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Dafydd Vaughan

@daivaughan.uk
997 followers 945 following 264 posts

Geek. Cymru. Digital technology specialist. Consulting Practice CTO at Public Digital. Independent Member for Digital at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board. Co-founder of GDS. Views my own.

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Reposted by Dafydd Vaughan
Gavin Freeguard @gavinfreeguard.com · 17/09/2026
🚨 TONIGHT 🚨 Join us for Transform Gov Talks Cymru from @transformgovtalks.bsky.social & @transform.wales! We'll hear from: - Welsh Revenue Authority (a user-centred approach to the visitor accommodation register) - Shared Resource Service (giving council tax a C21 facelift) - Transform Wales
luma.com
TGT Cymru: TransformGov Talks x Transform Wales · Luma
We're delighted to be working with Transform Wales to bring TransformGov Talks to Wales for the first time. Join us for three talks: Catherine Elms and Neil…
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Ciaran Martin @ciaranm.bsky.social · 13/09/2026
My latest on the AI and cyber stuff www.linkedin.com/pulse/ai-pac...
linkedin.com
AI pacing: the call and the claim
The Anthropic boss chose a very sloppy, easily dismantled example from cyber security with which to lead his call to pace the frontier. That was a mistake, but shouldn't undermine the force of the int...
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 14/08/2026
Always good to know the emergency alerts have been sent. Of course, those of us who live in rural areas don’t get them because we have poor/no mobile signal.
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Jonty Wareing @jonty.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
I always suspected a UK government would eventually reverse course on "coding in public". So I've been backing up all government code. For six years. Today I finally generated a report on what has been deleted. Its much worse than I realised. github.com/uk-gov-mirro...
Deleted UK Government code repositories

Total deleted repositories: 1526
Organisations affected: 56

See RECENTLY_DELETED.md for the most recently deleted repositories.

