iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I am a serial offender of redesigning my teams to have more people at lower levels for the same budget!

James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I feel your pain. I too have tried to report Staff in Post figures and also to do workforce planning. Even in an operational command with about 300 people all in the same building it was impossible for me to say how many people were physically there at 1000 for a daily output forecast.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It's worse when you realise that the former DSIT people outnumber the DCMS people significantly. When I was in DCMS we only had 600 people. Also, the only technically correct answer to this sort of question is "nobody knows". Civil service numbers are like subject to Heisenberg's principle.

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Super pleased to see this out (and open access!). Moluag was clearly an important figure in Pictland, here we got to help the team who made such important discoveries at Moluag's monastery get the word on the street about the importance of Lismore and the new findings! tinyurl.com/5cb9vf3p

tinyurl.com

A major monastic centre? Rethinking Lismore’s place in the ecclesiastical landscapes of early medieval Britain | Antiquity | Cambridge Core

A major monastic centre? Rethinking Lismore’s place in the ecclesiastical landscapes of early medieval Britain - Volume 100 Issue 413

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Looking forward to our National Conversation in the Scottish Parliament this evening organised by @foundationsofthedigitalstate.com

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UofG Centre for Public Policy @uofgpolicy.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

NEW #UofGSpotlight: The Devolution Revolution?🚨🎧 We discuss Burnham’s ‘devolution revolution’ and what it means for the devolved nations, with Dr David Waite and Dr Jack Newman. Plus we look at developments in the last fortnight on grounds for an independence referendum. Listen: uofgspotlight.com

Spotlight, Series 8 Episode 2, The Devolution Revolution? With Jack Newman and David Waite. Photos of guests plus hosts Kezia Dugdale and Nicola McEwen. University of Glasgow Centre for Public Policy

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Put up my first #Christmas decoration earlier today.

A Christmas tree shaped board edged with a green strip LED and a yellow five pointed star on top. On the middle it says 99 days to Christmas

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Gail Myerscough @gailmyerscough.co.uk · 14/09/2026

Just me and a cat run this whole thing. I design everything, answer the emails, pack the orders. Pete mostly supervises. So when you buy something from my shop, you're keeping a small studio going. www.gailmyerscough.co.uk

A grid of nine images featuring prints, T-shirts, a phone case, a mug and a photo of Gail and Pete the cat.

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patthepublican2 @patthepublican2.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Quantitative Easing An Explanation.....

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

I'm wondering where the People's Republic of Greater Streatham stand on this...

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It's not even a bespoke package by the looks of it. It's simply applying normal Voluntary Redundancy provisions to someone that has just crossed the Minimum Pension Age for the civil service pension schemes. So the extra was just buying out the actuarial reduction in his pension.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

This is the article with my picture in, not the other one!

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

There are a couple of pictures of me halfway down the article firing my musket in the Royal Mile!

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Jemahl Evans @jemahl.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Do you think Britain is divided? It's been worse... OUT NOW! A Visit to Bedlam Just 99p/c "Witty, irreverent, atmospheric." amazon.co.uk/dp/B0HBWHCD72 #historicalfiction #englishcivilwar #kindleseries

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

There's no real need for taxes and spending to be correlated. They have different purposes and nation states don't work like households. Spending creates money and makes the economy move. Taxes take money out of circulation and slow the economy down. it's about getting positive outcomes

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I got the school bus in the 70s/80s. For primary it was a hire company coach that did the run each way. For secondary it was the local bus company with a couple of busses at the right time that went to the school gate. There's loads of buses at the local secondary when I drop my daughter off

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Iain Moore @iainmoore.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Another big influx - so again here's a starter pack of people working in & with UK public libraries. So if you're interested in: • communities • digital inclusion • economic growth • social infrastructure • loneliness • health & wellbeing • culture • environment etc etc etc... go.bsky.app/FBd1DrV

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Drafting the Past @draftingthepast.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

These are a bit cheeky, but in all seriousness we invite you to become a Founding Member of Drafting the Past, if you're in the position to do so. If you believe in our mission to bring more attention to history books, joining this limited time special group is an amazing way to invest. 1/

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Prateek Buch @prateekbuch.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Absolutely devastating news. Carla was a dedicated leader in public service, leading behavioural scientist, and ambitious reformer. Plus just the loveliest person. Will be greatly missed 🙏🏽

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

It's not hyperbole, Carla was brilliant, and it's so sad that she has died so young.

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Until midnight on Thursday 17th September, 10% off your order with the code TENOFF. NPixts merch store- all proceeds go to Northern Picts research! npixts.teemill.com

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James Arthur Cattell @jacattell.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

29 June 2017 was the first #OneTeamGov unconference. Were you there? How did you feel? Wanna do it again? #OneTeamGovAt10 #OTGAT10

An event schedule board for an unconference event, laid out on a large white poster grid with colorful sticky notes detailing different sessions.
The vertical axis on the left lists venue room names, each paired with a historical portrait photo and maximum capacity:
* Fry (40)
* Pankhurst (40)
* Butler (35)
* Hill (25)
* Stopes (20)
* Wilberforce (20)
The horizontal axis across the top features bright pink section headers showing time slots:
* 11:00 – 11:45
* 12:00 – 12:45
* Lunch (spelled out vertically down a central green stripe)
* 13:30 – 14:15
* 14:30 – 15:15
* 15:30 – 16:15
Each cell in the grid contains handwritten yellow, green, or orange sticky notes detailing speaker names and pitch topics, such as "Gov Depts: Evolution or Revolution?", "Digital & Policy", "BREXIT", and "Policy as Code".

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Ian Kikuchi @curatorian.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Today in 1940, an unnamed German airman takes a photograph as he flies over London. His image captures a Heinkel bomber in flight over the British capital. I've always found it a fascinating image, and often find details in it that I'd not noticed before. 🧵

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Popped out to St Andrew's Castle earlier today and saw some chaps firing cannons, making musket balls and generally entertaining the visitors

Three men in mid 17th century clothes standing on a grassy embankment around a very small cannon

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

I came out of my workplace to find dozens of baying police dogs and two three deep lines of police holding back the masked marchers in Parliament Square from the back entrance of the building. As I walked to Victoria Station for the train home I passed a police car that was torched minutes later.

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Filming for BBC Digging for Britain yesterday- Burghead will feature in the new series!

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Wrote up some thoughts on whether or not we should mandate things to avoid duplication in the public sector following the discussion on Wednesday at the @holyroodmag.bsky.social Public Sector Digital Leadership Exchange. wp.me/p7RJ2O-2DI

wp.me

Beyond the Mandate: How to Avoid Duplication Without the Force - Red Leader

Should certain things have a mandate from the centre to avoid duplication of effort and to align services across government?

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

I'm from Scotland, fairly well educated and spent 30 years in London, it thinks I sound like I'm from Massachusetts...

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Lewis Baston @lewisbaston.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The Capita civil service pension fiasco should be a much bigger scandal than it seems to be. There are people leaving work next week who won’t be paid their pensions as entitled and will have to claim Universal Credit.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Another milestone in the march of the seasons. Left the house in the dark to get the usual bus for the first time in months.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I'm just over a third of the way through this, it's well worth a read!

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Sounds like an interesting experience. Do you have a shortlist of ideas? I'm just at the point where more possibilities seem to be opening up, although not sure when I'll change paths.

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

New immigration stats show that the numbers of asylum seekers in hotels is down to 16k - falling 50% in a year. Small boat crossings down 23% in the year to June. Numbers waiting for initial decision down from almost 180k to 40k.

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

As part of an international symposium at the University of Aberdeen there are a small number of free tickets to two keynote lectures held on Sunday at 7pm on the Bayeux Tapestry and Early Medieval Hilltop Settlements. Use this link to secure a ticket: abdn.eventsair.com/sachsensympo...

abdn.eventsair.com

Sunday Public Engagement Registration

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Very well I think. Kids seem well settled, the elder one is going into his final year at uni doing joint honours in Gaelic and English. I've spent time out and about enjoying the countryside. I was out seeing the battlefield at Killiecrankie yesterday.

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Colin Murray @colinmurray.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Reform are not hiding their intentions if they gain office. In proposing radical civil service reform they are seeking to insulate ministers from politically-neutral advice - which as @bymyong.bsky.social rightly points out here makes govt more effective: ukconstitutionallaw.org/2026/08/27/b...

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Rob Whiting 📓 @whitingx.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

📊 data.gov.scot Now in Public Beta - the new resource to explore 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 #Scotland 's #PublicSector #Data.

data.gov.scot

Home - Data about Scotland

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I quite liked the footnotes in the Terry Pratchett biography that said simply "Too good to check"

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NPicts @northernpicts.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

We are now back at the labs and laying out finds to dry- here is just a small selection- all of these will be written up for a much richer view of Pictish Burghead and Pictish life than we have ever had before!!

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I read Bloody Campaign, a good re-read. Still enjoyable and took different things from the stories this time round. About four chapters in on Bedlam. It's different but still interesting. I'm not on here a lot either, my SM use died when twitter went south. I am now firmly in Scotland now though

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Sharon O'Dea @sharonodea.com · 25/08/2026

I may regret asking, but what’s the most unhinged behaviour you’ve experienced from an, err, “fan” on the interwebs? I once had someone track down my mum and call her her a c*nt because I said I preferred Shark to Miele vacuum cleaners.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

That's why I stopped calling my mother every Sunday (although there were other things in the way too, like it only worked for her in a narrow window). Every call was a litany of the dead and dying. Mostly of people I didn't know.

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James Kemp @jamesmkemp.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

I can't believe that I've missed the launch of not one, but two of your Blandford Candy books! Going to rectify that as soon as I finish the Joe Kasabian Highland Burns I'm on right now!

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ScottishTechnology.club @scottishtechnology.club · 25/08/2026

Tue 25th 📆 Exploring the Technology Behind Modern Gaming Experiences with The Data Lab, Edinburgh community.thedatalab.com/events/218651

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The School of Good Services @theschoolofgood.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Bad Services is going to be in Europe - we are going on another short book tour! After a fun launch touring around the UK and visiting some of our collaborators past and present to put on Bad Service events, we are headed to Europe in October. We're going to be in...

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Paul Clarke @paulclarke.com · 24/08/2026

How I caused my extremely genteel secretary to explode (in ice-cold fury).

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Martin Jordan @martinjordan.com · 25/08/2026

It’s starting! Our newly iterated ‘Introduction to #ServiceDesign’ training is kicking off this morning! After 8 years, we finally wove in the #ServiceStandard and linked the exercises to specific points. It’s terrific to keep iterating it together with Sabrina @feuerherd.bsky.social.

A modern office space used for a workshop — with a big framed poster standing on the left with the Service Standard, people standing next to tables in the middle, and a laptop computer showing a slide saying “Introduction to Service Design” on the right

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Bishop Steiner @bishopsteiner.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

still one of the greatest conversations ever put on TV.

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