Adam Bell
@adambell.bsky.social
"Former energy czar" - the Guardian. "Energy big brain" - Politico.
It is unclear whether many on the right understand why we have institutions. It is actually rather rare that the positive case for liberal institutionalism is put forward, and much more frequent that institutions are condemned for being out of touch with the public in some way. /1
The impossible dream some people on the British right are chasing is that you can have a BBC News operation that retreats from detail and expertise, that takes dictation from the government, but this will only create incompetence and failure when it suits you:
To fix the BBC, focus on competence and cash
Corporation fails to learn from criticism, while politicians have consciously reduced its scope for quality journalism
www.ft.com
November 10, 2025 at 2:44 PM
It is unclear whether many on the right understand why we have institutions. It is actually rather rare that the positive case for liberal institutionalism is put forward, and much more frequent that institutions are condemned for being out of touch with the public in some way. /1
Reposted by Adam Bell
The time to confront it was 20 years ago but those of us who argued for it were dismissed or ridiculed.
China was going to be coaxed into the liberal democratic world by trade and the Olympics.
Didn’t happen and was never going to.
China was going to be coaxed into the liberal democratic world by trade and the Olympics.
Didn’t happen and was never going to.
Few G7 policy-makers seem to want to confront the logic of Chinese growth, that this isn't about state subsidies that can be switched off and we go back to normal, but a permanent part of the world economy that has ended western leadership.
November 10, 2025 at 7:49 AM
The time to confront it was 20 years ago but those of us who argued for it were dismissed or ridiculed.
China was going to be coaxed into the liberal democratic world by trade and the Olympics.
Didn’t happen and was never going to.
China was going to be coaxed into the liberal democratic world by trade and the Olympics.
Didn’t happen and was never going to.
Reposted by Adam Bell
cooked his ass
November 10, 2025 at 6:11 AM
cooked his ass
Reposted by Adam Bell
I’d always wondered why no one had ever published a full, detailed map of the 1960s plan to turn London into a giant web of US-style urban motorways…. It turns even the politicians and designers didn’t make one at the time. It just didn’t exist. Until now.
Earlier this week I spoke to London Centric about the Ringways Map and all things unbuilt London - they’ve dedicated the whole of their latest edition to the story! substack.com/home/post/p-...
Would your home have been under a motorway?
"The most astonishing and destructive thing never to happen to London," says the man who has spent twenty years researching the first true map of the unbuilt Ringways.
substack.com
November 9, 2025 at 8:40 AM
I’d always wondered why no one had ever published a full, detailed map of the 1960s plan to turn London into a giant web of US-style urban motorways…. It turns even the politicians and designers didn’t make one at the time. It just didn’t exist. Until now.
Okay a nice unironic one now.
November 9, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Okay a nice unironic one now.
Reposted by Adam Bell
This video is brilliant: buff.ly/1zyTWmM
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Private jets don't pay fuel tax. Now I don't either.
You pay fuel duty. Why don’t billionaires? This week, we launched WeWingAnyCar.com to help you qualify for the same tax breaks that private jets get.
Because tax loopholes shouldn’t just be for…
www.youtube.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:34 AM
This video is brilliant: buff.ly/1zyTWmM
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Seems a total slam dunk that owners of private jets should pay fuel duties. Doesn't it?
The answer is annoying.
Thread:
Reposted by Adam Bell
there's an entire sub culture of middle age men who are so impervious to other views that at no point have they ever read any of the many comments pointing out that an obsessive interest in student politics is deeply fucking creepy? anyway, this is worse.
The hatred the youth parliament gets is just so out of proportion. Can these people hear themselves. It’s creepy.
November 7, 2025 at 5:54 PM
there's an entire sub culture of middle age men who are so impervious to other views that at no point have they ever read any of the many comments pointing out that an obsessive interest in student politics is deeply fucking creepy? anyway, this is worse.
Travelling on a train packed with Preston fans, and I wish the very best of luck to their opponents Millwall today.
November 8, 2025 at 10:24 AM
Travelling on a train packed with Preston fans, and I wish the very best of luck to their opponents Millwall today.
This is almost a perfect study in how complicated market rules create opportunities to do things that the rule makers did not expect. Because the incentives to find margin will always beat the incentive on the harassed bureaucrat trying to find edge cases. We should've just banned Russian oil.
November 8, 2025 at 10:14 AM
This is almost a perfect study in how complicated market rules create opportunities to do things that the rule makers did not expect. Because the incentives to find margin will always beat the incentive on the harassed bureaucrat trying to find edge cases. We should've just banned Russian oil.
Reposted by Adam Bell
Ed Miliband is entirely right about this. There are legitimate critiques of specific climate policies, but much of the criticism is either scientifically illiterate denialism or ‘it’s just too hard’ defeatism - and often it’s both. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Giving up would be a betrayal’: Miliband says 1.5C target still alive before Cop30
Exclusive: Environment secretary says global tipping points are possible as he rejects far-right climate ‘defeatism’
www.theguardian.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Ed Miliband is entirely right about this. There are legitimate critiques of specific climate policies, but much of the criticism is either scientifically illiterate denialism or ‘it’s just too hard’ defeatism - and often it’s both. www.theguardian.com/environment/...
