iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Some questions are hard to answer without appearing snarky.

122

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Can confirm. Candidate looks like photo.

Patrick Stillman next to a leaflet showing a photo of Patrick Stillman. They look pretty similar, all things considered.

0291

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

No detective story for the detectives in this rambling, gentle, funny and at times frustrating (what's true, what isn't?) farewell to them both as they tour London's history, roping in some familiar characters but without all that crime which interrupts Bryant's stories in the other novels.

"Bryant & May's Peculiar London" by Christopher Fowler

000

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

And the trend has continued for another year, making 2024 looking like a turning point in attitudes. What happened to change views then?

Should the tradition of the bride wearing white be kept or dropped?

110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It's notable how similar the seat tallies are in the latest MRP polls, and although there's quite a variation on the right, the Conservative plus Reform total is also similar across them all. More analysis here: theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/the-same-b...

Graph of how MRP seat tallies vary between pollsters.

010

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

And a little bonus for those interested in the Lib Dems: here's the Lib Dem seat tally in all the MRPs in the last Parliament.

Note that it's not until very close to polling day that even the better performing ones started to get close to the actual result.

170

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

After the expose of the Telegraph's role in mis-describing a JL Partners poll connected to Reform, welcome to see what may be the start of a new editorial policy on polling transparency in today's piece about another poll: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/09...

First, evidence of the PM’s affability. The polling company Find Out Now (FON) has kindly shared a wealth of data from its own regular monitoring of public opinion about politics, research the firm funds itself. That data from four polls repeated across early September confirm that Burnham, by political standards, is a sympathetic character.

3667

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

It is striking how vulnerable both Reform and the Conservatives are to any combination of slipping support and tactical voting: look in how very few seats this poll puts them 10%+ ahead in. (And note the very solid base for the Lib Dems from which to move forward.)

67% of Reform UK's projected MRP wins are by a margin of five points or less, leaving the party particularly vulnerable to future tactical voting

1155

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Some good news ahead of the Lib Dem conference starting in Brighton: the party is the party most liked by their rivals, according to a new study from the Policy Institute at King’s College London: buff.ly/44BAHIn

Of all parties’ supporters, Lib Dems
are viewed most warmly by their
political rivals.

0134

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Very readable and well informed story of how US has used basic financial and data plumbing of the global economy for its own ends. Includes how some of this started with good intentions (e.g. to stop nuclear proliferation). Also good on how Swift started off as an alternative to US Citibank's...

Underground Empire: How American Weaponized the World Economy by Farrell and Newman

100

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

As Lib Dem conference is starting next weekend, I'm reminded of my favourite sign at one of these (Brighton, 2018):

The Grand, Regent Room - Liberal Democrats Senior Figures Private Dinner

0120

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I fear the government's plans to tackle malign influence on our elections of billionaires are now being written by @aiannucci.bsky.social

That is why I am happy to announce that the new cross-Government task and finish team will be working at pace to find a solution without unintended consequences.

1104

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Oh that's odd because if I go to that link on www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk/memberhub/ it works for me?

100

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

Good reading choices at Politico :-)

1154

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 06/09/2026

Three polls published by The Times and The Telegraph are under scrutiny after the Reform funding scandal this week. But from what we've seen, there's no reason to think these are the only three polls involved. More in The Week in Polls at 6pm today - theweekinpolls.substack.com

Particularly as there is one other question left hanging: none of the reporting suggests these three polls were the only problematic polls. The arrangements behind the polls are not presented as something specially created for this one (fake) rich family. How many other polls were published in similar circumstances, but involving real people rather than fake ones? The polling aspect of this scandal may yet spread further.

107836

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Worth remembering, the Reform story isn't the first time the The Times has run a poll from a very interested party whose identity was withheld - theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/questions-...

To recap where things got to last week: The Times ran a story headlined, “Junior doctors’ strike: most don’t back BMA walkout, poll reveals”.

Oddly, their story left out that the poll had been commissioned by the Department of Health and Social Care, and that the government was the source of the story.

22711

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

A comment from @stephenkb.bsky.social about enjoying returning to Fforde's novels prompted me to try one again after a couple of decades. It's one of those books that the internet is a boon for, because it's stuffed full of clever references and in-jokes and so you may well often be thinking...

