iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Absolutely. Nonetheless as I’ve said before, it’s striking that UAE/China investment in Manchester - and resulting foreign ownership of assets - has never previously been something AB has flagged in the narrative, which is one of several reasons it’s so striking that he chose this moment to do so

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Caroline Slocock @carolineslocock.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

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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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Loads of money went into Manchester. Housing especially but also Co-Op Live, the hotel that just opened Several things can be true at once

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

It isn’t!!! It’s not built exclusively on investor friendly loans. I was there. It isn’t.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Whenever people say to me “what do you think about manchesterism” I try to say the same thing. Do you mean the narrative, or what Manchester did? Because they’re not the same. (Also stop sending me reports about manchesterism)

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The current situation though is an unforced error. If you sell Manchester as your entire narrative blueprint for PM, without appreciating the incoherencies in your message or reconciling the inconveniences, moments like this will bite you. And Manchester. The city quickly becomes collateral damage.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I find the way the City/Burnham stuff affects Manchester deeply frustrating. Not because the city’s future relies on City - it doesn’t. Personally I don’t think Manchester is so reliant on a particular club ownership that it won’t prosper without it.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Late to posting this as I’ve been walking round a reservoir in Lancashire in pissing rain, apparently trying to be as northern as possible The prime minister is a conscious user of language, but possibly also an unconscious one as.ft.com/r/d9b8ea73-3...

as.ft.com

The Burnham tell

The prime minister’s conference speech was authentically Andy

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 02/10/2026

Exclusive (if you didn't read last weekend's FT) 😉

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

I’ve never seen this - love it. Pretty sure his love of Larkin is genuine (I’m biased since I do too) and have got a bit grumpy when I’ve seen people write that it’s put on. I just don’t think it is

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Yeah I found it quite hard listening to his voice crack on LBC never mind the speech. In retrospect glad I wasn’t in the room tbh

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

I also can’t quite shake the thought that he’s grieving. Personally I kind of went into shock then overdrive in an attempt to battle through it. It probably does raise the likelihood of errors of judgment

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Mind you given that even the “I’d like to review it” remark sailed a bit close to the wind you’d think someone would have said don’t go out and freelance on this

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

From asking around today the sense seems to be that he’s genuinely worried about the impact on Mcr - he also said something about wanting to “review” decision when it first leaked - and has made an unusual error in not reading the room (+mistakenly equated it too closely to the Everton situation)

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Henry Mance @henrymance.ft.com · 01/10/2026

The chairman of Manchester City was granted diplomatic immunity in 2020. The investigation into the club began in December 2018. www.ft.com/content/1256...

ft.com

Manchester City chair shielded by diplomatic immunity

Khaldoon al-Mubarak was granted immunity six years ago, protecting him from potential legal proceedings in the UK

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Mind you: if Mcr is a blueprint, saying we’re willing to wear [insert politically contentious things] in exchange for inward investment is bang on. I’m not being facetious, that was the political trade off. It built things, but didn’t necessarily sit easily on the left

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I think the situation is probably best summarised as 😬 but you can’t quote a 😬

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Feels like AB is struggling to formulate a line. I’m not sure “they mustn’t sell the club because they built houses in Manchester” would politically be the one I’d have gone for, particularly when he hadn’t dwelt on their role previously, but I can see the anxiety that got him there

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

There is a quiet but live debate among many people I know here atm about the fallout from this for the city’s reputation, exactly at the point it’s been talked up to the nth degree

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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

NEW: Burnham made a strong case for adult social care reform at conference, but pushed the National Care Service into next parliament I argue he should get on with it, use his majority and 2024 mandate and establish the NCS in this parliament 👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Andy Burnham should establish the National Care Service this parliament | Institute for Government

There is no reason to delay plans for potentially three years.

