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Bruno Dent

@brunodent.bsky.social
244 followers 431 following 24 posts

Researcher @FutureGovForum.bsky.social. Thoughts on state capacity and public service reform: brunodent.substack.com

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Reposted by Bruno Dent
Adam Terry @adamterryfgf.bsky.social · 03/07/2026
Assuming (not unreasonably) that Burnham will be the next PM, how can he hit the ground running? @brunodent.bsky.social rummages through the @futuregovforum.bsky.social archives for tips on what to do in the first week, first month and first 100 days: thisishopeworks.substack.com/p/how-whiteh...
thisishopeworks.substack.com
How Whitehall can learn to love Manchesterism
Bruno Dent, Future Governance Forum, lays out how Burnham can reform the British state in his first hundred days, from No.10 to the Treasury.
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
How can Andy Burnham reform the British state in his first hundred days? Our brilliant FGF Researcher, @brunodent.bsky.social answers that question and more here! ⏬️ ⏬️ ⏬️ thisishopeworks.substack.com/p/how-whiteh...
thisishopeworks.substack.com
How Whitehall can learn to love Manchesterism
Bruno Dent, Future Governance Forum, lays out how Burnham can reform the British state in his first hundred days, from No.10 to the Treasury.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Can Whitehall learn to love Manchesterism? I've written for @uclpolicylab.bsky.social's Hope Works on how Andy Burnham can rewire the state and kick the system into gear in his first 100 days. thisishopeworks.substack.com/p/how-whiteh...
thisishopeworks.substack.com
How Whitehall can learn to love Manchesterism
Bruno Dent, Future Governance Forum, lays out how Burnham can reform the British state in his first hundred days, from No.10 to the Treasury.
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
UCL Policy Lab @uclpolicylab.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
How do you set up a government to actually deliver? Sharp guest piece for HopeWorks from @brunodent.bsky.social @futuregovforum.bsky.social thisishopeworks.substack.com/p/how-whiteh...
open.substack.com
How Whitehall can learn to love Manchesterism
Bruno Dent, Future Governance Forum, lays out how Burnham can reform the British state in his first hundred days, from No.10 to the Treasury.
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
Adam Terry @adamterryfgf.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Delighted that the interim report for our project 'Setting Great British Railways up for Success' is out today, ahead of the Railways Bill returning to parliament later this week [THREAD] www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/set...
futuregovernanceforum.co.uk
Setting Great British Railways up for success - interim findings - Future Governance Forum
The government's rail reform agenda - bringing the trains back into public ownership and creating the new Great British Railways (GBR) is one of this government's most popular policies, but it is also...
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
We've very excited to be working with @kinship.works on this exciting new project, supported by the @barrowcadbury.bsky.social. People are innovating all around the ‘edges’ of the civic sphere and it's vital the centre learns from this knowledge and experience to improve the way we govern.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Fascinating discussion
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
Ross Mudie @rmudie96.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Good piece from Bruno And I'd also add that many on the right fall guilty to loving the private sector in ideological terms, but having the most public sector mindset imagineable when it comes to how the state should function (huge risk-aversion, penny-pinching, productivity growth comes from cuts)
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Thanks Ross- agreed. They seem to take cues exclusively from bad private sector practice, eg PE firms that acquire ailing companies, "restructure" (usually losing human capital & institutional memory), asset-strip & cut capital spend leaving a hollowed out firm unable to generate productivity growth
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
New Substack out: The Right has all but won the argument on the state. The public sector is seen as slow and inefficient. So long as it is, anti-state populism will remain a force To own the future, Labour must change the story on the public sector. Here's how: open.substack.com/pub/brunoden...
open.substack.com
Labour must take on the Right’s public sector mediocrity narrative
To own the future, progressives must change the story on the public sector.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Thanks to the team at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk for hosting
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Today, Darren Jones set out his – and his boss’ – stall: they are neither insurgents nor institutionalists, but “modernisers” The state is “broken” and tweaking and patching up will not do, says Jones. But the solution is not to tear it all down, but to build a “new, digital state of the future”
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
That’s the substance. Now the politics. In the first post for my new Substack, I argued that Labour is divided into two camps: insurgents and institutionalists. Institutionalists stress reform and due process. Insurgents think pace should trump process. brunodent.substack.com/p/insurgents...
