Ben Niblett
@benniblett.bsky.social
Climate, campaigning, Christianity, some cricket. Live in Staines in the south of England. 3 kids, nearly grown up.
#Ashes🏏 oh dear
England have never had better pace bowlers in Australia that I can remember, they got in a great position, and then brainless batting threw it away. 4-1?
England have never had better pace bowlers in Australia that I can remember, they got in a great position, and then brainless batting threw it away. 4-1?
November 22, 2025 at 10:36 AM
#Ashes🏏 oh dear
England have never had better pace bowlers in Australia that I can remember, they got in a great position, and then brainless batting threw it away. 4-1?
England have never had better pace bowlers in Australia that I can remember, they got in a great position, and then brainless batting threw it away. 4-1?
Reposted by Ben Niblett
Here’s what’s on our Budget bucket list…
November 22, 2025 at 7:55 AM
Here’s what’s on our Budget bucket list…
Reposted by Ben Niblett
UK Covid Inquiry concludes: 23,000 deaths could've been prevented if the March 2020 lockdown had been imposed just a week earlier.
No mistake by any prime minister in living memory has caused so many deaths in the UK.
The tragic and catastrophic price of Boris Johnson's incompetence & negligence.
No mistake by any prime minister in living memory has caused so many deaths in the UK.
The tragic and catastrophic price of Boris Johnson's incompetence & negligence.
November 20, 2025 at 4:40 PM
UK Covid Inquiry concludes: 23,000 deaths could've been prevented if the March 2020 lockdown had been imposed just a week earlier.
No mistake by any prime minister in living memory has caused so many deaths in the UK.
The tragic and catastrophic price of Boris Johnson's incompetence & negligence.
No mistake by any prime minister in living memory has caused so many deaths in the UK.
The tragic and catastrophic price of Boris Johnson's incompetence & negligence.
backchannel1.substack.com/p/marina-sil... lovely profile of Marina Silva
Marina Silva - COP30’s inner light
How Lula’s ambition - and Marina Silva’s lifelong mission - brought deforestation and fossil fuel phaseout to the heart of COP30 discussions.
backchannel1.substack.com
November 21, 2025 at 11:41 AM
backchannel1.substack.com/p/marina-sil... lovely profile of Marina Silva
Reposted by Ben Niblett
‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown #Climate
‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown
She was sure that there would be warnings if there was any danger. But then the floods came. This is Toñi García’s story
www.theguardian.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:35 PM
‘My husband and daughter went down to the garage in case it flooded. Then I heard a strange noise’ – This is climate breakdown #Climate
Good to be up early this morning for the #StopRosebank⛔ picket at DESNZ
Today the consultation ends. By the end of the year the government will decide yes or no for a new climate-burning North Sea oilfield. Should be an easy decision.
Today the consultation ends. By the end of the year the government will decide yes or no for a new climate-burning North Sea oilfield. Should be an easy decision.
November 20, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Good to be up early this morning for the #StopRosebank⛔ picket at DESNZ
Today the consultation ends. By the end of the year the government will decide yes or no for a new climate-burning North Sea oilfield. Should be an easy decision.
Today the consultation ends. By the end of the year the government will decide yes or no for a new climate-burning North Sea oilfield. Should be an easy decision.
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/19/e... More than a quarter of new cars were electric in the UK in October, and more than a third had a plug. Good news, and should accelerate as prices keep falling.
Rachel Reeves should cut VAT on public charging to 5% like home charging, and avoid a new EV tax (yet).
Rachel Reeves should cut VAT on public charging to 5% like home charging, and avoid a new EV tax (yet).
EVs At 37.6% Share In The UK - Ford Tops BEV Rankings - CleanTechnica
Support CleanTechnica's work through a Substack subscription or on Stripe. October’s auto market saw plugin EVs at 37.6% share in the UK, up from 30.2% year on year. BEVs grew volume 24% YoY, and PHEV...
cleantechnica.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:21 AM
cleantechnica.com/2025/11/19/e... More than a quarter of new cars were electric in the UK in October, and more than a third had a plug. Good news, and should accelerate as prices keep falling.
