Dean Hochlaf
@dhochlaf.bsky.social
Trade union economist. Views my own, and not of some defunct economist.
Good report on the new findings from the Health Foundation, the latest organisation to provide evidence that the slow fall in NHS waiting lists is being driven by unreported removals and lower referral rates rather than increased activity
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
Ministers overclaimed impact of ‘crack’ elective teams
Elective activity has "barely increased" at the hospitals targeted with "crack teams" to cut waiting lists - contrary to ministers' claims that the work has "turbocharged activity" - analysis reveals.
www.hsj.co.uk
February 5, 2026 at 2:38 PM
Good report on the new findings from the Health Foundation, the latest organisation to provide evidence that the slow fall in NHS waiting lists is being driven by unreported removals and lower referral rates rather than increased activity
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
The point of economic migration is to maximise the benefits for your society
Trapping workers and their families in poverty because you want to make it harder for them to settle, and because you are unwilling to fund vital services fails on what should be a basic ambition
Trapping workers and their families in poverty because you want to make it harder for them to settle, and because you are unwilling to fund vital services fails on what should be a basic ambition
"Are you worried that there will be an impact on child poverty?"
Home Secretary "This is a system of economic migration ... they chose to bring their families with them" is the underlying principle.
Home Secretary "This is a system of economic migration ... they chose to bring their families with them" is the underlying principle.
February 5, 2026 at 1:53 PM
The point of economic migration is to maximise the benefits for your society
Trapping workers and their families in poverty because you want to make it harder for them to settle, and because you are unwilling to fund vital services fails on what should be a basic ambition
Trapping workers and their families in poverty because you want to make it harder for them to settle, and because you are unwilling to fund vital services fails on what should be a basic ambition
A big reason this gov has struggled is because its leadership spent years in opposition desperately signalling they are absolutely not a bunch of dreaded lefties, and have tried continuing this even as everything around them crumbles
Keir Starmer attacks the racism of Reform and Matt Goodwin but then adds that "Britain has also been let down by a mindset on the left of politics that is too slow to defend core British values"
February 5, 2026 at 12:32 PM
A big reason this gov has struggled is because its leadership spent years in opposition desperately signalling they are absolutely not a bunch of dreaded lefties, and have tried continuing this even as everything around them crumbles
Nothing says your historic mandate has been squandered quite like loudly wondering how brief the honeymoon period is going to be for the imminent replacement of your party leader
Talk has turned to who replaces Starmer (again).
Labour MP tonight:
“As far as I'm concerned, Starmer is done. What matters is what's next. If it's Angela, the honeymoon lasts a week. If it's Wes, a month. If it's Al, 6 months. Hard to see how it turns around beyond that.”
Labour MP tonight:
“As far as I'm concerned, Starmer is done. What matters is what's next. If it's Angela, the honeymoon lasts a week. If it's Wes, a month. If it's Al, 6 months. Hard to see how it turns around beyond that.”
February 4, 2026 at 11:31 PM
Nothing says your historic mandate has been squandered quite like loudly wondering how brief the honeymoon period is going to be for the imminent replacement of your party leader
This is especially true given Labour came to power crowing the adults were back in the room and that they would restore high standards to public life
A severe failure in competence and morals
A severe failure in competence and morals
the sympathetic interpretation of the govt line is they’re so thick that if a famous liar lies to them (even about something in public domain) they can slip through national security vetting procedures. feels quite “resignation matter”-y still to me
February 4, 2026 at 7:11 PM
This is especially true given Labour came to power crowing the adults were back in the room and that they would restore high standards to public life
A severe failure in competence and morals
A severe failure in competence and morals
Think it's revealing labour conflate best and brightest with high earners
Not really interested in the underlying dynamics of immigration or the contribution of migrants beyond a high salary which I don't think is the foundation for good policy
Not really interested in the underlying dynamics of immigration or the contribution of migrants beyond a high salary which I don't think is the foundation for good policy
February 4, 2026 at 5:15 PM
Think it's revealing labour conflate best and brightest with high earners
Not really interested in the underlying dynamics of immigration or the contribution of migrants beyond a high salary which I don't think is the foundation for good policy
Not really interested in the underlying dynamics of immigration or the contribution of migrants beyond a high salary which I don't think is the foundation for good policy
Adam Smith writing that the "disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition...[is] the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments" feels very relevant here
The Times interview with Peter Mandelson is a masterclass in lack of self-awareness, but this quote about what it is precisely that makes very rich people so appealing to him is especially revealing.
