Alice Lilly
@aliceolilly.bsky.social
Freelance research/policy/advocacy/writing on all things Parliament and government. Associate at IfG and Associate at State of the Future.
PhD in modern US/UK history.
Sport fan. Mum of one. Views my own.
PhD in modern US/UK history.
Sport fan. Mum of one. Views my own.
Pinned
Some 🚨personal news🚨
After 11 brilliant years at IfG (time that on a personal level has included one cross-country move and the addition of one child) I've decided it's time for a new challenge!
From 1 Sept I'm going freelance. If you'd like to work together, I'm on alice[at]aliceolilly[dot]com
After 11 brilliant years at IfG (time that on a personal level has included one cross-country move and the addition of one child) I've decided it's time for a new challenge!
From 1 Sept I'm going freelance. If you'd like to work together, I'm on alice[at]aliceolilly[dot]com
To all carers of little ones this autumn: godspeed 🫡
September 18, 2026 at 2:31 PM
To all carers of little ones this autumn: godspeed 🫡
Brutal Asda IYKYK
Here - I’ve made a map of Leeds for you all to get angry about:
September 18, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Brutal Asda IYKYK
Few things as guaranteed to send me into absolutely incandescent rage as mean, cruel, and frankly ignorant comments on social media aimed at people who are formula feeding a baby (something for which there can, of course, be a multitude of reasons, none of which are anybody’s business)
September 17, 2026 at 8:59 PM
Few things as guaranteed to send me into absolutely incandescent rage as mean, cruel, and frankly ignorant comments on social media aimed at people who are formula feeding a baby (something for which there can, of course, be a multitude of reasons, none of which are anybody’s business)
Reposted by Alice Lilly
More Britons are failing to comply what used to be seen as civic obligations. Disparate, sometimes important and sometimes trivial, overlay them and it seems like something has slipped in the relationship with the state
September 17, 2026 at 5:07 PM
More Britons are failing to comply what used to be seen as civic obligations. Disparate, sometimes important and sometimes trivial, overlay them and it seems like something has slipped in the relationship with the state
Personally very excited for the new Olympics: Danger Edition
September 17, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Personally very excited for the new Olympics: Danger Edition
Reposted by Alice Lilly
There are lots of big (& good!) ideas on 'rewiring the state' - but we can't assume the tech underpinning it will just work & we need to bring the public in
A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic
Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com
A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic
Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com
A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate – and democratic
By Gavin Freeguard and Jeni Tennison
futuregovforum.substack.com
September 17, 2026 at 11:54 AM
There are lots of big (& good!) ideas on 'rewiring the state' - but we can't assume the tech underpinning it will just work & we need to bring the public in
A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic
Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com
A digital, devolved state needs to be deliberate - and democratic
Delighted to write for @futuregovforum.bsky.social with @jenitennison.com
Reposted by Alice Lilly
This is excellent by @dawnbutlerbrent.bsky.social in outlining the threats MPs face.
Sadly, as a highly visable, black woman I suspect she has it worse than most. But its pretty much now universal: every MP experiances the same fears
Which raises, as Dawn says, a simply question: why do it?
Sadly, as a highly visable, black woman I suspect she has it worse than most. But its pretty much now universal: every MP experiances the same fears
Which raises, as Dawn says, a simply question: why do it?
I have faced abuse, assaults and death threats because I’m an MP. It’s making politics a no-go zone | Dawn Butler
A new report highlights the dangers experienced by those who seek to serve the public. People are being deterred and your democracy is suffering, says Labour MP Dawn Butler
www.theguardian.com
September 17, 2026 at 6:11 AM
This is excellent by @dawnbutlerbrent.bsky.social in outlining the threats MPs face.
Sadly, as a highly visable, black woman I suspect she has it worse than most. But its pretty much now universal: every MP experiances the same fears
Which raises, as Dawn says, a simply question: why do it?
Sadly, as a highly visable, black woman I suspect she has it worse than most. But its pretty much now universal: every MP experiances the same fears
Which raises, as Dawn says, a simply question: why do it?
