New Statesman

Data and insight will be crucial to making British farms more sustainable, but farmers need clear and simple standards. Tesco has been working with British growers to roll out LEAF marque certification, giving farmers a clear framework https://lnkd.in/eywbwAmF

Britain Isn’t Working. The benefits system has become a danger to the economy... ?? The issue in Britain is not unemployment in the familiar sense (people unable to find jobs). ?? It's economic inactivity, people who are unemployed but not seeking employment. ?? For many of these people, being out of work has become a permanent condition. Can anything be done? Will Dunn's deeply-reported article explains the dangers facing Britain, what Labour are doing about it - and whether it will work. ?? link in the comments. ??

The scammers of the 2010s are doubling down: ?? From Fyre Festival 2.0 to Anna Delvey’s media empire, the culture can’t let its obsession go. ?? These were influencers, celebrities, even random members of the public who the internet caught running dastardly, self-serving schemes, which ranged wildly from committing multimillion-dollar fraud to selling poorly written poems for three-figure sums on Etsy. ?? The delight was in the downfall. Anyone who fit the bill, no matter how small, could easily go viral. Should we be sceptical of our appetite for the great scammer revival? ?? link in the comments. ??

British farmers want to innovate as part of their transition to net zero, but knowledge and costs can get in the way. Tesco’s low carbon concept farms will pilot new processes and technology to demonstrate what’s possible and help farmers build knowledge.

?? The New Statesman is hiring! ?? We are looking for an experienced audio journalist to join our team as Senior Podcast Producer. Read the job description and apply below. Deadline Monday 10th March. #jobs #mediajobs #journojobs #podcastjobs

You’d be forgiven for thinking that Keir Starmer had restored the “special relationship” of legend. It was already going well and then Trump made warm noises about a UK-US trade deal – Boris Johnson’s great chimera. The threat of tariffs was talked down, and Trump blessed Starmer’s return of the Chagos islands. An invitation from King Charles for an unprecedented second state visit had left Trump cooing. He even seemed to genuinely like the Labour leader. The British delegation looked thrilled. But before No 10 commission a triumphal arch on the Mall, remember the Prime Minister was there to get a security guarantee for Ukraine. What happened?

British farming plays a crucial role in producing nutritious food for the UK and the world. However, the industry continues to face challenges, including climate change, adverse weather, labour shortages, and changing government policy and support, meaning many farmers need to focus on what they know will deliver. Often this can result in innovation taking a back seat, despite it being something farmers are keen to do more of. Now two British low-carbon concept farms are set to pioneer innovative technology. Read more... ?? #ad

Welcome to motherhood: a five-letter word spelled ‘G-U-I-L-T’.” It wasn’t what I’d expected my mother to say to me a few weeks after giving birth. But more than eight years later, I know how right she was. I feel guilty juggling work and motherhood, sometimes feeling like I’m not succeeding at either. Others often unintentionally reinforce this. ?? Hannah Barnes reviews Emma Barnett's new book "Maternity Service". ? Follow the New Statesman for daily news, politics and business analysis, plus book reviews and culture.

Nice country you have there... it would be a shame if something happened to it... The US treasury secretary Scott Bessent travelled to Kyiv on 12 February to present Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky with an offer he could not refuse. According to multiple accounts, the US envoy slid a document across the table to Zelensky with a deal to sign away the rights to 50 per cent of his country’s mineral resources, worth $500bn, to the United States. “You really need to sign this,” Bessent told Zelensky, according to the Wall Street Journal. He warned him that “people back in Washington” would be very upset if he refused. ?? Katie Stallard

Being chief whip is “more HR” and less “dangling people over the parapet over the Thames”, says Simon Hart. But it's not without interest: He tells of a report sent to the whip's office when “a departmental Spad went to an orgy over the weekend and ended up taking a crap on another person’s head.” He recounts Rishi Sunak saying of one female MP unhappy with her promotion: “She is f***ing useless but we can’t get rid of her.” Only three women were promoted in that particular reshuffle, one of whom was Kemi Badenoch. Hart acknowledges the rumours of a “black book” kept by the Whips Office to note down misdeeds, but says he never saw it. Nor did he keep a giant spider in his office to intimidate unlucky MPs, like one of his predecessors, Gavin Williamson. Read the full interview by Rachel Cunliffe at the link below.