How cars ruin cities. Exhibit 1:

Rob Reiner: “Silence in the face of authoritarianism is complicity. Speaking out is a patriotic act. Democracy doesn’t defend itself. It requires participation, vigilance, and courage from ordinary people."

Credit to Evan Davis and the BBC. This is one of the best and most accessible pieces I’ve read on 20mph speed limits in the UK www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This entire grift relies on convincing people that they don't know how to do the things they have always known how to do, and ironically, if it works, we will, in a very short amount of time, forget how to do all the things we have always known how to do.

Exclusive: More than 50 groups connected to transport and public health have urged the transport secretary, Heidi Alexander, to set specific targets for levels of walking and cycling in England, warning that plans as they stand are too vague. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

There are some people who seem to see the recovery of ecosystems in a deforested waste as a personal affront. It's about power, and different landscapes reflect the different ways in which power is distributed - or concentrated. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

We can’t afford to do what every other country did years ago for our railways, but people need to drive their kids to school in a tank

Dominic Cummings has this racialised take on David Lammy There is an increasingly prevalent kneejerk online rightwing trait to call the presence of any black or Asian person a diversity hire

There are so many hateful, far-right X accounts with hundreds of thousands of followers accumulated since 2022 constantly attacking the U.K not because they have better arguments, but because X’s crypto-fascist owner has gamed it for them. But, you already knew that. news.sky.com/story/the-x-...

If you starve public services that would have traditionally responded to matters like this, then don’t be surprised stuff like organised crime proliferates www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

I just don’t buy the Council’s unhelpful response here. Ludicrous, that a city the size of Birmingham has for a long time only had one Conservation Officer (and a part time one at that): Fears for historic sites blamed on staff shortage www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Some great reporting from @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social and partners here.

Near neighbour is in the process of cutting down tens of beautiful trees in their back garden. A decades old orchard has been the first victim. A haven to many garden birds. It’s terrible watching this nature vandalism happen in plain sight with nothing in the way of redress.

That's racism. Plain and simple. No other word for it. It's shocking beyond belief that this sort of thing is somehow acceptable.

Next week, Reform faces a key by-election in Wales. Yet voters in Caerphilly know none of this. Even tho Reform’s candidate is Nathan Gill’s former assistant. We are at a critical point of failure in Britain. The delay of the authorities, the silence of the media.. 6/

Shipping emissions levy abandoned as countries bow to US pressure. Trump threatened countries, and individual officials, with tariffs, penalties, visa revocations if they supported the pricing mechanism to curb emissions Fossil fuels lobby wins again. Presidents can be replaced, planet earth can't

Unbelievable that TikTok & Insta are amplifying 1970s ‘jokes’ about N*****s & P***s to a whole new generation. Bernard Manning, of all people, is back in fashion…

This does not make an easy read for those of us hoping Birmingham City Council’s governance and culture might change post its effective bankruptcy - Parents at Raddlebarn Primary tried to raise the alarm. The council investigated them for bullying www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/the-headteac...

Amazing to see what's happening with rail in mainland Europe, while we're still building massive road schemes and cancelling HS2. Helsinki to Palermo by train – imagine!

It [the Probation Service] needs investment, but also human capital in the form of experienced staff who can build relationships with offenders and younger recruits. Mr Jones’s cry for help on behalf of the service must be heard. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

While I understand the BBC’s imperative to provide balance in stories, at times it can feel completely ludicrous. Data vs one person’s entirely anecdotal opinion isn’t balance.

It took until right at the end of the article to vaguely mention that food prices are shooting up because of the ravages of the climate crisis on food production. Leaders should be saying that. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

BRITAIN IS NOT IN CRISIS! People that hate this country are willing it to be because they stand to profit handsomely. Challenge this negative rhetoric at every opportunity.

I’m a broken record on this, but — there are so many examples of famous people radicalised by midlife career/personal knockbacks. Ant Middleton was on yday’s march. He got done for tax offences and lost his TV work. Now he’s mates with Tommy Robinson.

