Policy Factory

What can Keir Starmer’s Labour learn from New Labour? Part Two In the concluding episode of this two-part series, Steven King  and Glen O’Hara discuss what lessons Keir Starmer might learn from the last time Labour was in government.

ICYMI yesterday, here's Part Two of my podcast with the @policyfactory.bsky.social... This time: what can Keir Starmer learn from past Labour policies on the economy, healthcare, crime and education? Vital stuff, and I hope it's interesting: policyfactory.org/podcast/what...

What can Keir Starmer’s Labour learn from New Labour? Part Two In the concluding episode of this two-part series, Steven King  and Glen O’Hara discuss what lessons Keir Starmer might learn from the last time Labour was in government.

Harold Wilson did say a week's a long time in politics...

But as promised we're back with our latest podcast episode, returning with part 2 of Glen O'Hara (@gsoh31.bsky.social) speaking with Steven King on what Keir Starmer can learn from New Labour.

policyfactory.org/podcast/what...

What can Keir Starmer's Labour learn from New Labour? Steven King and Glen O'Hara discuss what lessons Keir Starmer might learn from the last time Labour was in government.

As the welfare vote tonight threatens to divide the Labour Party, Steve King and Glen O'Hara (@gsoh31.bsky.social) discuss what lessons Keir Starmer could learn from Tony Blair and New Labour in our latest Policy Factory Podcast episode. policyfactory.org/podcast/what...

Moral and Political pitfalls of scientific uncertainty in epidemiological crises Modern governments have tended to rely heavily on a ‘follow the science’ response to epidemiological threats. However, epidemics are moments of both scientific uncertainty and social crisis. This pose...

In our latest must-read article, Adam Wright looks at past government responses to dealing with epidemics, from Mad cow disease to Foot and Mouth to COVID, and outlines the dangers to democracy of following an exclusively techno-scientific approach.

policyfactory.org/article/from...

Reminder that tonight we have our next History and Policy online seminar at 5pm with Dr Matthew Smith (Strathclyde University) taking part in a Q&A session on the topic 'How History Can Help Solve Our Mental Health Crisis’.

Register via link below ⬇️

Coming up next week!

Professor Matthew Smith will be presenting a Q & A session for the History and Policy Seminar on Tuesday 24 June, 5–6.30pm.

Register via the link below ⬇️

Policy Factory – Why Reeves and Kendall’s Welfare Budget Cuts are doomed to fail Steven King looks both ahead and to the past when considering Rachel Reeves and Liz Kendall’s plans for welfare budget cuts. Why are such plans always doomed to fail?

With the welfare reform bill due to be published today, Steven King considers why Liz Kendall's benefit cuts are doomed to fail. policyfactory.org/comment_post...

To brighten your morning feed, a poem by Steven King entitled Space Tourism.

substack.com/home/post/p-...

Ahead of the publication of King's next volume of poetry, On the Mess, we will be releasing several poems in advance via the Policy Factory Substack.

Be sure to subscribe!

Historical Research and Policy Making

#Skystorians! Join me & the @historylabplus.bsky.social‬ team online on 19 June @12:30 to explore how historical researchers (across all periods) can make themselves more visible to UK policy makers. For details👉 www.history.ac.uk/events/historical-research-and-policy-making & 🧵

Finding a way out of this mess In an age of near-permanent crisis, Policy Factory looks to the past to make sense of modern political issues.

Struggling to make sense of what's going on here and on the other place?

Want something informative but light to brighten up your inbox?

Subscribe to our Substack newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/policyfa...

Today! 5–6.30 pm online via MS Teams

Professor Gill Allwood will be presenting on 'What’s gender got to do with it? National and local climate policy in Uganda' for the CRHHMS Centre Research Seminar.

Register for free via the Eventbrite link ⬇️

On Monday 2 June, join us for our next CRHHMS Centre Research seminar where Professor Gill Allwood will be presenting 'What’s gender got to do with it? National and local climate policy in Uganda'.

2 June, 5-6.30pm. On Teams.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1024045005...

We've got a History and Policy seminar coming up this week on Tuesday 27 May, 5-6.30pm.

@kevinmatthewjones.bsky.social will be speaking on health and social care policy and why the UK as of yet does not have a National Social Care Service.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/history-an...

Policy Factory – Why Reeves and Kendall’s Welfare Budget Cuts are doomed to fail Steven King looks both ahead and to the past when considering Rachel Reeves and Liz Kendall’s plans for welfare budget cuts. Why are such plans always doomed to fail?

Liz Kendall will be speaking today at @ippr.bsky.social in defence of looming welfare cuts.

