All posts tagged: welfare

Defence spending should not be a choice of welfare or warfare | Military

Defence spending should not be a choice of welfare or warfare | Military

Published by Sam Flores

I was pleased to see your editorial challenging the rightwing narrative from George Robertson, who is demanding less welfare and more warfare (The Guardian view on defence spending: should the UK’s security rest with Donald Trump?, 14 April). Why not extend the argument about the purpose of UK defence strategy to Nato more generally? The role of Nato is tied to the declining power of the US, as we can see when Donald Trump resents paying for it, but then expects support when he lashes out at other nations such as Iran. The fact is the Nato “alliance” has always been about an extension of American military power, a threat which triggers the increased militarism of other nations as a response. All the grand talk of alliance obligations will amount to nothing if the US opposes the action, something we will see for ourselves if Israel extends its regional wars to Turkey (a Nato member). Does anyone really believe the UK will be going to war against Israel if Turkey invokes the mutual defence agreement?Joe HartneyLondon …

Germany’s center left is on the brink of oblivion – POLITICO

Germany’s center left is on the brink of oblivion – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

The country’s non-starting “autumn of reforms” has already turned into the “spring of reforms,” with concrete proposals on several fronts yet to be reported. The initials results, on long-term care, are expected soon, followed by those on health care funding. After that, plans to reform the pension system are expected by June, so legislation can be drafted and submitted to parliament before it breaks for summer recess in July. Normally, all this would be a tall order for the SPD. But “major reforms must take place,” Klingbeil admitted in a recent keynote speech, and they must lead to “lower taxes, lower levies, less bureaucracy, competitive energy prices. In short: A country where work is worthwhile again.” This means the battle within the coalition will be focused on points of detail and priority that Merz and Klingbeil will argue over — both in private and performatively in public — to present their credentials to voters. But a much bigger question still looms over the SPD, just as it does with similar social democratic groupings in other …

Why Europe’s social democrats can’t stop losing – POLITICO

Why Europe’s social democrats can’t stop losing – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Tobias Cremer, a German social democratic lawmaker in the European Parliament, said the announcement was spurred by the poor results in the regional elections, and showed the party was serious about delivering “on the bread and butter issues.” “It’s about economic growth, it is social justice, but it’s also [about] reforming our economy in a way that it’s for us to determine how we work, not for the White House, not for the Kremlin, not for China,” he added.  The Trump bump One unlikely boost for Europe’s center left has come from U.S. President Donald Trump, whose provocations have helped mobilize some voters. One unlikely boost for Europe’s center left has come from U.S. President Donald Trump. | Alex Wong/Getty Images MEP Cremer said Denmark’s Social Democrats, who have been in power since 2019, would likely have suffered an even worse defeat in the election had it not been for the voter sympathy generated by Frederiksen’s refusal to give in to Trump’s threats to annex Greenland. “Our comrades in Denmark did an outstanding job, they …

Denmark’s Frederiksen weakened by election setback, coalition talks loom

Denmark’s Frederiksen weakened by election setback, coalition talks loom

Published by Sam Flores

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s Social Democrats were headed for their worst election outcome in over a century on Tuesday, as migration and welfare concerns obscured broad support for her defiant stance toward Washington over Greenland. In power since 2019, Frederiksen, 48, had campaigned on a promise that her tough and tested leadership skills would help the Nordic nation of six million navigate a complex relationship with US President Donald Trump and the European response to Russia’s war in Ukraine. But on Tuesday she emerged bruised both from the left and the right at home, where the cost-of-living crisis has come to the front of voter concerns, observers said. Social Democrats seen winning 38 seats Frederiksen’s Social Democrats, the architects of Denmark’s cradle-to-grave welfare state, were seen winning 38 seats in the legislature, the Folketing, compared with 50 four years earlier. Read moreDanish PM seeking third term as election underway Her chances of staying in power for a third term were not gone although coalition talks could take weeks. “I’m ready to take on the …

The Download: animal welfare gets AGI-pilled, and the White House unveils its AI policy

The Download: animal welfare gets AGI-pilled, and the White House unveils its AI policy

