Seb Tallents
@sebtallents.bsky.social
Former physicist, relapsed public servant, recovering management consultant. Currently working in NHS England on digital & technology standards.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
The most famous quote on government fuckups comes from former DfT permanent secretary Sir Richard Mottram: “We're all fucked. I'm fucked. You're fucked. The whole department's fucked. It's been the biggest cock-up ever and we're all completely fucked.”
That was *much* smaller than this fuckup.
That was *much* smaller than this fuckup.
November 26, 2025 at 12:02 PM
The most famous quote on government fuckups comes from former DfT permanent secretary Sir Richard Mottram: “We're all fucked. I'm fucked. You're fucked. The whole department's fucked. It's been the biggest cock-up ever and we're all completely fucked.”
That was *much* smaller than this fuckup.
That was *much* smaller than this fuckup.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
HuffPost UK: Brexit Is Costing The UK Up To £90 Billion A Year In Lost Tax
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/br...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/br...
Brexit Is Costing The UK Up To £90 Billion A Year In Lost Tax
The Treasury is missing out on £250 million every day, new analysis shows.
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
HuffPost UK: Brexit Is Costing The UK Up To £90 Billion A Year In Lost Tax
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/br...
www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amp/entry/br...
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows
Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows
Exclusive: Britons also up to £3,700 worse off, leading to calls for the Labour government to improve relations with the EU
www.independent.co.uk
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Brexit costing UK up to £90bn in lost tax revenue , new analysis shows
Reposted by Seb Tallents
“If you are going to speak of the damage, you must be honest about where the responsibility lies. But it is not acceptable to acknowledge the harm without offering solutions to undo as much of it as we can”
Our CEO, Sir Nick Harvey, on the upcoming Budget and Brexit:
politicsuk.com/calling-out-...
Our CEO, Sir Nick Harvey, on the upcoming Budget and Brexit:
politicsuk.com/calling-out-...
politicsuk.com
November 24, 2025 at 2:55 PM
“If you are going to speak of the damage, you must be honest about where the responsibility lies. But it is not acceptable to acknowledge the harm without offering solutions to undo as much of it as we can”
Our CEO, Sir Nick Harvey, on the upcoming Budget and Brexit:
politicsuk.com/calling-out-...
Our CEO, Sir Nick Harvey, on the upcoming Budget and Brexit:
politicsuk.com/calling-out-...
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Please repost and share this petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy.
We must do everything in our power to keep the spotlight on Farage's links to Russia and work for Putin. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
We must do everything in our power to keep the spotlight on Farage's links to Russia and work for Putin. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Petition: Call a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy
We are concerned about reported efforts from Russia to influence democracy in the US, UK, Europe and elsewhere. We believe we must establish the depth and breadth of possible Russian influence campaig...
petition.parliament.uk
November 22, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Please repost and share this petition calling for a public inquiry into Russian influence on UK politics & democracy.
We must do everything in our power to keep the spotlight on Farage's links to Russia and work for Putin. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
We must do everything in our power to keep the spotlight on Farage's links to Russia and work for Putin. petition.parliament.uk/petitions/74...
Reposted by Seb Tallents
“A vote for Labour is the only way to stop Reform”
Or
“Labour can actually do what Reform only claims it can do”
The government needs to pick one strategy, not both. The government seems unaware that voters can actually hear it trying both messages at once.
Or
“Labour can actually do what Reform only claims it can do”
The government needs to pick one strategy, not both. The government seems unaware that voters can actually hear it trying both messages at once.
November 17, 2025 at 8:54 AM
“A vote for Labour is the only way to stop Reform”
Or
“Labour can actually do what Reform only claims it can do”
The government needs to pick one strategy, not both. The government seems unaware that voters can actually hear it trying both messages at once.
Or
“Labour can actually do what Reform only claims it can do”
The government needs to pick one strategy, not both. The government seems unaware that voters can actually hear it trying both messages at once.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Reposted by Seb Tallents
I’m really starting to suspect that most of the tech bros haven’t actually read Tolkien, as they certainly don’t understand it.
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
Elon Musk: "It is time for the English to ally with the hard men, like Tommy Robinson, and fight for their survival or they shall surely all die" 29th October 2025. 2 million views in its first hour.
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 AM
I’m really starting to suspect that most of the tech bros haven’t actually read Tolkien, as they certainly don’t understand it.
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
The gentle hobbits save the “hard men” of Gondor, largely through compassion and selflessness. Not the other way around. The Christian parable is barely hidden!
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.
October 25, 2025 at 7:38 AM
Yay. Priceless. The right column at the right time. And a gleefully English two fingers to the haters.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
People who have come to the United Kingdom legally, played by the rules and made it their home do not need to “go home”. This is their home.
I've written to Kemi Badenoch to give her the chance to reject these divisive calls from her frontbencher Katie Lam.
I've written to Kemi Badenoch to give her the chance to reject these divisive calls from her frontbencher Katie Lam.
October 22, 2025 at 8:32 AM
People who have come to the United Kingdom legally, played by the rules and made it their home do not need to “go home”. This is their home.
I've written to Kemi Badenoch to give her the chance to reject these divisive calls from her frontbencher Katie Lam.
I've written to Kemi Badenoch to give her the chance to reject these divisive calls from her frontbencher Katie Lam.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
There's an old truism that politics can't work if you think the other side is actually evil.
But I don't really know what else to call this
But I don't really know what else to call this
Lam believes her policy would deport all of the proportion in pink - keeping the thin group in black - of the post-2021 legal migrant arrivals. (The draft legislation proposes similar thresholds/rules for all past grants too). She says jar is 3.5m people: an astonishing scale of mass deportations
October 22, 2025 at 6:56 AM
There's an old truism that politics can't work if you think the other side is actually evil.
But I don't really know what else to call this
But I don't really know what else to call this
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Reposted by Seb Tallents
This is a timely, excellent and important report on how "arms length" bodies in UK are vulnerable to political manipulation.
Kudos @chrischirp.bsky.social and @martinmckee.bsky.social for putting this together.
Kudos @chrischirp.bsky.social and @martinmckee.bsky.social for putting this together.
🧵🚨
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
The UK’s independent scientific bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation - over the past 5 months I've been working with @martinmckee.bsky.social to map out their vulnerabilities and it's not good news.
Today our report is published!
www.ucl.ac.uk/policy-lab/n...
1/11
UK’s arm’s length public bodies are highly vulnerable to politicisation
Seven in ten Britons say it is important for top scientific institutions to be independent in exclusive new polling.
www.ucl.ac.uk
October 10, 2025 at 1:41 PM
This is a timely, excellent and important report on how "arms length" bodies in UK are vulnerable to political manipulation.
Kudos @chrischirp.bsky.social and @martinmckee.bsky.social for putting this together.
Kudos @chrischirp.bsky.social and @martinmckee.bsky.social for putting this together.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Spent five minutes staring at this trying to work out what it had reminded me of.
Realised it was this horrifying passage from George Orwell’s 1984.
Realised it was this horrifying passage from George Orwell’s 1984.
September 4, 2025 at 9:19 AM
Spent five minutes staring at this trying to work out what it had reminded me of.
Realised it was this horrifying passage from George Orwell’s 1984.
Realised it was this horrifying passage from George Orwell’s 1984.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
This book is why I am a historian (possibly). Printed in 1989, it is full of absolute bollocks. I love it
September 4, 2025 at 3:20 PM
This book is why I am a historian (possibly). Printed in 1989, it is full of absolute bollocks. I love it
Reposted by Seb Tallents
So @onekdog.bsky.social is showing our children Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds. Truly it was a golden age of television.
a cartoon dog is wearing a red hat and boots while walking down a road .
ALT: a cartoon dog is wearing a red hat and boots while walking down a road .
media.tenor.com
August 29, 2025 at 7:44 PM
So @onekdog.bsky.social is showing our children Dogtanian and the Three Muskehounds. Truly it was a golden age of television.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...
The billionaire and the tax evading gift shops
Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital manages a row of high-profile shops at Piccadilly Circus. So why does his team keeping renting them to students who vanish without paying millions of pounds in taxes?
www.londoncentric.media
July 22, 2025 at 6:48 AM
He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Absolute must read
He's one of Britain's richest men. So why does Asif Aziz's property company keep leasing London gift shops to overseas students based in abandoned offices or flytipped car parks — before vanishing without paying millions of pounds in taxes? www.londoncentric.media/p/asf-aziz-l...
The billionaire and the tax evading gift shops
Asif Aziz's Criterion Capital manages a row of high-profile shops at Piccadilly Circus. So why does his team keeping renting them to students who vanish without paying millions of pounds in taxes?
www.londoncentric.media
July 22, 2025 at 7:41 AM
Absolute must read
Reposted by Seb Tallents
I agree rejoining asap is desirable Frank, but for various reasons Westminster and even certain commentators in the European side think it’s not possible or even desirable yet.
But we change how Westminster thinks by showing them what’s needed.
But we change how Westminster thinks by showing them what’s needed.
We both know special treatment is not an option. It's a waste of time. Spend it on rejoining.
May 31, 2025 at 3:57 PM
I agree rejoining asap is desirable Frank, but for various reasons Westminster and even certain commentators in the European side think it’s not possible or even desirable yet.
But we change how Westminster thinks by showing them what’s needed.
But we change how Westminster thinks by showing them what’s needed.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
And if we can’t explain why trade and mobility between the UK and EU is uniquely desirable or “special” in some way then there’s no more argument for it with the EU than with America or Australia or even CPTPP etc.
May 31, 2025 at 3:57 PM
And if we can’t explain why trade and mobility between the UK and EU is uniquely desirable or “special” in some way then there’s no more argument for it with the EU than with America or Australia or even CPTPP etc.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Men are extremely keen to explain to me that Britain *needs* a domestic steel production plant and doesn't necessarily *need* universities. Okay. Steel contributed about £1.7bn to the UK economy in 2024. Universities contributed more than £200bn.
May 29, 2025 at 9:36 AM
Men are extremely keen to explain to me that Britain *needs* a domestic steel production plant and doesn't necessarily *need* universities. Okay. Steel contributed about £1.7bn to the UK economy in 2024. Universities contributed more than £200bn.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
That is spectacularly good news - congratulations, you are the ideal person for an essential role
And it just needs a tweak to the job title to make it the DG for civil service reform, efficiency and boldness.
And it just needs a tweak to the job title to make it the DG for civil service reform, efficiency and boldness.
May 20, 2025 at 4:51 PM
That is spectacularly good news - congratulations, you are the ideal person for an essential role
And it just needs a tweak to the job title to make it the DG for civil service reform, efficiency and boldness.
And it just needs a tweak to the job title to make it the DG for civil service reform, efficiency and boldness.
Reposted by Seb Tallents
Afternoon all :)
After 5 years in my role in Defra, I'm going to be leaving this June to take up a new role as Director General of Civil Service Reform and Efficiency in the @cabinetofficeuk.bsky.social
After 5 years in my role in Defra, I'm going to be leaving this June to take up a new role as Director General of Civil Service Reform and Efficiency in the @cabinetofficeuk.bsky.social
May 20, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Afternoon all :)
After 5 years in my role in Defra, I'm going to be leaving this June to take up a new role as Director General of Civil Service Reform and Efficiency in the @cabinetofficeuk.bsky.social
After 5 years in my role in Defra, I'm going to be leaving this June to take up a new role as Director General of Civil Service Reform and Efficiency in the @cabinetofficeuk.bsky.social