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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 3h

Looking forward to talking on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social just after 2pm about the Shadow Chancellor’s conference speech today.

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Radix Big Tent - RBT @radixuk.bsky.social · 4h

TOMORROW - how could Whitehall work better? Join @carolineslocock.bsky.social, @steffanaquarone.bsky.social, & Vicky Pryce for an interactive webinar drawing on decades of experience in & around government 📅 Tues 6th Oct ⏰ 6PM 🎟️ Register & take part radixbigtent.org.uk/events/whats... #FreeWebinar

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 8h

Me, in the FT. He might hate her but she had leadership qualities he will need to reverse her legacy. But he also needs to bring the country together to deliver his vision in ways she never could.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

As Burnham draws a line on Thatcherism, Badenoch digs in. The Tories have had no big ideas since Thatcher except Brexit. Reheating Thatcherism now looks outdated, with nothing to say about improving services other than low taxes, small state, privatisation www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Kemi Badenoch spells out her six Tory principles: ‘I call it Kemistry’

The Conservative leader says her party is unmoored from its beliefs. At conference she is launching a Thatcheresque manifesto to restore them

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

The Milburn review says children as young as 4 should be introduced to the world of work while Bill Gates is saying that in the next 20 years all human jobs will eventually be replaced by AI and robots, with no new jobs to replace them, unless we exclude certain roles.#HeadInSand #ShortTermism

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Radix Big Tent - RBT @radixuk.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

From Thatcher to Blair & beyond, @carolineslocock.bsky.social spent 4 decades in & around government Join Caroline, @steffanaquarone.bsky.social & Vicky Pryce for an interactive webinar - how can #Whitehall work better? 📅 Tues 6 Oct 6PM 📍Register www.radixbigtent.org.uk/events/whats... #FreeWebinar

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

We've got so used to 'retail politics' - specific, small-scale promises to win votes - that it's a genuine shock to hear a PM talk about big ideas and set big aspirations for Britain, all spoken with genuine passion. And advocating for solidarity rather than stoking division.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Impressed by Burnham on #bbcLauraK. He's right about failure of politicians to fix social care and the high collateral cost to NHS and families. I'm impressed by his moral determination to do this, come what may. Let's hope he has the grit to overcome the obstacles and deliver.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

A feeling of déjà vu re AI: Covid. Initial stories re distant threat, contrary views put forward, politicians downplay & carry on as normal; Johnson’s week off as threat becomes clear to everyone except govt; finally ‘we have a plan’ (but they don’t), all far too late. I hope not. #BadGovernment

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Environmental and fire experts warn about the serious impact on our water supply of new AI data centres. Whose voice is most likely to be heard by govt? Big business or local people and those concerned for their welfare? Sadly, we all know the answer #BadGovernment www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Data centres must pay more for water as AI expands, watchdog says

The chief executive of the Office for Environmental Protection warns that Britain faces serious supply pressure in water-stressed regions

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Paul Parker @rcquaker.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

So many books about what's wrong with government. This one's authoritative - @carolineslocock.bsky.social was there on the inside, saw what worked, saw what didn't, and offers a clear and rational recipe for what's needed now. A great read. www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Governme...

amazon.co.uk

Bad Government (And How To Make It Better): Amazon.co.uk: Caroline Slocock: 9781837360505: Books

Buy Bad Government (And How To Make It Better) by Caroline Slocock (ISBN: 9781837360505) from Amazon's Book Store. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Can Burnham break the cycle of #BadGovernment and change how Britain is governed for the better? Really enjoyed talking to @IainDale.bluesy.social about my new book, Bad Government (And How to Make it Better) @BitebackPublishing.bsky.social podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/3...

podcasts.apple.com

386. Caroline Slocock

Podcast Episode · Iain Dale All Talk · 23 September · 45min

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

I entirely agree but that ship has appeared to have sailed, partly because the Starmer govt failed to show leadership in face of Reform eg ‘island of strangers’, removing migrant/asylum rights, guidance reinforcing view that asylum seekers are a danger to women #BadGovernment

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I thought Burnham promised to stop leaks about Budget plans which were so common under Starmer.There’s a real world out there that is affected by such pitch rolling eg the stalled property market. ‘Labour considers lowering mansion tax threshold to £1.5m’ www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Labour considers lowering mansion tax threshold to £1.5m

John Healey could target nearly 300,000 homes to raise £800m in the budget, but critics warn middle-class families will be hit

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Pity our new PM. You set priorities for No 10 and how you will spend your time, No 10 North and growth in every postcode, and then a young man tells the world that AI could kill us all within a few years, with the next 6 months critical to stop it. And your beloved father dies.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

