Daniel Black

This is England!

How about for complementarity:
@annpettifor.bsky.social for sensible long term prosperity
@pjtheeconomist.bsky.social for sensible taxation
…But who for sensible business strategy?

We need to re-set the debate on farming Speech in the Senedd on 16th July 2025 Let me start with the obvious: Farming is hard. I am proud to come from a family of farmers, and I un...

Not many politicians in the UK tell the truth about farming or are brave enough to criticise the cakeism of the main farming unions.

But Lee Waters MS does in this refreshingly honest speech. Almost every word of it applies to England as much as Wales.

amanwy.blogspot.com/2025/07/we-n...

Thanks for sharing - so important

Rubio moves to strip US visas from eight Brazilian judges in Bolsonaro battle Move by Marco Rubio is latest attempt by Trump administration to help former president avoid justice over alleged coup

"The US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has stripped 8 of Brazil’s 11 supreme court judges of their US visas as the White House escalates its campaign to help the country’s former president Jair Bolsonaro avoid justice over his alleged attempt to seize power with a military coup."

Starmer’s authority isn’t the only thing badly dented by his benefits climbdown For Labour backbenchers, the welfare rebellion was a triumph: with the growing possibility of this being a one-term government, and with little prospect of ministerial advancement, MPs have concluded ...

“the UK is virtually ungovernable in a social media age”

www.independent.co.uk/voices/keir-...

Look forward to listening to that, Tom, thanks. You won’t be surprised to hear me wonder how “value” (inc. health outcomes) of those projects are assessed. I can’t find Pensions for Purpose or Impact Investing Institute on Bluesky, but be interested to be part of any conversation in that space. 👍🏻

China’s interest in the next Dalai Lama is also about control of Tibet’s water supply Access to water is one reason why China sees control over Tibet as increasingly important.

Access to water is one reason why China sees control over Tibet as increasingly important.

@ekd.bsky.social

A REMARKABLE JOURNEY: Not long ago, the UK’s power sector was the country’s largest source of carbon emissions.

Today, it has become the smallest emitter among all sectors.

Despite all the negativity in parts of the press:

Change is happening. It’s not a straight line but things are moving.

More and more people understand that relying on increasingly volatile and expensive fossil fuel imports is not a viable pathway.

👀👇

Berlin doing what it does best: “The organisers of the petition have said they will throw a party with electronic dance music to celebrate.”

Mine will ‘cos you are she! 👏🏻

Every single time there are geopolitical tensions we are reminded of Europe's dependency on imported fossil fuels:

In 2023, the European Union imported 58% of its energy, mostly as fossil fuels.

There are three key levers to change that:

💡 energy efficiency
☀️ renewables
⚡ electrification

Loved the FT piece today—so much untapped potential in home energy savings. Insulation, heat pumps, solar, and batteries work best together: insulation cuts costs and boosts comfort, heat pumps are super efficient, and solar plus batteries now pay for themselves. The future of home energy is bright!

Housing growth, economic growth and/or long-term health? The UK’s plan to build 1.5 million homes presents a rare opportunity to embed health in urban development. Yet new research reveals deep-rooted barriers across public and private sectors. Without u…

The UK's plan to build 1.5 million homes presents a chance to integrate health into urban development. @geoffbates.bsky.social‬ @danielsblack.bsky.social‬ show how urgent policy and decision-making reforms are needed. Read more: buff.ly/7OvUpSO

However much you love your dog, spending £120 on a birthday party is ridiculous As a new survey reveals just how much cash we’re splashing to celebrate our pets, Katie Rosseinsky asks whether our devotion to our four-legged friends has gone a bit too far

“Britain’s 22m pet owners spend on average £121 (£1.2bn) on pets’ birthday parties” 🤦🏻‍♂️

www.independent.co.uk/life-style/p...

EU industry could cut energy use by 24%—saving 67 MTOE—by 2030, all cost-effectively. The potential is huge and the business case is clear.

Decarbonisation and energy security aren’t just possible—they’re smart moves for competitiveness.

Next step: turning this potential into real-world action.

Europe relies heavily on imported fossil fuels—a big risk for energy security, competitiveness, and climate action.

Geopolitical tensions can disrupt supply and spike prices, making us all vulnerable. Investing in local clean energy is key for resilience, jobs, and a sustainable future.

Tesla's UK car sales drop over 45% in May, New AutoMotive early data shows Tesla's new car sales in Britain tumbled more than 45% from a year earlier in May, preliminary data from research group New AutoMotive showed on Wednesday.

Not looking good for Tesla. The UK market was the only European market that grew until recently.

And no, I don’t think it’s all about the release of the new Model Y. It’s the CEO.

www.reuters.com/business/aut...

A new kind of gentrification is spreading through London – and emptying out schools | Anna Minton

SpaceX Loses Control of Starship, Adding to Spacecraft’s Mixed Record

Breaking News: SpaceX’s Starship spun out of control in space before breaking apart during its ninth test flight.

Investors need to start embracing the new global economic disorder | Lipper Alpha Insight | LSEG Between 2014 and 2024, global peacefulness declined to such an extent that there are now 56 active conflicts, more than at any time since World War II.

The Liberal International Order has been unable to keep the peace due to the increasing conflict between different value systems... which why the global economic system is also unravelling...the imposition of tariffs are a symptom of this clash of values lipperalpha.refinitiv.com/2025/05/inve...

Plastic rain. 🧪

Cartoons Daniel Black + Associates | db+a

Some doodles: www.db-associates.co.uk/cartoons.html