Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 14/08/2026Just quietly noting that the non-Farage vote in Clacton (36% x 44% turnout) is comfortably higher than the 10% of the constituency electorate needed for a petition to trigger another by-election if Farage is suspended from the Commons for 10 days... 28435
Reposted by Abby JitendraIan Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 29/07/2026Burnham: "Social care in England is as unfair as American healthcare." It's a very good line. 491965372
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 29/07/2026It's a big day for social care. I've written about the biggest lesson to learn from the past - success depends on finding a way to pay for reform. And it's harder than ever because we can't agree who owes who. Read below 👇 170
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 28/07/2026Great to be featured in today’s First Edition talking about care reform. Andy’s committed to change - the good news is that while we’ve delayed reform other countries have figured out what to do & how to pay for it. Japan, Australia, New Zealand have all made the system more generous (1/ 132
Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 25/07/2026Labour's headline voting intention is recovering. This pre-dates Burnham becoming PM, but as his victory became inevitable we've seen polls putting Labour within touching distance of Reform. Crucially, this appears to be a consolidation of the progressive vote, rather than gains from Reform. 46122
Reposted by Abby JitendraJim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Nigel Farage has just claimed that men in London are too afraid to wear watches in public, which is just transparently nonsense 98894123
Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 26/06/2026Extraordinary credit to Sadiq Khan for pushing through this deeply controversial policy. This is what can happen when politicians are prepared to stick to their principles. 20984268
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 24/06/2026Job moves news - have just started at @thinklabour.bsky.social as Policy Director! I'll be thinking about how we can give people a stake in government, how communities can thrive, and how we can fight the far right online. Get in touch if you want to chat! 260
Reposted by Abby JitendraGeorge Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 21/06/2026The idea that Starmer failed because he didn’t appeal enough to Reform voters ignores all the evidence: *six times* as many Labour supporters defected to the Greens/LDs. It’s a classic example of motivated reasoning used to justify a reactionary platform that would leave Labour unelectable. 14503141
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19/06/2026The cost of care for ordinary people is a burning problem. Glad to have written something for this edited collection. Social care support is now a reserve of the very poorest, while many pay vast sums out of pocket. We need to grip the issue > 000
Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 19/06/2026It is extremely important that Labour understands that the movement of voters between Lab and Ref was not the crucial factor, it was consolidation of the anti-Ref vote and Lab voters turning out in droves. Otherwise Burnham will make the same mistakes as Starmer in targeting only one set of voters. 33912278
Reposted by Abby JitendraWill Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 16/06/2026Absolutely fascinating polling by @christabelcoops.bsky.social @thinklabour.bsky.social. Says a lot about the (mis)perceptions of voters - and the cues they use to evaluate the social background of politicians. 4319650
Reposted by Abby JitendraColm Murphy @colmpm.bsky.social · 10/06/2026I have to say, listening to the Today programme dedicate an entire (context free) section about whether migrants are more likely to be convicted criminals *the morning after* hundreds of non-migrants of my own ethnicity committed a pogrom is blood boiling. 7738221059
Reposted by Abby JitendraTom Roberts @tpgroberts.bsky.social · 03/06/2026What the fuck is going on? 827442
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 28/05/2026Lots to like about this interview. One thing in particular is Andy's belief that workers rights also helps businesses. That's what we found when we looked at the impact of low pay in the care sector - meagre wages drove turnover and lowered productivity.jrf.org.ukThe hidden cost of low pay in the social care sectorLow pay in the care sector is contributing to high staff turnover and costing providers, and users, billions of pounds. 010
Reposted by Abby JitendraTorsten Bell @torstenbell.bsky.social · 27/05/2026It’s okay for the Tories/Times/Telegraph to pretend that taxes are up “because of welfare”. That’s politics. But if you care about policy you need to understand that is a long way from the truth - and wrestle with the consequences 823243
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 27/05/2026The measures in the Employment Rights Act are some of Labour’s most popular. Donald Trump is loathed by most of the public. Labour’s immigration reforms are alienating its base. Blair’s critique is totally disconnected from political reality. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...theguardian.comTony Blair tells Starmer and rivals: abandon net zero and move closer to TrumpIn highly unusual intervention, ex-PM says his party’s ‘almost infinite capacity for self-delusion’ makes it likely to lose next election 141
Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 27/05/2026The reactions to this are mainly focused on the move to the right, but what's really striking in reading Blair's essay in full, is how little Labour's most electorally successful politician understands the current electorate. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...theguardian.comTony Blair tells Starmer and rivals: abandon net zero and move closer to TrumpIn highly unusual intervention, ex-PM says his party’s ‘almost infinite capacity for self-delusion’ makes it likely to lose next election 4940799
Reposted by Abby JitendraJosh Westerling @joshwesterling.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Plumbers as candidates seems to be a theme of by-elections at the moment, and touches on anxieties about who Labour is for. I speak to that, and how Labour could expand its politics of work, for HopeWorks below. 111
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Bluesky: Govt is too timid and needs to take bold action. Govt: moots voluntary price controls previously delivered by Tories Bluesky: This is an abomination and govt is going too far!!! 061
Reposted by Abby JitendraRichard Humphries @richardhumphries.bsky.social · 19/05/2026Good. Lack of prep in opposition explains much of the current govt’s woes. Nowhere is that more evident than social care www.politico.eu/article/andy...politico.euLabour leadership hopeful Andy Burnham working on 100-day plan for governmentThe Greater Manchester mayor’s team is drawing up a plan for his first 100 days in Downing Street that will likely include reforms to England’s creaking social care system. 021
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 14/05/2026The debate about rent controls is too often about negative impacts (which need to be taken seriously). But can landlords actually afford to bear more financial risk than they are bearing now? New research suggests yes - important reading for policymakers. 033
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 12/05/2026Great to see @jrf-uk.bsky.social research & thinking on improving care leave and a more generous childcare system included here as critical to building a better labour market. 050
Reposted by Abby JitendraHOPE not hate @hopenothate.org.uk · 11/05/2026Reform UK claimed to have the “best vetting in the country”. Their candidates told a different story. Here are some with records of racism, antisemitism, Islamophobia, conspiracy theories and links to far-right groups. They are now in office and must be held to account. 🧵 16321192
Reposted by Abby JitendraRenewal @renewaljournal.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Happy May Day! Show your solidarity by letting us know if you got your copy of our new work issue <3 063
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 01/05/2026Minimum wage increases are some of the most popular policies around. But giving better wages to employed workers while leaving loopholes open for companies to class workers as self-employed (see: Deliveroo) means this could push more into precarity. www.ft.com/content/431a...ft.comGreens to pledge £15 minimum wage in employment rights’ pushInsurgent party seeks to court voters and trade unions with promises on pay and secondary picketing 020
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 30/04/2026It's terrifying that wearing a kippah, or a hijab, or walking around in a neighbourhood where more religious minorities live, or praying in a mosque or synagogue, are increasingly terrifying things to do in the UK. 000
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 28/04/2026Under these proposals, people with severe anxiety or ADHD who can't work won't be given financial support. Hard to imagine how this could be defended. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...bbc.co.uk'Emergency handbrake' needed on sickness benefits, says Tony Blair think tankThe Tony Blair Institute says people with conditions like anxiety should get employment support instead of cash benefits. 111
Reposted by Abby JitendraRobert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 24/04/2026Note the assumption, from Farage, that "ethnic minorities" are not "working people". "The working class" is almost always imagined on the right as old, white & male - never as young, black or female. It's a fantasy version of class politics, that's totally out of kilter with the working population 1827892
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 20/04/2026This was a fun one to write. Here I argue, with @joshwesterling.bsky.social, that the next frontier for workers rights must be those devoid of key rights - the self-employed, insecure workers who are now the worst off. Extending basic protections to them should be the govt’s priority. 143
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19/04/2026Professional news incoming. Until then, my amazing job at @jrf-uk.bsky.social is going and you should apply for it! www.charityjob.co.uk/jobs/joseph-...charityjob.co.ukPrincipal Policy Adviser (work and care) | Joseph Rowntree Foundation | CharityJobApply now for Principal Policy Adviser (work and care). , £81,572 per year plus £6,000 location allowance if based in our London office, find a career with meaning today 083