February 3, 2026 at 5:06 PM
Adam Smith writing that the "disposition to admire, and almost to worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or, at least, to neglect persons of poor and mean condition...[is] the great and most universal cause of the corruption of our moral sentiments" feels very relevant here
Everything about this story is heinous and vulgar and the fact this is what a minister was doing during a moment of national crisis, when millions of lives were being upended by the financial crisis is so abhorrent
BREAKING on ft website:
Lord Peter Mandelson leaked a sensitive UK government document to Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour’s tax policy plans
www.ft.com/content/fdf7...
Lord Peter Mandelson leaked a sensitive UK government document to Jeffrey Epstein while he was business secretary that proposed £20bn of asset sales and revealed Labour’s tax policy plans
www.ft.com/content/fdf7...
Mandelson leaked sensitive UK government tax plans to Epstein
Former ambassador forwarded memo from special adviser to Gordon Brown to late sex offender in 2009
www.ft.com
February 2, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Everything about this story is heinous and vulgar and the fact this is what a minister was doing during a moment of national crisis, when millions of lives were being upended by the financial crisis is so abhorrent
This whole affair is grotesque and immoral on so many levels
As business secretary Peter Mandelson conspired with leading US bank to end tax on bankers' bonuses. He told Epstein that JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon should “threaten” chancellor Alistair Darling over the tax. A year later, Mandy was seeking work with JPMorgan. Top journalism by @pickardje.bsky.social
Mandelson told Epstein JPMorgan should ‘threaten’ UK government over banker tax
Then business secretary advised sex offender on how Jamie Dimon should lobby chancellor in 2009
www.ft.com
February 1, 2026 at 8:31 PM
This whole affair is grotesque and immoral on so many levels
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
The "coincidence" of Epstein's cash payments to Peter Mandelson's partner/husband in 2009/10 and the then industry secretary's lobbying within cabinet for a softer post-crash policy towards bankers looks on the face of it like outright corruption. Certainly demands police investigation.
January 31, 2026 at 5:57 PM
The "coincidence" of Epstein's cash payments to Peter Mandelson's partner/husband in 2009/10 and the then industry secretary's lobbying within cabinet for a softer post-crash policy towards bankers looks on the face of it like outright corruption. Certainly demands police investigation.
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
the story now makes clear it was far more than just £10,000, regular payments from Epstein to Mandelson partner
I'm not prone to exaggeration but this is probably the biggest scoop I've ever been involved in
Mandelson's partner took £10,000 from Epstein to pay for his osteopath course while Mandelson was de facto UK deputy prime minister, according to new files
more to follow
www.ft.com/content/c950...
Mandelson's partner took £10,000 from Epstein to pay for his osteopath course while Mandelson was de facto UK deputy prime minister, according to new files
more to follow
www.ft.com/content/c950...
Jeffrey Epstein sent £10,000 to Mandelson’s husband, emails show
Epstein sent Reinaldo Avila da Silva payment in 2009
www.ft.com
January 30, 2026 at 7:14 PM
the story now makes clear it was far more than just £10,000, regular payments from Epstein to Mandelson partner
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
No mention here of the upcoming cut to Universal Credit, which will cost 700,000+ disabled people an average of £3,000 a year.
From April, the health element of UC will be cut by nearly 50% for new claimants. Set out by @victoria-anns.bsky.social here: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
From April, the health element of UC will be cut by nearly 50% for new claimants. Set out by @victoria-anns.bsky.social here: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
January 29, 2026 at 5:09 PM
No mention here of the upcoming cut to Universal Credit, which will cost 700,000+ disabled people an average of £3,000 a year.
From April, the health element of UC will be cut by nearly 50% for new claimants. Set out by @victoria-anns.bsky.social here: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
From April, the health element of UC will be cut by nearly 50% for new claimants. Set out by @victoria-anns.bsky.social here: www.citizensadvice.org.uk/policy/publi...
I know it's stupid to keep getting annoyed at there attempts to reassure everyone they're not silly lefties but 1) it's comical to not recognise the huge positive externalities of HE and 2) strange to make the argument that the cost of public goods should only be borne by direct beneficiaries
2026: Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves, "It is not right that people who don't go to university bear the cost for others to"
2020: That time Labour leader Keir Starmer said he would scrap university tuition fees
2020: That time Labour leader Keir Starmer said he would scrap university tuition fees
January 29, 2026 at 1:44 PM
I know it's stupid to keep getting annoyed at there attempts to reassure everyone they're not silly lefties but 1) it's comical to not recognise the huge positive externalities of HE and 2) strange to make the argument that the cost of public goods should only be borne by direct beneficiaries
Willing to turn a blind eye to this stuff that fails to even remotely compensate for systemic underinvestment in education and youth services if they call it AIristotle
We want to make sure tutoring isn't the preserve of a lucky few, but accessible to every child who needs it.