Started / Going

Do we really need the death of an extremist American podcaster who was relatively unknown in the UK to dominate our headlines for this many days?

Green leader Zack Polanski calls for Farage’s resignation over tax, on BBC Any Questions: "Farage has changed his personal business to make sure he could avoid tax for his appearances on GBNews. That’s perfectly legal, but is that in the Nolan Principles? Absolutely not. [He should] step down too.”

Jeez part deux

Jeez..

A glimpse into the murky world of illegal window tinting lauralaker.substack.com/p/hundreds-o...

Is Birmingham still the UK's second city? Many of the statistics are grim: 🏚️Second highest rate of economic inactivity (25% of the working age population). 🎒 The worst performing region for GCSEs in the country. 🎓The lowest graduate employment share (30%) of any large UK city.

This is vile. Local guy speaks to Sky News about the impact of asylum seekers protests. Watch what happens and share widely

Part of the problem of getting anywhere reliably by bus in Birmingham in rush hour is the number of drivers who obstruct bus routes through unlawful parking. Purchase some damn tow trucks already. Every avenue to try to raise this issue is a dead end. Do leaders in this city actually use buses?

5 yrs ago, the Gvt consulted on how dangerous pavement parking could be tackled in England. The Gvt has yet to respond. If pavement parking is a problem in your area – fill out our form and add to our map of danger hotspots across the UK. act.livingstreets.org.uk/page/176767/...

Why on earth do the Tories want to keep people locked into high energy bills? And, come to that, why is the BBC citing Reform but saying nothing about climate science or renewable alternatives? Complete madness - except for the fossil fuel industry of course

Most doctors, most of the time, draw on their years (decades, in my case) of medical training & expertise to do the best we can for you. What distinguishes us from snake oil salesmen - persuasive grifters who prey on human fears to line their pockets - is our expertise & our integrity. Trust… 1/n

Another excellent feature from @birminghamdispatch.bsky.social Now a walking route, the city's first dedicated commuter line has a huge legacy www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/how-harborne...

More concerned mums at Epping

Why, you might ask, do the BBC and Sky News, casting their editorial guidelines to the wind, keep giving massive airtime to the far right, while shutting out leftwing voices? Don't their bosses understand the likely consequences? Only one explanation now remains. They do. And it is what they want.

No doubt people will defend themselves for having the right to choose but this is grossly irresponsible IMO. This is what a deliberate minimising of the climate emergency by powerful stakeholders does to the public.

It’s a quid for 4 hrs! Anyone would think the world is caving in. Cannon Hill Park hasn’t suffered following charging. The doom mongering simply isn’t rational. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Eesh. Notts Reform leadership blacklisting both the local paper and the local democracy scheme that covers the council for the BBC. Don’t like this at all www.nottinghampost.com/news/news-op...

What on earth are we doing??? This is not normal

It is clearly the case that asylum protests were smaller this weekend than the small over-hyped protests on August 8th, and smaller than in the second half of July. No broadcast outlet has accurately conveyed that + asked why: they have explicitly stated and inferred growing protests

Probation Service and the impact these reforms will have upon it’s already precarious state is barely mentioned www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Flying English flags from street furniture is basically this year’s Ice Bucket Challenge isn’t it?

This story is a few months old but I just saw it. It's the far right account Jenrick was DM'ing. A spectacular if depressing irony...

Once again, excuse me if I don’t seem very patriotic when other things on lampposts include the Flag of St George’s and suggest rejecting me because I’m poison. Take the bloody flags down already.

Why is the debate around criminality and shoplifting I’m listening to on Radio 4 not talking about WHY there has been such a rise? It’s maddening. You won’t solve this be reactive responses.

A sad case of the Beeb falling for the PR. Hammerson, its Bullring and the Council have done a sterling job sucking retail out of swathes of Birmingham City Centre: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...