Richard Pope
@richardpope.org
I wrote a book on public services:
https://londonpublishingpartnership.co.uk/books/platformland-an-anatomy-of-next-generation-public-services/
It’s time to share the benefits of digital with the public properly.
https://londonpublishingpartnership.co.uk/books/platformland-an-anatomy-of-next-generation-public-services/
It’s time to share the benefits of digital with the public properly.
Given question of government use of X has come up again, I’d like to make the argument for the creation of micro.blog.gov.uk that uses the indieweb.org/Micropub standard + syndication as white label product that can be used by HMG, devolved government, local etc.
November 20, 2025 at 3:16 PM
Given question of government use of X has come up again, I’d like to make the argument for the creation of micro.blog.gov.uk that uses the indieweb.org/Micropub standard + syndication as white label product that can be used by HMG, devolved government, local etc.
Musing on what’s different about digital bookings
November 20, 2025 at 11:47 AM
Musing on what’s different about digital bookings
November 20, 2025 at 8:20 AM
"MPs on the select committee said the UK needed to develop greater “sovereign” technology capacity, award more contracts to smaller, local providers, and be less reliant on deals that resulted in government departments becoming locked into services with US firms."
www.theguardian.com/society/2…
www.theguardian.com/society/2…
November 19, 2025 at 11:24 PM
"MPs on the select committee said the UK needed to develop greater “sovereign” technology capacity, award more contracts to smaller, local providers, and be less reliant on deals that resulted in government departments becoming locked into services with US firms."
www.theguardian.com/society/2…
www.theguardian.com/society/2…
I saw a band called TheWheel2! at the Windmill in Brixton at the weekend. At the time I wrote down ‘Dylan goes electric then goes new romantic’, which I’m not sure stands up on a second listen, but they were very good:
www.thewheel2.co.uk
www.thewheel2.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 12:02 AM
I saw a band called TheWheel2! at the Windmill in Brixton at the weekend. At the time I wrote down ‘Dylan goes electric then goes new romantic’, which I’m not sure stands up on a second listen, but they were very good:
www.thewheel2.co.uk
www.thewheel2.co.uk
Reposted by Richard Pope
What I love most about this story is the NYT’s obliviousness to the fact that in other anglophone cultures the slang for tight male underwear or swimwear is ‘budgie smugglers’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/u...
Man Who Stuffed Parakeets in His Pants Faces Smuggling Charge
www.nytimes.com
November 15, 2025 at 10:11 PM
What I love most about this story is the NYT’s obliviousness to the fact that in other anglophone cultures the slang for tight male underwear or swimwear is ‘budgie smugglers’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/15/u...
Some design provocations about preventative healthcare and designing for the service loop …
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
November 13, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Some design provocations about preventative healthcare and designing for the service loop …
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
Reposted by Richard Pope
I’m on the lookout for a new contract (preferably inside).
I’ve got over a decade of experience working in the public sector, mostly in agile delivery management. Two weeks notice.
Not got DMs here but Signal is zuz.1337, or LinkedIn is good.
Thx :)
I’ve got over a decade of experience working in the public sector, mostly in agile delivery management. Two weeks notice.
Not got DMs here but Signal is zuz.1337, or LinkedIn is good.
Thx :)
November 4, 2025 at 3:29 PM
I’m on the lookout for a new contract (preferably inside).
I’ve got over a decade of experience working in the public sector, mostly in agile delivery management. Two weeks notice.
Not got DMs here but Signal is zuz.1337, or LinkedIn is good.
Thx :)
I’ve got over a decade of experience working in the public sector, mostly in agile delivery management. Two weeks notice.
Not got DMs here but Signal is zuz.1337, or LinkedIn is good.
Thx :)
Some (slightly belated) thoughts on the UK announcability-first announcement on digital identity:
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
November 5, 2025 at 10:46 AM
Some (slightly belated) thoughts on the UK announcability-first announcement on digital identity:
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
www.rpp.works/ways-of-d…
Useful reminder from Julia Cream at the Kings Fund that reducing admin burdens required leadership and intent
"If it was easy to improve patient experience of NHS admin it would have been sorted long ago. The depth and breadth ... https://richardpope.org/2025/11/04/useful-reminder-from-julia-cream/
"If it was easy to improve patient experience of NHS admin it would have been sorted long ago. The depth and breadth ... https://richardpope.org/2025/11/04/useful-reminder-from-julia-cream/
November 4, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Useful reminder from Julia Cream at the Kings Fund that reducing admin burdens required leadership and intent
"If it was easy to improve patient experience of NHS admin it would have been sorted long ago. The depth and breadth ... https://richardpope.org/2025/11/04/useful-reminder-from-julia-cream/
"If it was easy to improve patient experience of NHS admin it would have been sorted long ago. The depth and breadth ... https://richardpope.org/2025/11/04/useful-reminder-from-julia-cream/
First visit in years to the common land where I grew up. Hard to describe quite how much it is a part of me. The colour of the sand, the details of the small handful of types of plants that grow there are beyond familiar. Recognising individual trees from 40 years ago everywhere. Cheesy but true.
