Leo Murray
@crisortunity.bsky.social
Trouble making. Problem solving. Doing my best to help. Mostly focused on making solar rail happen, at present
This isn't news, but it's still a shocking sign of what Elon Musk has done to the platform formerly know as Twitter 2 identical posts 2x as many followers on X as on Bsky 100x more engagement on Bsky than on X
Under a Binface government, anyone who doesn’t accept human-made climate change as fact will be sent back to school, from Year 1 right the way to A Levels, to see if anything goes in the second time round. #VoteBinface
The bus fare policy straight away is going to save my family £50 a month when it comes in. £600 a year is huge for a family in my situation. Actual real difference
It’s not just cycling and walking that motor traffic routinely assaults
A vehicle hits a rail bridge every five hours - Network Rail
We name Britain’s most bashed bridges and urge drivers to ‘Wise Up and Size Up’ as Christmas delivery season peaks.
networkrail.co.uk
What's a really obvious policy that could save people millions of people money *and* save the government £2 billion a year?
Reducing the cap won’t do much to help most bus passengers – just a fifth of bus journeys cost over £2 – but the passengers it will help are disproportionately lower income
On the week that Burnham takes up his post, here is a map of electrification on the English and Welsh railway. Non-electric in black. Spot a pattern? (and yes lots of branch and local lines missing) #ElectrifyBritainsRailway @noeldolphin.bsky.social @garethdennis.uk @crisortunity.bsky.social
Some further good news this morning as @michaelshanksmp.co.uk and @katiewhitemp.bsky.social keep their posts as (very good!) energy and climate ministers 🙌
As Ed Miliband leaves his post as energy and net-zero secretary, a final tally: There have been an incredible 251 newspaper editorials attacking him and his approach to net-zero since the start of 2024 That amounts to two editorials a week, mainly in the Sun, Daily Mail, Times and Daily Telegraph.
This. This is the correct, science-backed, responsible framing. Wish more news outlets did it like the CBC.
'Just stop burning fossil fuels.' Scientists stress that our smoky skies only have one true fix | CBC News
Smoky skies in Toronto have led to new scrutiny of government efforts to fight fires and manage forests. But scientists say the realistic way to tackle the smoke is fighting climate change itself.
cbc.ca
251 UK newspaper editorials attacking Net Zero since the start of 2024.
Met Office - weather and climate@metoffice.gov.uk · 2w agoHave you noticed an opaqueness to the blue sky this morning? Wildfire smoke from North America is drifting south across the UK, meaning the clear skies may not be as blue as you might expect 🌤️
Cutting VAT on electricity bills, albeit temporarily, is quite a significant give-away. At least the price of electricity is tightly regulated, so the cut won't be mysteriously swallowed up, unlike road fuel duty cuts
Woken at 4am by wildfire smoke filling the house. Southeast Wales, one of the UK's wettest regions, is shrouded in smoke today. You can feel it in your lungs. The climate crisis is now.
While the initial intervention may be fairly small, it hopefully indicates a direction of travel as the government gets up to speed. It obviously marks a stark contrast from the Winter Fuel Allowance announcement in the early days of the Starmer government…
Some initial observations: - It is only costed for October - April 2027 - which suggests another package at Budget in November - It won’t apply in Northern Ireland, due to EU rules (but Stormont will get equivalent funding) - It is clearly put in context of £150 saving on bills in last Budget
The new government’s first big policy announcement is removing VAT from electricity bills - from October onwards. Should save £40 - £45 on a typical annual bill and reduce the price ratio to about 3.4 (assuming bills don’t otherwise change dramatically in October) www.gov.uk/government/n...
New PM cuts tax on household electricity bills to give breathing space on cost of living
New Prime Minister takes immediate action to cut taxes on electricity bills to give millions of households breathing space this winter.
gov.uk
BREAKING: VAT on electricity bills is to be removed from 1 October, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has announced. The move is expected to take around £45 off the yearly Ofgem price cap.
From my POV then we broadly start this new Burnham Labour government with the situation unchanged: someone who knows & cares about climate & energy running DESNZ (phew!), DfT meh but not awful… …but most other things I care about, but don’t work on directly, continuing in the wrong direction
Leo Murray@crisortunity.bsky.social · 2w agoMiatta is almost the only person who could have been appointed to replace Ed at DESNZ who can actually fill his boots and then some! This is hugely reassuring, I feel much better
Really delighted to hear that @angelaeagle1.bsky.social has been appointed Environment Secretary. She has a keen interest in land ownership, supporting small-scale nature-friendly farmers, encouraging horticulture and holding power to account. bsky.app/profile/samf...
Sam Freedman@samfr.bsky.social · 2w agoMiatta Fahnbulleh to Energy (can't see her deviating much from the Miliband agenda) Angela Eagle to Defra
Miatta is almost the only person who could have been appointed to replace Ed at DESNZ who can actually fill his boots and then some! This is hugely reassuring, I feel much better
Leo Murray@crisortunity.bsky.social · 2w agoMy gut feel Keeping Mahmood in home office signals continuity of home office policy Same with Pat McFadden as work & pensions Shuffling Miliband out of DESNZ signals a break with energy security & net zero policy If this is correct, then, oh no
Oh thank the gods this is such a relief. Brilliant!
Politics UK@politicsuk.com · 2w ago🚨 NEW: Andy Burnham has appointed Miatta Fahnbulleh as Energy and Net Zero Secretary
"My parents came to Britain as Jewish refugees from the Nazis. To them, Britain was both a sanctuary and a beacon of hope in the global fight against fascism. I will carry my parents’ faith in that spirit of Britain to my role representing our country" - Ed Miliband on his appointment as Foreign Sec
