Paul Bower

Former Wigan Athletic youth player jailed for mowing down pensioner

Media coverage is fuelling a backlash against e-bikes. But often, the stories aren't even about e-bikes at all.

Last week, the BBC reported that an "e-bike" was involved in a serious incident. But it was actually a high-powered electric motorbike.

Here's how it got changed...🧵

Interesting-looking new study from the UK finding that being hit by an SUV (as compared to a regular car) "considerably" increases the risk of death for children, and even more so for young children doi.org/10.32866/001...

Air pollution raises risk of dementia, say Cambridge scientists Most comprehensive study of its kind highlights dangers of vehicle emissions and woodburning stoves Exposure to certain forms of air pollution is linked to an increased risk of developing dementia, according to the most comprehensive study of its kind. The illness is estimated to affect about 57 million people worldwide, with the number expected to increase to at least 150m cases by 2050. Continue reading...

Air pollution raises risk of dementia, say Cambridge scientists

Screenshot of a social media post from the Prime Minister's office, @10DowningStreet. The text reads "We're taking action to stop migrants working illegally as food delivery drivers". The black and white image shows a silhouette of a cyclist with a food delivery box on their back. The text in the image reads "DELIVERED BY WHO? Our new agreement means the government will share asylum accommodation locations with Deliveroo, Just Eat and Uber Eats. So they'll know if riders are staying there and can take action."

This is every bit as sinister and dangerous as the worst anti-immigrant propaganda from the last Tory government. Starmer's Labour is a disgrace.

An emotional support pickup truck, the wheels on the left right into the kerb, the wheels on the right hanging out the bay. On the opposite side of the road is some suss and a cycleway

Can we agree that if you've got an emotional support vehicle so big that the wheels on one side are touching the kerb and the others aren't even in the bay it should be classed as a HGV & fitted with a speed limiter & tachometer?

If you think electric bikes are bad, there’s a much bigger menace hitting our roads Electric bikes are a menace. They go almost as fast as a car (if the car is parking), they’re whisper...

Wait till you hear about cars.

"It’s time to stop pretending we’re protecting the public from some great e-bike emergency. The real emergency is that we’ve accepted cars killing people as a fair trade for getting to Costco five minutes faster." electrek.co/2025/07/20/i...

Screenshot of an official Prime Minister post deliberately stoking fear and hate against migrants with a shadowy figure, reminiscent of old far right campaigns, and saying: @10DowningStreet We're taking action to stop migrants working illegally as food delivery drivers. DELIVERED BY WHO? Our new agreement means the government will share asylum accommodation locations with Deliveroo, Just Eat, and Uber Eats. So they'll know if riders are staying there and can take action. PLAN FOR CHANGE ALT Home Office

Oh yeah, because this won't in any way shape or form lead to people attacking delivery persons, Uber drivers etc. FFS, the image alone is meant to instil fear. That is guaranteed to lead to attacks.

Labour's new pledge "actively inciting violence to gain votes"

This really was a thunderingly important day on Vision Zero at City Hall yesterday - about eliminating road deaths in London. I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Huge thanks to Caroline Russell.

Also it took me 4 hours to write the below thread so go read it. Thanks bye.

Me with Caroline and Zoe Garbett

City Hall

Today I was honoured to attend a hugely important event on Vision Zero at City Hall, ran by the indomitable Assembly member @carolinerussell.bsky.social, Green group leader and Transport Lead.

She started with a powerful speech. “Vision Zero is the most important policy that TFL has. - 1/12

One element of the political policing intimidation attempt is over. We played a historic set at Glastonbury. Whole area closed an hour before due to crowds. A celebration of love and solidarity. A sea of good people at the world's most famous festival. Shortly afterwards we learn of an active police investigation. An investigation that followed after the Prime Minister himself said it "was not appropriate" we played Glastonbury. Walk off stage to the rapturous sounds of good people and into the creaking scheming sounds of the establishment.

This "investigation" was reported across the world's media often with wildly misleading headlines. Every single person who saw our set knew no law was broken, not even close....yet the police saw fit to publicly announce they were opening an investigation. Why open and publicise an investigation into fuck all? This is political. This is targetted. This is state intimidation.

After the media damage is inflicted and seen by millions of eyes - you receive a private email to say there's no evidence and no action - that is seen by two people only. There is no public apology, they don't send this to media or post it on police accounts. We will continue to fight. We will continue to win.

