iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

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Adam Terry @adamterryfgf.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Just back from a whirlwind 24 hours in Brighton for the Lib Dems’ annual conference. Lovely weather by the sea and a series of really interesting events THREAD [1/13]

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Nick Garland @npjgarland.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Really excited to be relaunching Progressive Review, @ippr.org's journal of politics, ideas and public policy, with a new editorial team + advisory board:

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

It’s almost as if these league tables are nonsense

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Institute for Public Policy Research @ippr.org · 18/09/2026

We’re delighted to announce a new editorial advisory board to help shape the future of IPPR's journal, Progressive Review, including: 👉 @iprnickp.bsky.social 👉 @pollymackenzie.bsky.social 👉 @will-davies.bsky.social Subscribe here: progressivereview.substack.com

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I know I’m a bore on this but here’s why the Science Minister should absolutely care about the humanities and social sciences rather than thinking it is for DCMS ukri.substack.com/p/why-ai-wil...

ukri.substack.com

Why AI will fail without the humanities and social sciences

AI can transform society. But only if society has a say in shaping it, writes Hetan Shah, Chief Executive of The British Academy.

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James Arthur Cattell @jacattell.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Very sad to share that @ukgovcamp.com legend Dr Carla Groom died at home on 9 August 2026, aged 50. Her family and friends are raising money for the Carers Centre Tower Hamlets in her memory www.justgiving.com/page/carlagr... #RIPCarla

A blonde woman speaking into a microphone while holding a large, pink sticky note that reads "Behaviour science for better policies + processes - Carla Groom."

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

This one's for the superfans - they've dressed the set at How to Win an Election with a picture celebrating Canada, just to troll my beloved Canada-hating husband.

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Rick @flipchartrick.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

I love it when somebody points out something “bleedin’ obvious” that nobody has noticed. Good piece by @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on saving the the high street. www.ft.com/content/f438...

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

America just goes by America. We can make Kingdom work.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

This is a lovely site which helps remind us of much of what we take for granted in material progress ordinaryabundance.com (HT @aveek18.bsky.social)

ordinaryabundance.com

Ordinary Abundance

A walk through a modern apartment, through the eyes of the people for whom everything in it was new.

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Chris Dillow @chrisdillow.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

New substack: without big changes, slow growth is normal: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/stagnation...

chrisdillow.substack.com

Stagnation: the norm

We need more than tinkering if we are to raise economic growth significantly.

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Dr Rashmee Roshan Lall @rashmee.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

Hear, hear @financialtimes.com's @pollymackenzie.bsky.social: "Only active communities, backed by an active state, can rescue our town centres at the scale and pace that’s needed...Not every high street can have an outpost of No 10 but most could host more of the state" www.ft.com/content/f438...

ft.com

How to save the British high street

Communities need help to tackle the blight of delinquent landlords who let empty properties decay

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Kien Tan @kientan74.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

Hard agree with @pollymackenzie.bsky.social. Toying with business rates won't save our high streets. We need more people working, studying and living there... as I said to @retailweek.bsky.social in its deep dive on high street revival earlier this week (see www.retail-week.com/stores/the-d...)

Excerpt from FT piece about saving high streets

Excerpt from Retail Week article on PM's challenge in reviving high streets

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

‘Since then it has served two purposes: where we buy things, and where we meet. The first paid for the second without anyone noticing they were separate.’ Good insight from @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on the different functions of the high street www.ft.com/content/f438...

ft.com

How to save the British high street

Communities need help to tackle the blight of delinquent landlords who let empty properties decay

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

So why not dedicate more resource to it? www.ft.com/content/f0f7...

Fraud accounts for 46 per cent of all crime in England and Wales, yet only 2 per cent of resources are dedicated to it, Adams said.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

This is a real shame - Patrick Vallance has been a really excellent and committed Science Minister who knew the territory and took a strategic view. Big shoes to fill

Patrick Vallance resigns from government
Science minister Lord Patrick Vallance has resigned from government following
Sir Keir Starmer's departure.
"After nearly a decade in Government I am stepping down as a minister, for personal reasons,
" he said in a
statement.

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Emma Jacobs @emmavj.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Forget pervert glasses - what about smart plugs? Me on domestic abusers taking over home devices as.ft.com/r/8f4ab2f1-4... How smart tech is being weaponised in the home

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gquaggiotto.bsky.social @gquaggiotto.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

A big, visible bet is just what the parts of an organisation that want to keep things the same will move to get rid of. The better the idea, the bigger the bet you are tempted to make, and the bigger the target you paint on it vaughntan.org/bigness

vaughntan.org

Against bigness - Vaughn Tan

tl;dr: Organisations say they want innovation but keep killing it. The problem is that the organisational decision-making machinery assumes you

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Important role here - Chair of the Information Commission (which will replace the ICO). £120k, 3 days a week. Apply by 19 August apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9276

Appointment details
Information
Commission Chair

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

I've written a new post exploring a fascinating turn in education reform. After a period in which there was pressure for ever narrower approaches to education, today's pioneers are advocating for a holistic model, with schools at the centre of a thriving civic life. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

How to grow tomorrows

What if schools were not just sites for delivering education, but societies in miniature? Thousands of chances to cultivate a better future

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James Plunkett @jamestplunkett.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

🔥 New today 🔥 Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges? As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, I've written an essay exploring the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

medium.com

Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges?

