Charlotte Baker

UK faces ‘battle for the soul’ of the country, says Starmer amid Reform threat In a rallying cry to progressives around the world, the Prime Minister said allies must stop the ‘politics of predatory grievance’.

“Let’s call it for what it is: bullshit. The truth is, politicians have talked about little else but immigration for decades and in the most dehumanising ways.

Polanski added: “Stop the boats’ is all we hear. Well, today I'm saying ‘stop the bullshit’.”

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

Amazing to see this Will! How far this project has come in a year - thanks in significant part to your hard work.

Interesting policy suggestion from @transenvuk.bsky.social - Large Vehicle Levy, where cars are charged £10 per kg over 1600kg in weight (with a 400kg allowance for EVs).

Suggest it would raise £2 billion for the Treasury.

Slide reads ‘A tax haven for cars’ and

The U.K. isn’t using its tax regime to disincentivise SUV purchases.

A UK driver pays just £3200 acquisition tax on an £85k car, compared to *£66k* in France!!

As a result, 4x as many are sold here in the U.K. than France.

@transenvuk.bsky.social

Slide shows that adults are 17% more likely and children are 77% more likely to suffer fatal injury if hit by an SUV, compared to a normal car

Shocking stats that show that adults are 17% more likely and children are *77%* more likely to suffer fatal injury if hit by an SUV, compared to a normal car.

Back to school now…it’s not just speed, but weight of cars that matters when determining outcomes of crashes…including fatalities.

We are now onto the substance - and some shocking stats on SUV sales 👇

Kicking off with @carltonreid.com in conversation with @sianberry.bsky.social and @barrysheerman.bsky.social - starting with a bit of history on Urban 4x4s and the campaigns against them.

This is not new! But it *is* pressing and urgent that we address SUVs in cities now.

Good morning London 👋 amazing to see so many people walking and cycling to work, as I head to the @cleancitiescampaign.org Carspreading Conference on the bus 🚌 jealous that a running injury means I can’t join them!

Kids need freedom. Dangerous roads make it hard to grant it. Bigger cars, distracted drivers and worried parents mean fewer kids are roaming freely.

The number of children injured or killed by cars while walking or riding a bike has fallen steadily since the 1970s, but CDC researcher note that this decline is not because streets are safer, but because fewer kids are out and about in the first place.

Two different views of the future of deliveries in Oxford.

Both have their place - a zero emission van on the left, and a cargo trike max on the right.

Great innovation from the university to have bulk of internal mail delivered by cargo trike 🙌

Pedestrian, 14, killed in village collision near Waterlooville Hampshire police say a pedestrian and a car towing a trailer were involved in a collision on Monday.

Another child tragically killed by a driver who got behind the wheel under the influence of drugs/ alcohol.

We have technology to stop people driving in this state.

But as a society we’ve decided such deaths are acceptable collateral damage from car-domination.

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

Southampton is not always the most beautiful city from a public realm perspective - it’s a busy port city that’s often car dominated 🚗

But this piece of public realm design is genuinely very nice 👌

And great to see it being used by kids, playing with friends on a summer’s eve ☀️

After almost a decade working in large organisations, I’m delighted to share that I’ve taken the plunge and set up my own consultancy - Charlotte Baker Communications & Strategy 🎉 | Charlotte Bake... After almost a decade working in large organisations, I’m delighted to share that I’ve taken the plunge and set up my own consultancy - Charlotte Baker Communications & Strategy 🎉 Really pleased ...

www.linkedin.com/posts/charlo...

After almost a decade working in large organisations, I’m delighted to share that I’ve taken the plunge and set up my own consultancy - Charlotte Baker Communications & Strategy 🎉 Really pleased to be offering my experience in strategic communications, stakeholder engagement and policy development to clients across the public health, environment and transport space - with some exciting projects in the works already ☺️ Drop me a message if you’d like to connect about a project or strategy need! 📧

Some personal news! 👇

Photo shows a man on a green bike outside a railway station. There is a large pink suitcase strapped to the front of the bike, and a large pink suitcase strapped to the rear rack, with a small black case on top.

Need to take your parents’ suitcases home from the station? No car? No problem! 😌

As ever, our @ternbicycles.com cargo bike doing the heavy lifting 💪

#bikeisbest

I’m hiring a reporter for London Centric, looking for someone smart who can use a phone, knock on doors and wants to cause trouble. Don’t care if you’ve got qualifications, just want evidence of caring about news. Initial six month contract, pay above national rates. www.londoncentric.media/p/jobs

Now in the Commons committee stage there are proposed amendments and new clauses which, if passed, would ban the use of floating bus stops and end cycling as transport for most people in England.

Clauses 30, 31 & 32 are key here

3/n

publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbi...

Photo shows a street in Toulouse, with a man cycling a bike with a woman riding in the basket

Cycling is a joyful, practical and fun way to move from A to B ❤️

Love this photo I snapped in Toulouse on Saturday, which just encompasses everything cycling can and should be ☺️

#bikeisbest

Speed limit to be increased at Ilkley fatal crash site - BBC News The council plans to increase the limit from 30mph to 40mph on a stretch of Moor Road in Ilkley.

A lower speed limit was imposed on this road after a fatal crash.
It's now going to be raised again because impatient drivers overtake others dangerously. Probably until some other poor soul is killed.
It's absolute insanity.
www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Just returning from South of France where it has been mindbendingly hot 🥵

Businesses clearly struggling, natural environment dry as a bone, local lake can’t be swim in because water levels too low and green algae everywhere.

Everyone I spoke to was deeply concerned. And they should be.

Toulouse is alive tonight for the national rugby final, which features the home side 🏉

People are walking, cycling, scooting and wheeling everywhere. Cars just don’t feature.

Fantastic vibrant, liveable city 🌆 💚

Photo shows a bike lane with a clear sign designating it as such, and bollards and raised concrete. There are trees in the background and hedges on the left hand side.

Photo shows a lake with a beach in the foreground, trees either side, and an inflatables course in the distance.

Lac de la Cavayere, just outside Carcassonne, has a protected bike lane running almost all the way to this popular local attraction, connecting to nearby quiet ways 👌

This is incredibly rare in rural attractions near small towns in the U.K. - but should be the norm!

Photo shows a small vehicle with four seats in the back, with a small wheelbase that says ‘Navette Gratuite’ on the back. It’s stopped on a street corner.

Loved seeing this cool micro mobility option in Carcassonne ‘new town’ today 🤩

It’s electric, free to use and takes people from the traffic-calmed centre to drop off points around the perimeter, usually bus stops 🚌

Saw lots of older people using it to shop today! 🛒

The whole city centre is like this - and it’s wonderful!

@hammersmithbridge.bsky.social @crisortunity.bsky.social

From June to September every year, the Pont St-Pierre in Toulouse is transformed for walking, cycling and wheeling, with shady seating areas and colourful street design 🚴‍♀️ 🚶🏽 🦽

Amazing and inspiring to see 💚

Also loved to see this refrigerated cargo bike, delivering to the local oyster bar! 💚

We’ve seen many families like this today.

Toulouse is France’s 4th city and has a population the equivalent of Sheffield.

I’ve seen this in Bordeaux, Lyon and other French cities - we could do this in the U.K too.

Good morning from Toulouse - where streets are for people, cargo bikes are everywhere, and cars are guests.

💚💚💚