Email from Avon and Somerset Police to Kneecap legal team: "I am Senior Investigating Officer for Avon and Somerset Police's investigation into Kneecap's performance at the Glastonbury Festival on 28th June 2025. Following a review of the evidence, I have determined there will be no further action. I would be grateful if you could communicate this to your clients, and/or advise me of an alternative way if contacting them. Thank you for your assistance in this matter. Regards, Detective Superintendent [Name redacted]"

After the media damage is inflicted and seen by millions of eyes,you receive a private email to say there's no evidence and no action,seen by two people only

There's no public apology. They don't send this to media or post it on police accounts

We will continue to fight.

We will continue to win.

'Public should have been told about North Yorkshire speed camera' - BBC News The fixed camera on the A64, near Malton, was vandalised hours before it was due to be switched on.

Surely that's what the big round signs with red borders and numbers inside are for. Make sure the dial on your vehicle doesn't go above the numbers on the signs and you're good.
Easy #lifehack right there.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

In the Netherlands, you tap in and out of the station at the gates and don't have to worry about paying through the nose. The UK is an expensive joke.

Electric vehicles account for more than one in 20 car miles driven in UK – study Last year, pure battery electric cars under three years old were driven an average of 10,054 miles.

EVs compared to petrol ICE are driven 32% more miles per year.

There's no way to sugar coat it. This is a disaster on a dozen levels. All played out one traffic jam at a time...

Cheap driving? Yes please!?!

www.thenational.scot/news/nationa...

Since getting rid of our car a few years ago we’ve saved well north of £10,000. If the government really wants to help ‘working families’ then forget freezing fuel duty & subsidising electric cars: Give people real alternatives to car dependency.

Ironically, community gardens are a form of class warfare conducted by the poor against the rich.

People on patios on a city street. Another car free street devastating local businesses.

Queensbury Tunnel cycleway plan too costly, say government Transport minister Lilian Greenwood says Queensbury Tunnel will be made

It would cost around £16m and generate £3 in social, economic and tourism benefits for every £1 spent on it.

But somehow it is too expensive?!

Meanwhile £billions will be spent on low value road schemes.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

one person pedalling a bicycle with another standing on the back on a city street. Bicycles deliver the freedom that auto ads promise

True Freedom

Reeves says rules and red tape are ‘boot on the neck’ of business At the Mansion House dinner she calls for regulators to allow more risk to clear the way for economic growth

Cutting "red tape" (aka public protections), as Reeves is doing, does not save money. Instead, it transfers costs from the rich to the poor. Other people pay for financial recklessness, filthy rivers, air pollution, lax building standards and consumer rip-offs.
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

How to give children the freedom to play all across the city – not just in playgrounds Play should be promoted in cities to bolster children’s right to play anywhere.

Alarming finding from case studies of urban play projects.

“Because of a range of aggressive behaviour from adults, children’s use of streets and public spaces were consistently restricted. A common statement from dissenters was ‘children can go elsewhere.’ The reality is they can’t.”

As of March 2023, the fuel duty freeze had:

🔹 Cost £80 billion in lost income
🔹 Led to 5% more traffic..
🔹 ..250 million fewer bus journeys
🔹 ..75 million fewer rail journeys
🔹 an extra 15,000 tonnes of NOx emissions
🔹 and 18 million tCO2e per year

[Hat tip: @garethdennis.uk]

‘Work from home if possible’: Travel advice issued ahead of tomorrow’s Oasis gig Bee Network commuters are being urged to work from home on Wednesday, July 16 as Oasis play in Heaton Park

be serious Greater Manchester... www.burytimes.co.uk/news/2531365...

Another question about the English footway parking ban consultation which Labour is sitting on as the Tories did.

Sketch of a parklet replacing a parking space with charge points, seat, cycle parking and planting

Sketch of a parklet replacing a parking space with charge points, cycle hangar and cycle stand

We need re-ration kerb sides in terraced streets - these often also have most restricted in-curtilage space for cycle parking too

a tweet by BBC Breakfast reading: "The Met Office has warned the UK is breaking heat and rainfall records increasingly frequently as its climate continues to warm. Climate Editor Justin Rowlatt and Meteorologist Matt Taylor discussed the report on #BBcBreakfast"

REMINDER: HS2, delivered in full, was the most effective single investment to reduce the UK's emissions.

The last government cancelled it, this government doubled down. Until they reverse the cancellation, Labour cannot be taken seriously on the climate.

These kids would simply not be on bicycles here were it not for the bus stop bypass

English councils urged to install pavement gullies for home charging of electric cars Scheme aims to stop cables trailing across pavements and encourage drivers to switch to electric vehicles

Councils urged to install pavement gullies... Government pledging cheaper EVs... Sometimes it feels like the main function of government is just continually to funnel our money to the car industry
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

It’s a total failure of political leadership, and unwillingness to use considerable political capital to do the right thing in the face of the same noisy minority.

A non-charging #CleanAirZone cannot and will not work.