Hello, I’m Adam. I’ve been writing here for many years – blogs, essays, and the occasional book – all shaped by the things I’ve seen, the people I’ve worked with, and the systems I’ve lived inside.
My background isn’t straightforward. I grew up with very little, left school at sixteen, worked on farms and in practical jobs, and found my way back into education at twenty. Since then I’ve spent time in local government, charities, business, and community work – often in roles where the decisions were real and the consequences mattered. All of that experience shapes how I think and what I write about.
These days I’m focused on how we make sense of the world as it is, and how we might build something better from where we stand. I’m interested in the gap between how systems are supposed to work and how they actually behave, and in the choices people make when they’re navigating that space.
If you’re here to explore ideas, understand patterns, or make sense of the world around you, you’re in the right place.

Adam lives in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.
He spends his time writing, researching, volunteering, following Gloucester Rugby, and walking his dogs Betty and Bea through the landscapes he’s lucky to call home – near Cheltenham, Gloucester and the Cotswold Hills.
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The Dismantling of Trial by Jury – And Why It Matters to Everyone
For centuries, trial by jury has stood as a cornerstone of British justice – a safeguard that placed liberty in the hands of ordinary citizens rather than the state. Today, that safeguard is being…
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The Human Sovereignty Charter for Artificial Intelligence – A Constitutional Framework for Human-Centred Governance of AI | Full Text
The Human Sovereignty Charter for Artificial Intelligence is a non statutory, ethical framework asserting that human dignity, agency, and judgement must never be subordinated to machines. Created in response to the rapid expansion of…
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Is Poverty invisible to those who don’t experience it? | Full Text
Introduction In the Autumn of 2023, I embarked on a new adventure into higher education, driven by my building concern around Food Security issues and the certain reality that the UK is running the…
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If the Borough goes, Cheltenham Must Have a Town Council
As Gloucestershire moves toward unitary councils, Cheltenham faces the loss of its Borough – and with it, a vital layer of local democracy. Efficiency may be the excuse, but centralising power risks leaving communities…
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The Government’s Biodiversity & National Security Report Misses the Real Threat: Our Food System is Already on the Brink
The Real Threat to UK Food Security: It’s Not Just Biodiversity Loss When the UK Government warns that global biodiversity loss threatens our food supply, it misses a deeper, more immediate danger: our food…
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Centralisation Only Rewards Those at The Centre
Centralisation is often sold as “efficiency,” but in reality, it concentrates power and wealth at the top, distancing decision-makers from those affected by their choices. Adam Tugwell explores how our money-centric system drives centralisation,…
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We Can’t Fix Society Because We Won’t Question Money
We talk endlessly about fixing society – new policies, new campaigns, new movements, new ideas. Yet almost every attempt at “change” ends up circling the same drain. The problems deepen, frustration grows, and we…
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The Free Market Myth
For decades, the idea of free trade has been sold as a universal good – a rising tide that lifts all boats. It’s a comforting story: remove barriers, unleash competition, and watch innovation flourish…
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As AI Ends Work: Waking Up to the Illusion of UBI – and the Need for a New System
What happens when technology outpaces the very foundation of our society – work itself? As artificial intelligence rapidly replaces both manual and cognitive labour, the promise of Universal Basic Income (UBI) is being offered…
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When you can see that rules and laws prevent basic survival, you will understand that centralised governance has gone too far
Adams latest post explores how excessive rules and centralised governance are making life harder for communities and small businesses. He argues that what’s called “freedom” is often just conformity, and introduces a people-first alternative…






