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Gavin Freeguard
@gavinfreeguard.com
5.9K followers 2.1K following 1.2K posts
Data/govt etc freelancer gavinfreeguard.com

Starting sotf.org.uk

@connectedbydata.org, Data Bites @publicdigital.bsky.social, @instituteforgovernment.org.uk, Think Digital Partners, @kinship.works, @transformgovtalks.bsky.social

Pic @paulclarke.com
Posts Replies Media Videos
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Time for my increasingly frequent, 'there's a clear Trend on this chart' joke
A horizontal bar chart from the Institute for Government showing the tenure of Cabinet Secretaries. The tenure of Sir Burke Trend (1963-1972) is highlighted in a poor attempt at a pun. The full list can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_Secretary_(United_Kingdom)#List_of_cabinet_secretaries
February 10, 2026 at 11:16 AM
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A *huge* thank you to @lindasasta.bsky.social @mattwoodhill.bsky.social, Patrick and a brilliant audience for a great @transformgovtalks.bsky.social last night - our best attended so far! A big thank you to @tpximpact.com for hosting

Write-up, video, podcast all here medium.com/@transformgo...
Linda O'Halloran presents at TransformGov Talks. She is stood on the left of the image - to the right is a screen with a blue slide and white text reading 'And we need more common language to deliver it' Matt Wood-Hill presents at TransformGov Talks. He is stood on the left of the image - to the right is a screen with a slide on the MHCLG Digital Planning Programme Patrick Diamond presents at TransformGov Talks. He is stood on the left of the image - to the right is a screen with a slide noting 'the dominant narrative about British government focuses on failure', with covers of the following books: The Blunders of Our Government (King/Crewe), Failures of State (Calvert/Arbuthnott) and Failed State (Freedman)
January 29, 2026 at 1:39 PM
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Jones: everyone agrees status quo in public services isn't working. Frustrations at pace of change. But this diagnosis isn't new.

Today isn't a speech of incremental change. Nor a populist one where sokution is to tear everything down. Instead, modernising - new consensus on what state does and how
Darren Jones at a lectern. Black backdrop has logos for Institute for Government, what3words and 'Move fast. Fix things'
January 20, 2026 at 11:46 AM
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At what3words for Darren Jones speech on 'Move fast and fix things: modernising Whitehall to deliver for Britain'

@instituteforgovernment.org.uk's Hannah White asks what will make this attempt at reform different - says what matters is what comes next
January 20, 2026 at 11:42 AM
gavinfreeguard.com
Tell me now, how should I feel?
A screenshot of the BBC News app. Visible in the top half: a link to a video entitled 'Why 'Blue Monday' isn't real' (good!) Visible in the bottom half: a link to a story, 'Blue Monday? Five easy ways to find joy in January', with summary text reading 'It might be the most miserable time of the year but there are some simple things you can do to improve your mood.' (not good!)
January 19, 2026 at 5:18 PM
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Like, y'think, 0718 email?
An email from Trainline arrives at 718 to say a disruption might affect my journey. Immediately below it is an email from Trainline at 710, telling me my train has been cancelled.
January 17, 2026 at 7:42 AM
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@hannahkeenan.bsky.social touches on digital transformation in her summary of Whitehall Monitor 2026, www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/... - including this chart on how few departments have digital leadership on their exec committees...
A table from Whitehall Monitor 2026. Text reads: Digital leaders on departmental executive committees, December 2025 Institute for Government A table from the Institute for Government showing digital leaders in departmental executive committees, December 2025. It shows that seven of the core departments have one or more digital leaders on their executive committees, but the ten other core departments do not. Table with 2 columns and 8 rows. (column headers with buttons are sortable) Department Digital leaders CO Chief digital and information officer DHSC (Interim) Director general, technology, digital and data DSIT Government chief data officer; Government chief product officer; Transformation Director; Director general, digital centre design; (interim) Director general, artificial intelligence; (interim) Director general, digital, technology and infrastructure DWP Chief digital and information officer HMRC Chief digital and information officer MoD Enterprise chief information officer MoJ Chief digital and information officer; Director general, service transformation DBT, DCMS, Defra, DESNZ, DfE, DfT, FCDO, HMT, HO, MHCLG None Source: Institute for Government analysis of executive committees provided on departmental websites, 2025.Notes: DSIT's blueprint for digital government defines a “digital leader” as a “Chief Digital Information Officer (CDIO), Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Chief Data Officer (CDO) or leader in service transformation, product or customer experience with deep digital expertise”.
January 13, 2026 at 11:58 AM
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StatsWales... Statistics Code of Practice... Data for London Library... Census 2031...