120

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

The Future Party's proposed new electoral logo posits a curious future.

A crane with a house hovering underneath its grabber.

320

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

I loved how Harris used his own journalistic experience to paint a picture of what it's like being a political leader recently out of office or their spouse. The plot though is so-so - fairly linear and with a rather marmite final twist. Cracking audio version by Michael Jayston.

100

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 22/08/2026

Intriguing mix of three books in one - impressive personal story of the author's life; 'behind the curtain' peek into what real spies do to recruit sources; a 'how to' guide to interact with others though Fisher himself warns repeatedly against manipulating others or breaking the law.

110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

A fun mix of travelogue and social history about the fish and chip shop, bringing out clearly how a symbol of Britishness has behind it a story of positive impact of immigration, with different parts of the country seeing different immigrant communities play a large part in the industry's growth...

110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Glad to say we will be forcing a vote in Parliament on donation caps - see press release just out.

041

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

Another end of the line ticked off.

A train line terminates at a dockside, looking out over Skye.

270

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Poor video, mediocre weather, brilliant view.

2110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Not a bad start to a long day of travelling.

View out over a ferry about to set sail.

2130

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

One of those east London scenes with more horses than tower blocks.

070

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

East London is more Californian than you might expect.

Giant Redwood trees and a clear blue sky.

090

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

One of my more dramatic water leak reports.

A big hole with a single file road all closed off.

052

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Do polls underestimate support for right-wing parties? buff.ly/4zkxUWY

131

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Yesterday's The Week in Polls has both polling and non-polling news about Jason Arday: theweekinpolls.substack.com/p/do-polls-u...

Which party leaders are getting noticed on social media?

A big fall in Rupert Lowe’s ratings with the public; and

How many, or rather how few, people have been following the Jason Arday story (and if you have been then, like me, you may be puzzled by quite how small the fundraising total was on his original marathon fundraising page).

000

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

This one got a blog post all of its own: www.markpack.org.uk/177292/why-y...

Elections and how to fight them by J Seymour Lloyd.

111

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

Always a sucker for a book that has more about Herbert Fisher's underpants, and this has more detail than many on the how and why of the underpants belonging to the man behind the Education Act 1918 ending up in a deception operation in the Second World War. Although Macintyre very much talks up...

210

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Notable (and I think mostly uncommented on?) how much worse Rupert Lowe's ratings are getting, as shown in this Ipsos graph:

Rupert Lowe's ratings with Ipsos, showing a sharp deterioration recently.

3237

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

After being led astray by some very poor walking instructions, I have located London.

A field, a forest, a reservoir and a city.

290

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

A security reminder at the recently opened Trent Park House Museum (the location where senior German prisoners were kept, and spied on, during the Second World War).

A black telephone with a sign saying, "Speech on telephones is not secret"

252

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Some people think the Post Office Tower is in the middle of of a big city.

The Post Office Tower seen from the Queen Elizabeth II Garden.

1160

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The Tower of London is looking rather small.

Scale model of the City at the London Centre.

050

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

In many ways two books in one: (1) about the impact on individuals of what metrics we choose to chase, the fun that can be had from ignoring them and how activities as diverse as board games and mountain climbing show the value of enjoying the process rather than only caring about outcomes...

100

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Phew, hot work earlier today finishing this book.

100

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

Visited Spike Milligan's gravestone in Winchelsea. It has in Gaelic "I told you I was ill"; not in English as a compromise with the diocese. Sadly both the gravestone and later addition of his third wife's name were the cause of some difficulty among his relations. But it's a fitting tribute.

0110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

There are some cracking letterboxes at the V and A East Storehouse. Not vertical, though.

A very much horizontal traditional municipal letterbox from Robin Hood Gardens. It is in a bright orange door.

031

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Now for another historical election law book, this one a collection of lectures from the time when there was a lot of doubt over when election expenses started (out of which the 'PPC' era of expenses emerged).

Practical Notes on the Management of Elections - 1910

110

Mark Pack @markpackuk.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

Time for a bit of classic Cold War mole hunting, with this atmospheric 1950s first novel from a decade ago. Inspired by real events but even if you are a CIA history geek they are unlikely to act as a spoiler.

100