NEW: After Gorton & Denton, how should we understand the threat to Labour's left?
Big new @persuasionuk.bsky.social report out with @38degrees.bsky.social on 'progressive defectors' - Lab 2024 switchers to Greens, Plaid, SNP, Lib Dems.
Who are they, who are they not & what's moving them? 🧵
Great to see this issue getting attention from MPs.
But also: look mum! There I am, in Hansard!
Big money has bought British politics
75% of Reform’s money has come from three rich white men
democracyforsale.substack.com/p/75-of-refo...
Well he does work for the murky swamp that is Policy Exchange. His radicalisation is complete.
(no longer a serving politician)
1908: the Lancet, one of the most respected scientific journals, calls for 18 age limit on reading in bed amidst a moral panic surrounding children becoming "addicted" to novels, which were "designed to keep kids hooked" and destroy their attention/mental health
I completely agree.
We need to put houses where jobs are and vice versa.
Oxford doesn't necessarily need more jobs - it absolutely needs more housing.
The City can't keep unilaterally approving new employment sites &expect the Districts to provide (all) the housing.
We need more joined up thinking.
Awesome - love that. It is so transformational, just everything feels much better.
Thank you email for joining the Green Party
Just joined UK’s Green Party for a few reasons. Starmer himself suggested ppl like me leave the Labour Party when he assumed leadership. Request granted. But the Greens’ recent success & polling (and more importantly their policy goals!) show them to be robust & viable.
join.greenparty.org.uk
Solidarity, Mothin 💚
Awesome thanks - exactly what I wanted. And indeed want nationwide :)
The problem wasn't really the negative campaign.
The problem is that it was a smear campaign based on lies.
And still Labour aren't offering any solutions to the highest drug deaths in Europe.
Let's have *that* conversation.
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Ah great, OK thanks Phil. So actually there's a very decent template for it in Scotland too (as an alternative to Oxon model). I was just in a meeting today reflecting on my role as AT champion in Oxon, and I thought I should do more to support national 20mph roll out as it's been so wildly good.
ah that's interesting too - thanks! yeah everyone (most people) want 20mph in their own villages and towns (unsurprisingly)
Rachel, Zack and Mothin
There's nothing the establishment is more scared of them a calm, kind, thoughtful gardener who happens to be a Muslim man in politics.
We'll stand together. Solidarity Mothin.
So I"m kind of interested in how it's possible to do it without everything kicking off, and I think the answer to that is "parish councils request it, divisional councillors have to confirm" and that hugely depoliticises it and makes it hard to create drama even for ardent anti-20mphers.
Yes exactly - the policy is great (I have friends who live in one of the 6 trial towns so have been interested for ages) BUT english tories running rogue facebook groups made it all kick off. Thing is, that wasn't really possible in Oxon cos so many Tory cllrs wanted 20 in their own divisions.
Did. Not. Know. This!! For same reason, ie basically no comment on it. I will look online later but do you have / know of any great article explaining how this happened without the press drama?
Fascinated by Scotland too tho - honestly didn’t know about this (which is kind of the point, I fear Oxon gets lost to central govt cos no drama). Did Scotland follow same approach (local community led?). Any articles on that?
Oh so basically I want to write to our Oxon MPs and get them to lobby gov’t to make it easier for local councils to do an effective 20 roll-out which they aren’t scared of doing. I feel that Wales has unnecessarily scared a lot of councils off despite evidence.
The data is clear: walking and cycling are good for our health, for the public purse, and for our cityscapes.
That's why @bristolgreenparty.bsky.social continues to push for better active travel infrastructure across our whole city.
www.bristol247.com/news-and-fea...
This is trash. I respect our Oxfordshire Lib Dems as they are delivering progressive transport policy which favours walking, cycling and buses (see congestion charge).
But this national LD nonsense? No. Public Transport costs have risen far faster than driving, we need to rebalance.
Brilliant
This IPSO adjudication against the Telegraph is quite something
Confirms their story titled: ‘We earn £345k, but soaring private school fees mean we can’t go on five holidays’ was completely fabricated, with the family involved non-existent and stock pictures used
www.ipso.co.uk/rulings/0210...
This is important. Reform keep taking positions that are only supported by the 25% of the electorate they already have and in doing so are negatively polarising everyone else against them.
If I was trying to elicit sympathy I probably wouldn't go for Russian UFC teams and crypto guys. But that's just me.
Does anyone know of a case study about Wales vs Oxfordshire 20mph roll-out?
The former was National and caused huge amounts of hysteria, the latter was PC led and got almost no drama / press (beyond local newspapers).
A headline from GB News stating: Motorists switch to using public transport to avoid paying £5 daily congestion charge
In shock news, motorists have switched to public transport to avoid paying the Oxford Congestion Charge.
A spokesperson* said: "This is exactly what was meant to happen, and it did."
"Of those who voted Labour [in 2024], just 37% would vote Labour again".
Read that again to absorb the full, astonishing weight of what it means.
Starmer, Reeves and co have burnt their house down.
news.sky.com/story/greens...
