steve the skeptic
@policyskeptic.bsky.social
government policy, health policy, evidence, statistics and sometimes other topics
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Giving Braverman the education brief is quite a choice for Reform. I was on an education commission with her once before she went completely mad and she knew absolutely nothing at all.
February 17, 2026 at 1:54 PM
Giving Braverman the education brief is quite a choice for Reform. I was on an education commission with her once before she went completely mad and she knew absolutely nothing at all.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
How many plumbers does she think we need?! A staggeringly illiterate understanding of the labour market apart from anything else.
Braverman says social transitioning would be banned in all schools, "no ifs or buts". She says the 50% target for university education would be replaced with a 50% target for kids going into trades like electricians and plumbing. As ever, I'll believe it when it's the MPs' own kids who do this.
February 17, 2026 at 1:46 PM
How many plumbers does she think we need?! A staggeringly illiterate understanding of the labour market apart from anything else.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
To understand the catastrophic turn in U.S. health policy, follow the money paulkrugman.substack.com/p/how-the-ka...
How the Kakistocracy Became a Quackistocracy
Corruption is a germ’s best friend
paulkrugman.substack.com
February 17, 2026 at 12:42 PM
To understand the catastrophic turn in U.S. health policy, follow the money paulkrugman.substack.com/p/how-the-ka...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The Local Government Reorganisation is a right mess. It’s piecemeal and poorly communicated. I haven’t fully grasped what’s going on and I’m someone who is interested.
www.local.gov.uk/topics/devol...
www.local.gov.uk/topics/devol...
Local government reorganisation (LGR)
An outline of the programme of local government reorganisation for two-tier areas and neighbouring unitary councils, including Government updates and key milestones.
www.local.gov.uk
February 17, 2026 at 1:26 PM
The Local Government Reorganisation is a right mess. It’s piecemeal and poorly communicated. I haven’t fully grasped what’s going on and I’m someone who is interested.
www.local.gov.uk/topics/devol...
www.local.gov.uk/topics/devol...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The stock market is not the economy. 🤷
February 14, 2026 at 7:35 PM
The stock market is not the economy. 🤷
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The more I watch this government and read about it, the more I see this - noted here by Jason Cowley - as true: that Labour had no strategy and plan for governing and as a result is floundering. It’s why we have no solutions to the huge challenges we face.
www.thetimes.com/article/e7e7...
www.thetimes.com/article/e7e7...
February 15, 2026 at 5:27 AM
The more I watch this government and read about it, the more I see this - noted here by Jason Cowley - as true: that Labour had no strategy and plan for governing and as a result is floundering. It’s why we have no solutions to the huge challenges we face.
www.thetimes.com/article/e7e7...
www.thetimes.com/article/e7e7...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
anyway, being 62 is watching these old #totp episodes and wondering how the fuck can be 40 years old when clearly the 80s were only a decade ago.
February 13, 2026 at 8:42 PM
anyway, being 62 is watching these old #totp episodes and wondering how the fuck can be 40 years old when clearly the 80s were only a decade ago.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
🧵I watched Forbidden Planet last night. Hadn't seen it for decades. A super-intelligent race is destroyed, despite its technological advances, by its own subconscious primitive fears and greed, 'the monster of the ID'. Hashtag AI, etc.
Anyway, couldn't help but notice how the film influenced others.
Anyway, couldn't help but notice how the film influenced others.
February 13, 2026 at 9:23 AM
🧵I watched Forbidden Planet last night. Hadn't seen it for decades. A super-intelligent race is destroyed, despite its technological advances, by its own subconscious primitive fears and greed, 'the monster of the ID'. Hashtag AI, etc.
Anyway, couldn't help but notice how the film influenced others.
Anyway, couldn't help but notice how the film influenced others.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
This is a human, economic and fiscal disaster. All the benefits go to haves, with nothing for have-nots.
February 13, 2026 at 9:36 AM
This is a human, economic and fiscal disaster. All the benefits go to haves, with nothing for have-nots.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The Trump administration is literally going to kill its supporters, and still they cheer the circus.