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Tides of History @tidesofhistory.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

As Burnham promises to repeal Thatcher's Water Bill, a look back at the original Labour fight against privatiastion It was led by a rising Labour star who warned it had no public support: "Under public ownership the industries are more accountable” 👇 yesterdaypapers.substack.com/p/tony-blair...

yesterdaypapers.substack.com

Tony Blair and the Battle to stop Water Privatisation

In the 1980s Tony Blair argued that “under public ownership the industries are more accountable”

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

This was my feeling when I heard AB’s social care speech in the summer. Political argument can change the consensus if done right (which is not to say he will, but it’s striking to see a politician try)

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Gaby Hinsliff @gabyhinsliff.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

such a good eg of why political argument matters - polling previously showed over 60% support for keeping triple lock. Argue to unlock it *for something people also want* & numbers can change. (Obv can change back again if someone makes a good argument against, but either way, politics=argument)

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

A win and a loss for me on the prediction front. Didn’t think he’d scrap the triple lock today but weirdly did predict the Farm

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My point was nothing to do with this particular article. It’s that I get irritable when I see people on here who have been familiar with political reporting for a long time hinting at nefariousness when, in fact, there is often credible reason language is used in the way it is and they know that.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

It does just as much, within this bubble (and it is a bubble) to undermine trust as anything else. There are things that are literally unreportable unless you’re very careful about how you describe the sourcing. And what’s more, you know that.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Which is what we try to do as far as possible at the FT. But I’m not a fan of people on here who know the nuances of political reporting playing it for the likes. Anyone who has done the job knows it’s not that straightforward

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

10/15 years ago would you have questioned it? The media and political context has changed since then, for sure, but so has the online incentive to imply journalism is up to no good.

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Jim Pickard @pickardje.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Burnham has just confirmed our scoop

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

“Figures” is vague for a reason. It may be a previously involved person, it could be a civil servant, or someone else you’re trying to protect, because to be more specific would lead back to them. Not everything is a conspiracy.

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

I noticed the other day I’ve started being advertised music for my nervous system by Spotify. Not “nice calm music”. It’s weird, leave my nervous system alone, you’re not my GP

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

My personal issue with these products (I think the jab veers into this too) is the link into mental health - it encourages obsessive thinking at a time when generalised anxiety is high. Mental and physical health are so connected, yet these things are treated in isolation

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

But every generation of government (and I include Manchester in this, per the piece) can fall into group think. We know best. Nothing wrong with gently and rationally challenging it

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Thanks David 🙏 it’s delicate territory. As I said to someone else today, I am arguing this not because I think everything should be run from Whitehall but the precise opposite. If you don’t think it through and give it time, you’ll kill the idea

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David Higham @oldtrotter.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Another excellent piece by @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social (English) Devolution, like so much else is turning into a binary issue where you either think it a waste of time and money, or a silver bullet to solve all our problems. www.ft.com/content/067a... The dangers of devolution dogma

ft.com

The dangers of devolution dogma

Viewing decentralisation as a silver bullet could lead to an unthinking rush to pass down power as fast as possible

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Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

This finding underlines why we should not take precise MRP numbers v seriously at this stage - huge numbers of seats are projected to be v close - a small shift in national sentiment or a modest and plausible level of tactical switching could dramatically change seat numbers

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Watching an old old Nigella episode to soothe my brain and she’s just put a whole bottle of gin and a whole bottle of what looks distinctly like apple sourz in a jug. If you ever want a night out on Canal St @nigella.bsky.social just name the date

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Also interesting, looking back, to how effectively the Greens outran Labour on eg instagram. Burnham certainly knows how to deploy Insta effectively in a similar way to Hannah Spencer - so idk if that now means a better Labour by-election social strategy

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

This was also true in G&D. V segmented messaging

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

I did not know this no. We did textiles?? Otherwise pass. Do we have a core capability in pillowcases I’m unaware of

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Haha I thought that too. Why did nobody already do that, it’s so obvious

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

At this point I would be FINE with this

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The telly is “upgrading” itself again. Last time its performance dramatically declined so I’m fully expecting it to imminently be black and white

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Jennifer Williams @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

I recommend Abyss Aquatics (aka the fish abyss in our house) in Stockport if you want to avoid the news. Some of them look like they’ve got a full face of makeup on, they’re great. Very soothing

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