Scholar
LightNews

Ben Barr

Videos
H-index: 37
Public Health 46%
Medicine 29%
more

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
But aren't sales taxes regressive. Better to tax income.
1

Reposted by Ben Barr, Kris Inwood

pengzell.bsky.social
In the great series of economists reinventing psychology, I bring you today's episode: Vygotsky's zone of proximal development
"Moving the Goalposts" by Jeffrey C. Ely and Martin Szydlowski. We study information as an incentive device in a dynamic moral hazard framework. An agent works on a task of uncertain difficulty, modeled as the duration of required effort. The principal knows the task difficulty and provides information over time. The optimal mechanism features moving goalposts: an initial disclosure makes the agent sufficiently optimistic that the task is easy. If the task is indeed difficult, the agent is told this only after working long enough to put the difficult task within reach. The agent then completes the difficult task even though he never would have chosen to at the outset.
1 2 13

Reposted by Ben Barr

ivacheung.com
Please read this to understand how dire the situation is in Nunavut: www.aptnnews.ca/featured/foo...

I made print copies of my book a fundraiser to raise awareness of food sovereignty/security issues in the North, but the PDF is free if you want to download + donate directly to QCFC + other orgs.
3 88 83

Reposted by Ben Barr, Peter Thorne, Du Toit , and 2 more

waderstudy.bsky.social
Today IUCN has officially declared the Slender-billed Curlew extinct, marking the first known global extinction of a formerly widespread migratory bird species whose range included mainland Europe, North Africa, and West Asia.

Read more here ⬇️
www.unep-aewa.org/fr/node/6632
4 68 63

Reposted by Ben Barr, Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell , and 14 more

omaromalleykhan.bsky.social
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
37 650 1.9K

by Prem Sikka — Reposted by Ben Barr, Fabián Muniesa, Prem Sikka

premnsikka.bsky.social
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
12 76 170

Reposted by Ben Barr, Lesley A. Hall

simongosden.bsky.social
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.
18 270 860

Reposted by Ben Barr

stevepclayton.bsky.social
#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.
1 1 2

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
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
1

Reposted by Ben Barr

uoyevents.bsky.social
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
2 2

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
Sounds like the East India company - wasn't that a public private partnership for colonialism
1

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
Had the same conversation with my wife. Never wanted to take UK citizenship, assumed Indefinite Leave to remain meant what it says.
3

Reposted by Ben Barr

t0nyyates.bsky.social
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.
1 7 23

by Smith — Reposted by Ben Barr, Smith

aetiology.bsky.social
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.
nurseteria.bsky.social
Nurse Teri 🇺🇦🏳️‍🌈 🇲🇽 🇨🇦 👩🏽‍⚕️ 👊🏼 @nurseteria.bsky.social · 21d
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
4 32 61

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
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
2

Reposted by Ben Barr, Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell , and 9 more

stephenkb.bsky.social
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.bsky.social
Amrk @amrk.bsky.social · 21d
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!
51 350 1.4K

Reposted by Ben Barr, Jonathan Portes, Ben H. Ansell , and 7 more

amrk.bsky.social
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!
3 33 350

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

ledbydonkeys.org
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
120 600 1.7K

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
This is still available- the web page is wrong- email me if interested

Reposted by Ben Barr

livuni-phps.bsky.social
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
1 1

Reposted by Ben Barr, Daniel S. Goldberg

isaacgantwerkmayer.bsky.social
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?
1 1 27

Reposted by Ben Barr

cphjournal.bsky.social
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
5 7

Reposted by Ben Barr, Jonathan Portes, Jan W. Mueller , and 19 more

eddavey.libdems.org.uk
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.
350 1.9K 7K

by Jonathan Portes — Reposted by Ben Barr, Simon Hix, Christina Pagel , and 1 more

jdportes.bsky.social
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]
32 130 490

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
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
1 2 4

Reposted by Ben Barr

rickburgess.bsky.social
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
1

Reposted by Ben Barr

simonwheeler.bsky.social
Yet another example of how the UK always sends its best to the US. They must think all Brits are amoral sociopaths.
1 2

by Ben Barr

benjaminbarr.bsky.social
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

dalevince.com
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
3 73 180

Reposted by Ben Barr

polphilpod.bsky.social
if this worked to reduce public concerns about immigration, the UK would have the lowest in the world & . . .
4 27

References

Fields & subjects

Updated 1m