Henry Midgley
@henrymidgley.bsky.social
Ex NAO now at Durham University interested in public sector financial accountability and other related things! Author Holding Government to Account: Democracy and the National Audit Office
Absolutely right- its a problem throughout the NHS system too that we don't recognise Coeliacs enough. My partner is coeliac and was recently in hospital. At one point, she ended up with a dinner of mashed potato and carrots, as there was no other coeliac dinner option
October 8, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Absolutely right- its a problem throughout the NHS system too that we don't recognise Coeliacs enough. My partner is coeliac and was recently in hospital. At one point, she ended up with a dinner of mashed potato and carrots, as there was no other coeliac dinner option
Eg, if I was a Conservative/Reform swing voter- the media is doing a good job at the moment of telling me Farage is beating Badenoch- but a really poor one of informing me about what the difference between them is so I can choose which one I prefer. Similar on the left with the LDs/Greens v Labour.
October 2, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Eg, if I was a Conservative/Reform swing voter- the media is doing a good job at the moment of telling me Farage is beating Badenoch- but a really poor one of informing me about what the difference between them is so I can choose which one I prefer. Similar on the left with the LDs/Greens v Labour.
A lot in this- one of the things I find really depressing is coverage of election campaigns which focusses on who is winning not what is the choice between the 2,3 or 4 parties? Not in the sense of this is the choice you voter should make- but this is the choice you are making...
October 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM
A lot in this- one of the things I find really depressing is coverage of election campaigns which focusses on who is winning not what is the choice between the 2,3 or 4 parties? Not in the sense of this is the choice you voter should make- but this is the choice you are making...
The key details are all here so get your papers in! durham.ac.uk/business/new...
ICOPA Workshop - Durham University Business School
durham.ac.uk
October 1, 2025 at 5:31 PM
The key details are all here so get your papers in! durham.ac.uk/business/new...
Really thought provoking article- captures both the farness and closeness of the past- lovely writing!
September 22, 2025 at 4:28 PM
Really thought provoking article- captures both the farness and closeness of the past- lovely writing!
You might be a better researcher in your own subject (tho I'm not sure) if ybou aren't aware of other fields and other ways of thinking- but I don't think you can be a better thinker in general or understand more about the world yourself.
August 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM
You might be a better researcher in your own subject (tho I'm not sure) if ybou aren't aware of other fields and other ways of thinking- but I don't think you can be a better thinker in general or understand more about the world yourself.
Its probably as important as a method of education as the formal stuff you do at university- and its good to have tons of different perspectives in the room- I learnt hugely from friends who did physics, medicine, English, engineering and economics and I hope I contributed too.
August 15, 2025 at 10:47 AM
Its probably as important as a method of education as the formal stuff you do at university- and its good to have tons of different perspectives in the room- I learnt hugely from friends who did physics, medicine, English, engineering and economics and I hope I contributed too.
I kind of wonder about truss. She suffered the most embarrassing defenestration of any PM really in British history- and I wonder if this is the only way to cope.
August 12, 2025 at 12:12 PM
I kind of wonder about truss. She suffered the most embarrassing defenestration of any PM really in British history- and I wonder if this is the only way to cope.
And by doing so cutting state capacity- this is the crazy thing about university cuts- you are actually cutting the ability of your state to respond in the future... and worse you are contracting out the choice of what to cut to a group of uni managers with no incentive to maximise state capacity
July 23, 2025 at 9:06 AM
And by doing so cutting state capacity- this is the crazy thing about university cuts- you are actually cutting the ability of your state to respond in the future... and worse you are contracting out the choice of what to cut to a group of uni managers with no incentive to maximise state capacity
Should have said the references in the book are to pages 64-5 where you will find the evidence behind the Zircon and Falklands cases mentioned above
July 16, 2025 at 8:37 AM
Should have said the references in the book are to pages 64-5 where you will find the evidence behind the Zircon and Falklands cases mentioned above
I'd be really interested in the views of people who are more integrated into Parliament and policy than me like @ruthfox.bsky.social and @matthewfright.bsky.social
July 16, 2025 at 8:31 AM
I'd be really interested in the views of people who are more integrated into Parliament and policy than me like @ruthfox.bsky.social and @matthewfright.bsky.social
The examples that I mention above and a lot more about similar issues are included in the book that Aileen Murphie, Laurence Ferry and I wrote together about the NAO last year www.routledge.com/Holding-Gove...