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 07/04/2026Big week for workers and workers rights! Good to speak to @lbc.co.uk about why they’re the common sense and popular thing to do to bring more dignity to working lives. 030
Reposted by Abby JitendraFrancisca Ladouch @franladouch.bsky.social · 19/03/2026UK Labour Market Unemployment is at its highest since the pandemic and the numbers are getting harder to ignore. Latest ONS data shows a clear and concerning trend. A thread. 🧵 121
Reposted by Abby JitendraAngry People in Local Newspapers @apiln.bsky.social · 18/03/2026STICK IT ON A FIVE POUND NOTEbbc.co.ukRed kite with sausage roll snapped by Banbury photographerMark Hopkins managed to get some pictures of the bird from his back garden. 493224825
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 10/03/2026A little appreciated aspect of social care is that it doesn't get much attention. Louise Casey is uniquely placed to focus minds and draw attention. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...theguardian.comThe blistering speech that tells me Britain’s social care deadlock can finally be broken | Polly ToynbeeIf anyone can make the public pay for a national care service, it’s Louise Casey, says Guardian columnist Polly Toynbee 000
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 05/03/2026Watching Louise Casey’s speech at @nuffieldtrust.org.uk Health Summit. She traces the history of care from 1948, where Beveridge’s lack of focus on social care was in large part down to lower life expectancies & unpaid care. That’s changed but she says ‘we haven’t looked it in the face’. 3177
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 05/03/2026Aside from everything else, deeply confused policy from govt here. Is care work (a major driver of migration) low skilled? Or is it, as another govt Department thinks, worthy of better pay and conditions through better collective bargaining (the Fair Pay Agreement policy)? 23211
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 27/02/2026Graft, insurgent politics and the class politics of the left. At JRF we’re thinking hard about what the new labour market needs & what the politics of that might be. 031
Reposted by Abby JitendraJoseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 27/02/2026It’s right that the Government will improve care worker pay through Fair Pay Agreements. Care workers aren’t paid enough for the important work they do. But as well as the cost to care workers, there’s also the hidden cost of low pay. A 🧵 195
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 24/02/2026Key Employment Rights Act protections have broad support from the public. Why would a frontrunning populist party want to rip them up? 063
Reposted by Abby JitendraStephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 24/02/2026Undoing the sexual revolution, repealing the Renters’ Rights Act…literally every day these guys add a new liability to the pile. 54508127
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 19/02/2026The rising minimum wage is one of the most popular social policies in recent history. 020
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 18/02/2026This is very good news - disabled people relying on social care will be able to keep more of their own money. www.gov.uk/government/n....gov.uk£400 cash boost for disabled adults to tackle cost of living150,000 disabled adults to keep £400 more cash each year to help with cost of living, and £700 million to support tens of thousands of home adaptations. 041
Reposted by Abby JitendraChristabel Cooper @christabelcoops.bsky.social · 11/02/2026Trade unions are pretty popular! The reluctance to make the case for strengthening them, seems to stem from a historic and now misplaced belief, that unions are still unpopular. Amazing how people who claim to guided by "what the people want" so often fail to look at actual public opinion. 0266
Reposted by Abby JitendraSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Nothing like enjoying your slightly cheaper pint while imagining the toddler crying from hunger that paid for it. 541288404
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 03/02/2026Last week I asked MPs why we couldn't finally get paternity pay for self-employed dads who are shut out of the system. Glad the govt is thinking about how to fix this problem! www.thesun.co.uk/news/politic...thesun.co.ukThousands more men could finally get paternity payWHITE-van men may finally get paternity pay as ministers look into closing the gap that leaves self-employed dads with no rights. Deputy PM David Lammy backed a push for change at a meeting of Labo… 030
Reposted by Abby JitendraJoseph Rowntree Foundation @jrf-uk.bsky.social · 02/02/2026🗣️ ‘Work should be the best route out of poverty’ Analyst @franladouch.bsky.social explains that for millions across the UK, employment is not the safety net from poverty that it should be. Recent employment reforms are a good start, but the government must go further to protect working families. 🔽 13219
Abby Jitendra @abbyabhaya.bsky.social · 15/01/2026The population is getting older and we don’t have a plan to meet growing and changing care needs. More policy people need to be worrying about this! 010