Who Runs Britain? | LSE analysis of the UK’s most powerful figures A new LSE study examines 500+ influential figures across business, politics and finance, showing how many operate with minimal media visibility despite holding significant economic authority.

📣 Over 500 of the UK’s most economically influential individuals have been identified in a new analysis published by III researchers.

It shows that many of those with the greatest economic power remain largely unseen by the wider public, thus avoiding public scrutiny.

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#EuSocialForum
I enjoyed the wealth inequality panel. Great synergy between the contributions by Salvatore Morelli and Aline Muller, and the sociological reflections by Mike Savage, and my philosophical input.

Beyond the ‘Scholarship Boy’ paradigm: Autosociobiography and social mobility - Sam Friedman, Mike Savage, Carlos Spoerhase, 2025 This article reflects on the potential of the rapidly emerging literary genre of autosociobiography to extend analyses of the personal experience and feelings a...

On autosociobiography and social mobility: journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/... @mikesavagelse.bsky.social @samfriedman.bsky.social

UK Budget 2025: Fiscal deficit or democratic deficit? Expert analysis on the 2025 UK Budget. Reeves avoided important tax reforms, with the wealthy still not paying their fair share (income tax, capital gains, etc)

Great @lseinequalities.bsky.social blog by Will Snell on the missed opportunities of yesterday’s budget

blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...

Congratulations! I am so pleased that you are keeping the project of ‘big picture’ sociology alive!

🔜 Next week!

We are excited to be joined by Emma Chamberlain, @helenmiller.bsky.social, @maharafiatal.bsky.social, and @mikesavagelse.bsky.social to discuss why it is so important for the Chancellor to address current wealth trends in her upcoming budget.

Register now ⬇️
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@mikesavagelse.bsky.social on UK wealth inequality in @uk.theconversation.com, Yu Xie and Junming Huang on China and scholarship in @washingtonpost.com, and Ashley Railey on substance use in OSU News.

Read more here from The Society Pages' Clippings of Sociology in the News:
🔗 bit.ly/3WOQHG1 🔗

The UK’s wealth ‘timebomb’ – and how to defuse it The case for taxing wealth has historically come from the political mainstream – so why is it so unpalatable now?

In a new piece for @uk.theconversation.com, @mikesavagelse.bsky.social argues that we need to restore the vital principle that private wealth entails social responsibilities.

🎟️ Hear more in our online event on 18 November: buff.ly/fXy9xsz

Read the article ⬇️
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The UK’s wealth ‘timebomb’ – and how to defuse it The case for taxing wealth has historically come from the political mainstream – so why is it so unpalatable now?

Just published! My call for a ‘cultural politics of wealth’, to tilt the political debate towards understanding the vital need to tax wealth, one way or another….

@lseinequalities.bsky.social

theconversation.com/the-uks-weal...

Faiza has been a fabulous academic colleague at LSE Sociology & LSE International Inequalities Institute over recent years. This is a serious error by the BBC.

Why the UK racial wealth divide matters: a call for action A perspectives paper from LSE, which looks at how structural and historic wealth imbalances still impact the wealth of people of colour in the UK today.

On top of this, our own research shows that the racial wealth gap is particularly stark, in part driven by the fact people of colour are much less likely to accumulate wealth via homeownership and inheritance 🏡

My latest on Trumpian craziness/neo-fascism

Trump gets even – Who says culture doesn’t matter? - LSE Inequalities Donald Trump's political agenda centres around cultural influence & a deeply symbolic struggle for recognition. Who is central vs peripheral in America today?

Great blog by Michele Lamont on how we need to defend progressive cultural interventions to resist the abhorrent divisive and exclusionary tactics of Trump & MAGA. Very relevant to the UK & other nations too.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...

Congratulations! 🔥

Prominent UK women tell rightwingers: stop linking immigration to sexual abuse Exclusive: Open letter says politicians are exploiting violence against women ‘to fuel hate and division’ Prominent women including cultural figures, politicians and campaigners have signed a letter criticising rightwing attempts to link sexual violence in Britain to asylum seekers. Signatories include the musicians Paloma Faith, Charlotte Church and Anoushka Shankar as well as Labour, Green and independent MPs including Kim Johnson, Ellie Chowns, Diane Abbott and Zarah Sultana. Continue reading...

