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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 18h

But you can of course walk along the old trackbed, celebrating both the history and the absence of need for pedestrian crossings.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 19h

Way too complicated. Liability inversely proportional to length of surname is an obviously superior approach.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 20h

A near perfect case study of joined up government

Giving HMG a single legal personality would be a revolutionary act

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 1d

I went on a school trip to an enormous paper mill and was completely fascinated. Since then I have written a lot of words.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 2d

And then there were seven

An empty stage with seven music stands set out in a row, with the sheet music glowing red in reflected light

Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 2d

Music stands in place for the solo performer

An empty stage with nine music stands set out in a row, with the sheet music glowing red in reflected light

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 3d

And even Wałęsa will only be 91, so still plenty of time for a comeback.

Though the possibility is rather less eminent.

Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 4d

How quintessentially Hadley!

Congratulations - and it's reassuring to know that the world is now a slightly safer place.

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Reposted by Stefan Czerniawski

Polly Mackenzie @pollymackenzie.bsky.social · 4d

My hero is a farmer, not a duck. Which will only make sense if you read this new piece by me, the start of a new substack which I am bravely calling How To Run A Country.

howtorunacountry.substack.com/p/its-the-de...

It’s the despair that’s going to kill us

Time to cheer up

howtorunacountry.substack.com

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 4d

A lovely example of performative concern was when
I remember puzzling over how best to respond to a Chancellor when the real - and very obvious - answer to their constituent's question was 'because the Treasury won't pay for it.'

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 4d

but (b) are a colossal distraction from doing the things which MPs can uniquely do and (c) can all too easily be a performance with no real benefit to anyone, least of all the concerned constituent.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 4d

My experience of responding to MPs casework queries on and off for 30+ years is that (a) they mean MPs can get a better sense of how public services are - and are not - working than the people responsible for those services

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 7d

No - nor to read children's books more generally. This is good as a general licence to read:

Cover image of an essay by Katherine Rundell, Why you should read children's books, even though you are so old and wise

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 8d

I've been on the gauge changing train from end to end. It seemed more than sufficiently nice and and spacious. I can't compare that with the non-gauge changing experience, but if those trains are markedly better, they must be very good indeed.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 13d

The voice of @janethughes.bsky.social rings out clearly, inimitably and, one might say, boldly.

h/t @jacattell.bsky.social

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 13d

"When you’re trying to bring about significant change in any complex system, it’s impossible to know up front exactly what’s going to work, how the various risks are going to pan out or how the context is going to change."

'Being a leader isn’t about becoming great at everything': Civil service reform DG Janet Hughes sets out her priorities

Hughes, who became Cabinet Office DG for civil service reform and efficiency in June, on bringing the spirit of One Team Gov to her new role, test ...

www.civilserviceworld.com

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 13d

A strange little demonstration outside Broadcasting House - a handful of people with a banner bigger than they are proclaiming that "Bullets will not silence us - RIP Charlie Kirk" against a stylised union flag.

The ratio of confusion to word count seems remarkably high.

A very small crowd outside Broadcasting House in London

A long banner is held up with a handful of people standing in front of it

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 13d

Still haven't forgotten being ambushed by a minister from another department by being asked to go to a meeting in the Commons - where it turned out that a dozen of their officials had been lined up to interrogate me. Business of the executive at its very finest.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 13d

There are also designated ministerial meeting rooms, as well as offices allocated to people on the basis of their ministerial roles. So there is no doubt that the executive arm to some extent functions there. Whether it's reasonable to say that it's housed there might be a different question.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 14d

There is also a strange category of "doesn't apply to my use" which isn't further explained, but might or might not skew the aggregate numbers

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 14d

To say nothing of the fact that if the national security of the USA depends on the generals being able to run fast, they have considerably bigger problems

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 14d

And those people are of course often in most contact with public services and most subject to checks.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 14d

And even without that, I remember from work we did 25 years ago (sigh) that the patterns of address change differ dramatically between different socio economic groups, the concept of 'address' being a single stable data point is not the norm for many people.

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 15d

No experience to share, but this is an excellent source of soup recipes

Soup Broth Bread

Rachel Allen's timeless collection of soups, breads, garnishes, stocks and more *SHORTLISTED FOR IRISH COOKBOOK OF THE YEAR* 'Warm, nourishing dishes with a twist' SUNDAY TIMES 'Proof that soups ar...

www.penguin.co.uk

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Stefan Czerniawski @pubstr.at · 15d

Thick mist last night, clear blue skies this morning. Autumn beyond doubt.

A street at night, there are cones of light from lampposts picking up thick mist, visibility fades quickly into the middle distance

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