“You might as well just go for it. What’s the point otherwise?”
Ed Miliband on net zero, homegrown power and reimagining the economy.
Thoughtful interview www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-...
I am so excited to announce my book "Who Cares About Wales" will be out this Friday! What is even more exciting is the reviews. When you pour a year of work into 95,000 words you start to question if what you have written is any good. 1/3
The pattern will continue until we transition to renewables.
A far more open and honest autobiography than any of the political memoirs written by men that I’ve read. A fascinating concluding hope of a confederation of the British Isles (with an Indy Scotland). Enjoyed that Edwina Hart got a mention.
This is very good on personalities but also the fundamentals- UK govts since the financial crisis don’t know what to do in the era of low growth.
Ooof. Even if written for a US audience, highly relevant for UK.
If you're going to scold the left, this is how to do it: in good faith, based on deep personal experience, sympathetic to its values & goals.
I hope everyone in the green groups reads this.
Members of the Scottish Parliament have just voted to pass the world’s first piece of legislation on Community Wealth Building
This is a huge opportunity to ensure that when Scotland has economic growth, we use it to reduce wealth inequality and support communities to thrive
the key here is that Mandelson had stepped back from running Global Counsel but still had a huge shareholding in the business while he was ambassador
Nearly 100 peace walls still exist in Northern Ireland. Belfast has the only park in Europe separated by a peace wall. Now with a daytime gate. Really good read here on whether these walls will ever come down martin-fletcher.squarespace.com/why-belfast-...
I had missed the yougov polling finding on which party being in Govt in Wales is a nightmare scenario. Diddorol iawn > www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Wales in the only country in the UK with a local food partnership in all of our local authority areas. They’re helping us grow more healthy, sustainable and local food and getting it to those who need it most. www.buzzmag.co.uk/food-partner... @futuregencymru.bsky.social
Statement: Restoring nature is a literal life and death issue – and everyone has a role in it. Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, responds to the State of Natural Resources Report.
futuregenerations.wales/news/stateme...
@natreswales.bsky.social
Global water bankruptcy. Yes we’re very damp in Wales but we rely heavily on food imports from water stressed parts of the world > www.theguardian.com/environment/...
2.7m workers will benefit when the national minimum wage goes up to £12.71 in April 😍
Massive Caerphilly by-election poll!
Survation/Camlas poll makes it a two horse race:
Reform 41.61%
PC 38.29%
Lab 12.37%
Con 3.65%
LD 1.35%
Green 2.72%
Labour previously had an 18 point majority here and 46% of the vote.
The Tory vote has collapsed. 70% of their voters now going to Reform.
Our latest pod 'Why do we have a new Senedd voting system that no-one wanted?' is now on all the podcast feeds, where @lauramcallister30.bsky.social, Lauren McEvatt and Lee Waters MS discuss the new voting system for #Senedd26 #Wales #Cymru
Also on YouTube! 👇
youtu.be/91MyTLRa0iE
[me, a journalist who spends all day every day on a social media app where the discovery algorithm is personally controlled by its owner, captain birdseye] you know, a lot of people are talking about fish fingers, we should probably cover that
🥰 Good News Friday! RSPB Newport Wetlands is home to Wales’ only breeding colony of Avocet, the bird on our logo - and this year we’ve got a fantastic 13 Avocet chicks! Da iawn to all the dedicated staff and volunteers at RSPB Newport Wetlands!
📸 : Ben Andrew
The stereotype of a valleys authority is one where there is a lack of employment opportunities, but the latest figures demonstrate employment levels in Caerphilly County Borough are higher than the Welsh average ✍️James Pritchard, Caerphilly County Borough Council
5/ Markets need both supply 𝐚𝐧𝐝 demand. The UK government has historically focused on market architecture, which is great, but without policy to drive business investment, these markets risk failing before they start so this call for evidence is really welcome.
Learn more in our briefing ⤵️
📢 Excellent news: Defra has launched a call for evidence on expanding the role of the private sector in nature recovery.
We’ve been advocating for progress here alongside others. A thread on why this matters and what's next.
🧵 /5
@jaclarner.bsky.social from the Welsh Election Study: “Looking at the areas now voting Reform, they’re the same areas that always voted Labour, and it’s very easy to just make the logical mistake to assume it’s the same people doing it. That isn’t what we see” #Senedd26
www.ft.com/content/668f...
Was also quite pleased with this intro: Blackpool, Cardiff, Teesside, Kirkcaldy: Rachel Reeves’s spending review speech was peppered with more regional shout-outs than a drive-time radio show.
This is a WEL statement next to a photo of a chaffinch (a beautiful small songbird, with rusty orange on its front, and black, white and grey feathers for its wings), beak open as though it's speaking the statement itself, although is probably just a lovely song. It's perched on an old fence post, against a fuzzy background of trees. You can learn more about chaffinches and hear their song here: https://www.rspb.org.uk/birds-and-wildlife/chaffinch The text of the statement itself says: Wales Environment Link welcomes the Environment (Principles, Governance, and Biodiversity Targets) Bill and urges for stronger protections for nature This Bill is a crucial chance for the Welsh Government to respond to findings in recent reports by the Senedd and Audit Wales, which highlighted that the nature emergency hasn’t been enough of a priority for Wales. They must catch up to England and Scotland and deliver action for the environment in Wales. For this Bill to deliver its full potential, it must: Clearly enshrine environmental principles and a duty of integration of environmental protection in law, recognising biodiversity as the foundation of a healthy, sustainable planet Establish a genuinely independent governance body, with the authority and resources it needs to fulfil its remit Introduce a robust and ambitious targets framework that drives immediate action for nature
We're pleased to see Welsh Gov finally introduce the Environment (Principles, Governance & Biodiversity Targets) Bill to the Senedd today. Bring on a Nature Positive Wales! business.senedd.wales/mgIssueHisto...
Here's our response, below + in more detail here: waleslink.org/wp-content/u...
Did you know:
UK eats twice as much meat as the global average
Third of meat children eat is processed despite health risks
Young men (19-40) eat largest amount of processed meat
Big report out today by @foodfoundation.bsky.social
Junk food adverts delay quote card
❌ Yet again we see a government caving to industry pressure by delaying advertising restrictions on junk food!
Policymakers know the power of marketing - and unless we protect our children and shift the balance we're going to stay in a cycle of poor diets/health outcomes.
🔗 bit.ly/3PR0Gal
#HFSS
Despite world leaders’ pledge to end deforestation by 2030, tropical forest loss reached record highs in 2024.
Fires were the main cause, overtaking land clearances from agriculture for the first time on record.
See more from my colleagues’ analysis here: 🧪
New weight loss drugs “are not a panacea for the obesity crisis that has engulfed the nation,” writes David Kessler, a former F.D.A. commissioner. “But their effectiveness underscores the fact that being overweight or obese was never the result of a lack of willpower.”
With the right planning and with significant investment in infrastructure, around 25% of all veg in schools across Wales could be Welsh organic by 2030.
▶️ Read new report by @foodsensewales.bsky.social on #WelshVegInSchools
www.sustainweb.org/news/apr25-w...
