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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 1d

I don't agree with every idea in it, as with any essay collection, but there are lots of thoughtful reflections from different perspectives and good ideas in there.

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 1d

Thoughtful collection of essays from Bright with a range of centre right visions for the future of social security. Good to see discussion of positive role for social security in our society and economy & need to address hardship as well as other goals of reform. t.co/hiNHdNUaeQ

https://www.brightblue.org.uk/portfolio/mending-the-net

t.co

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 2d

You have to respect the sheer amount of padding in the Strictly results show. 15 minutes of actual content, dragged out to 1 hr 45 mins!

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 3d

Yep

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 3d

Apparently both were tall/normal for their time.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 3d

I just found out Alexander the Great was only 5 ft tall.

That’s several inches shorter than Napoleon. But no one mentions it, while Napoleon’s the one saddled with a whole syndrome named after him.

🤷‍♂️

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 3d

First fire of the season.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 4d

What is it about being a middle aged woman that means you end up stuck in the middle of every family tension, receiving everyone’s emotions & trying to square every circle?

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 5d

My partner & I just realised it was our 20th anniversary last week!

(We’re not married so date it from the club night we first met at & got together.)

20 years!!!! 😮😮😮

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

I’m sure we can just renegotiate the Right to Podcast Family Life clause.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

The younger teenager has been tempted to join us to watch Bake Off. (We told her they laugh at rude things and she agreed to give it a go.) She’s one of us now. #GBBO

an older woman with blue hair and red glasses says absolutely perfect

ALT: an older woman with blue hair and red glasses says absolutely perfect

media.tenor.com

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

Can we have a 1 in 1 out policy for political podcasts?

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

Read the excellent analysis in full here: resolutionfoundation.org/app/uploads/...

resolutionfoundation.org

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

"Abolishing the two-child limit should be just the starting point of a successful Child Poverty Strategy...Scrapping the two-child limit outright would be the most cost-effective way to reduce child poverty; none of the floated alternatives would be as efficient."
3/4

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

All partial options leave many 1000s more children growing up in poverty & are less efficient & cost-effective than full lifting.
- 120,000 - 350,000 more children in poverty vs fully scrapping limit.
- child poverty likely at or above current 31% by the end of the Parliament
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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 6d

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

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

How did the Prime Minister do? He spoke about reducing child poverty and giving children the best start in life. But warm words don’t pay the bills or put food on the table. The government must lift the two child limit, or see child poverty rise even further on their watch.

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

Has the PM finished talking about child poverty? Really?

Right to celebrate the steps so far - extending free school meals, childcare investment etc.

But he will be a Prime Minister presiding over rising child poverty this Parliament unless he steps up and lifts the cruel 2 child limit.

Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

PM says childcare investment gives every child the best start in life. Children growing up in families forced into hunger & hardship by the 2 child limit - driven to the doors of food banks - are definitively not getting the best start in life. #LabourPartyConference

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

PM says childcare investment gives every child the best start in life. Children growing up in families forced into hunger & hardship by the 2 child limit - driven to the doors of food banks - are definitively not getting the best start in life. #LabourPartyConference

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 7d

Seeing all the flags in the conference hall for the PM’s speech, as at Lib Dem conference. Big Flag having a serious moment. #LabourPartyConference

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 8d

New vlog👇The hottest topic at #LabourPartyConference is whether the PM will announce scrapping the cruel & counterproductive 2 child limit in his speech today. Here’s why he should ⬇️ @trusselluk.bsky.social

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 9d

Future Jobs Fund impact: 2 years after the programme, participants were 11 ppts more likely to be in unsubsidised work. 7 ppts less likely to be on benefits.

An 'unqualified success'

Cost £1 billion.

Useful @NIESRorg blog: niesr.ac.uk/blog/future-...

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 9d

Meeting the cost of a job is likely to be harder for more young people now. More will be skipping meals. More will have mental health challenges. For this to work it needs to focus on support not sanctions. 2/2

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Helen Barnard @helenbarnard.bsky.social · 9d

The Future Jobs Fund is back! Overall, positive announcement from Chancellor on guaranteed job placements for young people. Questions on resources, design & support. 1 big difference - far more young people face hunger & hardship today than back then. 1/2

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

Rachel Reeves to guarantee paid work for young people unemployed for 18 months - BBC News

The chancellor will commit to "the abolition of long-term youth unemployment" in her speech at Labour conference.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Reposted by Helen Barnard

Stephen Evans @stephenevans.bsky.social · 9d

Pleased to see the Government funding work placements for long-term NEETs, like Future Jobs Fund. As I say in Times, q’s on detail re eligibility (should be open on voluntary basis to young UC health claimants) & placements (how long, which employers, what support). www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

Young people to lose benefits if they refuse job offers

Rachel Reeves is to announce a plan to seek out young people not in work or training, and ‘abolish’ long-term youth unemployment

www.thetimes.com

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