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Ewan McGaughey

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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Poverty: Made in Britain.

©️HM Treasury.
resfoundation.bsky.social
Resolution Foundation @resfoundation.bsky.social · 5d
Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade.

Without action, levels will soon break records.

Scrapping the two-child limit in full would be the most targeted and cost-effective way of reducing child poverty.
chart showing Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade, from 27 per cent in 2013-14 to 31 per cent in 2023-24. As things stand, child poverty is on track to reach record highs within this Parliament
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Mark Robinson

resfoundation.bsky.social
Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade.

Without action, levels will soon break records.

Scrapping the two-child limit in full would be the most targeted and cost-effective way of reducing child poverty.
chart showing Relative child poverty has remained stubbornly high over the last twenty years and has risen over the past decade, from 27 per cent in 2013-14 to 31 per cent in 2023-24. As things stand, child poverty is on track to reach record highs within this Parliament
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Steve Peers, Christopher McCabe , and 1 more

mellino.bsky.social
🚨 Our new investigation out today reveals how thousands of people who've taken their bosses to employment tribunals & won, never got paid, even after they approached the government for help.

This has serious implications for the Employment rights bill.
www.thebureauinvestigates.com/stories/2025...
Thousands of rogue bosses get away with not paying tribunal awards
The government scheme ‘enforcing’ money owed to workers has been unsuccessful in a staggering three-quarters of cases
www.thebureauinvestigates.com
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Eleanor Roosevelt, before the Equal Pay Act of 1963, said we needed a right to equal pay in law, but also to equalise child care duties.

Want to end the gender pay gap?
1. Paid parental leave, equal for mums + dads, 26 weeks
2. Universal free child care
3. Sector collective bargaining for fair pay
rooseveltinstitute.org
Roosevelt Institute @rooseveltinstitute.org · 7d
The gender wage gap is widening again, and showing “worrying trends.”

Top of the list of reasons, to no one’s surprise: soaring child care costs.

Important read from @kedseconomist.com
Quote from article: The first is that the gender wage gap widened for the second year in a row. Women’s earnings as a share of men’s fell to 80.9% in 2024, from 84% in 2022. There is no racial group or educational class within the working population in which women outearn men. The second is that the gender working gap is also widening. Women are leaving the labor force: 383,000 since January, for a 0.6 percentage-point decline in their participation rate, compared to an addition of 690,000 men, an 0.1 point increase. The overall employment picture is even worse: There are 499,000 fewer women working now than at the start of the year, compared to 368,000 more men working.

Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

rooseveltinstitute.org
The gender wage gap is widening again, and showing “worrying trends.”

Top of the list of reasons, to no one’s surprise: soaring child care costs.

Important read from @kedseconomist.com
Quote from article: The first is that the gender wage gap widened for the second year in a row. Women’s earnings as a share of men’s fell to 80.9% in 2024, from 84% in 2022. There is no racial group or educational class within the working population in which women outearn men. The second is that the gender working gap is also widening. Women are leaving the labor force: 383,000 since January, for a 0.6 percentage-point decline in their participation rate, compared to an addition of 690,000 men, an 0.1 point increase. The overall employment picture is even worse: There are 499,000 fewer women working now than at the start of the year, compared to 368,000 more men working.
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Important work on inequality changing children’s brain structure from @divyangana.bsky.social and colleagues.

Best ways to reduce inequality:
1. Fair pay agreements for every sector
2. Abolish two child benefit cap, for universal social security
3. Fair tax.

www.theguardian.com/science/2025...
Study links greater inequality to structural changes in children’s brains
Researchers say findings show inequality creates toxic environment and reducing it is ‘a public health imperative’
www.theguardian.com
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Seems like you’ve got another big tech media takeover by the far right.

I guess that will be good for Republicans getting votes during elections.
nancylevinestearns.bsky.social
Nancy Levine Stearns 🌎 @nancylevinestearns.bsky.social · 12d
🚨 Trump will sign an executive order today to hand TikTok over to his friend Larry Ellison. The White House confirmed that users' data will be stored at Ellison's Oracle and the algorithm would be "retrained."

www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Trump expected to sign a TikTok deal Thursday
The proposed structure would comply with a bipartisan law passed in 2024 that sought to ban TikTok if the platform wasn't sold to U.S.-based owners this year.
www.nbcnews.com
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

nancylevinestearns.bsky.social
🚨 Trump will sign an executive order today to hand TikTok over to his friend Larry Ellison. The White House confirmed that users' data will be stored at Ellison's Oracle and the algorithm would be "retrained."

www.nbcnews.com/politics/don...
Trump expected to sign a TikTok deal Thursday
The proposed structure would comply with a bipartisan law passed in 2024 that sought to ban TikTok if the platform wasn't sold to U.S.-based owners this year.
www.nbcnews.com
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by Ewan McGaughey

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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Harmonising NICs, and raising income tax for the wealthy is essential.

