Abi O'Connor

Headline: Green party Starmer will hand Britain over to Farage, says Green party leader Zack Polanski Leader tells party’s conference he is ready to take the fight to Labour and speak out in support of immigration

What @zackpolanski.bsky.social is saying is simply what anyone who pays attention to politics is witnessing

Starmer has played a key role in mainstreaming far-right politics, enabled by a mainstream media which still tiptoes around this terrible state of affairs

It's finally my first day as a @leverhulme.ac.uk early career fellow at @sheffielduni.bsky.social in the Centre for Finance & Accounting in Context! Not in Sheffield yet, as on route London to record for Panorama on the housing crisis which this govt show they have little interest in fixing...

This government are deliberately ignoring all of the policies that could - with less expense than ID cards - change the face of the housing crisis over night. Why? Because they have *no* idea what it’s like to live through struggle. And no will to understand

I was on LBC at 8am & we referenced young people living in vans due to housing crisis… now I’m listening to Keir Starmer on BBC saying “it was only £20,000” about a piece of land he bought for his mum’s donkeys...quite incredible

Built by us Understanding the distinctiveness of by-and-for organisations

I wanted to flag some work I haven’t shared. This piece of research is so special, the people involved do vital work to resist systemic injustice & hold communities together. Their impact cannot be understated.

Support your local community orgs!

neweconomics.org/2025/09/buil...

Wrapping up two busy years at @neweconomics.bsky.social ! Grateful to the good folk I’ve worked with, the communities who’ve participated in research & housing activists who I’ve organised with. The future is ours!

Our political class has a special kind of collective psychosis.

Two years into a genocide, after arming the perpetrators, they draw themselves up to their fullest height, clear their throats, and say: "we recognise the existence of the victims".

And we are supposed to stand and applaud.

They’re betting everything on “this time even tougher than ever we promise” on immigration to save Starmer.

I’d say brace for a proper BNP-style conference speech.

Can be understandably angry and / or have anticipated an internal implosion, but to enjoy it is to lack fundamental care for anyone struggling in a country that’s running incredibly quickly to the right

Factionalism aside, those revelling in the downfall of an alternative to the far-right are very loudly telling you their proximity to struggle & injustice is not close at all, no matter how they try to position themselves

You can’t be a Labour housing minister & not pay tax - thats a given. But you also surely can’t be a Labour prime minister or Chancellor and refuse to tax the wealthy / spend all your time costing up to private sector & developers oh wait

Monthly rents hit record high with North West seeing sharpest increase of +9.7% on last year

This is not an inevitably! The housing crisis is manufactured by those extracting profit

Controls on rents are *essential* for individuals, families & the wider economy

It's nearly a year since the far-riots of last summer. At the time we recorded an episode of the New Economics podcast with @drabioconnor.bsky.social & @minnierahman.bsky.social to explore how we combat the rise of the far-right. It's still a highly relevant listen: neweconomics.org/2024/08/new-...

BLOG: 5 reasons why the UK should implement rent controls Build three million social homes so that everyone has a safe, comfortable place to live.

@neweconomics.bsky.social
homesforus.org.uk/latest-news/...

Is Reeves’ mortgage gamble her last throw of the dice? Plans to get more people on the housing ladder should be applauded, writes David Maddox, but the chancellor must take heed of lessons from the past

Saddling lower income first-time buyers with mortgage debt won't solve the housing crisis. Council housing & rent controls will.

The problem for this government? The actual solutions aren't profitable for private developers & landlords.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...

Zoe Gardner: "70% of the asylum seekers who've come to the UK in the last 20 years came from countries that we had previously colonised. That means they speak the language, they have ties to this country, we have communities here"

Yep. #GMB

Will do a NEF roundup in due course but if anyone needs anything NEF related from me before I move on please get in touch over coming months!

Personal news: made up to say I’ve been awarded a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at @sheffielduni.bsky.social starting in Oct to undertake my new research project in the UK & US:

‘Following urban assetisation: a comparative theory of local state restructuring’

Graphic reads: as little as 2% tax on wealth over £10 million would raise £22 billion every year. On a black background, a neon yellow sign reflect the statistic.

I’m supporting the nationwide day of action calling on the richest to PAY UP.

In 2024, UK billionaires added £35 million per day to their wealth. Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Council has an estimated funding gap of £17.2 million.

The money is there - time to tax it fairly.

Hmm, I wonder if Rod Liddle will be investigated by the police for literally calling for the murder of civilians

I hope folk put as much effort into organising with their neighbours as they do sharing their hot takes on a new left party

Was always an honour to sit on the Kop and sing his song. Our number 20 ❤️

We're looking for new trustees @praxisprojects.bsky.social! Get in touch if you have any questions but you don't need to have a particular skill set. We're interested in people with values that match ours and those with direct experience of migration and/or homelessness.

Trying to take some time out after a heavy few months & ahead of a few more but I’m beside myself watching reality be re-written again.

Criticising a military that documents joyfully committing genocide isn’t antisemitic. Claiming all Jewish people support it might be

You can spend years of your life dedicated to your craft, but Steve the freelance property consultant will still declare with the utmost confidence that you, a sociologist, simply cannot understand the concept of “the market” 😮‍💨

Me again talking about rent controls. They’re really not a wildly radical idea, they make economic / social sense & cost govt nothing. Wins all round!

Pleasure to be on Pod Save the UK talking about the need for rent controls & the mass transfer of public money into the pockets of private landlords. Clip here 👇

Huge kudos to the New Yorkers who worked tirelessly for this. Another city is possible ❤️‍🔥

graph showing figures each year for delivering accessible and adaptable homes - the target for adaptable is 90% and highest delivery is 4.7% in 24-25. and for the accessible 10% target the best deliver is 3.5% in 22-23

Look how far off target we are in London for delivering accessible homes. Terrible.

M4(2) = accessible & adaptable
M4(3) = wheelchair user homes

I'm chairing Housing Committee today - we will hear from disabled people's organisations then put questions to GLA about what can be done to improve.

Talking at this on Thursday about the proactive role researchers can play in supporting grassroots movements, join us! 👇