Michael Sanders

“People used to say that the US was the world’s policeman. Some people will be wondering today whether Donald Trump is now behaving like the world’s hit man.”

My comments on LBC this morning, urging the Government not to let the UK get drawn into this illegal, unilateral war.

This ruling shows that proscribing Palestine Action was a grave misuse of terrorism laws.

Labour must accept its mistake, drop its appeal and stop wasting taxpayers' money suppressing civil liberties.

Degrading counter-terror powers is a genuine threat to national security.

Bounded Rationality: Heuristics, Judgment, and Public Policy Amazon.com: Bounded Rationality: Heuristics, Judgment, and Public Policy: 9780262543705: Dhami, Sanjit, Sunstein, Cass R.: Books

BOUNDED RATIONALITY (probably my least-bad book in recent years, over 500 pp.). @cfcamerer.bsky.social @ichotiner.bsky.social @michael-sanders.bsky.social @katymilkman.bsky.social
www.amazon.com/Bounded-Rati...

🔊 "You'll be learning from the academics, as well as from people who are currently at the forefront of policymaking in health and social care"

🎓 🏥 Our Health and Social Care Policy MSc offers the opportunity to study alongside officials from the UK Department of Health and Social Care...

💬 Read @michael-sanders.bsky.social and Hannah Piggott's piece on the background of the Cash Lab, launched yesterday, and its plans to explore whether giving people direct financial support – without conditions on how they spend it – can break the cycle of poverty

🔗 ➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/news/cash-wh...

Quarter of students identify as LGB at some UK universities Changing demographics prompt call for universities to review what support they offer

“...universities need to be mindful of how their cohorts are becoming more diverse and what additional support people might need"

@michael-sanders.bsky.social quoted in @timeshighered.bsky.social on the changing demographics of UK universities and what this means for institutional inclusivity

Prof Jennifer Rubin awarded CBE in New Year 2026 Honours | King's College London She has been recognised for services to science and research

Congratulations to Prof Jennifer Rubin, Chair of our Advisory Board, who has been awarded a CBE for services to science and research in the New Year Honours List!

SfG Director @michael-sanders.bsky.social said: “This is thoroughly deserved recognition for Jennifer’s exceptional contribution"

What else would I be doing on Christmas Eve?

In which we learn from Francesca Gino that if, for example, some of your alleged research assistants were to allegedly fake data in some of your studies you should, as their boss, bear responsibility for it rather than trying to pass the buck. Incredibly valuable advice from Ex-prof Gino.

Every year, people mock this tree. But I love it anyway.

It reminds us that if we stand together in tough times, we can overcome anything.

Merry Christmas from my family to yours. 🎄✨

🌎 In the second of our Solidarity Symposia – Keeping democracy strong – join Prof Peter John, @gsamaras.bsky.social , Dr Joseph Sherlock & like-minded researchers to explore how we can understand & tackle developing risks to democracies

£500 prize for best talk!

➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/events/solida...

Why you should be pleased we run trials on nudges, even if you don't like nudges (or trials) | King's College London Trials are essential to ruling out what doesn't work, as well as identifying what does

"...if you’re in favour of more radical solutions to workplace wellbeing interventions, I’d argue you should be pleased that we ran this trial. We now know that this doesn’t work..."

@michael-sanders.bsky.social defends trials as an essential tool for ruling out what does, as well as doesn't, work

📅 Join us and @schoolforgovt.bsky.social TOMORROW to hear from Tamara Finkelstein – one of the most experienced former civil servants in the UK – as she reflects on policymaking in an age of uncertainty with @michael-sanders.bsky.social

➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/1952171510...

I am mad! But I’m also fanpersoning that @statmodeling.bsky.social has mentioned me on his blog!

EVENT | Dame Tamara Finkelstein DCB: in conversation

Join @schoolforgovt.bsky.social, @michael-sanders.bsky.social and us to hear from one of the UK’s most experienced former civil servants, as she reflects on policymaking in an age of uncertainty

➡️ www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/dame...

Great to launch our new book on the use of randomised controlled trials in children's social care last night @schoolforgovt.bsky.social with Dave Westlake, Sarah Taylor, Isabelle Trowler and Vanessa Hirneis!

A full house tonight with @policyatkings.bsky.social, Lord Peter Hain, and Baroness Patricia Scotland to discuss Lord Hain's new book which explores why movements born from ideals of justice often succumb to bad governance and corruption once in power

📺 Watch live: www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_4D...

"Research shows that many successful interventions, even when low-cost, fail to scale"

In our latest blog, @michael-sanders.bsky.social and Vanessa Hirneis reflect on their experience of scaling up a range of successful interventions over the past 18 months.

➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/news/turning...

18 months ago we embarked on a mission to scale some low cost interventions using our own money - here’s what we’ve learned so far.

EVENT: Using randomised trial to improve children's social care

Join us, @schoolforgovt.bsky.social & expert panellists to discuss insights from @michael-sanders.bsky.social & Vanessa Hirneis' new book on developing interventions for vulnerable children and families

➡️ www.kcl.ac.uk/events/using...

