Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 1d

Saying this when your boss (& leader of your party) is a person of colour is actually bonkers. We're in uncharted territory.

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

Jenrick defends calling Handsworth 'worst-integrated'

The shadow justice secretary is accused of racism after saying the Handsworth area was one of the

www.bbc.co.uk

2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 1d

We called our (female) friend Gary, and then Gaz, for *years* because a stranger once got her name wrong.

A lot of cultures are hilarious (eg North Indians) and the UK is absolutely up there. Love this from @sofiejenkinson.bsky.social

renewal.org.uk/blog/mr-blob...

1 2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 5d

Lots more here: www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...

The impact of motherhood on monthly employee earnings and employment status, England - Office for National Statistics

The change in employee earnings and employment after having a first, second and third child, for people with children.

www.ons.gov.uk

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 5d

Stark numbers out today from ONS on loss of earnings and reduction in work amongst mothers *years* after childbirth.

Like our own @jrf-uk.bsky.social research, shows that caring requirements have a long tail of financial impact. Makes the success of the govt's childcare reform even more vital.

1 3

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 15d

Doesn't mean we bin means testing - some people will always need more. But austerity forced services (social care is a good example of this) to serve a smaller number, eroding trust in government's ability to deliver.

If everyone is getting out, they'll be much more likely to want to pay in.

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 15d

The next decade will see more of us needing care or losing our jobs as the labour market transforms with AI. These are expensive problems to solve.

We won't get the funding we need without more taxation, and it's unlikely that we can do that without more trust in our state and public services.

1

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 15d

Really like this from @morganwild.bsky.social.

Lots of attention on the immigration implications. But not enough on the radical potential on social policy - counting unwaged work like care as contribution, proper income protection, long-term care funding.

www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/...

The case for contribution — Labour Together

This essay, by Labour Together’s chief policy adviser, Morgan Wild, argues that this Labour government should root itself in an ethic and expectation of contribution : the actions we take that make o...

www.labourtogether.uk

1 1 3

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 15d

This is such an interesting idea.

NI is regressive and not broad based. The funding challenges of the future, like expanding social care and defence, might need a different approach.

Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 15d

To do this we propose a 2p 'tax switch' from employer NI to Income Tax.

This would raise £6bn, and be a step on the way to abolishing employee NICs

Extra revenue would come from:
- Landlords
- The self-employed
- Pensionsers

Combined basic rate would still be lower than for decades pre-2024

1

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

So grateful to Ed for his leadership on care.

We need more politicians speaking out about the personal experiences they have of caring - making the private public is the first step to making care a policy priority.

Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 19d

When I was young, being a carer simply wasn’t talked about. We’ve come a long way since then, but government still all too often ignores the millions of carers across Britain.

I was proud to write the foreword to this IPPR report calling for real and transformative change.

Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 19d

[email protected] has been a carer for his mum, his nanna & now his son. As he says, most care isn’t in care homes but in our homes, given by families. We’re a nation of carers — but govt rarely sees it that way.

Read his foreword to our new report: www.ippr.org/articles/who...

2

Reposted by Abby Jitendra

Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 19d

Britain’s care system is running on unpaid labour — and most of it falls on women.

Read the report by @jrf-uk.bsky.social's @abbyabhaya.bsky.social here: www.ippr.org/articles/who...

1 19 23

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

Thanks to the care experts who reflected on the report & @parth0.bsky.social and Prof Jane Gingrich for their wisdom.

Read more below:
www.ippr.org/articles/who....

Who will care?: How can we meet the scale of the care challenge? | IPPR

This paper traces the history around care transformation over the last century, and explores the ways in which the work of caring is undervalued and theref

www.ippr.org

2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

Ignoring the care challenge is increasingly impossible. We are getting older and anxiety about living costs, squeezed by care demands, continues.

Care costs are also the key driver of many local councils cutting other services, weakening public trust in government.

The moment is now. (5/

1 1 5

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

But! We shouldn't try to design out unpaid care. Without it, as Beveridge wrote, 'the nation could not continue'.

Better benefits, help to work and care - these will all be a necessity in the future as more of us have to care.

(4/

1 3

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

Free services build support and trust, but no comparable social care system abroad is completely free.

Services should be affordable, with more public funding to move responsibility from domestic to formal care. Some care should be free for all to build support for the system.

(3/

1 5

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

I've traced the history of care over the last century showing how today's problems have deep roots.

Care was largely done in the home, by women. Shamefully, this remains the case even today.

Change demands a new approach - turning the system into a public service fit for the modern day. (2/

1 2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19d

Excited to share a new report I've written for @ippr.org's Decade of National Renewal project.

