Joey Gurney

This is a really important point with government data - you can't just publish statistics that don't actually answer the question people are likely to want to ask ("Are immigrants more likely to commit crime?" in this instance) - you need to work that out *correctly* and publish it alongside.

Labour launches £500m ‘Best Start’ child support programme The government has announced a £500 million scheme to help disadvantaged children - Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the rollout of extra "Best Start" family hubs would offer youth services...

Labour launches £500m ‘Best Start’ child support programme

Violence plummets in men's prison after inmates were taught philosophy Inmates at HMP Wayland, Norfolk, were taught how to live virtuous, peaceful lives based on resilience, rational thinking and self-discipline.

Phenomenal news story this and I love how the Mail seems quite supportive of it.

Picture of Rayner's speech, which says: "And with more flexible funding, we’re giving you the opportunity to work more collaboratively including through new pilots so councils and mayors can pool budgets and do joined-up services, learning the lessons of projects like Total Place – the last Labour government’s pioneering reform programme."

I really like the sound of the Total Place-style pooled budget pilots that Angela Rayner announced today. Little detail provided so far but potentially huge. This is how @instituteforgovernment.org.uk think Total Place pilots should work:
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Today, we have set out our plan to kickstart a decade of social and affordable housing renewal. Here’s how we’ll do it 🧵

My article today - why every leftwinger should see
Rachel Reeves as their hero. Her fiscal rectitude lowers interest rates, and allows the government to spend more on healthcare etc. Read (free) in the excellent
@thehousemag.bsky.social
politicshome.com/opinion/arti... (1/2)

Chris Whitty says culture-war coverage of cycling could harm nation’s health Chief medical officer for England urges people to set media cliches aside to focus on health benefits of physical activity Culture war-based coverage of cycling based on stereotypes of middle-aged men in Lycra could harm the nation’s health because it shifts focus away from the people and communities who benefit from physical activity, Chris Whitty has said. Speaking a day before the launch of the NHS’s 10-year-health plan, which is expected to focus heavily on prevention, Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, called for people to set aside media cliches and instead focus on “data which nobody can dispute”. Continue reading...

Chris Whitty says culture-war coverage of cycling could harm nation’s health

Stunning piece in the NYT showing how the US and China's embrace of fossil fuels and cleantech respectively suggest converging views on global domination

Phenomenal visuals in there too - check out these two charts

www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

Former DOGE engineer says he was 'surprised' by 'how efficient' the government is NPR's Juana Summers talks with Sahil Lavingia, who worked for the Department of Government Efficiency as a software engineer assigned to the Department of Veterans Affairs, about his experience.

Fascinating to watch people in these "DOGE" units - including Reform's in Kent County Council - go into government and realise that the public sector is nowhere near as inefficient as they'd lazily believed

www.npr.org/2025/06/02/n...

It's that time of year again...

At least 78.7% of the UK grid right now - potentially as high as 85.9% if we assume France is nuclear - is generated without carbon emissions. 🔥

Could this city be the model for how to tackle the housing crisis and climate change? Vienna has a way to make affordable housing and combat climate change all at the same time. Now U.S. cities want in, and they're building their own green housing.

Vienna is the global capital of social housing, and is regularly ranked as the world's most livable city.

Our new report, featured in this @npr.org exclusive, explores Vienna’s green social housing—home to the majority of its renters—and how it can work here.

www.npr.org/2025/06/15/n...

Don't let the Tories and the Reform Party Ltd claim credit for the announcement of an inquiry into grooming gangs. It's the recommendation by Louise Casey who carried out a review at the behest of Yvette Cooper. It's nothing to do with the Tories or Reform.

Very important and encouraging section that I'm sure will resonate with lots of public service folk. Hoping it's the start of something transformational.

Prevention. Devolution. People. Communities.

Local govt ends up being an area that comes out better than some during the SR:

Average annual increase in spending power of 2.6% per year in real terms between 25/25 and 28/29

Will leave spending power 2.7% lower in real terms than in 2010/11 and 15.9% lower when accounting for population growth

Spending Review 2025 The Chancellor of the Exchequer presented her Spending Review to Parliament on Wednesday 11 June.

All the SR2025 documents you need are here:

As I said in yesterday's post - some companies, like Klarna, that laid off a lot of people for AI are now rehiring them.

And that's customer service, which is a relatively routine administrative job compared to others.

Chart shows the effects of Sure Start on academic achievements by age, SEN support by age, probability of hospitalisation by age and criminal behaviour up to age 16.

NEW: Sure Start generated widespread, long-lasting benefits for children in education, health, absences, and SEND.

Every £1 of up-front spending on Sure Start could generate around £2 in total benefits over the long run.

THREAD on our new ‪@nuffieldfoundation.org‬-funded report:

[1/11]

A sunflower

2025 BFCCA Climate Summit will be held on the evening of the 16th July at the Kerith Community Church in Bracknell Town Centre and on the afternoon of the 18th July at Wellington College in Crowthorne. Further Details to follow #ClimateChange #Renewables

UK signs trade deal with India Multi-billion-pound boost to UK economy with landmark India trade deal to make working people better off

Here's the UK government announcement on the India trade deal. Very much a tariff reduction deal, with no mention of data or financial services. That's always been the most realistic landing zone, talk of incredible levels of ambition always seemed unwise. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Entirely this: I’d add that being serious about climate change is a hygiene factor for many voters. In not a single UK constituency does concern about climate drop below 50% - hitting 68% in Clacton. There’s a debate on the ‘how’ and particularly how to do it fairly but much less on the principle.

Families to get more choice over home upgrades Proposals to give families greater choice when upgrading their home's heating as well as plans to create up to 18,000 training places for green jobs.

The UK govt is proposing to offer subsidies (£1,000 to £2,000) for air to air heat pumps, as well as direct electric heating sources.

Cc @annieleymarie.bsky.social @fascinatorfun.bsky.social

www.gov.uk/government/n...

🥵 As England votes on what is set to be the hottest May 1st on record, urgent questions are being raised about UK’s response to climate change.
✍ Our new blog outlines how the public could be key to making much needed progress 👇
www.involve.org.uk/news-opinion...

Some clearly important diplomacy happening in Rome/Vatican City this morning

BBC muzzling one of its best presenters from making an excellent, wholly factual programme because heat pumps are “controversial”. An organisation badly in need of new leadership.

Integrated Settlements for 2025 to 2026 Details of Integrated Settlements for 2025 to 2026

Today is a major landmark in English devolution.

Greater Manchester and the West Midlands will take control of over £1bn of funding devolved from central government on areas like transport, housing and employment support.

www.gov.uk/government/p...

It’s a diplomatic minefield ahead, but #KeirStarmer & his advisers have played a blinder in recent days. Clearly differentiated UK policy from US without antagonising Trump, avoided shrill public reactions, put substantive #UK offer on the table, mediated & convened with skill.

"Adoption of heat pumps alters the composition of energy demand: demand for gas drops by 90 percent and demand for electricity rises by 61 percent per year. Overall demand for energy declines by 40 percent. The net effect of these changes is a nearly 70 percent decline in households’ CO2 emissions"

@luciafrigo.bsky.social this looks relevant to a lot of your work!