I study racist politicians from the Jim Crow era and this is on par with anything that John Rankin, Theodore Bilbo, or Cotton Ed Smith ever said in public

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Globe showing the Atlantic Ocean with arrows depicting the AMOC circulation: warm surface currents (pink/red) flowing northward from the tropics toward the Arctic, and cold deep return currents (blue/purple) flowing southward. The background shows sea surface temperature trends, with a prominent blue cold patch, the "cold blob", south of Greenland, contrasting with warming (orange/red) across the rest of the ocean.

1/ There's a system of ocean currents in the Atlantic that shapes Europe's #climate, drives monsoons, and keeps sea levels stable along the US coast.

In the last 5 years, the scientific evidence that it could collapse has shifted dramatically.

Most people have no idea. 🧵

Start of spokes article #Holyrood2026 : Travelling Backwards The Holyrood election on 7 May is critical to active travel and wider transport policies and budgets for the next 5 years. Is there a local project being planned that you’re looking forward to? – in Edinburgh, say Meadows to George Street, or Portobello to Musselburgh? When and if such projects will happen depends largely on the existence and size of the Scottish Government active travel budget. Sadly and shockingly, in view of the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, and the need for healthier lifestyles to help the NHS crisis this year’s manifestos mark a massive deterioration in active travel policies as compared to the 2021 election – or even 2016. This article includes an analysis of the various party manifestos, and lots of other relevant info. We will add more as it becomes available.

Table comparing AT investment promises in 2021 and 2026 manifestos. Sorry, tables don't come out well in ALT text! Key to tables below++Very good and/or best+good=mixed, unclear, or less good than other parties-poor (or unrealistic) - -very disappointing NNot in manifesto [N is generally disappointing, but depends on the issue, so think!] Page numbers shown are to pages of each party’s 2026 manifesto 2026 v 2021 comparison of AT Investment manifesto commitments Sadly and shockingly, in view of the climate crisis, the cost of living crisis, and the need for healthier lifestyles to help the NHS crisis the 2026 manifestos mark a massive deterioration in active travel policies as compared to the 2021 election – or even 2016. Only the Greens, and to a lesser extent the Lib Dems, retain positive approaches. Whilst this applies to many policies and promises, the astonishing contrast is seen clearly in this comparative table on the top issue, active travel investment AT Investment Conservative Green Labour LibDem Reform SNP 2021 manifestos [AT funding then was approx £116m, roughly 3.5% of total transport] + 10% by 2026 ++ £320m immediately [approx 10%] rising further + 10% [unclear if soon or by 2026] = “aim” to double existing [this would be approx 7%] N/A = 10% of “capital” bgt by 2026 [BUT this is less of the total transport bgt] 2026 manifestos [AT funding is now approx £163m, roughly 3.9% of total transport] - - p35; p75 cut the AT budget; end ring-fenced cash to councils ++ p26 at least 10%; multi-year funding N = p66 “Invest in active travel for the first and last mile” - - p11 End ring-fenced cash to councils = p64 £2.5m for bike repair; new fund for outdoor recreation paths

Table of party manifesto comparisons (page 1) 2026 manifesto overall comparisons Note that the manifestos include more transport policies/promises than are shown here, particularly on walk, bus and rail. We hope this table includes most of the items directly relevant to cycling, as well as some relevant wider transport issues. Also, note that if something is not in a manifesto, it doesn’t mean it won’t happen, though it is less likely to. Issue Conservative Green Labour LibDem Reform SNP AT Investment [from above table] - - ++ N = - - = Extent of cycle/AT routes/networks ambition - - p36 “End the obsession with cycle lanes” Cycle lanes only ok if not using road or pavement space ++ p26 “national blueprint of walking, cycle and wheeling networks“; faster Council AT project delivery N + p66 “Investing in active travel for the first and last mile” = p23 Rural Scotland: “support outdoor recreation ... cycling … with accessible paths” = p64 outdoor recreation paths fund; no Roseburn tram; support Powderhall AT path [see note 3 below] Is AT recognised and supported as a public health measure - p57 Only considers leisure centres & sport + p163 “space to walk, run, play, wheel and cycle is a right not a privilege” N ++ p33 & p61 “Supporting wellbeing by making it easier for people to use active travel” N N Neighbourhoods / Car-free lifestyles N + p118 “Support local living and 20-minute nbd approaches” N + p52 New towns “prioritising features such as rail links.. and 20-minute nbds” N N Disincentivise car use/ Demand management - - p35 “End the war on drivers”; No targets; stop any Workplace Parking levies or congestion charging ++ p22 Seek road-user taxation powers for Scotland ++ p33 Levy on out-oftown retail, to support towns + p89 Business rates replaced by a new levy favouring town centre retail & hospitality = p73 “Moving all forms of transport away from fossil fuels” – But carrotsonly approach - - p21 “End the war on the car“ N 20mph - p36 20mph only ok where locals…

