Simon Jeffrey
@simonjeffrey.bsky.social
Personal opinions about transport and devolution policy.
And the per mile lethality was even worse. The decline of cycling was a rational individual response to the risk of death and serious injury. Sadly only the Dutch seemed to take the rational system response in the 1970s to lots of children being killed on the road.
November 10, 2025 at 9:12 AM
And the per mile lethality was even worse. The decline of cycling was a rational individual response to the risk of death and serious injury. Sadly only the Dutch seemed to take the rational system response in the 1970s to lots of children being killed on the road.
Definitely don't hate the 3-unitary Kent proposal
November 7, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Definitely don't hate the 3-unitary Kent proposal
Would the comparison also not be better just looking at net incomes rather than this? UK still v competitive for student/work visas if you’re at minimum to median wage (thanks to high NMW and personal allowance - two massive but largely unspoken pull factors for UK’s HE sector)
October 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Would the comparison also not be better just looking at net incomes rather than this? UK still v competitive for student/work visas if you’re at minimum to median wage (thanks to high NMW and personal allowance - two massive but largely unspoken pull factors for UK’s HE sector)
British public does seem to be exceptionally keen to embrace all big sporting events held here in huge numbers. Set huge records for Paralympics, women’s Euros (fair play to Switzerland for beating it this summer) and now women’s Rugby World Cup
September 29, 2025 at 8:43 PM
British public does seem to be exceptionally keen to embrace all big sporting events held here in huge numbers. Set huge records for Paralympics, women’s Euros (fair play to Switzerland for beating it this summer) and now women’s Rugby World Cup
'This new online system might lead us to miss serious cases because there will be so many requests'
'When we get too many cases by phone now we just pull the plug out the wall...'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'When we get too many cases by phone now we just pull the plug out the wall...'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
September 29, 2025 at 5:34 PM
'This new online system might lead us to miss serious cases because there will be so many requests'
'When we get too many cases by phone now we just pull the plug out the wall...'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
'When we get too many cases by phone now we just pull the plug out the wall...'
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service seems to be a bung to Reach et al at the moment. Rather than directly fund journalists for them, flipping to act as a purchaser and cross-poster of any public interest local journalism. Would fund and help promote a wider (more deserving?) ecosystem.
September 29, 2025 at 1:18 PM
BBC’s Local Democracy Reporting Service seems to be a bung to Reach et al at the moment. Rather than directly fund journalists for them, flipping to act as a purchaser and cross-poster of any public interest local journalism. Would fund and help promote a wider (more deserving?) ecosystem.
Took the chance to get catch the Bakerloop on launch day for lunch in Elephant Park. 20 mins from Lewisham through decent traffic. Excellent. Orbital Superloop is fine but London needs more of these arterial express buses.
September 27, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Took the chance to get catch the Bakerloop on launch day for lunch in Elephant Park. 20 mins from Lewisham through decent traffic. Excellent. Orbital Superloop is fine but London needs more of these arterial express buses.
If Mayoral boundaries are a challenge for devolving NHS stuff, it’s probably better for Mayoral boundaries to bend to Integrated Care Systems. Plenty wrong but still probably the least worst public service boundaries we have in operation imo. And just look at London’s five beautiful boroughs!
September 25, 2025 at 7:43 AM
If Mayoral boundaries are a challenge for devolving NHS stuff, it’s probably better for Mayoral boundaries to bend to Integrated Care Systems. Plenty wrong but still probably the least worst public service boundaries we have in operation imo. And just look at London’s five beautiful boroughs!
One to check back in on post-pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Can understand the concern. Will need to see the full plans, but allowing time-restricted deliveries and providing money for delivery consolidation centres and co-ordination to affected areas has to be part of the plan.
September 19, 2025 at 2:08 PM
One to check back in on post-pedestrianisation of Oxford Street. Can understand the concern. Will need to see the full plans, but allowing time-restricted deliveries and providing money for delivery consolidation centres and co-ordination to affected areas has to be part of the plan.
Slovenia just went and raised taxes - including on pensioners - to help pay for long term care. What a novel idea!
September 17, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Slovenia just went and raised taxes - including on pensioners - to help pay for long term care. What a novel idea!
The £20 mentioned does not seem to be reflected in the price available to Joe Bloggs
September 15, 2025 at 7:11 PM
The £20 mentioned does not seem to be reflected in the price available to Joe Bloggs
Casual 21GW wind power on a wet September evening
September 14, 2025 at 6:37 PM
Casual 21GW wind power on a wet September evening
Can cover the higher gas bill for some, go heat pump/solar/battery/EV for others, and plenty might spend on a holiday or TV (just like WFA). Accept the deadweight to get it done. Govt should be thinking beyond cash to benefits in reducing balance of payments deficit on O+G, about -0.8% each.