February 13, 2026 at 7:31 AM
The Trump administration is literally going to kill its supporters, and still they cheer the circus.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
How is he still lying about this and not one member of the press is prepared to call him out in real time? How?
February 12, 2026 at 7:11 PM
How is he still lying about this and not one member of the press is prepared to call him out in real time? How?
Reposted by steve the skeptic
BBC Newsnight points out net migration fell from 649k (year to June 2024) to 205k (year to June 2025)
(Small boat arrivals up 5k to 41k)
When only 1/6 people know it came down from record levels, the main bulletins should take 10 seconds to convey the context when reporting
(Small boat arrivals up 5k to 41k)
When only 1/6 people know it came down from record levels, the main bulletins should take 10 seconds to convey the context when reporting
February 11, 2026 at 10:47 PM
BBC Newsnight points out net migration fell from 649k (year to June 2024) to 205k (year to June 2025)
(Small boat arrivals up 5k to 41k)
When only 1/6 people know it came down from record levels, the main bulletins should take 10 seconds to convey the context when reporting
(Small boat arrivals up 5k to 41k)
When only 1/6 people know it came down from record levels, the main bulletins should take 10 seconds to convey the context when reporting
Reposted by steve the skeptic
That Manchester United statement in full...
February 12, 2026 at 6:06 PM
That Manchester United statement in full...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
"I said Jim Ratcliffe pays all his taxes, lives in England and is doing measured commentary on the state of the communities he moves in"
"What did i say Roy?"
"You said he had shot his mouth of in an unscripted media interview, got his facts wrong and shown his true colours"
"What did i say Roy?"
"You said he had shot his mouth of in an unscripted media interview, got his facts wrong and shown his true colours"
February 12, 2026 at 6:12 PM
"I said Jim Ratcliffe pays all his taxes, lives in England and is doing measured commentary on the state of the communities he moves in"
"What did i say Roy?"
"You said he had shot his mouth of in an unscripted media interview, got his facts wrong and shown his true colours"
"What did i say Roy?"
"You said he had shot his mouth of in an unscripted media interview, got his facts wrong and shown his true colours"
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Jim Ratcliffe has my full support. Anyone who lies about population figures, claims £120m in public money for his own company after paying no UK tax at all, while immigrants pay at least £15bn is my kind of guy!
February 12, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Jim Ratcliffe has my full support. Anyone who lies about population figures, claims £120m in public money for his own company after paying no UK tax at all, while immigrants pay at least £15bn is my kind of guy!
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Also I don't see an acknowledgment that he got the basic facts on which he based his racist comments wrong
Jim Ratcliffe has issued a bland and generic statement about economic policy which does not engage at all with what he got wrong, or why saying the UK has been colonised has been legitimately criticised. Nor does he seem to retract his language of colonisation in gesturing towards a semi-apology
February 12, 2026 at 1:07 PM
Also I don't see an acknowledgment that he got the basic facts on which he based his racist comments wrong
Reposted by steve the skeptic
There are two issues here that should go beyond tone policing “offensive language”
Are the facts of where we are right or wrong?
But even more importantly, does it matter if the balance of skin colour / historic country of origin shifts like this, regardless of the exact number now?
Are the facts of where we are right or wrong?
But even more importantly, does it matter if the balance of skin colour / historic country of origin shifts like this, regardless of the exact number now?
February 12, 2026 at 1:36 PM
There are two issues here that should go beyond tone policing “offensive language”
Are the facts of where we are right or wrong?
But even more importantly, does it matter if the balance of skin colour / historic country of origin shifts like this, regardless of the exact number now?
Are the facts of where we are right or wrong?
But even more importantly, does it matter if the balance of skin colour / historic country of origin shifts like this, regardless of the exact number now?
I'm flabbergasted at the way the debate on Jim Radcliffe's comments on immigration has gone. People's offence at his language is not the point. His basic claim was wrong. He quoted fake numbers on immigration. Exaggerating the numbers more than fivefold...
