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Hennie High

@hennieh.bsky.social
1.4K followers 6.2K following 159 posts

A bit of a world traveller but currently living in the UK. On the other place I was @henniehigh. Interested in UK and Global politics, health, economics and a raft of other stuff. Married = no DMs/ Private chats, thanks

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Reposted by Hennie High
Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
President Macron, "Brexit has cost the UK 8% of GDP.. Brexit is the biggest lie of the last 30 years" My view: Brexit was sold as a route to greater prosperity: less bureaucracy, more money, new trade opportunities Instead, Britain put new barriers between itself and its largest trading market.
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Mark Chadbourn @chadbourn.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
This could be huge, preventing hundreds of thousands of cases of heart disease and stroke.
theguardian.com
Shingles vaccine linked to lower risk of heart attack and stroke, study finds
Researchers say benefits of two-dose Shingrix vaccine could be comparable to taking daily blood pressure medication
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Hennie High @hennieh.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Dolly Parton. One of the truly good ones.
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David Fisman. @dfisman.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
“Increased risk of pulmonary embolism following SARS-CoV-2 activity in Ontario, Canada”, out today in Public Health with Clara Eunyoung Lee and Natalie J Wilson. COVID-19 raises pulmonary embolism risk — here’s the Ontario data: sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
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Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Powerful and important letter about artificial so-called intelligence from Sheila Hayman from Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, in the FT today
Margaret McGirr’s letter (“AI can lend a hand, but it will struggle to replace one”, July 21) and Chine McDonald’s guest column (“This retro revival is more than a longing for the past”, Opinion, August 7) both touch (sic) on something that should be obvious, but is carefully ignored by almost everyone in the tech world. Namely that our intelligence is embodied, evolved and biological, and inseparable from our bodies.
The brain’s job is to control the body in the world; it is the last organ to develop.
Every square centimetre of our hands (and of the rest of our skin) contains about a 170 touch sensors or nerve endings, sensitive to different kinds of touch: a slap, a burn, a caress, a hug — each of which travels to different parts of the midbrain, prompting the appropriate response. Quickly to the autonomic nervous system for something dangerous; more slowly via a different channel for something carrying meaning.
In addition to the hand’s limitless versatility, it is self-repairing, regulates its own temperature, knows without being programmed how much pressure to exert on an egg, a tennis ball or a day-old chick, and can fuse neurologically to whatever it holds.
So when we put a glass down on the table or slide a knife through an apple, we feel the table, or the apple, not the glass or handle in our hand (try it!).
Finally, and most urgently, the entire human body — including the hands — does everything on 25 or so watts of completely renewable energy: a tiny fraction of what a humanoid robot, even one of the current primitive iteration of robots, needs.
The “retro revival” is thus not cultural nostalgia.
It’s millions of years of evolution crying out to be heard, before we suppress it totally in the service of an automated — and dead — planet.
Sheila Hayman
Member of the Advisory Board, Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy, University of Cambridge, London NW1, UK
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The Secret Barrister @barristersecret.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Apparently £5million can’t buy you enough security to protect you from an imaginary threat.
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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
It's so good. Really note perfect and this has been such a feelgood moment despite the nasty motives in calling it. Thank you @countbinface.bsky.social for the joy and sanity and pride you have brought whatever the outcome
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Celeste Labedz @celestelabedz.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I wouldn't call myself a cartoonist, but I had the vision and just needed it to be on paper to the best of my ability.
A hand drawn eight panel cartoon. First two panels are a colander sitting frowning on a shelf. Then the colander is frowning straining pasta, then three more panels of frowning sitting on a shelf. Then a big panel where it's projecting a bunch of crescent eclipse shapes and smiling with speech bubbles around saying "Wow! Look! Amazing! Beautiful!" And then one final panel where it's sitting on a shelf smiling.
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Rachel Sylvester @rachelsylvester.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
New Scandinavian wings at Wandsworth and Pentonville jails have seen a 45% fall in assaults, 57% drop in self harm and halving of staff absence rates - fascinating results from trial into a more rehabilitative approach to prisons observer.co.uk/news/nationa...
observer.co.uk
‘Scandi wings’ offering pianos, pool and tea parties coul...
A unit in London’s Wandsworth prison has been transformed using methods from Sweden and Norway that prioritise rehabilitation over retribution
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Hennie High @hennieh.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Note: Scam blue tick messages doing the rounds again. I just received one from 'Anna Crawford'. #scam
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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
THREAD/ORIGINAL ART GIVEAWAY This hare linoprint is by my mum, Jo. I'll be sending an original of this to one randomly chosen person who reposts this link to my recently updated website & pops a reply below. www.tom-cox.com The offer is open worldwide. I also have some more art to give away...
A meadow hare, filled with flowers, cut from lino by my mum, Jo.
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Ian Martin @ianmartin.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Hugely impressed that nobody's yet fallen back on 'wanker', which I admit was my first thought. Bravo, Bluesky.
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 19/07/2026
Self-employed people! Sorry to put a downer on your Sunday, but in case you'd not seen, the Government wants us to pay our tax *monthly* like we're employees or something With the World Cup and all the politics, I'd missed the consultation they put out last month, which is here: 1/
gov.uk
Timely Payments in Income Tax Self Assessment (ITSA)
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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
Why Britain’s privatisation experiment is so extraordinary by international standards. www.arguably.uk/p/can-andy-b...
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Rosie (she/her) @airfriedrosie.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Remember Streeting's review into whether young people are being overdiagnosed with ADHD, autism, and mental health issues? Well, the interim report is out, and there's a reason the media are silent on it (spoiler: it proves what a lot of us have been saying all along)
In others, notably ADHD and autism, rising diagnoses and referrals appear to exceed changes in underlying epidemiological prevalence and are likely to reflect a combination of:

