New study reveals hidden “electron highways” that power underground chemistry and pollution cleanup

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Different scales of electron transfer processes in the subsurface
 

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Credit: Yanting Zhang, Man Tong, Peng Zhang, Andreas Kappler & Songhu Yuan

Beneath our feet, an invisible world of electron exchanges quietly drives the chemistry that sustains ecosystems, controls water quality, and even determines the fate of pollutants. A new review published in Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes sheds light on how electrons travel through soils and sediments across surprisingly long distances—sometimes spanning centimeters to meters—reshaping our understanding of underground environments and offering new strategies for pollution cleanup.

Redox reactions—the give-and-take of electrons between chemical species—are fundamental to life and environmental stability. They govern how nutrients cycle, how contaminants move, and how microbes harvest energy. Traditionally, scientists believed these reactions were confined to microscopic “hotspots” at mineral or microbial surfaces. But the new study, led by researchers from the China University of Geosciences, shows that electron transfer (ET) in the subsurface can extend far beyond the nanoscale, linking distant chemical zones into vast underground electron networks.

At the smallest scales, ET occurs directly at mineral–water or microbe–mineral interfaces, where single molecules or cells exchange electrons over nanometers. But recent discoveries reveal more dramatic processes: conductive minerals, natural organic molecules, and even specialized bacteria known as “cable bacteria” can act as electron bridges, transmitting charges across centimeters. In some cases, stepwise connections form “long-distance ET chains” that span tens of centimeters or more, effectively creating underground electron highways.

“These findings challenge the old view that electron transfer is strictly local,” said corresponding author Prof. Songhu Yuan. “We now know that redox processes can connect across surprisingly large distances, coupling reactions in one zone with those in another. This has profound implications for contaminant remediation and environmental sustainability.”

The review highlights how these multiscale ET processes influence both natural cycles and human-driven pollution management. For example, long-distance ET can enable “remote remediation,” in which contaminants are degraded in hard-to-reach zones without direct chemical injection. Conductive minerals or added biochar can expand microbial activity, while cable bacteria help couple oxygen at the sediment surface with sulfide deep below, reducing harmful emissions.

The authors also outline the next frontiers in ET research: developing better tools to measure electron flows across scales, creating models that integrate nanoscale reactions with field-scale processes, and designing remediation technologies that harness these natural electron pathways.

“Our work provides a conceptual framework for thinking about the subsurface as an interconnected redox system,” said co-author Dr. Yanting Zhang. “By understanding how electrons move underground, we can better predict the fate of nutrients and pollutants and design more effective strategies to protect groundwater and ecosystems.”

This synthesis bridges fundamental science with practical applications, offering hope that tomorrow’s environmental engineers may one day plug into Earth’s own “electron grid” to restore contaminated soils and aquifers.

 

 

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Journal reference: Zhang Y, Tong M, Zhang P, Kappler A, Yuan S. 2025. Different scales of electron transfer processes in the subsurface. Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes 1: e002 https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/ebp-0025-0003 

 

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About the Journal:

Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes is a multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on the interactions and processes involving the cycling of elements and compounds between the biological, geological, and chemical components of the environment. 

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DOI

10.48130/ebp-0025-0003 

Method of Research

Literature review

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Different scales of electron transfer processes in the subsurface

Article Publication Date

22-Sep-2025

Beyond adsorption: Dalian scientists uncover biochar’s hidden superpower—direct pollutant destruction

Dr. Yuan Gao and team at Dalian University of Technology reveal how biochar doesn’t just trap pollutants—it zaps them, opening new frontiers in green water purification

Biochar Editorial Office, Shenyang Agricultural University

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Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants
 

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Credit: Fan Zhang, Yuan Gao, Yajie Gao & Rui Han

The Biochar Myth-Buster

We’ve all heard the story: biochar cleans water by adsorbing pollutants—trapping them like a sponge. Or, in fancier setups, it acts as a catalyst to help oxidants like hydrogen peroxide break down toxins. But Dr. Gao’s team asked a bold question: What if biochar can degrade pollutants all by itself? Turns out—it can. And it’s been doing it quietly all along.

The Electron Ninja: Biochar’s Secret Power

The secret lies in electron transfer—a natural ability of biochar that’s been overlooked for years. Think of it like this: instead of just catching a bad guy (adsorption), biochar can now take them down on its own (direct degradation). Using advanced electrochemical tests, quantification methods, and correlation analysis, the team proved that biochar actively breaks down organic pollutants through direct electron transfer—without needing extra chemicals. In their experiments, direct degradation accounted for up to 40% ± 10% of the total pollutant removal. That’s almost half the cleaning power coming straight from the biochar itself!

What Makes Biochar So Electric?