November 1, 2025 at 9:02 PM
First visit in years to the common land where I grew up. Hard to describe quite how much it is a part of me. The colour of the sand, the details of the small handful of types of plants that grow there are beyond familiar. Recognising individual trees from 40 years ago everywhere. Cheesy but true.
Reposted by Richard Pope
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Where are the public sector reformers? Can you help us find them?
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
At @kinship.works, we thought we'd try to map the different public sector reform 'tribes' & where to find them (orgs, events, networks/communities, online spaces, newsletters/publications/podcasts etc) - but we need your help!
October 31, 2025 at 12:56 PM
We’d love people’s input to this! 👇 Where are the UK public sector reformers?
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
Help map the movement so that we can work out together how best to support it.
Grateful for RTs
I enjoyed this interview with Michael Heseltine:
www.thetimes.com/article/9…
Hard to disagree with this diagnosis:
"This repeated failure to deliver people’s aspirations after the 2008 crash, Brexit and Covid means we now have t... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/28/i-enjoyed-this-interview-with/
www.thetimes.com/article/9…
Hard to disagree with this diagnosis:
"This repeated failure to deliver people’s aspirations after the 2008 crash, Brexit and Covid means we now have t... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/28/i-enjoyed-this-interview-with/
October 28, 2025 at 7:58 PM
I enjoyed this interview with Michael Heseltine:
www.thetimes.com/article/9…
Hard to disagree with this diagnosis:
"This repeated failure to deliver people’s aspirations after the 2008 crash, Brexit and Covid means we now have t... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/28/i-enjoyed-this-interview-with/
www.thetimes.com/article/9…
Hard to disagree with this diagnosis:
"This repeated failure to deliver people’s aspirations after the 2008 crash, Brexit and Covid means we now have t... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/28/i-enjoyed-this-interview-with/
I keep wondering when the input methods for LLMs will start to diverge from familiar chat and voice interfaces. A few links to things that seem relevant:
This talk from 12 years ago shows a coder who created a domain specific languag... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/22/i-keep-wondering-when-the/
This talk from 12 years ago shows a coder who created a domain specific languag... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/22/i-keep-wondering-when-the/
October 22, 2025 at 11:06 AM
I keep wondering when the input methods for LLMs will start to diverge from familiar chat and voice interfaces. A few links to things that seem relevant:
This talk from 12 years ago shows a coder who created a domain specific languag... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/22/i-keep-wondering-when-the/
This talk from 12 years ago shows a coder who created a domain specific languag... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/22/i-keep-wondering-when-the/
Reposted by Richard Pope
Just signed @asgsfprotest.bsky.social's Open Letter on Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Funding asgsfprotest.com/add-your-sig... calling on government to address devastating cuts to funding for therapy and assessment.
Add Your Signature: An Open Letter to Josh MacAlister MP, Minister for Children and Families - Action Against ASGSF Changes
12 October 2025 Re: The urgent need to restore the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund (ASGSF) Adoptive, kinship and special guardianship families across England continue to feel the signif...
asgsfprotest.com
October 20, 2025 at 8:23 AM
Just signed @asgsfprotest.bsky.social's Open Letter on Adoption & Special Guardianship Support Funding asgsfprotest.com/add-your-sig... calling on government to address devastating cuts to funding for therapy and assessment.
