iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Jonathan Jones @sirjjkc.bsky.social · 2h

It turns out that much “red tape” is not imposed by bureaucrats or lawyers but the result of conscious political choices which can only be reversed at a political and practical cost

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Any solution to the crown court backlog that relies on pumping thousands more cases into magistrates' courts is bound to fail.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Plans for judge-only trials have been axed. This is positive: these would have put justice at risk for small time savings. But contrary to reporting, the government is still proposing to substantially restrict jury trials — by around a third! Here’s how and why it matters 🧵

Screenshot from BBC News website, showing a headline reading ‘Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trials’

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I joined BBC News in the studio this morning to explain what's happening with prison releases: who is being released, and why? For the full details, including what got us into this mess, have a look at our explainer: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/pr...

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Ben Chu @benchu.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Thinking about the impact of the triple lock on the state pension can be confusing as there's a number of interacting moving parts (earnings, inflation, 2.5%). 🤷‍♂️❓ But here's a visualisation that hopefully might help...1/5

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Excited to be headed up to Liverpool for three days of Labour party conference! Come along to our event on digital public services (Monday, 1.30-2.30) or drop me a DM if you want to grab a coffee and chat public service reform, criminal justice or digital & AI in service delivery

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

IfG at the Labour Party Conference 2026 | Institute for Government

The IfG are in Liverpool for the Labour Party Conference 2026.

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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

NEW IfG report out today on how government should approach reforming health and disability benefits The big takeaway: the system needs to better match people’s needs to the right support - through assessment reform, political leadership and more... www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Designing better incapacity benefits | Institute for Government

Personalising benefits and support is key to helping disabled people into work.

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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Lots of fun on the pod with @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @timleunig.bsky.social and @gilesyb.bsky.social on everything from state funding for political parties to conceptions of adulthood and what they mean for the national psyche. Enjoy!

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Brooke Harrington @ebharrington.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

When I tell you this is one of the most riveting, concise and accurate depictions of the catastrophically defective thought processes behind Effective Altruism and the larger Broligarch Epistemic Universe... Run, don't walk, to read the whole thing (link below), which concludes thus:

Example of the problematic thinking behind Effective Altruism.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

I was delighted to join the @transformjustice.bsky.social podcast recently to talk about the prison capacity 'doom loop': what's been going on, how did we get here, and - most importantly - how can we get out? Have a listen open.spotify.com/episode/53SE...

open.spotify.com

Ep64: Escaping the prison capacity "doom loop"

The Transform Justice Podcast · Episode

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I think this is really important — and also the fact that because it’s so annoying, we tend to complain about it! So it’s much more visible. But there have been some substantial improvements in the last year, both in snatch thefts and robbery (inc. involving knives)

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

It’s also — clearly the most important thing — the most fun show to be on! I joined @timharford.ft.com this week to chat prison leavers and reoffending. Have a listen! www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

bbc.co.uk

More or Less - Why are so many ex-prisoners being sent back to prison? - BBC Sounds

Tim Harford on prison recalls, UK millionaires, European wildfires and thieving seagulls.

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Thomas Pope @tompope.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

It's not too late to sign up for this event tomorrow lunch. In person in Manchester if you're there (or online). How Burnham can make his devolution agenda succeed? With @drhannahwhite.bsky.social @lukeraikes.bsky.social @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Great piece from Leigh on what’s been going on in Teesside in recent weeks

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Oliver Morton, Eater of Sun @eaterofsun.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Just heard @rory-stewart.bsky.social on @therestpolitics.bsky.social say that "we [the UK] still consume more carbon than we have ever done—we just have the t-shirts made in China". I've heard this point being made elsewhere recently too. And it is simply not true.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

I was really pleased to join @kenmacdonald.bsky.social and Tim Owen on their Double Jeopardy podcast this morning to talk about early releases from prisons: what's actually going on, and why? Have a listen, or check out the IfG explainer: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/pr...

open.spotify.com

The Prisoner Release Scheme: Lurching From One Crisis to Another? Plus The Fatal Immorality of Mark Zuckerberg.

Double Jeopardy - UK Law and Politics · Episode

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

I’m on holiday, but somehow getting the impression this one might still be relevant

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Prisons have been back in the news, with early releases and the capacity crisis the gift that keeps on giving. But what is *actually* happening? How much of their sentence do people spend in prison at the moment, and how will that change? @marialaura-lacorte.bsky.social and I explain all:

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

How will the new prison early release scheme work? | Institute for Government

The Sentencing Act 2026 has brought in several changes to early release in England and Wales.