Not all biochar is created equal. The team discovered that three key features supercharge its electron power:

• C–O and O–H functional groups – the “handholds” for electron transfer
• Graphitic carbon structure – the “highway” for electrons to travel fast
  The better the structure, the more electrons flow, and the faster pollutants vanish.

Even after five reuse cycles, the biochar kept its direct degradation power—nearly 100% stable. That’s sustainability with stamina.

Why This Changes Everything

This study flips the script on how we use biochar in wastewater treatment. It’s not just a passive filter or a sidekick catalyst—it’s an active pollutant destroyer.

This means:

• Fewer chemicals needed in water treatment plants
• Lower costs and less sludge
• Greener, smarter purification for industries and communities

“Biochar has been underestimated,” says Dr. Gao. “It’s not just a sponge—it’s a battery, a conductor, and a degrader all in one. We’re just beginning to tap into its true potential.”

A New Era for Environmental Engineering

With industrial pollution still a global challenge, discoveries like this are more than just lab wins—they’re blueprints for a cleaner future. By clarifying the difference between adsorption, direct degradation, and indirect (catalytic) degradation, this research paves the way for smarter, more efficient biochar design—custom-built for real-world water crises. And at the heart of it all is Dalian University of Technology, shining as a hub of innovation in environmental science and industrial ecology.

Ready to Rethink “Clean”?

Next time you hear “biochar,” don’t just think “carbon-rich charcoal.” Think electron-powered eco-warrior—silently zapping pollutants, one electron at a time. Kudos to Dr. Yuan Gao and the DUT team for pushing the boundaries of green tech. Stay tuned, stay curious, and let’s keep turning science into solutions—for cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, and a more sustainable world.

 

 

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• Title: Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants
• Keywords: Biochar properties; Direct degradation; Indirect degradation; Electron transfer
• Citation: Zhang, F., Gao, Y., Gao, Y. et al. Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants. Carbon Res. 4, 53 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44246-025-00219-3

 

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About Carbon Research

The journal Carbon Research is an international multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on natural and engineered carbonaceous materials that are associated with ecological and environmental functions, energy generation, and global change. It is a fully Open Access (OA) journal and the Article Publishing Charges (APC) are waived until Dec 31, 2025. It is dedicated to serving as an innovative, efficient and professional platform for researchers in the field of carbon functions around the world to deliver findings from this rapidly expanding field of science. The journal is currently indexed by Scopus and Ei Compendex, and as of June 2025, the dynamic CiteScore value is 15.4.

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Journal

Carbon Research

DOI

10.1007/s44246-025-00219-3 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

Not applicable

Article Title

Structure-performance relationship of biochar for direct degradation of organic pollutants

An energy-efficient method to convert water pollutants into useful ammonia

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR), Tohoku University

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Structural characterization of NiCuFe-LDHs catalyst. a, b) SEM images, c) TEM image, d) HRTEM image, e) SAED pattern, f) AFM profiles, g) HAADF-STEM image, and the corresponding EDS element mapping. The inset in (d) shows the interplanar distance quantified from the HRTEM image. ©Yuan Wang et al. using 15NO3− and 14NO3− electrolytes over NiCuFe-LDHs nanosheets. f) NH3 yield measured by NMR and UV-vis methods. g) The NH3 FE and NH3 yield in the durability test. h) The comparison of the NitRR performance of NiCuFe-LDHs nanosheets with previously reported advanced catalysts. 

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Credit: ©Yuan Wang et al.

When the current method for producing something is estimated to consume a staggering 1-2% of the annual global energy supply, it means we need to make a change. The Haber-Bosch process produces ample amounts of ammonia (NH3) - a valuable chemical compound that has a wide array of uses in fields such as agriculture, technology, and pharmaceuticals - while consuming a lot of energy.

A research team at Tohoku University has made a significant contribution to an alternate method for converting harmful nitrate pollutants in water into ammonia, addressing both environmental and energy challenges. By utilizing NiCuFe-layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalysts, the study provides an efficient method for cleaning contaminated water. This means cleaner water, reduced pollution, and more sustainable fertilizer and energy resources, which are directly beneficial to public health, food security, and climate protection.

The Haber-Bosch process currently produces almost all of the industrially produced ammonia in the world, but it has major downsides. Not only does it consume an exorbitant amount of energy, the process also releases carbon dioxide emissions as a byproduct, making it even more taxing on the environment. The electrocatalytic nitrate (NO3−) reduction reaction (NitRR) is an alternative option to produce ammonia that has existed for a while, but it never caught on due to being slow and inefficient. However, researchers at Tohoku University's Advanced Institute for Materials Research (WPI-AIMR) found a method to overcome this.

"We created NiCuFe-LDH nanosheets with Ni and Cu sites to help with electroreduction," explains Professor Hao Li (WPI-AIMR). "The NitRR went from being too inefficient to even consider, to a Faradaic efficiency of 94.8%."

