www.edrc.ac.uk/wp-content/u... What we all know. Modal shift from private car to bus and active transport is off track in UK. Much more commitment and investment is needed.

The report rightly focuses on the raw deal the poorest in UK get when it comes to transport provision. However, 10m more vehicles and 50% more traffic by 2050 is going to crush *everyone’s* quality of life. UK needs a coherent plan to make sure the dreadful scenario projected below does not occur.

Discuss.

One positive from the #Starmer speech is commitment to eliminate asylum/immigration costs from the ODA budget. Labour government needs to firmly re-establish coherence in the ODA spend, rather than dilute its strategic impact by spending it across multiple government departments.

Witness the utterly performative politics of the #Trump moves on overseas aid. These cuts are going to put whole world at greater risk from e.g. pandemics, increased security threats, climate change. Really an example of the very opposite direction to which rich world govts. should be moving. #ODA

Cold start to Xmas morning in the Lakes, but it was worth it.

I was reading a very nice description of the world of Greenland sharks in this book last week. Excellent stuff from Helen Czerski.

UK overseas development aid (ODA) is increasingly not going overseas. UK taking a ‘maximalist’ approach in badging lots of domestic spend as ODA in ways other countries don’t do. Trend started under last Conservative government, carrying on under Labour.
www.economist.com/britain/2024... (paywalled)

“There’s a real sense there is no plan …” #Starmer #UK #EU

www.theguardian.com/world/2024/o...

Interesting new findings from latest British Social Attitudes survey. Some big changes in last ten years.
www.theguardian.com/society/arti...