Tag: United Kingdom

Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

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Mother working on a laptop at home while caring for a baby, illustrating the challenges of balancing paid work and childcare.

This blog post is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Anna Tarrant, Linzi Ladlow, Alison Koslowski, Harriet Churchill, Naomi Finch, and Patricia Hamilton. When Labour returned to government in 2024, parental leave reform sat near the top of its promises to working families. The manifesto and Labour’s Plan to Make… Continue reading Tinkering at the margins: why Labour’s parental leave reforms don’t currently deliver for families or the economy

What are we really talking about when we use the term ‘food banks’?

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Basket filled with assorted food items including jars, pasta, oil, and packaged goods on a neutral background.

This blog post is based on an article published in the Journal of Social Policy by Maddy Sarah Power and Madeleine Baxter. Over the past 16 years food banks have come to represent much that is wrong and right about the UK: the cruelty of austerity initiated by the Coalition Government and the broader hollowing… Continue reading What are we really talking about when we use the term ‘food banks’?

When Hurting Migrants Became Bad for Everyone’s Health – What the Pandemic Revealed about Europe’s Policy Priorities and the Need for a Healthier Future

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Doctor holding a red heart symbol with silhouettes of a family, representing universal healthcare and protection for all.

This blog is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Michael Strange, Louise Dalingwater, Slobodan Zdravkovic, and Elisabeth Mangrio. Only five years after it emerged, the Covid-19 pandemic already feels distant. For all its lasting impact on human life and society, the moment of introspection it provided – as a crisis… Continue reading When Hurting Migrants Became Bad for Everyone’s Health – What the Pandemic Revealed about Europe’s Policy Priorities and the Need for a Healthier Future

Why Financial Literacy Matters for Closing the U.K.’s ‘Advice Gap’

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Older couple meeting with a financial adviser, looking at charts and a laptop while discussing their finances.

This blog is based on an article published in Social Policy and Society by Julie Dick and Jacqueline Harvey. Planning for one’s retirement is more complex than it has ever been. Ageing populations, underfunded state pensions and economic instability are some factors contributing to the so-called pensions crisis. Lacking the required financial capability, many people… Continue reading Why Financial Literacy Matters for Closing the U.K.’s ‘Advice Gap’