Jeroen Wouters

Even a big far-right vote couldn’t give the far-right total control, because the Dutch democracy promotes cooperation.

Here in the UK, just one-third of the vote could give Nigel Farage a huge majority of MPs.

Our democracy isn't fit for 21st-century politics. We need Proportional Representation.

I wanted to offer some thoughts on the Gates climate memo that has been circulating this week. While I can't directly speak for others, I can say that my own response is one of dismay & deep frustration (and that this view is shared by many climate/Earth scientists). [1/n]

Yes, it's scary for children on our roads. But putting a 20mph limit outside a school does NOT fix the problem. Children need a friendly, safer 20mph limit on their whole route from home to school. It's why 20's Plenty should be community wide.

bit.ly/4o4jwdA

Car crashes through 'beautiful' oak gates in dramatic early morning incident A car crash destroyed oak gates at Caversham Gardens. No injuries reported. Caversham Court Halloween Trail to proceed with alternative access.

Yep
www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/2556744...

The government backs Heathrow expansion — but it’s not all or most of Britain that wants to fly more.

Just 3% of people take 30% of all flights. A few frequent flyers get the perks, while everyone else gets the noise, air pollution and climate chaos.

#ClimateJustice #FairTravel

How can you write an entire article on watering down net zero without even mentioning the consequences?

Starmer may drop key green pledge in effort to keep energy bills down Exclusive: Promise to remove almost all fossil fuels from UK’s electricity supply by 2030 may be abandoned over cost

Here we go again. Another concocted row over climate policy that damages investor confidence and policy clarity, but practically changes very little.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Bloody hell

@uniofreading.bsky.social an idea for our fantastic Harris Garden?

Who will be next?

How can regions long focused on floods prepare for droughts? A cross-border study between 🇧🇪 Belgium and 🇳🇱 the Netherlands turned the Aa of Weerijs catchment into a living lab, showing how Nature-Based Solutions like wetland restoration can boost resilience.
🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.nb...

The government want more coercive powers for the state against protests, and the main opposition party wants more coercive powers for the state against migrants.

Our political-media culture continues in a loop where the response to every perceived problem is yet more coercive powers for the state.

Police to get new powers to crack down on repeated protests, says Home Office Move follows arrest of almost 500 people at latest pro-Palestinian demonstration in London on Saturday

Just when you thought Keir Starmer's Labour Party couldn't get more illiberal, or more like the Tories...
"Change", my left foot.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

New pollution rules come into effect for cleaner air by 2030 The revised Ambient Air Quality Directive comes with a series of new measures and stricter standards to ensure that people enjoy cleaner air in the coming years.

The EU is forging ahead, with tighter NO2 limits set last year, aiming to meet 20ug/m3 NO2 by 2030. That’s half the UK legal limit!

We are lagging behind our neighbours, and our children’s lungs are bearing the brunt. We need the Government to commit to reaching the WHO #AirPollution guidelines.

But supporting Palestine Action makes you a terrorist. Got it.

And don't tell children on the BBC how to safeguard their future 😭
bsky.app/profile/cris...

‘They dictate the rules’: BBC tells PM’s Evan Davis to stop hosting heat pump podcast Presenter believes decision was taken due to the technology’s link with net zero after he was told he risked accusations of political bias

Also reminds me of the BBC silencing a podcast on the highly political and controversial topic of ... heatpumps 🤯
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/a...

Aviation expansion is a disaster for the climate crisis.

Anyone who's been paying any attention to this shambles of a Labour Govenrment knows they don't care about people in poverty, don't care about nature nor for the planet.

Just big business & their own interests.

#Gatwick

A screenshot of section 3.5 of the above linked pdf, setting out the intention to remove 5 min observation of parking contraventions.

Here's a screenshot in case it remains inaccessible.

it's one of our favourites too! Reading has a long history of welcoming sanctuary seekers, and we are proud to officially be a Museum of Sanctuary, offering a warm welcome to all. www.readingmuseum.org.uk/get-involved/museum-sanctuary
@themerl.bsky.social @readingcouncil.bsky.social

A commemorative plaque that reads "to the borough of Reading, gratefully presented by the Belgian refugees 1914-1919" besides texts in Dutch and French expressing the refugees' gratitude. At the top there are the emblem and slogan of Belgium, with Flemish and Walloon emblems.

As a Belgian living in Reading this plaque is my absolute favourite object in your collection. A reminder of the warm welcome Reading has provided to those seeking asylum from great attrocities in the past. @brussels.bsky.social #rdguk

«A Bruxelles, la demande de stationnements vélos sécurisés explose, portée par l’augmentation continue du nombre de cyclistes. Résultat : plus de 14.000 personnes sont en attente d’une solution auprès de parking.brussels »
www.lesoir.be/art/d-202509...

This is a huge step, with Oxford set to join a small but select number of cities which have implemented a congestion charge.

The New York Times has now published a document which sets out the government’s basis for the proscription. This is the “open” version of the MI5 assessment that has been placed before the courts in litigation challenging the proscription. The judges would also see a “closed” version with material not to be placed in the public domain. One hopes the “closed” version is a far more impressive document than the one published, which is a flimsy and unconvincing piece of work. The assessment even admits—twice—that most of the activity of Palestine Action cannot be called terrorism. The document overall reads as if it has been compiled backwards, intending to justify a conclusion that needed to be reached. If so, it will not be the first intelligence document to have been created in such a way. The assessment relies on the group having caused “serious” property damage, which is the relevant statutory test. The problem here is that the spraying of paint and graffiti by the group does not meet the threshold of seriousness. The document also relies on “open source” estimates of the cost of damage which, if one looks at the cited sources, trace back to a claim which the police themselves put to arrested protesters in interview. As such there is a certain circularity: the state is relying on the state claiming the damage is serious.

NEW

Has the government overreached in using terrorism law against Palestine Action?

A disclosed MI5 document indicates that the basis for proscription may be weak

By me, at @prospectmagazine.co.uk

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/ideas/law/th...

A collage of four photos of cars and vans parked on pavements, in some cases completely blocking pedestrian access.

Does this look familiar? Every week we'll share the worst pavement parking pics we get from supporters. Add your photos to our interactive map and help us find pavement parking hotspots in England 📍 act.livingstreets.org.uk/page/176767/...

Oops, forgot this is quite a long document. Relevant item is on page 34, item 3.5 "Part B: Recommended Removal of Fixed Enforcement Observation Periods".

Reading Borough Council plans to remove the 5 minute observation of double and single-yellow-line contraventions. According to RBC "It is not a legal requirement of the authority to undertake a fixed observation period against these restrictions"

democracy.reading.gov.uk/documents/g5...

Potentially good news for parents/carers walking, wheeling or cycling their children to school in Reading. The council is considering removing the 5 minute observation window prior to parking enforcement that so many drivers abuse during the school run. #rdguk #safestreetsnow

Who on earth in Labour looks at the polls and goes "You know what, we just need to do press ahead"?

Degrowth is simply the study of whether there are better means of measuring and generating human economic benefit other than through maximising GDP. This is one of the most important academic questions of our time. The fact that the chair of escr appears to not understand the idea is embarrassing