@philco-sta.bsky.social
Centrist Dad, scienceish, MAMIL, mostly in the UK
Reposted
So, to those who say "masks don't work", cite the flawed Cochrane report, insist upon an unfeasible RCT, accuse folks of panic, and undermine public health on social and mainstream media during a flu/RSV epidemic...
1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.
1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.
December 12, 2025 at 11:07 AM
So, to those who say "masks don't work", cite the flawed Cochrane report, insist upon an unfeasible RCT, accuse folks of panic, and undermine public health on social and mainstream media during a flu/RSV epidemic...
1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.
1. Seasonal viruses may be "normal", but they do immense harm.
Reposted
And this folks, is why it costs money to have contractors working on our streets with the right equipment and the right training.
It's why highway authorities should take a dim view of people putting crap up themselves and I don't care what cause it is because it takes seconds to kill yourself.
It's why highway authorities should take a dim view of people putting crap up themselves and I don't care what cause it is because it takes seconds to kill yourself.
Three guesses what he was doing up that lamppost ...
Well-known Bristol football fan died in tragic fall from lamppost
City fan Paul Lumber was a published author of books about the days of football casuals in the 1980s
www.bristolpost.co.uk
December 12, 2025 at 8:52 AM
And this folks, is why it costs money to have contractors working on our streets with the right equipment and the right training.
It's why highway authorities should take a dim view of people putting crap up themselves and I don't care what cause it is because it takes seconds to kill yourself.
It's why highway authorities should take a dim view of people putting crap up themselves and I don't care what cause it is because it takes seconds to kill yourself.
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The more I think about it, the more bizarre I find the accusation that the Chancellor deliberately exaggerated the dire state of the finances in order to justify tax rises. The extent to which there is 'exaggeration' means more for fiscal headroom, which is what everyone wanted her to pursue 1/
December 1, 2025 at 10:18 PM
The more I think about it, the more bizarre I find the accusation that the Chancellor deliberately exaggerated the dire state of the finances in order to justify tax rises. The extent to which there is 'exaggeration' means more for fiscal headroom, which is what everyone wanted her to pursue 1/
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Stop forcing rainbows down our throats, says Colin from Portsmouth
December 1, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Stop forcing rainbows down our throats, says Colin from Portsmouth
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Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the extraordinary influence of former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC. It's still a helpful backgrounder for what's going on now. New readers start here: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
How the government captured the BBC
A right-wing cabal, largely unaccountable, is waging war on the principles that made our public broadcaster great. It must not succeed
www.prospectmagazine.co.uk
November 10, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Nearly two years ago, I wrote about the extraordinary influence of former Tory spin doctor Sir Robbie Gibb on the BBC. It's still a helpful backgrounder for what's going on now. New readers start here: www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/media/...
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Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
November 9, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Glad that someone has finally taken responsibility for the appalling assault on democracy that was the Jan. 6 insurrection.
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
Slightly confused that it's the Director-General of the BBC, but what do I know?
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The impressive thing about this low-grade bullshit story is when you read the story he didn't even keep the £900 desk. It was returned and refunded.
October 27, 2025 at 11:00 AM
The impressive thing about this low-grade bullshit story is when you read the story he didn't even keep the £900 desk. It was returned and refunded.
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Just ignorant, ahistorical rubbish from Blair.
The average burden of direct taxes (income tax and employee NICs) has barely shifted in two decades. Was 21% of gross incomes in 2004, was 21% last year.
archive.ph/MVNMw
The average burden of direct taxes (income tax and employee NICs) has barely shifted in two decades. Was 21% of gross incomes in 2004, was 21% last year.
archive.ph/MVNMw
October 19, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Just ignorant, ahistorical rubbish from Blair.
