Heather Stewart

@guardianheather.bsky.social

Economics editor at the Guardian. Former political editor, former Observer economics editor. Londoner, Mum. [email protected]

@kennystew.artReposted by @guardianheather.bsky.social

I absolutely love this from Peter Fonagy in his foreword to the English prevalence review. Stop judging kids today by your memories, and recognise that, if you don’t like how they’re reacting to today’s world, we’re the ones that shaped it for them.

I want to be careful not to turn my own history into a lesson for other people's children. Life has become harder since I was a young man: more uncertain, more relentlessly observed and appraised, with less belonging and fewer opportunities to take time-out, to recuperate and recover. The cacophony of voices now available to a young person - most of them digital, many of them confident, few of them accountable - has made the ordinary developmental process of understanding oneself far harder than it was for me, and the consequences for how young people function are correspondingly greater. As a clinician who still sees young people, and as a proud father of two children, I am in awe of their courage. Young people today are contending with more powerful forces than I ever faced. They are not fragile. They are outnumbered.
@jdportes.bsky.socialReposted by @guardianheather.bsky.social

This prompted me to go back and check the claim that "On current DWP forecasts, from the 2024 election until 2030, Labour will have increased working-age benefit spending by a further £51.6 bn/year." It appears to be equally fictional/spreadsheet error. Correct figure is maybe £36bn..

@guardianheather.bsky.social

If only Capita had a Civil Service Pension branch, I swear I would chain myself to the desk in it (tho suspect I would be far from alone...) I do wonder what the aggregate economic impact is of us all spending so much time on this crap...

@guardianheather.bsky.social

Yes! When Mum went into her care home I literally ended up having to go and collect a hard copy of her NHS notes - 70-odd years worth - and deliver them by hand because they wouldn't admit her without them and the surgery couldn't send them. It's all just so debilitating and stupid.

@guardianheather.bsky.social

Argh, so sorry Jane, v familiar - I am now a year into trying to activate the power of attorney for Mum's (tiny) pension with Capita and honestly cannot count the number of hours I have spent on it it. Why all organisations can't have a consistent process is beyond me 😡

@chrisgiles.ft.comReposted by @guardianheather.bsky.social

I was once asked to go into the OBR and discuss the EFO. They thought I was being provocative saying it needed to be slimmed by 80% I was being serious

Older posts