Organisation	Deleted Repos	% Deleted
hmrc	195	9.8%
nhsdigital	169	33.8%
SkillsFundingAgency	154	22.7%
informatics-lab	154	100.0%
UKHomeOffice	101	7.5%
ministryofjustice	74	2.8%
ONSdigital	66	4.3%
moj-analytical-services	65	75.6%
ukwa	47	46.1%
dwp	46	6.7%
UKGovernmentBEIS	43	27.4%
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 07/08/2026
More than 24 hours into my journey home from an in-person work day in Liverpool. At least 2 more hours to go. Sometimes public transport is great. Sometimes it's absolute 💩. Power failure, displaced crew, train fault, points failure, damaged from a fire. All separate incidents, all in one journey.
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James Ball @jamesrball.com · 29/07/2026
This is absolutely the stuff of nightmares
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Alex @blangry.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
There's a definite comparison with how Commercial Service is now an executive agency and trading fund and GDS just being PVAd onto the side of a few too many different departments.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 18/07/2026
When organisations face a major transformation, the default instinct is to plan a massive, multi-year roadmap. But all-or-nothing plans multiply your risk and starve projects of their most critical currency: trust. If you want to succeed, you must break the problem down into small slices.
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Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 17/07/2026
❤️
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Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 27/06/2026
Busy Saturday. Rabble rousing with our neighbours over a big local planning issue at 9am. Then off to Abergavenny Pride. Walked in the parade, bought some badges, had a drink. Melted.
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Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 06/06/2026
This past 48 hours has been horrific. Out of nowhere, Dilys’s back went again. This was her 4th or 5th round of IVDD. We’ve lost count by now. But this one was different, no warning. So much pain. And she wouldn’t or couldn’t let us help her. We’ve been at the vets 3 times since Thursday night
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Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 21/05/2026
Full blown rage before 7.30 trying to report (another) water leak to Dŵr Cymru. That was FAR harder than it needed to be. (We’ve had next to no water for more than 24 hours from another leak. Now there is one at the end of the road that has already been “fixed” 3 times this year)
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 20/05/2026
Learning to pronounce someone's name correctly is a fundamental matter of respect. But the recent reaction to our new First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, shows how quickly that basic boundary breaks down when it comes to Welsh identity and language.
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Heledd Quaeck @helivans.bsky.social · 20/05/2026
Diolch @daivaughan.uk for writing this. The number of swimming certificates and many other such things that were spelt wrong. “can i call you Helen?” Amazing we now have a Heledd as MS! I may invite her up to “Heledd Fest* on Ynysoedd Heledd (Hebredies) one day *does not really exist (yet…)
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 20/05/2026
Learning to pronounce someone's name correctly is a fundamental matter of respect. But the recent reaction to our new First Minister, Rhun ap Iorwerth, shows how quickly that basic boundary breaks down when it comes to Welsh identity and language.
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Claire Vaughan @pixieglas.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
Heledd Fychan gets it. Arts, Health, Social Care, the Environment and Business are all intertwined. You cannot cut or invest in the Arts without consequences elsewhere.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 16/05/2026
A bit of Saturday morning reading... The new Welsh Gov has a "first 100-day plan", but I've been hearing people say that it's too short a time to delivery any meaningful change. I disagree - 100-days is a perfect opportunity to start building momentum and show a different way of working.
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Mark O’Neill 🐻 @radiobeartime.com · 15/05/2026
Brilliant work by @cocochan.bsky.social and colleagues. Build, don’t buy! Palantir is not magic :)
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 14/05/2026
There's lots of important messaging in this new guidance from GDS / DSIT on AI, open code and vulnerability risk. In particular: "Private repositories can create a false sense of security" and "Openness can surface issues earlier" www.gov.uk/guidance/ai-...
gov.uk
AI, open code and vulnerability risk in the public sector
Guidance for safely publishing source code in the open, and reducing the risk of AI-accelerated vulnerability discovery.
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Ann Kempster @annkempster.com · 13/05/2026
As the new First Minister and Cabinet set to work, a timely post from us at @transform.wales today on how 100 days is enough to prove a different way of governing. transform.wales/blog/2026/10...
transform.wales
100 days is enough to prove a different way of governing
Plaid Cymru’s ‘First 100 days’ plan sets out an ambitious vision for Wales. It talks about creating a more open and transparent government, adopting a ’test and learn’ approach to delivery, agreeing m...
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Dr Adam Evans @a-b-evans.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Results of the First Minister roll call: Rhun ap Iorwerth 44 Dan Thomas 34 Daran Millar 7 Rhun ap Iorwerth will now be formally nominated for appointment as First Minister. He will be the seventh individual, first Plaid member, and the first North Wales MS, to hold the post #Senedd #Devolution
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Leanne Wood @leannewood.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
60% of the new Plaid Cymru Members of the Senedd are women. 🥰
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Election Maps UK @electionmaps.uk · 08/05/2026
🚨 | First Senedd Results: First 6 seats: 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 PC: 2 (+2) ➡️ Reform: 2 (+2) 🌹 Labour: 1 (-2) 🌳 Conservative: 1 (-1)
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 07/05/2026
Democratic duty done ✅. Dilys voted for more treats, belly rubs & naps. #DogsAtPollingStations #Senedd #Cymru
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Transform Wales @transform.wales · 07/05/2026
Heddiw, mae Cymru’n pleidleisio. Beth bynnag eich gwleidyddiaeth, ewch allan i bleidleisio yn etholiad y Senedd heddiw. Bydd y penderfyniadau sy’n cael eu gwneud dros y 5 mlynedd nesaf yn siapio ein GIG, ein cynghorau, ein heconomi a’n gwasanaethau cyhoeddus am genhedlaeth.
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Transform Wales @transform.wales · 07/05/2026
Today, Wales votes. Whatever your politics, please take the time to vote in the Senedd election. The decisions made over the next 5 years will shape our NHS, councils, economy, infrastructure and public services for a generation.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 07/05/2026
Today is an important day for public services in Wales. The outcome of today's election will affect how everything from the NHS, to education, from the environment to culture will be delivered for the next 4 years. Make sure you get out to vote before 10pm tonight. #Senedd #Etholiad
vote.wales
Vote.Wales | Home
Vote.wales is the website that explains everything you need to know about the Senedd election
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Senedd Wales @senedd.wales · 07/05/2026
It's election day in Wales. Wales is voting. You decide. 🕙 Polling stations are open until 10pm to cast your vote in the Senedd election.
