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 for Maternity Action, Working Families, Citizens Advice, the National Audit Office, the Law Society, and Amnesty International UK.

Take-up of statutory paid paternity leave: the Daddy of all bogus statistics

“Only a third of eligible fathers taking paternity leave” (People Management) “Just a third of eligible fathers take paternity leave” (HR News) “Only one in three fathers take paternity leave, research suggests” (Daily Mail) “Just a third of eligible new … Continue reading

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Oops! The Not Very Good Law Project has lost. Again.

Yes, it’s not the result that Jolyon Maugham KC and his (Not Very) Good Law Project were hoping for, but today the High Court flatly rejected claims by the sanctimonious Jolyon and his dark money-funded GLP that the Government’s purchase … Continue reading

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Good Law Project: the rise and fall of the Jolyon Empire

With Jolyon Maugham KC of the (Not Very) Good Law Project at risk of losing his coveted title of Public Enemy Number One to Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng, now seems a good time to update the tables set out in my … Continue reading

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A general election crib sheet for candidates

Yesterday, Guardian columnist Martin Kettle argued persuasively that, if Liz Truss wins the Tory leadership contest on 5 September and becomes Prime Minister, she will have to call an early general election. And, a few hours later, woke Twitter was … Continue reading

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Employment Tribunal claims: latest data

Two months ago on this blog, I welcomed the (partial) return of both the quarterly ET statistics and the monthly HMCTS management information on ET receipts and disposals. And last week the latest set of the latter gave us the … Continue reading

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Basic Income: What’s occurring?

News this week that things may not be working out for some of the employers taking part in what has been billed as the world’s biggest pilot of a four-day week (4DW) got me wondering what has come of the … Continue reading

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Bogus news stories about ET claims reach record high

Yes, it’s the Silly Season, which Wikipedia helpfully defines as “the period lasting for a few summer months typified by the emergence of frivolous news stories in the media”. So, naturally, a ‘news story’ that the Covid-related trend towards working … Continue reading

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So. Farewell then, BEIS minister Paul Scully

With apologies to EJ Thribb Update: Sadly, Minister Scully did not get to do much, if any, levelling-up as Minister of State at the DLUHC, as on 27 October he was demoted back to Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, moved on … Continue reading

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Good Law Project: I won!

Yes, just weeks after my blog post on the thin winnings of Jolyon Maugham’s Not Very Good Law Project was bigged up by Guido Fawkes and Spiked, the fox-battering QC has responded by publishing a spreadsheet – a spreadsheet! – … Continue reading

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Employment Tribunal stats: Welcome back, we’ve missed you!

As noted previously on this blog, the introduction of a new Case Management System in March 2021 has led to a dearth of official statistics on Employment Tribunal receipts and disposals. And, in January this year, the President of the … Continue reading

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