Dean Hochlaf
@dhochlaf.bsky.social
Economic Analysis and Policy Support Team Lead for the BMA. Interested in how better health can support a better economy. Views my own, and not of some defunct economist.
Other than scrapping the two child limit, a pretty bleak budget
Living standards to barely improve, tax heavily weighted on middle of the income distribution, public service spending growth revised downwards
And we are just one small shock from having to do this all again next budget
Living standards to barely improve, tax heavily weighted on middle of the income distribution, public service spending growth revised downwards
And we are just one small shock from having to do this all again next budget
November 26, 2025 at 6:08 PM
Other than scrapping the two child limit, a pretty bleak budget
Living standards to barely improve, tax heavily weighted on middle of the income distribution, public service spending growth revised downwards
And we are just one small shock from having to do this all again next budget
Living standards to barely improve, tax heavily weighted on middle of the income distribution, public service spending growth revised downwards
And we are just one small shock from having to do this all again next budget
Good to see the 2 child limit finally abolished and clear recognition of the costs of child poverty
November 26, 2025 at 1:38 PM
Good to see the 2 child limit finally abolished and clear recognition of the costs of child poverty
As Labour congratulate themselves again on getting waiting lists down a little, it's worth understanding this has mostly been driven by unreported removals rather than increasing treatment which will be a challenge given they have committed to NHS spending growth below historical average trends
November 26, 2025 at 8:49 AM
As Labour congratulate themselves again on getting waiting lists down a little, it's worth understanding this has mostly been driven by unreported removals rather than increasing treatment which will be a challenge given they have committed to NHS spending growth below historical average trends
Wonder if the Home Secretary thinks this might be a cause of division at all
Lucy White advocates a ban on "non-natives" from office, citing Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel.
So she is referring to UK-born ethnic minority citizens. (Her argument would apply equally to Shabana Mahmood, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and others)
Lucy White continues to be a GB News regular
So she is referring to UK-born ethnic minority citizens. (Her argument would apply equally to Shabana Mahmood, Kemi Badenoch, Suella Braverman and others)
Lucy White continues to be a GB News regular
November 21, 2025 at 11:49 AM
Wonder if the Home Secretary thinks this might be a cause of division at all
He got Scotland automatically qualified for a world cup is what he did
November 18, 2025 at 10:08 PM
He got Scotland automatically qualified for a world cup is what he did
All they have is weird slogans that normal people would never say in a million years
No underlying understanding of theories, philosophy, history, or even evidence that their policies will work or are in any way coherent
Just performance and soundbites to mask intellectual and moral bankruptcy
No underlying understanding of theories, philosophy, history, or even evidence that their policies will work or are in any way coherent
Just performance and soundbites to mask intellectual and moral bankruptcy
On Monday, the Home Secretary will outline the biggest set of changes to the asylum system in modern times.
These changes will restore order to our asylum system. There is nothing ‘left wing’, ‘socialist’ or ‘progressive’ about insecure borders.
These changes will restore order to our asylum system. There is nothing ‘left wing’, ‘socialist’ or ‘progressive’ about insecure borders.
November 18, 2025 at 12:50 PM
All they have is weird slogans that normal people would never say in a million years
No underlying understanding of theories, philosophy, history, or even evidence that their policies will work or are in any way coherent
Just performance and soundbites to mask intellectual and moral bankruptcy
No underlying understanding of theories, philosophy, history, or even evidence that their policies will work or are in any way coherent
Just performance and soundbites to mask intellectual and moral bankruptcy
Just going to use the cars and big bags of gold refugees carry around to pay for benefits is the sort of policy you would come up with if you had never in your life read a book
November 17, 2025 at 3:28 PM
Just going to use the cars and big bags of gold refugees carry around to pay for benefits is the sort of policy you would come up with if you had never in your life read a book
Net immigration has fallen sharply since Labour came to power, and they're still incredibly unpopular among those who cite immigration as their biggest concern (and every other group for that matter)
Laughable if they think their latest ramping up of rhetoric is going to benefit them in any way
Laughable if they think their latest ramping up of rhetoric is going to benefit them in any way
November 16, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Net immigration has fallen sharply since Labour came to power, and they're still incredibly unpopular among those who cite immigration as their biggest concern (and every other group for that matter)
Laughable if they think their latest ramping up of rhetoric is going to benefit them in any way
Laughable if they think their latest ramping up of rhetoric is going to benefit them in any way
Would removing tax advantages for employee benefits help Labour voters? No
But do they help free up the resources you need so that they can be better allocated to help Labour voters? Also no
But do they help free up the resources you need so that they can be better allocated to help Labour voters? Also no
If you think that “the slow vanishing of employee benefits” is a better trade politically than “the other lot saying you broke your promise on income tax”, you are out of your tree: www.ft.com/content/1160...
