Benjamin Welby
@bm.wel.by
Following Jesus, husbanding and dadding, supporting #bcafc. Displaced Yorkshireman in Croydon. Chair of Governors @minsterinfants.bsky.social. Doing digital things for DWP and NHS. Formerly product at GDS and policy at OECD.
https://bm.wel.by/
https://bm.wel.by/
Pinned
Benjamin Welby
@bm.wel.by
· Sep 8
Could DWP be the key to unlocking the growth mission? - bmwelby's blog
One of the first headlines I saw after Friday’s reshuffle came with a familiar and unsurprising tone. Starmer signals plan to slash benefits with tough new welfare chief. It’s probably pretty accurate...
bm.wel.by
Some lunchtime reading for your Monday as I wonder whether Pat McFadden's new super-department of work and skills can act both as HR for UK plc and as a people team for its citizens.
The #bcafc youth team fought so bravely in absolutely horrendous conditions tonight. They should be proud of themselves. Palace deserved to win but the final scoreline was harsh.
December 5, 2025 at 8:53 PM
The #bcafc youth team fought so bravely in absolutely horrendous conditions tonight. They should be proud of themselves. Palace deserved to win but the final scoreline was harsh.
Responding to Tommy Robinson’s Christmas rally – by Al Barrett
Responding to Tommy Robinson’s Christmas rally – by Al Barrett
Photo by Efrem Efre on Pexels.com Revd Dr Al Barrett is Vicar of Hodge Hill Church, Birmingham. He has contributed to a new resource: Joy for All: Supporting churches to respond to the co-option of…
gracetruth.blog
December 5, 2025 at 8:53 AM
Responding to Tommy Robinson’s Christmas rally – by Al Barrett
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Holy shit.
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
December 4, 2025 at 5:41 PM
Holy shit.
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
Reuters reporting that new admin instructions on visas are if you worked at a platform in trust & safety or content moderation or on fact checking or online safety at an platform you *and your loved ones* are ineligible for H-1B visa.
www.reuters.com/world/us/tru...
It's the most wonderful time of the year. When couriers outdo themselves in how much rage they can induce.
DPD you are not getting a Christmas card.
DPD you are not getting a Christmas card.
December 3, 2025 at 4:56 PM
It's the most wonderful time of the year. When couriers outdo themselves in how much rage they can induce.
DPD you are not getting a Christmas card.
DPD you are not getting a Christmas card.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
A common vaccine meant to ward off shingles may be doing something even more extraordinary: protecting the brain.
Shingles vaccine may actually slow down dementia, study finds
Research has shown that the vaccine may reduce dementia risk. Now a study has found that vaccinated individuals are almost 30 percent less likely to die of dementia.
www.washingtonpost.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:15 PM
A common vaccine meant to ward off shingles may be doing something even more extraordinary: protecting the brain.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
To put a finer point on this whole thing: "Two people with direct knowledge of the operation" — presumably uniformed military leaders — are accusing the U.S. Secretary of Defense of personally ordering specific war crimes. That's a historic accusation.
Textbook war crime/extrajudicial killing
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
"Two survivors were clinging to the smoldering wreck. The Special Operations commander overseeing the Sept. 2 attack ... ordered a second strike to comply with Hegseth’s instructions."
Report by @alexhorton.bsky.social @ellenwapo.bsky.social o.bsky.social
Hegseth order on first Caribbean boat strike, officials say: Kill them all
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a verbal order to kill all crew members in the Sept. 2 strike on a suspected drug boat. Navy SEALs fired a second missile.
www.washingtonpost.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:48 PM
To put a finer point on this whole thing: "Two people with direct knowledge of the operation" — presumably uniformed military leaders — are accusing the U.S. Secretary of Defense of personally ordering specific war crimes. That's a historic accusation.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Someone needs to make a poster of this!
Is that someone sitting at @publicdigital.bsky.social?
Or do I have to be the someone?
Is that someone sitting at @publicdigital.bsky.social?
Or do I have to be the someone?
User needs first
Service design second
Operating model third
Technology fourth
This order is still reversed way too often.
Service design second
Operating model third
Technology fourth
This order is still reversed way too often.
November 29, 2025 at 8:34 AM
Someone needs to make a poster of this!
Is that someone sitting at @publicdigital.bsky.social?
Or do I have to be the someone?
Is that someone sitting at @publicdigital.bsky.social?
Or do I have to be the someone?
I did not think it was possible that any government could take a less compassionate approach to the last one about how we welcome people who are looking to our country for refuge and yet here we are.
Government to ban asylum seekers from using taxis
The ban is set to come in February and any exemptions will have to be signed off by the Home Office.
www.bbc.com
November 29, 2025 at 6:12 AM
I did not think it was possible that any government could take a less compassionate approach to the last one about how we welcome people who are looking to our country for refuge and yet here we are.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
On a minor note seeing as early Christian times unfolded at the height of a Roman Empire that provided a bread dole to the plebs the claims made by Badenoch are also factually wrong
"Responding to Rachel Reeves’s budget, the Conservative Party leader told the Political Thinking podcast that ‘in early Christian times there was no state or welfare’"
I mean there was no Roquefort cheese either; does that mean Roquefort cheese is unchristian? What an absurd argument.
I mean there was no Roquefort cheese either; does that mean Roquefort cheese is unchristian? What an absurd argument.
Kemi Badenoch says welfare spending is unchristian
November 28, 2025 at 11:16 AM
On a minor note seeing as early Christian times unfolded at the height of a Roman Empire that provided a bread dole to the plebs the claims made by Badenoch are also factually wrong
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
"No state" is a genuinely fascinating remark to make when talking about the story of the nativity.