Published by skeptic

Some brainstormed using custom agents in advocacy work, while others pitched cultivating meat with AI tools. But the real talk of the event was a flood of funding they expect will soon flow to animal welfare charities, not from individual megadonors, but from AI lab employees.    Some attendees also probed an even more controversial idea: AI may develop the capacity to suffer—and this could constitute a moral catastrophe. Read the full story to find out why their ideas are gaining momentum and sparking controversy.  —Michelle Kim & Grace Huckins  The must-reads  I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.  1 The White House has unveiled its AI policy blueprint Trump wants Congress to codify the light-touch framework into law. (Politico) + He also wants to block state limits on AI. (WP $)  + A backlash against the tech has formed within MAGA. (FT $) + A war over AI regulation is brewing in the US. (MIT Technology Review)  2 Elon Musk has been found liable for misleading Twitter investors A jury ruled that he defrauded shareholders ahead of the $44 billion acquisition. (CNBC) + But it …

The Download: animal welfare gets AGI-pilled, and the White House unveils its AI policy

The Bay Area’s animal welfare movement wants to recruit AI

Published by skeptic

AI has injected a shot of optimism. Like much of Silicon Valley, many attendees at the summit subscribe to the idea that AI might dramatically increase their productivity—though their goal is not to maximize their seed round but, rather, to prevent as much animal suffering as possible. Some brainstormed how to use Claude Code and custom agents to handle the coding and administrative tasks in their advocacy work. Others pitched the idea of developing new, cheaper methods for cultivating meat using scientific AI tools such as AlphaFold, which aids in molecular biology research by predicting the three-dimensional structures of proteins. But the real talk of the event was a flood of funding that advocates expect will soon be committed to animal welfare charities—not by individual megadonors, but by AI lab employees.  Much of the funding for the farm animal welfare movement, which includes nonprofits advocating for improved conditions on farms, promoting veganism, and endorsing cultivated meat, comes from people in the tech industry, says Lewis Bollard, the managing director of the farm animal welfare fund …

Labour critics seize on new case against Mahmood’s migration overhaul – POLITICO

Labour critics seize on new case against Mahmood’s migration overhaul – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

Though Mahmood’s proposals will lengthen the time it takes them to gain access to the welfare system, the change “will not make a significant difference to the lifetime fiscal impact” of these migrants, according to the report. “The only way this policy would significantly bring down the £10 billion lifetime fiscal cost is if it led to large numbers of care workers and dependents leaving the U.K. before they reached the qualifying period for settlement,” the IPPR says. As it stands, that’s not the case Mahmood is making. The primary reason care workers make a negative net lifetime financial contribution is because they are poorly paid. Gaining settlement would allow them to earn more by opening the door to work in any occupation. But delaying this traps them in lower-paid work for longer, the document argues. “The overall fiscal impact of the proposed earned settlement reforms should therefore consider the potential costs of lower tax contributions from the care worker cohort while they wait for settlement, as well as the fiscal benefits of restricting access …

UK’s Reeves spooks MPs with hunt for defense cash – POLITICO

UK’s Reeves spooks MPs with hunt for defense cash – POLITICO

Published by Sam Flores

However, it is not clear which element of the welfare budget might be singled out. Keir Starmer’s government was forced into a major climbdown last year after facing a revolt over plans to reduce the cost of disability benefits, and is currently attempting to draw up alternative reforms. The investment plan is now effectively “on hold” until the Treasury finds new sources of revenue, two people working on the DIP said. No. 10 Downing Street and the U.K. Treasury declined to comment. The defense industry has been warning for months of the damage caused to businesses by the failure to publish the DIP, which was originally scheduled for last fall. Asked about it Monday, Defence Secretary John Healey failed to give assurances that the document would be published before the pre-election “purdah” period, meaning it would not come until May. Separately, Starmer has stressed that the U.K. needs to go “faster” on overall defense spending, raising the expectation that Reeves will need to hunt for additional billions during this parliament. John Bew, an academic and …

Politics Home Article | Government Does Not Expect Labour MPs To Rebel On New Welfare Reforms

Politics Home Article | Government Does Not Expect Labour MPs To Rebel On New Welfare Reforms

Published by Sam Flores

(alamy) 3 min read1 hr Pat McFadden said he has “no reason” to believe Labour MPs will oppose a new wave of welfare reforms as he set out plans to get more young people into work. Speaking at a press conference in north London on Monday, the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions said he was confident that Labour MPs would support the government on a plan that puts “work and opportunity at its heart”. McFadden set out proposals to incentivise companies to hire young people as part of the government’s bid to tackle rising rates of youth unemployment. Around one in eight 16 to 24-year-olds are not in employment, education of training.  Under the plans, businesses will receive £3,000 for every 18-24-year-old hired who has been on Universal Credit or looking for work for six months. Businesses that take part in the scheme will be paid in two instalments, with the first expected to be a substantial amount to make the scheme worthwhile. The jobs given to young people must be at least 25 hours per week and …