Rachel Reeves should cut VAT on public charging to 5% like home charging, and avoid a new EV tax (yet).
Rachel Reeves should cut VAT on public charging to 5% like home charging, and avoid a new EV tax (yet).
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Glad to read this. A new level of truthfulness and leadership from @churchofengland.org
Glad to read this. A new level of truthfulness and leadership from @churchofengland.org
Archbishop of York describes Israeli action against Palestinians in Gaza as ‘genocidal acts’
West Bank subject to regime of ‘apartheid’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’, he says in interview
www.churchtimes.co.uk
November 18, 2025 at 9:33 PM
www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/202...
Glad to read this. A new level of truthfulness and leadership from @churchofengland.org
Glad to read this. A new level of truthfulness and leadership from @churchofengland.org
Good news - more oil will remain unburnt
💥GOOD NEWS from Denmark💥
Oil and gas permit REVOKED.
The Danish Energy Board ruled that consent for new fossil fuel production at Hejre field was unlawful, upholding a complaint by Greenpeace Nordic.
The full climate impact of oil extraction and burning - on people and planet - cannot be ignored!
Oil and gas permit REVOKED.
The Danish Energy Board ruled that consent for new fossil fuel production at Hejre field was unlawful, upholding a complaint by Greenpeace Nordic.
The full climate impact of oil extraction and burning - on people and planet - cannot be ignored!
November 16, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Good news - more oil will remain unburnt
Reposted by Ben Niblett
In the early hours of this morning, following 119.6mm of rainfall in 12hrs, the River Monnow burst its banks and flooded Monmouth. The usual river level is just under 2m, this morning it was 6.63m- even higher than the record-breaking level during the floods in 2020 (6.57m). Absolutely devastating.
November 15, 2025 at 11:05 PM
In the early hours of this morning, following 119.6mm of rainfall in 12hrs, the River Monnow burst its banks and flooded Monmouth. The usual river level is just under 2m, this morning it was 6.63m- even higher than the record-breaking level during the floods in 2020 (6.57m). Absolutely devastating.
Really enjoyed @theprimitives.bsky.social at Bush Hall - so many great songs, played fast. The band looked like they were enjoying it too, specially Tig the drummer.
November 15, 2025 at 11:33 PM
Really enjoyed @theprimitives.bsky.social at Bush Hall - so many great songs, played fast. The band looked like they were enjoying it too, specially Tig the drummer.
Brilliant news indeed!
UK needs to follow suit and say no to the Rosebank oilfield.
UK needs to follow suit and say no to the Rosebank oilfield.
Brilliant news!
Well done Greenpeace Norway and Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway!
"The need for governments to protect their citizens from climate harm has now become far too obvious to ignore, and thankfully, judges around the world are realising this.”
Well done Greenpeace Norway and Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway!
"The need for governments to protect their citizens from climate harm has now become far too obvious to ignore, and thankfully, judges around the world are realising this.”
💥 Victory: Three oil fields in the North Sea declared illegal
“This is a huge victory. Today’s children and future generations will reap the benefits of the courage the judges showed today. It proves that our struggle for climate justice has real force"
PRESS RELEASE:
“This is a huge victory. Today’s children and future generations will reap the benefits of the courage the judges showed today. It proves that our struggle for climate justice has real force"
PRESS RELEASE:
November 15, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Brilliant news indeed!
UK needs to follow suit and say no to the Rosebank oilfield.
UK needs to follow suit and say no to the Rosebank oilfield.
There was no need for that tax promise, they'd have won by miles anyway, and it's a daft promise given the need to raise taxes to rescue public services and deliver the big change people voted for. But if you make it, you'd better keep it; and not say you're wondering about breaking it. Doh.
It didn’t ‘define the election for the public’. The election was defined by wanting to vote the Tories out of office. This tax pledge was not why anyone voted Labour. The real (unspoken) pledge Labour made was not to be a bunch of chaotic rule-breakers who couldn’t be trusted to run the government.
