Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 04/11/2025Time for another half-finished prototype! Here’s Polly C, a work-in-progress AI chatbot designed to provide comparisons of UK party policies. Give her a spin and let me know what she gets wrong and how she could be improved. prototypepolitics.substack.com/p/introducin... 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 25/05/2025@leorzmigrod.bsky.social Thank you for your thoughtful answer to my question this morning around non-divisive political messages. I'd love to ask you some further questions, around rigidity and authoritarianism. Are you still around Hay at all? 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 23/05/2025@steveakehurst.bsky.social Hello! I'm doing a masters dissertation on electoral viability of policies that increase tax. Your MRP data on this is fantastic. Could we chat? I'd love to ask you some questions. 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 23/04/2025Cor. Very jealous. I particularly recommend Bath Soft Cheese, Gem Ale, those amazing biscuits by the Bath Cheese Company! 020
Reposted by Jim WilliamsWera Hobhouse MP @werahobhouse.org.uk · 23/04/2025Now more than ever, it is imperative that we buy local. I am delighted to be hosting some of Bath's best businesses in Parliament to give my colleagues a 'Taste of Bath'. Throughout the day I will be highlighting these fantastic businesses as I encourage you to buy Bath and back Britain 🇬🇧 2285
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/04/2025Should I set this organisation up? It's a monstrous hybrid of a lean think tank and a full fat public communications campaign. Could it ever work? Should it see the light of day? Come poke holes in it here: open.substack.com/pub/prototyp... With more art from the wonderful www.lengrant.co.uk 010
Reposted by Jim WilliamsLiberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · 25/03/2025The Digital Services Tax currently brings in over £830M a year - enough to completely cover the cost of free school meals. Politics is about choices. Cutting this Tax while diluting free schools meals would be choosing Donald Trump and Elon Musk over hungry school children. 912565
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 23/03/2025Fred, my policy chat bot in training, is a show off. He already knows what happened at Conference this weekend. But is he getting it right? Maybe? Probably? Sort of? Take a look, let me know, and give me some of that juicy negative feedback goodness. prototypepolitics.substack.com/p/harro-grea...prototypepolitics.substack.comHarro-Great News! Frederalist the Policy Bot Made Some Friends at ConferenceAnd he already knows all the policies that got passed. Bit keen if you ask me. 020
Reposted by Jim WilliamsUK Politics News // Papernaut @ukpolitics.papernaut.co · 23/03/2025THE GUARDIAN: Kemi Badenoch’s floundering leadership struggles to inspire a beleaguered Tory party as PMQs reveal her weaknesses and undermine her authority ahead of critical local elections. - by Andrew Rawnsleytheguardian.comKemi Badenoch is failing to hit the spot at PMQs – and everywhere else | Andrew RawnsleyThe Conservative leader isn’t convincing fellow Tories that she possesses a viable route map to recovery 064
Reposted by Jim WilliamsRobert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 22/03/2025The UK is unusual in the low level of support among younger voters for a party of the radical right. (Reform polls at 5% among 18-24 year olds, compared with 31% for 65+). But there's clearly a significant pool of support that *could* be mobilised, by a successor (or rival) to Nigel Farage. 6618
Reposted by Jim WilliamsJim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 22/03/2025The reason @eddavey.libdems.org.uk's focus on sewage has worked so well is that it's tapped into something bigger. People feel taken for granted and (to be honest) more than a little bit shat on. The party should lean into the metaphor. open.substack.com/pub/prototyp...open.substack.comClean Up The CrapA proposed narrative for the Liberal Democrats - take two! 022
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 22/03/2025The reason @eddavey.libdems.org.uk's focus on sewage has worked so well is that it's tapped into something bigger. People feel taken for granted and (to be honest) more than a little bit shat on. The party should lean into the metaphor. open.substack.com/pub/prototyp...open.substack.comClean Up The CrapA proposed narrative for the Liberal Democrats - take two! 022
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025I've been playing around with messaging recently about cleaning up the crap (sewage, dirty money, crony contracts, etc), and decided that an image of Nigel Farage as a fatberg could be quite fun. ChatGPT told me it could call Dall-E and make a cartoon for me, so I said yes. I'm so glad I did. 111
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025@sarahgreenld.bsky.social - reporting from the Guardian today shows that raw sewage poured out of the Chesham sewage treatment works for 2,681 hours last year. That's 111 days' worth of sewage dumped on your patch by Thames Water. Here's the article: www.theguardian.com/business/202... 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025@rory-stewart.bsky.social As a supporter of proportional representation, I wonder if this might be of interest to you? Updates and analysis regarding electoral reform and the broader fight to clean up British politics, from @libdems4er.bsky.social. 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025@compassoffice.bsky.social @bestforbritain.bsky.social @electoralreform.bsky.social @unlockdemocracy.bsky.social Latest issue of Fair Votes Watch from @libdems4er.bsky.social, full of updates and analysis about developments in the first to clean up British politics. All feedback welcome! 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025@openbritain.bsky.social @mkieran.com @mattmgallagher.bsky.social @appgfairelections.bsky.social @fairvote.bsky.social Hi all! @libdems4er.bsky.social has launched a monthly newsletter about developments in electoral reform. Might be of interest! 031
