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Amy Borrett

@amyborrett.ft.com
8.9K followers 523 following 71 posts

FT data journalist writing about economics, politics and policy www.ft.com/amy-borrett

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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 18/09/2026
🚨 Lobbying by a senior NHS official convinced an independent gov adviser to “substantial[ly] rewrite” a statement criticising a controversial data project, amid growing concern that Palantir would be the supplier. The US tech giant won the contract three months later. as.ft.com/r/9be5dc33-7...
Screenshot of a graphic showing annotated excerpts from the published statement
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 08/09/2026
Britain’s state-owned electricity system operator has awarded Palantir a £21mn contract without inviting rival bids, arguing critical processes are too reliant on its tech to run a competitive procurement process Latest for @financialtimes.com: as.ft.com/r/7fe6c0b7-2...
as.ft.com
Britain’s grid operator gave Palantir contract without inviting rival bids
Neso cited a legal exemption that removes the requirement to consider other suppliers if dependencies leave no alternative
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 06/09/2026
🎵 No busking, no drinking, no catapults: English councils have hired private companies to enforce a growing list of rules, raising concerns about exploitiation by officers who have a financial incentive to fine heavily More in today's @financialtimes.com: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
Examples of public space protection order restrictions from councils in England
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 13/08/2026
🎓 Today's A-level results show private schools have pulled further ahead, economics entries are up by >10%, engineering degrees are rising in popularity, top unis are accepting more UK students, and a growing number of undergraduates plan to live at home while they study as.ft.com/r/c8ec132d-0...
Bar chart of the change in attainment by gender showing male students were awarded more top gradesLine chart of index of the number of UK students accepted by tariff group showing top universities have increased their intakeLine chart showing more undergraduates plan to live at home
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 11/08/2026
📉 Long-term sickness may be smaller problem for the UK than previously thought, according to early estimates from the overhauled ONS jobs survey @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/25abc82a-7...
as.ft.com
Long-term sickness may be smaller problem for UK than thought, says ONS
Statistics agency’s new labour market survey shows lower levels of economic inactivity due to ill health
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 10/08/2026
The UK has rasied its cost projections for Palantir’s NHS data platform and revised down the expected financial benefits. Unfortunately, NHS Eng refused to share comparable historic data with @financialtimes.com so we don't know by how much w/ @laurahughesft.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/c56d4b2b-4...
as.ft.com
UK raises cost projections for Palantir’s NHS data platform
Lifetime charge rises to £1.1bn on ‘increased delivery at scale’ while forecast benefits fall to £808mn
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/08/2026
NHS England will change how it evaluates the success of the controversial Palantir platform after staff raised concerns about the methods, more than a year after the claims were first published, according to emails obtained by @financialtimes.com via FOI as.ft.com/r/453430e1-c...
as.ft.com
NHS England to revise Palantir platform data after staff concerns
Changes to two most widely cited claims come as scrutiny grows over US tech company’s contract
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 27/07/2026
NHS hospitals using Palantir’s patient discharge tool have registered “no noticeable improvement” in performance, according to new @healthfoundation.bsky.social analysis that contrasts sharply with @england.nhs.uk's claims More @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/6300abcb-e...
Line chart of the share of beds occupied by patients with a delayed discharge across NHS trusts using Optica showing performance was already improving before adoption of Palantir's tool and deteriorated again in the year after
Line chart of the share of beds occupied by patients with a delayed discharge, pooled share across each group showing trends are similar at hospitals that use Palantir's tool and those that do not
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 22/07/2026
🚨 NHS England has added a disclaimer to its pro-Palantir data, toning down key claims after a watchdog probe into potential violations of the statistical code of practice The scrutiny comes ahead of a key early decision by Burnham's govt about the future of the contract as.ft.com/r/14e0c159-8...
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 17/07/2026
📉 Andy Burnham will enter No 10 with one of the largest majorities of any post-war PM, but also a grim fiscal inheritance requiring difficult decisions from day one if he hopes to deliver a radical rewiring of the state. Burnham’s Britain in 7 charts: @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/c8f20125-6...
Line chart of UK government spending as as a share of GDP showing the UK spends more servicing debt than it does on defenceBar chart of woring majority at the start of term in office showing Burnham inherits a larger majority than most of his predecessors
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 13/07/2026
⚽Hotels in World Cup host cities have been left disappointed after a surge in Airbnb listings has helped to lure price-conscious fans away. New data shows tens of thousands of US homeowners listed their properties for the first time during the group stages More here: as.ft.com/r/20e3f933-e...
