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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 20h

lol, sadly not. Clearly I should use more props

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 20h

Hahaha. I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 20h

That said, we had full rooms for all the IfG events. While there were far fewer corporates/charities, there were still lots of members about. I’d say 90% of questions in Conservative fringe events came from members (vs less than 50% at Labour and Lib Dems)

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 20h

Conservative conference was quiet this year. How quiet? Well, 5 months ago I gave a speech on procurement at the same venue that was better attended than Robert Jenrick’s keynote

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 1d

I'm increasingly convinced this is a huge driver of dissatisfaction with govt

Council tax is one of the most visible taxes that people pay, it goes directly out of their bank account and they get a letter about it going up every year

Yet bin collection frequency falls and libraries close

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d

It is also deeply unhealthy to have local govts who don’t provide many visible/valuable services for most residents (because they lack the resources). Encourages distrust and populism - “what am I paying my council tax for? The council does nothing for me.”

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Amazed this is still going ahead - basic and obvious problem is that essentially everything local government does now is for the poor. You can’t move it around without really hurting poor people somewhere!

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 1d

If you’re in Manchester today then join us for a discussion on what a Conservative vision for public services should look like

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 3d

Then at 13:00, we will consider how the Conservative Party should rethink its vision for public services.

Our expert panel includes Baroness Barran, Dr Kieran Mullan MP, Cllr Abi Brown and @njdavies.bsky.social - join us in Exchange 6-7.

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 2d

We did but by that point they had been running Kent for 4 months and were well aware of the reality of local government finances

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 2d

Tell me you haven’t read Performance Tracker* without telling me you haven’t read Performance Tracker

*or literally any serious writing on local government finances

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Alex Thomas @alexgathomas.bsky.social · 3d

On the civil service bit of this…£8bn savings *a year* by the end of the Parliament claimed

Reducing headcount to 2016 levels is easier said than done, as previous govts know

on.ft.com/46Da3nm

Tories tout £47bn in spending cuts in bid to reclaim fiscal reputation

Shadow chancellor says he will target welfare spending, overseas aid budget and civil service staffing to find savings

on.ft.com

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 5d

If (shock horror) you managed to miss @instituteforgovernment.org.uk at Labour conference then have no fear. Audio from all our events is now online. This includes 3 events I chaired: implementing govt's health reforms, delivering preventative healthcare, and rebuilding the criminal justice system

IfG at the Labour Party Conference 2025 | Institute for Government

The IfG was in Liverpool for the Labour Party Conference 2025.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 8d

Don't miss our final #Lab25 event on rebuilding the criminal justice system - we will be joined by Deputy Mayor Kate Green, Clare Moody, @cassiarowland.bsky.social @fionarutherford.bsky.social @justicehq.bsky.social @njdavies.bsky.social

Find us in Clyde Room, Arena Floor at 17:15 zurl.co/O52cg

How can the government rebuild the criminal justice system? Tuesday 30 September | 17:15–18:15

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 11d

The Lionesses and Red Roses have really spoilt my children. Supporting England is meant to be an endless series of disappointments! They don’t know they’ve been born

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 12d

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government

New report by @njdavies.bsky.social and @drbenpaxton.bsky.social on how public procurement could support delivery of mission-led government, and the key barriers to this.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

NEW REPORT: @instituteforgovernment.org.uk finds that confused missions, pervasive risk aversion, poor data quality, insufficient commericial capability, and a failure to focus on outcomes means that govt is failing to make the most of £400bn+ a year it spends on procurement

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

This type of language is utterly unacceptable. Two MPs have actually been murdered in the last decade. Using violent rhetoric like this isn't big or clever, it's dangerous and idiotic

Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 13d

This interview is so much worse than the headline lets on

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

Excellent thread from @drbenpaxton.bsky.social summarising the key findings of our new report bsky.app/profile/drbe...

Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 13d

Procurement is massively underrated as an opportunity for improvement, and where a mission-led approach could make a difference.
Our NEW REPORT explores why this change is hard, and how procurement should be used to shape markets + drive innovation🧵
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 13d

Procurement is massively underrated as an opportunity for improvement, and where a mission-led approach could make a difference.
Our NEW REPORT explores why this change is hard, and how procurement should be used to shape markets + drive innovation🧵
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

Great write up by CityAM of the new @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report on how procurement can be used to deliver the government's missions

Labour’s mixed messages ‘confuses’ UK government procurement

A report has indicated that poor communication around Labour's five missions and six milestones has taken a toll on government procurement.

www.cityam.com

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

One of the reasons why contract management should be seen as a job for commercial specialists

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

The public sector has done a decent job over the past 15 years of bringing in more senior commercial expertise. Virtually all departmental commercial directors now have meaningful private sector experience. There just aren't enough of them. We also provide insufficient training to contract managers

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

Money is going to be tight for the rest of this parliament. Govt should use procurement more strategically to deliver its missions. That will require:
✅Using missions to shape markets
✅Bringing innovation to public sector procurement
✅Strengthening procurement capability and data

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 13d

NEW REPORT: @instituteforgovernment.org.uk finds that confused missions, pervasive risk aversion, poor data quality, insufficient commericial capability, and a failure to focus on outcomes means that govt is failing to make the most of £400bn+ a year it spends on procurement

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Thomas Pope @tompope.bsky.social · 14d

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by me, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social on how Reeves should approach tax this Autumn

With tax rises inevitable, Reeves should reject path of least resistance and embrace tax reform 1/3

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The 2025 budget and beyond: How Rachel Reeves can approach tax reform to help drive growth | Institute for Government

A big autumn approaches for the chancellor.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Nick Davies @njdavies.bsky.social · 19d

Well worth a listen. Women’s prisons are genuinely appalling and getting worse. They receive very little press coverage despite being more violent than men’s prisons and having a self-harm rate equivalent to around 6 incidents per prisoner per year

Transform Justice @transformjustice.bsky.social · 19d

🚨NEW EPISODE🚨

Should stealing baby milk to feed your child lead to prison? Dr Sarah Waite & Lucy Campbell discuss how the prison system is failing women & what could be done to improve society’s response to women in crisis.

🎧Listen now: pod.fo/e/32d390

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Reposted by Nick Davies

Giles Wilkes @gilesyb.bsky.social · 21d

3. No matter how well staffed, the power of No10 is political not technical. It is about knowing what a *well-informed* PM thinks and using that to force coordination and the confrontation of difficult choices. There is probably an important job to be done bringing NO10 itself up to speed ...

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