Alex Coley
@alexrcoley.bsky.social
Data Strategy & Design Leader
Passionate about the power of data to help organisations make a positive difference in the world. Director at Epimorphics Ltd, former Deputy Director for Data at Defra. Based in South Wales, UK. With #aphantasia
Passionate about the power of data to help organisations make a positive difference in the world. Director at Epimorphics Ltd, former Deputy Director for Data at Defra. Based in South Wales, UK. With #aphantasia
Reposted by Alex Coley
Tomorrow evening! It'll be great!
🚨 A WEEK TODAY 🚨
Join @publicdigital.bsky.social & me for Data Bites 55!
With:
- Laura Gilbert, data/AI in govt
- Ed Humpherson, Office for Stats Regulation
- @blangry.bsky.social, politics/civic tech
- MHCLG on AI
Wed 7 May, 6pm, Broadway House (SW1)/online www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Join @publicdigital.bsky.social & me for Data Bites 55!
With:
- Laura Gilbert, data/AI in govt
- Ed Humpherson, Office for Stats Regulation
- @blangry.bsky.social, politics/civic tech
- MHCLG on AI
Wed 7 May, 6pm, Broadway House (SW1)/online www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #55
Data Bites #55
www.eventbrite.co.uk
May 6, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Tomorrow evening! It'll be great!
Reposted by Alex Coley
Hypothesis. The actual migration numbers don't matter *at all*. Instead plot "dissatisfaction with immigration" vs. "how much immigration is headlined in the media". People aren't riled up by new neighbours - but by what the press tells them to be angry about.
May 6, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Hypothesis. The actual migration numbers don't matter *at all*. Instead plot "dissatisfaction with immigration" vs. "how much immigration is headlined in the media". People aren't riled up by new neighbours - but by what the press tells them to be angry about.
Reposted by Alex Coley
When I first moved to Wales, I was told that “nobody understood the Barnett Formula”. We really should - not only is it inherently unfair, but gaming it - whether over HS2 or employers’ NI - is how Westminster routinely denies Welsh Government the resources to discharge its responsibilities.
My latest piece for the Guardian looking at the growing tensions between Welsh and UK Labour www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Starmer promised to create a ‘partnership in power’ with Welsh Labour. He hasn’t – and trouble is brewing | Will Hayward
A growing divide over benefits and funding could see the party lose out in Wales for the first time in a century, says Guardian columnist Will Hayward
www.theguardian.com
April 7, 2025 at 1:50 PM
When I first moved to Wales, I was told that “nobody understood the Barnett Formula”. We really should - not only is it inherently unfair, but gaming it - whether over HS2 or employers’ NI - is how Westminster routinely denies Welsh Government the resources to discharge its responsibilities.
Reposted by Alex Coley
Imagine the Parliamentary Questions, the Times editorials, if a piece of national scientific infrastructure had been rendered inaccessible. Instead other than an honourable FT weekend piece, no one has paid any attention to the troubles continuing to beset our national library
amazing how the cyber attack on the British Library still means that all recently published work (and that's a definition that stretches back several years) is completely unavailable to researchers, since they only acquired ebooks and that system is still down
April 7, 2025 at 12:02 PM
Imagine the Parliamentary Questions, the Times editorials, if a piece of national scientific infrastructure had been rendered inaccessible. Instead other than an honourable FT weekend piece, no one has paid any attention to the troubles continuing to beset our national library
Enjoying the introduction to the talks virtually tonight at #pddatabites, shame I couldn't make this one in person.
April 3, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Enjoying the introduction to the talks virtually tonight at #pddatabites, shame I couldn't make this one in person.
Reposted by Alex Coley
Isaac will talk about the incredible results and impact of councilclimatescorecards.uk - and I'll whine about how we need to build obscure datasets like "a list of all the local authorities" to do it.
🚨 FULL LINE-UP CONFIRMED 🚨
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
🚨 ONE WEEK TODAY 🚨
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
April 2, 2025 at 8:35 AM
Isaac will talk about the incredible results and impact of councilclimatescorecards.uk - and I'll whine about how we need to build obscure datasets like "a list of all the local authorities" to do it.