November 11, 2025 at 10:22 PM
Would removing tax advantages for employee benefits help Labour voters? No
But do they help free up the resources you need so that they can be better allocated to help Labour voters? Also no
But do they help free up the resources you need so that they can be better allocated to help Labour voters? Also no
Starmer relying on the bond market to save him inadvertently exposes a pretty big problem with the UK economy which you would think Labour might want to address
November 11, 2025 at 10:07 PM
Starmer relying on the bond market to save him inadvertently exposes a pretty big problem with the UK economy which you would think Labour might want to address
Even if this raised funds, it surely would also reduce demand for government bonds and push up borrowing costs which will still leave them scrambling to meet their fiscal rules
November 9, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Even if this raised funds, it surely would also reduce demand for government bonds and push up borrowing costs which will still leave them scrambling to meet their fiscal rules
The online hospital idea seems to make big and highly questionable assumptions about the effectiveness of online consultations, spare capacity of GP surgeries, and the extent to which it might induce demand and deny people access to their local service
September 30, 2025 at 8:34 AM
The online hospital idea seems to make big and highly questionable assumptions about the effectiveness of online consultations, spare capacity of GP surgeries, and the extent to which it might induce demand and deny people access to their local service
Extending the number of years just seems stupid, not taking a penny in benefits ignores the actual function of the welfare system, and compulsory volunteering isn't just unethical, but also greatly overestimates the capacity of the voluntary sector to absorb so much extra labour
Mahmood says she will introduce new conditions for indefinite leave to remain:
Lived here 10 years not 5
Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record
Giving back to community eg volunteering
Lived here 10 years not 5
Being in work
Not taking a penny in benefits
No criminal record
Giving back to community eg volunteering
September 29, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Extending the number of years just seems stupid, not taking a penny in benefits ignores the actual function of the welfare system, and compulsory volunteering isn't just unethical, but also greatly overestimates the capacity of the voluntary sector to absorb so much extra labour
Have to say, embedding the world's most rapacious firms into the UK economy at the expense of digital sovereignty and homegrown tech firms, to chase the world's biggest bubble has really eased any concerns I might have had
September 18, 2025 at 7:05 AM
Have to say, embedding the world's most rapacious firms into the UK economy at the expense of digital sovereignty and homegrown tech firms, to chase the world's biggest bubble has really eased any concerns I might have had
Ramping up rhetoric against an international institution for allegedly preventing a harsher approach to immigration, is probably the least "unthinkable" thing a UK home secretary could do
"Another party insider said “nothing is off the table” for Mahmood. They said she was likely to want to reform the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and would be far more radical than her predecessor. The source added she would “start with the unthinkable and work backwards”."
September 7, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Ramping up rhetoric against an international institution for allegedly preventing a harsher approach to immigration, is probably the least "unthinkable" thing a UK home secretary could do
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
The BMA and many others warned that this was coming, and now it is here. The UK government must act immediately to prevent widespread death in Gaza from hunger. This is entirely man-made and is intolerable.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck...
August 22, 2025 at 3:44 PM
The BMA and many others warned that this was coming, and now it is here. The UK government must act immediately to prevent widespread death in Gaza from hunger. This is entirely man-made and is intolerable.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck...
www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/ck...
Telling the NHS that it can't keep asking for more money, but also, it should turn to costly private finance models to fund brand new and untested healthcare facilities, while making an accurate assessment of the risks is comical stuff
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Labour preparing to use public-private funding model for NHS in England
Decision on neighbourhood health centres expected in autumn but approach divides policy experts
www.theguardian.com
August 20, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Telling the NHS that it can't keep asking for more money, but also, it should turn to costly private finance models to fund brand new and untested healthcare facilities, while making an accurate assessment of the risks is comical stuff
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
0.7% per capita growth on the year, bit better than recent times, but still well below historical averages, even during the austerity years
Increasingly clear, the government strategy of hoping growth will fuel public service/infrastructure investment is not going to happen any time soon
Increasingly clear, the government strategy of hoping growth will fuel public service/infrastructure investment is not going to happen any time soon
August 14, 2025 at 9:29 AM
0.7% per capita growth on the year, bit better than recent times, but still well below historical averages, even during the austerity years
Increasingly clear, the government strategy of hoping growth will fuel public service/infrastructure investment is not going to happen any time soon
Increasingly clear, the government strategy of hoping growth will fuel public service/infrastructure investment is not going to happen any time soon
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
Human beings have a moral language for a reason. The word "evil" is an alarm bell which it's necessary to ring in a time of genocide. The level of sadistic, calculated cruelty we're witnessing in Gaza is the definition of evil. We're obliged to say it, and to keep saying it.