Joint E3 leaders statement: 10 October 2025 The leaders of France, Germany and the United Kingdom spoke today following the significant developments in the Middle East.

It’s good to see the PM finally listening to Liberal Democrat calls to seize the billions in frozen Russian assets tied up here in the UK to help arm Ukraine.

This must now happen rapidly. With our European allies we must use these assets to strengthen Ukraine’s hand and ramp up pressure on Putin.

Disadvantaged pupils to get letters encouraging them to apply to university Nearly 10,000 teenagers at schools and colleges with low higher education progression rates will receive letters from current university students.

"Students at King’s College London with similar upbringings will write to disadvantaged teenagers to share their stories and challenge perceptions that university is only for the privileged".

The Independent on work led by @michael-sanders.bsky.social ⬇️

Letter from Ed Davey to Keir Starmer condemning Elon Musk for inciting violence and urging unity to defend democracy.

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.

Brilliant new colleagues have joined King’s School for Government this year!

YouTube video by The Policy Institute at King's College London Can the public be trusted? With Yuval Feldman

The conference follows our event last night with Yuval Feldman, @sanchayanbanerj.bsky.social, @michael-sanders.bsky.social & Elisabeth Costa – "Can the public be trusted?" – exploring why governments rely on coercion and punishment when voluntary cooperation often produces better outcomes

Does creating new ministerial post in "Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister" + cap on numbers of paid ministers mean that we won't be getting a new homelessness minister anytime soon? @samfr.bsky.social @anandmenon.bsky.social @drhannahwhite.bsky.social

Dear David, As the world's attention shifted in August to the war in Ukraine, conditions in Gaza have only worsened. I am writingtoday, before Parliament returns on Monday. Much has happened since your statement on 21 July and none of it has been in the direction we hoped for. Last week, we saw Israeli forces begin an assault on Gaza City and the IPC declaring famine in Gaza for the first time. Meanwhile, the 5 September will mark 700 days of captivity for the hostages still held by the Hamas terrorists. This situation is utterly intolerable. In the context of the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe and the plight of the hostages in Gaza, we must redouble our focus on empowering the moderates in both Palestinian and Israeli society, while drawing power away from the extremes. That task is all the more important as we now look towards the UN General Assembly Session in September. Opposition politicians in Israel have roundly condemned the new military operation in Gaza City. They state their belief that it will endanger the lives of the remaining hostages, despite the claims of the Netanyahu cabinet that the operation has their release and recovery as an objective. Meanwhile, the restarting of settlement building in the E1 area of the West Bank will further erode the territorial basis for the Palestinian state - recognition of which the Government has made conditional on steps by Israel to alleviate suffering in Gaza. It is clear that the Netanyahu cabinet continues egregiously to violate international and humanitarian law, across both Gaza and the West Bank. Yet the UK has been reluctant to apply any genuine pressure on the Israeli Government to stop these violations across the Occupied Territories - or to publicly call on President Trump to do the same.

In light of these continuing violations, I ask you - once again - whether you will consider implementing Liberal Democrat calls to: • Sanction Prime Minister Netanyahu and his Cabinet Ministers for continuing to block the full reopening of aid into Gaza and expanding the military campaign there? • Ban the export of all UK arms to Israel, including taking steps to isolate and withhold those UK-produced F-35 components that are being used to supply or service jets used by the Israeli Government? • Ban trade with all illegal Israeli settlements across the Occupied Palestinian Territories, ensuring that UK businesses cannot contribute to supporting the development of these settlements? Liberal Democrats have consistently said that the remaining hostages must be released without condition. We have also been clear that Hamas can have no part in the future government of Palestine. The future of a Palestinian state depends on steps to strengthen governance by the Palestinian Authority and a government that rejects the use of terrorism to achieve its goals. I look forward to your response, as well as the opportunity to raise these issues with you at next week's Foreign Office oral questions. Yours sincerely, Calum Miller MP Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Foreign Affairs

As famine deepens and hostages remain in captivity, the Israeli Government expands settlements and escalates its assault on Gaza.

I’ve written to the Foreign Secretary urging sanctions, an arms ban and a ban on trade with illegal settlements.

Public hugely overestimate graduate regret while underestimating economic value of universities and being wrong on tuition fees – new study People guess that 40% of graduates wouldn't go to university if they could choose again, when the reality is just 8%

Catch up on our report with @hepi-news.bsky.social, out yesterday, which looks at public misperceptions of higher education ⬇️

👩‍🎓 The public hugely overestimate how many graduates regret going to university and significantly underestimate the importance of higher education to the UK economy 📈

I for one find it disgraceful that we don’t have an answer on what really happened to Sisko, and this traitor gets a whole movie.

🚨 Closing soon! 🚨

📣 PhD and postdoctoral researchers at @kingscollegelondon.bsky.social: get your applications in for our Parliamentary Research Internship programme by 17 August

📺 Hear from recent interns about this unique opportunity to contribute to the work of peers in the House of Lords ⬇️