November 28, 2025 at 11:17 AM
"No state" is a genuinely fascinating remark to make when talking about the story of the nativity.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Shabana Mahmood said this month that her migration policies are a "moral mission".
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK rejects visa for girl left destitute in Jamaica by Hurricane Melissa
Lati-Yana Brown’s parents had asked for application to be expedited so she could join them in UK after house ruined
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 11:18 AM
Shabana Mahmood said this month that her migration policies are a "moral mission".
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Where is the morality in blocking an eight-year-old girl made destitute by a Hurricane from coming to the UK to join her parents?
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Possibly the stupidest idea I've heard in the last few months, which is saying something. Shows utter ignorance around practicalities regardless of the ethics/desirability.
Trevor Phillips proposes banning "remittances" (ie: imposing currency/exchange controls on international cash transfers by foreign nationals from Britain). He says this would disincentivise immigration, in a Times piece saying the Home Secretary needs to go [much] further
archive.ph/RlXPj
archive.ph/RlXPj
November 24, 2025 at 10:50 PM
Possibly the stupidest idea I've heard in the last few months, which is saying something. Shows utter ignorance around practicalities regardless of the ethics/desirability.
Enjoyed reading this great little article on the history of the dishwasher
Washer woman - Works in Progress Magazine
In 1965, married American women did 34 hours of housework weekly. By 2010, that fell to 18 hours. The dishwasher helped.
worksinprogress.co
November 21, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Enjoyed reading this great little article on the history of the dishwasher
It's the Mo-st Mo-nderful time of the year and this year I let the children decide what would adorn my face.
All sponsorship always gratefully received and whether or not you sponsor do look after your health - physical and mental don't feel like you're ever being trouble if something isn't right.
All sponsorship always gratefully received and whether or not you sponsor do look after your health - physical and mental don't feel like you're ever being trouble if something isn't right.
Benjamin Welby's Mo Space
Benjamin's Motivation: I've been supporting Movember almost since its beginning with a focus on prostate cancer, a disease that has impacted on good friends.
It has grown to cover men's health more b...
mobro.co
November 20, 2025 at 9:26 AM
It's the Mo-st Mo-nderful time of the year and this year I let the children decide what would adorn my face.
All sponsorship always gratefully received and whether or not you sponsor do look after your health - physical and mental don't feel like you're ever being trouble if something isn't right.
All sponsorship always gratefully received and whether or not you sponsor do look after your health - physical and mental don't feel like you're ever being trouble if something isn't right.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Remember integration? That thing voters "really, really" care about? Where's that in the latest plans?
My column:
My column:
Labour has given up on integration
Shabana Mahmood's latest asylum plans prioritise return at the expense of integrating newcomers
www.newstatesman.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Remember integration? That thing voters "really, really" care about? Where's that in the latest plans?
My column:
My column:
This is absolute gold from @richardpope.org on digitally enabled preventative healthcare
Preventative healthcare: designing for the service loop
A set of provocations about the design of digitally enabled preventative healthcare
www.rpp.works
November 13, 2025 at 9:39 AM
This is absolute gold from @richardpope.org on digitally enabled preventative healthcare
Joining my son's year group for a trip to the Young V&A. We have to cross a road and stop traffic. Man with a flag stuck to his car gets annoyed with the teachers. The England these people seem to want is a very angry place.
November 7, 2025 at 10:00 AM
Joining my son's year group for a trip to the Young V&A. We have to cross a road and stop traffic. Man with a flag stuck to his car gets annoyed with the teachers. The England these people seem to want is a very angry place.
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
Some (slightly belated) thoughts on the UK announcability-first announcement on digital identity:
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
November 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Some (slightly belated) thoughts on the UK announcability-first announcement on digital identity:
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
The Magic of the #FACup is where the referee blows his whistle and your team stops playing but the opposition have a free header and score and the goal stands 🤷♂️
November 1, 2025 at 3:51 PM
The Magic of the #FACup is where the referee blows his whistle and your team stops playing but the opposition have a free header and score and the goal stands 🤷♂️
Reposted by Benjamin Welby
A man on the train was very clearly looking for a way to power his phone and getting frantic about it. I had a power bank that I could have easily lent at no detriment to myself, however, he was wearing a Leeds United shirt and I am a Bradford City fan so he can GET TO FUCK
November 1, 2025 at 12:20 PM
A man on the train was very clearly looking for a way to power his phone and getting frantic about it. I had a power bank that I could have easily lent at no detriment to myself, however, he was wearing a Leeds United shirt and I am a Bradford City fan so he can GET TO FUCK
Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy(er) but not sure I've ever been more underwhelmed by something I've paid money for than the Echoes of Yorkshire: The Museum Illuminated event in York's Museum Gardens. Sorry @yorkmuseumstrust.bsky.social but not sure I could give you a positive word about it.
October 30, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Maybe I'm getting old and grumpy(er) but not sure I've ever been more underwhelmed by something I've paid money for than the Echoes of Yorkshire: The Museum Illuminated event in York's Museum Gardens. Sorry @yorkmuseumstrust.bsky.social but not sure I could give you a positive word about it.
He was my player of the match on Tuesday #bcafc
Bradford City: Defender Ciaran Kelly hopes he has proved himself to boss Graham Alexander
Ciaran Kelly hopes he has proved himself to Bradford boss Graham Alexander after impressing in their past two games.
share.google
October 30, 2025 at 12:33 PM
He was my player of the match on Tuesday #bcafc
Clean sheet and still unbeaten at home...but that pretty much had 0-0 written all over it from start to finish #bcafc
October 28, 2025 at 9:43 PM
Clean sheet and still unbeaten at home...but that pretty much had 0-0 written all over it from start to finish #bcafc