improved recognition
changing help-seeking behaviour
institutional incentives
pressures within existing service pathways
Across both ADHD and autism, best currently available population-based estimates remain relatively stable, while administrative diagnoses, self-identification and recorded service demand have increased substantially. In autism, the evidence also points to particularly rapid growth in identified need within educational systems, including increasing identification among girls and among young people without learning disability.These patterns suggest that rising demand is not simply the result of increasing prevalence, but of several processes operating simultaneously, including:

real increases in distress in some groups
improved recognition of previously unmet need
changing expectations about support
systems that frequently rely on formal diagnosis as the primary route to assistance
Across the system, support is too often accessed through pathways that are slow, fragmented and heavily dependent on diagnostic categorisation. While diagnosis remains essential for some forms of clinical decision-making, the evidence suggests that current arrangements do not always provide the most effective or efficient way of identifying and responding to need. In particular, where access to support depends heavily on formal diagnosis, demand for diagnostic assessment can increase more rapidly than systems are able to respond, generating long waiting times, duplication of assessment and pressure on specialist services.

The next phase of the review will therefore focus on clarifying the relationship between distress, diagnosis and need, and on examining how systems might respond more effectively to these patterns. A central objective will be to identify opportunities for developing more coherent, evidence-informed care pathways that enable support to be provided earlier and more proportionately, while ensuring that specialist services are available in a timely and appropriate manner for those whose needs are most complex.
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Rae Radford @raeradford.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
A very wise 9 year old… #BookSky
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David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
Nice detail from the FT profile of Haaland.
But this superstar remains an egalitarian Norwegian. Where most footballers cannot bridge the chasm that separates them from ordinary mortals, Haaland has always treated others as equals.
When he left Dortmund for his dad's old club Manchester City in 2022, he gave personally engraved watches to 20 Dortmund staff members. He explained: "To the physios who have massaged my feet every damned day for two and a half years. To the people who washed my clothes every day, made my food every day... I thought it was cool, and they deserved it." Other players dump used training tops on the ground, but Haaland delivers his neatly folded to the kitman.
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Tits McGee @scientits.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
I have just tried Aldi's version of Walls Feast ice cream and confirm it is almost identical to the original with a solid choc centre 👍 (For those who weren't aware, Walls have changed the Feast recipe and the centre is no longer solid but more like Nutella, sorry to break it to you like this)
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Janine Gibson @janinegibson.ft.com · 08/07/2026
Who needs influencers with their cowardly Rolexes hiding from the light? We have the knight of bins and an Arthur who we’d never heard of til 5 minutes ago
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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
The Select Committee report on student loans does not pull its punches & says loans were effectively missold by not saying T&Cs could be changed retrospectively. A core recommendation is that the cost of university should be split 50:50 between student/govt committees.parliament.uk/committee/15...
committees.parliament.uk
Government has ‘moral obligation’ to reverse freezing of student loans repayment threshold - Committees - UK Parliament
The government has a moral obligation to reverse the decision to freeze the threshold at which student loans are repaid, a new report published by the Treasury Committee says.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
😬
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The Tennis Letter @thetennisletter.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Roger Federer has arrived at Wimbledon. The AURA of an 8-time champion. Welcome back. 👑🥹 (via Wimbledon)
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MePu @mendaciumpugnator.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The bill was rushed through both houses in about a month. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
theguardian.com
UK state threats bill could pull British journalists into terror prosecutions, experts say
Two independent reviewers of terrorism legislation call for safeguards for NGOs and journalists before bill becomes law this week
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CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
It's Coco time
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Mark @quigonsmith.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Night, everyone.
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Brad Johnson @climatebrad.hillheat.com · 05/07/2026
"a new study by Allianz Trade estimating the centers emitted 286 million tonnes of carbon dioxide in 2025. This is 57 percent higher than estimates by the International Energy Agency"
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Callum May @callummay.co.uk · 04/07/2026
*Victoria Coren pleased with herself face*
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Holger Hestermeyer @hhesterm.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
Some good news: a former refugee from Somalia who made Bristol his home 15 years ago, studied in the U.K. and represents his ward since 2021, pushing for improving local conditions, now fills the ceremonial role of Lord Mayor of Bristol.
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Dan Neidle @danneidle.bsky.social · 01/07/2026
What if Andy Burnham could raise £15bn – without a tax rise? There's one catch. He'd need to solve the UK’s biggest and least-discussed tax problem. Almost half of all small business corporation tax isn't being paid - and nobody knows why. Thread:
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Mags @magnumificent.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
My brother-in-law has just provided one of the great holiday moments. A taverna on a tiny Greek island sent him a what3words location for the nearby parking because the streets are too narrow for cars. 1/3
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WHO @who.int · 27/06/2026
Drowning prevention starts with you. Here are some water safety rules. ⬇️
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Pitch Magazine @pitch-mag.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
Wimbledon will remain free to watch on TV for another seven years, after the BBC announced a new deal with the All England Club to show the tournament until 2033. The broadcaster says it will “usher in a fresh new editorial and creative approach” for this year’s championships, which begin on Monday.
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Lauren Dobson-Hughes @ldobsonhughes.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
Musk says not a single person has died due to him axing USAID. Sadly, part of my job involves tracking aid spending. So here’s a thread with just some of the people who lost their lives because of USAID cuts
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Dr Rasu Shrestha @rasushrestha.bsky.social · 22/06/2026
Absolutely love this! FIFA told Gillette to cover up its logo because it wasn't an official World Cup sponsor. Gillette responded by turning it into a giant blob of shaving foam. 😭🪒
FIFA told Gillette to cover up its logo because it wasn't an official World Cup sponsor.

