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Nick Davies

@njdavies.bsky.social
9.2K followers 913 following 750 posts

Programme Director at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk working on public services

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Reposted by Nick Davies
Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 2h
Plans for judge-only trials have been axed. This is positive: these would have put justice at risk for small time savings. But contrary to reporting, the government is still proposing to substantially restrict jury trials — by around a third! Here’s how and why it matters 🧵
Screenshot from BBC News website, showing a headline reading ‘Burnham scraps controversial plans to curb jury trials’
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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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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 27/09/2026
At 13:30 we will turn our attention to digital public services and how to make them a reality. Chair @njdavies.bsky.social will be joined by @feryalclark.bsky.social, Cllr Liam Robinson, @cassiarowland.bsky.social and Rachel Taylor from PwC.
An image for an IfG event.
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
Some thoughts on whether No.10 needs its own think tank (no?) and whether the FoI act is a reasonable thing to blame for lack of creative thinking in government (also no?)
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
A Downing Street think tank would not make No.10 strategic | Institute for Government
Is Morgan McSweeney right to claim that it is impossible for No.10 to think big?
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Great to hear the PM say “We are going to be much prouder in standing up for our values and the rule of law” re foreign information warfare. I wonder if he or the Home Secretary might consider doing the same when it comes to masked vigilantes shutting down infrastructure and harassing the RNLI
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
A new national statistician - interesting (overdue) news Also perm sec Cat Little moves from the Cabinet Office/OPMC to Dept for Business, Innovation, Science & Trade And Tom Riordan becomes perm sec at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Govt
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
One reason England does so well is our second generation immigrants outperform their peers which is not true in most OECD countries. We are also very good at integration. And it's v sad that this is never acknowledge in debates on immigration.
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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
New PISA data out England is now top ten in all three areas (reading, maths, science) and the second highest performing country outside of east Asia (after Estonia). This is a huge public policy success.
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Max Warner @maxwarner.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
Early last year, Wes Streeting and NHS England declared a ‘fundamental reset’ of the NHS financial regime. In a new @theifs.bsky.social comment, funded by @nuffieldfoundation.org, we show that a big NHS budget top-up was avoided in 25-26. So how was this achieved and what does it mean going forward?
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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Finally, a while ago I started to develop an idea for a book. (Yes, it's a non-fiction history book about Parliament, how did you guess) I *really* care about this idea and now feels like the time to turn it into reality. So do feel free to get in touch if you happen to work in publishing…!
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
This is a genuinely exciting announcement about Burnham's intention for public service reform There are some potentially massive changes to the way that services are funded and operate A few things that jumped out at me 👇 www.gov.uk/government/p...
gov.uk
Rewiring the State – Cabinet Statement (HTML)
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
New comment: PM buy-in is needed to reform adult social care, so yesterday's speech was positive And political consensus would help. But waiting for consensus shouldn't stop reform, else Burnham risks becoming the latest PM to fail on social care www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Burnham can’t take the politics out of social care reform | Institute for Government
The new PM will have to prioritise to make progress on social care during this parliament
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CourtWatch @courtwatchproject.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
📢 CourtWatch is back - and this time we’re taking on the whole of England and Wales! We’re looking for volunteers to observe hearings in their local magistrates’ courts and report back to us. 🔗Sign up now to get info on online training sessions transformjustice.eo.page/courtwatchlo...
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Charles Tallack @charlestallack.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Yesterday, the Health Foundation published analysis finding no evidence that the Palantir/FDP tool OPTICA, has cut discharge delays, further undermining NHS England claims that it had. bsky.app/profile/dian...
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
The new prime minister is about to run out of prison spaces. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. But once again, there are no easy answers and just cancelling early releases is not a solution. The focus must be on public protection - including better protection in the community. 🧵
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The government must focus on public protection when it comes to prison releases | Institute for Government
There are no easy answers to meeting the prison capacity challenge.
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Major machinery of govt changes including - finally! - the creation of an Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet Long overdue and excellent news that the Burnham govt has grasped this nettle questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-stat...
questions-statements.parliament.uk
Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament
Information from UK Parliament on written questions & answers, written statements and daily reports.