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Heloise Dunlop @hcdunlop.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Good letter from Chi Onwurah seeking clarification about the split of DSIT’s responsibilities. The fact that there is still little clarity about the split is concerning, but it is a silver lining that the committee’s really good work will be continuing committees.parliament.uk/publications...

committees.parliament.uk

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Thomas Pope @tompope.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Some thoughts on the government's devo announcement today: Overall, this is a great start on the govt's flagship agenda 1/

gov.uk

Rewiring the State – Cabinet Statement (HTML)

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Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.com · 30/07/2026

I have blogged! The State of the Present: Andy Burnham’s new government or - Why the abolition of DSIT is baffling and bad - Why I'm worried about what it means for civil service reform - Some opportunities for the new government around data, digital, open government medium.com/state-of-the...

medium.com

The State of the Present: Andy Burnham’s new government

In common with lots of other policy people in recent weeks, I’ve been reading Head North, the (very readable) book by new Prime Minister…

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

This is an absolutely extraordinary stat: more people were recalled to prison than released Jan-March 2026. 3/4 were for breaches of licence conditions, not for committing further offences. Probation has just become incapable of managing offenders in the community & supporting rehabilitation.

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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 27/07/2026

The government must focus on public protection when it comes to prison releases Managing prison capacity provides an early test of Andy Burnham’s ability to grapple with trade-offs, argues @cassiarowland.bsky.social Read our comment: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/publ...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

The government must focus on public protection when it comes to prison releases | Institute for Government

There are no easy answers to meeting the prison capacity challenge.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

The new prime minister is about to run out of prison spaces. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. But once again, there are no easy answers and just cancelling early releases is not a solution. The focus must be on public protection - including better protection in the community. 🧵

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

The government must focus on public protection when it comes to prison releases | Institute for Government

There are no easy answers to meeting the prison capacity challenge.

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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

NEW BLOG: organisational boundaries in local govt, the NHS and police do not match up That's a problem for Burnham's devo ambitions He should intervene now to create an aligned system that paves the way for future public services devo More 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Burnham’s devolution agenda can lay strong foundations for public service reform | Institute for Government

The new PM needs to align the boundaries of services in local areas.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

So Burnham is pausing planned early releases from prisons. Not much of a surprise, but he should be hesitant to junk these plans entirely — the last government didn’t want to do this either! There are no easy answers on prison capacity www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c1...

bbc.co.uk

Burnham pauses plan to release some prisoners early from September - live updates

Under the scheme - designed to ease overcrowding - thousands of prisoners in England and Wales could have been freed after serving a third of their sentence, rather than half.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

This is a fab chart from @resolutionfoundation.org. Really striking how much stronger the income gradient is for some services than others — no surprise that severe problems in local councils and especially the courts are felt more by those on low incomes.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

Really interesting thread here for those interested in the cybersecurity implications of AI — positive and negative!

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Rebecca McKee @rebeccamckee.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Andy Burnham is holding his first cabinet meeting as prime minister and there are a few new faces around the table. Key appointments were confirmed late yesterday, so we've updated our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk chart to show where we currently stand with ministerial appointments 👇

A chart setting out confirmed and new appointments in Andy Burnham's cabinet as of 12:30pm on 21st July 2026. It shows all the cabinet positions have been filled, some ministers of state have been confirmed but others are yet to be confirmed as either staying in post or leaving.

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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

One question that’s come up a couple of times: where do Andy Burnham’s new cabinet represent as MPs? The north west has been the big gainer, with seven cabinet ministers holding seats there – of whom, five are in Greater Manchester

A small multiple of bar charts from the Institute for Government, showing the number of cabinet ministers by constituency region for the Starmer and Burnham governments in July 2026. The North West has the highest number of cabinet ministers under either government, with seven under Burnham

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Philip Nye @philipnye.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

As cabinet appointments start to come in, a reminder that we (@instituteforgovernment.org.uk) hold a database of all ministerial appointments back to 1979 It's easy to look up all the previous holders of a post, all the roles someone has had etc: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/ministers-da...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

IfG Ministers Database | Institute for Government

Search our database of all government ministers since 1979.

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Vicky Elliott @msvkelliott.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Lots of @instituteforgovernment.org.uk experts commenting on changes this week, including on Ministerial appointments today. Do follow @rebeccamckee.bsky.social @aliceolilly.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social @cassiarowland.bsky.social @meganbryer.bsky.social and those in the chain below for insights

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Heloise Dunlop @hcdunlop.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

@jillongovt.bsky.social and I had a report ready to go but were pipped to the post by Burnham’s (predictable) decision to bring digital ID to an end. There were too many questions to answer and little that had been decided, making it an easier (and popular) decision than most will be for Burnham!

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

We have our new PM. Alongside, we’ll get a whole host of new ministers. We’re expecting new leaders in most of the big public service departments: health, justice, local government, home office, & maybe education too. But what will this mean for services and all their ongoing reforms? 🧵

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Amber Dellar @amberdellar.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Good news, and... One of the big positives in the Starmer govt’s approach was its move beyond a narrow focus on rough sleeping. Burnham should make sure this pledge sits within a broader prevention strategy - not simply drive more spending on poor-value temporary accommodation to meet the target

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Burnham starting off by promising to end rough sleeping is fascinating: it was his big cause in Manchester, made real early progress, pioneered a whole-system approach (prevention as well as housing provision) but then figures rising again. He argued Manchester could only get so far by itself...