They used computational and theoretical analyses to explain the mechanism for this reaction, which involves the added Cu and Ni sites as the stars of the show. Furthermore, they tested a Zn-NO3− battery utilizing NiCuFe-LDH nanosheets to demonstrate its actual efficacy. It performed very well, with a Faradaic efficiency of 85.8%, a high yield of ammonia, and a power density so remarkable that it outperformed most previous reports (12.4 mW cm−2).

The next steps for this project will focus on scaling up and deepening mechanistic understanding. On the practical side, the catalyst performance needs to be validated in real nitrate-contaminated water systems and under continuous-flow reactor conditions to demonstrate industrial feasibility.

The findings were published in Advanced Functional Materials on September 4, 2025.

 

About the World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI)

The WPI program was launched in 2007 by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) to foster globally visible research centers boasting the highest standards and outstanding research environments. Numbering more than a dozen and operating at institutions throughout the country, these centers are given a high degree of autonomy, allowing them to engage in innovative modes of management and research. The program is administered by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).

See the latest research news from the centers at the WPI News Portal: https://www.eurekalert.org/newsportal/WPI
Main WPI program site:  www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-toplevel

 

Advanced Institute for Materials Research (AIMR)
Tohoku University
Establishing a World-Leading Research Center for Materials Science

AIMR aims to contribute to society through its actions as a world-leading research center for materials science and push the boundaries of research frontiers. To this end, the institute gathers excellent researchers in the fields of physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, and mathematics and provides a world-class research environment.

AIMR site: https://www.wpi-aimr.tohoku.ac.jp/en/

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Journal

Advanced Functional Materials

DOI

10.1002/adfm.202519238 

Article Title

Modulating Surface-Active Hydrogen for Facilitating Nitrate-to-Ammonia Electroreduction on Layered Double Hydroxides Nanosheets

Article Publication Date

24-Sep-2025

 

Combination inhaler reduces asthma attacks in children by almost half

Imperial College London

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Findings from a trial comparing the real-world effectiveness of asthma inhalers could reshape how children with asthma are treated.

In the first randomised controlled trial to investigate the use of a 2-in-1 inhaler as the sole reliever therapy for children aged 5 to 15, an international team found the combined treatment to be more effective than salbutamol, the current standard for asthma symptom relief in children, with no additional safety concerns.

 The results show that using a single 2-in-1 anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler – which combines the inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) budesonide and the fast-acting bronchodilator formoterol – reduced children’s asthma attacks by an average of 45%, compared to the widely-used salbutamol inhaler.

Asthma attacks in children may be life-threatening and reducing their frequency and severity is a public health priority.

The 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler is widely recommended as the preferred reliever treatment for adults, but children are still usually prescribed salbutamol.

Researchers say the findings, published today in The Lancet, provide the evidence needed to bring children’s global asthma guidelines into line with adults’, which could benefit millions of children around the world with mild-to-moderate asthma.

The CARE study (Children’s Anti-inflammatory REliever) was designed and led by the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand (MRINZ), in collaboration with Imperial College London, University of Otago Wellington, Starship Children’s Hospital, and the University of Auckland. It recruited 360 children across New Zealand who were then randomly assigned to receive either budesonide-formoterol or salbutamol for on-demand symptom relief.

The trial lasted a year and the budesonide-formoterol reliever resulted in a lower rate of asthma attacks than salbutamol reliever, with rates of 0.23 versus 0.41 per participant per year. This means that for every 100 children with mild asthma who are switched from salbutamol to a 2-in-1 budesonide-formoterol inhaler, there would be 18 fewer asthma attacks per year. Importantly, the study also confirmed the safety of the combined-inhaler approach, with no significant differences in children’s growth, lung function, or asthma control between the two groups.

Dr Lee Hatter, lead author of the study and Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the MRINZ, said: “This is a key step in addressing the evidence gap that exists between asthma management in adults and children. For the first time, we have demonstrated that the budesonide-formoterol 2-in-1 inhaler, used as needed for symptom relief, can significantly reduce asthma attacks in children with mild asthma. This evidence-based treatment could lead to improved asthma outcomes for children worldwide.”

Professor Richard Beasley, Director of MRINZ and senior author of the study, said: “Implementing these findings could be transformative for asthma management on a global scale. The evidence that budesonide-formoterol is more effective than salbutamol in preventing asthma attacks in children with mild asthma has the potential to redefine the global standard of asthma management.”

The burden of asthma in the estimated 113 million children and adolescents with asthma worldwide is substantial. The latest study builds on previous studies in adults led by MRINZ researchers (see detail in Notes, below) which shaped international asthma treatment guidelines. These findings contributed to the recommended use of the 2-in-1 ICS–formoterol reliever inhaler as the preferred reliever treatment for adults with asthma around the world.

