Did you know we're the subject of a feature-length documentary which after two years work is nearly finished? Neil Emery, the filmmaker, tells us all about it in the video below. @envleeds.bsky.social @leedsleaf.bsky.social @forestryengland.bsky.social youtu.be/CgoDqF6t2Nw?...
I'm Asking for Your Help to Finish My First Feature Documentary
YouTube video by Lake District Films
youtu.be
New update on our Kickstarter pre-launch page. Please sign up and/or share - it all helps! Thank you. "What is a legacy? It's planting seeds in a garden you never get to see." — Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton www.kickstarter.com/projects/ony...
Coming soon: A Simple Act: Finishing a Film About Hardknott Forest
Follow a year in the life of Hardknott Forest as volunteers, researchers and local people work to rebuild a forest.
kickstarter.com
I still can't get over how this www.buzzfeednews.com/article/heid... was barely a story* and afaik Theresa May, who was the home secretary at the time, was never asked about it *: except the person who was pissed off enough to leak some of the details there
From Russia With Blood
Lavish London mansions. A hand-painted Rolls-Royce. And eight dead friends. For the British fixer Scot Young, working for Vladimir Putin's most vocal critic meant a life of incredible luxury – but als...
buzzfeednews.com
Long shot, but if anyone in North #Oxford has lost a tortoise with a surprising turn of speed in the heat, do get in touch..
Deaths linked to London air pollution have fallen 40%, study estimates
Deaths linked to London air pollution have fallen 40%, study estimates
However, Imperial College team also find that pollution has worse health impact than previously understood Deaths linked to air pollution fell by an estimated 40% in London over the five years from 2019, according to new analysis. The city’s mayor, Sadiq Khan, welcomed what he called “overwhelming evidence” that his ultra-low emission zone was saving lives. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
History has hatched in London. For the first time in over 360 years, pelican chicks have successfully been born in St. James’s Park. These four new arrivals mark a monumental milestone for wildlife in the heart of our capital.
More Beaks To Feed! Pelican Chicks Born At St James's Park For The First Time
Four additions to the feathered family.
londonist.com
The report made numerous false claims about the use of AI by organisations including UBS, claiming the Swiss bank 'integrates AI agents across investment advisory, risk management and compliance monitoring'. ft.trib.al/clkVSb6
Delays to defence investment plan have damaged UK’s credibility, say MPs
Delays to defence investment plan have damaged UK’s credibility, say MPs
Committee calls for apology from government amid reports navy’s hunter-killer submarines are all docked A parliamentary committee that scrutinises public spending has made scathing comments about the impact of delays in the publication of the government’s defence investment plan (Dip). The Dip, originally expected last autumn, has been repeatedly postponed amid warnings that the military faces a huge funding gap over the next four years. It is due to be published before a Nato summit early next month. Continue reading...
theguardian.com
One of the best jobs in civic tech has just been advertised Head of AI at the mighty @fullfact.org
Head of AI - Full Fact
We’re hiring our next Head of AI. This is a rare and compelling opportunity, at a moment when our information environment is under significant strain.
fullfact.teamtailor.com
In which the Councillor is told not to report Planning breaches because the hollowed out public service function can't cope
Rural Somerset areas urged not to report planning breaches
Rural Somerset councillors are being urged not to report planning breaches - because the council does not have enough people to deal with them.
somersetcountygazette.co.uk
Running into football fans in town is usually nasty & threatening, but today the city has come out for Arsenal and it feels joyful, kind and inclusive and everything I love about the greatest city in the world.
We really need to fully bed in the idea that the default position of someone wearing the Meta camera glasses is that they are a pervert
How vulnerable children became a gold mine for investors This piece by Chris Smyth, Alan Smith and Jennifer Williams is worth your time as.ft.com/r/b1fb6cb0-4...
How England’s vulnerable children became a gold mine for investors
The government spends £3bn on children’s homes a year and the profits existing players make have ‘piqued people’s interest’
as.ft.com
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...
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...
uksa.statisticsauthority.gov.uk
New blog post: GDS weighs in on the NHS's decision to retreat from Open Source https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/05/gds-weighs-in-on-the-nhss-decision-to-retreat-from-open-source/ Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting without biscuits". It …
GDS weighs in on the NHS's decision to retreat from Open Source
Within the UK's Civil Service you occasionally hear the expression "being invited to a meeting without biscuits". It implies a rather frosty discussion without any of the polite niceties of a normal meeting. In general though, even when people have severe disagreements, it is rare for tempers to fray. It is even rarer for those internal disagreements to spill over into public. Which is what…
shkspr.mobi
If, like me, you are a muppet who managed to lose her polling card and want to check where to vote, this website is useful. (Remember: while you need ID to vote in England, you DON’T need to bring your polling card, that’s purely for convenience). wheredoivote.co.uk
Where Do I Vote?
