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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 30m

Given long-term care insurance doesn't exist in the UK, maybe don't start taxing savings until you've got that sorted?

(Though really not convinced at all of the case for why we should wish to discourage saving in the first place...).

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Reposted by Iain Mansfield

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 10h

Education under focus in the COVID Inquiry this week.

My own reflections - as a SpAd in the Department for Education at the time - are here.

School closures, exams debacle and more.

www.edrith.co.uk/p/a-tale-of-...

(Go to section 4: Covid and Lockdown).

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 6h

Also too few politicians willing to engage in changing public opinion over 3-4 years.

Thatcher, Blair, Cameron all willing to do this. Recent leaders much less so.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7h

Higher turnout now is favouring Reform in a way it has never disproportionately favoured a single party in the past.

Will the trend continue?

Fascinating piece in the New Statesman.

www.newstatesman.com/politics/pol...

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7h

£20k not going to fund much old age social care. We'd like to encourage saving, rather than have everyone fall back on the state.

(Not against a lifetime limit rather than annual limits - but that seems too low).

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 10h

Education under focus in the COVID Inquiry this week.

My own reflections - as a SpAd in the Department for Education at the time - are here.

School closures, exams debacle and more.

www.edrith.co.uk/p/a-tale-of-...

(Go to section 4: Covid and Lockdown).

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Reposted by Iain Mansfield

Sam Sims @drsamsims.bsky.social · 23h

Very sensible. Indeed it would be mad if the government didn’t do it the way Daisy proposes.

Daisy Christodoulou @daisychristo.bsky.social · 2d

The government are said to be planning a new Year 8 reading test.

Do we need it?

Some thoughts here.

substack.nomoremarking.com/p/does-engla...

Does England need a new Year 8 reading test?

And if so, what can we learn from America?

substack.nomoremarking.com

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 23h

Seeing a lot of confusion about this piece.

It refers to requiring migrants to have CEFR level B2 (up from B1) in English.

This is equivalent-ish to the language proficiency of an A-Level *in a foreign language*.

Evidently this was not in the government press notice - but is in the White Paper.

The Independent @the-independent.com · 1d

Migrants will need A-level standard English to work in UK

www.independent.co.uk

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 1d

Apologies - I've deleted mine, also.

The press release not saying this does explain a lot.

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 1d

Perfectly reasonable to debate whether or not it's a good idea (personally, I think it is).

But not sure why so many normally smart and well-informed commentators are saying they have no idea what this means.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 1d

I regularly see YIMBYs writing about the Building Safety Act.

Maybe not all are sensible on this, but it's definitely part of the movement.

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

Happy Turtle News for Friday afternoon.

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

Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

Yes, with us too there was definitely a point when it became stale.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

When we played Mafia at university we used to execute anyone misusing statistics.

Particularly if they were mathematicians (on the grounds they should know better so it must be a ploy).

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 5d

Among the many possibilities for the next few years, the scenario of swapping one pair of dominant parties (Lab and Con) for another (Reform and LD) is intriguing, under-discussed and, in English elections, not entirely implausible either (several county councils made this leap in May)

Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 5d

Aggregate Result of the 122 Council By-Elections (for 125 Seats) since the 2025 Local Elections:

RFM: 47 (+40)
LDM: 32 (+10)
CON: 13 (-15)
LAB: 12 (-30)
GRN: 11 (+3)
Ind: 5 (-4)
Local: 3 (-3)
SNP: 1 (-1)
PLC: 1 (=)

Explore: electionmaps.uk/byelections-...

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

"The West is not doing Ukraine a favour by helping it resist aggression; it is Ukraine doing the West a favour."

Fundamental point in @ldfreedman.bsky.social's latest. The true 'realist' position on Ukraine is that we should support Ukraine.

samf.substack.com/p/as-long-as...

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

Countries around the world are taking steps to limit the harms of smartphones and social media on children.

Meanwhile, this government decides to consult on a measure that would make it mandatory for every 13 year old to have a smart phone.

Great move, great move.

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Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 5d

I think it was @hannahfearn.bsky.social who was asking what's up with the govt's ability to read the room ...
In what world is the response to high-profile and vocal groups of parents raising concerns about teens and smartphones to propose digital ID for teenagers?
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government to consult on digital IDs for 13-year-olds

There has been a backlash to the announcement a UK-wide digital ID scheme will be introduced by 2029.

www.bbc.co.uk

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 5d

One of the best pieces I've read recently on the right's new agenda.

Shrimsley takes seriously its aims and objectives, acknowledges the issues they take aim at are genuine, while also setting out legitimate challenges and counter-arguments.

Robert Shrimsley @robertshrimsley.bsky.social · 6d

Thatcher once said her greatest achievement was Tony Blair and New Labour, because she forced her opponents onto her agenda. Today's new right begs to differ.

www.ft.com/content/49ec...

The battle to dismantle Blair’s Britain

Conservatives’ biggest mistake was the adoption of the liberal agenda, the new right believes

www.ft.com

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Felicity Hannah @felicityhannah.bsky.social · 6d

I fully accept that ‘complaining about society today’ simply suggests I am becoming cantankerous as I age.
However, 3 people near me in this train carriage are playing their phones out loud and I genuinely think this is a breakdown in the social contract

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7d

This is a fine speech.

Sets out, clearly, what the Conservatives stand for that Reform don't - particularly on the economy.

Calls out previous failures.

And lays out specific policies that aren't just tinkering, but represent a genuine change.

www.conservatives.com/news/kemi-ba...

Kemi Badenoch announces Stamp Duty Abolition Policy

In her remarks closing Conference Kemi made one more major announcement

www.conservatives.com

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7d

Or to choose a less dramatic example, the absolute numbers of children who don't speak English is what impacts schools (and other kids' learning).

It doesn't matter whether that number is a lower proportion of that ethnic group.

Hence low rates of immigration with time to integrate.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7d

I don't see a contradiction between your stat (which I agree is true) and this.

It is the absolute numbers that matter in terms of impact on society.

For example, I care much less what proportion of Muslims are radical Islamists than about the absolute number of radical Islamists in the country.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7d

That is a great point.

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Iain Mansfield @igmansfield.bsky.social · 7d

Stamp Duty is one of the most harmful, economically distorting taxes we have.

Great call by Kemi Badenoch to prioritise it for scrapping.

Free up our broken housing market and give more people a chance to own their own homes, relocate for work and downsize.

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