Phoebe Arslanagić-Little
@PMArslanagic
Followers
1,931
Following
1,484
Media
200
Statuses
1,087
Children are good! | New Deal for Parents @UKOnward | Director @TheBoomCampaign | Founder @WiTTforum | Columnist @CityAM | Pronounced: ars-lah-nah-gitch
London
Joined September 2010
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
ميلان
• 1229650 Tweets
دورتموند
• 564576 Tweets
BRICS
• 303350 Tweets
Özgür Özel
• 86765 Tweets
Ümit Özdağ
• 81194 Tweets
#النصر_الاستقلال
• 76173 Tweets
Eminem
• 60175 Tweets
NEVER BORED ON NINGNING DAY
• 59426 Tweets
Blade
• 56788 Tweets
Siya
• 49435 Tweets
Milan
• 48218 Tweets
Celtics
• 42158 Tweets
Dortmund
• 40314 Tweets
Türkiye Türk'tür
• 29300 Tweets
Öcalan
• 25048 Tweets
Yunus Akgün
• 24835 Tweets
Monaco
• 21158 Tweets
Knicks
• 21131 Tweets
Happy Birthday Darling
• 20653 Tweets
Leao
• 15539 Tweets
Pulisic
• 14520 Tweets
#راكان_السهلي_في_شاعر_الرايه
• 12333 Tweets
Denji
• 11758 Tweets
LİDERE SADAKAT ŞEREFİMİZDİR
• 10576 Tweets
Pinned Tweet
The Baby Boom swept over a vast range of countries, from the UK & Australia, to Finland & France.
In the US alone, 76 million babies were born in its peak 18 years.
In
@WorksInProgMag
,
@ASarygulov
& I investigate what caused this demographic phenomenon.
2
22
57
Asked about the UK's falling birth rate, Keir Starmer says he isn't interested in boosting births & isn't going to start "dictating" to people.
But raising births isn't about dictating to people, it's about helping everyone to have the family they want, when they want. 1/4
101
22
204
The 3D-printed vegan ‘meat’ I ate last night…we’ve come some way from Quorn chunks.
5
11
377
This study of 700,000 teens found that having a classmate diagnosed with a mental disorder was associated with a 5% increased risk of also being diagnosed with a mental disorder.
Strongest effects for anxiety, depression & eating disorders... 1/2
7
59
217
Making it easier to choose to have children and be a parent is the goal of all my work.
Now, I’m very excited to be becoming a parent myself!
Our daughter is due 31st December(!) and we can’t wait to meet her.
26
3
194
An extra 14,500 babies were born in 2009 because the Bank of England lowered its interest rate, reducing mortgage payments & putting more money back in peoples' pockets.
Greater financial security means people are able to have the children they want.
8
24
172
Brits say that ‘Play with child' is among the most enjoyable of any activity.
Playing with children beats out video games, visiting friends, and even the pub in terms of sheer enjoyment.
The absolute fun of being a parent is likely underrated.
(h/t
@robertwiblin
)
3
21
164
Last month, surrounded by our brilliant friends and family, I married Theo, the love of my life. After nine brilliant years together, we are looking forward to many, many more.❤️
19
3
155
Nearly two years since my now husband surprised me with a proposal and an engagement party. And my friend captured the moment and made this meme…
3
0
110
Unimpressive leader from The Economist last week.
Poor understanding of the evidence around pro-parent policies & lots of speculation. 1/7
7
19
97
Let’s make it easier to be a parent in the UK. Pleased to be joining
@ukonward
to get to work on just that.
👶 Delighted to welcome
@PMArslanagic
to the team, who is joining to spearhead a 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 programme to help young people start families and choose to have more children.
Onward wants to make sure the Conservatives are always the part of family.
4
1
26
6
9
84
One of the world’s most beautiful train journeys: Sarajevo to Mostar. Only £6.17 for two hours of alpine views and blue lakes.
2
1
80
Perhaps the most forward-thinking thing the government can do for the UK’s economy & future is to make it easier to have children, for everyone.
In this Telegraph piece about our ageing society, I argue it shouldn’t be so hard to be a parent.
3
19
77
Free taxis. Free IVF. Subsidised housing.
Why hasn't "showering couples with cash" raised South Korea's birth rate (now only 0.72)? Because sexism and misogyny mean these policies aren't enough. 1/5
13
16
70
French women have more children than those in any other European country. Has it always been this way?
No! For decades, France was the demographic sick man of Europe, as pointed out by
@gguillaumeblanc
in his piece on the French baby bust. 1/
6
16
71
Is having a baby the *worst* thing you can do to the environment? That's the bold claim of a popular paper that's been downloaded a stunning 948,000 times.
