Paul
@pe1st.bsky.social
Environmental consultant. Interested in transport, uk and international politics, nature, climate change, international relations, defence, history.
Orienteering missionary. Cricket, rugby, cycling, college football.
Cumbria patriot. In Oxford.
Orienteering missionary. Cricket, rugby, cycling, college football.
Cumbria patriot. In Oxford.
Reposted by Paul
Reposted by Paul
🚨This is a HUGE escalation and a deliberate effort to use the government against Trump's enemies. Weaponizing the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification against Harvard to punish them for pushing back is a new low — and needlessly punishes thousands of innocent students.
Trump just revoked the ability for foreign students to enroll at Harvard. Every foreign student, which is in the thousands, enrolled for next year at Harvard will not be able to continue studying if this isn't challenged in court.
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/05/22/u...
Trump Administration Halts Harvard’s Ability to Enroll International Students
www.nytimes.com
May 22, 2025 at 6:07 PM
🚨This is a HUGE escalation and a deliberate effort to use the government against Trump's enemies. Weaponizing the Student and Exchange Visitor Program certification against Harvard to punish them for pushing back is a new low — and needlessly punishes thousands of innocent students.
Reposted by Paul
The thing about Rachel Reeves I really don’t understand is a seeming total lack of interest in system-wide tax reform. UK tax system is riddled with cruft, Labour needs money, UK needs growth.
This is a brilliant and fun column by @chrisgiles.ft.com that uses EV subsidies and salary sacrifice to explain a big flaw in our tax system.
How EV subsidies are taking the UK back to the 1970s
A cautionary tale about good intentions messing up the tax system
www.ft.com
May 15, 2025 at 11:57 AM
The thing about Rachel Reeves I really don’t understand is a seeming total lack of interest in system-wide tax reform. UK tax system is riddled with cruft, Labour needs money, UK needs growth.
Reposted by Paul
Quite possibly the biggest climate story of the year (especially when we look back on this in a few years' time)
For the first time on record, China's emissions are falling due to clean energy growth, not slow power demand...
For the first time on record, China's emissions are falling due to clean energy growth, not slow power demand...
NEW – Analysis: Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time | @laurimyllyvirta.bsky.social
Read here: buff.ly/6eAcjRU
Read here: buff.ly/6eAcjRU
May 15, 2025 at 6:17 AM
Quite possibly the biggest climate story of the year (especially when we look back on this in a few years' time)
For the first time on record, China's emissions are falling due to clean energy growth, not slow power demand...
For the first time on record, China's emissions are falling due to clean energy growth, not slow power demand...
Reposted by Paul
extraordinary that Thames Water executives are getting *new* bonuses, this time as a result of the £3bn rescue loan from the spring - which loads the company with interest rates of nearly 10%
via me and Gill Plimmer
www.ft.com/content/1f6d...
via me and Gill Plimmer
www.ft.com/content/1f6d...
Thames Water executives to receive bonuses from £3bn emergency loan
Utility’s chair tells MPs that retention payments are needed to prevent rivals ‘picking off’ staff
www.ft.com
May 13, 2025 at 12:16 PM
extraordinary that Thames Water executives are getting *new* bonuses, this time as a result of the £3bn rescue loan from the spring - which loads the company with interest rates of nearly 10%
via me and Gill Plimmer
www.ft.com/content/1f6d...
via me and Gill Plimmer
www.ft.com/content/1f6d...
Reposted by Paul
In Britain, the fast-rising minimum wage is catching up with the bottom rungs of white-collar work. In fact, it appears that a rising number of people who earn annual salaries & don't work in low-paid sectors are now being paid below the legal minimum... www.ft.com/content/5f69...
May 13, 2025 at 9:28 AM
In Britain, the fast-rising minimum wage is catching up with the bottom rungs of white-collar work. In fact, it appears that a rising number of people who earn annual salaries & don't work in low-paid sectors are now being paid below the legal minimum... www.ft.com/content/5f69...
Reposted by Paul
Is the UK paying the price for world’s most expensive visas?
Competing political and economic goals on immigration are resulting in the loss of valuable skills and talent in the UK.
✍️ @rachelsylvester.bsky.social
Read more:
Competing political and economic goals on immigration are resulting in the loss of valuable skills and talent in the UK.
✍️ @rachelsylvester.bsky.social
Read more:
Is the UK paying the price for world’s most expensive visas? | The Observer
Competing political and economic goals on immigration are resulting in the loss of valuable skills and talent in the UK
bit.ly
May 12, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Is the UK paying the price for world’s most expensive visas?
Competing political and economic goals on immigration are resulting in the loss of valuable skills and talent in the UK.
✍️ @rachelsylvester.bsky.social
Read more:
Competing political and economic goals on immigration are resulting in the loss of valuable skills and talent in the UK.
