Benjamin Welby
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bm.wel.by
Benjamin Welby
@bm.wel.by
710 followers 950 following 1.3K posts
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/
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bm.wel.by
Odd error in my Gmail account when trying to access my school governor London Grid for Learning email account.

No option to do anything with it. Nothing visibly wrong in the browser version. And it's still syncing email to it even though it says it's offline.
To continue, you'll need to take additional action. Your account or device settings require you to complete additional steps before using the Gmail app. Cancel.
September 29, 2025 at 2:55 PM
bm.wel.by
That's quite some technical difficulties going on at BibleGateway. Complete loss of all saved and stored materials. Complete denial of service to access it. One of the most reliable sources of Bible content just gone. What on earth has happened...
A screenshot of the BibleGateway website. Content Unavailable Bible Gateway is currently unavailable to consumers in the United Kingdom and European Union due to technical issues. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Paid Bible Gateway Plus account users in these regions should receive a refund for their subscription no later than September 15, 2025. If you have not received a refund by this date, please reach out to Customer Service. Frequently Asked Questions When will access to Bible Gateway be restored for UK and EU consumers? We are working on a new solution. I have a paid subscription to Bible Gateway Plus. Will I be reimbursed? Yes, users who have a paid Bible Gateway Plus account should receive a refund for their subscription no later than September 15, 2025. If you have not received a refund by this date, please reach out to Customer Service. Will saved content (e.g., notes, progress) be accessible? No, all account data and saved content will no longer be accessible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. What content will be available once Bible Gateway is restored? We are working on a new solution.
September 18, 2025 at 6:10 AM
bm.wel.by
In Portugal a special tariff got created to help people with their energy costs.

It required eligible users to sign up but people didn't know they needed to apply.

So they automated the process to make it proactive.

Because they had the necessary technical plumbing.

In 2010.

From: bm.wel.by/ym
The Portuguese government created a Social Energy Tariff to assist with energy costs in 2010. The service required eligible users to sign up and register to receive it, but the initial data showed that those who should have benefited from the tariff were not registering to receive it. User research identified that these people were unaware that they needed to apply for it. This prompted a decision to automate the process and make it proactive. Using Portugal’s Interoperability Platform for the Public Administration (iAP), data could be shared between the Directorate General for Energy and Geology, energy companies, the tax system, and the social security system. Taken from "Building a data-driven public sector Part 1: The potential of data for delivering public value" - https://bm.wel.by/ym The initial prompt for creating the Social Energy Tariff was a knowledge about a section of society that needed help. Then they paired the policy implementation with monitoring of numbers: those numbers showed there was a problem. We spoke about how interoperability provided the means for automating the process but the role of data doesn’t end there. Because now it was possible to monitor the impact. That showed an almost fivefold increase in the number of households benefitting in just three months. Ultimately, this intervention provided financial support to 7% of the Portuguese population without requiring them to validate their eligibility. Taken from "Building a data-driven public sector Part 1: The potential of data for delivering public value" - https://bm.wel.by/ym
July 30, 2025 at 7:59 AM
bm.wel.by
Incredible to me that a bank could wind up with using the wrong email address and just merrily corresponding with that wrong person. But here I am getting mail for a significantly overdrawn American. And of course no route to contact Citi because I'm not an account holder.
A screenshot of an email from Citi with the subject line “Action Required” and the message “Please make a payment today.” The Citi logo appears at the top. The email states that the recipient's checking account has an overdraft balance and encourages immediate payment to bring the account current. The message includes basic payment options like transferring funds from another Citi account. Personal information such as the recipient’s name and account details are blacked out for privacy.
July 29, 2025 at 8:29 PM
bm.wel.by
Did set the task to various AIs. The much hyped Kimi amusingly not very good but none of the others did what I really needed. Presumably all of them hamstrung by the underlying data being locked away. The answer was that we should have had this idea yesterday and got up earlier to go to MK for 0940
A screenshot showing the results returned by Kimi AI for cinemas en route between Northampton and Croydon. The list details options on Ashburn, Virginia; Washington, DC; Orlando, Florida; Orange County, Florida; North Naples, Florida; Jacksonville, Florida; Dania Beach, Florida; Kendale Lakes, Florida; Atlanta, Georgia; and Honolulu, Hawaii.
July 20, 2025 at 8:59 AM
bm.wel.by
Please could we actually break up for the summer holidays first Morrisons?
A “Back to School” uniform display in a Morrisons supermarket, featuring children's school clothing and stationery. The top signage has cheerful images of children in school uniforms and large text reading “Back to School” and “Uniforms.” Beneath it, school clothing such as grey skirts, trousers, white polo shirts, and black cardigans are neatly hung with yellow “Save 25%” signs. To the right, a section offers half-price school stationery including pens, glue sticks, and lunch boxes.
July 16, 2025 at 5:33 PM
bm.wel.by
The email that many people will just have had from the Dartford Crossing is not a great example of using email to communicate. Also that collections page on GOV.UK leaves a lot to be desired.
A screenshot of an email from Dartford Crossing Customer Service, timestamped 13:16. The message informs the recipient that from 1 September 2025, the UK Government will change charges for all vehicles using the Dartford Crossing. As a result, Dart Charge terms and conditions will also be updated on the same date. Key points: If using Pay As You Go (PAYG), no changes are needed. Users can continue managing and paying as usual. A link is provided to the updated terms and conditions. Key changes listed: Crossing charges, account discount rates, and local resident charges are changing. The Local Resident Discount Scheme (LRDS) 10/20 plans are renamed "Limited" and "Unlimited." Minimum low balance threshold has increased. Minimum top-up amount has increased. Further links are given for more details and assistance, including: https://gov.uk/government/collections/dart-charge https://nationalhighways.co.uk/help-centre/dart-charge-price-change https://gov.uk/dart-charge A helpline phone number: 0300 300 0120, with a textphone number also listed.
July 16, 2025 at 12:24 PM
bm.wel.by
Public safety emergency sounds ominous...
A text message from UK Power Networks, timestamped at 15:29, informs residents of an emergency power cut. The message states that due to a newly identified safety issue with the electricity supply in the local area, power to 662 properties has been turned off as a precaution. It apologises for the lack of advance notice, explaining that the situation was unexpected. The message notes that the alert was sent to a wide area and reassures recipients that if they still have power, they are not expected to be affected. The background of the message is light green.
June 27, 2025 at 2:47 PM
bm.wel.by
@jamesomalley.co.uk the coda to that comment I just left is the amazing tea I'm having from around the corner is from my closest chippy. But I'm not having fish and chips, I'm having delicious Mantu and Kabuli Palao because it's also an Afghan takeaway.

