Steve Hilditch
@stevehilditch.bsky.social
Housing. Labour-ish Politics. Geography. Newcastle United.
North Paddington/Queens Park for 50 years but still a Geordie.
#nufc @redbrickblog @labourhousing
North Paddington/Queens Park for 50 years but still a Geordie.
#nufc @redbrickblog @labourhousing
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
The Chancellor has scrapped the two-child limit, benefitting more than half a million families.
More than half of the affected families have at least one member in work, and 88% had 3 or 4 children.
More than half of the affected families have at least one member in work, and 88% had 3 or 4 children.
November 28, 2025 at 9:15 AM
The Chancellor has scrapped the two-child limit, benefitting more than half a million families.
More than half of the affected families have at least one member in work, and 88% had 3 or 4 children.
More than half of the affected families have at least one member in work, and 88% had 3 or 4 children.
I really do object to the term ‘welfare’ which has become a pejorative word and is not ‘out of control’. I’ve paid for my pension through nearly 50 years of work and everyone pays in through taxes.
Where’s the chart showing corporate welfare, tax breaks and tax avoidance?
Where’s the chart showing corporate welfare, tax breaks and tax avoidance?
Welfare spending is currently 1.2% of GDP *lower* than in 2012-13.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Abolition of two-child cap is best viewed as a correction than an increase.
Is welfare spending ''out of control''?
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
Total welfare spending in Britain in 2025-26 is estimated to be 10.8 per cent of GDP.
That's just 0.8 per cent of GDP higher than in 2007-08, and total welfare spending has actually fallen fallen by 1.2 per cent of GDP since 2012-13⤵️
buff.ly/s5mz97u
November 28, 2025 at 8:56 AM
I really do object to the term ‘welfare’ which has become a pejorative word and is not ‘out of control’. I’ve paid for my pension through nearly 50 years of work and everyone pays in through taxes.
Where’s the chart showing corporate welfare, tax breaks and tax avoidance?
Where’s the chart showing corporate welfare, tax breaks and tax avoidance?
The Tories doing their best to divide crudely between people who work who pay taxes and people on benefits. We all pay tax and we all receive public services, that’s how the system works. Calling everything ‘welfare’ is just ignorance.
70% of the additional spending from removing the two-child limit will go to families who are in work. This is targeting support for low-income working households who are being priced out of a decent standard of living despite doing everything asked of them.
November 27, 2025 at 11:58 PM
The Tories doing their best to divide crudely between people who work who pay taxes and people on benefits. We all pay tax and we all receive public services, that’s how the system works. Calling everything ‘welfare’ is just ignorance.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Was trying to work out in which way Shabana Mahmood, an otherwise pretty unremarkable politician, could possibly be described as a "luminous golden star" who "dazzles like a blue-white supernova" and then I realised, its simply a willingness to be a bit more cruel to immigrants
November 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
Was trying to work out in which way Shabana Mahmood, an otherwise pretty unremarkable politician, could possibly be described as a "luminous golden star" who "dazzles like a blue-white supernova" and then I realised, its simply a willingness to be a bit more cruel to immigrants
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
The latest report came hours after the RSF agreed to a three-month humanitarian truce.
Sudan’s RSF committing war crimes in Darfur, says Amnesty
The latest report came hours after the RSF agreed to a three-month humanitarian truce.
bit.ly
November 25, 2025 at 3:30 AM
The latest report came hours after the RSF agreed to a three-month humanitarian truce.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Asked if Keir Starmer believes British people want to "see refugee children pulled out of school and deported after 10 years in this country”, his spokesman says that “what the British public wants and what this government was elected on a mandate to deliver was to secure our borders"
November 17, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Asked if Keir Starmer believes British people want to "see refugee children pulled out of school and deported after 10 years in this country”, his spokesman says that “what the British public wants and what this government was elected on a mandate to deliver was to secure our borders"
Almost every BBC current affairs programme highlights the newspapers, most of which are right wing. Free advertising every day for appalling products, importing bias into every programme. BBC should end this practice immediately.
The Telegraph has published its "editorial view" on the recent BBC resignations, claiming that they want "to ask legitimate questions about the accuracy of its journalism". If only The Telegraph would hold their own reporting to the same standards. 1/2
November 11, 2025 at 6:45 PM
Almost every BBC current affairs programme highlights the newspapers, most of which are right wing. Free advertising every day for appalling products, importing bias into every programme. BBC should end this practice immediately.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
BBC News bulletins leading on the story of an Algerian man being mistakenly released by the prison service.
Funnily enough I don't remember these cases ever leading the bulletins when an average of ten prisoners were mistakenly released a month in the final year of the last Government
Funnily enough I don't remember these cases ever leading the bulletins when an average of ten prisoners were mistakenly released a month in the final year of the last Government
November 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
BBC News bulletins leading on the story of an Algerian man being mistakenly released by the prison service.
Funnily enough I don't remember these cases ever leading the bulletins when an average of ten prisoners were mistakenly released a month in the final year of the last Government
Funnily enough I don't remember these cases ever leading the bulletins when an average of ten prisoners were mistakenly released a month in the final year of the last Government
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
It is way past time for the UK government & the BBC to get off X & for Musk to be treated as a threat to national security.
