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Ben Barr

@benjaminbarr.bsky.social

1.9K followers 1.9K following 200 posts

Professor in Applied Public Health Research. Head WHO collaborating centre for policy research on the determinants of health equity. https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/population-health/staff/benjamin-barr/ . Was once an anthropologist, maybe I still am. .. more

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Public Health 46%

Medicine 29%

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Omar Khan @omaromalleykhan.bsky.social · 2d

I know statistics are poorly understood and are misused. But facts matter

Between the 1991, 2001, 2011 and 2021 Census *every* ethnic group in the UK has become *less* geographically segregated and *all* groups, majority and minorities, are more likely to interact with people not like them

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Reposted by Ben Barr, Fabián Muniesa

Prem Sikka @premnsikka.bsky.social · 2d

The NHS and social care would cease to function under UK govt’s new rules on foreign staff.

Workers will have to wait – from 5 to 10 years – before they can apply for indefinite leave to remain, claim any benefit, childcare, or housing support, despite paying taxes

Govt appeasing Reform.

NHS could cease to function under Labour’s new visa rules, say nurses

Exclusive: Royal College of Nursing says plan to tighten rules for foreign workers is ‘pandering’ to Reform UK

www.theguardian.com

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Reposted by Ben Barr, Lesley A. Hall

Simon Gosden @simongosden.bsky.social · 5d

Today is the 89th anniversary of The Battle of Cable Street when the people of the East End of London halted the march of Oswald Mosley’s Blackshirts through Stepney.

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Reposted by Ben Barr

Stephen Clayton @stevepclayton.bsky.social · 7d

#Wigan elects first #Reform councillor into a previously very safe @teamlabouruk.bsky.social ward 1,391 votes to #Labour candidate's 970. If Starmer and @teamlabouruk.bsky.social continue to lean into Reform's view of the world, Lisa Nandy can say goodbye to Parliament at the next election.

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 8d

Increasing local authority procurement from local businesses increases local employment and reduces wage inequality openresearch.nihr.ac.uk/articles/5-8...

NIHR Open Research Article: Relationships between local public spending, employment and wages within local authorities in England - a longitudinal ecological analysis.

Read the latest article version by Tanith C. Rose, Mick McKeown, Konstantinos Daras, Tom Lloyd Goodwin, Julian Manley, Rubab Ahmed, Bruce Hollingsworth, Ioannis Prinos, Ben Barr, at NIHR Open Research...

openresearch.nihr.ac.uk

Reposted by Ben Barr

University of York Events @uoyevents.bsky.social · 10d

Join the Centre for Health Economics for a discussion on tackling health inequalities by exploring equity-weighted GP funding to better support disadvantaged patients and improve outcomes.

Primary Care payment systems to reduce health inequality - 2 Oct

Primary Care payment systems to reduce health inequality

A discussion on tackling health inequalities by exploring equity-weighted GP funding to better support disadvantaged patients and improve outcomes.

buff.ly

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 10d

Sounds like the East India company - wasn't that a public private partnership for colonialism

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 11d

Had the same conversation with my wife. Never wanted to take UK citizenship, assumed Indefinite Leave to remain meant what it says.

Reposted by Ben Barr

Tony Yates @t0nyyates.bsky.social · 14d

Labour are trying to portray themselves as the patriotic party to appeal to Reform, yet 'they should not have come' is a basic rejection of what many of us feel is genuinely British. And they are failing in their patriotic duties by not warning people about Reform's frontal assault on democracy.

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Reposted by Ben Barr

Tara C. Smith @aetiology.bsky.social · 14d

Recall RFK's claim that doctors & scientists were "on his side" at his last hearing? Wanna prove him wrong?

I'll be ordering post cards soon, so if you're local to me, I can pass some along. I can also send them on your behalf (DM me your info for that).

Or do it yourself--info @ link below.

Nurse Teri 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈 🇲🇽 🇨🇦 👩🏽‍⚕️ 👊🏼 @nurseteria.bsky.social · 15d

Sick (you probably are with his idiotic policies) and tired (every single day it's something) of RFK Jr.? You aren't alone!

Join @defendpublichealth.bsky.social campaign! All you need is a postcard and stamp.

Directions-- www.defendpublichealth.org/campaign/hel...

Help Prove RFK Jr. is Wrong | Defend Public Health

When Senator Wyden stated he’d heard from thousands of doctors and scientists concerned by RFK Jr’s policies, Kennedy responded "I'll put my mailbag against your mailbag any day.” Let's prove Kennedy ...

www.defendpublichealth.org

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 15d

He also stands by it www.thesun.co.uk/news/3580587... he is quite happy saying opposite things depending on who he thinks the audience is.