The average burden of direct taxes (income tax and employee NICs) has barely shifted in two decades. Was 21% of gross incomes in 2004, was 21% last year.
archive.ph/MVNMw
The average burden of direct taxes (income tax and employee NICs) has barely shifted in two decades. Was 21% of gross incomes in 2004, was 21% last year.
archive.ph/MVNMw
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This is something lots of blueskiers seem to believe but isn’t true. Here is a list of policies the center right would never have done:
- VAT on school fees
- renters rights bill
- Genuine energetic planning reform
- 30bn of extra NHS funding
- workers rights bill
- VAT on school fees
- renters rights bill
- Genuine energetic planning reform
- 30bn of extra NHS funding
- workers rights bill
The problem with this assessment is that there *is* a viable"centre right" party in the UK. It's called the Labour party.
Nothing it is doing would have been out of place for David Cameron or Michael Howard.
Which has created the space for the right to go even further right.
Nothing it is doing would have been out of place for David Cameron or Michael Howard.
Which has created the space for the right to go even further right.
What we are seeing is that uk politics without a viable center right party is a shit show.
only way to save the British right is for 500,000 broadly normal professionals and homeowners to join the Tory party.
Calling on all utilitarians and consequentialists: your duty is clear.
only way to save the British right is for 500,000 broadly normal professionals and homeowners to join the Tory party.
Calling on all utilitarians and consequentialists: your duty is clear.
October 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM
This is something lots of blueskiers seem to believe but isn’t true. Here is a list of policies the center right would never have done:
- VAT on school fees
- renters rights bill
- Genuine energetic planning reform
- 30bn of extra NHS funding
- workers rights bill
- VAT on school fees
- renters rights bill
- Genuine energetic planning reform
- 30bn of extra NHS funding
- workers rights bill
Reposted
Are the UK's problems caused by immigration? Don't think so. Here I channel the spirit of, of all people, the great Age of Enlightenment explorer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt, on whom I am forming quite a crush...
timharford.com/2025/10/the-...
timharford.com/2025/10/the-...
The UK’s problems aren’t caused by immigration
In 1799, the German adventurer-scientist Alexander von Humboldt set out on what would prove to be a five-year exploration of South America. Young, independently wealthy and almost absurdly energeti…
timharford.com
October 16, 2025 at 2:12 PM
Are the UK's problems caused by immigration? Don't think so. Here I channel the spirit of, of all people, the great Age of Enlightenment explorer and scientist Alexander von Humboldt, on whom I am forming quite a crush...
timharford.com/2025/10/the-...
timharford.com/2025/10/the-...
Reposted
An ongoing phishing campaign is targeting LastPass and Bitwarden users with fake emails claiming that the companies were hacked, urging them to download a supposedly more secure desktop version of the password manager.
Fake LastPass, Bitwarden breach alerts lead to PC hijacks
An ongoing phishing campaign is targeting LastPass and Bitwarden users with fake emails claiming that the companies were hacked, urging them to download a supposedly more secure desktop version of the password manager.
www.bleepingcomputer.com
October 15, 2025 at 7:22 PM
An ongoing phishing campaign is targeting LastPass and Bitwarden users with fake emails claiming that the companies were hacked, urging them to download a supposedly more secure desktop version of the password manager.
Reposted
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 9, 2025 at 3:47 PM
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
Reposted
The time to protect British science from the trashing that US science is currently succumbing to from an ultra-right-wing government is now.
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 10, 2025 at 2:08 PM
The time to protect British science from the trashing that US science is currently succumbing to from an ultra-right-wing government is now.
Reposted
Over at @naturepodcast.bsky.social we also made a super short vid on this year's physics Nobel Prize. Quantum phenomena at the macroscopic scale in two minutes... go! With me, and Ben Thompson & camera work by the fab @emzywb.bsky.social 🧪⚛️
www.youtube.com/shorts/krita...
www.youtube.com/shorts/krita...
October 8, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Over at @naturepodcast.bsky.social we also made a super short vid on this year's physics Nobel Prize. Quantum phenomena at the macroscopic scale in two minutes... go! With me, and Ben Thompson & camera work by the fab @emzywb.bsky.social 🧪⚛️
www.youtube.com/shorts/krita...
www.youtube.com/shorts/krita...
