Matthew Butcher

I support Palestine Action in its judicial review of the government's ban.

spectacular

Super excited about the @neonuk.bsky.social Summer Gathering on Sat.

I'm chairing a sesh on the future of Net Zero with @tessakhan.bsky.social, Hannah Martin and Mat Lawrence which should be great.

Full programme is below and last few tickets available here: www.eventbrite.com/e/neon-summe...

The No. 10 source added … that the “broken welfare system is failing the most vulnerable,” there is “broad consensus” across Labour, and the reforms are “underpinned by the same Labour values” as minimum wage rises, free school meals for low-income families and renationalizing the railways. Now for the simple task of convincing rebels of that.

I'm not sure "if you think about it, cuts to disabled people's benefits are basically the same kind of thing as minimum wage rises & free school meals" is a line that's really going to fly

(from today's London Playbook)

Millionaire exodus did not occur, study reveals - Tax Justice Network The number of millionaires widely reported in the news to be leaving countries in "exodus" represented near-0% of all millionaires.

The UK govt softened tax reforms on the superrich because of a widely reported “exodus” of millionaires fleeing the UK.

Our new study w/ @patmillsuk.bsky.social & @taxjusticeuk.bsky.social shows that the "exodus" was a complete fiction.

#BogusExodus #TaxTheSuperRich
taxjustice.net/press/millio...

UK defence review says Aukus is on schedule but fears remain over possible capability gap for Australia Starmer government’s own major projects agency says plan to power subs is ‘unachievable’

As I was saying last night @lbc.co.uk, AUKUS is a project built on sand, "unachievable", as well as a really bad idea

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Launching on WEDNESDAY in London: Forum 2029 🎉

A bold new initiative to build a progressive living standards policy platform for the UK — starting with a major event this Wednesday in London 📆

Over 40 speakers confirmed, across 7 events! Sign-up👇

buff.ly/dMcf4P5

YouTube video by We Own It "Rather persuasive!" Julia Hartley-Brewer on our arguments for public ownership of water

I spoke to Julia Hartley-Brewer who found our arguments for public ownership of water "rather persuasive" !👇

3 out of 4 want public ownership of water in England, incl voters from ALL parties

Water is a natural monopoly and we should be taking it back

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cjir...

The boy who came back: the near-death, and changed life, of my son Max It was, we were told, a case of sudden infant death syndrome interrupted. What followed would transform my understanding of parenting, disability and the breadth of what makes a meaningful life

I wrote for the Guardian’s Saturday magazine about my son Max, who changed how I see the world. Took ages. More jokes after the first bit.

Thanks Merope Mills for being the most patient and generous editor.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

So good

We are really excited to be hiring a Head of Media at @neonuk.bsky.social . If you are someone who knows how to land priogressive stories and spokespeople in the media and want to be part of a really great team, please check it out: www.neweconomyorganisers.org/about-jobs/h...

Just ignore all the myths about low traffic neighbourhoods: they’re popular, effective and here to stay | Izzy Romilly After the high court ruled one high-profile scheme unlawful, it is important to make the case for LTNs. Luckily, there is a strong one to make, says Izzy Romilly of climate charity Possible

Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) work. The myths don’t.

LTNs make streets safer, fairer, and greener.

We can’t let misinformation block progress on clean air, climate, and health.

It’s time to clear the air and cut through the noise 👇
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Forum 2029 – Food, Water, Energy: Ownership and the common good Building a living standards policy platform for the UK. A first series of events bringing together leading progressive voices. Confirmed speakers: Clive Lewis MP (The Labour Party), Vicki Hird…

📢 Announcing Forum 2029 🔋

LAUNCH EVENT (Weds 4th June, 18:30, London): Why we need a new progressive policy platform and the case for housing reform

Speakers: Zack Polanski (Greens), Beth Stratford (IIPP), Neal Lawson (Compass), Danny Sriskandarajah (NEF)

Details 👇

🧵To clearly understand how damaging winter fuel has been for the Government - this chart looks at key policies or political events so far by cut through and positivity. Winter Fuel has by far the highest cut through of any policy, and the highest negativity.

