Rebecca Montacute

Are pensions governance and regulatory frameworks ‘unfit for purpose’? The UK’s defined contribution pension market is heading for a shake-up and regulators are not ready, according to Michael Johnson, author of a report by the Social Market Foundation.

The UK’s defined contribution pension market is heading for a shake-up - and regulators are not ready.

Read the FT Advisor's write-up of our report from pensions expert, Michael Johnson.

Just been to a school based nursery in person to do an interview for the project we're working on looking at the SBN policy - always reminded when doing things like this how worthwhile it is to actually see the places policy is happening, you get such a richer understanding seeing it yourself.

London's SUV drivers could face new charges if plans go ahead The plan is part the mayor's strategy to stop death and serious injury on London's roads by 2041.

SUVs pose harms to others (greater risk of injury/increased pollution/large use of limited space etc) for very minimal benefit to the individual - we absolutely should be discouraging their use via policy

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Excellent (and packed out) inaugural lecture from @lindseymacmillan.bsky.social this evening, a tour through 20 years of her amazing research on opportunity (as well as the personal story behind how it was all done, and the professional and personal relationships that made it possible)

🚨NEW SPEAKERS🚨

We’re delighted an expert panel will be joining us to talk about the pension shock facing Gen X

@theobertram.bsky.social
@csfoot.bsky.social
Zoe Alexander
@gideonsalutin.bsky.social
Baroness Kramer

RSVP here:

buff.ly/RsIwA31

Kindly sponsored by Standard Life

V Levels have the potential to give students more time to explore different pathways. But for V Levels to succeed, universities and employers will need to value them as credible routes.

Read @danihpayne.bsky.social's reaction to the Government announcement on new V-Level subjects

buff.ly/wW0aolt

I think it's going to be a really hard switch around in people's minds to not assume Gen X pensioners are the same as the generation above re pensions/living standards

Gen X will start to retire soon, with huge potential political consequences, as many have not saved enough for their retirement.

Full findings in new report from @gideonsalutin.bsky.social and Niamh O Regan, out next week.

Keep an eye out for that, and join us for the launch event ⤵️

Oh no! I've been on meds since January (!) and I thought I'd headed off the worst of it, but if the pollution is high at the same time I actually can't breathe properly without a mask on (probably a sign I need to go back to the GP and go up another notch on the drugs they give me...)

Air quality/pollution is so bad in London today that in combination with high tree pollen it's meant I can't actually go outside without an n95 mask on (and I'm very medicated!)

Dr Rebecca Montacute | Substack Research Director at @socialmarketfoundation. Policy expert on educational inequality and social mobility.

I have a substack 🎉 (had it quietly for a little while and have been cross posting but thought it's time I actually post about it!) - I'll be posting articles on education and also broader social policy issues, do subscribe if of interest -

substack.com/@rebeccamont...

Huge congrats!

The pushback on renewables specifically feels so strange - even if you think the move to net zero is "too fast", the cost of renewables have come down massively, and as we're seeing re the situation in Iran, relying heavily on fossil fuels comes at a real cost

Analysis: UK newspaper editorial opposition to climate action overtakes support for first time - Carbon Brief Nearly 100 UK newspaper editorials opposed climate action in 2025, a record figure that reveals the backlash against net-zero in the right-leaning press

The shift away from a politicial consensus on climate change really worries me - it's not about being climate sceptic anymore (as people now realise the position just isn't tenable) but shifting to questioning how that action happens ⤵️

www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-uk-...

My personal favs - the actual firefighters 🔥👩‍🚒

Featuring Ikea catering (meatballs unfortunately eaten before being photographed)

Melodifestivalen party 🇸🇪 #eurovision2026

...(open to if right info available etc but as it's weighing a large chance of some risks vs small chance of other risks, but those risks themselves are v different, I do think it needs to be personal preference as to how big those issues are for the individual and how much the risk matters)

... I also personally on this issue think it should be up to woman to make that decision/there shouldn't be a policy to try to bring down the rate at which they're opting for C-sections...

From media reporting (not sure if anyone has done any research on this) it seems like women who want elective C-sections can sometimes get denials already (even though that isn't policy) so I'm quite doubtful there's an issue now of it being overly easy for women...

... are properly trained/making the right interventions as needed during an attempt at vaginal birth.

....and whether those er towards C-sections/if those are the right medical decisions (if the woman herself doesn't changer her mind to a c section). I don't think the aim should be to bring C-section rates down, but to make sure women are given the info they need and medical professionals...

I think there's two different issues 1.) what are women able to decide about their own births - they shouldn't be pushed away from c sections if they have been talked through the evidence and want one, 2.) what happens during an attempted vaginal labour and how decisions are made...

We're bringing back our chief economist role, and very happy to say @gideonsalutin.bsky.social is taking up the position 🎉

He'll be helping to steer the SMF's economic research agenda and strengthening the analytical foundations of that work across the organisation ⤵️

Potential for Success - The Sutton Trust Potential for Success analyses how high performing students from disadvantaged backgrounds fare in secondary schools.

(I wrote ages ago about the challenge of recognising potential - particularly for students from lower income backgrounds - and what schools can do to support high attainers within schools so that support isn't totally cut off from those who aren't picked up - www.suttontrust.com/our-research...)

This just keeps on coming back around forever doesn't it (and then we have to point out all the issues with grammars yet again) - selecting by "ability" often means selecting by wealth, and outcomes are worse for the kids outside of grammars - we should care about them too.

Apprenticeships still haven’t worked out their place in t... Today’s policymakers have struggled for decades to unlock the benefits of a scheme that helped to build prosperity in the age of trades and artisans

Great to chat to Martha Gill for this recent piece on apprenticeship policy for the @smfthinktank.bsky.social ⬇

observer.co.uk/news/nationa...

We have a new guest report out today (part of our SMF perspectives series) from Michael Johnson, one of Britain's leading authorities on pension policy -

A few snaps from a really interesting roundtable event on NEETs at the end of last week (hosted by Etio) - particularly enjoyed getting to actually visit a college site (and what a view from the Ada, National College for Digital Skills London campus)

Learnt yesterday this is also now a thing in Bristol - www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea...