Shirley Sinclair

A photograph Robert Jenrick being painted over by Mickey Mouse

Absolutely agree

What a sad loss! I was literally singing and dancing to Road to Hell this lunch time - telling my little grandson to note it well. What a genius of a song

Animal testing to be phased out faster as UK unveils roadmap for alternative methods New plan backs researchers to seize on new and developing opportunities to phase out animal tests with specific commitments for the coming years.

Buried news of the day IMO

"Government vows to phase out animal tests as alternative methods come on stream with new strategy welcomed as ‘ambitious’ and ‘timely’ by animal welfare & life sciences organisations."

Plus new £75 million funding to bring forward new testing methods for health products

I've looked at clouds from both sides now
From up and down, and still somehow
It's cloud illusions I recall
I really don't know clouds at all

Joni Mitchell

It's finally here! "Life After Cars: Freeing Ourselves From the Tyranny of the Automobile" is now available wherever you buy books. Thank you to everyone who has made this day possible, including our amazing podcast listeners. We hope everyone finds the book valuable!

www.lifeaftercars.com

“Living car-free is the most impactful behavior by far in terms of reducing emissions.”

The Nobel committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes was asked about the decision not to award the peace prize to Trump, after the American president and his allies made clear they thought he deserved it.

😁

Should lying about climate change be illegal? YouTube video by Simon Clark

This year we've been really swinging for the fences.

Our latest video is our biggest one yet, nearly an hour long and involving half a dozen experts.

Asking "Should lying about climate change be illegal?" and, if so, how do we make it so?

youtu.be/FKtCuwfUCJg

Church leaders' condemn Tommy Robinson march 'co-opting and corrupting' crosses Dozens of bishops and Christian leaders wrote: "Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude ot...

"Jesus calls us to love both our neighbours and our enemies and to welcome the stranger. Any co-opting or corrupting of the Christian faith to exclude others is unacceptable"

@chinemcdonald.bsky.social signs open letter condemning the misuse of Christian symbols at Far-right rally.
bit.ly/4mrQWB4

Torn between the necessity of maintaining my peace, and the necessity of staying alert to what’s going on.

This morning, I raised the anger felt over the withdrawal of the Number 17 bus with the Transport Minister. Our buses matter and my constituents should always have a say. 😡🚌

secure.avaaz.org/community_pe...

A Golden Plover stands alert among the reddish-brown heather and grasses of upland peatland. Its mottled gold and black plumage blends with the landscape, a reminder that these precious habitats are home to rare and remarkable wildlife.

GOOD NEWS: the peat burning ban is being extended in the English uplands. 👏

Peatlands lock up carbon, protect water & support rare wildlife.

We hope today's announcement signals a move to end this damaging practice for good, and thank our supporters for helping make it happen.

White clover growing in long grass

Plastic grass is one of the worst things you can put in your garden. Instead, let patches of grass grow long and give wildflowers a chance – boosting biodiversity, benefitting pollinators, and filling your patch with colour and life.
More: bit.ly/3liIFWv

Reform UK would axe any high-speed northern rail schemes, says Richard Tice Deputy leader tells firms considering bidding for contracts to ‘not bother’ as party would spend on what ‘country needs more’

Reform would axe any high-speed northern rail schemes, says Richard Tice as part of Reforms “levelling down, wedging us millionaires up” policy

Cutting tax for rich & stuff the morons who support em with less services, private no public health scheme etc

Fun fact he used a tax haven to dodge tax🤷🏼‍♂️

Great thread. Should be shared widely. Not sure why it’s been left for @monkemma.bsky.social to do but I thank her for her work and wish the government and other party leaders would take note that they could do this to a much larger audience. Why is that? What could it possibly do for them 🤔

The Great British fear factory: manufacturing a lawless London Reform UK’s “Britain is Lawless” campaign isn’t about making us safer – it’s about manufacturing fear for political gain

Crime is roughly half what it was in the 90s. Britain is still one of the safest countries in the developed world.

So why does Reform want you to think London’s a hellscape? The Bear provides the answer ⤵️

@eastangliabylines.co.uk @bearlypolitics.co.uk

Is there research on the views of over 70s? I see they are targeted with concern re driving unsafely, but I believe many are still driving because of the lack of good public transport and fear of isolation

Everyday concerns: What people want from transport | IPPR New research from IPPR and More in Common reveals that the government has the public’s backing in delivering meaningful transport improvements if the appro

There's a really useful @ippr.org report out today on where UK public attitudes are regarding transport www.ippr.org/articles/eve... Some highlights:
- 91% of drivers say they'd take a journey-time hit if it made streets safer
- There is (suppressed?) demand for people- and child-friendly streets

#r4today

‘There’s no work now, just debt’: Cambodian garment workers face precarious future as US tariffs loom Tens of thousands have returned from Thailand since border tensions began, but jobs are becoming harder to find as factories cut hours amid order uncertainty

www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Asylum seekers living in hotels do not receive £70 a week – Full Fact Thousands of people have viewed a video supposedly featuring a former ‘migrant hotel employee’, who makes a number of incorrect claims about what government support asylum seekers receive.

In a viral video, a man who says he worked in a migrant hotel claims asylum seekers receive £70 a week and a mobile phone paid for by taxpayers.

But neither of these claims is correct. Read more here 👇

South Shields MP backs calls for government action to tackle health inequality Emma Lewell is among a cross-party unity that is calling on the government to tackle health inequality.

In South Tyneside, people are 102% more likely to die prematurely, because they do not have the same access to the building blocks of health.

I have joined a cross-party call for urgent government action on avoidable early deaths in our region.

🔗: www.shieldsgazette.com/news/politic...

Our Lives - Series 9: Guardian of the Night Dani Robertson, the UK’s first dark sky officer, is on a mission to reduce light pollution in Eryri (Snowdonia) and raise awareness of its impact.

Great little documentary on last night following the Eryri dark skies officer Dani Robertson around Gwynedd on a mission to reduce light pollution and restore the night sky full of stars for all to see. She’s doing amazing work and its well worth a watch www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

I sat next to Ian McKellen in the early 90s on a flight to Japan. He was reading Bonfire of the Vanities. I wish I’d have know he was going to be so famous and I would’ve chatted with him 🙄.

It's getting hotter.

Let's talk about relaxing dress codes, keeping dogs cool, and seeking shade...

For rather longer than we discussed Wednesday's news that our 1.5C target has almost drifted by.

#bbcpm

Giving peace a voice at Sunderland Minster It would be understandable for anybody watching the news from Israel and Gaza and the West Bank, to perhaps think that Israelis and the Palestinians are deadly enemies who all hate each other. This is...

Giving peace a voice at Sunderland Minster
It would be understandable for anybody watching the news from Israel and Gaza and the West Bank, to perhaps think that Israelis and the Palestinians are deadly enemies who all hate each other. This is simply not true
@northeastbylines.co.uk

A swathe of oxeye daisies in full bloom lines the edge of a green arable field, under a blue sky scattered with light cloud. The scene evokes a thriving, balanced countryside where wildflowers and crops grow side by side.

For months, alongside farmers, supporters, and nature groups, we’ve made the case for protecting nature-friendly farming.

Today, we’re pleased to see HM Treasury has listened: the nature-friendly farming budget has been maintained.

This is a crucial step, but nature needs more...