Lib Dems: very good at tactics (eg bar charts). Not so good at strategy or brand. (44% voting for them "to stop party I dislike". Lowest score of any party voters on "best represents my values")

Good news - would be a bit of a shocker if they didn't accept the CCC's advice though

"Call for evidence Section 1: Solar canopies on new outdoor car parks DESNZ analysed responses from the call for evidence Section 1 and concluded that this policy will not be taken any further at this point." Pretty disappointing - especially as the words above are the extent of the Govt's response

This is probably a good thing (despite the Americanism) but I'd have thought we do the main blocker (it starts with HM and ends in Treasury). www.gov.uk/government/n...

"Bold changes". Neighbourhood guarantee sort of mix of John Major's Citizens Charter with Tony Blair targets for local govt www.gov.uk/government/n...

"An embrace of machismo, ‘build baby build’ policies, with focus on speed pushing out other considerations, has left taxpayer with £50bn overspend. If Govt had listened to civil society then, we could have a capacity boosting, bat-tunnel avoiding, in-budget HS2 now" www.linkedin.com/posts/matthe...

Looks like the Treasury are hinting at something... www.gov.uk/government/p... (just sent round departments)

- Subsidising consumption in the face of a supply shock - reducing incentives to drive less/switch to EVs - using up limited fiscal space to help better-off drivers rather than the most vulnerable. Hard to think of a worse policy right now.

King's Speech was last week (including draft bills) so pretty unclear when legislation would actually be tabled on this. www.gov.uk/government/n...

Instead of banning private jet flights during the fuel crunch to protect people’s summer holidays, we’re doing this

"Shall we tell motorists that they might have to drive slightly slower to conserve fuel, fellow Minister?" "Nah, let's betray democracy instead." www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

"Government has said it would offer 'incentives' to the supermarkets, which...could include easing packaging policies and potentially delaying costly changes to rules around healthy food" Govt dropping extended producer responsibility and other rules which seek to cut packaging waste?

The UK media and parliament seem curiously unbothered by global events (Commons is spending its time discussing the King's Speech and Mandelson, again). Meanwhile the EU has an action plan on imminent fertiliser shortages...

16,000 people from property, development and planning are gathering in Leeds this week for REiiF conf. Looking through the programme, seem like very much invested in Labour as the partner at a national and local level. Almost 40 Labour panellists on day 1 tomorrow compared to 4 Reform & just 1 Green

Makerfield isn't the only contest for Andy Burnham. This week, he's also competing with other metro mayors in a DJ soundclash at REiif development conference "The sickest night of the year" apparently.

Shocked. Though not really sure why this week is the week to do it when the rise doesn't come in till September (aside from internal Labour party manoeuvring).

130th anniversary of Hilly Fields becoming a park today. Saved by Octavia Hill, when she wasn't founding @nationaltrust.org.uk, running a housing assoc and trying to stop women having the vote.

"There is a clear dissonance between what GDP measures and what people value, and this dissonance has become particularly acute over the last decade. The clear implication: The world needs to move Beyond GDP - now." www.un.org/beyondgdp

On current polling, it looks unlikely that any one party is going to have a majority at the next general election - also driven by people voting against particular parties. Informal or formal electoral deals could make a difference. So which bloc are more likely to work together?

Just over a week since the elections across the UK, our Head of Campaigns and Public Affairs Ruth Billingham explains what the new political landscape means for walking and wheeling. Read her blog here: https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/blog/elections-2026-one-week-on/

From Persuasion's polling on local election results - pro-net zero polices are not significant driver of Labour loss of votes to Reform. Only 12th most important reason far behind general incompetence, small boats and cost of living.

"There are currently more than one million empty buildings across Britain...Every one of those empty buildings represents a family that could have a home, a community that could have its heart back, a high street that could have a reason to exist." www.dontwastebuildings.com/news/xebr2fb...

For constitutional fans, the two offices of profit (which allow MPs to be appointed to them in order to resign) are currently in the hands of the two SNP MPs who've resigned after just being elected to the Scottish parliament.

What's with all the Great War language in Labour leadership? Politics has the weirdest language. "I was proud to fight alongside you in the trenches of that campaign" "going over the top" to challenge or call for change

No Heathrow or other stakeholder quote in the briefing on the aviation bill (unlike lots of other bills). Might be a sign that all not sweetness and light?

