rathfelder.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

After two challenging fiscal events dominated by tax rises and welfare cuts, the Chancellor has today been able to announce more positive economic news. Economic infrastructure spending is set to reach its highest sustained level on record ⤵️

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Our response to the #SpendingReview The chancellor described austerity as destructive but government is still rolling it out in the two-child limit which pulls 109 children into poverty every day. 1/2

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There's a lot to unpack here. But the "why do people in the developed world die from chronic diseases at higher rates than in poorer countries" is because we survive long enough to die from chronic rather than infectious disease. This is epidemiology 101. It's not a mystery.

submitted 1 day ago • 243 comments

Unicef uk analysis showed that every local authority in top 20% of deprivation in England was in bottom 20% for multiple measures of child health and development. Four damming maps. No excuses for this Labour government to do nothing www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/u...

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The impact of policy changes this Parliament are felt very differently by households with and without a disabled member.

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If you think climate change has gotten worse during your lifetime, you're right and there's a good reason. If you're Gen X like me, more than 3/4 of fossil fuel CO₂ emissions have occurred in your lifetime. Even if you're a Millennial, it's at least half. 📊: @neilrkaye.bsky.social

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This is the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard!! 😍

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‘5 years after the pandemic first began to affect global health, the virus continues to evolve into strains that are impacting populations on an international scale.’ COVID remains a threat, improving ventilation inside: one vital element to limit its spread. www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/uk-worl...

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what exactly is the political strategy behind the Tories shouting "we have received soooooo much money!" to the rooftops? polling has repeatedly shown the public (accurately) believe that donors can buy influence and access in Westminster and view it as highly corrosive. absolutely mad stuff

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6m houses are privately owned in the UK and rented out. They bring in a profit of approximately £80bn a year. They are worth about £700bn. The Government could make Landlords illegal, force purchase them all and pay it off with the current rent money within 10 years.

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Reform in Redditch are claiming that they have saved the taxpayer almost £46,000 by having one fewer cabinet member than the previous administration on Worcestershire County Council. An official council spokesperson tells me: "There were 10 Cabinet members previously...and 10 Cabinet members now."

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injecting bleach is so back

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Analysis by @ipprnorth.bsky.social reveals the £140bn transport investment gap between the North and London over the last 14yrs. Long term investment in the North’s rail network, integrated with local transport & house building plans, is key to improving connectivity and boosting prosperity.

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ending the two-child limit saves more than it costs in the long run: lifting children out of poverty is cheaper than letting them grow up in poverty. www.ft.com/content/1313...

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UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese brands US-backed Gaza aid system ‘humanitarian camouflage’, ‘tactic of this genocide’.

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who set up contracts for NHS services which excludes pupils at private schools?

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11 children died from whopping cough last year and there were more measles cases than any year back to 2012.

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In which the Swindon Advertiser uses at least two and I think more international traffic signs to explain how poor UK drivers are at understanding traffic signs. www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/2522216... @showmeasign.online

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Jeremy Bowen's long, measured, objective, but ultimately entirely clear and conclusive essay on Israeli war crimes. As Jonathan Sumption puts it: "These things make genocide the most plausible explanation for what is now happening." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

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When this is your reality, you deserve a choice. “I've had four different health professionals tell me I've got the worst disease possible.” www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/real-li...

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We’re ending austerity - the chart

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The 9000 Who Never Made It Home was a haunting, large-scale art installation created on the beaches of Normandy in 2013 to mark International Peace Day and honor those who died during the D-Day landings.

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Meticulous scientists proved 'tuberculosis is airborne - one of the traits that made M. tuberculosis so successful as a pathogen. In poorly ventilated indoor spaces, it can drift in the air for hours, waiting for its next victim to take a breath.' @carlzimmer.com www.newscientist.com/article/2481...

submitted 4 days ago • 2 comments

This week's announcement on free school meals is good news, but comes in the context of the UK having among the worst rates of child poverty in Europe. In the UK, 11% of 15-year-olds reported they had skipped a meal in 2022 because there wasn't enough money to buy food. 👉 buff.ly/4biQa5z

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An Iranian spokesperson called the move a sign of a ‘supremacist and racist mentality’ dominating US policy.

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The UK welfare state: recent history & future prospects. New essay by me & @iprnickp.bsky.social for @oxrepjournal.bsky.social on the economic, political & demographic forces reshaping our welfare state. academic.oup.com/oxrep/articl...

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

Study on London 20 mph limits shows: - collisions ⬇️ 35% - casualties ⬇️ 36% - fatal/serious injuries ⬇️ 34% - child casualties ⬇️ 46% - child deaths ⬇️ 75% - walkers, cyclists, motorcyclists killed/seriously injured ⬇️ 28% etsc.eu/20mph-limits...

submitted 8 days ago • 54 comments

Gilly lives with terminal caner. This is why she wants the choice of assisted dying to be legal. #YesToDignity

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❗️Over 10 million infants under six month old may currently be underweight. New research from @lshtm.bsky.social and the Emergency Nutrition Network estimated the burden of malnutrition among infants using survey data collected across 56 countries. 🌍 👉 www.lshtm.ac.uk/newsevents/n...

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British DOGE finds that every department needs more money

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How much council waste will Reform's 'Doge' unit actually find? More superb @matildamartin.bsky.social data journalism suggests not a lot In 23/24, 51-78% of expenditure by now Reform-run councils went on social care and homelessness alone www.politicshome.com/news/article...

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For Global Bicycle Day, Portuguese Police launched a crackdown on rule-breaking by cyclists, but ended up having to fine 925 drivers instead. Just 22 cyclists were fined in total in the operation. www.publico.pt/2025/06/06/l...

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Here's our May Round-Up that shows how the campaign for political reform is building across the country. From @NASUWT conference to the growing support in Westminster @FairElectionsUK. @electoralreform ask 'Is this the end of the two-party system?' politicsforthemany.co.uk/politics-for...

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“Appeasers get eaten. It’s very important to remember that if people are offered two versions of a particular political brand, they will always choose the genuine one” Bueno esto de @arusbridger.bsky.social con Neil Kinnock www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/politics/lab...

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🔴Reform UK’s Elon Musk-Style ‘Doge’ Team Is in Turmoil Following Major Resignations The team set up by Nigel Farage to slash spending in the local authorities his party now runs across England is already falling apart bylinetimes.com/2025/06/06/r...

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In the long run, this is actually going to be the important news of the day--co2 in the atmosphere passes another grim milestone

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Ahead of the SR next week, my long read today looks at where the £22.6bn extra cash chancellor Reeves added to health spending in England for this year has gone. A thread >>

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Dutch refugees in Tudor England, many living in Norwich, were promised safety. What they got was legal limbo, surveillance and prosecution for working. Sound familiar? By Kathleen Commons.

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Breaking news: The sell-off erased $153bn from Tesla’s value, the biggest one-day drop in the electric-car company’s market capitalisation on record, and comes as Donald Trump threatens he will terminate US government contracts with Musk’s companies. www.ft.com/content/a14f...

submitted 6 days ago • 40 comments

NEW: Tens of thousands of disabled households could face a “triple hit” of benefit cuts due to the impact on Carer’s Allowance DWP figures show 95,000 unpaid carers stand to lose PIP - and for some the impact could be even worse By me, for the Big Issue www.bigissue.com/news/social-...

submitted 6 days ago • 6 comments