Every day in this world if 2026 we are forced to join together new and wild combinations of words
I do think anyone who wants us to take Elizer Yudkowsky seriously as an authority on AI armageddon should be forced to testify on video that they have read the entirety of his 660,000 word rationalist Harry Potter fan fiction – written aged 30–34 – and still thinks the world needs his take.
September 16, 2026 at 6:39 PM
Every day in this world if 2026 we are forced to join together new and wild combinations of words
This sounds great and incredibly timely- for all that we need to think about how parliaments will approach legislating for AI, we also need to think about parliaments themselves may use AI AND how AI may affect the working of general understanding and parsing of what parliaments do.
If you or someone you know is working on AI in legislative settings, @paologambacciani.bsky.social, Luca Pinto, and I are organizing a special issue and have a call for papers out now. Please share with anyone who might be interested 👇
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Call for Papers on Artificial Intelligence in Parliament
Guest editors: Francesco Bromo (University of Oxford), Paolo Gambacciani (University of Bologna), and Luca Pinto (University of Bologna)
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being incorporated int...
docs.google.com
September 16, 2026 at 2:51 PM
This sounds great and incredibly timely- for all that we need to think about how parliaments will approach legislating for AI, we also need to think about parliaments themselves may use AI AND how AI may affect the working of general understanding and parsing of what parliaments do.
Instead of talking about S**ney S***ney in the way that she and the company she’s advertising so desperately want us to, we could instead talk about women playing and working in sport
September 15, 2026 at 6:22 PM
Instead of talking about S**ney S***ney in the way that she and the company she’s advertising so desperately want us to, we could instead talk about women playing and working in sport
Earlier my daughter pointed at a photo of a model in a shop and said “mama”. The sense of vain pride this provoked being slightly lessened when she then pointed at a photo of a male model and said “dada”
September 15, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Earlier my daughter pointed at a photo of a model in a shop and said “mama”. The sense of vain pride this provoked being slightly lessened when she then pointed at a photo of a male model and said “dada”
Not saying freelance life is different but I am going to spend part of today watching Skyfall as research for something I’m planning on writing
September 15, 2026 at 7:57 AM
Not saying freelance life is different but I am going to spend part of today watching Skyfall as research for something I’m planning on writing
This is, in a sense, a perfect artefact of 2026 for us to bequeath to future historians
Trump: "The only control or 'guardrails' that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A. has that, in spades!"
September 14, 2026 at 2:31 PM
This is, in a sense, a perfect artefact of 2026 for us to bequeath to future historians
Broke the first rule of going to the Lake District: no matter what the forecast says, take a rain jacket
September 13, 2026 at 9:22 AM
Broke the first rule of going to the Lake District: no matter what the forecast says, take a rain jacket
Generally if somebody says they don’t want to cause problems
They are about to cause problems
They are about to cause problems
September 12, 2026 at 10:40 AM
Generally if somebody says they don’t want to cause problems
They are about to cause problems
They are about to cause problems
This is really, really poor. It can be confusing sometimes to keep track of what each specific vote on a price of legislation is (like this- the difference between closure and second reading) but it’s not impossible to figure out if you work in that world!
Someone at Sky is about to get quite the bollocking for mixing up a closure motion vote and a substantive vote.
September 11, 2026 at 1:56 PM
This is really, really poor. It can be confusing sometimes to keep track of what each specific vote on a price of legislation is (like this- the difference between closure and second reading) but it’s not impossible to figure out if you work in that world!
Reposted by Alice Lilly
History is about interrogating documents and questioning narratives; and law is about the rules that bind us and the rights that protect us.
Neither are STEM; both are essential.
Neither are STEM; both are essential.
A cheery message from the new minister responsible for research funding for the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences (and the subjects that the majority of UK taught undergraduate and Masters students study).
Science and maths degrees offer most value to the nation, says minister
Chris McDonald told a room full of vice-chancellors that science, engineering and mathematics ‘offer the greatest personal, social and economic value’
www.thetimes.com
September 11, 2026 at 11:46 AM
History is about interrogating documents and questioning narratives; and law is about the rules that bind us and the rights that protect us.
Neither are STEM; both are essential.