Now Keir insists he ‘stands by’ sentiment of 'island of strangers' warning

SIR Keir Starmer has insisted he still believes in the sentiment behind his infamous “island of strangers” warning – saying Britain must be an “integrated society”. The PM said he “didn’t dis…

www.thesun.co.uk

Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers , and 9 more Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Ben Barr, Elizabeth Stokoe, David Burrows, Lesley A. Hall, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Alison Phipps, Stuart White, James Connelly

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 15d

Quite. So many Labour people on this website visibly have no idea of just how bad things have got for ethnic minorities since they came on, and how their visible indifference lands.

Amrk @amrk.bsky.social · 15d

Also frankly I am quite desperate! A party that’s at best ambivalent on the question of whether I’m English and wants to deport my friends is 9 points ahead in the polls and the current leader is floundering and visibly out of his depth!

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers , and 7 more Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Ben Barr, Elizabeth Stokoe, David Burrows, Simon Wren‐Lewis, Alison Phipps, Stuart White

Amrk @amrk.bsky.social · 15d

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Reposted by Dorothy Bishop, Ben Barr, Mike Rowe , and 1 more Dorothy Bishop, Ben Barr, Mike Rowe, Deborah Shaw

Led By Donkeys @ledbydonkeys.org · 21d

Windsor Castle Tuesday night. Four of us arrested for 'malicious communications'. Now released.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8V4...

Hey Donald, welcome to Windsor Castle

YouTube video by Led By Donkeys

www.youtube.com

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 23d

This is still available- the web page is wrong- email me if interested

Reposted by Ben Barr

Public Health, Policy and Systems @ University of Liverpool @livuni-phps.bsky.social · 24d

3/ Further info

📍 Location: University of Liverpool, UK

👥 Supervisors: @benjaminbarr.bsky.social | @breconomics.bsky.social

💰 Funding: Fully funded PhD position (Home student fees, stipend and a small budget to cover research costs) – funding is for three-years duration.

📅 Start Date: Jan 2026

Overview

Shape the future of public health with a fully funded PhD at the University of Liverpool. Join a world-leading team using cutting-edge data science and AI to tackle real-world challenges—like homelessness, housing, and urban health—driving policy change and health equity across Liverpool.

About this opportunity
Are you passionate about making a difference for people’s health and wellbeing? Want to learn cutting edge data science skills for real impact? The University of Liverpool University is excited to announce two fully funded three-year PhD studentship, starting in January 2026. The PhDs will be based in the Liverpool Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) https://liverpool.gov.uk/council/hdrc-liverpool/ a pioneering initiative aiming to boost research capacity and capability within Liverpool City Council to develop evidence for better health outcomes for all.

You will work with and be supported by world leading academic expertise as part of the University of Liverpool’s Heath Inequalities policy research Group (https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/population-health/research/groups/health-inequalities-policy/ a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Policy Research on Determinants of Health Equity and the Civic Health Innovation Lab (CHIL) that is leading new models for progressive data uses and responsible artificial intelligence in civil society, fuelling innovations for health, social and economic advancement.

The PhD studentships will support successful candidates to undertake research in priority areas identified by Liverpool City Council. Developing new insights for early identification of need and evaluation of effective and cost-effective actions on health in one or more of the following areas:

- Homelessness – developing tools to support early identification of people at risk of homelessness and evaluating effective prevention initiatives.

- Housing – developing models to inform housing strategy and assessing the cost / benefits of alternative approaches.

- Healthy urban places – developing healthy urban regeneration and evaluating what works for health promoting urban environments.

- Understanding effective economic strategies for Liverpool that are inclusive, reduce poverty and promote health and wellbeing.

We welcome applications that align with these themes with a focus on using data driven approaches that maximize the benefits of using linked civic data across sectors (health, local government, Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise). The successful candidate should have some prior research or relevant practice experience and a passion for addressing health equity.

Funding your PhD
Fully funded studentship (Home student fees (UK and Northern Ireland only), stipend and a small budget to cover research costs) for UK students only.

Contact us
Have a question about this research opportunity or studying a PhD with us? Please get in touch with us, using the contact details below, and we’ll be happy to assist you.

Professor Ben Barr: b.barr@liverpool.ac.uk

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Reposted by Ben Barr, Daniel S. Goldberg

Isaac (from the Internet) Gantwerk Mayer @isaacgantwerkmayer.bsky.social · 24d

When someone writes in Latin, do you think it’s fake because nobody’s a native Latin speaker? Or do you think that they’re writing in a language which has a multiple millennia old literary history and never actually was lost?

