our desk note for Andy Burnham on how digital operating models and infrastructure can improve UK devolution and strengthen democratic accountability

Jerry Fishenden@ntouk.bsky.social · 2w ago

"... the UK can design a better devolution settlement — one that makes democratic governance more effective, responsive, and cost-efficient, all while strengthening local democracy and UK cohesion in the process."

"The week in review" — my brief look at current hot topics ranging from devolution to artificial intelligence, and from the latest machinery of government changes to digital identity

The week in review—from devolution to digital identity

Here’s a brief summary of a few developments that caught my eye this week—from devolution to artificial intelligence, and from machinery of government changes to digital identity. Devolution …

ntouk.wordpress.com

digital technologies are a gamechanger for devolution. They create options that were simply unavailable when the current model was developed in the last century—options that can help to strengthen democratic accountability while reducing duplication and lowering costs

Jerry Fishenden@ntouk.bsky.social · 2w ago

"... the UK can design a better devolution settlement — one that makes democratic governance more effective, responsive, and cost-efficient, all while strengthening local democracy and UK cohesion in the process."

"... the UK can design a better devolution settlement — one that makes democratic governance more effective, responsive, and cost-efficient, all while strengthening local democracy and UK cohesion in the process."

Viva la devolution – rebalancing power through technology | Computer Weekly

Andy Burnham has promised to deliver the "biggest rebalancing of power our country has seen" as our new prime minister, with power taken away from Westminster and redistributed to all parts of the UK.

computerweekly.com

A little reminder that Count Binface can easily fulfil his pledge to restore Ceefax since Alistair Cree did that long ago … nmsceefax.co.uk

“The findings show how easily digital access can break down. Nearly one in five respondents said they are unable to access or use digital government services without support.”

DPA report reveals barriers to digital government services – Digital Poverty Alliance

Digital government services are now part of how people apply for support, manage identity documents, access benefits and complete essential public-service tasks

digitalpovertyalliance.org

"Regular political pronouncements that the 'magic' of technology is about to fix an increasingly broken system ring increasingly hollow after 30 years" In which James Findlay & I explore how to close the long-standing gap between governments' bold "digital transformation" ambitions & the reality.

Delivering better government after three decades of disappointment | Computer Weekly

UK governments have spent over three decades telling us that technology will modernise the public sector, cut costs, improve services for citizens and businesses, and boost productivity. Yet despite s...

computerweekly.com

The recent National Audit Office good practice guide to artificial intelligence usefully cuts through a lot of the AI noise. It raises issues that organisations may not have previously considered, such as the impact of the external application of agentic systems on their workloads:

The recent National Audit Office good practice guide to artificial intelligence usefully cuts through a lot of the AI noise. It raises issues that organisations may not have previously considered, such as the impact of the external application of agentic systems on their workloads:

I’ve finally pulled together numerous AI-related resources formerly scattered across my tech policy website, embedded in Parliamentary submissions, and explored in various media articles and my book. I'm sure it can be improved :) Feedback always very welcome. ntouk.wordpress.com/2026/06/15/n...

New Artificial Intelligence (AI) hub

I’ve finally got around to pulling together various AI-related resources formerly scattered across my site, embedded in Parliamentary submissions, and explored in various media articles and m…

ntouk.wordpress.com

“The way to build good digital policy is no mystery. You model it first. You pilot it where it will make people’s lives measurably easier. You learn what works, and what doesn’t, and then you scale and continue to learn and improve.”

The Isle of Wight can settle more than the digital ID argument | Computer Weekly

The Isle of Wight is geographically bounded, with three monitored ferry gateways. Its population of 140,000 is served by a single local authority and a defined NHS footprint. It is, in effect, a conta...

computerweekly.com

As heated debate rises around the UK government's plans for a national digital identity scheme - why not try it out to see if it works, in a well-defined, real-life environment with real people involved... 👉 [read]

With the government announcing its consultation on digital ID, a few thoughts on why delegated authority is non-negotiable

Digital ID — delegated authority is non-negotiable

The government has announced its much anticipated consultation on digital identity (ID). There’s obviously going to be a lot of issues that need to be considered over coming months, but one p…

ntouk.wordpress.com

Nearly a year ago I wrote about how agentic AI *could* join-up govt in more effective ways … but worried it would instead end up being a new thin digital veneer, displacing the much needed transformation and improvement of the public sector. Has much changed …?

Agentic AI — citizens’ new super-power for “joined-up government”

A few months ago, the National Audit Office reminded us that a large chunk of central government IT is legacy. It’s one reason why departments still force citizens to repeatedly provide the s…

ntouk.wordpress.com

Amazon is experiencing AI-related outages, with a “trend of incidents” in recent months characterised by a “high blast radius” and “Gen-AI assisted changes.” "Junior and mid-level engineers will now require more senior engineers to sign off any AI-assisted changes"

Amazon holds engineering meeting following AI-related outages

Ecommerce giant says there has been a ‘trend of incidents’ linked to ‘Gen-AI assisted changes’

ft.com

Useful piece from 'The Register', with more insights into the risks organisations face from the malicious use of agentic AI

Manage attack infrastructure? AI agents can now help

interview: Crims 'will do what gets them their objective easiest and fastest,' Microsoft threat intel boss tells The Reg

theregister.com

Samurai at the British Museum is good … much better than my photos 🙂

Nearly a year ago I wrote about how agentic AI *could* join-up govt in more effective ways … but worried it would instead end up being a new thin digital veneer, displacing the much needed transformation and improvement of the public sector. Has much changed …?

