As we head into the festive season, we’ve still seen no sign of the government acting decisively to support the millions facing a cost of living crisis.
We’ve seen the government lower the ‘taper rate’ for Universal Credit this week too. But this alone, without further reforms to Universal Credit, is not enough to plug the hole left by the £20 cut in September, let alone provide a real safety net for people. The silver lining is that it doesn’t need to be like this, and we’re continue to work to make a Living Income a reality.
We’ve also been exploring what’s next for the climate movement after COP. We held a post-COP briefing, and launched our Great Homes Upgrade campaign toolkit with Ed Miliband. You can find reflections on keeping 1.5 alive, and more from our latest Zine and elsewhere, in the blogs below.
Please join us and get involved in the Great Homes Upgrade campaign here.
Miatta Fahnbulleh, chief executive, NEF
New research from NEF:
FFS? Fossil fuels support in the UK tax system Our new report with Common Wealth shows the scale of support for fossil fuels in the UK tax system. Read the research by Lukasz Krebel, Miriam Brett and Sarah Arnold.
The social case for nature A case study from Suffolk shows how nature-based flood protection and coastal habitat creation benefits not just the environment, but the local economy and community too. Read our report by Alex Chapman and Jasmeet Phagoora, and find out why it matters.
Latest blogs and comment:
1.5C is dead, long live 1.5C Reflecting on Cop26, Chaitanya Kumar writes that we should draw motivation from the loss of this target and galvanise a much stronger public movement around it.
Babies and border controls Barriers to childcare leave parents and children with no recourse to public funds isolated and destitute — we need free childcare for all, writes Miranda Hall.
The New Economics Zine: is a greener world possible? The latest issue of the New Economics Zine takes a look at how our economy needs to change to address the climate crisis — featuring articles from Alice Bell, Michael Jacobs, Joycelyn Longdon, Josina Calliste, and more.
Weekly Economics Podcast: The future of work A record number of employees have quit their jobs in recent months, in what’s been dubbed the Great Resignation. After last year, where up to a quarter of the UK workforce was paid not to work through the furlough scheme, are we reassessing our relationship to our jobs? Ayeisha is joined by Amelia Horgan, assistant lecturer at the school of philosophy and art history, University of Essex, and author of Lost in Work.
Weekly Economics Podcast: Is our digital economy breeding misogyny? Since Elliot Rodger killed six people in California in 2014, self-proclaimed‘involuntary celibates’ have carried out multiple mass murders, mostly in North America. Are Big Tech companies to blame for allowing these groups to thrive online? Ayeisha Thomas-Smith is joined Debbie Ging, associate professor in the school of communications at Dublin City University.
Weekly Economics Podcast: Trans liberation Half of trans people in the UK are unemployed and one in four have experienced direct healthcare discrimination. What are the economic issues facing trans people today? Ayeisha is joined by Nim Ralph, community activist, writer, trainer and facilitator.
Inflation spikes The New Statesmen featured Alfie Stirling saying that a lack of wage growth is the real problem with UK economy.
Rising inflation and the prospect of an interest rate hike Alfie Stirling spoke to BBC News about rising inflation, interest rates, and the cost of living crisis being felt by millions in the UK.
Tax domestic flights to fund rail fare cuts, public say Miatta Fahnbulleh was quoted in the Independent, on the importance of introducing a frequent flier levy to fund green public transport, instead of cutting taxes on domestic flights.