Too much analysis was still treating breaking the tax pledge as “just another unpopular decision” rather than recognising consequence of breaking a promise which defined an election for the public. If is correct the govt won’t now break it they may have avoided a deeply scarring loss of public trust
November 14, 2025 at 4:53 PM
There was no need for that tax promise, they'd have won by miles anyway, and it's a daft promise given the need to raise taxes to rescue public services and deliver the big change people voted for. But if you make it, you'd better keep it; and not say you're wondering about breaking it. Doh.
Reposted by Ben Niblett
I’m afraid I’ve heard enough to take this seriously - No.10 is thinking of abolishing ECO, the main source of funding for upgrading fuel poor homes.
There’s no way to sugar coat this: it would be a disaster.
And it would mean this government spending less on upgrading homes than the last one
There’s no way to sugar coat this: it would be a disaster.
And it would mean this government spending less on upgrading homes than the last one
To be clear, what is being proposed here is to axe the main mechanism for getting Britain’s homes insulated - which is by FAR the best way to reduce household energy bills in the long term 🤦♂️
…and also, just incidentally, an absolute non-negotiable requirement for meeting UK climate targets 😬🥵☠️
…and also, just incidentally, an absolute non-negotiable requirement for meeting UK climate targets 😬🥵☠️
Reeves considers cut to green levies in effort to reduce cost of energy bills
Exclusive: Chancellor hopes to save up to £170 from average bill but industry insiders say move would be ‘disastrous’
www.theguardian.com
November 5, 2025 at 7:31 PM
I’m afraid I’ve heard enough to take this seriously - No.10 is thinking of abolishing ECO, the main source of funding for upgrading fuel poor homes.
There’s no way to sugar coat this: it would be a disaster.
And it would mean this government spending less on upgrading homes than the last one
There’s no way to sugar coat this: it would be a disaster.
And it would mean this government spending less on upgrading homes than the last one
Very stupid if true.
But shifting green levies off electricity bills and funding from taxes instead would be clever.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
But shifting green levies off electricity bills and funding from taxes instead would be clever.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Hundreds of thousands to lose heat pump subsidies in Reeves’s budget plan
Exclusive: Supporters say grants largely going to middle-class households, but experts warn move will slow transition from gas boilers
www.theguardian.com
November 13, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Very stupid if true.
But shifting green levies off electricity bills and funding from taxes instead would be clever.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
But shifting green levies off electricity bills and funding from taxes instead would be clever.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
he can probably afford a couple of fines
November 11, 2025 at 12:29 PM
he can probably afford a couple of fines
First World War poems on Remembrance Day. Never such innocence again...praying for peace now in all the world's conflicts
November 11, 2025 at 11:25 AM
First World War poems on Remembrance Day. Never such innocence again...praying for peace now in all the world's conflicts
Reposted by Ben Niblett
“I knew a guy who was mistakenly released and he *told* them it was early. And they ignored him and shoved him out.”
Chris Atkins recounts his time at HMP Wandsworth, where release errors came down to bad handwriting and mix-ups over which prisoner was which
www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...
Chris Atkins recounts his time at HMP Wandsworth, where release errors came down to bad handwriting and mix-ups over which prisoner was which
www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...
The real reason prisoners keep walking free
For one former inmate, the current swathe of wrongly freed prisoners is nothing new
www.newstatesman.com
November 9, 2025 at 11:51 AM
“I knew a guy who was mistakenly released and he *told* them it was early. And they ignored him and shoved him out.”
Chris Atkins recounts his time at HMP Wandsworth, where release errors came down to bad handwriting and mix-ups over which prisoner was which
www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...
Chris Atkins recounts his time at HMP Wandsworth, where release errors came down to bad handwriting and mix-ups over which prisoner was which
www.newstatesman.com/the-weekend-...
Reposted by Ben Niblett
Yet another record breaking storm supersized by a warming world 😢
Climate change doesn’t create these storms: it makes them worse. They intensify faster, reach higher strengths and dump more rain.
