David Firth
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firthstat.bsky.social
David Firth
@firthstat.bsky.social
Research in #statistics, University of Warwick. https://warwick.ac.uk/dfirth

Also @[email protected] (Mastodon)

Current main interest is compositional data analysis. Programming in #rstats
Reposted by David Firth
100% this!👇
January 11, 2026 at 3:50 PM
Reposted by David Firth
(3/3) @jamesbowes01.bsky.social analysis, on which the Times article is based, explains the numbers and why the government's "earned settlement" proposals are a disaster economically as well as morally. [end]

ukandeu.ac.uk/the-coming-c...
The coming collapse in immigration to the United Kingdom - UK in a changing Europe
James Bowes analyses the fall in net migration to the UK as a result of government policies and explores some of the political and economic consequences.
ukandeu.ac.uk
January 10, 2026 at 3:57 AM
Reposted by David Firth
"move slow and repair things" could save the world
January 10, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Reposted by David Firth
If a Pakistani Muslim owned X, distributed indecent images of girls on a platform where govt do their PR, where some receive payments for posts, they would have distanced themselves by now. X would be shutdown and Braverman and Farage would be calling for a ban and investigation into Pakistani men.
January 9, 2026 at 4:12 PM
Reposted by David Firth
I call on my party and my government to remove themselves entirely from X and communicate with the public where they actually participate online and can be protected from such illegality.
January 8, 2026 at 12:31 PM
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Forensic analysis of objective video evidence. This is how you serve readers searching for clarity.
January 8, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by David Firth
Farage: "I believe in vaccinations when they're vaccinations. I don't think what happened with Covid were vaccinations. You have to keep having them every 6 months."

Conspiratorial nonsense.

Some vaccinations like Covid shots require multiple/seasonal doses because immunity fades & viruses change.
January 7, 2026 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by David Firth
He’s utterly unhinged and out of control. Congress could stop this in an instant, but its ruling party, the GOP, has become equally untethered from principle or reality. Too many Americans still cheering this on without any comprehension of the disastrous consequences, for themselves or the world.
President Trump suggested on Sunday that the U.S. could take action against other countries after its attack on Venezuela. He threatened Colombia and its president, described Cuba as “ready to fall” and reasserted his desire to take control of Greenland.
Trump Says ‘We Need Greenland’ and Threatens U.S. Action in Colombia and Mexico
On Air Force One, President Trump threatened Colombia and its president, described Cuba as “ready to fall” and reasserted his desire to acquire Greenland.
nyti.ms
January 5, 2026 at 10:37 AM
Reposted by David Firth
I'd love to think that there is a future where authors can completely disengage from Amazon and still earn a living. Where they feel no pressure to view Amazon sales rank or total Amazon reviews as a barometer of their success. We are not there yet. But some of us can hope. bsky.app/profile/dj-a...
January 4, 2026 at 9:21 AM
@talksport.com please stop saying just "United" when you mean the other lot.

#LUFC #LEEMUN
January 4, 2026 at 1:42 PM
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Isn't it fantastic to be a sovereign nation once again, able to make our own rules and not bend to the demands of foreign politicians?
December 30, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by David Firth
We are recruiting an Associate Professor of Statistics in the Department of Statistics, University of Oxford, in association with Jesus College.

Closing date: 19 January 2026

➡️ Details and application information: tinyurl.com/59tjt7m2
December 23, 2025 at 11:20 AM
Reposted by David Firth
It’s exactly this kind of dismal, prejudiced bollox from the Daily Mail that’s got us into the ruinous Brexit mess we’re in. What a moronic response to us rejoining Erasmus and all the benefits that brings. If they’re really worried about cost, they should push to cancel Brexit altogether.
December 18, 2025 at 7:21 AM
Reposted by David Firth
This is a thread of quotes and curiosities from Appendix 1 of The British General Election of 2024 book by John Curtice, @lottehargrave.bsky.social @patrick-pme.bsky.social and myself, available as a free pdf under "Back Matter" at link.springer.com/book/10.1007...
link.springer.com
December 10, 2025 at 12:01 PM
Reposted by David Firth
The R Foundation is happy to be a partner on the project

"Enabling the next generation of R contributors"

awarded £500k under the Research Software Maintenance Fund (Software Sustainability Institute, UK).

Announcement: www.software.ac.uk/ssi-awards-f...

Congratulations to the project team!
SSI awards funding to 13 projects through the RSMF Round 1 | Software Sustainability Institute
We are pleased to announce that the Research Software Maintenance Fund (RSMF) has funded 13 projects to advance the sustainability and impact of research software. Through this initiative, the SSI, wi...
www.software.ac.uk
December 10, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by David Firth
@pimlicat: "The PM is saying what Brits have known for years, that Brexit was sold to them on false promises.

Young people have been at the sharp end of a Brexit they didn't vote for, which has taken away freedoms that other generations took for granted."
https://bit.ly/48MjK3J
Keir Starmer hits out at the "wild promises" made about Brexit
Labour continues to seek closer ties with the EU and is aiming to make a deal to rejoin the Erasmus scheme within weeks
leftfootforward.org
December 2, 2025 at 5:16 PM
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Great culture can save lives. Literally.

Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard
December 2, 2025 at 8:48 AM
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This cross-pollination IS how new ideas happen. EVERY field needs humanistic thinking, that's why they call PhDs "Doctors of Philosophy"
Alt text for those who need it. This is amazing.
December 2, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by David Firth
Populist Right: 'We're not racist, we just want immigrants to integrate & contribute.'
Immigrant gains BA, MA, works for charities, marries a 'Brit', becomes Brexit-supporting, lockdown-sceptic Tory MP, then Deputy Speaker of HoC.
Populist Right: 'People born abroad shouldn't be allowed to do this.'
November 28, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by David Firth
“Speaking outside his chateau in France…”
I kid you not.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Former Brexit Party MEP denies taking payment from pro-Russian campaign
A prominent former MEP for Nigel Farage's old party denies taking bribes in a pro-Russian campaign.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 28, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Reposted by David Firth
#rstats
It is with profound sadness I heard that my long-time friend and colleague, John Fox passed away this week.
He was the author of {car}, {effects}, {Rcmdr}, ... and numerous influential books. I will miss him greatly.
www.john-fox.ca
John Fox: Books and Software
www.john-fox.ca
November 28, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by David Firth
Come and join the @significancemag.bsky.social editorial board!
If you are a member of the RSS or ASA, and love Significance magazine, please consider applying to join the editorial board.

Full details here: significancemagazine.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by David Firth
I’m a past winner of the Orwell Prize & won partly because I exposed Vote Leave’s unlawful activities.

Michael Gove was its co-convener & refused to answer a single q. He’s now a judge of the prize & our world is truly one that Orwell would recognise

bylinetimes.com/2025/11/25/m...
Michael Gove Made Orwell Prize Judge Despite Record of Attacking Journalists and Dodging Scrutiny
Critics say "Orwell would have enjoyed the irony" of the former Conservative minister's appointment
bylinetimes.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:53 PM
Reposted by David Firth
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.

They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Reposted by David Firth
Overseas-trained doctors leaving the UK in record numbers.

Direct result of racism and insecurity unleashed by major political parties.

Not enough home trained doctors. Takes years and high debt to become a doctor.

A healthcare crisis in the making.
Overseas-trained doctors leaving the UK in record numbers
Medical bodies warn that hostility towards migrants is behind a 26% rise in departures last year that imperils NHS
www.theguardian.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:04 AM