Alex Thomas

Steelworker in Port Talbot! Nurse! Home-maker! It’s going great!

Err… High Court Judge…

(Though am in South Wales for Nurse’s 90th birthday tomorrow which is a lovely thing)

Alex Younger, MI6 chief from 2014-2020 fascinating on incoherent/unclear objectives, how that works for the politics but is disastrous for the operations, in our podcast yesterday

bsky.app/profile/inst...

Guess we find out what matters more…

(Spoilers)

Women in Westminster Women in Westminster

Fantastic to see both of the brilliant @emmanorris.bsky.social and @gemmatetlow.bsky.social recognised in this year's Women in Westminster top 100.

Both are incredibly impressive colleagues and I've learnt so much from them. www.politicshome.com/in-focus/wiw...

Alex particularly interesting on international law, how the rules-based system has broken down, and what 30 years in MI6 taught him about the law and politics

Thank you

This was a fascinating discussion with Alex Younger…

A quote from Dan Haile, IfG senior economist "Despite lots of moving parts, the OBR forecast for the UK economy and the public finances hasn’t changed much. However, international events will continue to pose risks which is why the chancellor was right to build up more of a buffer against her fiscal rules last November and to preserve that buffer today."

What did we learn from the OBR's forecast?

@danhaile.bsky.social gives his reaction to the 2026 spring forecast and tells us why the chancellor was right to preserve a buffer against her fiscal rules.

More analysis to follow www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/spring-forec...

Yes but that doesn’t reflect my irrational prejudices so it’s wrong I’m afraid

Yup

Absolutely. Could have been important to be Ernest

(Used in the situation as it is now, just to be clear)

He’s pretty good at this bit of the job…

In this situation not terrible for him though? Late to this particular party is not the worst thing to be. Guess we will see

Yes on Healey - though I have some sympathy for govt in such a fluid situation

I do think pretty much any previous PM would allow bases to be used. Apart from I guess PM Corbyn

I couldn’t be more Trump-phobic but we’re currently in a position where British citizens and assets are at risk

I think any prime minister would do something similar today

Yes, fair. But the headline is printed in quite big letters and is wrong

I think it is that this is now - in UK govt terms - a defensive military operation. The UK was not part of the offensive phase. But now UK assets and citizens are engaged, like it or not, so we enable the US. The Telegraph headline is crude and wrong in my view

Let’s see eg the possible Cyprus news - the govt is facing v difficult choices and needs to protect UK interests and citizens

But my campaign against the double ‘s’ in focused is relentless and irrationally horrifying

Too cynical on that score I think

A govt legal summary; always fascinating & rare

“solely focussed on ending the threat of air and missile attacks against regional allies unlawfully attacked by Iran and who have not been involved in hostilities from the outset”

V telling (but one ‘s’ pls in focused. Not the important thing I know)

look at me. I’m here. I’m the ultimate product of Hitler’s defeat Marty Supreme is the most intensely Jewish movie I’ve ever seen in my life, and I ended up writing 5,000 words about it. buckle up.

And as others have said - this is fascinating

naomialderman.substack.com/p/look-at-me...

Yes - really enjoyed it but not sure what it was… Timotei was as good as I’ve seen him 🧴

The real lesson to take from Gorton and Denton is for the future of UK democracy | Institute for Government Westminster is dangerously underprepared for a multi-party future.

Everyone is analysing the implications of the byelection for Keir Starmer and Labour but the most important lessons are for democracy - my latest for @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gort...

Ha - that’s quite a claim for my little post! But I do think it’s interesting

Also, btw, why I think foreign affairs up to this point has been a strength. Dealing with problems and dispatching them rationally (obvs there is more to foreign policy than that, but I can see how it suits a highly attuned problem solver)

His legal practice was all about making cases to *judges*. I.e. logic, reasoned argument, a to b to c. Personal theory is that barrister-politicians do better if they’re jury performers (criminal law, appeal to sentiment, rabbits from hats) rather than judge performers (human rights law, cold logic)

A line chart from the Institute for Government of civil servant engagement, 2010 to 2025, where engagement rises from just under 50% to a peak in 2020. It then falls slightly for three consecutive years before rising slightly again in 2024 and staying the same in 2025.

New data! Looks like civil servants were about as happy in 2025 as they were in 2024 (which I think is quite impressive given big exit schemes happening)

@instituteforgovernment.org.uk will be digging into the new civil service people survey scores to get under the skin of how CS are feeling...

Government Puts Final Touches To Digital Communications Overhaul The Labour government is preparing to launch a major overhaul of Whitehall-wide communications as part of its push to reach more voters online.

Government is preparing to launch its digital communications overhaul

The work, months in the making, is expected to see the New Media Unit given expanded capacity to boost the Labour administration's digital reach, PolHome understands

@zoecrowther.bsky.social & @adampayne26.bsky.social report