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
The world's richest man is using his site to promote civil war, ethnic violence & the overthrow of an elected government.
You won't win him over with another conference on AI
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?
Reform’s Sarah Pochin forced to apologise after claiming adverts 'full of black people' drive her 'mad’ | LBC
The Runcorn and Helsby MP was responding to a viewer live on air who complained about the demographics of advertising.
www.lbc.co.uk
October 26, 2025 at 6:57 AM
Nothing on the BBC Radio news this morning. Nothing I could find on their website. This is an MP from the party whose lead in the opinion polls normally ensures them wall-to-wall coverage. She spouts racist nonsense for which even she feels obliged to apologise. What on earth are they playing at?
It isn’t real convergence, and it isn’t fairness, unless ‘Affordable Rents’ are included as well as Social Rents. Converging all rents - some up, some down- would bring back coherence to rent setting and enable the eventual repeal of the AR tenancy.
October 22, 2025 at 7:34 AM
It isn’t real convergence, and it isn’t fairness, unless ‘Affordable Rents’ are included as well as Social Rents. Converging all rents - some up, some down- would bring back coherence to rent setting and enable the eventual repeal of the AR tenancy.
Much of this borrowing funded capital assets and kept businesses going during the pandemic - which now pay tax. Where do the benefits of borrowing appear in the national accounts and why do @theIFS never focus on the upside?
Much-elevated debt combined with higher government borrowing costs has pushed up debt interest spending.
It is forecast to be £111bn this year, £64bn higher than forecast just three years ago. £64bn is roughly equal to the day-to-day core schools budget.
It is forecast to be £111bn this year, £64bn higher than forecast just three years ago. £64bn is roughly equal to the day-to-day core schools budget.
October 16, 2025 at 9:02 AM
Much of this borrowing funded capital assets and kept businesses going during the pandemic - which now pay tax. Where do the benefits of borrowing appear in the national accounts and why do @theIFS never focus on the upside?
This story is missing the crucial information about what rents will be charged to the eventual tenant. Is it genuinely affordable?
October 16, 2025 at 8:49 AM
This story is missing the crucial information about what rents will be charged to the eventual tenant. Is it genuinely affordable?
It’s an example of how much our views are manipulated that almost no one will believe that welfare payments are stable and not out of control.
A much needed corrective by @chrisgiles.ft.com to the "welfare is out of control" narrative, drawing on research by my colleague @benbgeiger.bsky.social
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
www.ft.com/content/ee67...
No need for a moral panic about the welfare system
It’s far from perfect, but the UK’s spending is broadly controlled and employment is high
www.ft.com
October 16, 2025 at 8:40 AM
It’s an example of how much our views are manipulated that almost no one will believe that welfare payments are stable and not out of control.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
More than 500,000 marched for Palestine in London on 11th October. The reaction of a Labour Government- Bridget Philipson speaking to Trevor Phillips (12th Oct). 'We're bringing in restrictions to curtail the marches'. A Labour Government??
wp.me/p15p2Q-fgR
wp.me/p15p2Q-fgR
Over 500,000 marched in London on Oct 11. The 32nd national demonstration for Palestine. The BBC: ‘local London news’
Over 500,000 march in London on 32nd national demonstration for Palestine. BBC ‘local news’ Over 500,000 people marched in central London on 11th October on what was the 32nd national demonstration…
wp.me
October 12, 2025 at 5:58 PM
More than 500,000 marched for Palestine in London on 11th October. The reaction of a Labour Government- Bridget Philipson speaking to Trevor Phillips (12th Oct). 'We're bringing in restrictions to curtail the marches'. A Labour Government??
wp.me/p15p2Q-fgR
wp.me/p15p2Q-fgR
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Who benefits from the abolition of stamp duty land tax?
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
October 9, 2025 at 7:44 PM
Who benefits from the abolition of stamp duty land tax?
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
The first answer: people buying very expensive homes. Average saving for someone buying a £10m+ home is £1.7m. Average saving for someone buying a £250k-£500k home is £5k.
Despite many excellent correspondents, BBC News and current affairs is now a complete joke. And it seems from Chris Mason’s comments that it has a very thin skin. Ed Davey is quite right.
There should be a high bar for politicians attacking the media, but maybe Ed Davey has half a point here?
For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)
For example, the first three paragraphs of this BBC story repeat Reform's £243bn figure without saying that the thinktank behind the estimate now disowns it. (This is mentioned in paragraph 35)
September 22, 2025 at 6:11 PM
Despite many excellent correspondents, BBC News and current affairs is now a complete joke. And it seems from Chris Mason’s comments that it has a very thin skin. Ed Davey is quite right.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
“The trend in recent years has been for the great majority of extremist-related murders to be connected to some form of right-wing extremism. That is also true for 2024: for the third year in a row, all the murders identified were tied to right-wing extremism.”
www.adl.org/resources/re...
www.adl.org/resources/re...
www.adl.org
September 14, 2025 at 2:40 AM
“The trend in recent years has been for the great majority of extremist-related murders to be connected to some form of right-wing extremism. That is also true for 2024: for the third year in a row, all the murders identified were tied to right-wing extremism.”
www.adl.org/resources/re...
www.adl.org/resources/re...
