My own pet theory is that McSweeney approach applies zero-sum Labour factionalism (which requires total defeat of your enemy to take control) to governing, ie seaaking to defeat large parts of the electorate, civil society & the economy. Not a total surprise to be at 19% in the polls.

This is good on the deliberate mistruths to attack protections for nature. Fingleton Review said Hinckley Point mitigations "will save just few hundred fish per year. EA’s figs show the actual figures to be 8,000 times higher". Cost of mitigation claimed to be £700m. Actual cost 7% of that figure.

"bands of rain...wintry showers scattered around...further risks of some heavy rain and local risks of flooding...further wet and windy periods, with widespread wetter than normal conditions" Worst February ever (quotes from BBC monthly outlook)

Implementation plan for Fingleton Review due by Feb (as already promised by Gov). "We are considering these recommendations in line with our objectives to achieve win-wins for nature and growth, as well as meeting our international obligations." questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

The Government is consulting on weakening flood protection planning guidance. This would be utter madness. I have made my views plain to the planning minister. The system is already failing; planning policy needs strengthening, not weakening. www.richardfoord.org.uk/news/article...

"Look up “one-party state” in a political dictionary and alongside Pyongyang there will feature Lewisham." (in last 12 years, just one opposition cllr elected and just for one term) www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Latest on the Commonwealth War Graves Gaza Cemetery: www.theguardian.com/world/2026/f...

More polling showing that weakening protections for nature is not a vote winner: 'nearly a fifth of people who voted for Labour in 2024 are less likely to do so again following the PM’s speech deriding the laws that protect nature as “unnecessary red-tape”' www.wildlifetrusts.org/news/anti-na...

TfL's board meets today to agree their business plan for the coming year. Lots of good stuff as usual to keep London moving but big risk at the heart of it is the reliance on future passenger income growth. Goes from just over 50% now to almost hitting 60% of overall income in 2029/30.

Actual sunshine! Might be the only sunny day in February so enjoy it while it lasts

DfT / Behavioural Insights Team / TRL report on carbon labels on consumer flight choices. 5 star (or cloud in this case) and % of recommended annual emissions info most effective. www.gov.uk/government/p...

Nature is the "ultimate foundation" for the economy, the King has told global experts meeting in Britain to discuss the decline in biodiversity. Charles told delegates at an @ipbes.net meeting that nature is "vitally important" and underpins the climate, food, water and air we rely on.

Thank you to CPRE for inviting me to their 100th birthday bash in the Lords yesterday - packed room with plenty of peers and MPs, despite the awful weather. CPRE centenary plans: www.cpre.org.uk/celebrating-...

How important is preserving the Green Belt to you? 4% not very important or not important at all 85% very important or quite important (More in Common, CPRE research published today)

The Government has today released a disappointing Forever Chemical Action Plan which will leave people and nature exposed to forever chemicals The action plan does not address PFAS emissions at source but instead leans heavily on more monitoring and guidance.

To what extent would you trust the following party leaders to protect Britain’s nature and countryside? @zackpolanski.bsky.social & @eddavey.libdems.org.uk top, Starmer not so much. From CPRE poll in www.thetimes.com/uk/environme...

We are very pleased that the Nutrient Profiling Model has been updated - this identifies which foods & drinks are unhealthy & should not be promoted. With local policies in place there can be fewer unhealthy ads on our streets & more space for healthy products ✅But ideally we need a national ban ❌

Ecotricity recently published a report saying heat pumps are expensive to run. But Carbon Brief exposes that is cherry-picks assumptions to reach a predetermined conclusion.

HMG in what passes for sunshine in January

No ball games No bikes No scooters No noise No kids on their own No fun

Bashing nature is not a viable electoral strategy for any party, plenty of polling shows it (eg see below). And as indeed Labour in government have demonstrated...

I've stuck a 50 page "summary" of the implications of all the changes in the National Planning Policy Framework up on LinkedIn but here's a much shorter five page briefing. Main points below: betterplanningcoalition.com/wp-content/u...

From DfT opinion tracker published this week - on its own this doesn't look great for EV take-up. But this is all car sales rather than new sales - 23% of all new car sales in 2025 were battery electric vehicles, much higher than the 13% expecting to buy a BEV.

Parts of England + Ireland are reaching the point of water stress - perilously close to not having enough water resources to meet demand, yet water firms have to be pushed, year after year, to take steps to address this. Explore water stress where you live on our map: share.google/DqfdTVWSPXMU...

National Wealth Fund strategic plan: www.nationalwealthfund.org.uk/media/ca1pvt... Does seem to be trying to do an awful lot, even with £19bn of its own funding to drive investment.

