Seven lessons from seven years in England

I lived in England for seven years, completing a Master’s and PhD in International Relations at Oxford University and then working for two years at a political risk consultancy, also in Oxford.

The biggest memories from my time there were my friends, playing soccer, learning cricket, and the glory that is the sticky toffee pudding (the only dessert I know how to make).

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But when you spend enough time in a place, it starts to show you what parts of life are inevitable and what are choices. It wasn’t that Britain was better than America - ask any Brit how are things and prepare to get a complaint about the trains/buses/weather - but that you see some aspects of life and realize “oh, that’s pretty good.”

With that in mind, here are seven things that Britain does that I’d love to see in Massachusetts.

Only photo I have of myself playing cricket. Very likely got out with this hit.

1. The governor should have to answer questions

Every week that Parliament is in session, the British prime minister stands in the House of Commons and answers questions from members of Parliament.

Prime Minister’s Questions is often theatrical. It can be loud, partisan and occasionally ridiculous. But underneath the performance is an important principle: the head of government must regularly appear in public and defend what the government is doing.

Massachusetts should establish a version of Governor’s Questions. The governor could appear before a joint session of the Legislature several times each year, with questions divided among legislative leaders and rank-and-file members of both parties.

This could help force major disagreements into the open. Legislators would have to formulate questions. The governor would have to provide answers. Voters could see where a back and forth that fosters accountability.

2. Build cycleways as a connected transportation system

I’ve been asked a lot in this race about my stance on bike lanes (by those both for and against). Most of that lies at the municipal level, but one thing that might be suited for the state is something that London has: numbered Cycleways.

Greater Boston has built many worthwhile pieces of bicycle infrastructure, including community paths, protected lanes and riverfront routes. The problem is that they frequently feel like disconnected projects. A good lane may abruptly end at a difficult intersection. A pleasant path may deposit riders onto a road with no indication of how to continue.

We should create a numbered system of Greater Boston cycleways connecting major destinations so that a person can look at a map and easily understand how they could travel from South Medford to Back Bay by bike. Just as I know that I can hop on the Green Line and get there, I want to know that I could get on the Community Path (which I’d like to see renamed at C1) and get there without weaving in and out of traffic.

3. Give people one front door to government

One of the most frustrating features of American government is that we have organized public services around the agencies providing them rather than the people trying to use them.

A resident may need help with childcare, housing, unemployment, health insurance or taxes. But that resident is expected to know which department administers which program, whether the program is municipal or state-run, which website contains the correct form and what vocabulary the government uses to describe the problem.

Gov.uk was built as a single front door for the British public to access government services.

Massachusetts has made considerable progress here through MyMassGov and we should continue that progress by helping it expand to municipalities. Residents should be able to sign in once, see the programs for which they may qualify, submit information without repeatedly entering it and track the status of applications across agencies.

Good government is not just about creating benefits. It is about making those benefits usable.

4. Help neighborhoods build community sports clubs

In England, a sports club can be much more than a team that assembles for one season.

A local club may have youth teams, adult teams, social events, volunteers, coaches and members who remain involved for years. People join not merely to purchase an athletic activity but to become part of an institution.

That model offers something many American families are missing.

Youth sports here are frequently organized as a collection of transactions. Parents register a child for a season, drive to practices and then repeat the process with a different organization a few months later. Adults who want to play may join a private league, but that league is rarely connected to the neighborhood or to younger players.

State and local government would not run these clubs, but they could help by making fields and school facilities easier to use, offering small start-up grants, providing insurance guidance and creating a standard legal structure for nonprofit community clubs.

5. Make room for the places where community happens

British pubs often function as the neighborhood’s living room.

Having a place within walking distance where people can meet without planning weeks in advance helps to knit together a community even for those that don’t drink (many pubs are now effectively cafes and restaurants as well).

American zoning has often made these places difficult to create. We separated residential and commercial uses so thoroughly that many neighborhoods contain homes but almost nowhere for residents to gather. Even when a small café, corner shop or restaurant would fit naturally into a neighborhood, opening one can require an expensive and uncertain approval process.

We need more “third places”: spaces outside the home and workplace where people can spend time together.

That can mean cafés, libraries, community rooms, small restaurants, neighborhood pubs, public squares and allotment-style community gardens. The specific institution matters less than the opportunity for repeated, casual contact.

Zoning is therefore not only about buildings. It helps determine whether a neighborhood becomes a collection of private households or an actual community.

6. Treat immigrant integration as a public responsibility

I was an immigrant in England, although people usually called me an expat (if they bothered to distinguish me as anything other than American).

The Liverpool docks, where my great-great-great grandfather sailed to America in 1848

My experience was easier than that of many immigrants. As a student, my university helped arrange housing and access to a doctor. Later, my employer’s HR department handled much of the visa process. I spoke the language, had friends in the country, and already had a British bank account.

Those systems removed friction from my life.

That taught me that there is no single immigrant experience. Immigration is shaped not only by the person arriving, but by the institutions surrounding them. States and municipalities don’t control immigration policy but can help people successfully become part of their communities.

That means accessible language services, help enrolling children in school, clear information about healthcare and employment, assistance recognizing overseas qualifications and support navigating basic public systems.

Integration is an investment in communities. When people can work, obtain healthcare, understand their rights and participate in civic life, everyone benefits.

7. Give legislative committees real independence

The British Parliament is not a model of perfect democracy, but its select committees demonstrate the value of giving legislators an independent platform from which to investigate government.

Committee chairs are elected by members of Parliament rather than simply appointed and removed at the discretion of party leadership. Committees conduct inquiries, question ministers, request evidence and publish reports.

Their hearings can shape public debate even when the government would prefer to discuss something else. The campaigning for committee chairs can foster debate about what direction the committee should go, forge connections across natural dividing lines, and help rank-and-file members understand each other better.

Learning without copying

After seven years in England, I decided it was time to come back home.

I’m glad I did. But I’m also glad I had the experiences I did. Not only because I was there for most of my 20s so that was a fun time, but because living in a different country - not just being a tourist or studying it - makes you understand that America is not one thing.

It is a collection of millions of discrete norms, habits, and decisions made. Many of those are great. Some are not. None are inevitable.

If elected, I want to double down on the best parts of Massachusetts, while casting a critical eye on where we could do better.