As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, this essay explores the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. What is enabling…

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 12/07/2026

Found this interesting on Burnham’s focus on the ‘unaccountable state’. It’s fair to flag as it’s easy to feel modern society is Kafkaesque. But curious how he’ll rise to the challenge of it. Devolution can help a bit but only a bit… 🧵 www.thetimes.com/article/1167...

"One of the big problems now,"
Burnham told me before his election, "is the unaccountable state ... Everything through arm's-length bodies. Everything pushed outside of democratic oversight: academies trusts, the Environment Agency. Private agencies, water. It's a bigger issue than gets spoken about.
There's an unaccountable bureaucracy."
He spoke of the death of Awaab Ishak, the two-year-old who died in a mould-ridden Rochdale flat owned by a housing association that had kicked the local councillors off its board as soon as David Cameron's government gave it the power to do so. Hence, by the way, why

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Eliot Higgins @eliothiggins.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

In particular how the role of verification has moved from institutions to the public, and how societies have generally failed to recognise that, let alone adapt to it. Failing to recognise that condition means solutions inevitably fail.

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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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Nathan Yeowell @yeowell.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

What do you think @andyburnham.bsky.social should do in his first 100 days? I’ve explained why Andy could establish a Department of the Prime Minister, in @georgeeaton.bsky.social's @arguablymag.bsky.social www.arguably.uk/p/20-ideas-f...

arguably.uk

20 ideas for Andy Burnham’s 100 days

Policy experts on how the next Prime Minister can turn the UK around

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George Eaton @georgeeaton.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

Also features @vickyspratt.bsky.social on devolving technical education and skills, @meadwaj.bsky.social on a 'Doge of the left', @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on welfare reform as industrial strategy and @jamesomalley.co.uk on freeing the Postcode Address File. www.arguably.uk/p/20-ideas-f...

arguably.uk

20 ideas for Andy Burnham’s 100 days

Policy experts on how the next Prime Minister can turn the UK around

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Kinship Works @kinship.works · 03/07/2026

We & Demos have a major programme of research & deliberation to develop a new funding settlement for civic renewal in Britain. We're holding a webinar (Thur 9 Jul @ 09:30) to introduce the programme, share early thinking & open the conversation.

eventbrite.co.uk

A Marshall Plan for Civic Life - Webinar Tickets, Thursday 9 July • 8:30 AM - 9:30 AM UTC | Eventbrite

Eventbrite - Demos presents A Marshall Plan for Civic Life - Webinar - Thursday, 9 July 2026 - Find event and ticket information.

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

I'm really sorry to hear this news. The Research Professional team are excellent and have helped the HE and research sector keep up with what is happening. We will be less intelligent without it. Good luck to individual staff members affected, who are excellent writers and journos.

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Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

'Around 150 full time equivalent jobs are set to go at the south-west England institution, with 115 of them in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, despite it being internationally renowned.' 1/4

timeshighereducation.com

‘I thought we were safe’: shock at Exeter’s humanities ‘gamble’

Leading department being in the firing line shows how changing student preferences are fundamentally reshaping universities

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Peter Geoghegan @petergeoghegan.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

This is absolute dereliction Exeter university is home to world leading experts in corruption and kleptocracy (among other things) Now it’s facing being cut to ribbons www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

timeshighereducation.com

University of Exeter cuts an ‘existential threat to humanities’

Russell Group institution cites changing student demand as it puts 500 staff at risk of redundancy, with 150 jobs set to go

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

My nine year old asked for a Rosetta Stone cake for his birthday

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Martin Lewis @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com · 05/06/2026

THEY ARE BASTARDS

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Jill Rutter @jillongovt.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

HI @pollymackenzie.bsky.social - good newsletter on adaptation. Here is a report @rosahodgkin.bsky.social and I wrote for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on getting govt to take adaptation more seriously a couple of years ago www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

instituteforgovernment.org.uk

Adapting to climate change | Institute for Government

Government must make managing climate change a priority.

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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 17/05/2026

Let it be clear: you are wanted here.

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gquaggiotto.bsky.social @gquaggiotto.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Government services are getting overwhelmed by (probably) AI-generated requests chrisschmitz.ai/flooding

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Will Jennings📉🗳️ @drjennings.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

One of the interesting features of a lot of commentary on British politics is the elision of working class with working people, when these are not the same thing.

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Love this circular logic: a policy that targets low income families with high energy costs is "the best" *because* it targets low income families with high energy costs. This is how lots of "what works" thinking goes and policy conversations are the poorer for it. (small thread)

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Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Time to change the law: hate speech should invalidate a ballot.

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rak @raksky.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Ruth Davidson speaks for us all 🤭 "People are having a tough time It's been shit for a long time They don't have money in their pocket The cost of living crisis has gone on forever" Priceless reactions @mattchorley.bsky.social @lewisgoodall.com @pollymackenzie.bsky.social @matthewsyed.bsky.social

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Hetan Shah @hetanshah.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

Good data is essential for policy. Today it’s been a year since we had a permanent National Statistician. No news on what is happening with the current recruitment which began Oct 2025. This is an under the bonnet issue that points to state failure 🧵 uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/stateme...

uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk

Statement: Sir Ian Diamond steps down as National Statistician

Today the UK Statistics Authority has announced the resignation of Sir Ian Diamond as the UK’s National Statistician. Since joining the organisation more than five and a half years ago, Sir Ian has l...

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