Only, there's a pretty major problem with this paper, and we've written about it at
@TheBoomCampaign
... 1/5
6
15
66
To learn why Harar in Vauxhall is London’s best restaurant and how high rents squeeze young people’s social lives, read my column in today’s
@CityAM
.
2
6
64
Reminder: after 6 weeks have elapsed, mums on Statutory Maternity Pay receive only £185 a week…
NEW - Kemi Badenoch tells Times Radio that maternity pay has "gone too far."
“We need to have more personal responsibility. There was a time when there wasn’t any maternity pay and people were having more babies.”
583
294
864
3
11
65
@_TamaraWinter
Household cleanliness. No shoes inside. Changing outside clothes for clean, inside clothes asap. Handwashing before anything else upon arriving home. That sort of thing.
2
1
64
Good that this is being reported. The UK's TFR is 1.49: a real problem. But it's a challenge we must meet with energy & drive, not apathy.
Remember that we have a birth gap! We have fewer children than we want. 80% of 18-35 year old women want *at least* two children. 1/3
3
10
52
Today’s rainy garden party at Buckingham Palace.
2
0
53
At
@TheBoomCampaign
, we've written about why immigration isn't the solution to the demographic challenge.
1. Indefinitely attracting extremely high numbers of migrants may be infeasible
2. No democratic consent for permanent historically unprecedented levels of immigration.
6
8
48
So delighted to be reconnecting with the Bright Blue team in this new role.
📣We are delighted to announce that
@PMArslanagic
has joined Bright Blue as an Associate Fellow.
Phoebe is the Co-Director of Boom, which works for a UK where it’s easier to choose to have children. She is also Senior Policy Advisor at
@ImpetusUK
and Chair of the
@WiTTforum
.
0
1
15
3
3
47
@daisychandley
Yes! My fiancé and I have just moved into our own place and the first thing we did is get a dining table that extends so it can seat 10.
0
0
46
In 2020, Italy's low fertility rate meant the population declined by 384,000. That’s like if all the residents of a town bigger than Coventry disappeared.
But one part of Italy is consistently defying the nation’s birth dearth, and we've written about it
@TheBoomCampaign
. 1/4
2
9
47
@Utilit_Aria
Is there any cultural activity you think should be subsidised / should carry on being subsidised?
0
0
41
Excellent news that the Chancellor has raised the High Income Child Benefit Charge threshold!
It's a policy that we at
@ukonward
's New Deal for Parents & others have argued is a clear way in which our tax system is unfair to parents, especially single parents.
2
7
44
I founded the
@WiTTforum
in 2021 to meet other women in policy & encourage more women into think tanks.
Now, with the Forum over 100 members strong, I'm delighted to stand down as Chair & hand WiTT over to two excellent new Co-Chairs,
@pastasnack_e
and
@florencecon_new
! 1/3
1
5
40
Reached the glorious phase of my twenties in which getting a toaster is the best gift I can imagine. 🍞
5
0
40
We know that eating disorders can be socially transmitted.
Studies like this show that we need to consider whether a similar mechanism might apply to mood disorders like anxiety & what the consequences are for how/when we discuss mental health. 2/2
3
7
36
Sexist attitudes put tremendous pressure on SK women.
In 2019 the govt warned pregnant women not to look disheveled while cooking their husband's meals...
And 53% of South Koreans think women have less right to a job than men when jobs are scarce. 2/5
1
5
34
My last day at
@WeAreBrightBlue
. I’ve had a brilliant few years here, in large part due to my excellent colleagues, including
@ASarygulov
,
@SamEPRobinson
,
@RyanShorthouse
,
@MaxxAndersonn
,
@ioanadiac99
and
@JoshuaDMarks1
. Excited to get started in a new policy role next month.
1
2
37
Importantly and hopefully, in the UK we have a birth gap – we know that women are having fewer children than they want.
This isn't about what The Economist calls "paying women to have babies", it's about practical, positive policies to help people have wanted families. 7/7
1
1
37
Deaths now outnumber births in every region of England & Wales, except London & the West Midlands.
Meeting this demographic challenge means rejecting managed decline & choosing practical, popular policies that make life easier & better for parents. 1/
2
10
35
4. Ignores examples of nations that have implemented successful policies.
After a thoughtful, consistently administered programme of pro-family policies, Czechia has seen its fertility rate increase from 1.13 in 1999 to 1.83 in 2021. 5/7
2
3
34
British people are having fewer children: some commentators seem to believe discussing and caring about that is misogynistic.