🚨BREAKING🚨

WE’VE WON OUR CASE TO #DefendDemocracy

The Court of Appeal has ruled that anti-protest laws which completely ignored the will of Parliament are unlawful

And here's the other side of fragmentation - Labour losing to Greens in a London council by-election

1/12
Tony Blair Institute have released a report which is getting a lot of coverage in UK today

It says the drive for net zero emissions is flawed and some media outlets have gone to town

However it’s a bit odd

By odd, I mean there’s a lot of bollocks in it and shouldn't be taken seriously 🧵🧵

This is extremely interesting

..but they're also just one part of the switcher picture.

The ceiling on losses to Greens/Lib Dems is also higher. Lab seat loss if all Reform curious voters defect: 123. If all Green curious go: 250.

*Of course not all will defect*, but it shows you govt has potential vulnerabilities both sides.

.@steveakehurst.bsky.social does some of the most interesting psephological research around, and this is an absolutely fascinating read. For instance, "if Labour lost every Reform curious Labour vote, it would lose 123 seats; if it lost every Green curious Labour voter it would lose 250 seats."

Text reads: Green party claim Sentencing Council bill based on 'wilful misunderstanding' and will lead to more unjust punishments The Green party has also criticised the government’s decision to introduce the sentencing guidelines (pre-sentence reports) bill. In a statement, the Green MP Siân Berry said: It has been chilling to witness the government pile pressure on an independent body which has been nothing but clear about the importance of these guidelines for passing effective sentences.

The new guidelines, which were publicly consulted on, would have helped create safer sentencing for many women, parents, pregnant and young people, for whom extreme custodial sentences can compound the harm that led to their offending in the first place. This delay will condemn too many people to unjust punishment while we wait for new plans. Pre-sentencing reports offer judges information, they do not determine sentences. Politicians’ wilful misunderstanding of these processes is dangerous and will cause irrevocable harm for many if this bill is passed.

Politicians’ wilful misunderstanding of these guidelines will condemn women, parents, pregnant and young people to continued extreme and unjust punishments.

These guidelines would have finally addressed the huge harm of being pregnant in prison but the Government has just blocked them outright.

Today’s Spring Statement failed to address the declining living standards behind Labour's drop in popularity.

Welfare cuts bring marginal gains for government growth figures — but they imbue devastating personal financial loss for the most vulnerable in society. #SpringStatement

Quote from Tom Pollard, head of social policy: Today’s assessment confirms that ill and disabled people will see cuts to benefits amounting to around £6.5bn a year by 2029-30. Yet the Department for Work and Pensions and the Office for Budget Responsibility between them have not yet been able to forecast any impact on employment outcomes. The government’s narrative to justify benefit cuts for ill and disabled people has completely fallen apart – it is clearer than ever that the real driver has been pressure to meet an arbitrary savings target.

This government's attempt to justify cutting benefits has completely fallen apart. They're slashing support for ill and disabled people to meet their arbitrary fiscal rules.

@pollardtom.bsky.social reacts to the cuts announced in the spring statement

Rosebank oilfield decision ruled unlawful by Edinburgh court Court of session said UK government go-ahead for Rosebank and Jackdaw permits did not take into account carbon emissions

Breaking: Uplift welcomes a very sensible decision from the Court of Session invalidating the decision to approve the Rosebank oil field. Rosebank is a disaster for the climate & will do next to nothing to create the prosperity & stability that the UK needs.
🧵
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

The UK clean economy sector grew by 9% last year, vastly outstripping the national growth rate of just 0.1%. Meanwhile flooding cost the UK nearly £600m in 2023. The facts are clear: taking action on climate change is good for the economy. Doing nothing is bad for the economy.

Great reporting. The Israeli army said that most people killed in bombing a Beirut apartment block were Hezbollah. The BBC found that nearly all were in fact civilians, and a third were children. www.bbc.com/news/article...

A British Jewish writer with a book out on how antisemitism became such a battleground issue, I was not invited to speak at Jewish Book Week. A wider point here (fortunately, I'm invited to speak at many other book events) about the political gatekeeping of this festival

We’re about to kick off our conversation with Gary Younge on the rise of the Far Right, identity politics and his book ‘Dispatches from the Diaspora’. 

🧵Follow along and be apart of the conversation 👇

Inflation down in December, with Core CPI down 0.3%

The UK economy continues on track for disinflation. Inflation is not an immediate cause for concern for the economy, but weaker-than-expected growth is

To boost growth, investment and prosperity, interest rates must come down

The UK's big problem isn't bond market toddler tantrums, it's the growing risk of medium-term 'stagflation' - low growth, high inflation.

(Incidentally that's also what's making the toddlers irritable in the first place.) 1/