THE EVIDENCE / AN OPEN NOTEBOOK
Sources and their limits are part of the story.
Historical interpretation, official statistics, reported commentary and a proposed experiment require different tests. We identify dates and scope, link to the source and leave uncertainty visible. A reported criticism is a perspective to examine, not a fact merely because it was printed.
UK Parliament explains that ending the British slave trade in 1807 did not immediately end colonial slavery. The later 1833 legislation was another stage, with implementation requiring fuller context.
Parliament: abolition and its aftermath ↗
The Welsh Government’s commemoration audit offers a further route into how public memory is examined. Its scope is Wales; it is not a complete history of empire.
Sources checked 1 November 2026. Audit published 26 November 2020, updated 8 December 2021.
UK, year ending December 2025: the ONS provisional release was published 21 May 2026. Read the figures on our migration explainer.
ONS: dated UK migration release ↗
Ireland, year to April 2026: the CSO release was published 24 August 2026. Read the figures on our migration explainer.
CSO: Ireland migration estimates ↗
The periods and geographies differ; do not add the figures or treat either as a live count. Recent estimates may be revised. Ireland’s series is not a total for the whole island.
Releases checked 1 November 2026. These are dated estimates, not a live dashboard.
The UK government’s AI progress report connects compute, skills, public services and productivity. It is the government’s account of its programme; announced activity and completed delivery should be distinguished.
AI Opportunities Action Plan: progress report ↗
Skills England’s report considers automation, augmentation and the capabilities needed for adoption. Its remit is England, and modelled potential is not measured growth.
Skills England: annual skills report ↗
AI report published 29 January 2026. Skills report updated 6 October 2026. Checked 1 November 2026.
The Guardian discusses migration figures alongside political promises and competing economic arguments.
The Guardian ↗ 21 May 2026
IT Pro reports an argument that AI opportunity depends on workforce skills, leadership and digital literacy. Its reported economic potential is a modelled scenario, not an achieved gain.
IT Pro: skills and AI adoption ↗ 22 September 2026
These are two dated articles with different subjects and lenses. They do not establish what all news organisations believe, nor prove every argument they report.
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