The populist line is that Britain is ungovernable. The reality is that it is simply ungoverned and that’s why people think the UK is in a state of decay. I am the lowest of the low, someone who travels by bus and we know that only losers take the bus. Where I live in BatterseaContinue reading “My Life As A Traffic Management Problem”
Category Archives: Provocations
Look Upon My Works
The Iron Law of AI is essentially Parkinson’s Law. The importance of a manager is demonstrated by having something or, better yet, someone to manage. The more you manage the greater your importance and thus organisations will grow driven by ego and competition. Also a subordinate is not a rival 😉 These people need toContinue reading “Look Upon My Works”
Five quick things for the digital future
Ownership The core reason why programmes, projects and businesses fail is ownership. It’s unclear who owns delivery, the original “owner” left after 18 months, the “owner” has no control over staffing or budgets… So who owns a cross cutting programme in government? There is little point proposing new ways of delivering services if you haveContinue reading “Five quick things for the digital future”
AI as a brainstorming tool
One of the “carrots” of the AI pushers is that it will make us more effective researchers and creators. Given that LLMs are literal fabulation engines I am dubious but Stanford University have just released a trial of their embryonic brainstorming AI called, er, STORM. So let’s give it a go with an input: “AreContinue reading “AI as a brainstorming tool”
Westminster Thinktank Scene – 12″ Dub Mix
This one goes out to all the junior ministers being reshuffled in and wondering just what the hell is going on. Here are a few common tropes you will see come up again and again in Westminster. “WTD – Will This Do?” Most commonly seen as a response to a minister making a commitment whichContinue reading “Westminster Thinktank Scene – 12″ Dub Mix”
Being Served
We were discussing public service delivery on Twitter earlier, as that monument to techbro hubris continues its rapid collapse into the sea, and the question was asked as to why the UK has “digitised” so many services in a way that they are an opaque online form or call centre where hope goes to dieContinue reading “Being Served”
Daisy Daisy
So the Tony Blair Institute have done another of their Marvel/DC team-ups this time on AI. I was not going to discuss it but on second glance it does have some interesting aspects. The report is good but suffers from many of the same issues that such reports always have: the belief that the UKContinue reading “Daisy Daisy”
All the numbers account for years
The power of paws, no sooner do I write about the lack of any national conversation about digital when we get the modestly titled “A New National Purpose” from the odd Marvel/DC team up of Tony Blair and William Hague. Martha Lane Fox has set out very well the Groundhog Day feelings of those ofContinue reading “All the numbers account for years”
As patterns seem to form
The opinion polls indicate that the next UK General Election will bring a new government. The last time we were here was back in 2008/9 when one of the hot topics was “Digital”. Shadow Ministers spoke at events about the critical importance of digital, policy papers were published by think tanks and I, a memberContinue reading “As patterns seem to form”
Policymanship
Readers of the late great Stephen Potter’s works on Lifemanship and Gamesmanship may wonder if the same techniques can be applied in government. The answer is “Of course!” Here are a couple of examples of Policymanship in action. “Cutting grant fraud” Ministers are very keen to launch a big new business grants programme which willContinue reading “Policymanship”
Mark O'Neill 