Alice Lilly
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aliceolilly.bsky.social
Alice Lilly
@aliceolilly.bsky.social
11K followers 1K following 1.8K posts
Learning and development manager at Institute for Government interested in all things parliament and government.
PhD in modern US/UK history.
Sport fan. Mum of one. Views my own.
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aliceolilly.bsky.social
Was saying to somebody the other day that we seemed to have been on a reasonable run of the toddler not having bugs.

You won’t believe what happened next
February 9, 2026 at 9:35 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
cathhaddon.bsky.social
Cabinet secretaries

A 110 year old job. A lot of variation in how past holders have done the job.

A lot of debate about whether the job is even doable now.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/ca...
February 9, 2026 at 9:25 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
cathhaddon.bsky.social
I see we are now at the ‘explaining constitutional principles and precedents of scenarios that really aren’t likely to happen’ stage of political crisis.
February 9, 2026 at 6:07 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
timdurrant.bsky.social
Darren Jones has set out various things that the government is "considering" to bolster how ethics are upheld, including:

- considering changing the process for declaration of financial interests
- looking closely at how lobbying is managed
- revisiting the guidance on the use of informal comms...
February 9, 2026 at 5:19 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Some really fascinating insights in here - can't wait to read the whole thing
February 9, 2026 at 3:15 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
hannahkeenan.bsky.social
Tim Allan only joined No10 in September last year as part of the most recent (very turbulent) 'reset'...
A timeline from the Institute for Government of key government personnel changes in September 2025 beginning with Keir Starmer’s minor reshuffle on 1 September. This turned into a wholesale ministerial reshuffle between 5 and 7 September following deputy prime minister Angela Rayner’s resignation after the prime minister’s independent adviser concluded that she had not maintained the highest possible standards of proper conduct. The timeline shows a series of senior resignations later in the month, from US Ambassador Peter Mandelson’s resignation on 11 September to senior advisers Paul Ovenden and Steph Driver resigning on 15 September and 25 September respectively.
February 9, 2026 at 11:41 AM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
There’s a trend among recent PMs of having a poor relationship with and/or not really understanding what their backbenchers’ expectations are and how they view their role (and how that seems to have shifted among backbenchers of all parties in recent years)
jessicaelgot.bsky.social Jessica Elgot @jessicaelgot.bsky.social · 1d
Since Labour has been in government the lack of preparation and depth of thinking has been apparent but I think one of the biggest mistakes was going to war with the PLP so early. It stunned a lot of MPs to be told they could not even table amendments. This resentment is a massive part of the story.
February 8, 2026 at 8:49 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
cathhaddon.bsky.social
Keir Starmer will be looking for his third Chief of Staff since becoming PM, after the departure of Morgan McSweeney.

What is the role of Chief of Staff to the PM, how did it arise and what is the difference with other key roles in No10?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/explainer/do...
Downing Street chief of staff | Institute for Government
The Downing Street chief of staff is the UK prime minister’s most senior political adviser.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
February 8, 2026 at 2:39 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Sign me up to the Northern Olympics, not least because the opening ceremony would be SO good
thetimes.com The Times & Sunday Times @thetimes.com · 2d
Swimming in Windermere, sailors on the Mersey? Mayors want Britain to bid for the 2036 Games and host them in Manchester, Liverpool and other northern cities
Move over, London, the north is coming for UK’s Olympic bid
www.thetimes.com
February 7, 2026 at 8:56 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
“He’ll be tired at the age of 36,” says a skiing commentator.

Torn between being insulted and agreeing that yeah, he probably is tired
February 7, 2026 at 8:42 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Not to be mean nor to take anything at all away from Italy- AND the conditions were awful- but that was one of the worst rugby performances I’ve seen in a looooong time
February 7, 2026 at 4:02 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
I mean the Italian national anthem is just 10/10, truly excellent
February 6, 2026 at 7:27 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
scottygb.bsky.social
“I’ve been cast at the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony”

“What are you?”

“A stovetop espresso maker.”
February 6, 2026 at 7:13 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Yess time to pretend I know something about *checks notes* winter sports
February 6, 2026 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
cathhaddon.bsky.social
Fascinating and appalling stuff on the Mandelson scandal, how it came out, why it didn't come out sooner and what it might now mean. Great to have @pickardje.bsky.social joining @drhannahwhite.bsky.social and @alexgathomas.bsky.social to explore it all.

bsky.app/profile/inst...
February 6, 2026 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
oldenoughtosay.com
This comes up a lot so I do want to let you all know that the option of turning the existing building into a heritage/museum site has been costed out and it is substantially more expensive
dustinducane.bsky.social Dustin Du Cane @dustinducane.bsky.social · 3d
How about this - new parliament building and government center in Slough, including Pm residence. Change parliament into a tourist and museum center.
February 6, 2026 at 10:36 AM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
please, my coin, it’s in bits