November's Data Bites @publicdigital.bsky.social had something of a stats and data discovery theme

Catch up on it - video plus lots more detail from our speakers - here!

public.digital/pd-insights/...
Welsh Government chief statistician, Stephanie Howarth, speaks at Data Bites 60. She joined us virtually - she has a photo of Aberystwyth behind her (though she joined us from Cardiff), with a Welsh Government logo top right, 'data bites' top left, 'pd' bottom left, and the timer showing 07:36 bottom right Penny Babb from the Office for Statistics Regulation presents at Data Bites 60. She is stood behind a lectern and in front of a Data Bites banner (right hand side of image). I am sat down on the left hand side of the image. Between us is a big screen showing Penny's first slide, which reads 'Introducing The Code of Practice for Statistics' Martine Wauben from the Greater London Authority presents at Data Bites 60. She is stood behind a lectern (the top of which is just about visible) and in front of a banner reading 'public digital' at the top and 'data bites' further down Michelle Waters from the ONS presents at Data Bites 60. She is stood behind a lectern, the top of which is visible, and in front of the Data Bites banner.
December 11, 2025 at 1:37 PM
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A huge thank you to @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social @katybeale.bsky.social for great presentations @transformgovtalks.bsky.social tonight

Video etc to follow www.transformgov.org.uk

Sign up for our 10 December event @tpximpact.com (in Whitechapel) with @derekalton.bsky.social luma.com/1b6pmysz
Rachel Coldicutt presents at the eleventh TransformGov Talks Katy Beale presents at the eleventh TransformGov Talks event
November 26, 2025 at 9:29 PM
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I've been trying to keep track of big govt data/digital appts at Data Bites this year (inc this week, bit.ly/databites60)

Today, @politico.eu Morning Tech UK reports that yesterday, minister Ian Murray told the Sci/Tech cttee there will be no chief digital officer (it'll be DSIT perm sec instead)
A slide from this week's Data Bites intro presentation showing previous, interim and new holders of various government data and digital roles. Titled 'DSIT up and take notice', it shows: DSIT perm sec: previous Sarah Munby; new Emran Mian Govt chief digital officer: previous Mike Potter; interim Joanna Davinson; new tbc Govt chief data officer: previous Craig Suckling; interim Lindsay Mason; new Aimee Smith Govt chief AI officer: new role; new tbc National Statistician: previous Sir Ian Diamond; interim Emma Rourke; new tbc ONS perm sec: previous Sir Ian Diamond; new Darren Tierney UKSA Chair: previous Sir Robert Chote; interim Penny Young; new tbc
November 20, 2025 at 7:55 AM
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TWO WEEKS TODAY!

It's Data Bites #60 @publicdigital.bsky.social, with Welsh Govt, Office for Stats Regulation, ONS and the Greater London Authority - sign up now public.digital/events/data-...

And catch up on Data Bites #59, last month's AI special public.digital/pd-insights/...
Simon McLellan from the Met Office presents at Data Bites 59. He is at the front, on the right of the image, with a 'Data Bites' banner to the right and a screen with a slide full of text to the left. Further left is a clock displaying 01:18. The backs of audience members on green chairs are visible.
November 4, 2025 at 1:29 PM
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🚨 DATA BITES KLAXON 🚨

- Tues 18 Nov, 530 for 6pm
- Online & SW1
- Welsh Govt on StatsWales reimagined
- Office for Statistics Regulation on the new Code of Practice
- GLA on the Data for London Library
- ONS on Census 2031 topic consultation and user insight

Join us! public.digital/events/data-...
A photo from Data Bites 50 in November 2024, courtesy of Paul Clarke. Backs of audience heads are visible. On the right of the image, I'm sat at the front with a corner of screen visible. On the left is the iconic Data Bites countdown clock, displaying 04:34
November 3, 2025 at 2:38 PM
gavinfreeguard.com
How to avoid concreting cowpats (and other AI hokem)

Or, six questions to help scrutinise the AI system or policy solution you're being sold

Delighted to write for @thehousemag.bsky.social @politicshome.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
A photo of the article in the physical edition of The House magazine
October 28, 2025 at 2:33 PM
gavinfreeguard.com
Happy Data Bites (AI special) week!