Now out of the webinar I was presenting in and looking at the briefing docs, I'm not sure the two bills on these will actually make much difference.

"Legislation will be introduced to unlock the benefits of airport expansion enable roads to be built at pace including the Lower Thames Crossing". All out on clean energy but these two will add to UK's carbon emissions

In today's #KingsSpeech, we'll be hoping for news of a new Clean Air Act to put solutions for tackling pollution into action. 70 years on from the first Clean Air Act, only a handful of neighbourhoods meet @who.int limits for toxic air. Itʼs time to clear the air. It's time for a Clean Air Act.

"Ending the opportunity crisis" Why does political communication end up with such weird language? www.gov.uk/government/n...

Oxford St pedestrianisation still not quite settled - possible legal challenge after Westminster changed hands last week www.onlondon.co.uk/westminster-...

Seeing this earlier got me thinking about how the Westminster bubble has also shrunk. When I started in advocacy 25 years ago, there was a desire to root things in practice on the ground. Panels had people from councils, community groups & charities actually delivering stuff. (1/)

Does this matter if the Conservatives are only on 17% in the polls? Yes - not least as likely Reform would only be able to govern with Con support, and Conservatives would be placed to be a check on the most extreme Reform policies. But that won't happen if their policies are basically the same.

This morning I am editing a joint letter to the PM and considering signing someone else's joint letter to the PM. Seems slightly redundant.

Britannia Unchained. But with the background coloured red. www.labourgrowth.co.uk

I was speaking on a panel at lunchtime about the election results. So far this year, they have not shown an interest in compromising with the electorate, with many policies that are not popular (eg fracking). (1/)

"Interesting" new addition to Natural England's board announced today: "Rachel Danemann is currently Regional Planning Manager for the Midlands and South-West with the Home Builders Federation, where she is also the national lead for Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG)." www.gov.uk/government/n...

I am sure this will be a good event but beyond "emerging narratives" I'd also be interested to know what the elections might mean in practice for the environment with a completely new govt in Wales & all the new Green and Reform councils, and what they might do green-alliance.org.uk/event/whats-...

My personal favourite: The Bison and Elk Return Bill

First past the post - 75% of the seats on less than a third of the vote.

Pretty earthquakey. Labour have run Lewisham continuously for over 50 years, with over 99% of cllrs over the past 12 years.

Been away from election news and messages today, instead walking the North Downs Way. This is the Woodland Trust's Marden Park.

Land has never been under more pressure. Our Land Use Conference this summer convenes experts, farmers, changemakers and decision-makers to face the crisis head-on at @ucl.ac.uk. 🔗 Register here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/running-ou...

Salamander News will be reporting live as the results come in .. Lewisham's only independent news outlet www.salamandernews.org/lewisham-ele...

IPPR calling for lower speed limits but also fuel duty cuts as response to oil shock: www.theguardian.com/business/202... There are different goals in how to respond and policies to achieve one shouldn't undermine others. I'd suggest there are probably three goals for transport (1/)

After weeks of local election leaflets telling me Lewisham secondary schools are "the most improved in the country" I feel I need to post this graph pointing out that they're still the third worst in London for actual results.

Labour factionalism is just pretty tedious for everyone else, isn't it? Talking alongside other parties? The horror! www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Latest YouGov Westminster voting intention poll shows Lab up in London compared to Greens (31% to 19%). Maybe a change of methodology ("from constituency vote projected by YouGov MRP mode") but maybe not quite the big changes that might have expected?

My pedantic hill to die on is that golf courses take up much less land than is claimed. Maybe 0.3% of land in England is golf courses. Solar will be 1% of land by 2050 (Climate Change Committee CB7 advice) and maybe more given data centres energy needs as well as decarbonising aviation & shipping.

SMMT's new sales data for April is out. As well as continued rise in battery electric car sales (with SMMT now upping their forecast for the year), new diesel cars are disappearing from our streets. This is year to date sales - April's share for diesel even lower at just 4%.

Beccy Speight, CEO of the @rspb.bsky.social, has urged Keir Starmer to stop pitting nature against development. "Nature is probably one of the last great unifiers, and politicians need to lean into that," she said. www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...