Bar chart of the percentage-point change in hotel occupancy rate, June 11-27 2026 vs the same period last year, showing hotel occupancy fell in most US host cities during the World Cup
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 10/07/2026
🚨NHS hospitals have admitted to a litany of errors in the data behind a headline claim about the success of the controversial £330mn Palantir contract after a @financialtimes.com investigation found dozens of irregularities. Scoop w/ @laurahughesft.bsky.social as.ft.com/r/7ab92d75-3...
Line chart of the total additional days in hospital due to delayed discharge, patients with length of stay of 7+ days, showing NHS hospitals admit to errors in data used to justify Palantir contract
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 30/06/2026
💡Does the UK lose its best ideas to America? New data suggests the bigger challenge is much closer to home: scaling spinouts from outside Oxford and Cambridge. Enjoyed digging into the data with the help of @paulswinney.bsky.social for @alphaville.ft.com Full story here: as.ft.com/r/d60411f3-9...
Treemap of declared investment in spinouts by university showing UK spinouts have an Oxbridge biasStacked bar chart of share of spinouts by ownership and employee numbers showing there has been no Great British sell-off
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 16/06/2026
🚨A handful of NHS trusts have driven the national performance gains attributed to Palantir. For one key claim, 84% of the headline figure reflects improvements at Chelsea and Westminster - a trust recently jointly chaired by a former Palantir adviser. as.ft.com/r/ce4b840b-f...
Bar chart of patients safely requested for removal from the outpatient waitlist following adoption of FDP product shwoing Chelsea and Westminster accounts for 84% of the the outpaitent waitlist improvement
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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 16/06/2026
what a chart!
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 07/06/2026
🎓The £450,000 degree: overseas fees at top English universities are set to rise 29% over 4 years, adding thousands to degrees that can already cost >£85k a year New @financialtimes.com analysis underlines the sector’s growing financial reliance on overseas students as.ft.com/r/9e159703-5...
Bar chart of annual fees for international undergraduates starting this autumn at Oxford and Cambridge showing some overseas students pay almost nine times the fees of UK peersLine chart of the annual tuition fees for overseas undergradutes starting courses at the University of Oxford showing international fees have risen sharply since 2021
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Rachel Rees @rachel-rees.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
In the wake of our @financialtimes.com article, the PM today made his strongest criticism of Musk to date Starmer accused the billionaire of “trying to whip up division” and “interfering in our politics” Updated story here - as.ft.com/r/eafa2b54-9...
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/06/2026
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 03/06/2026
Over the past week, Elon Musk has written more than 110 posts, retweets and replies about UK politics on his social media platform X, focusing on the murder of student Henry Nowak. ft.trib.al/5vWbQw9
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/06/2026
🚀 Elon Musk has shifted focus from SpaceX to UK politics, amplifying far-right voices to his 240mn followers. We found a third of Musk's recent posts focused on the UK, a 10-year high, raising concern about his political influence ahead of a critical by-election. as.ft.com/r/b1cb096a-e...
Column chart of cumulative posts,retweets and replies showing Musk has focused more on the UK than SpaceX in recent daysArea chart of share of posts referring to UK politics showing the UK has dominated Elon Musk's X feed over the past week
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Rachel Rees @rachel-rees.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Read @amyborrett.ft.com and I's Restore "hit piece" — on how world's richest man Elon Musk is amplifying Rupert Lowe, the far-right nativist party's founder — for free here: as.ft.com/r/3ee6cd78-b...
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 02/06/2026
🎓 Trust in the value of a degree has fallen to a record low in England New @natcen.bsky.social data shows the % saying uni is not worthwhile has doubled since 2018, amid a weak grad jobs market, ballooning student debt and growing threat from AI More @financialtimes.com: as.ft.com/r/92069ded-f...
Line chart of share agreeing and disagreeing that university education is not worth the amount of time and money it usually takes showing confidence in the value of a degree has plummeted
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 29/05/2026
🚨Elon Musk has boosted the public profile of Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe on X, pulling Britain’s political discourse towards extreme content and amplifying his influence ahead of a knife-edge election in Makerfield More @FT: as.ft.com/r/80f4639f-0...
Dot plot of X posts with at least 2mn views since Restore Britain launched showing Rupert Lowe has far more viral posts than Farage despite having a third of the followersLine chart of cumulative earnings from X showing Rupert Lowe has earned more than £72,000 from his X posts
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 24/05/2026
Andy Burnham has turned his love of football into political capital, with a following that extends far beyond his own team @evertonfc.com, new @financialtimes.com analysis has found. But can @andyburnham.bsky.social scale his northern appeal to a national audience? as.ft.com/r/13f8d064-8...