brunodent.substack.com
Insurgents and Institutionalists: The forces reshaping the British state
A consensus is emerging across British politics about what is wrong with government. But how to fix it is dividing the Labour Party.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Jones also called for us to be “less British” about working around poor performance. New senior civil service hiring criteria will put a higher premium on private sector experience and a track record of delivery & innovation. Bonuses will also be higher & more targeted at exceptional performers.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The return of NSG signals govt is serious about the importance of learning, talent pipelines & building state capacity. NSG will be paid for in savings from the previously outsourced L&D contract, which will not be renewed – as I argued for in my report ‘Hollowed-Out Government’ for the Fabians
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
We also think secondments should be two-way – giving civil servants exposure to different cultures and ways of working, and hands-on delivery experience in the private sector and civil society.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
As FGF set out in Mission Critical 02, using secondments to ramp up cross-sectoral interchange is needed. If the aim is to open up the civil service, secondments offer a clear route to bringing in specialist expertise and vital external challenge. www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/mis...
futuregovernanceforum.co.uk
Mission Critical 02: Governing in partnership with business and trade unions - Future Governance Forum
To deliver its ambitious missions, Government must go beyond traditional forms of stakeholder engagement.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Jones also signalled a renewed focus on bringing in & building up expertise > Bringing in expertise by expanding the No.10 Innovation Fellowship that deploys innovators across WH to assist on priority work > Building up expertise internally by re-establishing the National School of Government (NSG)
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
But none of this changes the need for system-wide reform. At FGF, we’re clear that this cannot be a substitute for wider civil service reform.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
To succeed, these task forces need: > Engagement from the very top, with the PM signalling that this work matters > Buy in across govt & beyond > Multidisciplinary teams ft. outsiders & officials with a track record of delivery > A culture of testing on the ground, learning and failing forward
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
That’s because setting up something new in Whitehall is far easier than trying to change something old. There are also significant advantages to starting small: you can set a new culture on day one, and the team has far more freedom to innovate and be agile.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
As a way of organising activity and driving delivery, ‘government by task force’ has a strong track record. Most of the big delivery successes in recent years - Rough Sleepers Unit, Vaccines Task Force, etc - have been achieved by setting up something new outside existing Whitehall structures.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
This mirrors the portfolio approach to delivering Labour’s 5 missions (remember them?) advocated by fmr Starmer aide aide Peter Hyman in opposition, and now on his Substack ⬇️ The language may be different, but the principle is the same. peterhyman21.substack.com/p/how-to-get...
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
As frustration builds about the pace of change, Jones announced that govt will set up new task forces to bulldoze obstacles to delivery. Teams will be small. They'll operate outside Whitehall hiring & procurement rules. They'll have direct access to ministers and huge permission to get things done.
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
The civil service should govern in peacetime like it does in crisis, says Darren Jones. New Vaccines Taskforce-style units. More flexibility. More risk-taking. Fewer forms. Less talking, more doing. He promised results within this Parliament. But will it work? 🧵
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Will the govt continue the political settlement of the last 4+ decades, or build a new one? New report by @philtinline.bsky.social dissects how power works in Britain & why today's model is broken. His conclusion: only by changing where power lies can we kickstart delivery & restore public trust.
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
Matthew Holehouse @matthewholehouse.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Really good. A highlight:
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Attlee and Thatcher each built a new political consensus – but it meant confronting entrenched ideas and concentrations of power. Today is another such moment. 🔊 Hear @philtinline.bsky.social discuss his latest report for FGF alongside Michael Gove on today's Start the Week w/ @tds153.bsky.social ⬇️
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
OUT NOW: Power Failure: A new theory of power New report by @philtinline.bsky.social argues we need a new ‘theory of power’ to understand where power lies & how it should be redistributed – so govt can get things done and restore trust. Full report ⬇️ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/pow...
