Richard
@rtruscott.bsky.social
Architect, work for a London Borough in Planning, Urban Design, Housing, Policy etc, like politics, culture & history, cycling…
Breaking. Donald Trump announces state visit to Piddington.
Let's grant Piddlington independence. Make them show passports & get Visas to leave the village and enter the UK! 😂 Make the parish council negotiate contracts with utilities, service providers, and trade deals with the UK government...🤣🤣🤣🤣 #piddington
Day 2420 of #Brexit: ‘Andy Burnham is facing calls to ensure the UK does not fall behind its international allies after the European Union opened the door to Canada becoming its first 'associate member'.’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/poli...
UK urged to follow Canada’s example as it looks set to be ‘associate member’ of EU
Canada’s PM Mark Carney is pivoting to Europe amid his country’s trade war with Donald Trump
independent.co.uk
Villagers in Piddington, Oxfordshire vote to leave UK in protest over migrant housing plan. Another mess, courtesy of Johnson & Sunak’s neglect of basic work processing asylum claims, which means temporary camps like this are needed. But not permanent… www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
English village votes to leave UK in protest over migrant housing plan
Villagers in Piddington, Oxfordshire, hold symbolic referendum over plans to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers nearby
theguardian.com
All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore - what a mess, undermines Sheeran’s attempt to reduce his bland, middle of the road reputation, hitting increasing division between corporate US/Israel & the rest of the West! www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
All supporting acts withdraw from Ed Sheeran’s tour in solidarity with Macklemore
Four openers and live band for Sheeran’s tour depart after removal of Macklemore over ‘free Palestine’ comments
theguardian.com
George Osborne saying Britain should rejoin the EU Customs Union as the simplest & quickest way to repair the undoubted harm to the economy of Brexit. He’s right, but I don’t think many people are inclined to listen to the architect of Austerity right now! www.theguardian.com/business/202...
George Osborne calls for UK to rejoin EU customs union and boost trade
Ex-Tory chancellor says economy has ‘fallen off a cliff’ since Brexit but rejoining union could be ‘quite simple’
theguardian.com
‘People think fame is a magic wand’: Jarvis Cocker on old songs, young fans and his granny’s verdict on Pulp. Great interview by Rebecca Nicholson www.theguardian.com/film/2026/se...
theguardian.com
The great Peter Kellner’s analysis of forthcoming Holborn St Pancras by-election; Zack Polanski would have to massively underperform both current polling & history of similar by-elections where a Labour govt had to defend against another progressive party…: kellnerp.substack.com/p/a-by-elect...
A by-election that the Greens should win
It will be terrible for Polanski if Labour holds Holborn & St Pancras
kellnerp.substack.com
Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growth www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Speed up electricity grid upgrade or else face higher bills, warns UK watchdog
National Audit Office says failure to implement £70bn modernisation would also hold back economic growth
theguardian.com
Don’t buy the lie about a war on cars. They’ve been waging a WAR ON WALKING for a century. #UrbanTruth #WarOnWalking
Well this is a man who's feeling very confident and not at all melting down in the background.
Aaron Rupar@atrupar.com · last wk.Q: On the checks, we have $40t in debt. If your economic policies are working, why do you need an incentive for people to turn out to vote? T: I'm doing it as a reward for having to put up w/Biden Q: You also offered tariff refunds-- TRUMP: Not you Q: And that didn't happen T: You're the worst
US citizens will receive $5,000 if Republicans win midterms, Trump claims in lengthy convention speech full of lies, offer that would cost US over $1tn, and asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’, despite being deeply unpopular among electorate www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
US citizens will receive $5,000 if Republicans win midterms, Trump claims in lengthy convention speech
President makes offer that would cost US over $1tn and asks voters to ‘pretend that I’m on the ballot’ despite being deeply unpopular among electorate
theguardian.com
Senior UK rabbis come out in support of sanctions on Israeli settlements Spiritual leaders stress diversity of views within Jewish community and warn against inaction on settler violence www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Senior UK rabbis come out in support of sanctions on Israeli settlements
Spiritual leaders stress diversity of views within Jewish community and warn against inaction on settler violence
theguardian.com
Rail Minister gives permission for Cambourne to Cambridge Guided Busway www.route-one.net/news/cambour...
Cambourne to Cambridge guided busway gets government nod - routeone
The government has given permission for a new guided busway between Cambourne and Cambridge after granting the necessary order.
route-one.net
Burnham urged to tackle inequality with policies including wealth tax. Key thinkers suggest other radical measures in Compass report such as free personal social care and abolishing Lords. Some really good ideas here! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Burnham urged to tackle inequality with policies including wealth tax
Key thinkers suggest other radical measures in Compass report such as free personal social care and abolishing Lords
theguardian.com
this is a Grant Shapps/privatisation nobody-in-charge foul-up which presumably defaults to British Rail to pick up the responsibility
Far-right port protests: police told to improve intelligence gathering - understandable as both Kent & Hampshire Police Intelligence seem to have been really incompetent in the face of meticulously organised, menacing, intimidating protest! www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...
Far-right port protests: police told to improve intelligence gathering
Whitehall officials ask why laws meant to clamp down on mask wearing at demonstrations were not used
theguardian.com
This is shocking & a massive failure by Kent Police! EXCLUSIVE: Did Kent Police ignore Dover blockade 999 call? – HOPE not hate hopenothate.org.uk/2026/09/07/e...
EXCLUSIVE: Did Kent Police ignore Dover blockade 999 call? – HOPE not hate
HOPE not hate can exclusively reveal that Kent Police were tipped off about the Patriot Platform mobilisation – and seemingly did not act.
hopenothate.org.uk
I think it’s good & about time that Ed Miliband to announce today that UK to adopt tougher stance on Israel with illegal settlements trade ban, essential to protect the #TwoStateSolution, the only way to achieve peace for Israel & justice for Palestinians www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
UK to adopt tougher stance on Israel with illegal settlements trade ban
Ed Miliband to reassert support for Palestinian rights and a two-state solution in move likely to draw fierce criticism from US and Israel
theguardian.com
Thinking back on the Reform UK conference, one of the big impressions it left was *cosiness*. This sounds odd given the rhetoric, but it reminded me of some Tory conferences and Labour under Corbyn, where it was often a comfort blanket for members, with no beliefs or failures really challenged.
Disaster yesterday in the pivotal east-central German Lande of Sachsen-Anhalt, with the fascist AFD just 3 short of an overall majority. The BSW (Sahra Wagenknecht’s “party”, with 5) can prove or not the horseshoe theory that far left parties are closer to far right than defenders of democracy!
Just a reminder, Professor James Orr, Reform UK head of policy, teaches 'ethics' to undergraduates at Cambridge University youtu.be/aXut3s90rUI
Seeing how easily Farage dismisses people who have been close aides for over a decade as "just contractors" makes me wonder if parties need to formally declare who their senior aides are in advance. So if there is a scandal the party can't just pretend they were "nobodies".
Another print. Love both Delauneys, this, by Robert, is a lovely rendering of the view from a window. Like 89 per cent of people in the constituency, this print lives in a flat. Thus far not a single vox pop has taken place in any of the many private or council estates in the seat.
With all respect to the BBC, the reason this story "matters" is not about whether it distracts from Reform's conference. It "matters" because it is important our leaders are not conspiring to break the law.
Wow - Farage himself, as well as several of his closest & most important advisors, are clearly I’m significant trouble for soliciting illegal donations & engaging in conspiracy to enable illegal donations to be funnelled to them! writesbright.substack.com/p/the-most-s...
The most shocking moment of Channel 4’s undercover Reform sting
Watch this immediately!
writesbright.substack.com
How the Delhi Metro Became a Leading Transit System, cutting carbon emissions & clogged vehicle traffic, connecting people, particularly women, to jobs, teaching people how to use the system, improving lives - great article from The New York Times www.nytimes.com/2026/09/02/h...
How the Delhi Metro Became a Leading Transit System
This year, the Indian capital’s subway system passed New York’s in length.
nytimes.com
I kinda get the sentiment but I really don't think it's a good idea to be blaming Thatcher in 2026.
Peter Stefanovic@peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 2w agoWednesday’s @theguardian.com front page: Brexit and Thatcher to blame for UK’s era of low growth, says Prime Minister @andyburnham.bsky.social
Burnham blames Brexit and Thatcher for ‘wrong turns’ in first Commons speech as PM - wow, the scale of ambition & coherence of analysis are very impressive; great counter to pessimistic commentators saying it’s just vibes, trivia & that nothing can be done! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Burnham blames Brexit and Thatcher for ‘wrong turns’ in first Commons speech as PM
The prime minister said Britain needed to be brutally honest about the mistakes of the last 40 years of UK politics
theguardian.com