Piers Morgan: "Do you think the [GHF] is a force for good in Gaza?"
Me: "No, it is a force for evil. That is not a word I use lightly. But what we have seen is evil...people coming for food, starved by Israel & they are then shot at, killed. 100s of them. It is the most evil thing I have seen..."
Me: "No, it is a force for evil. That is not a word I use lightly. But what we have seen is evil...people coming for food, starved by Israel & they are then shot at, killed. 100s of them. It is the most evil thing I have seen..."
August 13, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Human beings have a moral language for a reason. The word "evil" is an alarm bell which it's necessary to ring in a time of genocide. The level of sadistic, calculated cruelty we're witnessing in Gaza is the definition of evil. We're obliged to say it, and to keep saying it.
Fixing the NHS requires an honest appraisal of service delivery and resource needs
You can't implement meaningful reforms when you are downplaying the challenges through sleight of hand to manipulate data
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
You can't implement meaningful reforms when you are downplaying the challenges through sleight of hand to manipulate data
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
Exclusive: Ministers using ‘misleading’ figures to champion waiting list reductions
The recent reduction in the waiting list repeatedly cited by ministers as evidence of the NHS's recovery has given a "misleading" impression to the public about the service's underlying performance, two leading think tanks have warned.
www.hsj.co.uk
August 13, 2025 at 3:57 PM
Fixing the NHS requires an honest appraisal of service delivery and resource needs
You can't implement meaningful reforms when you are downplaying the challenges through sleight of hand to manipulate data
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
You can't implement meaningful reforms when you are downplaying the challenges through sleight of hand to manipulate data
www.hsj.co.uk/quality-and-...
Not sure you can call something a "long term plan" if it doesn't even remotely consider the costs of what you're trying to do...
Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to overhaul the NHS has been thrown into chaos after no money has been set aside to cover the costs of making thousands of redundancies at ICBs www.thetimes.com/article/14b7...
Starmer’s NHS reforms thrown into chaos by ‘£1bn layoff bill’
Patients could be put at risk as the one-off cost of redundancies, estimated at between £600 million and £1 billion, puts staff and services in limbo
www.thetimes.com
August 10, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Not sure you can call something a "long term plan" if it doesn't even remotely consider the costs of what you're trying to do...
Interest rates falling because the economic growth outlook is a bit gloomy and we are beginning to accept persistently higher levels of inflation feels like a weird thing to celebrate as evidence the economic plan is working
August 7, 2025 at 12:54 PM
Interest rates falling because the economic growth outlook is a bit gloomy and we are beginning to accept persistently higher levels of inflation feels like a weird thing to celebrate as evidence the economic plan is working
Reposted by Dean Hochlaf
Yesterday resident doctors met with Wes Streeting MP
We have agreed a window for negotiations and are working to ensure strike action does not need to be repeated.
A credible offer to restore pay and value can end this dispute.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-ce... #PayRestoration
We have agreed a window for negotiations and are working to ensure strike action does not need to be repeated.
A credible offer to restore pay and value can end this dispute.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-ce... #PayRestoration
Resident doctors meet with Wes Streeting to agree window for negotiations - BMA media centre - BMA
Press release from the BMA
www.bma.org.uk
August 6, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Yesterday resident doctors met with Wes Streeting MP
We have agreed a window for negotiations and are working to ensure strike action does not need to be repeated.
A credible offer to restore pay and value can end this dispute.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-ce... #PayRestoration
We have agreed a window for negotiations and are working to ensure strike action does not need to be repeated.
A credible offer to restore pay and value can end this dispute.
www.bma.org.uk/bma-media-ce... #PayRestoration
Really worrying that this government thinks exercising your legal and democratic right to strike, to demand better pay and conditions in a vital sector that is already falling behind the rest of the world, is tantamount to a declaration of war...
July 31, 2025 at 8:15 AM
Really worrying that this government thinks exercising your legal and democratic right to strike, to demand better pay and conditions in a vital sector that is already falling behind the rest of the world, is tantamount to a declaration of war...