The incorporation of findings from the CARE study into global asthma treatment strategies could help reduce disparities in care and ensure that more children access effective, evidence-based treatments.

The researchers say that global health organisations have long advocated for child-targeted asthma interventions, and their findings provide crucial evidence to support those efforts.

However, the authors acknowledge some limitations of the clinical trial. It was undertaken during the COVID-19 pandemic, during which stringent public health measures and fewer circulating respiratory viruses contributed to the lower than predicted rate of severe asthma attacks. The authors also acknowledge the challenges with the identification of asthma attacks in children, and the potential bias with the lack of blinding of the randomised treatments. They say though that the study’s findings are generalisable to clinical practice due to its pragmatic, real-world design.

Professor Andrew Bush, from Imperial College London, senior respiratory paediatrician and co-author of the CARE study, said: “Having an asthma attack can be very scary for children and their parents. I’m so pleased that we’ve been able to prove that an inhaler that significantly reduces attacks – already a game-changer for adults - is safe for children with mild asthma too. We believe this will transform asthma care worldwide and are excited to be building on this work with the CARE UK study.”

Professor Helen Reddel, Chair of the Science Committee of the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA), commented on the global significance of the study, saying that it fills a critically important gap for asthma management globally. Professor Reddel said: “Asthma attacks have a profound impact on children's physical, social and emotional development and their prevention is a high priority for asthma care. It is in childhood, too, that lifelong habits are established, particularly reliance on traditional medications like salbutamol that only relieve symptoms and don't prevent asthma attacks.”

Professor Bob Hancox, Medical Director of the New Zealand Asthma and Respiratory Foundation, said: “This is a very important study for children with mild asthma. We have known for some time that 2-in-1 budesonide/formoterol inhalers are better than the traditional reliever treatment in adults, but this had not been tested in children. This research shows that this 2-in-1 inhaler is effective and safe for children as young as 5. This information will help to reduce the burden of asthma for many children, and both they and their families will breathe easier because of it.”

The study was made possible by the generous support of the Health Research Council of New Zealand, Cure Kids (New Zealand), and the Barbara Basham Medical Charitable Trust managed by Perpetual Guardian. Symbicort Rapihalers for the trial were provided by AstraZeneca.

Budesonide-formoterol versus salbutamol as reliever therapy in children with mild asthma (CARE): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial is published in The Lancet; https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00861-X

 

 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00861-X/fulltext 

This press release uses a labelling system developed by the Academy of Medical Sciences to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf

 

 

NOTES TO EDITORS

Study key points:

1. The CARE study is the first randomised controlled trial comparing ICS–formoterol anti-inflammatory reliever inhaler treatment with salbutamol reliever inhaler treatment, in children aged five to 15 years with asthma.
2. Budesonide-formoterol demonstrated a significant reduction in asthma attacks, with a 45% decrease in the rate of attacks compared to salbutamol (0.23 vs 0.41 attacks per participant per year; relative rate 0.55, 95% CI 0.35–0.86, p=0.01).
3. These findings are consistent with established benefits seen in adults, where ICS–formoterol has become the preferred reliever treatment for asthma management.
4. The study found no safety concerns regarding the use of a combined inhaled steroid treatment in children, with no adverse effects on growth or lung function.
5. This study provides compelling evidence that switching from a salbutamol reliever inhaler to a budesonide-formoterol reliever inhaler can help prevent asthma attacks in children with mild asthma as young as five, which could lead to a potential shift in asthma treatment globally.

Previous evidence from MRINZ Adult Clinical Trials of anti-inflammatory reliever therapy:

1. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(13)70007-9/abstract
2. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1901963

 https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)31948-8/abstract

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Journal

The Lancet

DOI

10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00861-X 

Method of Research

Randomized controlled/clinical trial

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Budesonide-formoterol versus salbutamol as reliever therapy in children with mild asthma (CARE): a 52-week, open-label, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial

Article Publication Date

28-Sep-2025

UK

HubMP2012

Can we recover hope in dark times?

SEPTEMBER 23, 2025

Michael Calderbank previews “Can Labour still deliver the change we need – and stop the rise of Reform?”, an upcoming Labour Conference fringe event In Liverpool (details below).

Twelve months on from last year’s Labour Party Conference, the mood could scarcely be different.  Last year was full of self-congratulatory back-slapping following the landslide victory of the General Election, along with a readiness to schmooze with the corporate lobbyists descending on Liverpool like vultures.

Not that the horizon was without entirely without clouds, even at that stage. The decision to axe the winter fuel payment for all bar the poorest pensioners seemed needlessly cruel and punitive, as did withdrawing the whip from MPs who voted for an amendment to the King’s Speech to scrap the two-child benefit limit on Universal Credit. The relentlessly downbeat economic narrative jarred with the promise of ‘change’ on which the Party was elected, and appeared more concerned with appeasing the bond markets than tackling the cost of living crisis.

One year later, and the storm clouds are all around us. The populist far right are consistently ahead in the polls in the shape of Nigel Farage’s Reform, whilst earlier this month Tommy Robinson mobilised the largest far right demonstration in British history.

Black and minority ethnic voters are increasingly left alarmed and afraid, with open expressions of racist hatred resurfacing in a way not seen for generations. In the departures of Angela Rayner and Peter Mandelson, the Party is linked with tax-dodging and the defenders of paedophiles. Labour’s response to the demonisation of migrants has often been to echo Farage’s rhetoric and talk about speeding up deportations.  Are we sleepwalking towards a far right takeover of Britain?

It should be recognised that whilst the organisers and many of the hardcore activists on the “Unite the Kingdom” march were ideologically committed racists, the demo attracted some broader elements, and still more who broadly identified with it on social media.  Aspects of the populist narrative understandably resonate – the politicians aren’t taking decisions in our interests; public services are buckling; young people will likely never get a foot on the housing ladder; the money isn’t going where it’s most needed; our lives are getting harder, and things were better for earlier generations, etcetera.  In the absence of any more compelling popular outlet for the expression of political discontent, is it any wonder that people are drawn towards ‘state of the nation’ protests that present themselves? 

How does the labour and trade union movement respond?   The form of political blackmail being posed by commentators like Paul Mason (vote for anyone other than Keir Starmer’s Labour and you’ll get Farage) simply won’t wash.  Labour will be punished if it fails to deliver on the promise of change it made to the electorate.

Nor will the far right be defeated simply by mobilising counter-protests denouncing them.     Instead, what’s needed is the building of a mass movement which offers perceptible improvements in peoples’ lives, and gives grounds for hope by beginning to tackle the root causes of the present crisis.  In the short-term there is little realistic expectation that the Starmer leadership has either the appetite or the capacity to offer such hope. Therefore politics can’t just be left to what happens in Westminster – far right ideas have to be contested in workplaces and communities, and here the role of trade unions could be central.

Affiliates to the Trade Union Coordinating Group are campaigning for a political alternative based on the delivery of a  thorough-going restructuring of the economy based on (i) a reversal of austerity and significant investment in public services and extension of public ownership, to be funded by (ii) wealth taxes on the richest in society; (iii) delivering on the promise of the “biggest wave of insourcing for a generation”; (iv) developing a radical new industrial strategy at the centre of which is the restoration of sectoral collective bargaining across the economy, which would require a part two of the Employment Rights Bill; (v) to deliver a new phase of workers’ rights adequate to the meet the challenge of AI; (vi) a just transition to tackle the climate crisis to deliver high quality, secure, well-paid jobs;  and (vii) the extension of a genuine system of social security for those unable to work – and the Right to Food so no household goes hungry.

Ultimately this is an agenda which would genuinely transform the lives of working people, and provides a basis for a positive alternative to hatred and division, based on unity and solidarity. Tuesday’s meeting is not just for Labour conference delegates, or even just Labour Party members – it’s for anyone who wants to discuss how we can improve the lives of all our communities across the UK and restore hope to our politics.

“Can Labour still deliver the change we need – and stop the rise of Reform?”

Tuesday 30th September, 6.30 – 8.00pm (followed by a solidarity social with drinks and hot buffet), Love Lane Brewery, 62-64 Bridgewater St, L1 0AY

No conference security pass required.

Hosted by the Trade Union Coordinating Group, with Institute of Employment Rights and Campaign for Trade Union Freedom.

Speakers: Taj Ali, Kim Johnson MP, Ian Byrne MP, John McDonnell MP, Dr Jo Grady (UCU), Fran Heathcote (PCS), Steve Wright (FBU). Chair: Paul Fleming (Equity).

Michael Calderbank is Trade Union Liaison Officer of Tottenham CLP.

UK Women hit hardest as State Pension Age rises

By the National Pensioners Convention 

SEPTEMBER 23, 2025

Women in their late 50s who were out of work have been the hardest hit by the rise in the state pension age from 60 to 66, according to new research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

The report found that unemployed women in their 50s experienced far greater income losses than those still in paid work when the reforms were phased in between 2010 and 2020. On average, weekly incomes for unemployed women fell by £81, compared with a £42 drop for women who were working in their late 50s.

The study, funded by the IFS Retirement Saving Consortium, noted that these women were also more likely to have lower incomes, health problems, or disabilities.

Despite the sharp fall in income, researchers found no evidence of reduced spending on essentials such as food or energy. However, participation in social activities – including sports clubs, museum visits and theatre trips – fell by eight percentage points, dropping from 53% before the reforms. Well-being also declined.

The government’s ongoing third review of the pension age must consider how best to support those struggling. Read the report here.

Meanwhile, behind the headline-grabbing 4.7% State Pension rise, a majority of pensioners still struggle on a smaller old pension.

Thanks to the Triple Lock the State Pension looks set to increase by 4.7% next spring – but the National Pensioners Convention warns that the media headlines do not tell the whole story.

Only a third of the UK’s 12.95 million retirees receive the ‘new’ state pension. However a staggering 8.7 million – including our oldest and most vulnerable – are on the old, pre-2016 state pension, so will see a much smaller rise.

Brian Sturtevant, Chair of the NPC Pensions and Income Working Party said:  “A reported 4.7% rise in the State Pension under the Triple Lock mechanism may sound generous on paper, yet millions of older people still face serious hardship. Many are on the much lower basic State Pension, and do not receive the full amount, so the actual cash increase they see is far smaller than the figures being widely quoted.

“At the same time, inflation remains stubbornly high, energy bills are set to rise by 2% in October, and food prices continue to climb. Pensioners on a fixed income, many of whom rely solely on the state pension, are still being forced to make impossible choices between heating and eating. We need a serious conversation about how to protect the most vulnerable from falling further behind.”

The government’s “triple lock” guarantees the state pension rises each year by the highest of three measures: 2.5%, inflation, or average earnings growth.  Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that total pay, including bonuses, rose by 4.7% in the three months to July. With inflation forecast at 4% for September, it is likely that the 4.7% wage growth figure will be used to set next year’s state pension rise for the third consecutive year.

There is also a catch for those receiving the new state pension increase next April – many will start paying income tax for the first time.  Currently, the personal tax allowance stands at £12,570, frozen until 2028. As the value of the state pension edges closer to this threshold, more pensioners will find themselves paying tax on their main source of income, very often because they also have a small occupational pension or receive interest on savings that take them over the limit.

Image: https://www.rawpixel.com/image/5919287 Licence: CC0 1.0 Universal CC0 1.0 Deed

UK

Starmer and Reeves’ approach is wrong – we can tackle inequality and poverty now!

HubMP

SEPTEMBER 24, 2025

 Vincent Conquest

For all the recent talk of ‘patriotism’, has anyone talked about the fact that one of the biggest staples of living in Britain is just how much poverty there is all around us? The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) estimates that 4.5 million children are currently growing up in poverty – equating to an average of nine children in a classroom of thirty. Most worryingly, poverty rates in the UK have been relatively stable for years now, with successive Conservative governments seemingly uninterested in mediating this problem. The right-wing will have you believe that patriotism is when you wave a flag, while enacting, backing or advocating policies that push vulnerable people – often disabled people, pensioners, and children – further into poverty. But a better society is possible – one where poverty and inequality are tackled for good.

Tackling the structural reasons for poverty in and of itself is not necessarily easy in light of the Government’s commitment to neoliberalism, but there are very simple ways that poverty could be dramatically reduced in the short term. CPAG predicts that if the two-child benefit cap, introduced in 2016 by the Tories, were removed, then 350,000 children would be lifted out of poverty, and a further 300,000 children would be living in less deep poverty. Critics will say that this costs a lot of money, and people should think about the cap before having children in the first place. Even if that argument is taken as legitimate – which it isn’t, not least because more money would be circulating in the economy and boosting growth –  why should children go hungry and be punished? If there is enough money to increase military spending on Donald Trump’s orders, there is surely enough money to support children in the most critical years of their lives.

If this Labour Government were serious about tackling poverty, removing the two-child benefit cap is an absolute bare minimum – so it was very telling as to this Government’s priorities when seven MPs were removed from the parliamentary Party for voting against it. Since then, the pressure on the Government to act has ramped up, and calls for the two-child benefit cap to be removed have grown louder. Indeed, both candidates in Labour’s Deputy Leadership race, Lucy Powell and Bridget Phillipson, have made noises indicating that the lifting of the cap would be an absolute priority – though they both voted to keep the cap last year, so whether this will actually come about is a different question.

CPAG also predicts that 900,000 children in England alone miss out on free school meals. Labour has made welcome moves on free school meals: from the beginning of next year, every pupil whose household is on Universal Credit will have an entitlement to free school meals, benefiting over 500,000 children and saving affected parents £500 a year. Clearly, this is good policy and the type of thing you would expect from a Labour Government, but universal free school meals have to be looked at if Labour are serious about not only alleviating poverty but eradicating it.