Table of party manifestos (page 2) Potholes - - p33 Fund pothole filling by cutting (scrapping?) the AT budget N + (or - -) p49 £350m fund [see note 1 below] + p64 “fair funding” for councils; use of new technology + p21 “Fix potholes” + p72 “up to £350m” for potholes & resurfacing Air pollution including Low Emission Zones - - p36 Halt more LEZs and reduce fines in existing ++ p118 expand LEZs, plus stronger monitoring N - - p21 Abolish LEZs N Transport integration, with respect to active travel = p38 Rail, bus & tram integration; no mention of walk/ bike + p22, p26 Better AT links to public transport; All new rail, bus, tram to carry bikes N N N N Road building - - p34 New law to fasttrack trunk road upgrades; dual A9 by 2031; many other trunk projects + p22 Future-proof roads like A83 vulnerable to climate change; no mention of expansion - - p49 Dual A9 by 2035, look into dualling A77 and A75, & create National Roads Plan - - p64 Dual A9 & A96; - - p21 “plan to upgrade major trunk roads” [see note 2 below] - - p71 Dual A9 by 2035, also parts of A96; and consider A75, A77 Air travel taxation ADT= Air departure tax - - p39 oppose any new taxes; reduce long-haul tax ++ p34 frequent flyer levy; private jet tax; more.. N + p66 Higher tax for private jet passengers N + p27 private jet tax; including for ‘ghost’ flights USP – unique selling points (good and bad!) picked out by Spokes - - p33 1. AT schemes are “ideological projects” 2. ban bikes in all pedestrian areas + p16, p156 Universal rail card; £2 max bus fares + p122 Council powers to enforce traffic contraventions + p55 “Crush illegal e-bikes, using drones to track & trace unlicensed bikes” + p64 ”Dangerous Roads Programme“ - - p21 “End the war on the car“ + p38 £2 bus fare cap [1] Labour £350m pothole fund. The manifesto does not say where the money would come from. In early campaign speeches Anas Sarwar had said it would be from cutting Active Travel funding. On our estimate this would mean a 40% cut on curre…

#Holyrood2026 #SP26

Our #manifesto analysis
--> www.spokes.org.uk/2026/04/holy...

We looked at #activetravel, mainly 🚲, and some related transport/environment, but not at 🚌🚆

1 Greens, excellent
2 LibDem, positive in a fairly modest way
3= Labour & SNP, poor
5 Reform, bad
6 Conservative, terrible

Car is king for Scottish Labour -

🚗 Blocking congestion charges
🚗 Aiming to blow active travel budget on fixing potholes
🚗Freezing Glasgow airport parking charges
🚗Protests against introduction of parking permits (~£200 per year)

Unbridled car use is stifling our economy & damaging public health

Why cheap power could matter more than clean power in the push for net zero The question of how important making our electricity clean is to going green is coming under increasing scrutiny

UK folks what is going on with all this? The whole spectacle of blaming renewables for the crippling impacts of fossil gas is.......some pretty stunningly wild gymnastics.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

And that doesn't take into account the kWhs that I don't use from the grid, i.e. the solar I use, and the solar I sell back to the grid for 12p per kWh. The story here is people not being on the correct tariffs.

I've exactly the same set up of solar panels, battery & heat pump & I'm not paying 27p per kWh as I'm on a readily available electricity tariff designed for that set up (Octopus Cosy). I'm currently paying 10.5p per kWh. The BBC have cherry picked someone on an expensive tariff. Must be intentional.