We build digital tools to support everyone’s participation in UK democracy.
wheredoivote.co.uk
Anyone who hasn't really should get themselves into the Pleasant Green-iverse. The best horror/drama/comedy/mysteries that you feel *should* be prestige tv, but you're sort of glad they're not because the pictures are better this way.
Julian Simpson@juliansimpson.bsky.social · 4mo ago
Every system that was regulated, either explicitly or implicitly, by the fact that they were effortful for humans (letters of recommendation, government filings, essays, or, as this paper finds, lawsuits) will break under a wave of AI.
Our annual State of the Nation report contains the most comprehensive summary of social mobility data in the UK. It allows policy makers to understand what is diving and what is blocking social mobility at a national and a local level. Explore more: https://bit.ly/47V1cOb
The opinion I have held since I first heard anything about Bob Dylan, which is that Bob Dylan is a wanker, remains unchallenged
Consequence@consequence.bsky.social · 4mo agoBob Dylan has quietly launched a new Patreon project, Lectures from the Grave, featuring AI-generated monologues, fictional letters, and short stories attributed to historical figures—raising big questions about creativity, authenticity, and the role of artists in an AI-driven future.
I’ve shared this report with plenty of people over the years, but sharing it again as I had a reason to point someone at it today. Learn how posh people level up: www.gov.uk/government/p...
Navigating the labyrinth: socio-economic background and career progression in the Civil Service
A report highlighting how socio-economic background shapes career progression within the Civil Service, and an action plan outlining recommendations to improve.
gov.uk
we found that internal party divisiveness seems to be a feature of many of the most successful policies. Lots of case studies from @instituteforgovernment.org.uk - smoking ban, climate change act and devo and the minimum wage in this from 2012 www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...
The 'S' Factors | Institute for Government
This report looks at what we can learn from policy successes.
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Iain Mansfield@igmansfield.bsky.social · 5mo agoSame sex marriage. Banning smoking in indoor public spaces. Passed to great controversy and divided parties, would their proponents have guessed that in just 1-2 decades they'd become amongst the most popular of Britain's laws? Full results here: www.edrith.co.uk/p/gay-marria...
NEW: Ben Houchen's Tees Valley Combined Authority intends to redirect £100m of transport funding it received from the government to the highly-indebted development corporation which leads regeneration of the Teesworks site.
£100m of Tees Valley transport spending to be given to Teesworks regeneration
A report will be given to TVCA’s cabinet at their next meeting in June and it is expected the plans will be approved.
teesside.thelead.uk
London’s “worst mass eviction in recent history” is underway; hundreds of households across London told to get out of their homes this week by the same landlord, ahead of the renters rights act. The landlord? Billionaire Asif Aziz’s Criterion Capital. www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...
Who's the billionaire behind London’s biggest mass eviction?
He's the London philanthropist who says he's committed to solving homelessness. So why is Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital rushing to make hundreds of Londoners homeless in the coming weeks?
londoncentric.media
Very good thread. Depressing quote: "... my team has to spend a reasonable part of their week trying to make sure none of us get murdered".
Lizzi Collinge MP@lizzicollinge.bsky.social · 6mo agoGood overview of the workload on staff and MPs, and what the role of the MP is/could/should be. I prioritise dealing with casework quickly over replying to policy emails because e.g. helping a person access disability support is more important to me... 1/?
The funding for this work ends in March so we're considering what happens next to the community of practice. We ask you to take a little time to complete a survey on your thoughts. MS form: forms.office.com/r/gPvfrr2eAW Google form: forms.gle/tcwEY28KG5q... (2/2)
Future of the Data and AI Public Engagement Community
Connected by Data has been running the Data and AI Public Engagement Community of Practice since July 2024, to allow people to share their work and learn from others on engaging the public around data and AI, work through common challenges, and bring together practitioners from different sectors. The 15 events to date – monthly online meetings for around one hour, 2pm on a Wednesday – have largely consisted of two presentations, but we have also run an online workshop and a panel discussion. There are further events scheduled for February and March 2026. The Community of Practice is part of a wider project, Giving communities a powerful say in public sector data and AI projects. The funding for that project ends in March 2026, while Connected by Data – always intended to be a five-year campaign – is due to come to an end in March 2027. That means we are considering what happens next to the community of practice – in terms of maintaining the archive of presentations to date, and how and
docs.google.com