That’s why climate action isn’t just about saving the planet: it’s quite literally about saving US.
Climate change doesn’t create these storms: it makes them worse. They intensify faster, reach higher strengths and dump more rain.
That’s why climate action isn’t just about saving the planet: it’s quite literally about saving US.
Fung-wong: Super typhoon hits Philippines as nearly a million evacuate
Typhoon Fung-wong, with sustained winds of 185 km/h (115mph), made landfall on Sunday evening local time.
www.bbc.com
November 9, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Yet another record breaking storm supersized by a warming world 😢
Climate change doesn’t create these storms: it makes them worse. They intensify faster, reach higher strengths and dump more rain.
That’s why climate action isn’t just about saving the planet: it’s quite literally about saving US.
Climate change doesn’t create these storms: it makes them worse. They intensify faster, reach higher strengths and dump more rain.
That’s why climate action isn’t just about saving the planet: it’s quite literally about saving US.
Reposted by Ben Niblett
#COP30 begins tomorrow in Belém, Brazil 🇧🇷
Support our efforts and send a clear message for the start of COP30✊
✍️ Sign our open letter telling leaders to lead the way in closing the ambition gap, ending fossil fuels and delivering a just renewable energy transition⚡️
act.350.org/letter/cop30...
Support our efforts and send a clear message for the start of COP30✊
✍️ Sign our open letter telling leaders to lead the way in closing the ambition gap, ending fossil fuels and delivering a just renewable energy transition⚡️
act.350.org/letter/cop30...
Tell Brazil: Lead the World Beyond Fossil Fuels at COP30
Brazil is promising to protect the Amazon while allowing new oil drilling there. Brazil's leaders must choose: help the world move away from oil, or get left behind.
act.350.org
November 9, 2025 at 3:54 PM
#COP30 begins tomorrow in Belém, Brazil 🇧🇷
Support our efforts and send a clear message for the start of COP30✊
✍️ Sign our open letter telling leaders to lead the way in closing the ambition gap, ending fossil fuels and delivering a just renewable energy transition⚡️
act.350.org/letter/cop30...
Support our efforts and send a clear message for the start of COP30✊
✍️ Sign our open letter telling leaders to lead the way in closing the ambition gap, ending fossil fuels and delivering a just renewable energy transition⚡️
act.350.org/letter/cop30...
This has been on my mind a lot - good post www.ariseuk.org/blog/weekly-...
Weekly Blog - 5 November 2025 - Stopping the Drift to the Far Right - Arise
What is happening? Why is it happening? What can be done about it?
www.ariseuk.org
November 7, 2025 at 2:17 PM
This has been on my mind a lot - good post www.ariseuk.org/blog/weekly-...
If coupled with ending the petrol and diesel tax freeze, and cutting VAT on public EV charging to 5% like home charging, then this is a reasonable idea.
If not it's a real turkey 🦃
If not it's a real turkey 🦃
The UK proposes 3p per mile EV taxing scheme, with fuel duty revenue declining as EV adoption rises 👉 buff.ly/AVJYvDV
#ElectricDrives | #ElectricVehicles | #EV | #Emobility | #Sustainability | #ElectricCars | #EVAdoption | #EVCharging | #AutomotiveIndustry
#ElectricDrives | #ElectricVehicles | #EV | #Emobility | #Sustainability | #ElectricCars | #EVAdoption | #EVCharging | #AutomotiveIndustry
November 6, 2025 at 5:23 PM
If coupled with ending the petrol and diesel tax freeze, and cutting VAT on public EV charging to 5% like home charging, then this is a reasonable idea.
If not it's a real turkey 🦃
If not it's a real turkey 🦃
Reposted by Ben Niblett
Nothing wrong with road pricing for EVs. It's inevitable and necessary. But if you want to cut emissions and boost energy security you will need to also let fuel duty rise.
November 6, 2025 at 9:26 AM
Nothing wrong with road pricing for EVs. It's inevitable and necessary. But if you want to cut emissions and boost energy security you will need to also let fuel duty rise.