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025Hello @makevotesmatter.bsky.social! 👋 This month's issue of Fair Votes Watch includes a link to your upcoming seminar this week on Equal Votes & Women's Representation in Politics. Best of luck with it! actionnetwork.org/events/make-...actionnetwork.orgWebinar - Thursday 20 March 2025, 6pm to 7pmWe would like to invite you to a special webinar that delves into the impact of proportional representation on increasing women's representation in politics. We are honoured to feature three esteemed... 110
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025@markpackuk.bsky.social @lisasmartmp.bsky.social @wendychambld.bsky.social @ollyglover.bsky.social Second issue of LDER's Fair Votes Watch out now. Might be of interest! 010
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/03/2025Issue 2 of Fair Votes Watch from @libdems4er.bsky.social is out now, bringing you the latest news on the fight to clean up Britain's democracy. This issue: Badenoch criticises FPTP; Farage praises it; and Diane Abbott backs Proportional Representation. fairvoteswatch.substack.com/p/issue-2-18... 100
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 07/03/2025@robfordmancs.bsky.social Hi Rob. Has the online appendix for Brexitland been moved? The footnotes say it's at www.cambridge.org/brexitland, but that gets a 404 error. I'd love to dig into the data. 100
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 24/02/2025It's heart-wrenching watching R1 reason on Perplexity. I've asked it to select strings of up to four words from larger strings, and the poor thing nearly has a breakdown. Got there in the end though! 000
Reposted by Jim WilliamsSam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 21/02/2025Just looking at the latest YouGov poll - the Tories are on 9% with people under 50. It is not clear to me how this helps with that problem. 1061161223
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 21/02/2025Looks positive certainly, but there's a challenge in the underlying data, kindly shared by Opinium (and then befouled by my horrendous formatting). Breaking the 'NET' line apart shows that our support is not as strong as it appeared. 122
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 19/02/2025Exactly right. It's not just in Bath. Britain wants to *get on with it*. Labour's heart might be in the right place, but they're missing opportunities to make people's lives better again and again. 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/02/2025Once again, the big banks are taking the easy way out. Stopping catastrophic climate change is hard. Most things worth doing are. Backing out because the US investors have swung to the right? Sheer cowardice. Britain needs bravery. Take the hard way out. www.thetimes.com/business-mon...thetimes.comBarclays and NatWest drop climate targets from executive bonusesSustainability measures removed from assessment of annual awards after US lenders pulled out of net-zero alliance 010
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/02/2025Britain might be tough old boots, but without newcomers to staff the NHS, boost the economy and build our houses, we'll soon find ourselves on our last legs. Britain needs migrants. Let's embrace it, not shy away from it. #ImmigrationMatters #NHSStaffing #BuildBritain 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 18/02/2025People use 'net popularity' (% favourable minus % unfavourable) as a measure of how well a political leader is received by the public. I wonder though whether 'gross profile' wouldn't be just as important a measure. That is, % favourable *plus* % unfavourable. Thoughts, @robfordmancs.bsky.social? 200
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 17/02/2025@markpackuk.bsky.social and I co-wrote a proposed electoral strategy for @libdems.org.uk just before Christmas. I'll be writing some follow-ups soon, so as a reminder, here it is! Below, in replies to this message, I'll set out main recommendations. docs.google.com/document/d/1...docs.google.comWhat next for the Liberal Democrats?What next for the Liberal Democrats? By Jim Williams and Mark Pack Jim Williams is a former member of the Liberal Democrat Federal Policy Committee (FPC) and Mark Pack is President of the Liberal Dem... 210
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 16/02/2025Uh oh. @markpackuk.bsky.social @libdems.org.uk First they came for our jobs, now they come for our right to point at potholes and look like we mean business! What will the robots take next? www.thetimes.com/uk/transport... £££thetimes.comThe hi-tech battle to banish Britain’s potholesUK roads are poorly designed and badly built. Could the answer lie in AI — which predicts problems before they appear — and rupture-fixing robots? 010
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 16/02/2025A good listen! Thanks @markpackuk.bsky.social and Peter. Summary of how to beat populism 1. adopt a proportional *and* moderating electoral system, 2. get the economy going, 3. revitalise public services, 4. rebuild trust in politicians, and 5. tackle concern over immigration (one way or another). 100