Neither are STEM; both are essential.
I feel that a good rule of thumb is that if you are not an economist, and find yourself looking at a lot of economic graphs and trying to parse them using only the economics you studied in sixth form, then the economic news isn't good
September 10, 2026 at 7:16 PM
I feel that a good rule of thumb is that if you are not an economist, and find yourself looking at a lot of economic graphs and trying to parse them using only the economics you studied in sixth form, then the economic news isn't good
Oh to have been sat in the meeting where somebody said, 'okay, hear me out, but I've got an idea for how to respond to this' before they all got up and left*
*sorry, I mean 'moved towards a different room'
*sorry, I mean 'moved towards a different room'
September 10, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Oh to have been sat in the meeting where somebody said, 'okay, hear me out, but I've got an idea for how to respond to this' before they all got up and left*
*sorry, I mean 'moved towards a different room'
*sorry, I mean 'moved towards a different room'
Reposted by Alice Lilly
When asked in the Q&A about arts and humanities he says he personally values them (seems very genuine) but that he is the Science Minister, and it’s for the DCMS Minister to make the case for those. He’s perhaps not yet clocked he is responsible for all R&D. Would Wissenschaft Minister work better?
September 10, 2026 at 9:35 AM
When asked in the Q&A about arts and humanities he says he personally values them (seems very genuine) but that he is the Science Minister, and it’s for the DCMS Minister to make the case for those. He’s perhaps not yet clocked he is responsible for all R&D. Would Wissenschaft Minister work better?
Always love the Westminster Dog of the Year competition, not least because the info about the competitors is often more extensive than the statements for hereditary peer by-elections used to be www.royalkennelclub.com/events-and-a...
Westminster dog of the year | Royal Kennel Club
Westminster Dog of the Year is a celebration of the unique bond between dogs and their owners and is organised by Dogs Trust and the Kennel Club
www.royalkennelclub.com
September 10, 2026 at 8:48 AM
Always love the Westminster Dog of the Year competition, not least because the info about the competitors is often more extensive than the statements for hereditary peer by-elections used to be www.royalkennelclub.com/events-and-a...
Really exciting to see this- something that’s sorely needed
We are launching an exciting new project with the Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism and @hhcp-ucl.bsky.social!
It seeks to:
ℹ️ inform the constitutional content of primary school curriculum and
👨🏫 support schools and teachers to deliver this to a high standard.
Find out more 👇️
It seeks to:
ℹ️ inform the constitutional content of primary school curriculum and
👨🏫 support schools and teachers to deliver this to a high standard.
Find out more 👇️
New cross-UCL project on Constitutional Education in Primary Schools launched
A new project by UCL's Global Centre for Democratic Constitutionalism, Constitution Unit and Helen Hamlyn Centre for Pedagogy seeks to inform the curriculum's content and the teaching of it.
www.ucl.ac.uk
September 10, 2026 at 6:02 AM
Really exciting to see this- something that’s sorely needed
I'm seriously considering taking improv classes
What are you doing with your midlife existential crisis? No wrong answers. Just trying to see something, as the kids say.
September 9, 2026 at 8:06 PM
I'm seriously considering taking improv classes
Reposted by Alice Lilly
On way to the launch event for this which is interesting with a few of my hats on
📢 NEW REPORT📢
😥It's not just the public who are disillusioned with the politics and policymaking in Holyrood. MSPs themselves have been feeling the malasie.
💡We know because former high profile MSPs told us so in a series of “exit interviews”.
Read more ⤵️
www.ippr.org/articles/reb...
😥It's not just the public who are disillusioned with the politics and policymaking in Holyrood. MSPs themselves have been feeling the malasie.
💡We know because former high profile MSPs told us so in a series of “exit interviews”.
Read more ⤵️
www.ippr.org/articles/reb...
Rebuilding Scotland's "New Politics": a constructive parliament to build trust in Scottish politics | IPPR
Twenty-seven years of devolution have disappointed hopes that the Scottish parliament would foster a fresh “new politics” in Scotland. Voter turnout collap
www.ippr.org
September 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM
On way to the launch event for this which is interesting with a few of my hats on