Chris Davies
@crd37.bsky.social
Complexity, politics, public policy and helping things be better. Welshman in south London.
Reposted by Chris Davies
BREAKING The number of homicides in England and Wales has fallen to 499 - the lowest level for four decades.
From Oct 24 -Sep 25 there were also falls in knife crime and gun crimes, recorded by police.
But shop theft rose to 519,381 offences.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
From Oct 24 -Sep 25 there were also falls in knife crime and gun crimes, recorded by police.
But shop theft rose to 519,381 offences.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
January 29, 2026 at 10:04 AM
BREAKING The number of homicides in England and Wales has fallen to 499 - the lowest level for four decades.
From Oct 24 -Sep 25 there were also falls in knife crime and gun crimes, recorded by police.
But shop theft rose to 519,381 offences.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
From Oct 24 -Sep 25 there were also falls in knife crime and gun crimes, recorded by police.
But shop theft rose to 519,381 offences.
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS)
I find it so disheartening to listen to politicians - minister and similar levels - who keep saying things like “we should, one might, it would be good…” AS IF IT IS NOT THEM WHO SHOULD MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Who are you talking to, this is YOUR JOB.
Who are you talking to, this is YOUR JOB.
January 28, 2026 at 1:34 PM
This is hilarious.
Health Authority Chief Executives were hardly the archetype of the Rude Mechanical.
Typical salaries for those roles would be ~£200k in today’s money
Health Authority Chief Executives were hardly the archetype of the Rude Mechanical.
Typical salaries for those roles would be ~£200k in today’s money
Matt Goodwin makes a living out of railing against university educated elites & his whole schtick is "he was the first person in his family to go to university", which is a bit weird given that his Dad, now being heavily invoked for his Manchester connection, appears to have a string of degrees.
January 27, 2026 at 10:38 PM
This is hilarious.
Health Authority Chief Executives were hardly the archetype of the Rude Mechanical.
Typical salaries for those roles would be ~£200k in today’s money
Health Authority Chief Executives were hardly the archetype of the Rude Mechanical.
Typical salaries for those roles would be ~£200k in today’s money
And fun it was indeed! Great exploration of whether politicians today are, well, just not political enough.
What we didn’t have time to explore is that our ‘theory of action’ is government is broken (hinted at in @pollymackenzie.bsky.social’s helpful levers piece). Got to be the next topic.
What we didn’t have time to explore is that our ‘theory of action’ is government is broken (hinted at in @pollymackenzie.bsky.social’s helpful levers piece). Got to be the next topic.
Fun evening ahead courtesy of @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @philtinline.bsky.social and others, looking at how the country might be run more effectively
January 27, 2026 at 10:13 PM
And fun it was indeed! Great exploration of whether politicians today are, well, just not political enough.
What we didn’t have time to explore is that our ‘theory of action’ is government is broken (hinted at in @pollymackenzie.bsky.social’s helpful levers piece). Got to be the next topic.
What we didn’t have time to explore is that our ‘theory of action’ is government is broken (hinted at in @pollymackenzie.bsky.social’s helpful levers piece). Got to be the next topic.
Fun evening ahead courtesy of @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @philtinline.bsky.social and others, looking at how the country might be run more effectively
January 27, 2026 at 6:58 PM
Fun evening ahead courtesy of @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @philtinline.bsky.social and others, looking at how the country might be run more effectively
Reposted by Chris Davies
When are they going to learn that governing is about an awful lot more than “pulling levers”?
Probably never - once Ministers are inside the Whitehall Rolls Royce they are usually willing captives of the machine.
Probably never - once Ministers are inside the Whitehall Rolls Royce they are usually willing captives of the machine.
NEW: Keir Starmer says Labour should concentrate on improving cost of living & fighting Reform UK rather than internal divisions.
"The single most important thing for people across the country is cost of living & that's why we're bearing down on it in everything we're doing, pulling every lever.
"The single most important thing for people across the country is cost of living & that's why we're bearing down on it in everything we're doing, pulling every lever.
January 26, 2026 at 7:22 PM
When are they going to learn that governing is about an awful lot more than “pulling levers”?
Probably never - once Ministers are inside the Whitehall Rolls Royce they are usually willing captives of the machine.
Probably never - once Ministers are inside the Whitehall Rolls Royce they are usually willing captives of the machine.
Reposted by Chris Davies
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdami advises New Yorkers to stay home and read ‘Heated Rivalry’ during the winter storm
via hearts530
via hearts530
January 25, 2026 at 6:38 PM
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdami advises New Yorkers to stay home and read ‘Heated Rivalry’ during the winter storm
via hearts530
via hearts530
Reposted by Chris Davies
part of this is like, conservatives projecting; part of this is conservatives unable to imagine politics without money; and part of this is dudes who are so out of touch with feminized labor that they think children's birthday parties exist as a spontaneous act of parthogenesis
I mostly just stay off Twitter altogether but after double checking that the Walter Hudson post was still up I ran across this and just had to share so the Romancelandians who bought hand warmers could hear about the PROFESSIONAL GRADE LOGISTICS.
January 26, 2026 at 12:14 AM
part of this is like, conservatives projecting; part of this is conservatives unable to imagine politics without money; and part of this is dudes who are so out of touch with feminized labor that they think children's birthday parties exist as a spontaneous act of parthogenesis
Dulwich and West Norwood is basically Brixton?!
Might explain why you lost it Kemi…
Might explain why you lost it Kemi…
January 25, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Dulwich and West Norwood is basically Brixton?!
Might explain why you lost it Kemi…
Might explain why you lost it Kemi…
Reposted by Chris Davies
“What hit me was the knowledge that if positions were reversed, he would not do this for me”
Two women trained as first responders were abducted by three ICE agents. One of the agents starts seizing. The other two don’t know what to do. The women jump into action and save the agent’s life, only to be re-handcuffed and processed.
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
www.startribune.com/detained-by-...
Detained by ICE, two women became first responders during agent’s seizure
The women say they guided agents through the emergency, later raising concerns about medical protocols, weapons safety and accountability.
www.startribune.com
January 24, 2026 at 1:35 PM
“What hit me was the knowledge that if positions were reversed, he would not do this for me”
I worked on police reform with a human rights org in India 20 years ago
One of the abuses we observed was exactly this.
Then we were attributing it to a philosophy of policing that was still dominated by colonial mindsets - where the police were there to keep the people in order.
One of the abuses we observed was exactly this.
Then we were attributing it to a philosophy of policing that was still dominated by colonial mindsets - where the police were there to keep the people in order.
This guy went to work today, put a mask on, kidnapped a 5 year old child, and then used him as bait so both he and his father could be sent behind bars
January 23, 2026 at 2:43 PM
I worked on police reform with a human rights org in India 20 years ago
One of the abuses we observed was exactly this.
Then we were attributing it to a philosophy of policing that was still dominated by colonial mindsets - where the police were there to keep the people in order.
One of the abuses we observed was exactly this.
Then we were attributing it to a philosophy of policing that was still dominated by colonial mindsets - where the police were there to keep the people in order.
Good to see we’re doing police force mergers again
January 22, 2026 at 11:02 PM
Good to see we’re doing police force mergers again
Reposted by Chris Davies
the woke mob is giving He-man pronouns
January 22, 2026 at 6:47 PM
the woke mob is giving He-man pronouns
I think this thread has a lot going for it.
We really have run out of ways to entertain rich competitive and entitled men now that we don’t have regular wars
We really have run out of ways to entertain rich competitive and entitled men now that we don’t have regular wars
I still think Trump and his supporters are largely a consequence of societal boredom: People with too much time on their hands and/or who have lost sight of what genuine hardship is. Like we have the luxury of entertaining this sh1t.
This theory also applies to Britain/Farage/Brexit.
This theory also applies to Britain/Farage/Brexit.
"We have seen empires fall and civilizations crumble. But we’ve almost never seen a people renounce their leadership of the world—all at once, in full public view. That is what has happened in the 365 days since January 20, 2025."
January 22, 2026 at 1:14 PM
I think this thread has a lot going for it.
We really have run out of ways to entertain rich competitive and entitled men now that we don’t have regular wars
We really have run out of ways to entertain rich competitive and entitled men now that we don’t have regular wars
Why does Nile Gardner get so much airtime over here?!
January 20, 2026 at 10:27 PM
Why does Nile Gardner get so much airtime over here?!
Not wrong
Mark Carney's speech really is terrific: full text is here and very much worth your time.
The Carney doctrine
Open comment thread on the PM's Davos speech
paulwells.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Not wrong
Big fan of this report. Lots to chew over, but one build would be to think about the spectrum of roles government can play in a complex world..and which we are failing to use to its full extent in an environment where political answers are either 'hands-off' or 'micromanage'.
OUT NOW: Power Failure: A new theory of power
New report by @philtinline.bsky.social argues we need a new ‘theory of power’ to understand where power lies & how it should be redistributed – so govt can get things done and restore trust.
Full report ⬇️
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/pow...
New report by @philtinline.bsky.social argues we need a new ‘theory of power’ to understand where power lies & how it should be redistributed – so govt can get things done and restore trust.
Full report ⬇️
www.futuregovernanceforum.co.uk/resource/pow...
January 20, 2026 at 6:24 PM
Big fan of this report. Lots to chew over, but one build would be to think about the spectrum of roles government can play in a complex world..and which we are failing to use to its full extent in an environment where political answers are either 'hands-off' or 'micromanage'.
Struggling to believe this isn’t AI
Outstanding work from Manu here
Outstanding work from Manu here
International rules based order collapsing and its Macron giving a speech like this - inexplicably wearing sunglasses - that has truly sent me over the edge
January 20, 2026 at 2:17 PM
Struggling to believe this isn’t AI
Outstanding work from Manu here
Outstanding work from Manu here
Oh god
Susanna Reid asks Darren Jones what British companies who export to the US should do to prepare for a possible increase in tariffs.
Darren Jones replies: "you shouldn't prepare for a hypothetical"
Darren Jones replies: "you shouldn't prepare for a hypothetical"
January 20, 2026 at 12:37 PM
Oh god
Reposted by Chris Davies
Letter in Times today
January 20, 2026 at 11:54 AM
Letter in Times today
Reposted by Chris Davies
Retaliatory tariffs? Pffft… that’s bush league, bro
January 20, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Retaliatory tariffs? Pffft… that’s bush league, bro
Reposted by Chris Davies
French vehicle manufacturer Renault will start building long-range attack drones at its Le Mans and Cléon plants.
Renault will produce up to 600 of the drones per month, with some employees voluntarily transferred from the automotive chassis and motor lines.
Renault will produce up to 600 of the drones per month, with some employees voluntarily transferred from the automotive chassis and motor lines.
January 19, 2026 at 9:11 PM
French vehicle manufacturer Renault will start building long-range attack drones at its Le Mans and Cléon plants.
Renault will produce up to 600 of the drones per month, with some employees voluntarily transferred from the automotive chassis and motor lines.
Renault will produce up to 600 of the drones per month, with some employees voluntarily transferred from the automotive chassis and motor lines.
Reposted by Chris Davies
What the United States has done this week is as devastating for the cosy Atlanticist world view, as the Credit Crunch was for those who comfortably believed that left to themselves markets tended towards equilibrium.
In other words: a serious conceptual rupture.
A world view has died this week.
In other words: a serious conceptual rupture.
A world view has died this week.
January 18, 2026 at 11:51 PM
What the United States has done this week is as devastating for the cosy Atlanticist world view, as the Credit Crunch was for those who comfortably believed that left to themselves markets tended towards equilibrium.
In other words: a serious conceptual rupture.
A world view has died this week.
In other words: a serious conceptual rupture.
A world view has died this week.
Hard recommend if you need reminding that the US has *never* been a completely wholehearted chum.
As you would expect from great power politics.
As you would expect from great power politics.
If all this Greenland stuff is getting you down and you want a bit of escapism why not head to the desert with my book and discover how the United States turned out to be Britain's great rival in th-
January 19, 2026 at 11:07 AM
Hard recommend if you need reminding that the US has *never* been a completely wholehearted chum.
As you would expect from great power politics.
As you would expect from great power politics.
Reposted by Chris Davies
I’ll never get tired of this ad at our local indie theater 😂
January 19, 2026 at 1:45 AM
I’ll never get tired of this ad at our local indie theater 😂