February 12, 2026 at 1:19 PM
I'm flabbergasted at the way the debate on Jim Radcliffe's comments on immigration has gone. People's offence at his language is not the point. His basic claim was wrong. He quoted fake numbers on immigration. Exaggerating the numbers more than fivefold...
Reposted by steve the skeptic
For all of those who
- think we are still in the middle of a raging pandemic 😷
- believe conspiracies about the covid vaccines 🤡
I have some more data for you to ignore or explain away
- think we are still in the middle of a raging pandemic 😷
- believe conspiracies about the covid vaccines 🤡
I have some more data for you to ignore or explain away
The CMI has released its analysis of 2025 mortality in England & Wales.
Death rates for 2025 were nearly 2% lower than 2024, the previous record low.
Death rates improved (i.e. fell) for both sexes and in all age groups between 2024 and 2025.
Death rates for 2025 were nearly 2% lower than 2024, the previous record low.
Death rates improved (i.e. fell) for both sexes and in all age groups between 2024 and 2025.
January 15, 2026 at 8:05 AM
For all of those who
- think we are still in the middle of a raging pandemic 😷
- believe conspiracies about the covid vaccines 🤡
I have some more data for you to ignore or explain away
- think we are still in the middle of a raging pandemic 😷
- believe conspiracies about the covid vaccines 🤡
I have some more data for you to ignore or explain away
Reposted by steve the skeptic
His numbers are all wrong. And he lives in Monaco to avoid taxes. So, all in all, this is a good reminder that the state of UK public services is less to do with immigrants and more to do with people like Ratcliffe refusing to contribute to the common good
'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
'The UK has been colonised by immigrants', says INEOS boss and Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Britain has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, one of the country's richest and most influential men, has told Sky News.
news.sky.com
February 11, 2026 at 6:56 PM
His numbers are all wrong. And he lives in Monaco to avoid taxes. So, all in all, this is a good reminder that the state of UK public services is less to do with immigrants and more to do with people like Ratcliffe refusing to contribute to the common good
Reposted by steve the skeptic
Well done to Sky for correcting this bit of ignorance.
As shown extensively in the Epstein files there's plenty of proof that being rich doesn't mean you have any great insights into the world.
As shown extensively in the Epstein files there's plenty of proof that being rich doesn't mean you have any great insights into the world.
February 11, 2026 at 5:33 PM
Well done to Sky for correcting this bit of ignorance.
As shown extensively in the Epstein files there's plenty of proof that being rich doesn't mean you have any great insights into the world.
As shown extensively in the Epstein files there's plenty of proof that being rich doesn't mean you have any great insights into the world.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
The problem with this argument is Sanchez has been PM in Spain since 2018; Friedericksen in Denmark since 2019; Albanese in Australia since 2022 etc...
And they have social media in all those countries.
And they have social media in all those countries.
February 11, 2026 at 11:25 AM
The problem with this argument is Sanchez has been PM in Spain since 2018; Friedericksen in Denmark since 2019; Albanese in Australia since 2022 etc...
And they have social media in all those countries.
And they have social media in all those countries.
Reposted by steve the skeptic
🆕 The commissioning layer of the NHS has been its most reorganised part – and it is changing again. A guest article from @nigel-edwards.bsky.social looks at what needs to happen for ICB-led strategic commissioning to succeed where other models have struggled
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/co...
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/co...
Commissioning: lessons from the last 30 years and implications for the new role of ICBs
Since its introduction in 1990, the commissioning layer of the NHS has been the most reorganised part of the health service, and it is changing once again. In this guest article, Nigel Edwards reviews...
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk
February 11, 2026 at 3:55 PM
🆕 The commissioning layer of the NHS has been its most reorganised part – and it is changing again. A guest article from @nigel-edwards.bsky.social looks at what needs to happen for ICB-led strategic commissioning to succeed where other models have struggled
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/co...
www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/news-item/co...