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Reposted by Ben Barr

Journal of Critical Public Health @cphjournal.bsky.social · 24d

Journal of Critical Public Health. Vol. 2 No. 2 (2025)

Are Place-Based Approaches to Reducing Health Inequalities a Highway to Success or a Policy Dead-End?

Gerry McCartney & Jennie Popay

journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/index.php/jc...

Are place-based approaches to reducing health inequalities a highway to success or a policy dead-end? | Journal of Critical Public Health

journalhosting.ucalgary.ca

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Ed Davey @eddavey.libdems.org.uk · 25d

I've written to Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Nigel Farage, urging them to join me in condemning Elon Musk's dangerous remarks inciting violence yesterday.

As leaders, we must stand together and make clear Musk will face serious consequences for these actions.

Letter from Ed Davey to Keir Starmer condemning Elon Musk for inciting violence and urging unity to defend democracy.

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Reposted by Simon Hix, Ben Barr, Christina Pagel

Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 26d

Personal note: went to (some) of the countermarch yesterday, and then watched TV coverage of both.

@sundersays.bsky.social is right that the far-right/racists on the main march are a (small) minority whose numbers are not growing.

It's the apparent paralysis of the majority that scares me. [1/n]

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · 27d

New funded PhD opportunity working with the Liverpool Health Determinants Research Collaboration www.findaphd.com/phds/project... @local.gov.uk health inequalities @findaphd.bsky.social

Two fully funded studentships in the Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems. at University of Liverpool on FindAPhD.com

PhD Project - Two fully funded studentships in the Department of Public Health, Policy & Systems. at University of Liverpool, listed on FindAPhD.com

www.findaphd.com

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Reposted by Ben Barr

Rick B @rickburgess.bsky.social · 29d

The next attack

Restrict EHCPs to pupils with most severe needs - de Souza

Report calls for education, health and care plans to be split into three tiers of support

schoolsweek.co.uk

Reposted by Ben Barr

Simon Wheeler @simonwheeler.bsky.social · 29d

Yet another example of how the UK always sends its best to the US. They must think all Brits are amoral sociopaths.

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Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · Sep 9

A country divided by health inequalities. Solving the UK regional health divide. bmj.com/cgi/content/... @stevensenior.bsky.social @bmj.com

bmj.com

Reposted by Ben Barr

Dale Vince @dalevince.com · Sep 6

This can’t be allowed to happen, we can’t award a £2 billion contract to an Israeli arms company in the middle of this genocide, mass starvation and ethnic cleansing. We’re obliged to do what we can to prevent Genocide when we see it happening - not support it.

buff.ly/AiA91i9

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Reposted by Ben Barr

Toby Buckle @polphilpod.bsky.social · Sep 5

if this worked to reduce public concerns about immigration, the UK would have the lowest in the world & . . .

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Reposted by Jonathan Portes, Ben Barr

Toby Buckle @polphilpod.bsky.social · Sep 5

in the UK, most immigrants pay a "surcharge" for the NHS (ie taxed twice for it) & are ineligible for most benefits

I wonder if that assuaged anti-migrant fears here? . . . ah

Sharon @sharonk.bsky.social · Sep 5

Second paragraph is fine, first paragraph is... I dunno, man.

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Reposted by Ben Barr, Elizabeth Stokoe, Étienne Ollion , and 2 more Ben Barr, Elizabeth Stokoe, Étienne Ollion, Patrick Präg, Jon Dean

LSE Sociology @lsesociology.bsky.social · Sep 5

📣 The Call for Papers for the British Journal of Sociology 2026 Conference is open!

Following the success of our inaugural conference in 2024, we are delighted to announce its return on 23 and 24 April 2026 at LSE.

📆 Submit your paper by 20 October 2025 ➡️ buff.ly/TdmBcur

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Reposted by David D. Buck

Ben Barr @benjaminbarr.bsky.social · Sep 5

A country divided by health inequalities. Solving the UK regional health divide. bmj.com/cgi/content/... @felly500.bsky.social @jesstud.bsky.social @ipprnorth.bsky.social @clesthinkdo.bsky.social

Regional health divisions in the UK

Coordinated action is needed to resolve inequalities People in the poorer areas of the UK are dying on average nine years younger than those in more affluent areas.1 This divide, which is the fourth ...

bmj.com

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Daniel Devine @danjdevine.bsky.social · Sep 5

We have a paper on how Labour's strategy is disastrous.

There's an exclusive coverage in @newstatesman.com

www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

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