"We are right. They are all wrong." Well, I suppose it's quite a clear straightforward political position. From what CCHQ are badging as "Kemi Makes Important Speech" www.conservatives.com/news/kemi-ma...

Latest evidence that UK Treasury has one rule for roads, another for public transport 🛣️⚖️🚋 Leeds tram delayed for a business case, meanwhile business case delayed to get building Lower Thames Crossing. Ministers betting £billions on wrong horse 💸🎠

European car makers not doing too badly either under the EU's approach to cut car greenhouse gas emissions

Why are govt comms always stuck in hyperbole mode? Surely just adds to people's cynicism about government.

66% of recent increases in UK energy bills has come from wholesale gas prices, say @ukerc.bsky.social - 17% from grid charges, 13% from extra policy costs Despite gas accounting for 1/3 of generation, its price drives cost of electricity up to 90% of the time www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

📣 Welcome news for housing today from government with announcements from the housing minister Rt Hon Steve Reed OBE MP on ✅ Decent Homes Standard ✅ MEES ✅ Funding Read our reaction in full 🔗 ➡️ buff.ly/3yly1sT

Prioritising capital funding on the basis for its contribution to economic growth is all well and good until you look at what revenue budgets you need cut to pay for it www.theguardian.com/society/2026...

This is spectacular! Sales of fully battery powered trucks have shot past diesel trucks in China. Forget about hybrid and hydrogen trucks. We can now stop calling heavy trucking a "hard to abate" sector.

AEF thinks there's no place for crop-based biofuels in the UK SAF mandate, + this article from @OurWorldInData shows just one of the reasons - based on the current mix of biofuel crops grown, you’d need between three and six times the area of Germany. ourworldindata.org/biofuels-dem...

A thoughtful and interesting think tank paper on how to do infrastructure in the UK, about moving to a more collaborative model for infrastructure planning. Makes a change - hope this does lead to more of a debate on how to do this well. www.labourtogether.uk/all-reports/...

Heathrow expansion plans "based on assumptions about traveller behaviour, airline economics and capacity at other London airports that were more than ten years out of date, and...project is unlikely to be affordable" www.thetimes.com/business/com...

£1.5 million for a trial of "free" parking. The irony is strong with this one. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Excellent appointment - hopefully it won't stop Baroness Young from the valuable role she plays on the Labour benches in the Lords speaking out on environmental issues www.gov.uk/government/n...

Move over Preston, think tanks have discovered a new NW town to champion and overclaim for: www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Next election would be due in 2028, which would allow the vote to use the supplementary vote system being brought back in with the English Devolution Bill, currently in the Lords. Any by-election this year will be FPTP - expect lots of "X party can't win" here bar charts if so.

TCPA analysis of the new draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) for what it means for action on climate change. Minor progress on 3 policy areas Neutral on 5 Minor regression on 3 Major regression on 2 (operational emissions & flood risk)

The draft NPPF's biggest test is its ability to provide a positive pathway through the climate crisis. To do so, it must deliver against legally binding net zero carbon targets & secure the resilience of communities. However, it shows a tangible regression on climate policy. Blog: buff.ly/myrgqvi

Broken systems create broken results. HoL Environment Committee worked in good faith to bring forward solutions to make systems fit for purpose. Yet every single recommendation we made was rejected out of hand. The time for talk is over government needs to act urgently www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

With just 12 police forces, there wouldn't be an easy fit with 40+ new strategic authorities so presumably this means new police forces would only be accountable upwards to the Home Secretary. Not a great model for an effective & responsive public service. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

By contrast, just three of the councils where elections are going ahead are Labour. (though a handful more are no overall control where Labour are part of the administration)

As ever, Private Eye sees through the way the usual-suspect media are happy to swallow wholesale and then amplify the BS from Tufton St lobbyists when it comes to net-zero And, as ever, @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org made all these points the moment the coverage landed

Global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security report from HMG. Due last autumn but pulled at the last minute, but out today. Chancellor may not have much time for nature but here's why it matters for UK security and resilience:

White paper seems quite good from a very quick skim over lunch at our away day. Clear move from Ofwat as an economic regulator into a supervisory role for the new regulator and a sector plan (which is also spatial and with regional elements, as in HMT Infra Strategy approach).

"I have been quite surprised at how little push back we have got" said Matt Pennycook on the last NPPF which introduced policies to reduce the size of the Green Belt. So we're back with more measures to reduce it - summary below

...much of the good stuff has limited weight given the weighting given to overall housing targets in planning decisions, and the difficulty for councils in meeting these given the factors that mean volume private housebuilders build at a much lower level (& increasing delivery threatens profits).