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 16/02/2025As @james.fieldleveltech.org says, it's frighteningly easy to train ChatGPT to write posts that further a narrative. (I'm doing this openly: I want to show how a narrative I've written could be adapted to a wider range of news topics than I can cover. But others could do it covertly and harmfully.) 000
Reposted by Jim WilliamsZoë Crowther @zoecrowther.bsky.social · 15/02/2025A Reform source has admitted that one of their MPs – and maybe even Farage himself – would now not pass their vetting process… www.politicshome.com/news/article... 14723
Reposted by Jim WilliamsJames Southern @james.fieldleveltech.org · 15/02/2025I did know that this kind of thing was possible. But it’s pretty worrisome just how easy it is now. Jim is being responsible but others won’t be. I think @cleanuptheinternet.org.uk are right. We need “verified human” account labels 122
Reposted by Jim WilliamsRob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 13/02/2025India-Pakistan border famously a v chilled region where everyone is happy now & no remaining arguments over sovereignty etc 914718
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 14/02/2025Introducing my plucky little bot-in-training, Frederalist! He's new on the job as an up and coming Lib Dem policy expert, who I've trained on how to weigh up different Lib Dem policy sources. Please give him a go and tell me what he gets wrong! chatgpt.com/g/g-67ae219b...chatgpt.comChatGPT - Frederalist! Your Unofficial Lib Dem Policy BotNew to the job and eager to learn, Frederalist provides unofficial but diligent summaries of Lib Dem policy. Might make mistakes, so do check with the official party website! 020
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 14/02/2025I'm having fun training up some GPTs at the moment. One is a messaging bot to respond to the news in terms of the (very rough and ready) narrative I've written. What do you think of the suggestions below? (For reference, the draft narrative is here: prototypepolitics.substack.com/i/156181775/...)prototypepolitics.substack.comA (very early draft) vision for the Liberal DemocratsBecause there's a meeting coming up I can't attend, and I like the sound of my own voice too much not to contribute. 110
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 13/02/2025@adampayne26.bsky.social Just catching up with your piece on Tory Voters switching to Reform. I'd love to see the data. Do you have crosstabs or a fuller report available? (Asking because it doesn't look like the authors of the research are here on Bluesky. Might be wrong though!) 200
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 13/02/2025Congrats on your first day in the Lords today @markpackuk.bsky.social! Please send a selfie. 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 13/02/2025Despite many winnable local elections being delayed to 2026, the @libdems.org.uk still can make big gains this year, with Conservative councils up for grabs in Lib-Dem held / contested constituencies. Brilliant reporting here from @zoecrowther.bsky.social: www.politicshome.com/news/article... 375
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 11/02/20251 of 5 @psurridge.bsky.social Hello! Really enjoyed listening to your chat with @markpackuk.bsky.social on Never Mind the Bar Charts. Super interesting stuff. Lots of questions for you! 100
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 20/12/2024Cor. Congratulations @markpackuk.bsky.social! I'd better buy a cap for all the doffing in the offing. www.libdems.org.uk/news/article...libdems.org.ukNew Liberal Democrat members of the House of LordsTwo Liberal Democrat appointments to the House of Lords have been announced today - Cllr Shaffaq Mohammed MBE and Dr Mark Pack, they join Caroline Pidgeon who was appointed to the House of Lords in Ju... 030
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 20/12/2024In the prototyping spirit of my new Substack, Prototype Politics, I've drawn back the curtain a little on how @markpackuk.bsky.social's feedback on a really bad idea of mine kickstarted the conversation that led us to write 'What Next for the Liberal Democrats?' open.substack.com/pub/prototyp... 110
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 19/12/2024@markpackuk.bsky.social and I have written a proposed strategy for the @libdems.org.uk. In short, our order of priorities should be: 1. Defend our seats! 2. Lay the groundwork for winning more 3. Offer a home to disappointed Labour votes 4. Keep growing our local and devolved elected base 100
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 17/12/2024New blog in the works! prototypepolitics.substack.com About politics, games & political games - and flying the flag for a prototyping approach to all of them. Politicians don't get the luxury of having bad ideas. Thankfully, I'm not a politician, and I have *lots* of bad ideas. 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 17/12/2024Can board games be used to shed insight on how systems work, and what incentives they create? I'm hoping to find out by designing an elections game that tests whether different electoral systems incentivise different strategies. Let's see! #PR #FPTP #GameDesign docs.google.com/videos/d/1Q_... 020
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 17/12/2024Here are the game designs I'm working on! Much silliness within, plus the occasional 'Serious' game about elections, policy, politics and other such nerdery. docs.google.com/presentation...docs.google.comPortfolio - Jim WilliamsJim’s⁁Portfolio of (mostly) very silly games super professional 000
Jim Williams @lintywilliams.bsky.social · 16/12/2024Very excited to play Poll & Write 2024 by @tzartzam.bsky.social in my political games group tonight. Looks great! 171