Ruth Dixon
@ruth-dixon.bsky.social
54 followers 40 following 9 posts
Retired from the University of Oxford. Co-author with Christopher Hood of 'A Government that Worked Better and Cost Less?' OUP 2015.
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ruth-dixon.bsky.social
I hadn't thought about this before. Could you explain what is the function of a SI that brings codes of practice into force? e.g. www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/85...
www.legislation.gov.uk
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
Huge number of inaccuracies in this article. Did AI write it?
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
Thank you, Calum, for your work and principled stance on this bill.
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
A collection of essays on civil services around the world, available open access. The UK chapter, by Christopher Hood and me, does not altogether buy the 'decline' narrative. The collection is dedicated in memory of Christopher. idjs.ca/en/publicati...
What Happened? The Decline of the Public Service in Democratic Governments - Institut Donald J. Savoie
idjs.ca
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
A collection of essays on civil services around the world, available open access. The UK chapter, by Christopher Hood and me, does not altogether buy the 'decline' narrative. The collection is dedicated in memory of Christopher. idjs.ca/en/publicati...
What Happened? The Decline of the Public Service in Democratic Governments - Institut Donald J. Savoie
idjs.ca
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
Huge congratulations to Iain McLean, @bpiotrowska.bsky.social, @maiaking.bsky.social, and the late - great - Christopher Hood for the award of the PSA's WJM Mackenzie Prize 2025! #PSA25
nuffieldcollege.bsky.social
Nuffield Senior Research Fellow Iain McLean has been awarded the Political Studies Association’s W J M Mackenzie Prize for his recent book 'The Way the Money Goes', written with Barbara Piotrowska, Maia King, and the late Christopher Hood.
Read more: www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/news-events/... #nuffsky
Iain McLean receiving his Mackenzie Prize from the Political Studies Association. Credit: The Political Studies Association.
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
bpiotrowska.bsky.social
Last week, I joined Rozana Himaz, Ruth Dixon, @drjennings.bsky.social, and Colin Scott to pay tribute to Christopher Hood and his work: youtu.be/NA3vH8w1RUY. It was a real pleasure to hear memories and reflections from so many of his students, friends, and collaborators.
A Tribute to Christopher Hood:
YouTube video by Theories of Regulation & Governance
youtu.be
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
ameakin.bsky.social
So, so proud of this book! It was an honour to be asked by @estrangeirada.bsky.social & @louisevthompson.bsky.social to join the editing team and work with 70+ incredible practitioners & academics who shared their expertise for the benefit of students of Parliament: global.oup.com/ukhe/product... 🧵
The cover of Exploring Parliament Second Edition, showing the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge from across the Thames, at twilight.
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
jo3hill.bsky.social
I’ve written for our blog this week about why I think these are the biggest and most pernicious policy memes of 2025, check it out!

bsky.app/profile/refo...
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
ukcivilservant.bsky.social
HT @roadscholar.bsky.social :-

"This means that in England, now, we can't build in towns because of people. We can't build in the countryside because of trees. And we can't build on industrial wasteland because of the spiders."

ukcivilservant.substack.com/p/jumping-sp...
Jumping Spiders & The Town that Disappeared
Growth v. The Environment
ukcivilservant.substack.com
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
politicalquarterly.bsky.social
As a tribute to Professor Christopher Hood who died earlier this month, we have made this 2006 article written with Martin Lodge free to view.

From Sir Humphrey to Sir Nigel: What Future for the Public Service Bargain after Blairworld?

@ox.ac.uk

onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
rikkidean.bsky.social
In memoriam: Christopher Hood. @ruth-dixon.bsky.social and I wrote this tribute in which we tried, but of course failed, to do justice to his immense contribution.
politicsoxford.bsky.social
@politicsoxford.bsky.social is saddened to learn that former DPIR Emeritus Professor of Government and Fellow of All Souls College Christopher Hood passed away earlier this year aged 77: ow.ly/qP0R50UJxRS
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
A tribute to Christopher Hood by @rikkidean.bsky.social and me
politicsoxford.bsky.social
@politicsoxford.bsky.social is saddened to learn that former DPIR Emeritus Professor of Government and Fellow of All Souls College Christopher Hood passed away earlier this year aged 77: ow.ly/qP0R50UJxRS
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
politicsoxford.bsky.social
@politicsoxford.bsky.social is saddened to learn that former DPIR Emeritus Professor of Government and Fellow of All Souls College Christopher Hood passed away earlier this year aged 77: ow.ly/qP0R50UJxRS
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
sammacrory.bsky.social
“Civil service pay squeeze has led to ‘uncontrolled’ promotions”

We’re publishing our @instituteforgov.bsky.social annual Whitehall Monitor on Thursday. It’s packed with new data, numbers, news and analysis.

Here’s a preview in today’s Times story:

www.thetimes.com/article/b64e...
Civil service middle management has doubled in a decade
‘Uncontrolled’ promotions mean the cost of the civil service is now £2 billion annually
www.thetimes.com
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Governments prefer their members to vote with loyalty and leave legislation untouched

Tony Wright, former Labour MP from 1992 to 2010, argues that the new generation of his party's MPs may want to more than be mere lobby fodder

Read the comment👇
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/what...
Support with scrutiny: What are MPs for? | Institute for Government
The debate on assisted dying could reshape the way MPs think about their jobs.
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
timleunig.bsky.social
Gilt rates - what has happened recently, how do we compare with other nations, how we can learn from Greece (!) and what the Chancellor needs to do. All in my free to read substack: timleunig.substack.com/p/what-shoul...
What should Rachel Reeves do now?
Gilt rates matter a lot
timleunig.substack.com
ruth-dixon.bsky.social
A tribute to Christopher Hood by Thomas Elston and me www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/news/memoria...
www.bsg.ox.ac.uk
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
ameakin.bsky.social
The Telegraph implying that the £108m cost of R&R is solely due to officials, without mentioning that a huge part of the cost is due to MPs repeatedly asking for more reviews/failing to take a decision www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/202... #WestminsterRR
Screenshot of story from the Daily Telegraph website. Headline reads: Officials spend £108m of taxpayers’ money on Parliament refurb before work has even begun
Palace of Westminster restoration could take decades and eventually cost over £20bn
There's a photo of building works on the Palace of Westminster
Reposted by Ruth Dixon
rikkidean.bsky.social
I was very sad to hear the news of Christopher Hood's passing. Many people have been posting about his massive intellectual contribution. One thing that was maybe not so well known is just how much work he put into to ensuring public admin research was relevant and accesible for policymakers. 🧵