Polly Mackenzie

We need an industrial strategy for civic institutions. howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/alternativ...

I thought I'd finished writing about GOV.UK on the High Street. Then a couple of visits before the end of my time at DWP made me wonder whether I'd been asking too small a question. A rather long (and overdue) post about government, regeneration, belonging, and the places where things can begin.

Broken Windows Deliverism. An experiment in getting things done with my old mucker @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com substack.com/@pollymacken...

Just back from a whirlwind 24 hours in Brighton for the Lib Dems’ annual conference. Lovely weather by the sea and a series of really interesting events THREAD [1/13]

Really excited to be relaunching Progressive Review, @ippr.org's journal of politics, ideas and public policy, with a new editorial team + advisory board:

It’s almost as if these league tables are nonsense

We’re delighted to announce a new editorial advisory board to help shape the future of IPPR's journal, Progressive Review, including: 👉 @iprnickp.bsky.social 👉 @pollymackenzie.bsky.social 👉 @will-davies.bsky.social Subscribe here: progressivereview.substack.com

I know I’m a bore on this but here’s why the Science Minister should absolutely care about the humanities and social sciences rather than thinking it is for DCMS ukri.substack.com/p/why-ai-wil...

Very sad to share that @ukgovcamp.com legend Dr Carla Groom died at home on 9 August 2026, aged 50. Her family and friends are raising money for the Carers Centre Tower Hamlets in her memory www.justgiving.com/page/carlagr... #RIPCarla

This one's for the superfans - they've dressed the set at How to Win an Election with a picture celebrating Canada, just to troll my beloved Canada-hating husband.

I love it when somebody points out something “bleedin’ obvious” that nobody has noticed. Good piece by @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on saving the the high street. www.ft.com/content/f438...

America just goes by America. We can make Kingdom work.

This is a lovely site which helps remind us of much of what we take for granted in material progress ordinaryabundance.com (HT @aveek18.bsky.social)

New substack: without big changes, slow growth is normal: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/stagnation...

Hear, hear @financialtimes.com's @pollymackenzie.bsky.social: "Only active communities, backed by an active state, can rescue our town centres at the scale and pace that’s needed...Not every high street can have an outpost of No 10 but most could host more of the state" www.ft.com/content/f438...

Hard agree with @pollymackenzie.bsky.social. Toying with business rates won't save our high streets. We need more people working, studying and living there... as I said to @retailweek.bsky.social in its deep dive on high street revival earlier this week (see www.retail-week.com/stores/the-d...)

‘Since then it has served two purposes: where we buy things, and where we meet. The first paid for the second without anyone noticing they were separate.’ Good insight from @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on the different functions of the high street www.ft.com/content/f438...

How to save the British high street ft.trib.al/Gep6DvU | opinion

So why not dedicate more resource to it? www.ft.com/content/f0f7...

substack.com/home/post/p-...

This is a real shame - Patrick Vallance has been a really excellent and committed Science Minister who knew the territory and took a strategic view. Big shoes to fill

Forget pervert glasses - what about smart plugs? Me on domestic abusers taking over home devices as.ft.com/r/8f4ab2f1-4... How smart tech is being weaponised in the home

A big, visible bet is just what the parts of an organisation that want to keep things the same will move to get rid of. The better the idea, the bigger the bet you are tempted to make, and the bigger the target you paint on it vaughntan.org/bigness

Important role here - Chair of the Information Commission (which will replace the ICO). £120k, 3 days a week. Apply by 19 August apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles/9276

I've written a new post exploring a fascinating turn in education reform. After a period in which there was pressure for ever narrower approaches to education, today's pioneers are advocating for a holistic model, with schools at the centre of a thriving civic life. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

🔥 New today 🔥 Can a new style of political leadership unlock the energy at the edges? As Andy Burnham rises to the Premiership, I've written an essay exploring the value of a more enabling style of political leadership. (1/n) medium.com/@jamestplunk...

Found this interesting on Burnham’s focus on the ‘unaccountable state’. It’s fair to flag as it’s easy to feel modern society is Kafkaesque. But curious how he’ll rise to the challenge of it. Devolution can help a bit but only a bit… 🧵 www.thetimes.com/article/1167...

In particular how the role of verification has moved from institutions to the public, and how societies have generally failed to recognise that, let alone adapt to it. Failing to recognise that condition means solutions inevitably fail.

Be more S22

We are hiring! Brilliant senior job running our new UK Government team… …looking for someone creative and strategic with experience of government who would seize this fantastic opportunity to make government work well for the people of the UK! www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/about-us/car...

What do you think @andyburnham.bsky.social should do in his first 100 days? I’ve explained why Andy could establish a Department of the Prime Minister, in @georgeeaton.bsky.social's @arguablymag.bsky.social www.arguably.uk/p/20-ideas-f...

Also features @vickyspratt.bsky.social on devolving technical education and skills, @meadwaj.bsky.social on a 'Doge of the left', @pollymackenzie.bsky.social on welfare reform as industrial strategy and @jamesomalley.co.uk on freeing the Postcode Address File. www.arguably.uk/p/20-ideas-f...

We & Demos have a major programme of research & deliberation to develop a new funding settlement for civic renewal in Britain. We're holding a webinar (Thur 9 Jul @ 09:30) to introduce the programme, share early thinking & open the conversation.

I'm really sorry to hear this news. The Research Professional team are excellent and have helped the HE and research sector keep up with what is happening. We will be less intelligent without it. Good luck to individual staff members affected, who are excellent writers and journos.

Rather than sanding away decades of wear, MUJI embraces the scratches, faded finishes and repair marks that tell the story of each piece spoon-tamago.com/muji-antique...

'Around 150 full time equivalent jobs are set to go at the south-west England institution, with 115 of them in the Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, despite it being internationally renowned.' 1/4

This is absolute dereliction Exeter university is home to world leading experts in corruption and kleptocracy (among other things) Now it’s facing being cut to ribbons www.timeshighereducation.com/news/univers...

My nine year old asked for a Rosetta Stone cake for his birthday

THEY ARE BASTARDS

HI @pollymackenzie.bsky.social - good newsletter on adaptation. Here is a report @rosahodgkin.bsky.social and I wrote for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk on getting govt to take adaptation more seriously a couple of years ago www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

Here's my effort at addressing that, for what it's worth aveekbhattacharya.substack.com/p/whose-faul...

Let it be clear: you are wanted here.

Government services are getting overwhelmed by (probably) AI-generated requests chrisschmitz.ai/flooding

Oh I do love it when the facts back up my opinions… open.substack.com/pub/howtorun...

One of the interesting features of a lot of commentary on British politics is the elision of working class with working people, when these are not the same thing.