Polly Mackenzie
@pollymackenzie.bsky.social
Co-founder and CEO, Zinc Innovation Partners - helping turn science into real-world change. Fomerly Demos, UAL, MMHPI, No10. Adviser at Future Governance Forum, Family Business UK, Door10 Recruitment. Writes at https://howtorunacountry.substack.com/
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...
How to save the British high street
Communities need help to tackle the blight of delinquent landlords who let empty properties decay
ft.com
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...)
Financial Times@financialtimes.com · 3d agoHow to save the British high street ft.trib.al/Gep6DvU | opinion
‘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...
How to save the British high street
Communities need help to tackle the blight of delinquent landlords who let empty properties decay
ft.com
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
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
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
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
vaughntan.org
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
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...
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
medium.com
🔥 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...
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…
medium.com
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...
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.
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...
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.
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
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...
20 ideas for Andy Burnham’s 100 days
Policy experts on how the next Prime Minister can turn the UK around
arguably.uk
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...
20 ideas for Andy Burnham’s 100 days
Policy experts on how the next Prime Minister can turn the UK around
arguably.uk
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.
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.
eventbrite.co.uk
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.
John Morgan@johnmorgan3.bsky.social · last mo.Very sad to be sharing this news: Research Professional News to discontinue publication at end of 2026. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-o...
Rather than sanding away decades of wear, MUJI embraces the scratches, faded finishes and repair marks that tell the story of each piece spoon-tamago.com/muji-antique...
MUJI is Restoring Antique Furniture Salvaged from Kominka Across Japan
Minimal lifestyle brand MUJI has been in the homebuilding business for over a decade. And in recent year they have expanded their focus to not just building new homes but renovating old kominka folk h...
spoon-tamago.com
'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
‘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
timeshighereducation.com
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...
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
timeshighereducation.com
My nine year old asked for a Rosetta Stone cake for his birthday
We need an industrial strategy for civic institutions. howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/alternativ...
Alternative Provision
Building a new generation of civic institutions
howtorunacountry.substack.com
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/...
Adapting to climate change | Institute for Government
Government must make managing climate change a priority.
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Here's my effort at addressing that, for what it's worth aveekbhattacharya.substack.com/p/whose-faul...
Whose fault is it that Keir Starmer is so bad at being Prime Minister?
It's nobody’s job to ensure the Prime Minister is suited to their role. Is it any surprise so often they’re not?
aveekbhattacharya.substack.com