Reposted by Alex Coley
🚨 FULL LINE-UP CONFIRMED 🚨
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
🚨 ONE WEEK TODAY 🚨
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54
Data Bites #54
www.eventbrite.co.uk
April 2, 2025 at 8:06 AM
🚨 FULL LINE-UP CONFIRMED 🚨
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
Tomorrow at 6pm we'll hear from:
- Ishmael Burdeau, DWP
- @mattfry-ukceh.bsky.social, @ukceh.bsky.social
- Isaac Beevor @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social, and @alexparsons.bsky.social @mysociety.org
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social, North London Waste Authority
Join us!
Every week we get an email or letter along the lines of "are you looking to sell the company, if so we can help" generally poorly framed, I wonder if these type of emails ever actually generate interest - they don't fill you with a sense of trust in the business
March 27, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Every week we get an email or letter along the lines of "are you looking to sell the company, if so we can help" generally poorly framed, I wonder if these type of emails ever actually generate interest - they don't fill you with a sense of trust in the business
Reposted by Alex Coley
🚨 ONE WEEK TODAY 🚨
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54
Data Bites #54
www.eventbrite.co.uk
March 27, 2025 at 9:19 AM
🚨 ONE WEEK TODAY 🚨
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
Data Bites #54, an environment/sustainability special!
With:
- DWP's Ishmael Burdeau on digital sustainability
- @climateemergencyuk.bsky.social @mysociety.org on climate scorecards
- @lizlutgendorff.bsky.social on tracking waste
Join us: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/data-bites...
This has been one of the team's key projects :-)
Great to see @ukceh.bsky.social sharing important updates on the Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure (FDRI) programme, focusing on sensor metadata models:
fdri.org.uk/news/sharing...
#FDRI #FloodManagement #DroughtManagement #Metadata #Collaboration
fdri.org.uk/news/sharing...
#FDRI #FloodManagement #DroughtManagement #Metadata #Collaboration
Sharing knowledge on sensor metadata models | Floods and Droughts Research Infrastructure
fdri.org.uk
March 26, 2025 at 4:11 PM
This has been one of the team's key projects :-)
Looking forward to the SETsquared Bristol: Start up Stories event tonight at the Engine Shed Bristol. It's always great to return to the EngineShed.
lnkd.in/eG5tdGVv
#startup #incubator #bristol
lnkd.in/eG5tdGVv
#startup #incubator #bristol
#startup #founder #incubator #accelerator | SETsquared Bristol
📢We’re excited to announce our next Startup Stories - From Idea to Exit panel discussion on 20 March at Engine Shed. An evening of two insightful fireside…
lnkd.in
March 20, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Looking forward to the SETsquared Bristol: Start up Stories event tonight at the Engine Shed Bristol. It's always great to return to the EngineShed.
lnkd.in/eG5tdGVv
#startup #incubator #bristol
lnkd.in/eG5tdGVv
#startup #incubator #bristol
Reposted by Alex Coley
absolutely no shade on @stokel.bsky.social for an incredible scoop but the fact that this is FOIable is an absolute disaster www.newscientist.com/article/2472...
Revealed: How the UK tech secretary uses ChatGPT for policy advice
New Scientist has used freedom of information laws to obtain the ChatGPT records of Peter Kyle, the UK's technology secretary, in what is believed to be a world-first use of such legislation
www.newscientist.com
March 13, 2025 at 12:17 PM
absolutely no shade on @stokel.bsky.social for an incredible scoop but the fact that this is FOIable is an absolute disaster www.newscientist.com/article/2472...
Reposted by Alex Coley
Do you use an API?
Do you run an API?
Then I'd love to hear from you!
I'm supporting the ONS with some work looking at the current API landscape and best practice (esp government, and esp stats)
We have a short survey - v grateful for thoughts, and please share! www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/FISUES/
Do you run an API?
Then I'd love to hear from you!
I'm supporting the ONS with some work looking at the current API landscape and best practice (esp government, and esp stats)
We have a short survey - v grateful for thoughts, and please share! www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/FISUES/
API users survey March 2025
Please take the time to complete our survey. Your feedback is important.
www.smartsurvey.co.uk
March 12, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Do you use an API?
