I was 38 when I decided to move from Canada to the UK on a highly-skilled migrant visa. I knew I was taking a risk leaving behind a secure job with potential for progression and the option to live in cities with a lower cost of living than UK cities. (1/2)

🚨Breaking: Apprenticeships will shift to the Department for Work and Pensions in the Whitehall skills policy shakeup, Jacqui Smith confirms feweek.co.uk/dwp-will-tak...

Thinking about all in #localgov waiting on ministerial decisions. Another drawback of a centralised state. Reshuffles and stasis afterward obvs can happen anywhere and at any tier. But in most OECD countries you wouldn't see this many decisions about local matters held up after political churn.

I grew up watching baseball - the crack of a bat hitting the ball and the low murmur of the crowd are the soundtrack to my childhood. Watching @bluejays.com live on BBC as I eat supper feels like time travel. Normally I huddle in bed with my app, hoping the game finishes by 5 am. #basescoveredlive

I will be incredibly disappointed if this turns out to be true. When I was growing up, my hometown #yeg was an oasis of sanity in a rabidly redneck province. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

And breathe...

The William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow is such a little gem. The current Morris Mania exhibition is well worth catching.

Right to buy in England ‘fuelled housing crisis and cost taxpayers £200bn’ www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

What amazes me about Stockholm is not the excellence of its public transport system nor its residents' willingness to commute by active travel measures. It's how badly its city centre is still scarred by the legacy of motorway-enthralled planners.

Damn it's hard to leave a job you love, even when you know it's time to seek a new challenge. Cannot thank London Councils colleagues, members and officers at boroughs, and partners across the capital enough for a magical three years. Getting to serve a place you love truly madly deeply is 🤩.

I ❤️ London

Explaining Canada Day To Americans

What makes me laugh about the current weather in London is that I'm persuaded that my Italian friends would be wearing a jacket if they were here. Or a cardigan, minimum. 🥵

Just shared a laugh with a stranger of a different ethnic background at a London bus stop. But I suspect that, like me, the other may be foreign-born. Can't work out if that counts as integration in Goodwin's world view.

L😍ND😍N

My Canadian university, Queen's, is offering TWENTY 4-year funded PhDs (40k CAD/yr) for a student of ANY citizenship who has been accepted at a top 100 US university but have had offer rescinded OR are reconsidering offer due to US policy. Details found here👇 www.queensu.ca/grad-postdoc...

A reminder that households in poverty in London spend a significantly higher proportion of their net income on housing costs than similar households in the rest of England. London's streets are not paved with gold but even if that were the case, council tax is regressive, not redistributive.

It may be unseemly how much I love the Elizabeth Line.

A map, a myth and a pre-Incan lagoon: the man who brought water back to a drought-ridden town www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

‘It was simply mind-blowing’: readers remember seeing Star Wars for the first time www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ju...

Rachel Reeves to unveils £39bn housing boost in spending review shake-up www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

"The Treasury is hardwired to act as a secretive controller of a strongly bilateral process that hands out the spending bottom line to departments with no place for meaningful collective political and official discussion and trade-offs..." www.civilservicereformuk.com/single-post/...

It's positive that councillors will now be given the ability to attend meetings remotely. But I'm Canadian enough to question why this had to be a national government decision and not a matter left to local discretion.

May one day you love anything as much as Edmonton loves the Oilers.

This definitely reflects my experience of having worked in NHS Test and Trace. The most frustrating part was that few in central govt seemed to recognise, let alone value, the expertise of #localgov, esp Directors of Public Health. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

In the early 80s, we took it for granted that my hometown @edmontonoilers.bsky.social would not only make the Stanley Cup Finals but would emerge the victors. It's much more hard fought just to get to the last round in back to back years so extra proud and excited now. #LetsGoOilers

If you want to know how insanely centralised England has always been, here's a 1969 story about the Ministry of Transport making the decision on allowing a new pedestrian crossing (the Minister didn't permit it - not enough pedestrians and they could dash across in gaps in the traffic, apparently).

Still pinching myself after getting to attend the launch night for Soho Theatre Walthamstow earlier this month. London Borough of Waltham Forest took a smart risk in investing to bring the building back to life and worked closely with partners to secure apprenticeships & jobs for local people.

May the 4th be with you. youtu.be/Sv5iEK-IEzw?...

Once you've reduced immigration, closed some universities, accepted Brexit is permanent and told everyone how patriotic you are - what then? How are you growing the economy? Improving public services? Reducing poverty? Etc etc...

Come on, @edmontonoilers.bsky.social. Let's sustain the good vibes for Canada. www.nytimes.com/athletic/631...

What I'm watching: www.youtube.com/live/5vfaDsM...

NIMBY – Stands for “Not in My Backyard.” From the Old English "nimm bæc yarde," meaning “no change shall occur within sightline of my bird feeder.”

Currently kidding myself that I won't be waking up every hour on the hour to check results. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Oh 🇨🇦. Vote wisely.

Be still, my heart. Anne of Green Gables (1985 version, of course - the only one, as far as I'm concerned) now available to purchase on Prime. My DVD copy is so old that I have to turn over the disc at the halfway point. www.amazon.co.uk/Anne-of-Gree...

When I moved to Brum, Nick was amongst the first to make me feel welcome. He wanted so much for Birmingham and, even though he had doubts about the council, he never showed me anything but the most incredible generosity and grace. Going to try to focus on gratitude for having known him. RIP Nick. ❤️

Londoners may have the highest average incomes, but their spending once you account for housing costs is lower than other regions. London’s household spending is very unequal: within-region gaps in consumption are often as important as the differences across regions.

The moment I long for all year...

Voted. 🇨🇦

Star Wars original cut to be screened this summer in London www.theguardian.com/film/2025/ap...

Re-enfranchised and it feels so good.

Sunset at 7:30 again!

For most of my life, I've lived in cities where it's common not to live near friends. Awfully nice now to live close enough to @rebeccamelliot.bsky.social to have a quick lunch interlude in the middle of a weekday. Bonus when it involves sunshine and supporting a local business.

Canadian travel to the US is absolutely cratering.

Stephen Harper's government took away my right to vote in 2015 but the Supreme Court restored it. Any Canadian ex-pats like me who aren't currently on the International Register of Electors can register for a special ballot here before April 22nd: www.elections.ca/content2.asp...