The Wilkes, "Tech founders are crippling nerds who don't understand people," theory of innovation failure.
Theory: really successful innovations were based much more on insights into consumer demand than technological supply/possibility. E.g.:
- punters would buy an EV if it were cool enough
- people will trust online shopping
- a computer in every house
- they'll provide social media content for free 1/
- punters would buy an EV if it were cool enough
- people will trust online shopping
- a computer in every house
- they'll provide social media content for free 1/
My own guess is that this Optimus robot is to Musk what the Metaverse is to Zuckerberg, but plenty of people much richer than me seem to think differently- on.ft.com/3LpFJV3
When will we know?
When will we know?
November 7, 2025 at 9:43 AM
The Wilkes, "Tech founders are crippling nerds who don't understand people," theory of innovation failure.
Fellow map painters who are on the shelf about the latest iteration of the greatest map painting application: this opinion is Correct.
EU5 is very, very good. Vicously complex. Understandably buggy as a result and lacking some QoL UX bits. But that's inevitable for a game of such scope, and easily fixed over time.
I feel i have enough of a handle on the core mechanics now, so will be streaming it from about 10:30am.
I feel i have enough of a handle on the core mechanics now, so will be streaming it from about 10:30am.
November 6, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Fellow map painters who are on the shelf about the latest iteration of the greatest map painting application: this opinion is Correct.
Deeply disappointed that the Saudis didn't even get far enough to create something whose ruins would be an awesome location for games and films. But still, this couldn't happen to a nicer autocrat.
NEW: The End of the Line: the centrepiece of Saudi Arabia’s Neom gigaproject - a 500m tall, 170km long wall-like building intended ultimately to house 9 million people - can’t get out of the ground, say more than 20 former Neom architects, engineers and senior executives.
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
ig.ft.com/saudi-neom-l...
End of The Line: how Saudi Arabia’s Neom dream unravelled
Mohammed bin Salman’s utopian city was undone by the laws of physics and finance
ig.ft.com
November 6, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Deeply disappointed that the Saudis didn't even get far enough to create something whose ruins would be an awesome location for games and films. But still, this couldn't happen to a nicer autocrat.
NEW REPORT: POWERING HOMES, POWERING GROWTH
Taking the carbon out of heating buildings is one of the hardest parts of climate policy. Our new report starts by pointing out that while it is indeed hard, that doesn’t justify the poor performance of multiple governments in trying to tackle it. /1
Taking the carbon out of heating buildings is one of the hardest parts of climate policy. Our new report starts by pointing out that while it is indeed hard, that doesn’t justify the poor performance of multiple governments in trying to tackle it. /1
November 4, 2025 at 1:13 PM
NEW REPORT: POWERING HOMES, POWERING GROWTH
Taking the carbon out of heating buildings is one of the hardest parts of climate policy. Our new report starts by pointing out that while it is indeed hard, that doesn’t justify the poor performance of multiple governments in trying to tackle it. /1
Taking the carbon out of heating buildings is one of the hardest parts of climate policy. Our new report starts by pointing out that while it is indeed hard, that doesn’t justify the poor performance of multiple governments in trying to tackle it. /1
Reposted by Adam Bell
Pretty extraordinary story here
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
China intimidated UK university to ditch human rights research, documents show - BBC News
Sheffield Hallam University apologises to Professor Laura Murphy for restricting her academic freedom.
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org
November 3, 2025 at 6:20 AM
Pretty extraordinary story here
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc....
Reposted by Adam Bell
Displaced elites invoking the common people to try and reconquer their place at the top of the social and political hierarchy, innit.
October 30, 2025 at 9:29 AM
Displaced elites invoking the common people to try and reconquer their place at the top of the social and political hierarchy, innit.
DESNZ have dropped the new Carbon Plan. I have two tests: is this legally robust, and does it have a plausible pathway for heat? /1
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Carbon budget and growth delivery plan
The Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan sets out how the government meets its statutory carbon budgets and secure the benefits of this transition for people and businesses.
www.gov.uk
October 29, 2025 at 4:40 PM
DESNZ have dropped the new Carbon Plan. I have two tests: is this legally robust, and does it have a plausible pathway for heat? /1
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Adam Bell
FACTCHECK: The frontpage of today's Daily Telegraph has a very confused story about offshore wind, which is all sorts of wrong
It says a technical change means higher subsidies & fewer new windfarms from the upcoming AR7 auction
Oopsie!
This is the opposite of the truth 🧵
It says a technical change means higher subsidies & fewer new windfarms from the upcoming AR7 auction
Oopsie!
This is the opposite of the truth 🧵
October 29, 2025 at 1:05 PM
FACTCHECK: The frontpage of today's Daily Telegraph has a very confused story about offshore wind, which is all sorts of wrong
It says a technical change means higher subsidies & fewer new windfarms from the upcoming AR7 auction
Oopsie!
This is the opposite of the truth 🧵
It says a technical change means higher subsidies & fewer new windfarms from the upcoming AR7 auction
Oopsie!
