When it rains, it now rains more. For those experiencing the flooding in south-west England, it is worth remembering that rainfall in winter has increased by about 25% overall. And, the rainfall has also become more intense: when it rains, it now rains more, increasing the risk of flooding.

Any chance Nigel of an update on the person you call a friend?

While the world sometimes seems metaphorically on fire right now, global warming is still progressing as well. In 2025, global warming delivered the 3rd warmest year since measurements began. A modest step down from 2024's records, but still well above 20th century norms. 🧪🧵

Our government's policy on Europe is heavily influenced by a desire not to alienate dead people.

New figures by the Bank of England demonstrate how much of a negative impact Brexit has had on the UK economy. Trade weakness combined with uncertainty has decreased our GDP, Investment, Employment, and Productivity, resulting in a negative decline for the UK compared to our European neighbours.

$5.9bn = the amount spent annually on protecting and restoring forests $409bn = the amount of subsidies going to agriculture industries destroying forests Anyone else see the problem here?

Latest blog is on how the Lib Dems have a point about biased media coverage - and the response to the rival net zero plans from Ed Davey and Nigel Farage proves it. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...

Pleased to have contributed a chapter on the Norwich by-election of 1904 to this book, published today (just as important as Barnard Castle but much less mentioned): www.politicos.co.uk/products/by-...

Imagine doing a deal with a bunch of fundamentalist crazies with no interest in the rule of law. Don't know what the Taliban are thinking.

Two weeks to go! Liberals, Europe and the people - Liberal Democrat History Group discussion meeting, 6.00pm, 30 June, with @robertsaunders.bsky.social, @morganj0nes.bsky.social and @nickalito.bsky.social - mailchi.mp/e87f8af44d0f...

It’s time for a bolder approach to the UK’s relationship with the EU. I know many Labour colleagues agree. I hope they will work with the Lib Dems to make it happen. A deeper trade deal would bring growth, help households and improve the public finances. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

I have been so excited since I found out this would be announced today! RIP any ability for me to concentrate: www.apple.com/tv-pr/news/2...

attn please, here is some further Murderbot footage to enjoy incl the definitely best little moment in All Systems Red

thinking about the amount of context necessary to explain to someone from 2010 what people are protesting with signs reading "cheap eggs not measles" or "tax the rich, not the penguins"

I stand with the penguins of Heard and McDonald Islands!

A while ago a lovely German man appeared at our church. He came a few times to look around during our Saturday opening hours, before asking if the piano abandoned in the corner worked. I told him it was horrendously out of tune, and the cathedral piano tuner had deemed it not worth sorting out.

The UK would now want to rejoin the EU by 55% to 33% Removing those that don’t know - that’s a 62.5% to 37.5% breakdown.

Fix the two-party system before someone turns it into a one-party system and it's game over. PR is like a seatbelt. You don't think you need it, until you're heading through the political windscreen at 60mph. And once that dawns on you, it's the last realisation ever.

GOOD NEWS! 🙌 🎉 🌲 South Korea announced it's cutting subsidies for #BigBadBiomass starting this month, signaling a shift away from burning imported wood pellets for energy, which is linked to deforestation in Southeast Asia. #GreenSky #ClimateSky

Contrast today - a minister going for the mere possible perception of conflict, despite no finding - with Johnson forcing out two (2) ethics advisors, one for finding Patel breached code and a second for refusing to clear a likely breach, after which none (0) was appointed for two (2) years. ~AA

This is such a key point. Some senior people within Labour are at risk of making a grievous error in how they perceive climate action. It’s not woke, it’s popular, and it’s key to their economic strategy. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/43...

Democracy does not matter to Labour www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2025/01... IPPR is the think-tank most listened to by Labour. In a new report on voting it says it will not consider proportional representation because Labour does not want it. No wonder politics and our democracy are in a mess.

There’ll be a lot of focus on national insurance, but it was also predicted there would be inflationary pressure on food prices this autumn because we’ve just had a historically bad harvest because of all the wet weather. It’s climate change, innit. www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Repurposed Assad tank in Syria.

This is a lovely read from Roger Harrabin on the time John Prescott almost got in a lot of trouble scuba diving with the BBC to try and highlight the plight of corals impacted by global warming. www.businessgreen.com/feature/4382...

Good thread & hi Torsten! More on this sort of thing here… bsky.app/profile/guys...

This review of Shipman’s latest by @samfr.bsky.social is really astute because it says what so many people miss about Sunak - he was an “ideologue in technocrat clothing” Out by Tim Shipman review — a tale of Tory arrogance, narcissism and incompetence www.thetimes.com/article/16a6...

Most people don’t know this: The most heat pumps per capita were installed in some of the coldest countries in the world. In the top right corner you find countries with cold winters and lots of heat pumps. Source is www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Government is again reiterating “growth is the No.1 priority.” The OBR report its quoting from says Brexit is on course to cut UK trade by a staggering 15% - a huge reduction in the country’s potential economic performance when every penny counts. We have to be able to talk openly about this