✍️ @rachelsylvester.bsky.social
Read more:
Reposted by Paul
Those lentil-weaving hippies at the London Stock Exchange Group reckon the global green economy is worth $7.9tr, is the fourth largest sector in the world, and has grown faster than every industry barring technology over the past decade.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4413438...
www.businessgreen.com/news/4413438...
London Stock Exchange puts value of global green economy at $7.9tr
Report confirms global green economy has enjoyed a compound annual growth rate of 15 per cent over the past decade, putting it second only to technology as the world's fastest growing sector
www.businessgreen.com
May 12, 2025 at 10:57 AM
Those lentil-weaving hippies at the London Stock Exchange Group reckon the global green economy is worth $7.9tr, is the fourth largest sector in the world, and has grown faster than every industry barring technology over the past decade.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4413438...
www.businessgreen.com/news/4413438...
Reposted by Paul
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/m... in very not good news and I thought this party was about restoring these cuts?
Ministers demand BBC World Service plan for cuts as aid budget slashed
Exclusive: David Lammy asks BBC bosses to draw up tightened budget amid criticism move could harm UK’s global influence
www.theguardian.com
May 11, 2025 at 8:34 PM
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/m... in very not good news and I thought this party was about restoring these cuts?
Reposted by Paul
Banning algorithmic feeds would be immensely unpopular with those companies but probably positive for our information environment
And it wouldn't even be a free speech limit
And it wouldn't even be a free speech limit
May 9, 2025 at 11:57 AM
Banning algorithmic feeds would be immensely unpopular with those companies but probably positive for our information environment
And it wouldn't even be a free speech limit
And it wouldn't even be a free speech limit
Reposted by Paul
EXCL: Auditors for Ben Houchen's TVCA have written to Angela Rayner after it had "limited engagement" from the authority when trying to complete its audit.
It comes only a month after Rayner's department issued TVCA with a Best Value Notice.
It comes only a month after Rayner's department issued TVCA with a Best Value Notice.
TVCA auditor writes to Angela Rayner criticising 'limited engagement' from Ben Houchen authority
Auditors into TVCA write to government over concerns surrounding Ben Houchen-led TVCA
teesside.thelead.uk
May 7, 2025 at 2:11 PM
EXCL: Auditors for Ben Houchen's TVCA have written to Angela Rayner after it had "limited engagement" from the authority when trying to complete its audit.
It comes only a month after Rayner's department issued TVCA with a Best Value Notice.
It comes only a month after Rayner's department issued TVCA with a Best Value Notice.
Reposted by Paul
“Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses” - Miliband
Gov to launch a call for evidence on requiring solar canopies to be built over outdoor car parks.
Gov to launch a call for evidence on requiring solar canopies to be built over outdoor car parks.
Every new car park may have to be covered with solar panels
Solar canopies would be compulsory under proposals estimated to save £28,000 on electricity bills at an 80-space car park
www.thetimes.com
May 7, 2025 at 7:35 AM
“Right now, the sun is shining on hundreds of thousands of car parking spaces across the country which could be used to power our homes and businesses” - Miliband
Gov to launch a call for evidence on requiring solar canopies to be built over outdoor car parks.
Gov to launch a call for evidence on requiring solar canopies to be built over outdoor car parks.
Reposted by Paul
A critical point in today's post. A lot of people assume that Labour places going Reform mean Labour voters are going Reform. But it doesn't.
May 5, 2025 at 8:46 AM
A critical point in today's post. A lot of people assume that Labour places going Reform mean Labour voters are going Reform. But it doesn't.
Reposted by Paul
So, yes, Labour are not losing no voters to Reform, but Reform having already use up about two-thirds of that potential. By comparison, Labour are losing more voters to progressive parties, but those parties have only squeezed about 25-30% of their potential gains out from Labour so far.
May 4, 2025 at 6:55 PM
So, yes, Labour are not losing no voters to Reform, but Reform having already use up about two-thirds of that potential. By comparison, Labour are losing more voters to progressive parties, but those parties have only squeezed about 25-30% of their potential gains out from Labour so far.
Reposted by Paul
As I've said before, everything about current British politics can be summed up by 'the (electoral) beatings will continue until morale improves'.
May 4, 2025 at 3:37 PM
As I've said before, everything about current British politics can be summed up by 'the (electoral) beatings will continue until morale improves'.
Reposted by Paul
What makes it so enraging is there’s a vision Labour is already committed to that would transform the UK’s infrastructure, upgrade its homes, reindustrialise, and improve health and well-being. Net zero should be the overarching strategy, and yet it’s rarely positioned in those terms.
This is a very fair criticism of the prime minister from @samfr.bsky.social and therefore really quite devastating open.substack.com/pub/samf/p/t...
May 3, 2025 at 4:38 PM
What makes it so enraging is there’s a vision Labour is already committed to that would transform the UK’s infrastructure, upgrade its homes, reindustrialise, and improve health and well-being. Net zero should be the overarching strategy, and yet it’s rarely positioned in those terms.
Reposted by Paul
Morgan: hear me out guys, what if we do badly among both our old base AND our new base?
Labour's vote shares put them in fifth place in the wards with the most graduates. Average figures in grads over 40% wards:
Lib Dem: 28.6
Con 25.9
Ref 19.8
Grn 13.4
Lab 12.7
Lib Dem: 28.6
Con 25.9
Ref 19.8
Grn 13.4
Lab 12.7
May 2, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Morgan: hear me out guys, what if we do badly among both our old base AND our new base?
Reposted by Paul
The other hand to Reform's gains are the Tories' horrific losses (41% of all seats). Not just poor for the opposition, but relative to total seats, it is the worst set of local election results for any party in British history, surpassing the Tory result in 1971 (losses at 38% of all borough seats).
May 2, 2025 at 9:32 PM
The other hand to Reform's gains are the Tories' horrific losses (41% of all seats). Not just poor for the opposition, but relative to total seats, it is the worst set of local election results for any party in British history, surpassing the Tory result in 1971 (losses at 38% of all borough seats).
Reposted by Paul
Should be taxed into oblivion.
Dangerous, so heavy they damage roads, and don’t even fit on certain roads.
Dangerous, so heavy they damage roads, and don’t even fit on certain roads.
Only a small group of people genuinely NEED to drive a SUV.
For everyone else, it’s time to ban them!
For everyone else, it’s time to ban them!
Children are 82% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV than by a smaller car, study finds
Researchers gathered data from more than 680,000 road collisions in multiple countries over the past 35 years.
www.thejournal.ie
April 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Should be taxed into oblivion.
Dangerous, so heavy they damage roads, and don’t even fit on certain roads.
Dangerous, so heavy they damage roads, and don’t even fit on certain roads.
Reposted by Paul
‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers
- Annual survey of number plates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021
Story by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Annual survey of number plates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021
Story by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers
Annual survey of numberplates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021
www.theguardian.com
April 30, 2025 at 8:56 AM
‘Alarming’ bug splat decline on UK cars raises fears for flying insect numbers
- Annual survey of number plates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021
Story by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
- Annual survey of number plates from more than 25,000 journeys reveals 63% fall in squashed bugs since 2021
Story by @patrickbarkham.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Is there a way of halting the BBC's gratuitous use of American English? It's getting rediculous.
April 29, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Is there a way of halting the BBC's gratuitous use of American English? It's getting rediculous.
Reposted by Paul
The New Observer seems to be part of a predominant paradigm among UK centre-left media and politics in which punching out at its core supporter base is seen as an edgy way of gaining acceptance among the commentator cool kids rather than as an act of political and commercial suicide.
April 28, 2025 at 8:26 AM
The New Observer seems to be part of a predominant paradigm among UK centre-left media and politics in which punching out at its core supporter base is seen as an edgy way of gaining acceptance among the commentator cool kids rather than as an act of political and commercial suicide.
Reposted by Paul
‘Alarming’ increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines www.theguardian.com/environment/...
‘Alarming’ increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines
Wines produced after 2010 showed steep rise in contamination of trifluoroacetic acid, analysis finds
www.theguardian.com
April 24, 2025 at 11:04 AM
‘Alarming’ increase in levels of forever chemical TFA found in European wines www.theguardian.com/environment/...
Reposted by Paul
We published a signal-to-noise analysis of AMOC observations in GRL. TLDR: Direct observations (RAPID) of the AMOC do show a decline in line with climate model projected weakening (~1 Sv/decade) but the noise is still very large in comparison to the signal. Paper: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
April 22, 2025 at 10:00 AM
We published a signal-to-noise analysis of AMOC observations in GRL. TLDR: Direct observations (RAPID) of the AMOC do show a decline in line with climate model projected weakening (~1 Sv/decade) but the noise is still very large in comparison to the signal. Paper: doi.org/10.1029/2025...
So Ukraine gets nothing? Not sure that'll wash.
US 7-point “peace plan” presented in London:
1 Crimea is 🇷🇺
2 End hostilities at front line
3 🇺🇸 lifts all sanctions against 🇷🇺
4 Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be transferred to 🇺🇸. 🇺🇸 begins energy cooperation with 🇷🇺
5 No sec guarantees from 🇺🇸
6 🇺🇦 will not join NATO
7 Minerals deal to be signed
1 Crimea is 🇷🇺
2 End hostilities at front line
3 🇺🇸 lifts all sanctions against 🇷🇺
4 Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant will be transferred to 🇺🇸. 🇺🇸 begins energy cooperation with 🇷🇺
5 No sec guarantees from 🇺🇸
6 🇺🇦 will not join NATO
7 Minerals deal to be signed
April 23, 2025 at 1:04 PM
So Ukraine gets nothing? Not sure that'll wash.