I am a feminist, and I care that we are having fewer children than we want.
1
7
30
I have to say that my experience of being pregnant and using the tube has been very positive!
95% of the time, I am very quickly offered a seat and people take care not to jostle or bump into me, including during rush hour.
1
0
33
Excellent from
@edwest
on the social costs of crime, and the need to invest in new prisons and hospitals to keep repeat offenders inside.
1
8
32
Best start to the day yesterday, acting as witness at my brother’s wedding to his wonderful wife. 💫
Especially joyous on the eve of Eid! 🎉
1
0
31
For
@WorksInProgMag
's Notes on Progress,
@ASarygulov
and I set out to investigate.
We found that traditional family values don't appear to be delivering babies, with no observable positive relationship between the strength of these values and brith rate in Europe.
1
4
30
Workers at Taiwanese semiconductor maker TSMC have higher fertility: 1 in every 50 babies born in Taiwan is a TSMC baby.
Why? I argue in large part because of company policies and the culture they have created, but also because of prosperity. 1/6
TSMC employees are 0.3% of Taiwan's population but 1.8% of annual fertility,
Taiwan's Total Fertility Rate is 1.24
TSMC employees are above replacement rate though
To solve the fertility crisis all we have to do is make everyone work for TSMC.
71
222
3K
1
6
31
1. We are having fewer children than we would like: UK women want 2.35 children but have 1.49.
Govt can close this birth gap with positive, practical policies that make becoming & being a parent easier.
Gordon Brown sparked a mini-baby boom by improving the benefit system! 2/4
2
3
30
Taking in some family history in Herzegovina. 🇧🇦
0
0
30
What changed – how did France become Europe’s highest fertility country? Government policy!
For over 100 years, the French have benefitted from a generous family social security programme. Below is a list of the current family benefits available in France. 3/
1
7
29
When I give birth in December, my husband will only get 2 weeks off because that’s how Statutory Paternity Leave works.
SPL should triple to 6 weeks. This is vital for supporting new mums & giving new dads much-needed time with their families.
Listen to Onward's Head of New Deal for Parents
@PMArslanagic
make the case for extended paternity leave of six weeks on
@TimesRadio
👇
0
1
5
2
8
30
In my
@cityam
column today, I say that we’ve created a wedding culture that makes couple feel as if they are prize specimens at Crufts, rather than two human beings making solemn vows.
It’s a duty on all of us to reduce the pressure on couples & make getting married easier.
1
2
28
3. Again, evidence is emerging globally that the policies that can close the birth gap are those making a positive & practical difference to parents' lives, as in South Tyrol in Italy.
These are popular, achievable policies & they should be of great interest to our govt. 4/4
6
4
28
At the New Deal for Parents, we say improving the parental employment rights system will make it easier for people to become and be parents.
Does anyone think that 2 weeks of Statutory Paternity Leave is enough? Here I am on
@BBCNews
calling for SPL to triple to 6 weeks.
0
2
28
Join
@civic_future
x
@TheBoomCampaign
to hear
@RuxandraTeslo
,
@stephenkb
&
@aveek18
discuss the policies that can kickstart the next baby boom by making parents’ lives better.
3
10
26
This week’s
@SarajevoCalling
podcast episode is a must for all in search of recommendations for books on the Balkans.
#BiH
#Balkans
#Sarajevo
📚 🇧🇦
0
7
26
Immigration is *not* a panacea.
We cannot rely on indefinitely attracting the very high numbers of migrants necessary, & democratic consent for permanent historically unprecedented levels of immigration does not exist. 2/
1
2
26
Workplace maternity discrimination is also rife, forcing women to choose between parenthood and a career.
As a result, South Korea has the biggest gender pay gap in the OECD. 3/5
3
2
24
South Korea's policies aren't working at least in part because free IVF does nothing to end the sharp trade-off between career and motherhood that women face, or to alleviate the pressure of traditional gender attitudes. 5/5
5
1
26
2. Keir isn't sold on the socio-economic need to close the birth gap. But we are an ageing society: the OBR is clear about the financial pressure this places on the UK.
An extremely good reason for govt to actively remove barriers from the paths of prospective parents. 3/4
1
2
24
On LBC yesterday evening I discussed a new survey that says many teens aren’t sure about parenthood.
I argued the real issue is adults who are ready to start families but find that material barriers are pricing them out of parenthood.
0
6
22
Thanks to
@fawcettsociety
and to all the attendees who came along today!
