Ed Hammond
@se13ed.bsky.social
Local government governance person, supporting English councils on stuff relating to decision-making, oversight, transparency, etc. Views my own.
Hi, I'm being made redundant by the University of Southampton at the end of this month. I'm desperately looking for work. I'll consider all offers but have particular skills in policy, strategy and research. I also have a consultancy service I offer. Please let me know if you hear of anything
Back in the mists of time I was a scrutiny officer and I was supporting a councillor led review on flooding, water use etc. We took evidence from a chap from Three Valleys Water who - with a straight face - said that leaks were actually good because they help to water street trees
Cllr Emma Garnett@greenpartyemma.bsky.social · 3d agoRelated: guess where Thames Water pipes are laid and leaking drinkable water under this park in North Oxford!
This is quite something. The most significant and consequential statement of Government intent in my professional lifetime - the question is whether we can, collectively, follow through
Gavin Freeguard@gavinfreeguard.com · 6d agoCrikey www.gov.uk/government/p...
do people with bipolar disorder simply need to pull themselves together and drink more water? Channel 4 investigates
Scott Bryan@scottygb.bsky.social · last wk.Channel 4 has announced documentary “The Great ADHD Myth?” It “seeks to determine whether ADHD is a genuine neurodevelopmental disorder, or a social construct.”
Hope you're all enjoying your heatwave - here's what it's like in County Mayo (sorry)
I mean, there are two more significant inventions in the past *century* before you even get anywhere near modern computing - the shipping container and the automatic domestic washing machine
Owen Boswarva@owenboswarva.bsky.social · 2w ago"AI is likely the most significant technology in human history," says Kanishka Narayan MP, the UK's new Minister for Artificial Intelligence, in a Linkedin post www.linkedin.com/posts/kanish... #techpolicy #AIpolicy #PPEOxford #koolaid
Good to see that the GDS is recruiting a Head of Strategy and Policy - a person who'll be the central to the job of driving efforts on digital transformation cross-Government, leading a multidisciplinary team in doing so - and that this role pays... *squints* ... £69,000 a year?
Great to see everyone on Linkedin posting blurry photos of themselves with Andy Burnham from 15 years ago. "I remember well when Andy came to give the keynote at 'Mixed Aggregates 2011' - he was charm personified!"
Forgive me, Burnham's favourite London chip shop is *Olley's*, in Herne Hill? Dear oh dear
If England make the final, Spain v England is important way beyond football. If Spain win, Iberian corsairs will be able to cement their control of trade on the Barbary Coast, with the Royal Navy powerless to intervene. If England win, that should put the lid on it - for now.
(Jeff Stelling holding finger to ear) "and we can confirm that Burnham is now mathematically safe, certain not to be relegated after Wolves hold Sheffield United to a goalless draw at Bramall Lane" BBC News - Burnham cements Labour leadership with backing of 349 MPs www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
Burnham cements Labour leadership with backing of 349 MPs
The MP for Makerfield is on track to become the prime minister next week after receiving the support of the vast majority of Labour MPs.
bbc.co.uk
Rare as hen's teeth, this kind of job! What an opportunity.
Hannah White@drhannahwhite.bsky.social · 4w agoWe 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...
This is like when they mocked up a polling station for Chernenko inside the hospital that he was too ill to leave
Anton Gerashchenko@antongerashchenko.bsky.social · last mo.For the second day in a row,everyone has been laughing at this video Yesterday,Putin,dressed in military uniform,allegedly made a rare visit to the front line, to one of the auxiliary command posts. In reality,it was a film set inside a bunker.As we can see, they have a lot of props in that bunker:
*unless* you go on with your child who realises just as the door closes that no, he very much does not want to be on the cable car, and has a massive and spectacular meltdown, and you are sharing the gondola with a horrified American couple
Stephen Bush@stephenkb.bsky.social · last mo.London’s cable car is a really underrated thing to do with a small child. Affordable and good fun, too.
A bold move for Tuchel to field a team comprised of eleven four-month old Labrador puppies against DRC today! Let's see how that works out for him!
Annoying to see "Manchesterism" so profoundly mischaracterised here by Henry Zeffman of the Beeb
Say what you like about Burnham's speech - the great thing is that national journalists and the commentariat are bringing to it a really sophisticated understanding of regional productivity and the nuances of fiscal devolution (puts finger to earpiece) hold on a moment, I'm just hearing -
"Design for Living" (Flanders and Swann, 1957)
Janine Gibson@janinegibson.ft.com · last mo.A little treat for you cos you've been so brave this week. Scheherazade Goldsmith and Matthew Freud show you round their London mews house. There's a Salvador Dali sofa and an AI Wei Wei table www.ft.com/content/dd96...
Amused by South East Water seeming to be constantly surprised that people expect them to supply water. "What, through pipes? Is that still a thing we do?"
Ockenden Report depressing in part because it's one of many, many reviews engaging with the same issues. There's Ockenden (Shrewsbury, 2022), Kirkup (Kent, 2022), the CQC national review (2024), the national Amos review (ongoing), and another Ockenden-led review just starting in Leeds.
"ok guys, we need something incredibly on the nose about the climate crisis... no, that's too on the nose"
Grantham Research Institute at LSE@granthamlse.bsky.social · last mo.We regret that our event on Extreme Heat: Improving governance and strengthening action around the world has been cancelled due to the red extreme heat warning issued by the UK Met Office. Our apologies to everyone who was planning to attend the event.
Why did Burnham get changed into his suit on the train? Why didn't he just come out in his suit in the first place? Furthermore how did he do it? I've changed clothes in a train toilet before and it is Not Fun