Do you run an API?
Then I'd love to hear from you!
I'm supporting the ONS with some work looking at the current API landscape and best practice (esp government, and esp stats)
We have a short survey - v grateful for thoughts, and please share! www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/FISUES/
Do you run an API?
Then I'd love to hear from you!
I'm supporting the ONS with some work looking at the current API landscape and best practice (esp government, and esp stats)
We have a short survey - v grateful for thoughts, and please share! www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/FISUES/
Reposted by Alex Coley
LLMs Are Getting Better at #SQL if you have a well defined semantic model
datamonkeysite.com/2025/03/07/l...
datamonkeysite.com/2025/03/07/l...
LLMs Are Getting Better at SQL
For no particular reason, I recently opened a Power BI report with two fact tables, exported the model definition to TMDL, saved it as a file, and loaded it into several state-of-the-art LLMs, incl…
datamonkeysite.com
March 7, 2025 at 9:10 AM
LLMs Are Getting Better at #SQL if you have a well defined semantic model
datamonkeysite.com/2025/03/07/l...
datamonkeysite.com/2025/03/07/l...
Reposted by Alex Coley
News: #BeneficialOwnership data for millions of companies registered in the UK and 30,000+ overseas entities has been republished in line with the latest version of the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard (BODS) from Open Ownership and Open Data Services.
www.openownership.org/en/news/unit...
www.openownership.org/en/news/unit...
March 7, 2025 at 9:34 AM
News: #BeneficialOwnership data for millions of companies registered in the UK and 30,000+ overseas entities has been republished in line with the latest version of the Beneficial Ownership Data Standard (BODS) from Open Ownership and Open Data Services.
www.openownership.org/en/news/unit...
www.openownership.org/en/news/unit...
🚀 Exciting Leadership Opportunity in Data Strategy at GDS! 🚀
... a great opportunity for a role that can make a meaningful difference.
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...
... a great opportunity for a role that can make a meaningful difference.
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...
Quick Check NeededGOV.UK
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk
March 7, 2025 at 12:15 PM
🚀 Exciting Leadership Opportunity in Data Strategy at GDS! 🚀
... a great opportunity for a role that can make a meaningful difference.
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...
... a great opportunity for a role that can make a meaningful difference.
www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/csr/index.cg...
Reposted by Alex Coley
Since I posted this last night we're now at 71 sign ups. Hope springs eternal 🍃🌼
Trying something out ... a lunchtime reading group for hopeful technologists. If anyone wants to come, perhaps we can make it a semi-regular thing. For the first one, let's read Ruha Benjamin's Imagination: A Manifesto www.careful.industries/blog/2025-2-...
A reading group for hopeful technologists — Careful Industries
A gentle, shared space to come together as an act of hopeful resistance and solidarity building. Come along to this first reading group to share your thoughts about Ruha Benjamin’s Imagination: A Man...
www.careful.industries
February 24, 2025 at 12:30 PM
Since I posted this last night we're now at 71 sign ups. Hope springs eternal 🍃🌼
Travelling to London this morning for some meetings and then @tpximpact.com Power of Data event tomorrow - I'm out of practice of what used to be an almost weekly trip for me! Looking forward to meeting up and discussions with lots of lovely people
February 24, 2025 at 11:50 AM
Travelling to London this morning for some meetings and then @tpximpact.com Power of Data event tomorrow - I'm out of practice of what used to be an almost weekly trip for me! Looking forward to meeting up and discussions with lots of lovely people
Reposted by Alex Coley
📣 News Digest Week 8, 2025!
In case you need some distraction and positive news, feel free to browse through the latest news digest, with updates from @fairmat.bsky.social, @nfdi4earth.bsky.social and @nfdi4chem.de.
thefairelephant.com/2025/02/24/n...
#FAIRElephantNews #FAIRdata #NaturalScience
In case you need some distraction and positive news, feel free to browse through the latest news digest, with updates from @fairmat.bsky.social, @nfdi4earth.bsky.social and @nfdi4chem.de.
thefairelephant.com/2025/02/24/n...
