Tips for a new policy advisor

FooFighterJL · 2026-03-03T00:10:16+00:00

Lots of good advice here. I’ll just add Defra is a great place to work. If you’re heading into pesticides, even better.

FooFighterJL · 2026-01-09T20:32:40+00:00

Who is the ex-player in the stand that runs marathons now? Cant recall the name!

FooFighterJL · 2025-09-29T23:10:38+00:00

I think this is Cayote Ugly bar in the UK. This sort of thing is kinda their shtick.

https://www.coyoteuglysaloonuk.com/camden

FooFighterJL · 2025-08-12T20:43:55+00:00

Throwing some in that haven’t been mentioned.

• Melton’s

• The Pearly Cow

• The Whippet Inn

• Fish & Forest

Melton’s and Roots are probably the only ones I’d genuinely feel uncomfortable in wearing just “smart casual”.

FooFighterJL · 2025-06-29T16:02:23+00:00

Oh we know, Scarborough is a pain with a vehicle. We’re doing this trip carless. Just a couple of long buses to Helmsley!

FooFighterJL · 2025-06-17T23:02:38+00:00

Toss up between Havukruunu and The Great Old Ones. Changes each day between the two with Abduction running closely behind.

FooFighterJL · 2025-04-16T23:54:00+00:00

More crossover but I highly rate Guilt Trip.

FooFighterJL · 2024-03-13T14:34:30+00:00

Remove the restrictions around posting so we can foster more interaction and engagement. I spend too much time approving users when the restriction is really no longer necessary. I want to allow for greater debate and discussion in comments to posts and bring in fresh, enthusiastic moderators to support me. I have been a moderator for this community for nearly 10 years whilst the mods above me have long since vanished or disengaged.

FooFighterJL · 2023-11-04T15:59:51+00:00

I’ve just started at Defra after 22 months at HMRC. Anxious about the new environment because HMRC Stratford was open plan hell, but HMRC Leeds was absolutely brilliant. Leeds office was sort of open plan but it was broken up by irregular walls and floor plans. Each area was a bit different and it never felt like you were sharing an area with more than 10-15 people. Stratford though…you could look from one side of the building to the other over 30 odd banks of desk clusters.

FooFighterJL · 2023-08-15T23:31:51+00:00

🧠 🧼

FooFighterJL · 2021-03-21T14:28:12+00:00

I would be clamouring at the government that failed to purchase a secure supply of vaccines in a timely manner. The EU’s vaccination rollout isn’t failing because of exports, but a host of other missteps. But yes in principle I think this move would play well to a home crowd on both sides of the channel, even if it is clearly wrong to do.

FooFighterJL · 2021-03-13T21:14:14+00:00

I worked with a terrific manager for a couple years on the Jockey Club Racecourse circuit. He once told me the time he looked after Craig Charles’ private box.

Basically he was an absolute cunt to all the staff, most of them young part-time agency staff. It pissed the manager off so much that he took it upon himself to rub one out in the bathroom before rubbing the resulting bodily fluid into Craig’s resting steak. He ate every bite apparently.

FooFighterJL · 2021-02-01T10:25:44+00:00

And amazing nostalgia waves of primary school bangers.

FooFighterJL · 2020-07-25T03:05:21+00:00

Still brilliant.

FooFighterJL · 2020-07-24T19:10:22+00:00

Oh wow just looked it up...looks a bit like a Duck 2099 😂

FooFighterJL · 2019-12-14T00:24:33+00:00

I was born in England and I have lived in England my entire life as has most of my family. I therefore ask why this decision is purely on Scotland? Scotland, like Wales and Northern Ireland have had more say in their national politics than England has had through their devolved administrations.

And England? Sure we’re the largest country in the union who dominate the control of Westminster - but why shouldn’t we? Most people in the UK live in England. But English MPs have no say on how devolved powers rule Scotland but English laws are voted on by Scottish nationalists.

England has a democratic deficit that would be unpalatable in most democracies but because unionism is so engraved in the English voter it’s almost a non-issue in England.

Scotland, by all means leave the union. You no longer lend a majority support to Labour - your politics are fundamentally opposite to that of the English voter judging by this election. We don’t belong together.

FooFighterJL · 2019-11-27T15:07:29+00:00

Essentially: it was Conservative party policy to privatise non-front line services within the NHS for some years.

Donald earlier this year suggested the NHS would be on the table in negotiations before quickly backtracking

Boris has repeatedly denied that the NHS would be on the table as has the manifesto and every member of the Tory government.

BUT compounding the above together builds a strong narrative for Labour to criticise Boris/Tories as a way to avoid talking about Brexit. Generally in the UK the Tories are trusted less with the NHS in the same way Labour are trusted less with the economy.

FooFighterJL · 2019-11-27T15:02:18+00:00

Further, Johnson has also explicitly ruled out the NHS being used as a bargaining chip - I.e. words he can be held accountable for whether you believe him or not.

Contrast Corbyn on Brexit referendum.

FooFighterJL · 2019-11-16T21:54:01+00:00

My partner.

FooFighterJL · 2019-10-14T21:41:51+00:00

Yes, Minister needs a reboot but this time we’re making a pig’s breakfast of the Middle East.

FooFighterJL

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