The problem with rules on political donations, as with the other rules applying to politicians, is that they are largely set and policed by politicians and in particular the ruling party. Turkeys don’t vote for Xmas. Imagine what will happen if Reform gain power #BadGovernment

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

‘We just don’t have British resident donors or British entities that would support us,’ Reform’s James Orr told undercover reporters. They say their Bitcoin billionaires want nothing but that’s because Reform already has the policies they want. They donate to get them in power.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Me with @marbellagiles talking about my new book Bad Government. We need politicians who genuinely listen to people, and can change the mood music from today's division and performative politics to a more creative, collaborative, action-focused space. m.youtube.com/watch?v=e6D3...

m.youtube.com

Caroline Slocock - Bad Government (And How To Make It Better) ...with TRE's Giles Brown

YouTube video by Talk Radio Europe

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I can’t think of a better example of why big money shouldn’t be allowed to dominate our politicians than this - a £36m donation from crypto billionaire convicted of money laundering in US but pardoned by Trump to a party that advocates for cryptocurrency. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

bbc.co.uk

Ben Delo: Reform receives record £36m donation from cryptocurrency billionaire

Ben Delo's donation, the biggest single sum ever given to a political party in the UK, comes amid scrutiny of Reform's finances.

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Otto English @ottoenglish.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Truly disgusting social media post from one of Brexit's most influential backers.

Arron Banks

Going through Heathrow today, there wasn't one
white face in security or airport services. The
Home office is staffed by the type of people we
are trying to keep out! What hope?

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Somebody needs to stand up internationally to get countries to band together to stop AI from destroying humanity - it certainly won’t be Trump. Could it be a Burnham? Growth in Britain is his no 1 goal, and No 10 North his passion, but this is a moral mission above all others.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New legal powers for the centre to overrule Permanent govt depts might sound like a way of getting things done but risks the reverse: disempowering Secretaries of State, confusion about reporting lines, decisions piling up in No 10, slowing govt down #BadGovernment www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Andy Burnham to give civil service head Antonia Romeo more power

The PM, who has criticised the time ‘wasted’ in Whitehall, plans to hand the cabinet secretary the legal right to direct the work of departments’ top officials

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Just been listening to the Business Secretary and Shadow Chancellor on #bbcLauraK. Not a word about the impact of AI on job losses and welfare budgets not to mention destabilising the economy and lives. Only a US economist touched on it at the end. Our politics - and government- is letting us down.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

If Reform's attitude toward electoral law worries you, then consider their 100 day plan: a State of Emergency, Parliament working overtime to create new laws, govt maybe even appointing judges. With a big majority they could dismantle checks, defang judicial oversight. #Hungary #BadGovernment

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This could be that Boris Johnson moment when supporters stop seeing their leader as a charismatic election winner and 'loveable' rogue and start seeing an election loser. But then Johnson didn't create his party, and Farage did, and maybe his supporters don't care about integrity

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Interesting to hear Nick Robinson on the Today programme say Farage has to prove he has competence, judgement and a team around him that can be trusted if he’s to be PM. But what about integrity and honesty? Let’s not forget Boris Johnson and partygate #BadGovernment

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Extraordinary coup by Channel 4 News and Verbatim Investigations exposes not just Reform but how easy it is to get round the existing law. Time not just to stop foreign donations altogether but cap all donations. Big money in politics corrupts.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Lots of important things said by Burnham today but to pick out one - his recognition of the need to restore trust in politics. I hope he will cap all political donations, with an outright ban on foreign donations, not just a cap, and reform the Lobbying Act which is long overdue.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Jones says Burnham must address 3 “urgent inflection points”: AI incl the effect on the labour market, esp for young people, climate change and defence capability. True, but a shame Starmer’s govt failed to convincingly address these things. #BadGovernment www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Darren Jones: Public spending won’t make UK wealthy

Darren Jones, formerly chief secretary to Sir Keir Starmer, says Britain is ‘poorer than we often think’ as he urges the prime minister to focus on growth

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

Interesting to see Burnham on the international stage - politics and inclination pull him into domestic issues, symbolised by No 10 North, but resolving so many of them require international collaboration: defence, Iran, climate change, AI, Trump. Will he rise to that challenge?

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Looking forward to reviewing tomorrow's newspapers tonight at 10.30pm on @listentotimesradio.bsky.social with Darryl Morris.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Educational to listen to a builder on #r4bh talking about the big issues restricting house building: lack of buyers because of affordability and delays caused by scarcity of planning officers. She thinks new mayoralty powers to overrule LAs won’t help and may make things worse..