Reposted
This is magnificent.
October 8, 2025 at 8:30 AM
This is magnificent.
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I live one town over from Dewsbury. Batley and Dewsbury have their problems, but it's not true that you just see "a single ethnicity", and there are plenty of people working hard to promote integration. There are, of course, some people who resist it, _and some of them are white_.
"You go to some places like Handsworth.. parts of Dewsbury, Bradford, Leicester, where you see.. a single ethnicity.. we don't think that's healthy thing"
Kevin Hollinrake is MP for Thirsk and Malton, which according to the 2021 census is 98% white.
Kevin Hollinrake is MP for Thirsk and Malton, which according to the 2021 census is 98% white.
October 8, 2025 at 8:31 AM
I live one town over from Dewsbury. Batley and Dewsbury have their problems, but it's not true that you just see "a single ethnicity", and there are plenty of people working hard to promote integration. There are, of course, some people who resist it, _and some of them are white_.
Reposted
the most delightful version of logging on to see what news you've missed
October 8, 2025 at 5:45 AM
the most delightful version of logging on to see what news you've missed
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Manchester Council of Mosques have issued this statement in sadness, shock and solidarity with the Jewish community about this attack at the synagogue in Manchester
October 2, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Manchester Council of Mosques have issued this statement in sadness, shock and solidarity with the Jewish community about this attack at the synagogue in Manchester
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I spoke to a few people, including journalists, at Labour conference who had seen and believed claims on X that Multiverse – Tony Blair's son's company – had been chosen to run the government’s new digital ID scheme
@fullfact.org have checked this claim and it is untrue
@fullfact.org have checked this claim and it is untrue
October 2, 2025 at 10:45 AM
I spoke to a few people, including journalists, at Labour conference who had seen and believed claims on X that Multiverse – Tony Blair's son's company – had been chosen to run the government’s new digital ID scheme
@fullfact.org have checked this claim and it is untrue
@fullfact.org have checked this claim and it is untrue
Reposted
We've got funded PhD places in Psychology available at Swansea - a chance to work on social issues with members of our great team (including me!) www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Psychology: Fully funded PhD Studentship in ESRC Wales Graduate School for the Social Sciences (WGSSS) PhD Psychology pathway (RS896) - Swansea University
We offer a wide range of funded and fully funded research scholarships in all subject areas. Explore your options and apply now.
www.swansea.ac.uk
October 2, 2025 at 9:38 AM
We've got funded PhD places in Psychology available at Swansea - a chance to work on social issues with members of our great team (including me!) www.swansea.ac.uk/postgraduate...
Reposted
So was *The Sun* ‘inciting violence’ against Nigel Farage in 2014 when its editorial described his racist comments on my show as ‘racism, pure and simple’? And would somebody who interviews these ghouls on a regular basis at least ask them this question!
October 1, 2025 at 2:35 PM
So was *The Sun* ‘inciting violence’ against Nigel Farage in 2014 when its editorial described his racist comments on my show as ‘racism, pure and simple’? And would somebody who interviews these ghouls on a regular basis at least ask them this question!
Reposted
The vacuum at highest levels in talking about this dark turn in British life over the last few months HAS to end.
September 25, 2025 at 12:04 PM
The vacuum at highest levels in talking about this dark turn in British life over the last few months HAS to end.
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Here’s a poem called ‘English Roundabouts’.
September 15, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Here’s a poem called ‘English Roundabouts’.
Reposted
So according to the usual suspects Blue Sky is full of horrible, dreadful, ugly things, but as regular followers of this account will know the truth is-
Ah. Yeah.
Ah. Yeah.
September 12, 2025 at 10:26 AM
So according to the usual suspects Blue Sky is full of horrible, dreadful, ugly things, but as regular followers of this account will know the truth is-
Ah. Yeah.
Ah. Yeah.
Reposted
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely
September 3, 2025 at 10:33 PM
This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely