Simon Parker
@simonparker.bsky.social
Public servant in search of a better future. Communities and service users first. Desires to unbuild walls.
Pinned
Simon Parker
@simonparker.bsky.social
· Jul 21
Basically funding #localgov is the nearest thing we have to a silver bullet. We're last in line for funding because we don't deliver any single, big improvement. But what we can do is make everything a bit better, and it doesn't even cost very much.
Among my most conservative-coded beliefs is that this is bad. When I were a lad about 7% of people got firsts. If 40% of people get the top grade... is it really still a top grade?
incentives are fun
January 16, 2026 at 11:31 AM
Among my most conservative-coded beliefs is that this is bad. When I were a lad about 7% of people got firsts. If 40% of people get the top grade... is it really still a top grade?
I get very Marxian about election campaigns. Was 2015 Lynton Crosby's brilliant election strategy or a big fall in the price of oil? I suspect the latter played a much bigger role.
Remember Lynton Crosby’s “barnacles off the boat” strategy? At 2010 and 2015 elections the Tories successfully shed unpopular policies and perceptions that hindered their electoral appeal.
Instead, they focused on core messages they believed would help win over floating voters. It worked.
Instead, they focused on core messages they believed would help win over floating voters. It worked.
January 14, 2026 at 9:48 AM
I get very Marxian about election campaigns. Was 2015 Lynton Crosby's brilliant election strategy or a big fall in the price of oil? I suspect the latter played a much bigger role.
She's right... and it comes down to money. SCS salaries are down 20% in real terms since 2010. You have directors on less than £100k. The main reason we still have a functioning SCS is Stockholm syndrome.
January 13, 2026 at 10:53 AM
She's right... and it comes down to money. SCS salaries are down 20% in real terms since 2010. You have directors on less than £100k. The main reason we still have a functioning SCS is Stockholm syndrome.
Do not invent the torment nexus etc etc.
🤖 From virtual cabinet members in Albania to AI-governed islands, machines are moving into executive office. Is 2026 the year machines start to take the top roles in govt?
Read our Future Signal, part of our annual collection on the trends and tech that could shape 2026 ⤵️ https://bit.ly/49ldqzn
Read our Future Signal, part of our annual collection on the trends and tech that could shape 2026 ⤵️ https://bit.ly/49ldqzn
The machinery of government: AI’s promotion to the executive level
Is 2026 the year machines start to take the top roles in government?
bit.ly
January 13, 2026 at 9:08 AM
Do not invent the torment nexus etc etc.
“Show me what comic you loved when you were 13, and that's all I need to know about you.”
OH MAN. I cannot express to you how formative 2000AD in general and Slaine in particular was for me.
OH MAN. I cannot express to you how formative 2000AD in general and Slaine in particular was for me.
January 12, 2026 at 7:45 PM
“Show me what comic you loved when you were 13, and that's all I need to know about you.”
OH MAN. I cannot express to you how formative 2000AD in general and Slaine in particular was for me.
OH MAN. I cannot express to you how formative 2000AD in general and Slaine in particular was for me.
I can't quite get my head around the politicisation of power generation. The fact is that solar is cheap, easy to instal and happens to be renewable. Crack on. We'll need nuclear too but it's expensive.
Every once in a while, someone discovers that nuclear is low-carbon and tries to stick it to renewables as a result.
Yes, the German nuclear phaseout was a mistake. Of course.
Meanwhile, Électricité de France has been fully nationalized to keep its reactors running. A model for the US?
Yes, the German nuclear phaseout was a mistake. Of course.
Meanwhile, Électricité de France has been fully nationalized to keep its reactors running. A model for the US?
January 11, 2026 at 1:21 PM
I can't quite get my head around the politicisation of power generation. The fact is that solar is cheap, easy to instal and happens to be renewable. Crack on. We'll need nuclear too but it's expensive.
Reposted by Simon Parker
I’m writing a show called PROCUREMENT where nothing escalates quickly, action is buried in paperwork and villains get caught in the registration portal, their evil plans thwarted by a transfer to a new software vendor.
January 11, 2026 at 8:34 AM
I’m writing a show called PROCUREMENT where nothing escalates quickly, action is buried in paperwork and villains get caught in the registration portal, their evil plans thwarted by a transfer to a new software vendor.
This is the best evidence we have that the #localgov finance system remains broken. Reform desperately wants to find savings so they can reduce council tax increases. They have not been able to, because the savings are not there to be had.
As Reform faces reality of running councils, it's worth resharing this piece I wrote with my (fab) colleague @zoecrowther.bsky.social in Sept
Yesterday, a Reform source told me the struggle to lower taxes is "a learning curve" + future candidates should think about"overpromising & underdelivering"
Yesterday, a Reform source told me the struggle to lower taxes is "a learning curve" + future candidates should think about"overpromising & underdelivering"
Reform's Cost-Cutting Unit Struggles With The Reality Of Local Pressures
After more than 100 days in office, those in charge of Reform-led councils are facing a political reality check in the form of soaring social care ...
www.politicshome.com
January 9, 2026 at 12:03 PM
This is the best evidence we have that the #localgov finance system remains broken. Reform desperately wants to find savings so they can reduce council tax increases. They have not been able to, because the savings are not there to be had.
My pet theory is that the British elite was simply more coherent during the trente glorieuses. Our state had more capacity because public and private sector leaders went to the same schools, dined at the same clubs etc.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Here’s why Labour is struggling to deliver: the British state is immense, but pull the levers and nothing happens | Larry Elliott
At home, the machinery of government creaks badly – abroad, a leaden UK lags far behind dynamic competitors. A radical overhaul is needed, says Guardian columnist Larry Elliott
www.theguardian.com
January 8, 2026 at 2:59 PM
My pet theory is that the British elite was simply more coherent during the trente glorieuses. Our state had more capacity because public and private sector leaders went to the same schools, dined at the same clubs etc.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
I don't really get the whole UK civil war meme. It seems to me that countries only go to war with themselves when they face existential dividing lines that can't be resolved politically. Is England a protestant nation? Should slavery exist? We just don't face anything like this.
January 8, 2026 at 12:03 PM
I don't really get the whole UK civil war meme. It seems to me that countries only go to war with themselves when they face existential dividing lines that can't be resolved politically. Is England a protestant nation? Should slavery exist? We just don't face anything like this.
The best document of London in the 80s and 90s is Only Fools and Horses. The first series has Rodney chucked out of college for smoking weed and falling out with his post punk bandmates. Over the series right to buy happens, the yuppies move in, the pubs change.
Laila Cunningham grew up in the 1980s, when relatively central parts of London looked like this:
January 7, 2026 at 5:36 PM
The best document of London in the 80s and 90s is Only Fools and Horses. The first series has Rodney chucked out of college for smoking weed and falling out with his post punk bandmates. Over the series right to buy happens, the yuppies move in, the pubs change.
Yes this. I have mixed feelings about the redevelopment of London but the city is vastly safer than it was when I moved there in the 90s.
The idea that London has become less safe in recent years is quite strange - just look at how once "dangerous" areas have been transformed in recent years. Gentrification comes with its own issues but streets are packed with visitors and city far more welcoming than when I moved here a decade ago.
January 7, 2026 at 3:55 PM
Yes this. I have mixed feelings about the redevelopment of London but the city is vastly safer than it was when I moved there in the 90s.
Trump's 'no wars' claim increasingly relies on claiming that bombing countries and kidnapping presidents is not being at war. I suppose militarily occupying Greenland will also not constitute being at war.
January 7, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Trump's 'no wars' claim increasingly relies on claiming that bombing countries and kidnapping presidents is not being at war. I suppose militarily occupying Greenland will also not constitute being at war.
Love this. I think there's sometimes a danger of assuming that many men are emotionally stunted compared to women, rather than just finding emotional connection in different ways.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Male bonds develop one way, female friendships another. Should we stop trying to make men more like women? | Gaby Hinsliff
The strong and silent masculine image is often derided, but why? Perhaps companionship via trains, golf or a quiet drink is enough, says Guardian columnist Gaby Hinsliff
www.theguardian.com
January 6, 2026 at 10:38 AM
Love this. I think there's sometimes a danger of assuming that many men are emotionally stunted compared to women, rather than just finding emotional connection in different ways.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Reposted by Simon Parker
Social Justice Warriors, sir. Thousands of them.
December 31, 2025 at 6:40 PM
Social Justice Warriors, sir. Thousands of them.
Unconditional cash transfers for the poorest are a very good thing. End of.
Spoiler: They used the money just as wisely as anyone else would, and it's so frustrating that this still isn't a common sense assumption to make.
December 30, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Unconditional cash transfers for the poorest are a very good thing. End of.
This year's Xmas movie turned out to be Armageddoh. First time I'd seen it. Really quite astonishing how bad it is.
December 28, 2025 at 11:57 AM
This year's Xmas movie turned out to be Armageddoh. First time I'd seen it. Really quite astonishing how bad it is.
Reposted by Simon Parker
Antidote to the madness.
December 24, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Antidote to the madness.
I don't think we should mock Geldof tbh. As far as I can tell he cared passionately and was desperately trying to do the right thing with the tools available to a pop singer. People who do this often get attacked both for virtue signalling and for not being virtuous enough, which is a bit crap IMHO.
A propos of nothing, it's taken as a given that Bob Geldof should be made fun of and that his Band Aid Christmas song is not just a maddening tune, but also a prime example of the White Saviour syndrome. I'd just like to add something to this take, which I've only learnt about very recently.
