NEF in the news, March 2021

Vaccine passports, EU UK tensions, Suez Canal block and Union Jacks on public buildings
Miatta was on BBC News, The Papers to discuss the latest headlines. 

The financial impacts of lockdown
Lydia was on Channel 5 News calling on the government to provide more support for families worst hit by pandemic. 

Vaccine distribution and misogyny as a hate crime 
Miatta was on talkRADIO’s political panel to discuss issues of vaccine supply and the move for police in England and Wales o record misogyny as a hate crime in the wake of Sarah Everard murder. 

Sian Berry pledges to stand with renters and strengthen their rights as Mayor
Our work on rent controls was mentioned in a London Post article on the launch of Sian Berry’s mayoral campaign. 

Public sector pay and government borrowing
Alfie was on talkRADIO’s political panel to discuss some of the pledges coming out of Labour’s manifesto for the local elections and address arguments on public finances and interest rates.

How campaigners turned the Bank of England green
Our work with Positive Money successfully getting the Bank of England to shift billions away from fossil fuels was covered in Left Foot Forward.

ECB urged to rethink collateral rules to lower carbon footprints
Our report calling on the European Central Bank to green its monetary policy was covered in Bloomberg (along with coverage of Greenpeace activists paragliding onto the Bank).

Post-Covid Britain needs a new social guarantee
Ensuring everyone has decent public services and a guaranteed income could transform the UK after the pandemic, write Anna Coote and Neal Lawson in the Guardian.

International climate scientists join call to halt Leeds Bradford airport expansion
Our research, showing that expanding Leeds Bradford airport would bring little economic benefit to the area, was covered in the Guardian.

Wales could lead the ​‘green recovery’ in the wake of Covid – but it has to be done the right way
Sophie Howe, Welsh Future Generations Commissioner, wrote about our work with her and Wales TUC in the Independent.

The pandemic, the deficit, Brexit, and tax
Miatta appeared on BBC Question Time and explained that reducing the deficit is not necessary, urged a new approach to tax, and discussed the Government’s pandemic response and the need to deliver on Brexit promises.

Budget 2021: the verdict on Rishi Sunak’s plans
Our chief exec Miatta Fahnbulleh responded to the spring budget in the Guardian.

Budget to give £20bn extension to UK Covid support until September
Our research showing that extending furlough could protect between 1.8 and 2.7m jobs was mentioned in the Financial Times.

3 million ​‘excluded’ from pandemic support demand help in Spring Budget
We signed a letter, organised by ExcludedUK, which asked for the government to include more people in pandemic support. This was covered in the Big Issue.

Bail out renters, not just landlords, unions urge Rishi Sunak ahead of Budget
We signed a letter, with the London Renters Union, asking for the government to tackle rent arrears fairly, covered in the Independent and the Big Issue.

Third of Brits will be living in hardship by May even with Universal Credit boost
Our analysis showing that 21.7 million people will not have a decent standard of living (carried out before the announcement of the furlough scheme extension) was covered in the Mirror and OpenDemocracy.

£5bn fund for struggling businesses, funding public services and the new mortgage guarantee scheme
Alfie Stirling spoke to Sky News ahead of the spring budget, discussing the economic context and the government’s proposals.