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
A consensus is emerging across politics on what is wrong with government. But how to fix it is dividing the Labour Party into two camps: insurgents and institutionalists. 🚀 I’ve launched Statecraft, a new Substack, to explore this debate. First post below ⬇️ substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com
Insurgents and Institutionalists: The forces reshaping the British state
A consensus is emerging in British politics on what is wrong with government. But how to fix it is dividing the Labour Party.
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Come and join our team as: 🟢 Researcher - who'll conduct research & analysis in support of projects and workstreams at FGF 🟢 Communications Coordinator - who'll devise & deliver communication campaigns to raise the profile, reputation and reach of FGF www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/vacancies/
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 04/11/2025
Much has been written about the inner workings of Keir Starmer’s No.10 in recent months. @futuregovforum.bsky.social's newest report looks behind the iconic black door, exploring the dynamics preventing the PM from really kicking the system into gear, and setting out what needs to change.
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 24/04/2025
“Reforming the state is not a luxury to be set aside amid new crises; it is how to respond to those crises and renew the nation." Speaking at Ruskin College, Oxford, Director @yeowell.bsky.social urges the PM to "double down" on his missions agenda. www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/news/starmer...
futuregovernanceforum.co.uk
Starmer must go further with reforming the state and ‘turn government inside out’  - Future Governance Forum
The Future Governance Forum (FGF) has today urged the Prime Minister to push ahead with his plans to reform the state and pursue his mission-driven approach to government, arguing that ongoing politic...
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Reposted by Bruno Dent
The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 19/03/2025
📣OUT NOW – Impactful Devolution 02: Local govt for the digital era Last week the PM set out plans for digital change across Whitehall. Our new report with @publicdigital.bsky.social sets out how digital can drive reform in local govt. Read it here ⬇️ www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/imp...
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 18/03/2025
One day to go! 🚨 Secure your place 👇 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-we...
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
🚨 New starter pack alert 🚨 Some of the leading thinkers, practitioners and organisations shaping how government works – and how it could work better, all in one place. Take a look, follow and share around! go.bsky.app/E3DgZbX
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
Officials empowered to innovate, iterative approaches to policy design and delivery, greater experimentation - today’s speech was an exciting realisation of mission-driven practice.
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
He closes by summarising the government’s approach. We need more “doers” not checkers, “a system with fewer and better rules,” and we need to attract the best people to join government.
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
He now turns to civil service recruitment: “It’s time to overhaul the way recruitment processes work,” he says, opening up the civil service’s closed-culture and making the process friendlier to non-Whitehall people. “Scrub the jargon and focus on what’s needed for the job,” he says.
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
McFadden’s opens by saying “I haven’t got this all figured out form beginning to end,” signalling a break from the usual Westminster/Whitehall-knows-best attitude.
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 09/12/2024
This morning, we’re in UCL East watching Chancellor the Duchy Pat McFadden announce the government’s new ‘test-and-learn’ approach to public service delivery. We’ll be tweeting along and offering our key takeaways - read on 🧵 @uclpolicylab.bsky.social
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 21/11/2024
Huge well done to @yeowell.bsky.social, @gracewyld.bsky.social, @hamidaali.bsky.social, Adam, Shuab, Beth, Joe, and the whole team for an outstanding first year – and thank you!
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Bruno Dent @brunodent.bsky.social · 19/11/2024
Come and work with us!
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The Future Governance Forum (FGF) @futuregovforum.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
To our new followers on BlueSky! Make sure you sign up to our monthly (and sometimes-in-between) emails + stay up-to-date with all of our work at The Future Governance Forum www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/contact/
futuregovernanceforum.co.uk
Contact - Future Governance Forum
Contact Please register to be kept up to date with new information or email hello@futuregovernanceforum.co.uk if you have any queries and/or partnership opportunities. Stay updated
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