Gillette responded by turning it into a giant blob of shaving foam. 😭🪒
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Carl Quintanilla @carlquintanilla.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
Dylan, on life in your 80’s, is incredible. @nytimes.com www.nytimes.com/2026/06/14/o...
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Kerri Coombs @kerricoombs.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Just met guy in Hope with a sign on his bike saying "83 years old and cycling across Canada. Ask me why." So I asked him why and he said "No reason." 😁 Lovely.
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Ian Dunt @iandunt.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
Please read this if you want to think clearly about the issue
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James O’Brien @mrjamesob.bsky.social · 13/06/2026
Big result for @londoncentric.media. It has been, and remains, an absolute joy to watch Jim back his instincts, defy the odds & build a proper, relevant & effective media platform from the bottom up. (Although his obvious love of London might see some of his Yorkshireman credentials revoked…)
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Cool Bike Art @coolbikeart1.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Some heroes don't wear capes
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Theo Priestley @theopriestley.net · 08/06/2026
We live in the stupidest timeline.
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KimBo @zapperfan7.bsky.social · 07/06/2026
Chris Wick They told you the planet is dying… and you’re the problem. Your food. Your habits. Your existence. AI data centres in the UK alone could pump out 123 million tonnes of carbon emissions — the equivalent of millions of human lives over a decade. But where’s the outrage?
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Sunderland Lollipops @sunderlandlolly.bsky.social · 06/06/2026
Dear Makerfield Reform Voters! 👋 Did you know that a Farage Reform govt intends to scrap the NHS? The private health care system he wants to introduce would cost you £10,000s, like the US, where getting ill can bankrupt you! #ReformUK #Labour #GreenParty #Makerfield #MUFC #MCFC
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Familoo (Lucy Reed) @familoo.pinktape.co.uk · 05/06/2026
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Horrific, unregulated, and very profitable. The companies making cash from England’s children in care | George Monbiot
Councils are sending vulnerable kids to homes ran by money-grabbing cowboys and private-equity vultures, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Toby Earle 🇺🇦 @tobyontv.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
oh no www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Anthony Head: Buffy and Ted Lasso actor dies at 72
The British actor, who also appeared in Merlin and Little Britain, died of complications from pneumonia.
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
It's hard to convey just how monstrous the privatisation of children's care homes has become. Highly vulnerable children have been turned into cash machines, with devastating impacts on their wellbeing. Please sit down before reading this week's column. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Horrific, unregulated, and very profitable. The companies making cash from England’s children in care | George Monbiot
Councils are sending vulnerable kids to homes ran by money-grabbing cowboys and private-equity vultures, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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Meidas Charise Lee 💙🌊🌴🥥🫘 @chariselee.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
“Government is supposed to protect us, not entertain us"
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Megan Greene @economistmeg.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
The case for raising U.K. interest rates is growing giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... My latest in @FT. You can find more analysis behind it in my recent speech: www.bankofengland.co.uk/speech/2026/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The case for raising UK interest rates is growing
The Bank of England should proactively lean against second-round effects from the energy shock
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