Agentic AI — citizens’ new super-power for “joined-up government”

A few months ago, the National Audit Office reminded us that a large chunk of central government IT is legacy. It’s one reason why departments still force citizens to repeatedly provide the s…

ntouk.wordpress.com

some thoughts on how governments will need less databases, less data sharing, and less processing and profiling as citizens increasingly become able to directly prove their eligibility for a service ...

A farewell to forms

UK governments have spent over thirty years attempting to deliver a radical “digital transformation” of the public sector. Despite good progress in places, a significant mismatch remains between th…

ntouk.wordpress.com

“Just as the website-centric approach to govt transformation created a digital veneer over the top of silo policies, organisations, processes, and data, AI runs the risk of doing the same. Particularly as governments often prefer visible, low‑risk improvements over deep structural reform.”

Jerry Fishenden@ntouk.bsky.social · 6mo ago

This post from early Jan continues to get a lot of interest: “… from policy planning in a local authority to welfare claims ... People will use AI to generate all sorts of well-sourced submissions with little effort for themselves while placing a huge burden on the public sector in the process.”

This post from early Jan continues to get a lot of interest: “… from policy planning in a local authority to welfare claims ... People will use AI to generate all sorts of well-sourced submissions with little effort for themselves while placing a huge burden on the public sector in the process.”

AI — no longer a bubble?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to grab a lot of headlines. It’s a broad field, from deep, narrow AI of the kind that might assist an NHS radiotherapist in their work, to the more pred…

ntouk.wordpress.com

anyone know if GOV.UK One Login now lets users switch between their different One Login accounts (e.g. different business accounts, personal account, etc.)? Or does it still delete everything and make you start all over again?

Jerry Fishenden@ntouk.bsky.social · 10mo ago

GOV.UK One Login is a mess. Alongside reported security issues & missing features like delegation & support for business, it breaks the government’s identity assurance principles: it's impossible to switch easily between different One Login accounts. How did it ever pass a service assessment?

A few recent things that caught my eye — from digital identity to the world-leading work of Capita (coughs)

The week in review

Highlights of a few recent developments that caught my eye this week, several related to digital identity. UK digital ID sector warns of legal action The UK government announcement that the upcomin…

ntouk.wordpress.com

“The failure to use digital technologies and practices as a catalyst for public sector reform doesn’t just hinder government’s policymaking, operational efficiency, and effectiveness. It also weakens and jeopardises democratic legitimacy.”

Jerry Fishenden@ntouk.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Ta-da! The finale of 'The Backstory': Lesson 8—Legacy: starting with "legacy tech" starts in entirely the wrong place Lesson 9—A Self-Inflicted Crisis: the 30+ year failure to rewire government leaves it struggling to tackle social, economic, and geopolitical challenges

Up Helly Aa is live … hope to be back there next year :) www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2Vb...

Live from Lerwick, Shetland: Up Helly Aa 2026 torchlit procession and Viking galley burning.

YouTube video by Promote Shetland

youtube.com

“As a matter of principle, we do not think that capacity constraints are a legitimate reason for delaying long planned elections. Extending existing mandates risks affecting the legitimacy of local decision making and damaging public confidence.”

Electoral Commission responds to potential election postponements

We are concerned by the possibility of some council elections in May being postponed, and even more by any further postponement to those which already had been deferred from 2025.

electoralcommission.org.uk

The UK government has begun testing of a digital driving licence – the highest profile official document so far to be digitised as part of the roll-out of the Gov.uk digital wallet.... 👉 [read]

Here's the first in a series of instalments from my book ‘Fracture' in which I'm going to explore: — why decades of digital initiatives have failed to deliver the desired modernisation of government — what a modern, adaptive democracy could look like — what changes are needed to get us there

‘Fracture’ serialisation part 1

The first in a series of articles based on the Second Edition of my book Fracture: The collision between technology and democracy—and how we fix it. “You would think that governments would pl…

ntouk.wordpress.com

Gridwatch is such a good app to track the reality of the UK’s live energy metrics …

I thought it might be entertaining to see what Microsoft Copilot makes of the new paper "Public-Service Reform in the Age of AI" from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Here's its analysis—benchmarked against 3 decades of similar proposals curated in the Digital Govt Archives.

An AI analysis of the Tony Blair Institute’s “Public Service Reform in the Age of AI”

I thought it might be useful, or at least entertaining, to see what an AI tool made of the new paper from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change on Public-Service Reform in the Age of AI. So I …

ntouk.wordpress.com