Author Archives: wonkypolicywonk

About wonkypolicywonk

Wonkypolicywonk is a policy minion, assigned wonky at birth, who has been lucky enough to work for two of the very best MPs in the House of Commons, and before that at Maternity Action, Working Families, Citizens Advice, the National Audit Office, the Law Society, and Amnesty International UK. Oh, and at McDonald's.

Brexit: Never really over

Posted on December 13, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

(With apologies to Katy Perry) I’m losing my self-control Fuck, the Tories got back in But I don’t wanna fall down the rabbit hole Cross my heart, I can’t do it again I tell myself, tell myself, tell myself, “Draw … Continue reading →

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Personal Independence Payment – a saga

Posted on November 9, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

This post – about my son’s recent reassessment for Personal Independence Payment (PIP) by the DWP – will only be of interest to those applying for PIP or advising those doing so, and is posted in case it is helpful … Continue reading →

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Single Enforcement Body: Will the Tories boldly go where Labour and the Lib Dems failed to tread?

Posted on October 7, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

In July, the Government launched a formal, 12-week consultation on a proposal to establish a new Single Enforcement Body for employment rights. You might even have submitted a response (the consultation closed yesterday). And you probably concluded that it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice, Workers' rights | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Brexit: Till we get the healing done

Posted on September 25, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

So, as Jim Pickard of the Financial Times noted on Twitter yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn “has worked out what would heal the divided nation, and it’s a [second] referendum on EU membership”. Yep, in his speech to the Labour Party conference in … Continue reading →

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ET claim numbers: nothing to see, move along

Posted on September 13, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

So, the latest set of quarterly employment tribunal statistics – covering the period April to June 2019 (Q1 of 2019/20) – was published by the Ministry of Injustice yesterday, and it is time to play another round of that thrilling … Continue reading →

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Brexit: Do Johnson, Gove & Cummings have a cunning plan?

Posted on August 7, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

Do Johnson, Gove & Cummings have a cunning plan? Honestly mate, I haven’t got a fucking clue. No one has. Maybe not even them. No, it’s a mug’s game making predictions about what may happen between now and Halloween – … Continue reading →

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Sharp fall in waiting time for next garbage article on ET claims

Posted on July 30, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

As if driving around Madrid airport four times trying, and failing, to find the car rental return depot wasn’t enough to dampen my spirits at the end of my family holiday on Monday, my extended hours in the departure lounge … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice, Workers' rights | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

ET claims: the ultimate chart show

Posted on June 18, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

A few days ago, on this blog, I noted the “big jump” in the number of articles in the #HR specialist press and elsewhere about the number of employment tribunal claims/cases, all featuring an eye-catching but totally rubbish theory by … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice, Workers' rights | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

ET claim statistics: No alarms, no surprises

Posted on June 13, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

Three months ago, on this blog, I rashly suggested that Employment Tribunal (ET) claim/case numbers may at last have settled at a new, post-ET fees ‘normal’. And the latest set of quarterly statistics, published by the Ministry of Injustice this morning, … Continue reading →

Posted in Justice, Workers' rights | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Brexit: a progress report to the EU27

Posted on June 7, 2019 by wonkypolicywonk

Back in April, when the EU27 agreed to grant the UK another six and a bit months to decide what Brexit means, they wisely thought it prudent to use their regular Council meeting on 20-21 June to take a rain-check … Continue reading →

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