Jill Rutter

In July 2025, the UK government announced that the voting age would be lowered to 16. This reform, among others, aims to broaden the country’s democratic base and modernize the political system. Yet… Votes at 16: Is Citizenship Education up to Scratch?

Is citizenship education up to scratch?

Last week we and @uclspp.bsky.social hosted Hattie Andrews @politicsproject.bsky.social, Emma Connolly @uclspeechlab.bsky.social and Hans Svennevig @citizenshippgceioe.bsky.social @ioe.bsky.social to discuss how the subject can be strengthened.

Watch 👇

The Home Office has released refugee employment statistics today, too. Important data, as the proposed Protection and Work and Study visa will reduce wait prior to settlement being granted. But employment rates for refugees are low and better employment support is needed.

We mustn't forget the capacity of football to bridge divides in Israel. There are many sports-based peace initiatives in Israel eg Football for Peace. Hapoel Tel Aviv has had Israeli Arab players throughout its history & has a large Israeli Arab fanbase
This doesn't deny racism in Israeli football

Two years after 7 October and the kidnap of my parents, hate is in fashion. For all our sakes, we need compassion | Sharone Lifschitz So many were killed – yet on her release, my mother said ‘shalom’ to her captors. Let’s learn from that moment of grace, says Sharone Lifschitz, London-based film-maker and academic

Two years after 7 October and the kidnap of my parents, hate is in fashion. For all our sakes, we need compassion | Sharone Lifschitz

"I'm here as a Mancunian – that's what I'm representing" - British Future British Future's Avaes Mohammad reports from Friday's vigil in Manchester following the appalling Synagogue attack.

"Are you representing an organisation here?", I asked a Muslim attendee. “I’m here as a Mancunian mate,’ he replied. “That’s what I’m representing.”
Our Avaes Mohammad's reflections from Friday's vigil in Manchester following the appalling Synagogue attack.
www.britishfuture.org/im-here-as-a...

Labour's post-conference bounce benefits Reform and the Greens

Hollow words when almost every weekend in London protestors shout 'globalise the intifada' and 'Khaybar, Khaybar ya yahud' and nothing is done by your police to address antisemitism and extremism.

Great to see Lisa Nandy announce a new ‘Town of culture’ competition - something British Future’s been calling for since our 2019 ‘Crossing Divides’ report by @sundersays.bsky.social @jillyrutter.bsky.social.
Culture’s not just for cities!
www.britishfuture.org/publication/...
#LPC25

I also think the Government has made a big mistake in pushing this through when trust in democratic institutions is so low. As of 10.40 this morning 1.7 million people have now signed the parliamentary petition opposing digital ID card.

Arguments for digital ID include faster, streamlined verification. But the Government's main argument is that it reduces unauthorised migration. Yet there's no evidence from outside the UK that it does this. This false promise means I DON'T support digital ID
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/73...

In 2009 IPPR's @ippr.org own research suggested that largescale migration depressed the earnings of the lowest paid in the short term, but had less of an impact in the long-term.
ippr-org.files.svdcdn.com/production/D...

Labour propose increasing the time to get ILR from 5 years to 10 years, so it's not just Reform who are looking at settlement and citizenship

After years of making the running on immigration, Farage may this week have handed the initiative back to his opponents'. @robfordmancs.bsky.social for @ukandeu.bsky.social on the unpopularity of Reform's proposals on ILR ukandeu.ac.uk/reforms-radi...

A vintage black-and-white portrait of a young girl with curly hair tied up with a bow, wearing a checkered shirt.

18 September 1932 | A French Jewish girl, Rosa Farber, was born in Paris.

On her 10th birthday, she was deported from #Drancy to #Auschwitz. She was murdered in a gas chamber after the selection.
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The first two gas chambers of Birkenau - Bunkers I & II: https://youtu.be/Rr6lF75fDmU

Yes, it's about marking territory and control. But surely better first to focus on the murals of masked men with guns than more ambivalent symbols like flags.

Most councils are taking a sensible approach to flags. They ate discouraging painting on roundabouts and building on grounds of safety/vandalism but keeping up the flags. Councils are also talking to residents on this issue.

Asylum protests have now taken place or are planned at 62 locations. With the exception of Epping and Norwich, (Bowthorpe) where a more local people are involved, most protests were small last weekend, c20-100 people.

Most people who feel frustrated/angry about asylum policy don't attend protests.

This weekend's protests are smaller, even in places such as Nuneaton. Also, fewer women in pink and a bigger proportion of outside activists. I did some interviews in Horley: while there is opposition to the hotels, people's concerns about potential violence stops them going to the protests.

While I agree with this in principle, I fear that genie is out of the bottle. It is a really difficult situation that needs proper investment in dialogue. And addressing people's real grievances about housing and the cost of living.

Winning an appeal would help the Government deal with housing challenges, but there could be big impacts for community cohesion in this current febrile climate. The Epping protectors would certainly be vocal.

This is a good blog in Eastern Eye about rising racism and what is a legitimate concern.

From Jan-Jun 2025, there were 19,982 small-boat arrivals to the UK. Some 65% were males aged 18-39 years. Top five countries of origin for boat arrivals were Afghanistan, Eritrea, Iran, Syria and Sudan - all countries with poor human rights records and high refugee recognition rates.

Previously, asylum-seekers could request permission to work after they had been here for six months without a decision. This concession ended in 2003 as you say. There are still some concessions for asylum seekers applying to work in shortage occupations.

This suggestion leaves large group sites eg RAF Wethersfield, as the only housing option, unless the Government opens refugee camps. Leaving people homeless and on the streets is also highly undesirable - for asylum seekers themselves and for wider community cohesion.

Alleged, yes.

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Arrests/unrest in 7 locations, but most protests peaceful in 2025.
What is interesting is that there largely haven't been protests in the places that saw the riots in 2024. Is that because the arrests of 2024 deterred people? Or is it because councils & police have better tension monitoring?

There have been protests in 36 different locations in the last 2 weeks involving c4,500 people. All but 4 protests have been small - <100 people & far-right organised. They have been larger and have involved more local people where triggered by a rape or assault: Nuneaton, Sutton-in-Ashfield, Epping

Desperate times I wrote in May about the growing split between the Israeli government and the Israeli people about the continuation of the war in Gaza, and about the difficulty for Jews in the diaspora to express con...

Dave Rich's substack which calls for an end to the suffering in Gaza, the return of the hostages and a viable peace @daverich1.bsky.social

Desperate times open.substack.com/pub/everyday...

Today we announce the Independent Commission on Inclusion and Belonging in Multi-Ethnic Newham commissioned by @rokhsanafiaz.bsky.social, chaired by @sundersays.bsky.social. Newham residents can share their views on social cohesion via this survey qualtricsxml86vqtd2v.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...