Bar chart of the share of posts on X in 2026 that are about football for leading UK politicians showing posts about the game account for 17% of Burnham's posts this year
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 12/05/2026
If Keir Starmer resigns, he will be the fifth consecutive British prime minister to leave office before serving a full parliamentary term, highlighting the instability that has come to define Downing Street in recent years. ft.trib.al/Sk2ZaWG
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 12/05/2026
Starmer is facing the most severe jeopardy of his premiership, just 676 days after he won a huge majority. If he resigns, he will be the fifth consecutive British PM to leave office before serving a full parliamentary term Starmer's premiership in charts here: as.ft.com/r/afb483fa-a...
Column chart of days in office for recent PMs showing Starmer has been in office for 676 days so farColumn chart of average days in office by decade showing recent years have seen an unusually high turnover of PMs
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 11/05/2026
✈️ Airlines in Europe are cutting prices for top summer holiday destinations to counter a delay in bookings. Price falls of 10% or more were recorded on 15 of the top 50 routes, @financialtimes.com analysis found as.ft.com/r/3747419e-5...
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
39 countries cut energy taxes after the Iran war. Politically popular but self-defeating: untargeted subsidies blunt the price signals, lead to higher demand, cost the tax payer significantly more and provide less incentive to invest in alternatives.
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 28/04/2026
⚡The number of economies cutting energy taxes in response to the Iran war has doubled over the past month despite IMF calls for fiscal restraint, new @financialtimes.com analysis shows. More charts + analysis from me and @iancjohnston.bsky.social here: as.ft.com/r/f56d21e7-9...
Dot plot of the number of countries introducing energy support and rationing measures in response to the Iran war showing Europe has led the wave of energy tax cuts in response to surging energy pricesStacked icon chart of the number of countries that have lowered energy taxes in response to the Iran war showing governments are cutting energy taxes in growing numbers
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Miranda Green @greenmirandahere.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
A real problem - never mind bleating about 'why aren't people doing work-related courses'. Business degrees: a BAD option for young people but booming. Great deep dive by @chris-smyth.bsky.social @amyborrett.ft.com and colleagues www.ft.com/content/e199... Schools must take note re UCAS forms!!!
ft.com
Business degrees are booming in the UK. Who is profiting?
Average incomes five years after graduating are less than for people who studied nursing
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 22/04/2026
☘️ The number of Americans seeking Irish citizenship through ancestry jumped 63% last year, according to official data shared with @financialtimes.com. Immigration lawyers say discontent with the Trump administration has fuelled demand for "plan B" passports. More here: as.ft.com/r/dbc995da-1...
Column chart of applications from US residents showing the number of Americans seeking Irish citizenship surged in 2025
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 22/04/2026
FT Exclusive: The number of Americans seeking Irish citizenship through ancestry jumped 63% last year, as the Trump administration’s harsh rhetoric and policies fuelled demand for ‘plan B’ passports. ft.trib.al/VLmOiJH
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 07/04/2026
Thrilled to have been shortlisted for Data Journalist of the Year by the Wincott Foundation 🎉 wincott.co.uk/wincott-shor...
wincott.co.uk
Wincott shortlists – winners to be announced at awards lunch on May 21 - Wincott
The Wincott Foundation received almost 150 entries for its 2025 awards with a host of great videos and podcasts, detailed written investigations, and data analysis. The entries covered all aof 2025's ...
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FT Edit @ftedit.ft.com · 02/04/2026
From Bangladesh to Zambia, spiralling fuel prices and looming shortages due to the Iran war are forcing governments to take extreme measures, with middle-income and developing economies hit first ... and worst. Read the story on #FTEdit 👉 The global wave of energy rationing ft.trib.al/moL6noT
Dot chart showing how many countries introduced energy-saving measures during the 2026 energy crisis, split between Asia and others. The most common step (20 countries) was reducing consumer demand. Fewer adopted transport limits (15), travel restrictions (11), remote work (10), or limits on cooling and school hours (5 each).
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 02/04/2026
🔋⚡ spiralling fuel prices and looming energy shortages are forcing governments to take drastic measures to conserve supplies. Lots of charts in this @financialtimes.com piece about the global wave of energy rationing as.ft.com/r/a26a41a9-6...
Bar chart of the number of countries that have introduced emergency measures in response to the 2026 energy crisis showing many governments have introduced energy conservation measuresColumn chart of oil shipments by destination relative to the 2025 average showing most of the oil lost due to the Iran war was headed to east Asia and the Pacific
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 25/03/2026
The rapid growth in foundation year courses at UK universities has raised concerns about poor graduate outcomes, as @financialtimes.com research shows a stark gap in grades at the largest providers More from me and @josephinecumbo.bsky.social here: as.ft.com/r/60b74329-3...
