Ed Hammond
@se13ed.bsky.social
Local government governance person, supporting English councils on stuff relating to decision-making, oversight, transparency, etc. Views my own.
Important to bear in mind that the longer the delay the longer a 20+ year full decant is required
EXCL:
Final decision on restoring the Palace of Westminster will be delayed until 2030s
MPs were expected to vote by the end of 2025 on a way forward for fixing the crumbling parliament, but that now won't happen
Story w/@danbloom1.bsky.social
www.politico.eu/article/fina...
Final decision on restoring the Palace of Westminster will be delayed until 2030s
MPs were expected to vote by the end of 2025 on a way forward for fixing the crumbling parliament, but that now won't happen
Story w/@danbloom1.bsky.social
www.politico.eu/article/fina...
Final decision on fate of crumbling UK parliament delayed to 2030s
It’s a fire-hazard that’s prone to tumbling masonry — but fear of a public backlash is again delaying repairs to the world famous building.
www.politico.eu
November 15, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Important to bear in mind that the longer the delay the longer a 20+ year full decant is required
I regularly post about politics online but I buck this behavioural characteristic because my heart is black as pitch and I pay no heed to the suffering and misery of my fellow man
🤔 People who post about politics online are much more likely to describe themselves as “more kind than average”. Might be that we need a national self-awareness day as well as global kindness day.
November 13, 2025 at 5:20 PM
I regularly post about politics online but I buck this behavioural characteristic because my heart is black as pitch and I pay no heed to the suffering and misery of my fellow man
But what about Police and Crime Panels, I hear you say? (1/)
November 13, 2025 at 12:24 PM
But what about Police and Crime Panels, I hear you say? (1/)
Mannequin 2: On The Move
Carry On Columbus
Blue Ice (Michael Caine and Sean Young, if you've forgotten)
Critters 4
Carry On Columbus
Blue Ice (Michael Caine and Sean Young, if you've forgotten)
Critters 4
Pope Leo has shared his four favorite movies of all time, as the Vatican prepares to host dozens of actors and directors in a “World of Cinema” gathering on Saturday at his official residence. See which films made the pope's list. nyti.ms/4p3exK9
Pope Leo Shares His Favorite Movies Ahead of Vatican Event
The list leans heavily on uplifting classics.
nyti.ms
November 12, 2025 at 7:56 AM
Mannequin 2: On The Move
Carry On Columbus
Blue Ice (Michael Caine and Sean Young, if you've forgotten)
Critters 4
Carry On Columbus
Blue Ice (Michael Caine and Sean Young, if you've forgotten)
Critters 4
Imagining the big security conference at the Louvre and everyone agreeing to change the network password to "Louvre1"
November 11, 2025 at 8:11 PM
Imagining the big security conference at the Louvre and everyone agreeing to change the network password to "Louvre1"
this is a great example of the central problem that afflicts the British state, and critiques of it - we are great at diagnosis (the BBC's editorial processes and its responses to criticism are feeble!) but crap at imagining and delivering change that might improve things (1/)
Personally I'd be pleased to see BBC News disappear entirely. To argue, as many do, that British politics or our news environment would be so much worse without the BBC you have to explain why British politics and news environment is so very bad with the BBC.
November 11, 2025 at 11:49 AM
this is a great example of the central problem that afflicts the British state, and critiques of it - we are great at diagnosis (the BBC's editorial processes and its responses to criticism are feeble!) but crap at imagining and delivering change that might improve things (1/)
Not sure who does the playlist for Co-op instore radio but they're an indie kid in their mid 40s because we've just had "Going for Gold" by Shed Seven immediately followed by "Girl From Mars" by Ash, I was half-expecting Mark and Lard to come on
November 6, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Not sure who does the playlist for Co-op instore radio but they're an indie kid in their mid 40s because we've just had "Going for Gold" by Shed Seven immediately followed by "Girl From Mars" by Ash, I was half-expecting Mark and Lard to come on
Walking up the road past a big line of traffic, some idiot gets impatient and pulls out, driving up the road on the wrong side and trying to push in at the lights. Two unmarked police cars peel out of the queue, blue lights on, to give chase. Lovely stuff
November 5, 2025 at 6:36 PM
Walking up the road past a big line of traffic, some idiot gets impatient and pulls out, driving up the road on the wrong side and trying to push in at the lights. Two unmarked police cars peel out of the queue, blue lights on, to give chase. Lovely stuff
Weekend at Bernini's, or something
October 31, 2025 at 4:08 PM
Weekend at Bernini's, or something
Funny that in Back to the Future II, Biff Tannen, the antagonist and Trump proxy, has demolished Hill Valley's courthouse and erected a huge casino on the site, and that plot point always felt a bit heavy handed
October 26, 2025 at 11:41 AM
Funny that in Back to the Future II, Biff Tannen, the antagonist and Trump proxy, has demolished Hill Valley's courthouse and erected a huge casino on the site, and that plot point always felt a bit heavy handed