Holding Government to Account: Democracy and the National Audit Office
The National Audit Office has played an important role in the checks and balances of the UK parliamentary and political system over the last 40 years. This new book, more than just a history of the UK...
www.routledge.com
July 16, 2025 at 8:31 AM
The examples that I mention above and a lot more about similar issues are included in the book that Aileen Murphie, Laurence Ferry and I wrote together about the NAO last year www.routledge.com/Holding-Gove...
Lastly, as context, whilst the National Audit Office would always take rightly account of security advice from government, it doesn't have to as its work is protected by Parliamentary Privilege and its head is an officer of the House of Commons.
July 16, 2025 at 8:29 AM
Lastly, as context, whilst the National Audit Office would always take rightly account of security advice from government, it doesn't have to as its work is protected by Parliamentary Privilege and its head is an officer of the House of Commons.
I don't think the FT article covered whether @meghillier.bsky.social before 2024 or Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown since 2024 were informed about this spending but that could have been the route used to maintain Parliament's knowledge of events.
July 16, 2025 at 8:29 AM
I don't think the FT article covered whether @meghillier.bsky.social before 2024 or Sir Geoffrey Clifton Brown since 2024 were informed about this spending but that could have been the route used to maintain Parliament's knowledge of events.
In the mid 1980s, there was a controversy about the zircon spy satallite system, again Robert Sheldon, then Chair of
the PAC was told about the project by the C&AG and indicated his views about how it should be scrutinised.
the PAC was told about the project by the C&AG and indicated his views about how it should be scrutinised.
July 16, 2025 at 8:28 AM
In the mid 1980s, there was a controversy about the zircon spy satallite system, again Robert Sheldon, then Chair of
the PAC was told about the project by the C&AG and indicated his views about how it should be scrutinised.
the PAC was told about the project by the C&AG and indicated his views about how it should be scrutinised.
If you go back in history- you can find several examples. eg. in the early 80s, the C&AG Sir Gordon Downey's report on the Falklands conflict disclosed that there were matters that were too confidential to include but that he had briefed the committee about them
July 16, 2025 at 8:27 AM
If you go back in history- you can find several examples. eg. in the early 80s, the C&AG Sir Gordon Downey's report on the Falklands conflict disclosed that there were matters that were too confidential to include but that he had briefed the committee about them
Yes and also often cutting the things that maintain their very longterm income whilst maximising shortterm financial health- its actually very like the coalition government
July 5, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Yes and also often cutting the things that maintain their very longterm income whilst maximising shortterm financial health- its actually very like the coalition government
Well its the way to destroy what remains of the university sector in the name of consultancy contracts!
July 4, 2025 at 8:52 AM
Well its the way to destroy what remains of the university sector in the name of consultancy contracts!
Utterly- also if I'm going to learn about a period, the fact that I read a historian with a different eye (or several historians with different eyes) as to what is important, introduces it to me through the lens of their mind- rather than just using the lens of my own mind and my own preoccupations.
June 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM
Utterly- also if I'm going to learn about a period, the fact that I read a historian with a different eye (or several historians with different eyes) as to what is important, introduces it to me through the lens of their mind- rather than just using the lens of my own mind and my own preoccupations.
Just tagging in @mjrobbins.com who wrote the post as well!
June 23, 2025 at 11:11 AM
Just tagging in @mjrobbins.com who wrote the post as well!
We really have to realise that changing specifications every five minutes, delaying things for political reasons and changing the structure of projects has costs and these costs are large. Restoration and Renewal is an another case of this.
June 23, 2025 at 11:07 AM
We really have to realise that changing specifications every five minutes, delaying things for political reasons and changing the structure of projects has costs and these costs are large. Restoration and Renewal is an another case of this.