#johnharris — Public Fediverse posts

John Harris gives a critical assessment of the Starmer government's white paper on children with special educational needs (SEND), published today. Some positive aspects, many concerns. Good to see his assessment laid out in some detail: he never speaks without reason.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/23/labours-send-revolution-reform-bridget-phillipson

#SEND #SpecialEducationalNeeds #UKSchools #UKpol #JohnHarris

Excellent (if sobering) piece by the Guardian's John Harris on the forthcoming legislation on the reform of SEND provision for children with special educational needs (in England).

Signs are that behind all the big nice words, Keir Starmer's Labour ultimately wants to cut costs, weaken state or school accountability, and remove parental agency.

This debate deserves our attention. If you are in the UK (in England, specifically), write to your MP and tell them to speak up!

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/15/labour-send-special-needs-reform-schools-children-parents

#JohnHarris #UKeducation #SEND #SpecialNeeds #UKpol

The Guardian's ever excellent John Harris on how the British far-right managed to appropriate the England flag (the St George's Cross) for their own dark politics, and how this enables Farage and his men to gain the trust of good people who are looking for a symbol of pride.

Can progressive culture re-kindle a spirit of democatic pride in our own country, a pride based on community not exclusion?

As everything written by John Harris, very much worth reading.

[My own take would be to see these developments in Gramscian terms as a hegemonic move by the far right: occupying cultural ground in preparation of the political takeover.]

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/aug/24/flag-hard-right-prejudice-england

#UKpol #JohnHarris #StGeorgesCross #England #OperationRaiseTheColours #ProgressivePatriotism #LoveMusicHateRacism #AntonioGramsci

"Labour’s collective belief in the dignity of labour regularly curdles into two toxic ways of thinking. One is a belief that paid employment is the only reliable gauge of people’s esteem; the other is a queasiness about disability that sometimes lurks just below the surface. There is also an apparently desperate need to counter any suggestion that Labour ministers are liberal fainthearts. In March, the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, offered a curt explanation of why the government was set on its plan: “This is the Labour party. The clue is in the name. We believe in work”."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/22/labour-disability-benefit-cuts-keir-starmer

#UKpol #LabourUK #DisabilityCuts #PersonalIndependencePayment #PIPcuts #JohnHarris #TheGuardianUK #BenefitCuts #UKbenefits #UKdisability #LabourPartyUK

"Labour’s collective belief in the dignity of labour regularly curdles into two toxic ways of thinking. One is a belief that paid employment is the only reliable gauge of people’s esteem; the other is a queasiness about disability that sometimes lurks just below the surface. There is also an apparently desperate need to counter any suggestion that Labour ministers are liberal fainthearts. In March, the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, offered a curt explanation of why the government was set on its plan: “This is the Labour party. The clue is in the name. We believe in work”."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/22/labour-disability-benefit-cuts-keir-starmer

#UKpol #LabourUK #DisabilityCuts #PersonalIndependencePayment #PIPcuts #JohnHarris #TheGuardianUK #BenefitCuts #UKbenefits #UKdisability #LabourPartyUK

"Labour’s collective belief in the dignity of labour regularly curdles into two toxic ways of thinking. One is a belief that paid employment is the only reliable gauge of people’s esteem; the other is a queasiness about disability that sometimes lurks just below the surface. There is also an apparently desperate need to counter any suggestion that Labour ministers are liberal fainthearts. In March, the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, offered a curt explanation of why the government was set on its plan: “This is the Labour party. The clue is in the name. We believe in work”."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/22/labour-disability-benefit-cuts-keir-starmer

#UKpol #LabourUK #DisabilityCuts #PersonalIndependencePayment #PIPcuts #JohnHarris #TheGuardianUK #BenefitCuts #UKbenefits #UKdisability #LabourPartyUK

"Labour’s collective belief in the dignity of labour regularly curdles into two toxic ways of thinking. One is a belief that paid employment is the only reliable gauge of people’s esteem; the other is a queasiness about disability that sometimes lurks just below the surface. There is also an apparently desperate need to counter any suggestion that Labour ministers are liberal fainthearts. In March, the justice secretary, Shabana Mahmood, offered a curt explanation of why the government was set on its plan: “This is the Labour party. The clue is in the name. We believe in work”."

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/jun/22/labour-disability-benefit-cuts-keir-starmer

#UKpol #LabourUK #DisabilityCuts #PersonalIndependencePayment #PIPcuts #JohnHarris #TheGuardianUK #BenefitCuts #UKbenefits #UKdisability #LabourPartyUK