@pretendcato
Democracy things as COO/Director at Delib. She/her. Not all work. Rhymes with potato. We make Citizen Space, Dialogue and Simulator helping govt orgs and over 11 million people come together to make change: https://www.delib.net/citizen_space/who_uses_it
Do you know how much is in your pension? When was the last time time you checked? Do you know your own contribution levels? Or your employers?
New SMF research out today finds far too many of us are not on top of our pensions -
Measles vaccination, human rights, international peace, European unity. The far right have never met a 20th century achievement that they don't want to destroy, and all in the name of the most fragile and pathetic men on the planet.
Morning folks - for all the people at Govcamp who were asking me about the National Data Library here is an actual, official update with some specifics...for the first time I think 🎉
www.gov.uk/government/p...
A lovely @themarginalian.org.web.brid.gy newsletter today. Got to love a bit of George Saunders on a Sunday morning:
“You’re not permanent.
You’re not the most important thing.
You’re not separate.”
www.themarginalian.org/2026/01/20/g...
Sending love and good wishes for inspiring conversations, effective planning and important mutual support to everyone headed to #ukgc26. I’m sad I can’t be with you this year, but my thoughts go with you!
@ukgovcamp.com
POTATO
We watched this too, then followed it up with watching The Brian Jonestown Massacre set from Glastonbury this year, just to really pile the cement of time on things
I liked this very much.
I also did not have ‘buy a book about vents’ on my list for today, but here we are
Have you ever wondered what a review of the year would be like if it was written by a halfwit who spends too much time on here? WELL...
Historian John Julius Norwich used to publish a ‘Christmas Cracker’ of stuff he collected each year from history and literature.
I do the same, but stupider
In 2026 we are reinstating the regular One Team Gov breakfast club in London and also running a virtual one for anybody who doesn't have a meetup near them.
If you're interested you can sign up for both using the link (and please retweet/skeet!)
www.linkedin.com/posts/onetea...
I really love today’s ’I thought about that a lot’
www.ithoughtaboutthatalot.com/2025/hair-lo...
A trainer-loafer hybrid shoe. The top is a grey loafer but the sole and someway up the side is orange. On the sole this merges to red ombré at the back and is a chunky running shoe sole with grey tread underneath and serrated running shoe lines across the side
“Your Scientists Were So Preoccupied With Whether Or Not They Could, They Didn’t Stop To Think If They Should”
😂
Shave my head for charity? Yeah probably.
Wear these? Heck no
Knee high black leather boots with a peek toe at the bottom, slightly resembling a chimney with toes poking out the bottom
MY EYES
(a mere £600 for this chimney with toes)
Happy birthday! 🥳
UKGovCamp Birmingham: Join Us!
UKGovCamp is happening on 17 Jan 2026. If you work in gov and haven’t attended, now’s the time!
Leaders in policy, operations, and diversity, please share with your teams, connect with colleagues, and help spread the word! Contact us to get involved.
This whole thread. I can think of a person who’d love each one of these cursed items
This is great, lovely in fact - 30 minutes with a stranger
pudding.cool/2025/06/hell...
When I look at the picture it triggers a path in my brain that says ‘you’re thinking about diarrhoea’
A brown leather slip on heeled shoe: its sole is black and bumpy a bit like solid opaque bubbles leading to a chunky kitten heel at the back. The top is like the front part of a brown leather 90’s style boot but it’s been cut to be a mule shape, so it’s only the bit of the boot covering the foot to below the ankle. Very hard to describe but extremely ugly
In today’s edition of Shoes I Never Wish to Wear:
Featuring the unholy trinity of mule, kitten heel and boot for £365
We @hellostu.xyz @mikerose.co.uk @adrianhoward.com @ox1digital.co.uk @pretendcato.bsky.social @jamiearnold.com @himal.bsky.social and Martin (not of this parish) have been meeting about monthly for Geeky Coffee in Dorchester. I'm thinking of Dorset Geeky Coffee does Edinburgh or SDinGov Geeky Coffee
I am beyond honoured to be in this list 💚
I’m desperate to get back out there again, just been lacking confidence. Feeling like this is the nudge I needed ☺️
Great to see @martinlewis.moneysavingexpert.com talking about our platform Citizen Space being used to ask people’s views on managing council tax. MHCLG have done a great job of building a thorough and considered consultation that you can take part in: consult.communities.gov.uk/local-govern...
I can’t speak for the teams involved, but I’m sure they’d be open to knowing if they’ve missed an attribution
We've added Demystifying AI and Empowering Workers (Online) to the civic tech calendar (ift.tt/Qcz06Y4). Full info here:
We must fight for the future we want to live in, continue to study and experience the ways in which pro-democracy tech can and does work in practice, and resist the current antidemocratic Big Tech "mask off" moment. #TICTeC #PITech @civictechguide.bsky.social @mysociety.org
A big thank you to everyone at the @mysociety.org team for a fabulous and thought provoking few days of #tictec that were beautifully organised.
That would be my dream job 😍