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Since Johnson’s day govt has got stuck in a pattern of campaigning, not governing, and as Gray says the skills are v different. Even worse when toxic relationships develop as they did under Johnson/Cummings and Starmer/McSweeney. #BadGovernment www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

theguardian.com

Working in Keir Starmer’s No 10 ‘unbearable’, says Sue Gray

Former chief of staff tells of fears her conversations were being recorded and leaked to media by colleagues

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

This puts a number on the £36bn cost of inaction on climate change in London but these and other long term costs are currently invisible in Treasury accounting so inaction is incentivised. HMT wiring needs to change, as I argue in my book #BadGovernment www.london.gov.uk/climate-chan...

london.gov.uk

Climate change could cost London up to £36 billion a year by the 2050s, new report reveals

A major new report published today by the Mayor of London and London Councils reveals extreme heat and the continued impacts of climate change could cost the capital up to £36 billion a year by the 20...

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Excellent that Burnham is seeking to bring govt, civil society and business together to end rough sleeping - the kind of ambitious goal and style of collaborative working we need more of. Not so convinced by No 10 North’s local growth remit: fear he’ll get bogged down in detail.

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Count Binface @countbinface.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

A brief note for Nadhim Zahawi.

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Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

As Britain swelters through another heatwave, few people will have heard that ministers have quietly dropped plans for solar carports. Cars cooler in summer. Shelter from the rain in winter. Clean electricity all year round. A missed opportunity?

eastangliabylines.co.uk

As Britain bakes, ministers quietly park plans for solar carports

Ministers have quietly shelved plans that could have transformed Britain's biggest car parks into shaded power stations

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

I hope Burnham makes fixing the criminal justice system a priority for the Treasury, rather than spending his time micromanaging one symptom, the early release scheme. He risks repeating a classic pattern of bad govt: spending too much time firefighting, not enough on prevention.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Can Burnham keep his eye on the bigger picture as he attempts to dominate the daily news cycle? One issue staring us all in the face: climate change - not just prevention, which is crying out for international leadership, but also mitigation, where govt is failing miserably.

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Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

The Telegraph's challenge to Restore Britain continues It is running a series of August news stories based on things said on TV in February www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/08...

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TRE - Talk Radio Europe @tre.radio · 28/07/2026

Join us for 'Let's Talk' with Giles Brown - right now! Director of think tank Civil Exchange, ex-civil servant - including Private Secretary to two PMs (!), @carolineslocock.bsky.social , discusses 'Bad Government: And How To Make It Better'

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

V much hope Burnham can sort out social care, at last. Amongst other things, he’s said to be considering locking out private firms, often run by extractive private equity firms which push up prices, from public funding. Unravelling Thatcher’s legacy… www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...

thetimes.com

Andy Burnham to lock out private firms from social care revolution

The prime minister wants to stop taxpayers subsidising private equity profits as he seeks to set up an NHS-style service

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Ministers love machinery of govt changes - it’s something they can do ‘just like that’. They underestimate the massive disruption and distraction, in some cases for years, as caused by constant NHS reorganisations. Plus a larger No 10 is a big mistake. Slowing not speeding govt up.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Burnham has set out some operating principles for govt - a preventive state, investing in people's success rather than paying for failure, working through collaboration with others, with the care of people at its heart. If he delivers on this, it will be a 'circuit breaker'.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Looking forward to speaking with Jeremy Vine on BBC radio 2 around 12.30 ish, about Burnham's speech on the steps of No 10 and the challenges he faces.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 19/07/2026

As soon as Burnham enters No 10, the harder it will be to retain his USP, his authentic self. 'Andy' will now be 'PM', largely relying on others in No 10 to determine his diary, make decisions/speak for him, or put words in his mouth. The more he does, the less he's in control.

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

Burnham's promise to overturn Thatcher's legacy took me right back to the passage in my first book, People Like Us, about how she utterly changed the political and economic landscape, and wondering who would have the strength to overturn it. Can he do it? 🧵

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Last year the govt signed a Covenant saying it 'respects the independence & legitimacy of civil society organisations to advocate & campaign..& to hold the government to account', yet now lashes out at @savechildrenuk for criticising it on Gaza: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

theguardian.com

Save the Children clashes with Labour after accusing Starmer of ‘complicity’ in Gaza deaths

Government – which provides significant portion of charity’s funding – is understood to have demanded an explanation

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Hoping for a clear sense of purpose and direction from Burnham's govt. 'Place first, not party' and 'doing govt differently' is a start but I'm struggling to see how constant media briefing against Miliband saying Mahmood will be ChEx fits in with this. I'm losing the plot.

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