The 2% difference in NICs between employees and the self-employed creates a big incentive for sham-self-employment, like Deliveroo and Uber carriers.

+ wealthier people should pay fair tax.

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Reeves urged to take 2p off employee NI and add it to income tax in budget
Resolution Foundation says move could raise additional £6bn a year and ‘level the playing field’ on income tax
www.theguardian.com
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

freerepunit.bsky.social
A reminder: if you are an aspiring lawyer this fantastic experience is available to you.

Volunteering with FRU is a shortcut to gaining key legal skills.

The entry point is to attend our training. Places are still left on the social security training. Book here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/fru-social...
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Thomas Piketty

wid.world
Don't miss tomorrow's event with @thomaspiketty.bsky.social on global #inequality including preliminary results from the #GlobalJusticeProject.

📍In-person and online public event

🎟️ Registration www.lse.ac.uk/events/globa...
@lsepress.bsky.social
Thomas Piketty on global inequality | LSE Events
3.30pm Fri 19 Sept | Thomas Piketty | Ticket Required | Free public event at LSE
www.lse.ac.uk
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Martin O’Neill

social.newcivilengineer.com
The UK government has calculated that nationalising the water sector would cost around £100bn, but this has been disputed by analysts at @cmmonwealth.bsky.social who argue the government has powers to do it at a far lower cost

Full story: buff.ly/knWquLB
Defra calculates £100bn to nationalise water sector but ‘true’ figure could be much lower | New Civil Engineer
The circa £100bn figure comes from a technical assessment by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). This figure is based on the
buff.ly
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Wealthier democracies have mail, transport, energy + water in public ownership. We still don't. We can keep paying £bns to foreign shareholders, or we can have faster mail and transport, clean energy and water, for lower cost. But we can't do both.

👇
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK public has paid £200bn to shareholders of key industries since privatisation
Analysis reveals ‘privatisation premium’ of £250 per household per year paid to owners of water, rail, bus, energy and mail services since 2010
www.theguardian.com
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by Ewan McGaughey — Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Colin Murray

ewanmg.bsky.social
📘 Come to my inaugural lecture "Democratic socialism and the law", 6.30pm, 15 October: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inaugural-...

🌹 What role does the law play in democratic socialism? It rewires the defects of contract, property, corporate law + residual ‘capitalist’ elements of our law, and more... 👇
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Melanie Simms

rooseveltinstitute.org
To make sure AI serves workers—not just tech monopolies—we need bold action: corporate regulation, worker voice, and sectoral bargaining.

Read more from @elizabethwwilkins.bsky.social on the scale of #AI concentration in a new blog w/ @eop.aspeninstitute.org ⤵️ www.aspeninstitute.org/blog-posts/w...
Worker Power in the Age of AI Monopolies: Why We Need Structural Solutions Now
Elizabeth Wilkins
www.aspeninstitute.org
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Steve Peers, Christopher McCabe , and 6 more

davidrvetter.bsky.social
"My school saves thousands of pounds every year from those solar panels." The TUC directly takes on Reform, a party funded by the fossil fuel Industry. Posted on IG by tradesunioncongress
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
New Mexico is getting universal pre school childcare, like the next NYC mayor promises.

Over 60 years since Eleanor Roosevelt called for it, this is key to ending the gender pay gap.

In the UK we now have 30 hours free, but lack public nurseries + proper pay for staff.
www.krqe.com/news/politic...
Governor announces New Mexico will now provide free universal child care
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – New Mexico is becoming the first state in the U.S. to offer free early childhood education to every family in the state. Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced a universal ch…
www.krqe.com
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by Kate Jackson — Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Daniel Aaron, John Hogan , and 1 more

katejackson.bsky.social
One puzzle I’m working through is how authoritarian political movements impact civil society orgs. We’re getting more familiar with what authoritarianism will do to them when in power. It’s a top-down theory of change. But does the underlying political & social movement have an independent impact?
A Populist CEO in Corporate Law’s Court?
Recent amendments to Delaware’s corporate code have tilted the playing field toward powerful tech CEOs and private equity representatives. Beneath these reforms lies a deeper political shift — the…
lpeproject.org
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
I’m reading your argument carefully, much to go, but it strikes me that:

- Norway’s Labour just won re-election on keeping wealth tax
- reformed property tax is a subcategory of wealth tax, no?
- capital gains tax doesn’t tackle capital hoards

But what do you think would address wealth inequality?
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by Stuart J. Turnbull‐Dugarte — Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Jonathan Portes, Simon Hix , and 60 more

turnbulldugarte.com
Radical right accommodation really does not work.