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Rosa Hodgkin @rosahodgkin.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
As Ed Miliband looks set to leave DESNZ a short 🧵on the department's achievements with him as minister and where there's still work to do:
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
Its a sad ending for Britain's first woman Chancellor (as Theresa May once said - hopefully not the last) as Rachel Reeves returns to the backbenches. But she bears a lot of the responsibility for the failures of the Starmer government. The biggest mistakes were before the 2024 election
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
We have our new PM. Alongside, we’ll get a whole host of new ministers. We’re expecting new leaders in most of the big public service departments: health, justice, local government, home office, & maybe education too. But what will this mean for services and all their ongoing reforms? 🧵
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 20/07/2026
The day’s first casualty: James Timpson resigns as prisons minister. This is a big surprise! Timpson had a long history as a prisons reformer before entering government and seen as one of Starmer’s more innovative & exciting appointments. He’s also delivered a big change programme in gov. So: why?
bbc.co.uk
Prisons minister Lord Timpson quits government
The businessman said it was an "honour" to serve in the post, but the BBC understands he feels he has achieved all he can in the role.
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
People want to take functions away from HM Treasury. I want to give it a new one - getting the UK's act together on climate adaptation www.ft.com/content/2789... (£) - much more than an environment issue..
ft.com
The UK is forgetting the dull bit of climate change policy
Adaptation has never been the priority, but this summer’s heat is a message that the Treasury needs to act
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Amber Dellar @amberdellar.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
NEW REPORT: how to make a success of SEND reform Government needs to get off the sidelines and build a SEND system that makes it easier for schools, councils and health services to work together. Our new report sets out how 🧵
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Joining up SEND | Institute for Government
How to begin fixing SEND by making the system more joined-up.
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
New comment: Starmer can credibly say he steadied the ship on public services But his govt launched a haphazard set of reforms and performance has not improved radically What choices does Burnham face? What can he do in the next ~3 years? 🧵👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/burn...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Burnham should learn from Starmer’s successes and failures on public services | Institute for Government
Keir Starmer squandered the opportunity to reform public services.
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
What would a Burnham govt mean for public services? How can he bring a more coherent approach to reform? No better way to answer those Qs than with a guest blog from Thomas Johnson who works on reform strategy in GMCA, Burnham's old patch Short 🧵👇 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The radical rewiring of the state: what devolution must deliver | Institute for Government
Devolution is a means of building a more capable state: one that can connect prevention, productivity, growth and fiscal sustainability.
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Hannah White @drhannahwhite.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
We are hiring! Brilliant senior job running our new UK Government team… …looking for someone creative and strategic with experience of government who would seize this fantastic opportunity to make government work well for the people of the UK! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Director, UK Government | Institute for Government
A rare and exciting opportunity to become a core member of the Institute for Government’s newly restructured senior team.
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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 07/07/2026
Good decision by Burnham (if true). He needs to prioritise improving the centre of govt and economic/fiscal policy making, but splitting the Treasury would be a damaging distraction (set up a bolstered PM dept, have a bold tax strategy and improve the SR instead) www.ft.com/content/61c0...
ft.com
Andy Burnham rules out splitting Treasury to avoid disruption
Likely next prime minister has been rethinking Britain’s economic levers to promote regional growth
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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Pub opening hours for special occasions remain my go-to example for helping people understand the differences between primary and secondary legislation and how the two interact with each other. Which I appreciate is not very exciting.
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
Quite here for No.10 North (if that's what we're calling it). Loads of pitfalls, and I think you do need to keep quite a lot of centre of gov in your capital city, but there is a v good version of this which moves out Burnham priorities. Have written down some ideas on how to make it work 👇
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
No.10 North: Burnham needs to be clear-eyed about the purpose of his Manchester office | Institute for Government
An overwhelmed 10 Downing Street could be improved by creating No.10 North.
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Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
It's progress like this that should remind us that making the world better isn't all reliant on having l loads of money to spend, thankfully
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
10 years ago I was organising a barbecue for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk staff to watch the result of the referendum. The IfG had acted until then as though the EU did not exist. After the referendum we built a fantastic team which I had the privilege of leading for 2 years
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Jonathan Portes @jdportes.bsky.social · 18/06/2026
Excellent. About bloody time. What excuse is there for any other Department -and the PM?
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
I don’t have strong views on the u16 social media ban but if these platforms are so harmful, why does the govt still use them for comms? Likewise, while kids (and everyone else!) should be encouraged to socialise in-person, they now have far fewer options following brutal cuts to youth services
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Ruth Curtice @ruthcurtice.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
As debates rage about where to get the money for higher defence spending, it’s important we have a clear picture of how we spent the peace dividend while it was around. Thread 🧵⤵️
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Megan Bryer @meganbryer.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Defence secretary John Healey has just resigned over the govt's Defence Investment Plan, writing that it "falls well short of what is required for defence and the country at this dangerous time". We're getting our @instituteforgovernment.org.uk resignation chart fired back up..