This is a Britain I want to live in.
A photograph of a brightly lit storefront at night, showing two adjoining food establishments under one roof. On the left, a turquoise and blue sign reads "FIVE WAYS FISH BAR" with a fish logo and the words "Traditional Fish & Chips - Grilled Fish - Burgers" along with a "Halal" symbol. On the right, a black and gold sign reads "TASTE OF KABUL" with a crest and a matching "Halal" symbol.
June 5, 2025 at 7:04 PM
bm.wel.by
No drama overnight but hopefully when I come back from work they will have done something about it. Those cracks have got worse since yesterday.
A temporary modular road surface is installed on a tarmac road, composed of yellow and black plastic segments. To the right of the temporary surface, two visible cracks are emerging along the edge where the cover meets the road.
May 19, 2025 at 7:18 AM
bm.wel.by
So a neighbour and I adjusted it to cover the hole a bit more. As we dismantled the cover and adjusted it we could see it was collapsing on both sides. I called Thames Water to report it as being dangerous. After a long time on hold they told me I'd get a call back in 2 hours.
A deep hole is visible in a tarmac road where a section of a modular temporary cover has been removed. The exposed area reveals the ongoing collapse of the sides of the hole compared to the original cavity. The line of the original rectangular cavity is visible but further cracking and degradation is visible along the top of the hole.
May 18, 2025 at 8:28 PM
bm.wel.by
Thames Water really don't help themselves.