IOPC investigates 11 officers over handling of fatal Wimbledon school crash The families of Nuria Sajjad and Selena Lau, who died at an end-of-term tea party, say the initial investigation was flawed.

Blimey. This just gets deeper and deeper and more awful.
11 police officers investigated over that wimbledon Landrover school crash.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

His lying powers have sharply declined.

It's telling that:
a) he caught enough pushback from the religious right to delete something, which he almost never does
b) those people have not used this influence to cross him on anything more substantive than a gross but fundamentally superficial aesthetic insult to their brand

Just checked and this is real - Scottish Labour’s manifesto refers to trans people using slurs and commits to a policy of explicit segregation in public life

Peter Magyar has offered a template which can be used, without too much alteration, in defeating populists worldwide

open.substack.com/pub/iandunt/...

It's interesting to see that in this... whatever this is... the Statue of Liberty has water lapping up against her waist. At least that detail is correct.

Can’t wait for JD Vance to campaign for Reform in the UK. How about next week? Is next week good for you?

In Bruges scene where Colin Farrell is pointing a gun at his head and Brendon Gleeson is also pointing a gun at Colin Farrell's head

Current status of the Strait of Hormuz dispute

Yeah, and Trump can collect it instead... probably...

In that sense, a US blockade of the strait is a lot harder to legally justify. It's blocking vessels of countries we aren't at war with, transiting to countries we're not at war with. That's a worse violation of freedom of navigation and the rights of nonbelligerent states than what Iran is doing!

Am I following this right? Trump is angry that Iran is blocking the Strait of Hormuz, so now Trump is going to block the Strait, effectively doing Iran's job for them?! Eh....

How Trump Took the U.S. to War With Iran

This is quite the read. Almost everyone in Trump's inner circle, including Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, advised Trump against launching a war on Iran. He did it anyway.

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/u...

🤣

Yeah, there are lots of roadworks there at the moment, so I'm getting plenty of filtering practice!

I was looking at some of my camera footage from today and I accidentally increased the FOV to get this 'interesting' view... Enjoy. 🤣

Ex Deputy National Security Advisor for Strategic Communications and Speechwriting under Obama👇🏽

American decline is due, in large part, to the persistent efforts by rich people to ensure that their own progeny retain wealth and power no matter how stupid and lazy they are.

SCOTLAND Labour promises £350m road repair fund to fix potholes By Rachel Keenan Scottish Labour has pledged to fix the "sorry state" of Scotland's roads with a designated pothole fund. The party's leader, Anas Sarwar, has said he would establish a new road repair fund worth £350m over the next five years, enough to fix an estimated 4.8 million potholes. Councils have had to pay out £4.2m in compensation between 2019/20 and 2023/24 for damage caused by potholes, Scottish Labour said. Sarwar said: "Scotland needs change after 20 years of SNP government. "Across Scotland, motorists are paying the price for the SP's failure to get the basics right. "Our roads are in a sorry state, potholes are causing misery every single day, and drivers, families and businesses are left to pick up the bill." 4.8m The estimated number of potholes in Scotland the fund would repair over five years The funding would be repurposed from the "active and sustainable travel" budget, without cutting bus infrastructure investment, Scottish Labour said Scottish Labour has also pledged more preventative maintenance to improve road conditions in the long term. The party has previously revealed that spending on local roads has fallen by 13 per cent since 2010-11 because of SNP cuts to council budgets. Sarwar continued: "This is what 20 years of SNP government looks like. "Crumbling roads, rising repair costs and a government that has turned its back on motorists." SNP candidate for Paisley, George Adam, said: "The only people conducting a war on motorists is the Labour UK Government who are refusing to lift a finger to cut fuel duty!" E The Lon D Mot

Unedifying scenes from Scotland, where desperate Scottish Labour is promising to raid the scant active & sustainable travel funding pot to spend on motorists. Sarwar is the *worst* - but Glasgow Labour are also opposing a congestion charge, mainly because SNP support
HT @paul0campbell.bsky.social