Future of the National Minimum Wage

Establishing a national minimum wage (NMW), and increasing it over time, “signals to citizens that they are right to expect a baseline of economic security through their labour” and has, rightly, been a popular and successful policy since it was introduced in 1998. The Carnegie Trust UK and Learning and Work Institute have produced a …

Apprenticeships: positive, practical, let’s all promote them.

Today (9th February 2021) I was delighted to take part in the APPG for Apprenticeships event to celebrate National Apprenticeships Week: in itself, an excellent initiative. It was great to hear such positive support and words from the Minister for Apprenticeships, Gillian Keegan MP to kick off the event. The extent, scope and possibilities within …

Accessibility Win on London’s Streets

The Mayor and Transport for London’s Streetspace programme, intended to “rapidly transform London’s streets to accommodate a ten-fold increase in cycling and a five-fold increase in walking”, has been successfully challenged by way of Judicial Review. This is a significant accessibility win. Transport for London “considered it had an untrammelled discretion to exclude taxis, which …

Why do we still have a disability employment gap 25 years after the Disability Discrimination Act?

Why does the disability employment gap persist 25 years after legislation to end disability discrimination in employment was passed? What can be done?

Accessibility, inclusion and being human.

I lost my sight at the age of fourteen. Ironically, one of the most challenging aspects was the fact that people immediately stopped seeing me. The attitudes of those around me became everything. Practical challenges can be solved with practical solutions but access to practical solutions – and the willingness of people to consider, or …