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

The day’s first casualty: James Timpson resigns as prisons minister. This is a big surprise! Timpson had a long history as a prisons reformer before entering government and seen as one of Starmer’s more innovative & exciting appointments. He’s also delivered a big change programme in gov. So: why?

bbc.co.uk

Prisons minister Lord Timpson quits government

The businessman said it was an "honour" to serve in the post, but the BBC understands he feels he has achieved all he can in the role.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Great thread that touches on something really important: when gov intervenes in something like this in the face of expert advice from an arm’s-length body, it undermines the system of independence those bodies rely on. Gov put these things at arm’s length for a reason & this amps up politicisation.

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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

It's England's world cup semi-finals day. Forget team selection dilemmas and xG analysis. What you really want is a really nerdy deep-dive into football, pub opening hours, and what they tell you about the most important form of legislation that you may never have heard of. Let's go.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Really great data vis in this morning's London Centric from @jim.londoncentric.media! Clear, fun and eye-catching - @philipnye.bsky.social one for our IfG data vis training? And as always well-worth a read, today on tipping culture in London open.substack.com/pub/londonce...

A chart/graphic from London Centric showing the impact of an additional £1 on the price of a coffee to raise staff wages. The chart is a mosaic/stacked bar chart, showing the amount taken by the worker vs paid in tax, but each 'bar' looks like a coffee cup with different layers in. With a £1 increase in headline price, the worker gets 42p and HMRC gets 48p in various taxes, while with a £1 optional service charge, the worker gets 80p and HMRC takes 20p.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Just happened on this great blog from Justice Digital on protecting researchers when working on hard topics or with people who've experienced trauma. The little practical steps - taking a break after an interview, not doing this work from home if you can - are undervalued but make a real difference.

mojdigital.blog.gov.uk

Do no harm – how to keep colleagues safe in research

If we want to design ethical, inclusive services that truly meet people’s needs, we also need to think about the emotional impact of research on the teams delivering it. Transforming government digit...

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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

New comment: Starmer can credibly say he steadied the ship on public services But his govt launched a haphazard set of reforms and performance has not improved radically What choices does Burnham face? What can he do in the next ~3 years? 🧵👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Burnham should learn from Starmer’s successes and failures on public services | Institute for Government

Keir Starmer squandered the opportunity to reform public services.

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Cath Haddon @cathhaddon.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Ok seen a few of these stories now. It's weird, given how many mid-term changes of PM we have had lately, that people don't remember they don't have shadow cabinets and there are many reasons they literally can't 'appoint' their picks before actually becoming PM. www.ft.com/content/66ad...

ft.com

Andy Burnham warned over lack of cabinet as Number 10 transition talks step up

Prospective Labour prime minister could take office as soon as July 20

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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

Good decision by Burnham (if true). He needs to prioritise improving the centre of govt and economic/fiscal policy making, but splitting the Treasury would be a damaging distraction (set up a bolstered PM dept, have a bold tax strategy and improve the SR instead) www.ft.com/content/61c0...

ft.com

Andy Burnham rules out splitting Treasury to avoid disruption

Likely next prime minister has been rethinking Britain’s economic levers to promote regional growth

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

NEW REPORT: How to deliver digital transformation in public services. Successive governments have looked to digital solutions for problems facing public services – with varying success. We’ve looked at past examples and drawn out 7 lessons for people working on future programmes:

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

How to deliver digital transformation in public services | Institute for Government

A practical guide to improve the design and delivery of digital transformation programmes in public services.

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Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Within a few weeks we'll have our next prime minister - don't know if you've heard, but he's been mayor of Manchester for the last few years. @tompope.bsky.social, @akashpaun.bsky.social and I have had a look for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk at the differences between the two roles:

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

From mayor to prime minister | Institute for Government

Does Andy Burnham’s experience as a regional mayor prepare him for No.10?

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Really positive sign that the backlog of cases in the crown court is stabilising - very much contrary to expectations! The number of open cases held steady at around 80,000 cases from Dec 2025 to March 2026. Suggests removing the cap on how many days courts are in session is having a real impact.

A line chart from the Institute for Government showing open cases in the Crown Court, from Q1 2016 to Q1 2026. The number of actual cases declined gradually from around 48,000 in 2016 to 33,072 in 2019 Q1, before rising sharply during the pandemic to over 60,000 in 2021 and continuing to increase to 80,000 by the end of 2025. In the last quarter, the number of open cases has held steady at 80,000, the first time since the beginning of 2023 it has not risen.

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