Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 1d

Very interesting!

Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · 1d

ICO orders DWP to

"disclose the list of all AI tools DWP plans to place on the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards Hub"

I.e. publish details of all the AI they are using unless there is a valid reason to keep it secret

h/t @rightsnet.org.uk

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

ico.org.uk

Anna Dent @annadent.bsky.social · 1d

ICO orders DWP to

"disclose the list of all AI tools DWP plans to place on the Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standards Hub"

I.e. publish details of all the AI they are using unless there is a valid reason to keep it secret

h/t @rightsnet.org.uk

Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)

ico.org.uk

4 11 39

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 2d

People seem to think they can’t just talk to the other party. That is rubbish. They can and they should.

1 4

New York Attorney General Letitia James @newyorkstateag.bsky.social · 2d

This is nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.

I am not fearful — I am fearless.

We will fight these baseless charges aggressively, and my office will continue to fiercely protect New Yorkers and their rights..

1.8K 11K 39K

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 3d

The Palliser Chronicles are so reassuring! Politicians were awful
then too and the UK survived!

3

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 4d

Loads of ways to improve IHT- eg move to a donee basis. And remove CGT uplift in death. For more from me you will need a reading list! Be careful what you wish for!

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 4d

First what would you include in a wealth tax? If not main residences and pensions you won’t collect much and you will distort the market. If you include them it will be politically unacceptable and impossible to implement, not least due to valuation issues.

1 1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 4d

Wealth tax thinking is not ‘out of the box’ but just flawed!

1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

I don’t support a new annual wealth tax or a one off levy. I do support improving our existing taxes on wealth.

1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

Ideally we would get rid of a lot of them and certainly not introduce new ones.

2

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

And by principled reform I do not mean gimmicky new taxes but sorting out the structural issues with the main revenue raising taxes we have already and primarily VAT, national insurance and income tax plus our poorly designed existing capital taxes- CGT and IHT

1 8

Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 5d

Some of London’s poorest areas could see their share of the children’s services funding formula halved under Labour’s plans to reform local government grants.

By me, for Politics Home: www.politicshome.com/news/article...

London Councils Face Losing Half Their Share Of Children's Services Funding

Some of London’s poorest areas could see their share of funding for children’s services halved under Labour’s plans to reform local government gran...

www.politicshome.com

7 96 140

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

Spot on on how politicians think about tax. Unfortunately I agree likely we shall have minor fiddling again. But better options exist - eg Resolution Foundation suggestion. Since even small tweaks upset someone, why not be bolder and go for principled reform? Politics, that’s why.

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 5d

New post just out:

"Staying alive vs taking control"

Labour's big choice at the budget is whether they just want to try and survive it or whether they're willing to take some bigger risks that would have future payoffs.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...

Staying alive vs taking control

Labour's budget choices

open.substack.com

3 12 42

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 5d

New post just out:

"Staying alive vs taking control"

Labour's big choice at the budget is whether they just want to try and survive it or whether they're willing to take some bigger risks that would have future payoffs.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/s...

Staying alive vs taking control

Labour's budget choices

open.substack.com

10 24 110

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 5d

Huh! Why couldn’t ours manage that then?

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 6d

I think that is how it should have been done. I am not eligible but my husband is and they didn’t do it. If they did it this way, more of us could have been eligible too.

1 1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 6d

Covid vaccinations
open.substack.com/pub/timleuni... - this from the ever interesting @timleunig.bsky.social My surgery delivered 1000 flu jabs on Saturday and I don’t believe it would not have been cost effective to give COVID jabs at the same time but not available even to those eligible 🤷‍♀️

Covid vaccinations

What next?

open.substack.com

2 4

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 15d

Worth reposting

Andrew @openpolicy.bsky.social · Sep 5

Understanding why government officials blew past the warnings on Robodebt is important in understanding the risks civil servants and the public use tackle as they face pressure to use ‘AI’ in public service delivery.

Policy and Society @policysociety.bsky.social · Sep 5

Early View ✉️

This article seeks to understand how the Australian Government came to implement a scheme - Robodebt - that was in clear violation of social security law, focusing specifically on the role of legal advice.

Read more: academic.oup.com/policyandsoc...

1

Richard Moorhead @richardmoorhead.bsky.social · 15d

Very interesting on a bunch of things including reparations

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 15d

New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social

On Russia's provocations in Poland, Romania, Denmark and elsewhere.

And what NATO and the EU can do to respond.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russian provocations

How should NATO and the EU react?

open.substack.com

3 4

Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 15d

New post from @ldfreedman.bsky.social

On Russia's provocations in Poland, Romania, Denmark and elsewhere.

And what NATO and the EU can do to respond.

(£/free trial)

open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/r...

Russian provocations

How should NATO and the EU react?

open.substack.com

3 7 35

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 17d

9 year old kids know…

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 17d

They've lost the 9yos

JA Westenberg
@Daojoan@mastodon.social

My 9 year old and his classmates have started using “that’s AI” to mean “I don’t believe you.”

Me: we’re having dinosaur meat for dinner

Kiddo: that’s AI
Sep 24, 2025, 07:36 AM

1 7

Susan Kaye Quinn is Writing Solarpunk 🌞🌱 @susankayequinn.bsky.social · 17d

They've lost the 9yos

110 2.9K 11K

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 18d

Whoops sorry Andy and Andy

1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 18d

@arunadvani.bsky.social @andysummersrn.bsky.social are having significant impact in taxation field.

1 2

James McRae @jockyblue82.bsky.social · 21d

I think this is very correct from @ianleslie.bsky.social. They probably should have done this ages ago but right now there really is very little to lose...

2 3 3

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22d

www.vatcalc.com/eu/2023-eu-v...

2025 European VAT registration & Intrastat thresholds - vatcalc.com

The table below provides the latest European VAT registration thresholds for resident and non-resident (foreign) businesses, plus Intrastat reporting threshold.

www.vatcalc.com

2

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22d

When I last looked UK threshold higher than in most jurisdictions.

2 2

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22d

Will try to find out.

1 1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 22d

I can see issues with that due to our definition of business.

1 1

Judith Freedman @judithfreedman.bsky.social · 23d

I couldn't agree with this article more. We need to think about how we move from piecemeal ideas flying around to a proper method of tax reform. It seems politicians cannot deliver it on their own. They must always be in charge, but they must be persuaded to seek sensible help. on.ft.com/4muHY6n

Britain must break from the grip of dysfunctional policymaking

Speculation over what might be in November’s Budget has left me depressed about our capacity for rational policies

on.ft.com

6