This is the opposite of the truth 🧵
Reposted by Adam Bell
"How 40 years of change brought globalisation without trust" - my latest long read (based on a talk given this morning) seems immediately relevant given further US-China tensions over global supply chains.
Global markets are a reality --->
ecipe.org/blog/the-new...
Global markets are a reality --->
ecipe.org/blog/the-new...
The New World of Trade – How 40 Years of Change Brought Globalisation Without Trust
Making sense of daily trade policy turbulence has become a major challenge. President Trump is just one part of a complex ever-changing picture.Stop the world to catch up is an understandable respons
ecipe.org
October 15, 2025 at 2:05 PM
"How 40 years of change brought globalisation without trust" - my latest long read (based on a talk given this morning) seems immediately relevant given further US-China tensions over global supply chains.
Global markets are a reality --->
ecipe.org/blog/the-new...
Global markets are a reality --->
ecipe.org/blog/the-new...
I must disagree with Andrew here. Democracies are in a race to demonstrate that the vote is both instrumentally valuable as well as morally valuable; that popular control is better for people than the Chinese model of state-backed capitalism. /1
This Martin Wolf column is a good read, but I struggle a bit with the low growth —> collapsing democracy link.
The US has been the standout economic performer since 2008 (albeit still with a slowdown), and countries like Poland have grown well and aren’t exactly secure in their democracy
The US has been the standout economic performer since 2008 (albeit still with a slowdown), and countries like Poland have grown well and aren’t exactly secure in their democracy
Reeves must get whatever growth she can
Improved standards of living are the foundation of modern democracy
on.ft.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:04 AM
I must disagree with Andrew here. Democracies are in a race to demonstrate that the vote is both instrumentally valuable as well as morally valuable; that popular control is better for people than the Chinese model of state-backed capitalism. /1
Reposted by Adam Bell
"To say 'Zelenskyy is no friend of the working class' is an insulting, facile distraction from the fact that Sultana refuses to support the Ukrainian people’s fight for existence."
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Coventry South needs a by-election soon
Zarah Sultana has no mandate for disarming the people of Britain and betraying Ukraine
open.substack.com
October 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
"To say 'Zelenskyy is no friend of the working class' is an insulting, facile distraction from the fact that Sultana refuses to support the Ukrainian people’s fight for existence."
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Proper cold fury and moral clarity from @paulmason.bsky.social on Sultana.
open.substack.com/pub/htsf/p/c...
Reposted by Adam Bell
AR7 analysis: How much offshore wind will the govt be able to contract at the upcoming CfD auction?
It depends on the "strike price", but roughly…
6GW at £70/MWh
5GW at £80/MWh
4GW at £90/MWh
THREAD
1/6
It depends on the "strike price", but roughly…
6GW at £70/MWh
5GW at £80/MWh
4GW at £90/MWh
THREAD
1/6
October 27, 2025 at 4:35 PM
AR7 analysis: How much offshore wind will the govt be able to contract at the upcoming CfD auction?
It depends on the "strike price", but roughly…
6GW at £70/MWh
5GW at £80/MWh
4GW at £90/MWh
THREAD
1/6
It depends on the "strike price", but roughly…
6GW at £70/MWh
5GW at £80/MWh
4GW at £90/MWh
THREAD
1/6
£900m for offshore wind is a strong signal to the sector that holding down costs is paramount, and accepting that it may not deliver enough offshore wind to meet the Government's decarbonisation target. At this juncture, this is the correct move.
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Contracts for Difference (CfD) Allocation Round 7: statutory notices
Final statutory notices required to launch Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7.
www.gov.uk
October 27, 2025 at 2:35 PM
£900m for offshore wind is a strong signal to the sector that holding down costs is paramount, and accepting that it may not deliver enough offshore wind to meet the Government's decarbonisation target. At this juncture, this is the correct move.
www.gov.uk/government/p...
www.gov.uk/government/p...
Reposted by Adam Bell
There is a serious, principled case for a codified constitution, for some of the reasons George sets out.
But botching together a constitution to stop Farage - a constitution that could not command widespread support and that was widely seen as rigged - would deepen our problems, not resolve them.🧵
But botching together a constitution to stop Farage - a constitution that could not command widespread support and that was widely seen as rigged - would deepen our problems, not resolve them.🧵
We're facing a political emergency: a high likelihood of an shamelessly authoritarian government in 2029. So we urgently need this basic safeguard: a codified constitution.
This week's column explains what we're missing and why it's so important.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
This week's column explains what we're missing and why it's so important.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
We must act now: without a written constitution, Reform UK will have carte blanche to toxify our nation | Goerge Monbiot
It means breaking with hundreds of years of tradition, but it can’t wait. As hard-right figures spread division and laud autocrats, a fail-safe is vital, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
www.theguardian.com
October 23, 2025 at 10:42 PM
There is a serious, principled case for a codified constitution, for some of the reasons George sets out.
But botching together a constitution to stop Farage - a constitution that could not command widespread support and that was widely seen as rigged - would deepen our problems, not resolve them.🧵
But botching together a constitution to stop Farage - a constitution that could not command widespread support and that was widely seen as rigged - would deepen our problems, not resolve them.🧵