September 14, 2025 at 12:48 PM
Can cover the higher gas bill for some, go heat pump/solar/battery/EV for others, and plenty might spend on a holiday or TV (just like WFA). Accept the deadweight to get it done. Govt should be thinking beyond cash to benefits in reducing balance of payments deficit on O+G, about -0.8% each.
Raising VAT to standard rate on energy and removing all the levies would a) rebalance burden to make electricity cheaper and gas more expensive b) balance the home vs commercial charge point VAT gap c) make VAT simplification fanatics happier
September 14, 2025 at 11:37 AM
Raising VAT to standard rate on energy and removing all the levies would a) rebalance burden to make electricity cheaper and gas more expensive b) balance the home vs commercial charge point VAT gap c) make VAT simplification fanatics happier
This is the sort of thing that renews my belief in either junking charitable status entirely - or dramatically narrowing it at least - and removing/limiting tax benefits.
September 14, 2025 at 10:38 AM
This is the sort of thing that renews my belief in either junking charitable status entirely - or dramatically narrowing it at least - and removing/limiting tax benefits.
Could build three more New Towns further up the line.
September 13, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Could build three more New Towns further up the line.
Perfect spot, sitting on the underused and newly digital Great Northern line. Could be 4 or even 6 tph off peak on this branch. Already has some substantial plans in place for 5.5k homes but
September 13, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Perfect spot, sitting on the underused and newly digital Great Northern line. Could be 4 or even 6 tph off peak on this branch. Already has some substantial plans in place for 5.5k homes but
Pretty busy. TfL needs to get a move on building relief capacity trunk routes across the city and the feeder routes into town.
September 12, 2025 at 11:28 AM
Pretty busy. TfL needs to get a move on building relief capacity trunk routes across the city and the feeder routes into town.
Next you’ll be agreeing that HE in the UK was flooded with cash in 2012 and, even as the tide has receded due to fees freeze, remains comparatively flush compared to most peers. It’s a management and spending problem that has left institutions on the brink.
September 12, 2025 at 10:23 AM
Next you’ll be agreeing that HE in the UK was flooded with cash in 2012 and, even as the tide has receded due to fees freeze, remains comparatively flush compared to most peers. It’s a management and spending problem that has left institutions on the brink.
Hadn’t realised play-offs are not only as recent an innovation as the 1987-88 season, but that the first two years it involved one team from the First Division too.
September 11, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Hadn’t realised play-offs are not only as recent an innovation as the 1987-88 season, but that the first two years it involved one team from the First Division too.
Conclusions raise interesting questions: is there a way to time any of the N-S bottleneck works to try to minimise turn-up/turn-down costs? And was the current situation included in the cost-benefit analysis of the upgrades?
September 11, 2025 at 9:35 AM
Conclusions raise interesting questions: is there a way to time any of the N-S bottleneck works to try to minimise turn-up/turn-down costs? And was the current situation included in the cost-benefit analysis of the upgrades?
It’s not giving off huge ‘oh, we can go as long as we like’ vibes. Lot of pressure on Dempsey, his strike managerial debut. Seems to be pushing a line that Khan and TfL are divided or Khan has lost control that’s so transparently weak no reporting has bothered to follow up on it afaict
September 10, 2025 at 4:16 PM
It’s not giving off huge ‘oh, we can go as long as we like’ vibes. Lot of pressure on Dempsey, his strike managerial debut. Seems to be pushing a line that Khan and TfL are divided or Khan has lost control that’s so transparently weak no reporting has bothered to follow up on it afaict
If were a council leader in Sheffield (or Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster) I’d end every speech with ‘Meadowhall delendum est’.
September 10, 2025 at 2:39 PM
If were a council leader in Sheffield (or Barnsley, Rotherham and Doncaster) I’d end every speech with ‘Meadowhall delendum est’.
Manchester city centre is getting bigger in the draft Local Plan. Official annexation of Ancoats.
September 10, 2025 at 12:04 PM
Manchester city centre is getting bigger in the draft Local Plan. Official annexation of Ancoats.
Yep. It's an interesting angle to prove Krugman's 'productivity isn't everything, but in the long run, it's almost everything'. Financial repression of the younger, poorer non-asset holding classes - and the state itself - to appease the deflationary bloc was always doomed. Labour needs to bury it.
September 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
Yep. It's an interesting angle to prove Krugman's 'productivity isn't everything, but in the long run, it's almost everything'. Financial repression of the younger, poorer non-asset holding classes - and the state itself - to appease the deflationary bloc was always doomed. Labour needs to bury it.