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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
I think this is at the core of the issue re anti-racism guidance. Similar example: should police treat men and women the same? In some ways, clearly yes: a woman who commits a crime should get the same treatment as a man who commits an equivalent crime. But in practice it’s more complicated:
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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 03/06/2026
NEW | A ‘radical overhaul’ is the wrong move for the youth justice system The government’s white paper risks undermining one of the few public services currently working well, says @cassiarowland.bsky.social Read our latest comment: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
A ‘radical overhaul’ is the wrong move for the youth justice system | Institute for Government
The government’s white paper risks undermining one of the few public services currently working well
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
Utterly joyous on the streets of North London
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 12/05/2026
Friends have started messaging to ask if the tracker is back yet. I’m afraid it is…
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Alice Lilly @aliceolilly.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
There is something that I think multiple successive prime ministers over the last decade or so have failed to grasp and to respond to: that the way backbench MPs see their role has shifted.
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 11/05/2026
Fascinating event on a project that is a metaphor for much of what is wrong with governing in the UK. come along
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Residents have overwhelmingly re-elected the Lib Dem’s in S. Cambs. Perhaps national politicians could consider the issue of the 4 day week settled for now? www.scambs.gov.uk/our-district...
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Chaminda Jayanetti @cjayanetti.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
As I said last week, I'm starting a substack focused on social affairs, public services, policymaking etc - and I'll be launching it soon I've given it the unglamorous but self-explanatory name Policy Matters. Free for now, and for a while yet I imagine Sign up here! chamindajayanetti.substack.com
chamindajayanetti.substack.com
Policy Matters | Substack
News, comment and analysis looking at public services, policy choices, and the politics of poverty and inequality. By Chaminda Jayanetti. Click to read Policy Matters, a Substack publication. Launched...
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Hannah Keenan @hannahkeenan.bsky.social · 20/04/2026
There's so much to write about everything that's happening with Mandelson vetting fight (and always happy to explain the process, others have done so v well on here). But the v. aggressive approach from no10 is over the weekend is just so damaging - so have tried to capture some of that
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
The Mandelson vetting blame-game is causing serious damage to ministerial-civil service relations | Institute for Government
The sacking of Olly Robbins has been badly handled by Keir Starmer.
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Ciaran Martin @ciaranm.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
This paper represents a small but deeply impressive and genuinely important achievement by the much maligned British state in what is probably the most important global issue of our era. Hear me out ( 🧵) 1/ www.aisi.gov.uk/blog/our-eva...
aisi.gov.uk
Our evaluation of Claude Mythos Preview’s cyber capabilities | AISI Work
We conducted cyber evaluations of Anthropic’s Claude Mythos Preview and found continued improvement in capture-the-flag (CTF) challenges and significant improvement on multi-step cyber-attack simulati...
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Tim Durrant @timdurrant.bsky.social · 14/04/2026
We're doing a series of interviews with former PMs (to be published in the coming months!) and one of them said exactly this: the job is so varied, and you can't pick and choose the good bits of the job - you *have* to do them all.
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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
new online paper by @rosahodgkin.bsky.social @danhaile.bsky.social and me on how govt needs to get a grip of the economic consequences of the Iran war. Needs to stand up coordinating machinery - like Gordon Brown's National Economic Council www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Managing the economic consequences of the Iran war | Institute for Government
How should the government respond to the crisis in the Middle East?
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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 08/04/2026
The constant Westminster-based attacks on S. Cambs by Conservatives and Labour are both depressing and incredibly boring It’s good for councils to try new things! Evidence suggests the 4 day week scheme has been successful! If residents don’t like it, they can vote out the Lib Dems next month!
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Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Take your mind off other stuff… with something positive happening in the civil service Antonia Romeo has set out her objectives, and they’re good! Tl; dr - to lead a civil service of curious, confident, high performing stewards of the system
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Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 27/03/2026
NEW REPORT: the government claims that it wants public services to be more devolved, better integrated, and more focused on prevention With a raft of reform programmes now underway in services, are they on track to achieve those aims? www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Devolution, integration, prevention: Do the government’s public service reform plans add up? | Institute for Government
There is a mismatch between the government's stated aims for public service reform and how departments are driving change.
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