal areas to get extra cash this year for staff and resources in effort to improve health outcomes

www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Poorest parts of England to get £2.2bn more for NHS to cut care inequalities

Deprived and coastal areas to get extra cash this year for staff and resources in effort to improve health outcomes

www.theguardian.com

8 28 120

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jun 11

See our blog describing findings from our new paper

Earth4All @earth4all.life · Jun 11

A new study identifies ten core principles from new economic thinking that could provide the foundation for a new mainstream economics that actually serves people and planet.

Learn more in a new blog from the co-authors ⏩ vist.ly/3n6kfvv

3 5

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jun 3

I was part of the Sustainability and Social Value working group as part of this, good to see the reports out

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · Jun 3

"In a geopolitically uncertain world and after more than a decade of low productivity growth, the UK needs to rethink its economic strategy." Today, we're publishing a collection of expert policy insights ahead of the multi-year Spending Review conclusion: buff.ly/DAlcNo5

buff.ly

1 1

The British Academy @britishacademy.bsky.social · Jun 3

"In a geopolitically uncertain world and after more than a decade of low productivity growth, the UK needs to rethink its economic strategy." Today, we're publishing a collection of expert policy insights ahead of the multi-year Spending Review conclusion: buff.ly/DAlcNo5

buff.ly

1 15 15

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Jun 2

Not my usual venue but: 'Child benefit cap must be scrapped – Labour can't afford not to' www.express.co.uk/news/politic...

'Child benefit cap must be scrapped – Labour can't afford not to'

Child poverty is running rampant across Britain.

www.express.co.uk

5 8

Health Equity North @healthequitynorth.bsky.social · Jun 2

Thank you to @stephspyro.bsky.social of the The Daily Express for publishing an opinion column from our Academic Co-Director @profkepickett.bsky.social today about the why the two child benefit cap should be scrapped www.express.co.uk/news/politic...

'Child benefit cap must be scrapped – Labour can't afford not to'

Child poverty is running rampant across Britain.

www.express.co.uk

5 2

York Festival of Ideas @yorkfestofideas.bsky.social · Jun 1

Leading UK geographer Danny Dorling unpacks polling data and shows that our global crises are often very different from what’s in the headlines.

The Next Crisis: What we think about the future - 4 Jun

yorkfestivalofideas.com/2025/calenda...

‪@dannydorling.bsky.social‬ @profkepickett.bsky.social‬

1

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 23

rdcu.be/eng6M

Income inequality and life expectancy in Canada: New evidence from province-level panel regression, 1996–2019

rdcu.be

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 22

greattransitiontest.org/gti-forum/me...

Memoirs of Global Engagement

What forces shape our intellectual and political journeys? As we work to realize a flourishing Earthland—a vibrant, humanized, and sustainable global society—it is timely to reflect on our individual ...

greattransitiontest.org

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 22

Hot off the press in Nature Sustainability (www.nature.com/articles/s41...) our paper proposing ten principles for transforming economics in a polycrisis world. I'm proud to be part of the most comprehensive effort to date to cohere the field of ‘new economics’

1 4

Carolina Alves @cacrisalves.bsky.social · May 15

Must-see slides from @profkepickett.bsky.social on 'How to Build a Good Society' - featuring powerful insights like 'Grassroots upward thinking' and more.

@pef-online.bsky.social @unlearnecon.bsky.social

1 3

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 14

Updated programme here, hope to see lots of people tomorrow, tickets are still available! Here is the revised programme

progressiveeconomyforum.com/news/program...

Programme for the PEF Conference at SOAS 15.5.25 • The Progressive Economy Forum

PEF 2025 - the complete programme of talks

progressiveeconomyforum.com

1

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 13

My new paper: Political Inequality | Annual Reviews - www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

Political Inequality | Annual Reviews

Inequality in political participation and influence has strongly increased in recent decades, breeding economic inequality. In this review, we focus on three aspects of political inequality: the incre...

www.annualreviews.org

1

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 7

Robert Reich asks: What would progressive populism entail? Among other things...raising taxes on the super-wealthy to finance a universal basic income... Read more about it in our new book: policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/trade/basic-...

Basic Income

Basic Income - The Policy That Changes Everything; This book presents the most comprehensive account yet of how basic income transforms societies for the better. It sets out the ripple effects that wi...

policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk

7 9

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · May 1

My new column: The False Economy of Cutting Disability Benefits www.socialeurope.eu/the-false-ec...

The False Economy of Cutting Disability Benefits

Financial insecurity destroys lives. Slashing disability benefits isn’t reform—it’s cruelty disguised as cost-saving.

www.socialeurope.eu

1 6 12

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Apr 30

Come along to the Progressive Economics 2025 conference to be inspired to make a difference!

1 3 5

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Apr 30

Quoted in the Guardian in relation to the new Global Flourishing Study, which is nice, but we already know what we need to do to create a better society! www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

UK among lowest-ranked countries for ‘human flourishing’ in wellbeing study

Findings of survey on happiness, health, finances, meaning in life and relationships raise concerns for young people

www.theguardian.com

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Apr 15

We got a shout out from George Monbiot in the Guardian: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Rightwing populists will keep winning until we grasp this truth about human nature | George Monbiot

Economic inequality breeds resentment and a desire to get even. That’s what fuels support for even incompetent regimes, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

www.theguardian.com

2

Inequality News @inequalitynews.bsky.social · Apr 14

Like this. Lends itself to lots of snappy hashtags...
#Wealth4Health
#TaxWealth4Health
#FromWealth2Health
and so on...

1 1

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Apr 14

My new editorial, Professor David Taylor-Robinson:
A UK wealth tax for better health www.bmj.com/content/389/...

A UK wealth tax for better health

Revenue could reduce funding gaps and inequalities The UK’s health and social care services are increasingly strained by rising demands and widening health inequalities—in life expectancy, infant mor...

www.bmj.com

1 3 3

Fairness Foundation @fairness.bsky.social · Apr 6

Owning assets has positive effects on future earnings and employment, physical and mental health, and civic engagement. Too many people in the UK today have zero or negative assets and are deprived of these benefits. New report: 'No Money, More Problems' fairnessfoundation.com/no-money-mor...

Gen Z and young millennials battling ‘negative wealth’ as debt burden grows

Young people whose debts outweigh their assets are at risk of experiencing blighted earnings, and even poorer health

www.theguardian.com

4 39 74

Kate Pickett @profkepickett.bsky.social · Apr 5

Thank you for posting @inequalitynews.bsky.social

Inequality News @inequalitynews.bsky.social · Apr 5

📢 #INEQUALITY GRAPH OF THE WEEK (No.1)

✅ More #equal countries are healthier, greener, and have fewer social problems.

❌ Note the positions of the US and UK.

Source: Profs Wilkinson & Pickett and The Equality Trust ♥️). See full report ➡️ media.equality-trust.out.re/uploads/2024...

4 3