Stephen Bush: Granted I’m a big prisons nerd, but still, it’s been a whole day, and I’m really surprised at how happy this has made me. A day on and I’m elated by it. (Timpson was also chair of the Prison Reform Trust.)

Granted I’m a big prisons nerd, but still, it’s been a whole day, and I’m really surprised at how happy this has made me. A day on and I’m elated by it. (Timpson was also chair of the Prison Reform Trust.)

For those who don't know: this is James Timpson of Timpson key cutters/shoe repairs/dry cleaners. His company employs ex-convicts and even runs work training programmes in prisons. Genuinely inspired choice.

Fascinating what happens when you get a government that actually has the theory that you can do things in office.

We have been sold the idea, for the last 14 years, that a successful Government is one that doesn't govern and just gets out of the way.

Husband works in prison education, he was both shocked and jubilant at the news.

I think a big part of why I’m happier today than I was about it yesterday is I really hadn’t got past “happy, but disbelieving” yesterday.

Likewise the Vallance appointment is very good from the perspective of the science sector. Having someone in government who knows the problems and is respected by stakeholders is such a change.

Yes impressed - good for Peter Kyle as don't think he has massive amounts of science knowledge- where do universities sit at the moment?

We won’t know until the junior ministers are all appointed, I think. Labour tend to prefer it to sit in BIS/Science/outside Education.

I think outside education would be good given the issues with universities- schools and skills seem enought for education!

Also inevitably universities and FE get squeezed out when the secretary of state also has to care about schools, whereas BIS tends to love them because they’re a bigger chunk of their budget.

Yes bit Hospitals and all over healthcare

I used to work in prisoner resettlement a long time back (under the last Labour administration in fact) and I am SO happy about this.

and it was done with no leaks, no hints so like with Vallance, getting the experts in in their field and not for their political dogma, the grown ups are in and happy to delegate to the experts, Howe beautiful is that with what has gone, there will be trouble ahead but not unprofessionalism

I think this is a government that wants experts rather than has had enough of them Great choice alongside Sir Patrick Vallance as a Science Minister 🧪

seems like basically a perfect pick both practically and politically from the chat i've seen on him

100% - on the practical side, he knows the whole picture on prisons and probations, from what happens inside them to giving ex-convicts job opportunities and a path into the regular economy afterwards. Politically, stakeholders love it, has allies on the other side, excites the liberal base, etc.

I only just saw it and I'm almost afraid of the serotonin hit, this feels potentially massive?

As a fellow prison-nerd, this is so exciting.

Me too!

An interesting article on the Dutch approach to offender management and how they've halved the prison population. Link to the original research is in the article. theconversation.com/british-jail...

British jails are at a breaking point – here’s how the Dutch halved their prison populationtheconversation.com Between 2005 and 2015 the Dutch prison population was indeed reduced by 44%.

It is really good - and is this usual, someone who doesn’t sit in Parliament getting a brief like this?

It's intended that he'll be elevated to the Lords.

Ah!

is he the most subject matter experienced minister ever appointed to the home office?

Prisons are in MoJ now, he quibbled, but yes: no prisons minister has ever known the sector as well.

ha. i was just about to delete due to that 😳. He seems a good choice from a policy and optics perspective. Martin Lewis next.

Happens to us all. I still forget Trade is in Business now.

Apologies for changing the subject slightly but have you heard anything about equalities/women’s minister or secretary yet?

Sorry in turn for chipping in but I don’t think they’ve been announced yet. This is the official list so far: www.gov.uk/government/n...

Ministerial Appointments: July 2024www.gov.uk The King has been pleased to approve the following appointments.

Id be very surprised if Martin Lewis agreed to anything like that, he's very careful to remain non party pollitical

Also, while he does great things for civic society, he doesn’t really have a thing that he has end to end knowledge of the whole topic, in the way Timpson does.

I’m personally hoping Dan Niedle is asked to help. He seems able to look at a mess and identify simple, workable solutions.

Yep. He'd be more of an Alan sugar style appointment

Most ministers don't know prisons well, to be fair. Staying out of them is an important rule in politics unless you are an Irish republican.

Post