A future where public servants spend their time on hold to Palientir to get anything done …
"he complained in an email to Palantir. Four months later, his case was still visible to other officers, and he was still sending emails ... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/18/a-future-where-public-servants/
"he complained in an email to Palantir. Four months later, his case was still visible to other officers, and he was still sending emails ... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/18/a-future-where-public-servants/
October 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
A future where public servants spend their time on hold to Palientir to get anything done …
"he complained in an email to Palantir. Four months later, his case was still visible to other officers, and he was still sending emails ... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/18/a-future-where-public-servants/
"he complained in an email to Palantir. Four months later, his case was still visible to other officers, and he was still sending emails ... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/18/a-future-where-public-servants/
I’ve heard the term “digital by default” pop up a few times recently, so I dug out the original definition from the UK Government Digital Strategy:
"Digital by default means digital services which are so straightforward and convenien... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/17/ive-heard-the-term-digital/
"Digital by default means digital services which are so straightforward and convenien... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/17/ive-heard-the-term-digital/
October 17, 2025 at 8:58 AM
I’ve heard the term “digital by default” pop up a few times recently, so I dug out the original definition from the UK Government Digital Strategy:
"Digital by default means digital services which are so straightforward and convenien... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/17/ive-heard-the-term-digital/
"Digital by default means digital services which are so straightforward and convenien... https://richardpope.org/2025/10/17/ive-heard-the-term-digital/
I had an opticians appointment the other day and have some standard age + UV based degradation. The preventative healthcare answer to which is 1) kale 2) hats. So, London based hat wearers, any suggestion of hat shops for men of a certain age?
October 16, 2025 at 9:16 AM
I had an opticians appointment the other day and have some standard age + UV based degradation. The preventative healthcare answer to which is 1) kale 2) hats. So, London based hat wearers, any suggestion of hat shops for men of a certain age?
Booking marking this case study of GOV.UK Notify by Hannah White & @eaves.ca to wheel out next time there’s a bit of reductive technical solutionism about common platforms:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publications/2025/oct/scaling-digital-infrastructure-siloed-state
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publications/2025/oct/scaling-digital-infrastructure-siloed-state
October 15, 2025 at 8:57 PM
Booking marking this case study of GOV.UK Notify by Hannah White & @eaves.ca to wheel out next time there’s a bit of reductive technical solutionism about common platforms:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publications/2025/oct/scaling-digital-infrastructure-siloed-state
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/bartlett/publications/2025/oct/scaling-digital-infrastructure-siloed-state
Because software is eating the world, there are now theology articles in Wired. (I started reading and couldn't stop).
Taking a brief break from sporadically posting photos of my pitbull to shout this into the void:
I’ve spent the last seven months thinking about the Antichrist, and now those thoughts are published over at @wired.com.
www.wired.com/story/the-re...
I’ve spent the last seven months thinking about the Antichrist, and now those thoughts are published over at @wired.com.
www.wired.com/story/the-re...
The Real Stakes, and Real Story, of Peter Thiel’s Antichrist Obsession
Thirty years ago, a peace-loving Austrian theologian spoke to Peter Thiel about the apocalyptic theories of Nazi jurist Carl Schmitt. They’ve been a road map for the billionaire ever since.
www.wired.com
October 8, 2025 at 9:44 PM
Because software is eating the world, there are now theology articles in Wired. (I started reading and couldn't stop).
Sketching interfaces, riffing off Berg's Here & There
October 6, 2025 at 9:26 PM
Sketching interfaces, riffing off Berg's Here & There
Surprised at the lack of a criticisms section on the Wikipedia page on 'scaled agile' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_...
Scaled agile framework - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
October 6, 2025 at 10:51 AM
Surprised at the lack of a criticisms section on the Wikipedia page on 'scaled agile' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scaled_...
Midway through the work period before half term. I think I need to think of it as working 6 x 6 week sprints a year.
October 1, 2025 at 8:31 AM
Midway through the work period before half term. I think I need to think of it as working 6 x 6 week sprints a year.
The NHS should be looking to India's Digital Public Infrastructure for inspiration on the 'Single Patient Record': blog.rpp.works/what-the-nhs...
What the NHS Single patient Record can learn from India’s Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission - Ways of Doing
Part of India’s National Health Authority, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission was founded in 2021 to design, build, operate and scale digital
blog.rpp.works
September 30, 2025 at 11:52 AM
The NHS should be looking to India's Digital Public Infrastructure for inspiration on the 'Single Patient Record': blog.rpp.works/what-the-nhs...
Reposted by Richard Pope
This new blog post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social (informed by the thinking he's been doing with @richardpope.org and me) is essential reading.
What does digital-era healthcare really mean?
A long read on the NHS, the 10 Year Plan, and what it would take to unstick the system
medium.com
September 17, 2025 at 3:02 PM
This new blog post from @jamestplunkett.bsky.social (informed by the thinking he's been doing with @richardpope.org and me) is essential reading.