#FAIRElephantNews #FAIRdata #NaturalScience
February 24, 2025 at 5:34 AM
📣 News Digest Week 8, 2025!
In case you need some distraction and positive news, feel free to browse through the latest news digest, with updates from @fairmat.bsky.social, @nfdi4earth.bsky.social and @nfdi4chem.de.
thefairelephant.com/2025/02/24/n...
#FAIRElephantNews #FAIRdata #NaturalScience
In case you need some distraction and positive news, feel free to browse through the latest news digest, with updates from @fairmat.bsky.social, @nfdi4earth.bsky.social and @nfdi4chem.de.
thefairelephant.com/2025/02/24/n...
#FAIRElephantNews #FAIRdata #NaturalScience
Thanks for sharing, really interesting paper... one to spend some time think about
Lay summary in The Conversation: theconversation.com/heads-vs-tai...
Open data and code: osf.io/zd5ey/
Open data and code: osf.io/zd5ey/
Heads vs tails? A simple coin flip can be enough to change how we treat others
Most explanations say discrimination is driven by differences between groups – but random individual differences may also play a role.
theconversation.com
February 24, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Thanks for sharing, really interesting paper... one to spend some time think about
Reposted by Alex Coley
UK farmland at risk under system using 1940s data www.cpre.org.uk/news/uk-farm... from CPRE
Land use and the Agricultural Land Classification www.cpre.org.uk/resources/la... report by Ellie Brodie
Consultation on #landuse in England www.gov.uk/government/n...
#soildata #foodsecurity #opendata
Land use and the Agricultural Land Classification www.cpre.org.uk/resources/la... report by Ellie Brodie
Consultation on #landuse in England www.gov.uk/government/n...
#soildata #foodsecurity #opendata
February 24, 2025 at 9:21 AM
UK farmland at risk under system using 1940s data www.cpre.org.uk/news/uk-farm... from CPRE
Land use and the Agricultural Land Classification www.cpre.org.uk/resources/la... report by Ellie Brodie
Consultation on #landuse in England www.gov.uk/government/n...
#soildata #foodsecurity #opendata
Land use and the Agricultural Land Classification www.cpre.org.uk/resources/la... report by Ellie Brodie
Consultation on #landuse in England www.gov.uk/government/n...
#soildata #foodsecurity #opendata
Reposted by Alex Coley
All I can say at this stage is…
FINALLY! 💥
FINALLY! 💥
February 21, 2025 at 9:59 AM
All I can say at this stage is…
FINALLY! 💥
FINALLY! 💥
Reposted by Alex Coley
Saving Public Data Takes More Than Simple Snapshots - Digital archivists combine efforts to preserve complex government sites spectrum.ieee.org/internet-arc... #opendata #data #preservation
Saving Public Data Takes More Than a Single Snapshot
Digital archivists combine efforts to preserve complex government sites
spectrum.ieee.org
February 20, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Saving Public Data Takes More Than Simple Snapshots - Digital archivists combine efforts to preserve complex government sites spectrum.ieee.org/internet-arc... #opendata #data #preservation
Reposted by Alex Coley
@jenitennison.com @connectedbydata.org breaks down what it takes to build public trust in data - from transparent governance to ethical decision-making.
📅 Join Power of Data 2025 for expert insights & exclusive first access to the State of Data report.!
Sign up now: eu1.hubs.ly/H0gmRX90
📅 Join Power of Data 2025 for expert insights & exclusive first access to the State of Data report.!
Sign up now: eu1.hubs.ly/H0gmRX90
February 19, 2025 at 9:10 AM
@jenitennison.com @connectedbydata.org breaks down what it takes to build public trust in data - from transparent governance to ethical decision-making.
📅 Join Power of Data 2025 for expert insights & exclusive first access to the State of Data report.!
Sign up now: eu1.hubs.ly/H0gmRX90
📅 Join Power of Data 2025 for expert insights & exclusive first access to the State of Data report.!
Sign up now: eu1.hubs.ly/H0gmRX90