Join @publicdigital.bsky.social & me, 6pm Thurs 23 Oct, & hear from:
- @metoffice.gov.uk on AI opportunities
- @scottishaialliance.bsky.social on children's rights & AI
- JDAC (Cab Office) on making data interactive
- Govt Internal Audit Agency on GIAA’s Engines
A photograph (courtesy of Paul Clarke) of me hosting Data Bites in November 2024. I'm stood behind a lectern (back of audience's heads visible), in front of a banner reading 'Data Bites' and a photo of lightning on the wall
October 20, 2025 at 9:10 AM
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I feel like the sub enjoyed this one
A BBC headline which reads: Head coach Wellens departs St Helens
October 9, 2025 at 2:07 PM
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I mean, would watch
Extract from the linked piece: Now don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that Starmer should do away with the speech and instead make a video of himself trying unusual American snacks, performing TikTok dances or compiling a tier-list of his favourite cabinet ministers.
September 30, 2025 at 9:03 AM
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🤨
Screenshot from the linked New Statesman piece: 'Documents also show Blair personally intervened to urge Kyle to embrace AI, telling him in a private meeting that there was “no other solution to productivity, no other route to growth”, and that AI was “the UK’s economic future”. Blair also encouraged Kyle to meet with the Ellison Institute of Technology, a for-profit research institute that works via a group of internal companies based in Oxford funded by the Oracle chief – and “emphasised the importance of the national data library”, according to a response to an FoI. In May, Kyle told his officials to work with TBI on the nascent national data library (NDL) project. “Attaching the initial scoping work from TBI here,” he wrote in an email to his team. 'A UK government spokesperson said it engaged with a “wide range of stakeholders” in the development of policy, adding: “The government publishes quarterly details of ministers’ and certain senior officials’ meetings with all external individuals and organisations.”'
September 24, 2025 at 12:03 PM
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Remember to sign up for the next @publicdigital.bsky.social Data Bites, 6pm, Thurs 18 Sept (central London & online)

Speakers include ONS, DBT & Youth Futures Foundation public.digital/events/data-...

We've also started publishing individual videos of our speakers public.digital/data-bites-s...
Screenshot of the Data Bites landing page, with individual videos broken out. These each have a vertical block - four wide - with photograph, title, blurb and link. These are below a heading of 'Previous Data Bites', with a header menu and the p.d logo. The ones in shot are: Tracking environmental harm in real time Kate Marks talked about a new digital service they’ve just launched for reporting environmental incidents at the Environment Agency Digital sustainability in UK government Tom Parry gave us an overview of efforts within the department and UK government more widely around digital sustainability. Data and waste management Liz Lutgendorff, Senior Digital Transformation Manager at the North London Waste Authority, speaks about why tracking waste is hard. Council Climate Action Scorecards Isaac Beevor, and Alex Parsons talked about their work on measuring UK local authority climate action through their bi-annual Council Climate Action Scorecards.
September 9, 2025 at 2:57 PM
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well quite
A screenshot of the Ministers page on GOV.UK, which is missing the usual portraits, names and titles and carries a message saying 'This page is currently being updated.'
September 5, 2025 at 4:38 PM
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The 'distracted boyfriend' meme. A man in the centre, representing No 10, is ignoring his girlfriend, labelled 'grown ups', for another woman, also labelled 'grown ups'
September 2, 2025 at 8:54 AM
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🚨 NEW DATA BITES 🚨

Join @publicdigital.bsky.social & me in person/online, 6pm, Thurs 18 Sept, for Data Bites #58!

Speakers will include:
- @bothness.bsky.social, ONS
- Andrea Barry, Youth Futures Fdn, on their dashboard
- DBT on matching companies across datasets

public.digital/events/data-...
A silver laptop is open, with a pink background. The screen has the following text (in black) on a background of light pink with bright pink dots: data bites #58 18 September 2025 18:00 GMT pd
September 1, 2025 at 4:03 PM
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A week today!

Join me and a stellar cast @instituteforgovernment.org.uk to reflect on the the 25th anniversary of the Freedom of Information Act - and what the future of FoI should look like

Sign up now www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/foi-ac...
An image promoting the event with photographs of speakers. Text reads: The Freedom of Information Act at 25: What next for freedom of information? Wednesday 3 September | 12:00-13:30 Jenna Corderoy, Investigative reporter at Democracy for Sale Dr Louise Crow, Chief Executive of mySociety Dr Ben Worthy, Lecturer at Birkbeck University John Edwards, Information Commissioner Lord Charlie Falconer, Secretary for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor (2003–07) Lynn Wyeth, Executive Board Member of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, and Executive Board Member of The National Association of Data Protection and Freedom of Information Officers (NADPO) Gavin Freeguard, Associate of the Institute for Government.
August 27, 2025 at 9:19 AM
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Poster for concert. Text reads: New Tottenham Singers with orchestra VIVALDI - GLORIA PURCELL - DIDO+AENEAS Saturday 19th July 2025 | 7.30pm St Mary's Church, Stoke Newington Advance tickets: £15* (Under 18s & full-time students £10*) *£20/£12 on the door Get your tickets now at TOTTENHAMSINGERS.COM
July 17, 2025 at 9:49 AM
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July 15, 2025 at 7:55 AM
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The Trump administration 🤝 the 1985 World Snooker Championship final
A headline from Politico West Wing Playbook, 'Steve Davis did not go quietly'
July 15, 2025 at 6:34 AM