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Buying a retirement flat for £60k and having to sell for £40k sounds like a depressingly familiar story from that sector. But having to pay another £25k in 'deferred service charge' (despite already paying a service charge) to the developer is a new one on me
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
Developer wants 63% of retirement flat sale price
My widowed sister-in-law has dementia and we need to sell to fund her care home, but the charges seem excessive
www.theguardian.com
September 9, 2025 at 8:22 AM
Buying a retirement flat for £60k and having to sell for £40k sounds like a depressingly familiar story from that sector. But having to pay another £25k in 'deferred service charge' (despite already paying a service charge) to the developer is a new one on me
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
www.theguardian.com/money/2025/s...
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Shocking: less than 3% of private rentals in Britain are affordable for people needing housing benefit.
People are being pushed towards homelessness and ill health.
@RachelReevesMP can fix this in Nov’s budget by restoring housing benefit to the real cost of rent. Act now: bit.ly/3V1d76a
People are being pushed towards homelessness and ill health.
@RachelReevesMP can fix this in Nov’s budget by restoring housing benefit to the real cost of rent. Act now: bit.ly/3V1d76a
September 9, 2025 at 12:17 PM
Shocking: less than 3% of private rentals in Britain are affordable for people needing housing benefit.
People are being pushed towards homelessness and ill health.
@RachelReevesMP can fix this in Nov’s budget by restoring housing benefit to the real cost of rent. Act now: bit.ly/3V1d76a
People are being pushed towards homelessness and ill health.
@RachelReevesMP can fix this in Nov’s budget by restoring housing benefit to the real cost of rent. Act now: bit.ly/3V1d76a
35% ‘affordable’, presumably only a share of it social rent, on a council-led development is really just not good enough.
September 9, 2025 at 4:13 PM
35% ‘affordable’, presumably only a share of it social rent, on a council-led development is really just not good enough.
So, the more candidates there are the harder it is for anyone to get to 80 except for the govt payroll candidate. Democracy in action.
Bridget Phillipson receives boost as poll suggests she has clear lead over rival deputy leadership candidates with members - www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...
September 9, 2025 at 4:03 PM
So, the more candidates there are the harder it is for anyone to get to 80 except for the govt payroll candidate. Democracy in action.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
Holding govts to ransom.
Head of UK's banking lobby warns chancellor about additional tax on banks.
Banks happy to be bailed out, take £895bn QE, £10bn+ interest a year on central reserves.
Banks make excessive profits, must face windfall tax.
Head of UK's banking lobby warns chancellor about additional tax on banks.
Banks happy to be bailed out, take £895bn QE, £10bn+ interest a year on central reserves.
Banks make excessive profits, must face windfall tax.
Bank lobby chief warns Reeves over budget tax raid
In a letter to the chancellor obtained by Sky News, the UK Finance boss David Postings said she risked undermining economic growth if she increased the tax burden on UK lenders.
news.sky.com
September 7, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Holding govts to ransom.
Head of UK's banking lobby warns chancellor about additional tax on banks.
Banks happy to be bailed out, take £895bn QE, £10bn+ interest a year on central reserves.
Banks make excessive profits, must face windfall tax.
Head of UK's banking lobby warns chancellor about additional tax on banks.
Banks happy to be bailed out, take £895bn QE, £10bn+ interest a year on central reserves.
Banks make excessive profits, must face windfall tax.
Reposted by Steve Hilditch
So much humbug about Angela Rayner in the right wing press. Literally hundreds, if not thousands, of MPs, Ministers (and journalists and newspaper owners) will have inadvertently filed a tax return with an error. Her actions are conceptually indistinguishable from theirs.
September 4, 2025 at 6:04 AM
So much humbug about Angela Rayner in the right wing press. Literally hundreds, if not thousands, of MPs, Ministers (and journalists and newspaper owners) will have inadvertently filed a tax return with an error. Her actions are conceptually indistinguishable from theirs.
Given how many grifters infect our politics, media and business I see no reason why Rayner should resign given the complex family position she has explained and the advice she had.
There are many many reasons to criticise her and the govt but this is not one of them.
There are many many reasons to criticise her and the govt but this is not one of them.
After our overnight story saying Angela Rayner might still have to pay additional stamp duty on her £800,000 Hove flat, she confirmed that that is indeed the case:
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Angela Rayner admits underpaying stamp duty on £800,000 seaside flat
Deputy PM refers herself to ethics adviser as confirmation puts her position under threat
www.theguardian.com
September 3, 2025 at 10:59 AM
Given how many grifters infect our politics, media and business I see no reason why Rayner should resign given the complex family position she has explained and the advice she had.
There are many many reasons to criticise her and the govt but this is not one of them.
There are many many reasons to criticise her and the govt but this is not one of them.