But is she ignoring some important lessons from history? Policy Factory's Steven King comments on this latest attempt at welfare reform.

policyfactory.org/comment_post...

For NTU's next History and Policy online seminar, @kevinmatthewjones.bsky.social will be speaking about the history of health and social care and why there is as of yet no effective social care service in place.

Not to be missed! Register for free via the Eventbrite link below ⬇️

Big day to be a fisheries historian (fishtorian). Big day.

When it comes to oily fish, the export market has always been the focus of British commerical fishing. Prior to the First World War, British fishing was dominated by the North Sea herring fishing; herring outweighed every other fish (1/?)

Upcoming two-day conference on the histories of people with learning disabilities by the Social History of Learning Disability (SHLD) Research Group. Featuring talks, workshops, exhibitions and more.

See details below.

How can it be anything but political?: Keir Starmer and an 'island of strangers' On Monday 12 May, Keir Starmer announced his government's plans to reform the immigration system, tightening rules on who may reside in the UK. Although quickly denying any political incentive, the ti...

Need something to read this cloudy Saturday?

In our Comment piece this week, Cat Gower talks Keir Starmer, Nigel Farage, and the dangers of trying to stir up anti-immigrant rhetoric.

policyfactory.org/comment_post...

How can it be anything but political?: Keir Starmer and an 'island of strangers' On Monday 12 May, Keir Starmer announced his government's plans to reform the immigration system, tightening rules on who may reside in the UK. Although quickly denying any political incentive, the ti...

Following on from Keir Starmer's 'island of strangers' speech on Monday, Cat Gower (@catherinegower.bsky.social) takes some time away from tinkering with the Policy Factory website to reflect on Keir's use of language.

policyfactory.org/comment_post...

TONIGHT Policy Factory's Steven King discusses the research behind his latest book Fraudulent Lives: Imagining Welfare Cheats from the Poor Law to the Present as part of the NTU CRHHMS seminar.

5-6.30pm on Teams. Free to attend: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/crhhms-tal...

Policy Factory – Why Reeves and Kendall’s Welfare Budget Cuts are doomed to fail Steven King looks both ahead and to the past when considering Rachel Reeves and Liz Kendall’s plans for welfare budget cuts. Why are such plans always doomed to fail?

With a rebellion brewing within the Parliamentary Labour Party over planned welfare cuts, in our latest Comment article, Steven King considers why such cuts to benefits are doomed from the start. #weekendread

policyfactory.org/comment_post...

Labour MPs signal rebellion over benefits cuts A number of Labour MPs say they will vote against the government's proposed welfare reforms.

Labour MPs signal rebellion over welfare cuts

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Steven King discusses Fraudulent Lives: Imagining Welfare Cheats from the Poor Law to the Present In this episode recorded in September 2024 Steven King and Cat Gower discuss King's latest book, Fraudulent Lives: Imagining Welfare Cheats from the Poor Law to the Present (Montreal, 2024) and how hi...

Need something to listen to this weekend?

Listen to the Policy Factory podcast where Steven King discusses his latest book, Fraudulent Lives
Imagining Welfare Cheats from the Poor Law to the Present.

Available on Substack, Spotify and Apple Podcasts:
policyfactory.substack.com/p/steven-kin...

Policy Factory's Steven King will be presenting at the online CRRHMS seminar on 12 May on:

“Talking to ‘benefit cheats’: Oral histories from danger to redemption”

This talk follows on from King's latest book, Fraudulent Lives
Imagining Welfare Cheats from the Poor Law to the Present (2024).

Policy Factory – Launching Policy Factory Today we launch Policy Factory, a collective of historians, sociologists and others who have come together for three reasons. First, a shared sense that the deep history of modern dilemmas generall…

Read our first blog post where Steven King outlines the aims of the Policy Factory project: policyfactory.org/2025/04/29/t...

American-born Cardinal Robert F. Prevost is elected pope The “Latin Yankee,” as he is known in Rome, worked 20 years in Peru’s poorest enclave and even became a naturalized citizen there.

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago who is now the first American-born pope, has spent most of his career outside of the U.S, ministering to the dispossessed and marginalized.

The “Latin Yankee,” as he is known in Rome, worked 20 years in Peru.

Policy Factory – Lessons From the Past for Policy Futures Policy Factory is a network of historians and social scientists looking to bring a historical perspective to current policy dilemmas and future policy direction.

Policy Factory is now up and running!

Check out our fancy new website: policyfactory.org

And be sure to subscribe to our Substack if you want posts arriving straight to your inbox: policyfactory.substack.com