Earl Russell LD

A friend of writers in the #HouseOfLords - thanks to our Chair Tim Clement-Jones for highlighting the need for an #AI license to better protect the work of creators 🙏

We're keenly awaiting the government's report and economic analysis of #ArtificialIntelligence and #Coypright, due later this month.

Millions of families are already at breaking point. Now experts warn energy bills could jump by £500 thanks to Donald Trump’s illegal war.

Today I asked the Prime Minister for a cast-iron guarantee that he will not let energy bills skyrocket again.

He didn’t give it.

Earl Russell @earlrussell.bsky.social made an excellent case for a polluter pays levy during Report stage for the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

The levy could raise up to £700 million a year, placing the cost on the tobacco industry, not consumers. 💰

The US-Iran conflict shows just how dangerous dependence on oil & gas really is.

Like with Russia's invasion of Ukraine, this crisis reveals how gas prices can soar leaving us vulnerable to price shocks beyond our control.

Developing clean energy can free us from Trump's geopolitical blackmail.

With the cost of fuel and food rising, people are worried about making ends meet.

The chancellor must take action, starting by cancelling the fuel duty hike due this year.

@libdemdaisy.bsky.social

Head of Police Federation of England and Wales arrested on suspicion of corruption Mukund Krishna arrested by City of London police along with two other national board members The head of the Police Federation of England and Wales has been arrested on suspicion of corruption. Officers from the City of London police arrested Mukund Krishna and two other national board members. Continue reading...

Head of Police Federation of England and Wales arrested on suspicion of corruption

Claire Coutinho v @ClaireCoutinho X.com As the conflict in Iran and Qatar shows, our energy resilience is our national resilience. Labour's plans to shut down the North Sea have left us more reliant on Qatari LNG. We need to get real. That means maximising the North Sea, adopting the Fingleton Review to make nuclear cheaper to build, and axing the Carbon Tax to protect British industry.

The Conservative’s know full well this is the stuff of nonsense. Some 80% of NS oil and gas is sold to int markets & subject to price fluctuations. NS is a declining basin by 7-12% per year. Investment would bring no guarantee of any returns. No energy security, no reductions in energy bills.

Fairness must drive Seventh Carbon Budget plans, MPs tell Government - Committees - UK Parliament Fairness is “fundamental” to the legitimacy of the Seventh Carbon Budget and failure to deliver even benefits to all could put public consent at risk, MPs have warned in a report launched ...

Environmental Audit Committee publishes its report on the 7th carbon budget today saying "Ministers must also defend the net zero agenda explicitly and proactively, making clear how the Government as a whole is pushing towards a common goal"
committees.parliament.uk/committee/62...

Thank you!

The counter argument might run that ever great extremes in our political discourse and the ever further erosion of the sadly former cross party consensus actually makes climate progress less likely and any that is made more liable to abrupt political reversal.

The Guardian view on parliament’s role in war on Iran: MPs should vote before Britain gets sucked in | Editorial Editorial: Sir Keir Starmer draws a narrow legal distinction. But if British bases enable a wider US-Israeli campaign, the UK risks sliding into an unlawful conflict

The Guardian fails to mention that Ed Davey and the Liberal Democrats called for a Parliamentary vote.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

What a USS 345 million judgment means for Greenpeace Gaby Flores 28 Feb 2026 • 3 min read • O 0 Comments • f A US court has just sided with fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer and ordered Greenpeace International and Greenpeace entities in the US to pay US$ 345 million.

I cannot stop thinking about the $345 billion judgement against Greenpeace.

We have to, essentially, phase out fossil fuels, yet for participating in a years-long fight to block one measly little pipeline, if they can't overturn this on appeal, Greenpeace will be destroyed.

How is this even real?

Excellent news with very welcome u-turn by government in House of Commons this evening, pledging to restore the Electoral Commission's independence. Democracy is strengthened by having an independent regulator.

(Labour had previously omitted from its legislative plans acting on this.)

🚨 WATCH: Ed Davey says British tax exiles in Dubai should now be made to pay tax in the UK

"As we protect them, it's only right for tax exiles to start paying taxes to fund our Armed Forces just like the rest of us do"

As the price of natural gas spikes across Europe for the fourth time in the last five years remember those extremely clever people in Reform and the Conservatives who want to abandon renewable energy and rely even more on gas 🤡 🤡

“Maybe just drive next time?”

The Man in Seat 61 ain’t happy.

"It’s critical that we really consider what the impacts of data centres will be before we charge into approving them en masse" ~ @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social

We've launched an inquiry into data centres 👉 committees.parliament.uk/work/9651/ri...

The great British electricity puzzle It turns out that making the transition to clean energy while keeping the price down is hard

This is a frustrating column by Martin Wolf - which is sadly typical of a lot of economics commentary on GB energy.

It does identify some of the key causes of high electricity prices - including Britain’s high exposure to gas prices and rising network costs. But there’s a lot it leaves out…

Datacentre developers face calls to disclose effect on UK’s net emissions Campaign groups write to technology secretary amid concerns that sites could double overall electricity demand

UK Govt's upcoming National Policy Statement on data centres must include real protections for climate and water:
www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

🛢️Brent crude oil prices rose 8% to $79/barrel amid heightened security concerns in the Strait of Hormuz. At the start of the year, it was trading at $60/barrel.

🇪🇺 European natural gas futures jumped 20% due to escalating tensions in the Middle East.

NEW: The Lib Dems are demanding MPs get a vote on allowing the US to use UK air bases.

Leader Ed Davey says:

“No matter how the Prime Minister tries to redefine offensive as defensive, this is a slippery slope. He must not let Trump drag Britain into another prolonged war in the Middle East.”

I have no issue with the content but the headline writer, failed to read any of it before going for a snap and inaccurate headline.

🎯🎯

No problem always happy to engage.

Fighting a losing battle to tackle growth in plastic production | Letters Letters: Readers respond to an interview with Beth Gardiner on how the oil industry is pumping billions more into plastics

Source: The Guardian
search.app/ykJQT

Will certainly add to future costs of new renewables projects coming on top of already rising material prices and other inflationary pressures.

Keir Starmer abandoned net zero to court Reform voters. He failed After byelection defeat and with right-leaning advisers gone, will PM return to his instincts and embrace Labour ‘DNA’ on climate?

The headline writers made a mess of this. The content is good however at describing the nuanced positions in Labour. Generally fairly good on clean power, net zero, lacking coherent policy positions and absolutely terrible on nature, and energy market reforms.

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Price of UK wind and solar power remains unaffected. Energy security based predominantly on renewable energy insulates the UK from the regular and dramatic global price spikes in fossil fuels.

Meteorological spring has begun; what was winter like?

–UK as a whole only 9% wetter
–England was 35% wetter than average
–Several counties in the southwest recorded top 5 wettest winters

Climate change has made such winters much more likely. When it does rain, downpours can be heavier

1/

Thousands of pollution incidents in England downgraded without site visit, data suggests Exclusive: Whistleblower figures show large rise in ‘serious’ to ‘minor’ downgrades based on water company evidence

2,778 serious pollution incidents by water companies were reported in 2024. Of these 2,735 (98%) were downgraded. Officers only attended 496 before downgrading This represents nearly a 1,500% increase on the 174 downgrades in 2021 of which 60 were attended.
www.theguardian.com/environment/...