Austen
banner
austenpaulh.bsky.social
Austen
@austenpaulh.bsky.social
Gibbous loon writing and researching
Reposted by Austen
"The Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts the NMW will rise to about £28,995 by 2030 — or approximately £400 lower than the frozen student loan repayment threshold." on.ft.com/4p2hyL4
Threshold for repaying student loans to converge with minimum wage
Surprise move from chancellor means some university graduates in England may have to pay back debts sooner
on.ft.com
November 27, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Reposted by Austen
2.7 million people who qualify for Universal Credit are in work, but receive such a low income that tax payers need to pay them enough to survive. It's not people on benefits who are freeloading off us, it is businesses paying their workers too little.
#wealthtax #realwages #workersunite #joinaunion
November 27, 2025 at 7:50 AM
Reposted by Austen
I think at this point if you're including Diane Abbott - a woman who has never held government office, has been a backbencher since 2020, and is scarcely a government ally - on your list of political wrongdoers, we all know exactly what your real concerns are
November 26, 2025 at 12:28 PM
Reposted by Austen
#OtD 27 Nov 1898 anti-Nazi resistance fighter Maria Vetulani was born in Poland. Under Nazi occupation she joined resistance and hid Jewish people in her apartment. She fought in the 1944 Warsaw uprising and was wounded then murdered in hospital stories.workingclasshistory.com/article/9951...
November 27, 2025 at 7:25 AM
Reposted by Austen
If Rachel Reeves gets challenged about this bullseye on Farage being a Russian asset, she should simply reply that it was not meant in a hurtful way.
"We are freezing known Russian assets" says Rachel Reeves

"But let me be clear, I don't actually mean the member for Clacton"
November 26, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Reposted by Austen
If you have a moment this petition needs you.
November 27, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Reposted by Austen
How scammers exploit Black Friday
Different ways scammers take advantage of Black Friday and the weekly scam news

northeastbylines.co.uk/business/how...
How scammers exploit Black Friday
Different ways scammers take advantage of Black Friday and the weekly scam news
northeastbylines.co.uk
November 27, 2025 at 8:03 AM
Reposted by Austen
🚨The FT’s latest piece quotes the Chair of the AIIP — described as just a “trade body.”

But our research shows they've lobbied for PFI-style models before.🫨

Asking enthusiastic supporters if the plan is good? Feels… off.

➡️ www.ft.com/content/33cd...

➡️ everydoctor.org.uk/talking-poin...
November 26, 2025 at 10:01 AM
Reposted by Austen
🎥 Dr Julia Patterson lays it out clearly:

£21 BILLION already owed. And now talk of bringing back PFI-style schemes?! 🤯💥

We’re digging for answers. Is this new plan genuinely different — or are we repeating a colossal mistake?
November 25, 2025 at 11:39 AM
Reposted by Austen
One sentence.

That’s all the NHS got in Reeves’ Autumn Budget speech — with essentially no detail on the govt’s plan to use private partnerships to fund 250 neighbourhood health centres.

With the future of our health service at stake, the public deserves clarity, transparency, and real answers.
November 26, 2025 at 1:53 PM
Reposted by Austen
😡 After the total failure of PFI in the NHS last time, the government is exploring it again!!

We can’t let history repeat itself. Here’s why PFI was abandoned — and why t’s a huge risk:

➡️ bit.ly/Why-PFI-Aban...
November 26, 2025 at 7:55 PM
Reposted by Austen
My cartoon for this week's @newscientist.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Austen
What do you do?
- I edit fiction.
- What does that mean?
- Well, to cut a long story short.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Yes?
November 26, 2025 at 10:39 AM
Reposted by Austen
🔥 Highly recommended that you all sign and share.

Link to the petition—> petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 8:55 AM
Reposted by Austen
🚨The Petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy has now rocketed past 55,000 signatures! Let’s get it to 100,000. If a petition is what it’s going to take let’s get this done!

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
November 26, 2025 at 8:41 AM
Reposted by Austen
🔴‘Scrapping Jury Trials Is an Attempt to Fix a Broken Justice System by Smashing It to Pieces’

Taking away the fundamental right to be tried by a jury of your peers would be a disastrous move by Keir Starmer’s Government, argues barrister Gareth Roberts

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/26/s...
'Scrapping Jury Trials Is an Attempt to Fix a Broken Justice System by Smashing It to Pieces'
Taking away the fundamental right to be tried by a jury of your peers would be a disastrous move by Keir Starmer's Government, argues barrister Gareth Roberts
bylinetimes.com
November 26, 2025 at 11:54 AM
Reposted by Austen
Good morning, while everyone is waiting for the budget to be announced it’s a good time to say that immigration is a source of prosperity for the UK and painting Britain as a hostile state is sabotaging the country. Thanks!
November 26, 2025 at 7:44 AM
Reposted by Austen
Chancellor Reeves is hell bent on shrinking the nation’s income with tax increases today. She cut the nation’s ability to invest and spend in the 2024 Budget.

Predictably, the budget deficit rose.

In 2024/25 it was 5.3%, up from 4.8% in 2023/24.

annpettifor.substack.com/p/central-ba...
Central Banks and Government Budgets - As If Democracy Matters
In Britain Tax austerity threatens to follow monetary and fiscal austerity
annpettifor.substack.com
November 26, 2025 at 9:55 AM
Reposted by Austen
some of the budget reaction says that if people get a pay rise it pushes inflation up and ruins businesses.
But, curiously, this apparently obvious law of economics only applies to the poor and the young.
Better-off and older people can get richer without any problem at all.
November 26, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by Austen
when we say we want more streets to be pedestrianized, this is what we mean
November 25, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Reposted by Austen
Of course another consequence of removing juries from all but the most serious crimes is that those pesky juries won’t be able to find annoying protestors not guilty.
November 26, 2025 at 8:48 AM
Reposted by Austen
Budget day at last.
November 26, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Reposted by Austen
Probably not the best way to start the day but I am ranting on Instagram
November 26, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Reposted by Austen
In essence: juries are important for what decisions they prevent others from making.
Juries are not perfect.

Many of the worst miscarriages of justice have followed jury trials.

But the merit of juries is not so much the power they have, but the power they prevent others from having.

They mean a judge cannot just nod-along with prosecution evidence and give a guilty verdict.
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 PM