Writing

Policy, ward, and ideas

Personal · 15 September 2026

On being a scientist in politics

People from my old life keep asking how I square evidence with politics. The answer is less tidy than either of them expects, and more Conservative.

Policy · 7 August 2026

A Conservative prevention agenda: what the evidence actually supports

Every party is for prevention, which is exactly why the word has stopped meaning anything. The useful question is which prevention works, and we almost never ask it.

Policy · 17 June 2026

AI will not save the NHS. But it might help, if we get the governance right

The debate about clinical AI swings between breathless hype and reflexive fear. Both miss the point. The tools are ready. The scaffolding to use them is not.