As mentioned previously, poverty affects everyone, but particularly already those groups such as disabled people effected by the ‘free-market’s’ structural inequalities. The Government’s planned cuts to disability support may have been watered down as a result of months of campaigning from disabled people and their allies, but cuts to the Universal Credit health element remain. Though we do not have a full idea of what the cuts will look like once passed, we know it will hurt disabled people, pushing lots of them into poverty, and pushing those already in poverty further into poverty.

More generally, racial and regional inequality affects poverty rates, too. 65% of children of Bangladeshi origin and 59% of children of Pakistani origin live below the poverty line, with the highest rates of poverty in inner London, the West Midlands, and the North West. In order to tackle the most basic staples of inequality, poverty in these communities must be reduced, and taking the measures outlined above would be a good first step.

Overall, a wide range of economic redistributive measures are needed to tackle inequality and remove poverty from society. Poverty is not an inevitability, and many people in politics got involved in politics to try to eradicate it. It seems that many politicians have forgotten this fact, and Labour would do well to remember that reducing poverty is a key priority for their voter base – even if that should not be the main reason for doing so.

It should be the super-rich and the corporate profiteers who pay to improve our broken society, not the poor. Remove the two-child benefit cap, expand free school meals so they are universal, and introduce a wealth tax rather than any further cuts to welfare. Bring back universalism and start to build a better society for all.

• LIVERPOOL EVENT: We CAN tackle poverty and inequality. Sunday September 28th, 12.30pm. Join Neil Duncan-Jordan MP, Ian Byrne MP and other guest speakers. Register here.

Vincent Conquest is an Arise – a Festival of Left Ideas Volunteer and Young Labour member.

Image: https://www.flickr.com/photos/53941041@N00/4103261671/ Licence: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic CC BY-SA 2.0 Deed

Why the best wealth tax is a land value tax

Natural resource rents go to the wrong people, argues Heather Wetzel.

SEPTEMBER 25, 2025

When we look at where the richest few get their incomes from, we see so much comes directly or indirectly from land and other natural resources including oil, minerals, aggregates, the spectrum, solar and wind power, water, forestry, etc.

The most efficient, transparent, unavoidable/unevadable and fairest form of Wealth Tax lies in diverting land and other natural resource rents from those claiming ownership of them to local and national governments to pay for our public services.

A fact that is mostly ignored by politicians and economists is natural resource wealth only arises from society’s demand to use them and, as our economy grows, so does their value and price. Because they are no longer held in common, the incomes that arise from our combined demand to use them goes to the few who claim ‘ownership’ of them.

To place a levy on land and other natural resource rents cannot be avoided and returns the value society creates to maintain and develop our public services.

Society currently pays economic rents for each of the natural resources we use but that rent goes to the wrong people. It should be returned to the public purse to pay for maintaining and developing our public services.

Initially, the simplest action to make a real and immediate economic difference would be to replace all property taxes with an annual Land Value Tax. Land speculation and land hoarding would stop and idle development sites and underused buildings would be brought into their full, permitted use, providing homes and business premises at affordable and not inflated prices to rent or buy. The next stage could be to get back water and energy sources under public ownership – without compensation – and charge the economic rent for each one. The third stage could be to bring remaining natural resources into common ownership and again, charging the economic rent for each one.

By replacing current property taxes with an annual Land Value Tax, society would benefit economically, socially and environmentally:

• Economically because the value we all create would be returned to pay for public services.
• Socially because homes would become much more affordable and businesses could afford to start up or expand creating jobs.
• Environmentally because we would use land in our towns and cities much more efficiently and reduce the need to build in rural areas that do not have the infrastructure to support them.

A Land Value Tax (LVT) is a charge levied on the economic rent of each site valued at its permitted use value. The taxes LVT replace will depend on the Government but the easiest to replace following valuation of each site, are current property taxes. Providing no loopholes or exemptions are included, LVT cannot be avoided or evaded.

Land cannot be hidden in the Cayman Islands, an offshore account or in the attic or a lock-up – other assets can!

Some key points on why LVT is a fair and just tax benefiting the whole of society:

• LVT recognises that every individual helps create land values through their work, their community activities and their spending.
• LVT means that the growing number of non-property owning adults who are tenants or economically forced to live with family or friends also share in existing and future increases in land wealth, rather than just freeholders and the big land owners.
• LVT recognises that every new investment – public and private – helps create land values, whether it is in public transport, businesses, leisure facilities, schools, hospitals, airports, making neighbourhoods smarter and more pleasant, or in homes or jobs.
• LVT also recognises that existing services and businesses – public and private – add to land values.
• By including land that is currently kept idle, LVT encourages better use of land, particularly in towns and cities and reduces the demand to build on green spaces or in rural areas.
• By stopping land speculation, investors will seek worthwhile investments including in those areas that currently have high levels of unemployment and deprivation, thus redistributing wealth on a regional and individual basis fairly.
• With LVT, homes would be bought for people to live in and not be kept empty for speculative purposes.
• LVT encourages investment in more jobs and businesses and more affordable homes.