I was surrounded by trailblazing women at the
@fawcettsociety
conference.
I spoke about flexible working and other barriers that women face in the workplace alongside
@shabnabegum76
,
@PMArslanagic
, and
@Zubhaque
, at a panel chaired by the brilliant Jane van Zyl of
@workingfamUK
.
12
12
148
0
4
24
The answer is that South Tyrol is reaping the benefits of decades of child-friendly policies.
Remember, the factors that caused Italy’s fertility to decline are likely at work in South Tyrol too, making what it has achieved all the more impressive. 3/4
1
2
22
New campaign the Dad Shift are calling for better-paid, longer statutory paternity leave. They are absolutely right that the current system needs change. A mere 2 weeks at £185 a week is not good enough.
Follow the Dad Shift's work here:
0
6
22
Change is happening, but there is a growing backlash, with young South Korean men spearheading a vigorous anti-feminist movement. 4/5
1
1
21
The two-child limit means more children in poverty, and is simply counterproductive in an ageing society.
Removing it sends the signal that we value the vital contributions parents make in having & raising children.
In today's
@guardian
,
@rowenamason
covers Onward's call for the two-child benefit limit to end as part of our New Deal for Parents campaign led by
@PMArslanagic
.
2
0
1
1
4
22
South Tyrol is a hopeful example of the tremendous, positive impact that policymakers can have. And a lesson in the importance of consistency.
Parents aren’t asking for government-funded robo-nannies. This is about being there for families. 4/4
0
3
21
Really looking forward to chairing this on Sunday. Do join us if you're at CPC and interested in the UK's birth rate challenge.
0
3
21
Truly impossible to re-read economist
@gguillaumeblanc
's piece for
@WorksInProgMag
without being re-struck by the density of fascinating info.
In 1700, almost 1 in 25 inhabitants on Earth – and 1 in 5 Europeans – was French!!
0
2
21
I disagree with this misleading thread.
1. Compensation for altruistic egg donors rising to £968 is fair, not sinister.
2. The idea that many donor children are "genealogically bewildered" isn't evidence-based. My donor-conceived husband isn't genealogically bewildered. 1/4
We are dismayed to see egg donor payments will rise to £986 per cycle in October.
A cash incentive to low income women to risk their health & give up their genetic children. This is a scandal
@HFEA
@cettinghausen
@wesstreeting
@AnnelieseDodds
@EdwardsCLM
25
260
712
1
1
21
Delighted to see this report into the future of social security that I co-authored with
@ASarygulov
for
@WeAreBrightBlue
published.
I'm particularly proud of our recommendation to establish a minimum living income for low-income households.
1
2
20
Meeting the demographic challenge requires us to reject the confidently pessimistic predictions that the UK's future is preordained to be one of fewer and fewer children, necessitating no political response but managed decline.
1
8
20
On Sunday with Michael Portillo this morning discussing the Budget and the need for a laser-focus on pro-growth measures. Build more homes! 🏡📈
0
3
21
“Your vulnerability is very good for engagement!”
This from
@freyaindiaa
is right: we don’t warn young people enough of the dangers of opening up online.
4
2
18
France also has a family friendly tax system & good employment protections for parents. All together, these policies are responsible for millions of French people alive today.
For more, see my piece for
@TheBoomCampaign
.
2
4
19
“Hundreds of millions of pounds spent” attempting to save the lives of fewer fish annually than a small fishing vessel takes in per year.
New: Hinkley Point C is set to be the most expensive nuclear power station ever built.
I visited the construction site a few months ago - here's what I learnt about why it is so expensive and what we can do to bring costs down.
32
70
269
1
1
19
For
@WorksInProgMag
, I’ve written about the inventor who saved the Victorian public from bread made using adulterated flour & baked in beetle-infested bakeries. 🍞
1
9
18
@OnTheWoolsack
It had been marinated in some sort of wine-based sauce, so tasted strongly of that. There was also a rich, beefy fattiness (but I haven't eaten beef for 9 years so my judgment is only worth so much). Texturally, felt extremely realistic.
0
0
19
If men want to be part of the solution to Britain's falling birth rate, they "must pick the baby's spoon up off the floor and find out what time school pick up is".
Read my piece in
@CityAM
about the Great Baby Bust and the gender childcare gap below.
0
6
18
Except, per capita emissions have declined in the UK, US, Canada, EU and Japan since 2005.
The UK has done exceptionally well, cutting its emissions per capita in half between 2005 and 2022, from 9.4 tonnes to 4.7. 3/5
2
1
18
Scott Alexander on how cancel culture applies legal norms to moral questions, but without the processes that make the law just. The result is cruel and unfair.