Bold text says "Vote Today" against a pink gradient background. Below, smaller text reads: "Senedd Election, 7 May 2026 | Wales is voting | Make your mark." A pink ballot box graphic with the words "More Power To You" is at the bottom.
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Ross McFarlane @rossmcf.com · 07/05/2026
#senedd #etholiad HEDDIW (Dydd Iau) YW’R DYDD - DOES DIM ANGED ID - DOES DIM ANGEN cerdyn pleidleisio - Ewch! 💚
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Chris Drew @mesnilman.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Excellent last briefing by @willhaycardiff.bsky.social willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/wales-watc...
willhaywardwales.substack.com
Wales watching - The midweek briefing
The time is here...
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Claire Vaughan @pixieglas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Please read the Will Hayward newsletter and please watch this video which with chocolate peanuts explains how our votes get seats better than anything else I've seen. www.instagram.com/reel/DX33rwy...
instagram.com
Instagram
Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.
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Claire Vaughan @pixieglas.bsky.social · 06/05/2026
Tomorrow we'll all be voting in the Welsh Senedd elections and the new PR system is confusing people. I'm so grateful for the @willhaycardiff.bsky.social newsletter for making it clear about where we stand with tactical voting. 1/ willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/tactical-v...
willhaywardwales.substack.com
Tactical voting in the Welsh election
Can you vote to stop another party?
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Jac Larner @jaclarner.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Notable that much of the variation in Welsh polling has disappeared in the final days of the campaign. The standard deviation in Plaid Cymru estimates across firms fell from 4.3 to 1.8 percentage points since autumn; for Labour, from 5.6 to 2.3 Most convergence happening in last 10 days (1/2)
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Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
New polling for Wales puts Plaid ahead of Reform (just). willhaywardwales.substack.com/p/new-poll-p...
willhaywardwales.substack.com
New poll puts Plaid Cymru ahead
But it’s very close…
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Jac Larner @jaclarner.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
Lots of misunderstanding about Wales’s new electoral system — how it works, what it takes to get elected, and especially around tactical voting. Partly to sort my own thinking, I put together something that tries to make sense of it. Proper write-up coming soon. jaclarner.github.io/jaclarner/bl...
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 02/05/2026
Remembering mum one year on. Scattered her ashes on the on the hillside above home. ❤️
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Transform Wales @transform.wales · 01/05/2026
Read our independent breakdown of where the major parties align (and misalign) with our vision for a modern, user-centred Wales. 🔗 transform.wales/blog/2026/te... #Wales2026 #Senedd #DigitalServices #PublicSectorReform
transform.wales
Testing the 2026 manifestos against digital reality
As Wales prepares for the 2026 election, we’ve analysed the major party manifestos to see if they address the systemic ‘plumbing’ needed for modern public services. Our review finds that while Artific...
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Transform Wales @transform.wales · 01/05/2026
🧵With the Senedd election just over a week away, we’ve been digging through the manifestos. We’ve put them to the test against the recommendations in our report, "Transforming Public Services for a Modern Wales" — our manual for a 21st-century state.
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Terence Eden @edent.tel · 01/05/2026
New blog post: NHS Goes To War Against Open Source shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/nhs-goes-t… The NHS is preparing to close nearly all of its Open Source repositories. Throughout my time working for the UK Government - in GDS, NHSX, i.AI, and others - I championed …
shkspr.mobi
NHS Goes To War Against Open Source
The NHS is preparing to close nearly all of its Open Source repositories. Throughout my time working for the UK Government - in GDS, NHSX, i.AI, and others - I championed Open Source. I spoke to dozens of departments about it, wrote guidance still in use today, and briefed Ministers on why it was so important. That's why I'm beyond disappointed at recent moves from NHS England to backtrack on…
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Will Hayward - Wales Journo @willhaycardiff.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Reform leader in Wales Dan Thomas has suggested cutting some financial support to grassroots sport clubs. Worth bearing in mind that Wales already has some of the lowest spending on sport of any country in Europe and is even below the UK average.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 26/04/2026
Unintentionally interrupted this hog earlier. Judging by the noise outside right now it did not upset him for long…
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Andrew Greenway @andrewgreenway.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
Great thread from Ciaran. Genuinely world class state capability. In a new(ish) institution.
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Jon Ayre @jonayre.uk · 19/03/2026
You’re seriously asking if a CTO should have a technology background? You might as well be asking if the Pope needs to be Catholic. If your CTO isn’t from a technical background then, to be quite honest, you have a bias issue, and it’s hurting your business.
jonayre.uk
You’re seriously asking if a CTO should have a technology background? - Jon Ayre
If your CTO isn't from a technical background then, to be quite honest, you have a bias issue, and it's hurting your business.
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NationCymru @nation.cymru · 14/03/2026
Planning is not always procrastination, and consultation is not always kicking hard decisions down the road. Plaid Cymru’s willingness to build policy with people may be one of the few genuinely interesting things in their approach ✍️ @jamesldowns.bsky.social
wp.me
Why Plaid Cymru’s plan to 'make a plan' might not be a bad plan, after all
James Downs, Mental health campaigner One of the more predictable criticisms of Plaid Cymru’s programme for the Senedd election has been that there is too much in it about planning, consultation, and ...
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 13/03/2026
This issue is a service owners worst nightmare. Huge #hugops to the team figuring out what has happened, how long it’s been an issue, and the wider impact of it. And huge appreciation to @danneidle.bsky.social and co for being sensible. Responsible disclosure is important.
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Ben Unsworth @benunsworth.co.uk · 13/03/2026
The accompanying blog post shows that Dan and colleagues followed responsible disclosure process before publishing.
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Peter Jordan @peterbjordan.bsky.social · 13/03/2026
Don't copy your driving licence ... When the driving licence is the ID you're routinely asked to upload to prove your identity
Photo of letter from DVLA saying your driving licence should not be adjusted, copied it photographed.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 13/03/2026
This is an incredibly serious vulnerability in the Companies House digital service. CH have thankfully taken the service offline to avoid any further compromise.
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Dafydd Vaughan @daivaughan.uk · 10/03/2026
What's My JND? 0.0039 Can you beat it? www.keithcirkel.co.uk/whats-my-jnd...
keithcirkel.co.uk
What's My JND?
Find your Just Noticeable Difference in colour perception. How small a colour difference can you actually see?
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