December 24, 2025 at 9:11 AM
I don't think we should mock Geldof tbh. As far as I can tell he cared passionately and was desperately trying to do the right thing with the tools available to a pop singer. People who do this often get attacked both for virtue signalling and for not being virtuous enough, which is a bit crap IMHO.
Reposted by Simon Parker
"Much of MMT is neither new nor wrong: it’s just standard economic theory presented in different language. The disagreement arises not over whether government can compel the central bank to finance its spending, but to what extent government should do this."
criticalfinance.org/2025/12/19/w...
criticalfinance.org/2025/12/19/w...
What’s wrong with MMT?
As Marc Lavoie and John Quiggin have noted, there are ‘two MMTs’. Scholars such as Randy Wray, Eric Tymoigne and Scott Fulwiler have contributed to debates on monetary economics, instit…
criticalfinance.org
December 19, 2025 at 10:31 AM
"Much of MMT is neither new nor wrong: it’s just standard economic theory presented in different language. The disagreement arises not over whether government can compel the central bank to finance its spending, but to what extent government should do this."
criticalfinance.org/2025/12/19/w...
criticalfinance.org/2025/12/19/w...
Reposted by Simon Parker
"Every time I pull a lever" says the Prime Minister.
This dead metaphor is killing his ability to get things done.
There aren't any levers. There's only leadership.
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...
This dead metaphor is killing his ability to get things done.
There aren't any levers. There's only leadership.
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...
There aren't any levers
A dead metaphor is killing the government's ability to get things done
howtorunacountry.substack.com
December 19, 2025 at 10:10 AM
"Every time I pull a lever" says the Prime Minister.
This dead metaphor is killing his ability to get things done.
There aren't any levers. There's only leadership.
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...
This dead metaphor is killing his ability to get things done.
There aren't any levers. There's only leadership.
howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/there-aren...
I love @instituteforgovernment.org.uk very much, but goodness me this annual conference line-up is a bit stale.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...
Government 2026: IfG's annual conference | Institute for Government
Join us as we bring together influential speakers and experts to explore the key questions for government in 2026.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
December 16, 2025 at 3:10 PM
I love @instituteforgovernment.org.uk very much, but goodness me this annual conference line-up is a bit stale.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/govern...
Reposted by Simon Parker
🔔 New report out today 🔔 🪴 Rewilding Civic Life 🪴
Today at @kinship.works, we’re publishing a Working Paper that pulls together the evidence from Big Local, one of the world’s biggest-ever experiments in revitalising civic life and restoring social capital. 1/n
www.kinship.works/publications...
Today at @kinship.works, we’re publishing a Working Paper that pulls together the evidence from Big Local, one of the world’s biggest-ever experiments in revitalising civic life and restoring social capital. 1/n
www.kinship.works/publications...
Rewilding Civic Life — Can we cultivate social capital? If so, how? — Kinship Works
In this Working Paper we curate the lessons from Big Local, a 15 year experiment in revitalising the capacity of local communities. We explore what Big Local did and the practices the programme employ...
www.kinship.works
December 16, 2025 at 7:06 AM
🔔 New report out today 🔔 🪴 Rewilding Civic Life 🪴
Today at @kinship.works, we’re publishing a Working Paper that pulls together the evidence from Big Local, one of the world’s biggest-ever experiments in revitalising civic life and restoring social capital. 1/n
www.kinship.works/publications...
Today at @kinship.works, we’re publishing a Working Paper that pulls together the evidence from Big Local, one of the world’s biggest-ever experiments in revitalising civic life and restoring social capital. 1/n
www.kinship.works/publications...
I *loved* the best of Twitter and Bsky is a pallid replacement. But X contrived to replace stimulating discussion with ragebait. I found myself being edged into angry political discussions I didn't want to be part of. I am not obliged to use a product that's farming me for outrage.
"Bluesky is an echo chamber."
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
"Bluesky doesn't have enough reach"
"Liberals must return to X to challenge the far right"
I'm not a tech bro or a journalist. Your priorities are not my priorities. Stop telling me I need to do anything other than chat about comics & telly with people who seem nice.
December 15, 2025 at 11:35 AM
I *loved* the best of Twitter and Bsky is a pallid replacement. But X contrived to replace stimulating discussion with ragebait. I found myself being edged into angry political discussions I didn't want to be part of. I am not obliged to use a product that's farming me for outrage.
Fond memories of the days when I spent a lot of time with very senior civil servants. Never have you met a more powerless crew. They knew what wasn't working but somehow never thought they could fix it. These people literally ran the country.
There are a lot of Labour partisans on here who I really wonder why they bother voting given they don't seem to think that governments have any actual power at all in the 21st century.
December 14, 2025 at 9:48 PM
Fond memories of the days when I spent a lot of time with very senior civil servants. Never have you met a more powerless crew. They knew what wasn't working but somehow never thought they could fix it. These people literally ran the country.