Prominent UK women tell rightwingers: stop linking immigration to sexual abuse

Life’s getting a bit more crap here if you are a person from an ethnic minority 🧵

Rachel Reeves needs to find cash fast. A wealth tax really is her only viable option | Faiza Shaheen The alternatives for the UK chancellor are either unworkable or will lose Labour votes, so here’s what she should try, says Faiza Shaheen of Tax Justice UK

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

It’s time to face up to power in the debate about wealth inequality When discussing wealth inequality, the “unfair influence” framing fares best at driving support for redistributive measures. But does it come with hidden costs?

To engage people on the problem of wealth inequality, we should focus on the “unfair influence” wielded by those at the top, write @michaelvaughan.bsky.social, @wealtherty.bsky.social & Annalena Oppel, even if that causes outrage.

@jrf-uk.bsky.social

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Congratulations!

Antisocial Economics What is wealth? How come so many of us haven’t got any? How does wealth inequality make poverty worse? In the UK and other rich economies, wealth inequality and poverty are at incredibly high…

Is there something distinct about wealth as an economic resource that should change how we think about poverty?

In the new episode of Antisocial Economics, @wealtherty.bsky.social talks to @mikesavagelse.bsky.social and @jowolff.bsky.social about what we mean by poverty and wealth.

It is as bad as we have ever seen it.

The scenes of famine in Gaza are simply barbaric.

As MPs of Israeli and Palestinian descent, we hope though that recognition of the State of Palestine will serve to flame the embers of hope for peace.

My open letter with @alexsobel.co.uk

How working-class culture became an elite game From Nigel Farage's pints of ale to Giorgia Meloni's tomato selfies, how are working-class tastes weaponised by the leaders of far-right political parties?

blogs.lse.ac.uk/inequalities...

Gender and wealth accumulation: an international perspective Abstract. Why do women accumulate less wealth than men globally? As wealth inequality rises both within countries and worldwide, studies on gender and weal

1/10 🚨Why do women accumulate less wealth than men across countries and time?

I had the privilege of co-directing the latest Special Issue of #SER @sasemeeting.bsky.social with @celinebessiere.bsky.social on gender and wealth accumulation. 🧵 ⤵️

academic.oup.com/ser/article/...

🌟 @samfriedman.bsky.social and @mikesavagelse.bsky.social were awarded the Outstanding Team Impact prize for their project "Abolishing the Non-Dom Tax Regime".

This award recognises excellence achieved as a team, spanning researchers, professional services, and external organisations.

Twelve days in Gaza: what happened while the world looked away? One of the consequences of Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran was a drop-off in attention paid to the war in Gaza, where a terrible humanitarian situation deteriorated even further. This is a timeline...

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/j...

Israeli strike on Gaza seafront cafe kills at least 20 Palestinians, witnesses and rescuers say The outdoor cafe was frequently used by journalists, activists and local residents.

And on it goes. Israeli politicians using UK media to stoke up outrage around Bob Vylan & Kneecap must be laughing their heads off at how easy it all is. I think this brings the Palestinian death toll *since the Glastonbury performance* in to triple figures.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reform's ludicrous ‘Britannia Card’ is a masterpiece in political manoeuvring | Faiza Shaheen While it promises to enrich the poor, the proposal offers a subtle tax break to the wealthiest. But Farage knows better than Labour that headlines matter, says Faiza Shaheen, the incoming executive…

Nigel Farage has made headlines with his commitment to tax the rich to put money in the pockets of the poor.

Faiza Shaheen argues in @theguardian.com‬ that this policy is designed to resonate with an electorate hungry for tangible change, mixed with an idea of British patriotism.

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Yes I agree! It’s a very tired argument being rehashed for the nth time…

Congratulations!

Join us tonight to discuss our latest report with @lseinequalities.bsky.social, on the racial wealth divide

We'll be joined by @kojokoram.bsky.social, @shabna.bsky.social @faizashaheen.bsky.social and the report's authors for a vital discussion on how to build a fairer future

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