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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 · 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 · 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 · 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
New data also shows a third of NHS trusts have delivered fewer operations since adopting the tech. @financialtimes.com analysis of @foxglovelegal.bsky.social's FOI data comes amid growing controversy about Palantir's contract given its ties to the US defence sector. w/ @laurahughesft.bsky.social
Stacked bar chart showing that across five of the main claims, between one and five trusts account for more than half of the stated improvement
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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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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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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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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
@zackpolanski.bsky.social has also used social media to grow his public profile, standing out for his volume of posts and engagement with other users So far this year Polanski has already clocked up over 4,000 posts and reposts on X, just over 3,300 on Bluesky and almost 450 on TikTok!
Dot plot of posts on X for Polanksi and Burnham showing Polanksi is a prolific social media user
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 24/05/2026
Burnham has cultivated a public image as an authentic, northern everyman despite a modest social media presence, trailing far behind media-savvy rivals like Nigel Farage on platforms like TikTok and Instagram
Bar chart of followers on TikTok and Instagram showing Farage has built a large TikTok following
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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 21/08/2025
✏️ This year's GCSE results show double-digit increases in the number of children retaking maths and English, a "resit crisis" according to one exam board chief as the vast majority of these pupils fail to meet the required grades for most jobs/further study @financialtimes.com: on.ft.com/4787avs
Bar chart of UK maths entries graded 4 and above in 2024 showing most students retaking maths and English GCSE fail to make the grade
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 14/08/2025
The data comes as A-level results show a shift towards STEM subjects, with a record number of maths and economics entries and a sharp decline in languages, history and english. Acceptances on engineering and tech courses have jumped 12.5% as a result
Bar chart of annual change in A-level entries for top 10 subjects showing economics, maths and phyiscs are rising in popularity
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 14/08/2025
Overseas demand for undergraduate study is up 3% from last year's dip, driven by a 13% rise from China and 10% from the US. But this data does not cover the lucrative postgraduate market and the sector regulator has previously said unis are relying on "optimistic" recruitment forecasts
Dot plot of the change in students accepted on UK undergraduate courses between 2024 and 2025 showing univerisites are recruiting more Chinese and American students
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 14/08/2025
🎓New data shows top unis are enrolling more UK undergraduates due to “uncertainty” over international recruitment and mounting financial pressures, outperforming lower-ranking institutions which are typically more reliant on the domestic market on.ft.com/46REXsB
Line chart of accepted UK students on A-level results day by tariff group of university showing high-ranking univerisites have expanded their intake of UK students
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 23/05/2025
US applications for British citizenship hit a record high during the first few months of Donald Trump’s presidency, as immigration lawyers report a surge in Americans looking to move to the UK because of economic and safety concerns. @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/4jekcd2
Line chart of the quarterly US applications for British citizenship showing Americans seek UK citizenship in record numbers during the first few months of Trump's presidency
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 28/04/2025
The number of Americans looking to study at UK universities has risen sharply since Trump launched his attack on higher education, with data showing a 25% rise in US interest in British courses over the past year @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/42JLT7j
Bar chart of the change in page views between March 2024 and March 2025 showing interest in UK univeristies is rising in the US and elsewhere
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 15/04/2025
The government is battling to keep the country's last two blast furnaces burning in Scunthorpe "to help secure UK steelmaking for the future". But after decades of decline, will rescuing British Steel be enough? @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3RO81Z5
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 21/03/2025
Women in the UK face HRT ‘lottery’, as reluctance to offer menopause treatment through the NHS drives reliance on private clinics. @carolynharris.bsky.social says prescription rates are "still significantly lower" than they should be, despite rising awareness @financialtimes.com - on.ft.com/4bIADwh
Line chart of the monthly number of patients prescribed hormone replacement therapy by income quintile showing affluent women driving the surge in HRT prescriptions in England
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 19/03/2025
Keir Starmer has pledged to slash the number of arm's-length government bodies, but how big is the quango state really? Had fun creating some pretty graphics for this @financialtimes.com piece with @pmdfoster.bsky.social on.ft.com/4hHWKEb
Bubble chart of day-to-day spending by UK government arm's-length-bodies showing NHS England was the biggest quango in 2022-23
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 24/02/2025
Irish citizenship applications from Britain hit a post-Brexit high last year as a weak UK economy and the "harsh" realities of travel restrictions drove a surge in people using their Irish ancestry to gain “backdoor" access to the EU. Data scoop in today's @financialtimes.com: on.ft.com/4kfHzog
Column chart of the annual applications to the Irish Foreign Births Register from Great Britain showing a surge in Irish citizenship applications from Britain
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 31/01/2025
From changing university campuses and NHS recruitment to the political fallout from surging immigration numbers and the strain on small businesses from increased red tape - five years of Brexit in five charts on.ft.com/3Qj3T2R
Line chart of UK voting intention showing support for Reform is at a historic highLine chart of grants of UK entry clearance visas for students showing recruitment has shifted towards Asian countries such as India, China and Pakistan
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 03/01/2025
Flu cases have quadrupled over the past month in hospitals in England, with NHS leaders warning that “skyrocketing” cases could make this winter “one of the worst we have ever seen”. Just published @financialtimes.com: on.ft.com/4j4g0h5
Line chart of hospital patients with flu in England this year compared with 2023-24 season showing hospitals in England face mounting pressure from a surge in flu cases
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 02/01/2025
NEW: The number of chemistry courses at UK unis has declined 26% and biosciences by 14% over the past 5 years, raising concerns about the viability of the government's industrial strategy Read more from @mikepeeljourno.bsky.social + @pmdfoster.bsky.social @financialtimes.com: on.ft.com/42gW2tR
Line chart of the change in courses at UK higher education institutions showing a sharp decline in number of courses in core science subjects
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 02/11/2023
Women are at the sharp end of the rental crisis. @ejhollowood.bsky.social and I found it's now almost impossible for vulnerable women to rent in parts of the UK. In London, for example, the average one-bed costs 106% of a single mother's median income @financialtimes.com on.ft.com/3tT2UOJ
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