Doug Gay

Talk to me… @nickebs.bsky.social

Private rent in Britain now swallows 44% of the average wage Monthly cost jumps to record £1,385 outside London, and £2,736 in the capital, with hotspots showing hefty rises

Private rent in UK now swallows 44% of the average wage.

Monthly cost jumps to record £1,385 outside London, £2,736 in the capital.

Lack of social and affordable housing, no rent controls, as govts appease corporations and the rich.

Profiteering creating poverty/despair, stifling economic growth.

Also highlights a point I spend a lot of time on in my book - the government is woefully bad at managing private contractors who endlessly rip us off. This is not more efficient.

Trump's enthusiasm for tariffs has never been principally about economics. It's about power.

Tariffs give him a tool with which to punish enemies, reward allies, lift himself above Congress & give businesses an incentive to curry his favour.

They are more a constitutional than an economic strategy

Excellent topic for a conference, though personally I will not be touching "financial elements of the devolution settlements" with a bargepole.

People are losing faith in democracy’s ability to deliver social progress. But are democracies better than autocracies at promoting economic growth, alleviating poverty, and creating healthier, more educated, and more peaceful societies? On all counts, the answer is yes.

muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/a...

Women Are Leading Venezuela’s Fight for Democracy | Journal of Democracy María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize has made her the face of the struggle for democracy in Venezuela. But throughout the opposition, women are the backbone of the fight against Nicolás Maduro’s…

María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize has made her the face of the struggle for democracy in Venezuela. But throughout the opposition, women are the backbone of the fight against Nicolás Maduro’s corrupt authoritarian regime.

‘Gonna have the whole world on a plate’ – why energy tech has always excited people Should we always believe the hype?

Electrification, smart home tech, and domestic renewables all promise to bring energy production and control to the individual.

It’s about, quite literally, empowering yourself.

www.thereengineer.pro/p/gonna-have...

Mamdani vs Cuomo. Their debate in 3 minutes. From Zeteo.
zeteo.com/subscribe

@hannahmerich.bsky.social Work with us in SNP to change this

What JRF and SNP say!

h/t @petertarras.bsky.social

Majority of girls and young women in UK alter behaviour to feel safe, study finds Girlguiding survey reveals rising fears of harassment, with many avoiding public transport or changing what they wear Two-thirds of girls and young women have changed their everyday behaviour to try to stay safe, with 31% avoiding taking public transport alone, according to a survey by the Girlguiding charity. The research found that 56% of girls and young women in the UK aged between 11 and 21 said they feel unsafe travelling by themselves, up from 45% in 2022, while almost one-third said they avoided public transport altogether. Continue reading...

Majority of girls and young women in UK alter behaviour to feel safe, study finds

Psychologically very fascinating the extent to which the two historically major parties just hate their actual electoral coalitions.

Charlie Kirk, Redeemed: A Political Class Finds Its Lost Cause By ignoring the rhetoric and actions of the Turning Point USA founder, pundits and politicians are sanitizing his legacy.

"What are we to make of a man who called for the execution of the American president, and then was executed himself?" www.vanityfair.com/news/story/c...

I don't think they should have abolished the Not Proven verdict. I think they should have declared that it now had a status that was equivalent to having been abolished, but with a lingering suspicion that it still existed.

Why Ukraine Shouldn’t Negotiate with Putin | Journal of Democracy Many pundits cry for a negotiated settlement to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. But they misunderstand Vladimir Putin’s motives. The only just end to the war will be in the trenches…

"In Putin’s mind, Ukrainian democracy poses an existential threat to his power and the survival of his regime in Russia. A prosperous, free Ukraine would set a powerful example for Russia’s own citizens that democracy can succeed in an eastern Slavic country."

I have a bias to Galloway! Ninian, Burns, Solway coast, Galloway Forest Park

Wee correction not the first woman ordained by the Kirk - a good few before her!

NEW: The wealthiest 2% of Scottish households have more wealth than the poorest 50% combined.

New data published today reveals the extent of Scotland’s vast wealth inequality. 🧵

"Solar power isn’t just different because it doesn’t produce carbon. It’s different because it doesn’t necessarily produce control....Even humans will have a hard time figuring out how to fight a war over sunshine." — @billmckibben.bsky.social

archive.ph/kYEn5#select...

"40% of all the ship traffic on the earth is just carrying coal & gas & oil back and forth to be burned, a job the sun is perfectly happy to do for free. If you send a ship full of solar panels across the ocean, they will in their lifetimes produce 500x as much energy as a ship full of coal."

This is an incredible statement from ICRC

Exploring routes to homeownership through social investment We’re looking at how JRF's social investment can help to tackle the rise of long-term renters, and widening wealth inequality.

Read our blog to learn more about our work and the new research we’ve commissioned with The Good Economy to explore the emerging landscape of housing models designed to support ownership in a fairer and more affordable way 🔽

www.jrf.org.uk/wealth-fundi... 2/2

Want to import toxic chemicals into Britain with scant scrutiny? Labour says: go right ahead | George Monbiot Jacob Rees-Mogg’s Tory fantasy of a post-Brexit bonfire of regulations is coming true. Our bodies and ecosystems will pay the price, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot

7. So capital gets everything it wants and the rest of us, almost nothing. Labour’s foundational purpose is inverted. It has become the Capital Party. It's lost to us, and under Keir Starmer, it is not coming back.
Today's column explores the latest lobby horror: www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

A Handbook of Integration with Refugees This book brings together the voices of academics, practitioners, and people seeking sanctuary to explore the processes of refugee integration. Situated in learnings from Scotland, the book offers the...

Coming soon....

"An incisive and elegant collection! A beautifully crafted story reminding us how restorative praxis, connection, and justice keep us human in regressive times."

Caroline Lenette, University of New South Wales, Australia

@multi-ling-mat.bsky.social @carolinelenette.bsky.social 🥰

Government expenditure on social protection description

The average EU govt spending on social welfare is 19.2% of GDP, ranging from 8.1% to 25.7%.

The UK spends 10.6% yet govts constantly cut benefits and right wing media says welfare is unaffordable.

Taxing the rich is off the political agenda.

ec.europa.eu/eurostat/sta...

Left English nationalism learning from Scottish nationalism…?

Oppenheimer the actor: the curious 1946 film Atomic Power featuring the scientist as himself Atomic Power was pioneering in communicating the history behind Robert Oppenheimer’s work.

The first #Nuclear bomb detonation, #TrinityTest, occurred 80 years ago #OTD 1945. Key #ManhattanProject figures, from Robert Oppenheimer to Leslie Groves, played themselves in an often overlooked 1946 film about it, explored in my 2023 'The Conversation' article. theconversation.com/oppenheimer-...

The Scottish Languages Bill haes been passed unanimously!

The first time Scots haes been recognised in Scots law!

Weil duin tae awbody involved 🤝👏👏👏👏