Laura Rayner

The fact that it’s an amazing photo is probably little comfort 📸

This is really excellent news, smart politics and I would hazard a guess that Ed Miliband has a hand in it #beyondGDP

Belgium’s quieter under-the-radar alternative to Bruges Lovely Leuven, outside Brussels, has everything you need for a festive city break: ancient architecture, cobbled streets, breweries … and there’s not a tourist in sight

My dear Leuven ❤️ glad others appreciate it as much as I do www.thetimes.com/travel/desti...

“Yes there are some rigid rules, but honestly I’m not the one that wanted them. I’m not pointing the finger at anyone, but someone asked for these strict rules. Now we have these rules and the commission is asked to implement them.”

Nothing like a well-placed “I told you so.”

I do enjoy the period when European Commissioners are halfway out the door. The speeches and remarks are much more telling 😆 Here is Gentiloni on the new fiscal rules:

This report 👇🏼 analyses how capable current macroeconomic models are of simulating the transition to a more just and sustainable society.

zenodo.org/records/1419...

They propose a broader set of #indicators that capture the social and environmental performance of society.

To understand how societies can become sustainable and fair, economic models need to be expanded to include a more holistic depiction of the economy within its broader context.

Several initiatives such as the #Doughnut and the #SDGs have paved the way.

How can countries meet the basic needs of their citizens without overburdening the 🌍’s ecosystems?

The mainstream economic paradigm is unfit to address this challenge, as it lacks a satisfactory description of how the economy is embedded within broader societal & environmental systems.

Agricultural land values in England reached a new record in 2023 Q4 2023 edition of Strutt & Parker’s English Estates & Farmland Market Review which shows that non-farmers bought more farms than farmers in 2023.

Out of curiosity, am reading a bit about the market for farmland. This briefing is from January.

"Meanwhile, non-farmer buyers – who are a mix of private and institutional investors and lifestyle buyers – accounted for 56% of sales"

rural.struttandparker.com/article/engl...

The moon rising over Lake Malawi

Mothers are working more than in the past - but are still most impacted by childcare requirements.

On current progress, it would take until the 2220s to reach gender parity and close the gender parenting gap.

The biggest flaws of GDP are that it does not measure quality of life, does not distinguish between sustainable & unsustainable
economic activities, ignores social inequalities & excludes the informal economy & care activities. The majority of the respondents consider these to be significant flaws.

The pursuit of GDP growth has a
strong influence on the design of government policies, and this has not changed over the last five years. The most common reasons to use GDP connect to its current status & widespread use. Comparability and public familiarity with the concept are also common reasons.

Legitimacy is the main reason for preferring specific indicators and models. Only data, indicators and models that are produced by organisations that are seen as legitimate are used by EU policymakers, which tends to refer to official and conventional sources such as EUROSTAT.

Barriers related to structural factors in governance & policymaking are considered as most difficult to overcome. These include path dependencies in governance systems (e.g., consolidation of GDP), short-termism & prioritisation of urgent issues in policymaking, & an unfavourable political context.

Survey results show that important drivers include growing acceptability among general public, improved scientific knowledge, growing global momentum for moving beyond growth, and pressure from grassroots initiatives.

As an approach that brings together diverse stakeholders, it is rich in concepts and ideas for alternative metrics and future pathways. However, to enhance the uptake of this approach, it is important to understand stakeholders’ awareness and perceptions of #beyondGDP concepts and metrics.

#BeyondGDP refers to an approach advocating the use of alternative indicators and accelerating a sustainability transformation to move away from the current dominance of #GDPgrowth. It suggests adopting alternative metrics that better capture wellbeing, social equity & environmental sustainability.

Achieving #Agenda2030 requires a comprehensive measure of human progress that does not focus solely on GDP but goes beyond it. To address this challenge, many competing indicators and policy frameworks have emerged.

A Survey Report on the Perceptions on Beyond-GDP Approach - MERGE Achieving the 2030 Agenda and the EU’s policies on environmental and social sustainability requires a comprehensive measure of human progress […]

This fascinating MERGE project report presents the findings of survey & interview data which explored the significance of GDP in policymaking, the use of metrics, datasets and models, awareness of #beyondGDP concepts and the barriers and drivers of moving #beyondGDP.

mergeproject.eu/survey-report/

#JUST4ALL project webinar today on empowering and engaging marginalised people in the #justtransition giving me an opportunity to talk about the wonderful Fair Energy Transition for All Project and its valuable lessons on integrating vulnerable people in policymaking fair-energy-transition.eu

I’d naively hoped that the trolls polluting Scottish political discourse on X was mainly bot-fed but, looking at your feed, it’s really upsetting to see that apparently there are that many people who are so awful. Thoroughly depressing.

The potential Stephen Flynn v Kate Forbes battle will be one to watch, though I doubt I will be watching it as a party member.

Brilliant 😂

I don’t know enough anymore about the seats or the abilities of the current representatives to comment. Though I feel confident enough to say that this candidate selection contest will be vile.

I suppose, also, that if he wants to become SNP leader and potentially FM then he needs to make the jump between parliaments. If he doesn’t do it now and if there are not Holyrood elections for a couple of years after possibly losing his seat in W’minster in 2029, that may make it harder for him.

That very much depends on your expectations for SNP success in the coming years. You’re more optimistic than me clearly.
But yes, agreed, it’s a very significant risk either way.

True but if he thinks he’s likely to lose the FPTP Westminster seat in the next election then it’s worth a shot. If he gets elected to Holyrood he can either do both roles if the rules allow or stand down at Westminster and remain employed as MSP. Cynical yes 🤷🏻‍♀️

In Malawi, the letter L and the letter R are pretty much interchangeable. In one US election when Obama was elected, the front page of the national newspaper led with the headline, “The Great US Erection.” Shame that this time it is such a turn off.