It's currently our turn to have the whole street made chaotic for some months as all our pipes get replaced. We have temporary covers in place on pavements and the road itself. I drove over one and it didn't feel right. Because it had started to collapse.
A photo of a modular yellow and black temporary cover installed on a tarmac road. On the left hand side part of the black section of the cover is not resting on road surface but is falling into the hole it is supposed to be protecting. The rest of the cover is intact, with bolt holes and molded text visible on the surface.
May 18, 2025 at 8:24 PM
bm.wel.by
Eleanor is reacting to her Read Write Inc. phonics book (first published in 2004): "oh this is from the olden days...they had to buy a film in a shop before they got to watch it"
A page from the Read Write Inc. phonics book 'Off sick'. The illustration shows a child sitting up in bed with a parent hugging them, and another parent standing beside the bed stroking the child's hair. The room has a box of tissues and books on the floor. Text on the page reads: "Mum and Dad popped in and sat on my bed. Dad hugged me and Mum kissed me. We will go swimming tomorrow, they said. Then we will go to the sweet shop. You can have the biggest lolly in the shop. Then you can pick a film from the shop. I said, OK. It’s not that bad, being off sick." In the bottom right corner, there’s a note to parents: "Now ask your child to re-read the story helping him or her think about the best way to read each sentence."
May 15, 2025 at 6:16 PM
bm.wel.by
We Are Going Up. #bcafc
The joy of promotion. A smiling man wearing a Bradford City shirt has a young girl in a pink jumper sitting on his shoulders, laughing gleefully. In the foreground, a boy in a baseball cap beams at the camera. Around them, fans dressed in claret and amber fill the stands.
May 3, 2025 at 5:02 PM
bm.wel.by
Obligatory photo with Billy for Eleanor #bcafc
A young girl beaming with joy poses in front of Billy Bantam, the Bradford City mascot wearing claret and amber. The girl is dressed in a white Bradford City away kit with claret and amber stripes. They are standing inside the crowded concourse of Valley Parade. It is filled with fans, with Bradford City banners and signage visible in the background.
May 3, 2025 at 1:45 PM
bm.wel.by
We're on our way, on our way. To League ...?, we're on our way. #bcafc
A smiling family inside a car, preparing for a football match. The man in the front wears a claret and amber Bradford City shirt and glasses. Two children in the back seat are also smiling—one wearing a white Bradford City away shirt, the other in a blue Bradford City shirt. A woman is partially visible on the left, leaning in with a joyful expression. The car boot has football scarves visible.
May 3, 2025 at 8:06 AM
bm.wel.by
After Avis exposed all sorts of PII they gave us an Equifax subscription. How generous. Part of it is a 'webdetect' product that scans for personal data online. And alert you if it finds something. Alert you but not give any more information other than that it found it somewhere. Basically useless.
Screenshot from MyEquifax WebDetect Alert: Information Found From Equifax on 25/04/2025 We’re contacting you because WebDetect has located some of your personal information on the internet. We found the following information: Date: 23/4/2025 Type: your Email Address
April 25, 2025 at 9:21 AM
bm.wel.by
I thought the report's angle on Nash Lee End sounded quite a lot more involved than the proposed plan.
2.3.6 From Nash Lee End (to the north) – this route would require HS2 to build new structures to cross several water courses and require the removal of hedgerows. The route would therefore, potentially damage wildlife habitat. HS2 do not have access rights to the land between Nash Lee End and the location of the spring chamber.
April 23, 2025 at 8:31 AM
bm.wel.by
Words from the local Conservative and Lib Dem councillors no doubt play nicely for local residents. No penalty for them in terms of the wider costs or implications, or any substance on what HS2 should do, except to get a tractor and dig a hole.

These are not serious people.
Conservative Cllr Patrick Fealey said: “Yet we have got this hugely overengineered proposal to put the track in and build the track up.” Fellow Tory Cllr Ashley Bond said the proposed works were effectively ‘a hole with a drain’, which could be ‘done with a tractor’, while his Tory colleague Cllr Frank Mahon said HS2 had ‘once again failed to listen to residents’. After the meeting, Liberal Democrat candidate for Wendover, Halton and Stoke Mandeville Seb Berry told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “This is a really great result for Wendover residents, but this proposal should never have reached the formal planning application stage.”
April 23, 2025 at 7:36 AM
bm.wel.by
You may know this but I was astonished to discover that out of ~7000 electoral races in November, ~1500 were unopposed. Something else I reckon the European mind can't conceive of.