We are all living longer but policy isn't meeting the scale of the current - or future - challenge.

Progressives have a generational opportunity to shape the future of a vital public service. (1/

1 3 14

Reposted by Abby Jitendra

Morgan Bestwick @morganbestwick.bsky.social · Sep 8

Interesting new report out from @thefabians.bsky.social today on why the UK needs to extend sick pay protections to the self-employed 👇

Fabian Society @thefabians.bsky.social · Sep 8

🚨NEW REPORT🚨

How do we extend sick pay protection to the self-employed?

In ‘Ill-Prepared’ @eloisesacares.bsky.social sets out a roadmap for a full employment insurance system by the end of next parliament.

Here’s what you need to know🧵

1 4 8

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · Sep 1

They should also look at how to make a system which really incentives work & supports disadvantaged families.

With @neweconomics.bsky.social we proposed a % cap on how much you pay for childcare, which would massively reduce the cost of full-time childcare.

neweconomics.org/2025/07/the-...

The Universal Family Childcare Promise

Guaranteeing support for parents and children

neweconomics.org

2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · Sep 1

There's a lot this govt do going fwd to making it better:

- New financial regulations so profits are going into good quality care
- Make sure nurseries can afford to operate by funding places properly
- Expand funded childcare to all parents in work (lots of immigrant parents are locked out)

1 2

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · Sep 1

From today, a *lot* more childcare is going to be paid for by govt, which will definitely help families. Childcare looks increasingly like a public service - a good thing.

But long-running issues like the govt underfunding of nurseries delivering that care remain.

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

Childcare expansion could leave parents paying more, study finds

University of Bradford research finds the government's free childcare expansion could 'backfire'.

www.bbc.co.uk

1 1 3

Reposted by Abby Jitendra

Hari Kunzru @harikunzru.bsky.social · Sep 1

It is insane to me that the richest man in the world is using his global megaphone to call for millions of British people to be rounded up and deported (including my family) and somehow this isn’t even news.

Elon Musk « x@elonmusk•6h
Remigration is the only way
Steve Laws
@Steve_Laws_•18h
Go anywhere in the UK and look around, you'll just see foreigners everywhere.
It's truly sickening the damage that has been done to our nation and our people....

Steve Laws & @Steve_Laws_
X.com
Epping is everywhere.
12:02•8/29/25 • 275K Views

Elonmusk
All Britain is Epping

@Steve_Laws_
Keep highlighting this Elon, we appreciate it.

160 1.3K 4.3K

Reposted by Abby Jitendra

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · Aug 29

The radical right in Britain increasingly claims to represent "Christian values" & "Christian civilisation" - though its leaders rarely go to church or pretend to believe anything.

It's especially important that Christian leaders speak out against this, as it's their tradition that's being claimed.

Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · Aug 28

A courteous but very impressive rebuke to Nigel Farage from the Bishop of Oxford.

"I heard no compassion in what you said...".

"I disagree profoundly with your attempts to ... increase fear of the stranger in our communities".

Do read.
blogs.oxford.anglican.org/an-open-lett...

An open letter to Nigel Farage - Bishop Steven's Blog

Bishop Steven writes an open letter in response to Nigel Farage MP's immigration policy which was launched in Oxford this week.

blogs.oxford.anglican.org

29 210 670

Reposted by Abby Jitendra

Marie Le Conte @youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · Aug 22

god I hate this I hate this I hate it I hate it, I hate that the mainstream right has gone this mad and racist and radicalised, I hate that no one seems to know how to stop it from getting worse, it worries me so much and I hate it all

Alastair Meeks @alastairmeeks.bsky.social · Aug 22

Get down off that cross, you’re a far right inciter of pogroms.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/08...

Lucy Connolly’s first interview: I was Starmer’s political prisoner

Northampton childminder speaks exclusively to Allison Pearson, the Telegraph journalist who led the campaign for her release

www.telegraph.co.uk

73 260 1.5K

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · Aug 6

It finds that childcare costs would reduce significantly for people working full time.

This fixes a crucial flaw in the current system where parents have to juggle work with caring as they only get enough funded care to cover part-time work.

Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · Aug 6

Childcare costs are still high despite significant govt funding. That's because we give families 'free hours' which max out rather than charge people based on their income.

Very excited that this piece from NEF in partnership with JRF explores what a means tested childcare system would look like >

New Economics Foundation @neweconomics.bsky.social · Jul 31

NEW RESEARCH: The richest households in England will be eight times more likely to benefit from the government’s expanded programme of funded childcare hours. 1/8

Image of mother and baby looking at a laptop screen. Text reads: Childcare inequality in England. New analysis reveals who really benefits from government support.

1 3