AI can help us do that.
Safe, personalised, one-to-one learning support to help every child achieve and thrive.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...
AI can help us do that.
Safe, personalised, one-to-one learning support to help every child achieve and thrive.
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/01...
Poorest pupils to be given AI tutors
Bridget Phillipson says tuition would no longer be the preserve of ‘the lucky few’
www.telegraph.co.uk
January 29, 2026 at 11:08 AM
Willing to turn a blind eye to this stuff that fails to even remotely compensate for systemic underinvestment in education and youth services if they call it AIristotle
Some young Labour member in 2016 wishing for one good win in an election, while the genie laughs maniacally at the chain of events they're about to set in motion
January 27, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Some young Labour member in 2016 wishing for one good win in an election, while the genie laughs maniacally at the chain of events they're about to set in motion
Maybe there should be one department with a specific focus on the economy which is given power over things like fiscal policy to achieve the ambitions of government, so every other department can focus on other, more relevant objectives
'I’m not always convinced [growth] is the number one mission of every government department,' business secretary Peter Kyle told the FT. ft.trib.al/IhcOUcZ
January 25, 2026 at 8:25 PM
Maybe there should be one department with a specific focus on the economy which is given power over things like fiscal policy to achieve the ambitions of government, so every other department can focus on other, more relevant objectives
Now Burnham is no longer a threat, Starmer and his allies can get down to the important business of rushing out half baked policies that repel the majority of voters before doing a humiliating u-turn only after maximum damage has been inflicted leading to a further -2 in opinion polls
January 25, 2026 at 12:17 PM
Now Burnham is no longer a threat, Starmer and his allies can get down to the important business of rushing out half baked policies that repel the majority of voters before doing a humiliating u-turn only after maximum damage has been inflicted leading to a further -2 in opinion polls
If I were a Starmer supporter, I would simply not tell the press his leadership has brought Labour to the brink of losing Greater Manchester
Some Labour MPs briefing about Labour losing a GM Mayoral by-election is funny, in so far as it would indicate the party was in such shocking health they might as well all pack up?
Across 2 elections, Burnham has won 429 out of 430 wards!
Across 2 elections, Burnham has won 429 out of 430 wards!
January 24, 2026 at 5:59 PM
If I were a Starmer supporter, I would simply not tell the press his leadership has brought Labour to the brink of losing Greater Manchester
The combination of the collective sacrifice of young people during the pandemic and the fact this gov has actively increased the cost of employing young people makes this attempt at using false mental health stats and downplaying real health conditions seem particularly cruel
"1 in 5 pupils are getting a SEND diagnosis..the vast majority then trip into the benefit system because they get child disability allowance allowance.'
This is completely false from Milburn. He's supposed to be reviewing this issue and he's just making things up. Inexcusable.
This is completely false from Milburn. He's supposed to be reviewing this issue and he's just making things up. Inexcusable.
January 24, 2026 at 10:28 AM
The combination of the collective sacrifice of young people during the pandemic and the fact this gov has actively increased the cost of employing young people makes this attempt at using false mental health stats and downplaying real health conditions seem particularly cruel
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
The BMA is gravely concerned about reports of violations of medical neutrality in Iran. Read our statement below.
January 21, 2026 at 4:40 PM
The BMA is gravely concerned about reports of violations of medical neutrality in Iran. Read our statement below.
Feel like if you're going to make a threat on remembering you can't be getting the country mixed up in the next sentence
Trump to Europe on Greenland: "You can yes and we will be very appreciative or you can say no and we will remember"
January 21, 2026 at 2:28 PM
Feel like if you're going to make a threat on remembering you can't be getting the country mixed up in the next sentence
Another example of the government not really recognising, let alone presenting to the public, that there are growing economic pressures and shifting priorities which are going to make their original ambitions unlikely to be achieved
"Yes, the 1.5 million homes in this parliament is our goal and it is achievable." - Reeves to ITV News
January 21, 2026 at 1:09 PM
Another example of the government not really recognising, let alone presenting to the public, that there are growing economic pressures and shifting priorities which are going to make their original ambitions unlikely to be achieved