The full state by state breakdown is in this fairly niche interest blog post of mine: bm.wel.by/2024/12/09/p...
Screenshotted text: "But across the pond the situation is not only very firmly two party at the national level, in great swathes of the US there is effectively single party government at the state level. It is at least quite balanced, as by my count of unopposed candidates Imade it 871 Democrats to 824 Republicans (and a couple of Independents). Even before a vote was cast in the national elections, 20 of the seats in Congress had the same experience In six states, with a total population of 27 million people, more than half of the seats were uncontested. In Massachusetts for example, 146 seats out of 200 were won (mostly by Democrats) before a vote was cast. The inverse scenario played out in Wyoming with 56 out of 77 seats being won by Republicans when nominations closed (2 Democrats did win under the same conditions). These are some troubling foundations for democracy. State level legislatures still have meaty responsibilities and deserve a healthier level of democratic activity than this. Just imagine how we'd respond if Denmark (a country witha similar population to Massachusetts) held elections where only a quarter of parliamentary seats were contested."
April 2, 2025 at 7:13 AM
bm.wel.by
I presume regulatory/anti-monopoly efforts made Google do this. And I'm sure devs welcome it.

But alternative billing will make it easy to bypass oversight. Once a payment mechanism is approved, there are no subsequent checks and Google washes its hands of any fallout.

Unintended consequences?
Screenshotted text: "Developers can now offer alternatives to Google Play's Billing system to their users that pay for digital content and services in the United Kingdom. If a developer chooses to offer an alternative billing system in their app, your child will be able to make in-app purchases of digital content through alternative billing. Play purchase approvals won't apply if your child makes a purchase through alternative billing. You can review all apps on your child's device in Family Link, but purchases made by your child through alternative billing will not appear in your child's purchase history. For support, refund requests, or other questions about purchases made through alternative billing, contact the developer." Screenshotted text: "Alternative billing for children A child can buy digital content in apps, and they can use either Google Play or a different way to pay offered by the developer. Purchase approvals in Play won't apply if a child uses the billing system from the developer. The first time a child tries to make an in-app purchase on apps that offer a different way to pay, their parent or guardian will be required to sign in before the purchase is made to review a message. This message will talk about the other ways their child can pay for in-app digital content. The next time a child tries to make an in-app purchase in this same app, the child's parent or guardian will not be asked to sign in to view this message, and the child will be able to proceed without parent involvement."
April 1, 2025 at 7:26 AM
bm.wel.by
Really hard not to start dreaming. #bcafc
The top half of the League Two table at full time on Saturday 1st March 2025 1st. Walsall with 67 points from 34 games, goal difference +26 2nd. Bradford City with 63 points from 34 games, goal difference +16 3rd. Doncaster Rovers with 61 points from 34 games, goal difference +11 4th. Notts County with 58 points from 33 games, goal difference +19 5th. AFC Wimbledon with 57 points from 33 games, goal difference +22 6th. Port Vale with 56 points from 32 games, goal difference +18 7th. Crewe with 52 points from 33 games, goal difference +8 8th. Grimsby with 52 points from 33 games, goal difference -2 9th. Salford with 48 points from 33 games, goal difference +6 10th. Bromley with 48 points from 34 games, goal difference +3 11th. Colchester with 46 points from 33 games, goal difference +6 12th. Cheltenham with 46 points from 33 games, goal difference 0
March 1, 2025 at 5:14 PM
bm.wel.by
Last week St Andrews, today Hayes Lane. Quite the contrast. #bcafc
A nighttime football match scene at Hayes Lane, the home of Bromley FC ahead of their match against Bradford City. The pitch is illuminated by floodlights, with a well-maintained grass field and white boundary lines. In the foreground, fans in warm clothing, including hats and scarves, are gathered near the pitch, some talking and others taking photos. A security steward in a high-visibility jacket is standing near the crowd.
February 25, 2025 at 7:45 PM
bm.wel.by
Ezra and I have our seats at the sold out St Andrews. Obviously we come in hope rather than expectation. Cracking atmosphere in here. #bcafc
A photo looking out at the St Andrews pitch under floodlights over the shoulder of a young boy ahead of the Vertu Trophy Semi Final between Birmingham City and Bradford City. He's wearing a hat in the claret and amber of Bradford City.
February 18, 2025 at 7:56 PM
bm.wel.by
Being at Stamford Bridge that day was absolutely incredible. Even if I did have to spend it adjacent to the #bcafc fans.
A photo looking towards the Shed End at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea FC. The Shed End is full of Bradford City fans while in the foreground Chelsea fans look on. The photo was taken on 24th January 2015 during the FA Cup Fourth Round tie between Chelsea, the Premier League leaders at the time and Bradford City of League One. Chelsea took a 2-0 lead but Bradford City overturned thst deficit to win 4-2 in one of the all-time shocks of the FA Cup.
January 24, 2025 at 8:28 AM