New paper out with this exceptionally talented team
@katharinalawall.bsky.social @robjohns75.bsky.social @drjennings.bsky.social @sarahobolt.bsky.social @zachdickson.bsky.social @danjdevine.bsky.social & @jack-bailey.co.uk

doi.org/10.31235/osf...
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Petrol and diesel, gas and coal power stations, or toxic rubbish incinerators are leading causes of dementia.

So, we need 100% electric vehicles, all solar, wind and clean electricity generation, and for supermarkets to stop producing plastic waste.

Easy.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Air pollution can drive devastating forms of dementia, research suggests
Airborne particles cause toxic clumps of proteins in brain that are hallmarks of Lewy body dementia, study indicates
www.theguardian.com

Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey, Thomas Piketty, Benjamin Braun

wid.world
What should be publicly owned, or privatised?

@ewanmg.bsky.social builds develops a theory of when public or private ownership leads to better outcomes, using comparative data from OECD countries in sectors such as water, rail, electricity, and telecommunications ▶️ wid.world/news-article...
Public ownership outperforms privatisation when an enterprise is a skill-based, natural, or network monopoly - WID - World Inequality Database
Public ownership outperforms privatisation when an enterprise is a skill-based, natural, or network monopoly This paper develops a theory of when public or private ownership leads to better outcomes, ...
wid.world
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
What should be publicly owned, or privatised?

We have a century of data on what works, so we should be able to get beyond ideology + build an evidence-based theory.

New paper from me looks at theory since Adam Smith + maps OECD outcomes. Download + please repost!👇

papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

cmmonwealth.bsky.social
“In many ways water privatisation has been the greatest failure of the wholesale sell-off of govt utilities”. — @thetimes.com

But public ownership *doesn’t* have to “burden the Govt with a huge debt”.

@ewanmg.bsky.social explains how we can bring water back into public hands at a low cost 👇
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
Big news- the major Australian union body is calling for a 3 day weekend.
labourstart.bsky.social
LabourStart @labourstart.bsky.social · Aug 13
AUSTRALIA: Australian Council of Trade Unions says it's time for a shorter work week to boost performance and reduce burnout www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...
Peak union body calls for four-day work week
The peak union group says a shorter work week would improve productivity and reduce burnout, adding workers should also be able to share in the spoils of the expected artificial intelligence boom.
www.abc.net.au
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

labourstart.bsky.social
AUSTRALIA: Australian Council of Trade Unions says it's time for a shorter work week to boost performance and reduce burnout www.abc.net.au/news/2025-08...
Peak union body calls for four-day work week
The peak union group says a shorter work week would improve productivity and reduce burnout, adding workers should also be able to share in the spoils of the expected artificial intelligence boom.
www.abc.net.au
1 4 8

Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

cmmonwealth.bsky.social
The public deserve real solutions — not temporary fixes.

When essential services are owned by the public, problems are fixed — not profited from.

The true cost of bringing water into public ownership is close to 0.

Our recent briefing by @ewanmg.bsky.social 👇
www.common-wealth.org/publications...
How to Clean Up Our Water: Why Public Ownership in Law Costs Zero
The Government has said it would cost £99 billion to nationalise Thames Water. The true cost in law is closer to zero.
www.common-wealth.org
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Reposted by: Ewan McGaughey

cmmonwealth.bsky.social
“If you want an advert for why private companies shouldn’t be involved in certain sectors, this is it.”

Privateers have run Thames Water into the ground.

This is delaying the inevitable.

Relying on the same model to fix what they broke is madness.
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by Ewan McGaughey

ewanmg.bsky.social
We did the largest crowdfund in UK law history to stop pension cuts + divest fossil fuels from the Universities Superannuation Scheme.

We settled after the Court of Appeal - USS had folded and restored the pension.

But we lost on fossil fuels - here's the story 👇

www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminst...
www.lse.ac.uk
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