Column chart of the number of students on UK foundation year courses showing the number has almost quadrupled in a decade
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Joel Suss @joelsuss.ft.com · 20/03/2026
The Bank of England was a real outlier with its comms this week, far more hawkish than peers Language analysis shows a sharp shift in tone from the UK central bank this week as.ft.com/r/41e01e51-9...
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 20/03/2026
The Bank of England’s hawkish pivot in language has rattled markets. @financialtimes.com analysis shows it was the largest shift of any major central bank, raising questions about whether it misjudged its tone Lots of number crunching from me and @joelsuss.ft.com here: as.ft.com/r/bd03a4a9-e...
Line chart of central bank sentiment score showing the BoE's language has shifted sharply negative this weekHeatmap of mentions of energy prices in central bank announcements and decisions showing the energy shock loomed large in central bank messaging
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 09/03/2026
Which leading economies will pay the biggest price for the Iran war? Not the US, it turns out Great to end my first week on the @financialtimes.com economics desk working on this story with Sam and Myles as.ft.com/r/7babde76-f...
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Toby Nangle @tobyn.bsky.social · 17/01/2026
Grade inflation in some UK universities? Lost myself in cool dataviz in great piece by @amyborrett.ft.com www.ft.com/content/6935...
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 13/01/2026
GPs are tightening the rules for ADHD patients with private diagnoses, leaving them with monthly prescription fees that can total hundreds of pounds. Historic underdiagnosis has led to a surge in referrals & waiting lists over a decade in some areas @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/808c00c5-5...
Bar chart of the number of open referras for ADHD in England showing most patients have already been on the waiting list for over a year
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 10/01/2026
Spending on consultants cut by 14% across UK government ft.trib.al/bU42Sqx
ft.trib.al
Spending on consultants cut by 14% across UK government
Consultancy costs have ballooned in recent years due to Brexit and the pandemic
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 21/12/2025
Britons are drinking less alcohol than before, as financial pressures, health concerns and an ageing population lead to cutbacks in consumption ft.trib.al/rad0Hny
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 18/12/2025
NHS England warns hospitals are on“high alert” as they battle disruption from strikes and record flu admissions for this time of year, but new surveillance data shows flu activity is starting to stabilise
Line chart of hospital patients with flu showing hospitals in England already under significant pressure from flu patientsLine chart of shrae of flu tests with a postitive result, 7-day rolling average, showing England's flu circulation is stablising
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 08/12/2025
Academics from across the UK higher education sector have warned that financial ties to Beijing have led to self-censorship. on.ft.com/4oDkblP
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 08/12/2025
British universities’ reliance on Chinese fees fuelling self-censorship, say academics on.ft.com/48YhMxh
on.ft.com
British universities’ reliance on Chinese fees fuelling self-censorship, say academics
Lecturers call for improved safeguards against Beijing’s influence on UK campuses
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Tim Bale @timbale.bsky.social · 03/12/2025
Great article from @amyborrett.ft.com. But it does make me wonder again why there was zero national media coverage when the University of Brighton closed down its big, decades-old campus in Eastbourne. Now of course, it would make a great case study for a journalist of the economic/cultural impact.
ft.com
Essex university to cut 400 jobs as overseas student numbers plummet
Roles to be lost are part of wave of redundancy programmes across UK’s higher education sector
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/11/2025
Young Brits' attitudes towards benefits claimants and criminals are hardening, according to @natcen.bsky.social, as discontent with the “broken social contract” drives younger voters towards Reform and the Greens. More @financialtimes.com from me and @jonathanvincent.bsky.social : on.ft.com/4nBB53E
Dot plot of share of British adults strongly agreeing that people would learn to stand on their own two feet if welfare benefits were less generous showing the attitudes of young adults and men have shifted the mostLine chart of share of British adults strongly agreeing that people would learn to stand on their own two feet if welfare benefits were less generous showing attitudes towards benefits claimants are hardening
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Alan Smith @theboysmithy.ft.com · 31/10/2025
Great to work with @aendra.com @amyborrett.ft.com @jonathanvincent.bsky.social on this important new dataset of deprivation in England
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Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 04/09/2025
Alan Turing Institute head to quit after internal turmoil on.ft.com/4p8thIC
on.ft.com
Alan Turing Institute head to quit after internal turmoil
Technology secretary Peter Kyle branded flagship national AI agency a “failing organisation”
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