2
2
18
I’ve written for
@unherd
about TikTok’s scary new beauty filter, mental health, and why being made to feel inadequate by a perfect cyborg version of my own face is a bridge too far.
0
4
16
1. Says costly pro-child policies aren't worth it because many children will be born to low-income parents & may not get a degree.
The article underplays the socio-economic damage of an ageing population while dismissing the potential of those born to low-income parents. 2/7
2
0
17
In
@TheCriticMag
, I argue that pro-parent policies can raise birth rates and make the case against doomer analysis that ignores evidence and advocates for apathy.
0
5
16
The incredibly meat-like texture is really apparent in the video.
1
2
16
.
@aveek18
making a clear case for why the birth rate challenge should be a focus across the left-right divide.
Raising birth rates is about making sure we have the families we want, a strong economy & sustaining the public services we all care about.
0
4
16
Thanks to
@POLITICOEurope
’s London Influence for announcing my move to
@ImpetusUK
- it’s a brilliant role in a brilliant team.
DM me if you want to chat about youth unemployment or Alternative Provision policy!
0
0
16
We at Bright Blue are calling on the Government to introduce domestic abuse leave for all UK workers.
I am proud to have co-authored the upcoming report in which we make this urgent recommendation.
1
5
16
Last week was Norway’s National Constitution Day. My friend Kristin explained this is a huge deal, celebrated with a national street party.
Extra brilliantly, everyone wears traditional dress!
Here’s Kristin, in a 120 year old dress that belonged to her great grandmother. 🇳🇴
1
0
15
🍰This week on the
@ukonward
cake trolley: vegan(!) brownies from Cake or Death.
Despite some initial suspicion, these dairy-free treats won over naysayers.
Team Onward rating: 8.67
0
3
15
Eid Mubarak, from my family to yours - Sretan Bajram! 🇧🇦💫
Now I need to find time to make baklava...
#EidAlFitr
1
0
16
12 days to fix a bridge in Pennsylvania. 5 years (and counting!) in London.
@ahawksbee
on state capacity and why it matters.
1
7
16
Good news that the brilliant
@pastasnack_e
is taking on the issue of insane driving test backlogs.
This dysfunctional system is damaging people’s lives & making it more difficult to take up job opportunities that are further away or require a license.
‘I failed my driving test. The next one available is in November, 100 miles away’
I spoke to
@AasmaDay
for
@theipaper
about my frustrations with the completely broken system at
@DVSAgovuk
Link below 👇
2
12
39
1
3
15
“Skills-based curriculums are a wrong turning in educational history, and people from across the world and across the political spectrum are waking up to that fact and trying to fix the problem.”
Excellent from
@daisychristo
’s Substack on education policy.
0
5
15
The French were hugely alarmed by this extended slump in births. Leading statistician Jacques Bertillon sadly predicted the "imminent disappearance" of France.
It was a matter of national discussion, leading to the production of posters & stamps like the one below. 2/
2
0
15
Excited to be part of this - join us in January as we discuss how to lift the barriers that mean young people can’t have the families they want, when they want.
We are delighted to launch our New Deal for Parents project with leading voices on families and children
@NeilDotObrien
,
@PMArslanagic
,
@Siobhan_Baillie
and
@redditchrachel
.
⏰ 18.00- 19.00
🗓️ 15th Jan 2024
📍 Central Westminster
🎟️ Register:
2
11
22
0
2
14
Writing in
@CityAM
today, I consider the lessons of Ukraine, the geopolitical need to challenge Russian interference in Bosnia, and the moral need to stop Bosnian Serb leader Dodik’s efforts to break the country up.
0
5
15
I’ve written for
@ConHome
about why a rejuvenated, modern, family-friendly policy offer is prime territory for a Conservative Party that wants to show it’s serious about the UK’s future.
0
6
15
How did a tiny town in rural Japan double its birth rate between 2005 and 2019?
I've written about how the small community of Nagi embraced pro-child policies and created a positive culture of parenting.
5
9
15
Absolutely brill to have
@MumsnetTowers
’ backing for the reforms to parental employment rights that the New Deal for Parents is calling for.
Mumsnet has been arguing that we must to do better by new parents for years.
Mumsnet's
@rhiannonaevans
spoke to
@TimesRadio
this morning about our long standing
#PublishParentalLeave
campaign - and why we're delighted to see it included in
@ukonward
's new report on tackling the financial barriers to parenthood
0
1
4
0
3
14