• LVT will rid communities of derelict sites and buildings that encourage anti-social behaviour.
• Unlike other taxes, it is impossible for people and businesses to evade or avoid paying their share of LVT.
• LVT increases the funds available for public services, including public transport, health, education, leisure facilities, crime prevention and social welfare.
• Land value and taxes are inversely related so as LVT is introduced, land wealth, reflected in rent and capitalised value, transfers to the public purse and away from land owners.

By collecting the economic rent of land, land wealth would be recycled and used to benefit the whole of society economically, socially and environmentally and it would force us to use land sparingly and efficiently.

Note:

The law of economic rent – there are three factors of production – labour, capital and land (that is, all natural resources). The return to labour is wages; the return to capital is profit or interest; and the return to natural resources is ‘economic rent’ – the excess income left after the costs of labour and capital (including ‘reasonable’ profit) have been made. 

Taxes and economic rent are inversely related – this means that as taxes increase, land values go down and when taxes reduce, land values go up. Similarly, subsidies increase land values and end up in the pockets of those claiming ownership of land thus frustrating the purpose intended.

Land value only arises because of society’s combined demand to use it for homes, public services, businesses and leisure – not from owning land. Values will vary according to access to good public services, private investments and from natural attributes.

A list of frequently asked questions with answers can be provided if required and is on the Labour Land Campaign website here.

Heather Wetzel is Vice Chair of the Labour Land Campaign.

Image: Banner on the Make Them Pay demonstration in London on September 20th, c/o Labour Hub

 

HubMP2

Tackling poverty means the right to food for all

SEPTEMBER 26, 2025

By Sarah Woolley

The scale of food insecurity in Britain today is shocking. Over 7 million adults are going hungry or skipping meals, and children, disabled people and single-parent families are hit hardest. This isn’t just about poverty: it is about health inequality, life expectancy and whether people can live with dignity.

The context to this is that over one year into the Labour Government, it is clear that austerity didn’t end with the Tories being voted out. Working people are still paying the price. Food prices are still sky high. Wages are still far too low. Homes are still cold and damp. Public services are still being cut back to the bone – there was an announcement only a couple of weeks ago about further cuts to firefighter jobs. And it is disabled people, low-paid workers and young people who are feeling it the hardest.

When it comes to food insecurity specifically, the much-vaunted NHS Ten-Year Plan talks about prevention and population health. But prevention has to mean tackling the root causes of poor nutrition: poverty pay, insecure work and lack of access to affordable, healthy food. If we don’t get that right, then all the talk about prevention will ring hollow.

That is why the BFAWU (the Bakers, Food and Allied Workers’ Union) has campaigned so strongly for a Right to Food to be enshrined in law. We know from our members that the crisis in access to decent food is not about supply, it is about inequality. We also helped establish the Food and Work Network, bringing together academics, campaigners, unions and community groups to connect the dots between work, wages and nutrition. The evidence is clear: good jobs, fair pay and strong food access schemes are inseparable from good health.

Schemes like Healthy Start are lifelines. But they are underfunded, poorly promoted and far too limited. We need government investment to expand these programmes, and we need local, community-led food initiatives to be supported, not left to rely on voluntary goodwill. And we need a properly resourced workforce – including dietitians – to bring expertise into communities where health inequalities are at their starkest.

This is not just a public health issue – it is a question of justice. No one in one of the richest countries in the world should be forced to choose between heating and eating. No parent should have to skip meals so their children can eat. And no worker should be producing food they themselves cannot afford to put on their own table, as so many of our BFAWU members do.

Alongside this, in the food sector, we’re also demanding action on food security and sustainability. Workers shouldn’t be asked to churn out cheap, unhealthy products for poverty wages while supermarkets rake in profits. A just transition in food means decent pay and conditions for food workers, public ownership of key supply chains, and investment in local, sustainable production that puts communities before corporate greed.

Not only would such policies dramatically and immediately improve the lives of millions, but they would point towards a different kind of economy, a restructured economy based on investment and an end to austerity for good.

As part of our campaigning for that better society, we will strongly make the demand for prevention that goes beyond rhetoric – prevention that starts with the Right to Food, delivered through fair pay, decent work, and universal access to nutritious food, as part of building a different kind of economy, for the many not the few.

As Labour meets for its Conference this week, as the Party in government, the time for excuses is over. Working-class people have waited long enough. Now it’s time to deliver.

Sarah Woolley is BFAWU General Secretary.

Image: Neater Heat Partners with Aldershot GrubHub. https://www.neaterheat.co.uk/neater-heat-supports-aldershot-grubhub-warming-hearts-homes-and-heaters/ Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International CC BY-NC 4.0 Deed