personally I would get Mel and Sue to present Strictly. Or for a slightly different but no less late-90s vibe, Lee and Herring
October 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM
personally I would get Mel and Sue to present Strictly. Or for a slightly different but no less late-90s vibe, Lee and Herring
to all the other different governance models - autocracy, democracy, kleptocracy etc - we must now add "caseyocracy", or "government directed entirely by Louise Casey"
October 22, 2025 at 12:58 PM
to all the other different governance models - autocracy, democracy, kleptocracy etc - we must now add "caseyocracy", or "government directed entirely by Louise Casey"
Can't believe that Faisal Islam writes a long read for the BBC News website about price fluctuations of frozen concentrated orange juice and doesn't mention these guys
October 22, 2025 at 9:10 AM
Can't believe that Faisal Islam writes a long read for the BBC News website about price fluctuations of frozen concentrated orange juice and doesn't mention these guys
when you book a visit from a BT engineer, you still get a splash page reminding you about COVID precautions
October 21, 2025 at 11:07 AM
when you book a visit from a BT engineer, you still get a splash page reminding you about COVID precautions
My favourite thing about Murder She Wrote is how when there's a scene in a public/semi-public place (newspaper office, police station, hotel lobby) there are always way too many extras engaging in way too much background activity, it's v funny and once you notice it you can't unsee it
October 19, 2025 at 6:39 PM
My favourite thing about Murder She Wrote is how when there's a scene in a public/semi-public place (newspaper office, police station, hotel lobby) there are always way too many extras engaging in way too much background activity, it's v funny and once you notice it you can't unsee it
I only accept the Red Dwarf explanation as canon - that is, JFK was assassinated by himself
October 15, 2025 at 2:11 PM
I only accept the Red Dwarf explanation as canon - that is, JFK was assassinated by himself
"Mission accomplished", one might say
World leaders have signed the Gaza peace deal at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit.
Trump: “This took 3000 years to get to this point. And it is going to hold up.”
Trump: “This took 3000 years to get to this point. And it is going to hold up.”
October 13, 2025 at 4:39 PM
"Mission accomplished", one might say
@katebevan.com I wasn't sure if you'd done this one yet
October 11, 2025 at 10:38 PM
@katebevan.com I wasn't sure if you'd done this one yet
Reposted by Ed Hammond
One thing that's interesting interacting with big banks is that they essentially replicate 100% of the logic and qualities of public sector bureaucracy (the need to taxonomise, sharply demarcated silos/domains of competence, complete inability to tailor, diffusion of moral agency, etc.) 1//n
October 8, 2025 at 4:10 PM
One thing that's interesting interacting with big banks is that they essentially replicate 100% of the logic and qualities of public sector bureaucracy (the need to taxonomise, sharply demarcated silos/domains of competence, complete inability to tailor, diffusion of moral agency, etc.) 1//n
OK so my younger son's primary has I think the highest rate of children with English as a second language in the borough (and one of the highest in the country). Biggest primary in the borough too (650 kids). There are quite a lot of kids who start reception with v little spoken English. (1/)
Katie Lam says there are some schools in London "where 3/4 pupils don't speak English to the standard needed to for education"
Are there? London school results are outperforming everywhere else, partly + migration/diversity effects
[CPS livestreaming this if want to check the quote.It was 915am]
Are there? London school results are outperforming everywhere else, partly + migration/diversity effects
[CPS livestreaming this if want to check the quote.It was 915am]
October 7, 2025 at 8:56 AM
OK so my younger son's primary has I think the highest rate of children with English as a second language in the borough (and one of the highest in the country). Biggest primary in the borough too (650 kids). There are quite a lot of kids who start reception with v little spoken English. (1/)
Policymaking - developing and agreeing policies, and then implementing them - is difficult, but plenty of people (increasingly) confuse it with "coming up with ideas for policies" which is, indeed, very easy. Same philosophy that says that announcing the thing is the same as doing the thing
Someone who thinks 'policymaking is generally not very complicated' either does not know what they are talking about or has very strong ideological leanings that help disappear the trade-offs that worry the rest of us.
Good thing he has a high quality team of thoughtful people with a firm grasp of the issues and how complex governing is
October 6, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Policymaking - developing and agreeing policies, and then implementing them - is difficult, but plenty of people (increasingly) confuse it with "coming up with ideas for policies" which is, indeed, very easy. Same philosophy that says that announcing the thing is the same as doing the thing
Bit weird to think that the Conservative leader this time last year was Rishi Sunak
October 5, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Bit weird to think that the Conservative leader this time last year was Rishi Sunak