(sorry)
February 5, 2026 at 8:43 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Oof that was an absolute banger of an anthem mes amis
February 5, 2026 at 8:09 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
cassiarowland.bsky.social
In amongst all the drama, the day-to-day work of gov & public services can get a little lost. But yday's bleak report from the Public Accounts Committee on the dire state of probation is yet another example of just how high the stakes are. Massive work is needed to get services back on their feet.
Probation services pushed to the brink of collapse in England and Wales risk endangering public - Committees - UK Parliament
A new report from the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) warns that the Probation Service in England and Wales is being placed under significant strain, seriously impeding its ability to protect the publ...
committees.parliament.uk
February 5, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
ameakin.bsky.social
This is bleakly comic: six times when Parliament has agreed the need for a major programme of works to the Palace of Westminster, and yet we'll need another vote in 2026 and then a further vote in mid 2030.
Box 1: Key decisions by parliamentarians The Houses agreed there was a need to do an R&R Programme in: • 2012 when the House of Commons Commission and the House of Lords House Committee published a pre-feasibility study on restoration and renewal and concluded that “doing nothing is not an option” and that a decision on the long-term future of the Palace of Westminster needed to be made soon; • the 2016 Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster report, which concluded in its report that there is “… a clear and pressing need to tackle the work required to the Palace of Westminster”;23 • 2018 during debates on the report from the Joint Committee on the Palace of Westminster, the Houses supported full decant as a preferred delivery option;24 • 2019 when the Houses passed the Parliamentary Buildings (Restoration and Renewal) Act 2019; • 2022 when the Houses agreed a new mandate for the Programme; and • 2024, when the Client Board published its Strategic Case for the Programme.25
February 5, 2026 at 2:53 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
Remarkable stat from the latest report on R&R: "Between 2021/22 and 2023/24 reactive maintenance tasks increased by 70%"

(Report here committees.parliament.uk/publications...)
February 5, 2026 at 2:48 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
ameakin.bsky.social
And here's the costed proposals for Restoration and Renewal. Two options recommended: full decant and EMI+. Full decant will be cheaper and quicker - staying in the Palace during the works will means it takes up to 61 years and costs up to £18.7bn. Full link committees.parliament.uk/publications...
Recommended Options Discounted Options Full decant EMI + Continued Presence EMI Total Programme duration 19–24 years 38–61 years 33–45 years 52–84 years Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk but excluding inflation and opportunities) £8.4–11.5bn £11.8–18.7bn £9.7–13.7bn £12.0–19.4bn Average annual cost (excluding opportunities) £440–490m £310–310m £290–300m £230–230m Highest annual cost (including opportunities) £600–760m £430–530m £460–620m £360–410m Total Programme cost (including optimism bias and risk and inflation but excluding opportunities) £11.1–15.6bn £19.5–39.2bn £14.4–22bn £23.3–56.3bn Net present cost £4.2–5.7bn £5.1–6.6bn £4.6–6.4bn £4.5–5.5bn House of Commons Chamber decant period 8–10 years For up to two years to the House of Lords Chamber 11–15 years to the House of Lords Chamber The Chambers are not expected to be decanted. House of Lords Chamber decant period 12–15 years 8–13 years 24–33 years Parliamentary business Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. Delivered with changes in the location and proximity of spaces and services which will require consideration of new ways of working. For areas of continued occupancy there is a risk of later need for an unplanned decant, including for core parliamentary business functions (such as the Chambers or services directly supporting them) if disruption becomes intolerable.
February 5, 2026 at 2:08 PM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
ameakin.bsky.social
Happy Restoration & Renewal day! The (very) long-awaited costed proposals report to be published at 2pm, according to Playbook. Will the Programme Board recommend a single way forward, as originally expected? Or will it keep the options open, as reported by @estwebber.bsky.social late last year?
THE OTHER COLLAPSING STRUCTURE: While it may feel like the government is burning down, Westminster’s biggest literal tinderbox remains the Palace of Westminster itself. At 2 p.m., the long‑delayed menu of restoration options will finally be published. Not the beginning of the end, but the end of the beginning: Your Playbook author is old enough to remember parliament has been debating what to do with the crumbling estate since at least 2012, when a study declared the make‑do‑and‑mend era over. Fourteen years on, there is still “a complete absence of leadership,” one person close to the project says. Neither the government, nor the commissions, nor the speakers can say “this is what we want to happen,” they added. Crumblewatch: POLITICO has been reporting since December that a full decant (which would see MPs and peers moving out for years while asbestos is stripped out and wiring replaced) is expected to cost £15 billion after Lord Speaker Michael Forsyth let the cat out of the bag during his leadership race. If you’re looking for a neat metaphor about a nation paralysed by constant rounds of infighting and scandal, this isn’t a bad place to start.
February 5, 2026 at 7:52 AM
Reposted by Alice Lilly
drhannahwhite.bsky.social
Delighted that we at @instituteforgovernment.org.uk are once again supporting this annual online event aimed at reaching people currently under-represented in the think tank sector… please share with your networks…
February 4, 2026 at 3:57 PM
aliceolilly.bsky.social
This morning I managed to pour half a cup of coffee over myself before I even noticed I was doing so.
The worst bit is the waste of coffee.
February 5, 2026 at 10:27 AM