bsky.app/profile/edsr...
@edsrlee
Retired #digital #archaeologist. #Solarpunk, stubborn optimist. Posting a lot about UK electoral reform. Would be #TTRPG game designer and grower of apples. Amazed by ancient DNA. LibDem p πΆ @ORCID.org | https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1166-0878
bsky.app/profile/edsr...
Or, indeed, that it is located East of Eden... π
(I find it hard to imagine the curatorial thinking that led to this stamp being placed where it is).
π My father had one of the first Commodore PETs in London for his consultancy in the late '70s. I spent many happy Saturdays learning BASIC on it. Now in the collection at @computinghistory.org.uk
A really interesting perspective. Case study of contemporary issues informed by #archaeological research. Feels relevant to #solarpunk thinking.
𧬠NEW JOB: @york-bioarch.bsky.social is hiring a Postdoc in Ancient DNA
Work on the RoBMobS project to explore mobility and diversity in Roman Britain using genomic data.
π° Β£37k - Β£39k
β³ 34 months
π York, UK
π
Apply by 24 March 2026
jobs.york.ac.uk/vacancy/post...
Do you get whats coming? #SolarHockeyStickOfHope
bsky.app/profile/mark...
Calls for electoral reform were raised in the House of Commons during debate on the Representation of the People Bill. Do you think it is time for proportional representation in the UK?
Details of the πΆLibDem amendment to introduce #ProportionalRepresentation for UK elections is set out here bills.parliament.uk/bills/4080/s...
"All elections to the House of Commons and to local authorities in the United Kingdom shall be conducted using a system of proportional representation."
Good to see πΆLibDem MP @lisasmartmp.bsky.social tabling amendment to the RotP Bill to push for #ElectoralReform
π₯ Professor Vernon Bogdanor writes for @financialtimes.com:
"An electoral system should do two things: ensure that the majority rules and that significant minorities are adequately represented.
First Past the Post achieves neither."
A year ago, the Labour government instructed Louise Casey to carry out an Independent Commission on Adult Social Care.
This is a major piece of work to fundamentally transform the care sector and will take a long time.
But Baroness Casey said she would feedback with any immediate actions...
1/3
The home heating oil situation is terrible for many unlucky enough to be about to refill. The outrage is this is an unregulated, unprotected, market (we've long called for that to change). We are subserving many, especially those who live in rural communities.
It looks like potential profiteering on heating oil has been picked up as by politicians in Ireland, but I've not heard anything from UK as yet ... labour.ie/news/2026/03...
Graph of domestic heating oil price for the last four years from UK supplier Boilerjuice. Shows spike in March 2022 to 150p.
Same graph for last four years, so including the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Not far off returning to those prices now for the 3%of households on oil fired heating...
Graph of heating oil price from UK supplier Boilerjuice. Price is level around 60p for most of last year, then doubles to above 120p in the last week.
'Risen sharply' doesn't quite convey the rise in heating oil costs. This is the graph for the last year from Boilerjuice.com website. I was lucky to be able to order at around 88p per litre this week.
New Electric Boat To Banish Emissions From Offshore Wind Sites
cleantechnica.com/2026/03/04/n...
But a great result though? β½. Hope it feels better soon.
I don't know (or care) if it will be the clear evidence of need, political self-interest, or shame at running a government with the largest majority but least popular support ever, but one way or another Labour must include #ProportionalRepresentation in the Electoral Reform Bill.
Chart from Boilerjuice.com of heating oil price for last three months, showing price stable around 60 pence per litre till last week, now spiking up to 99.75 pence.
It's more than that Kenny ... Chart from www.boilerjuice.com/heating-oil-... This is the pence per litre for 1000 litres orders : VAT is 5% on top. So a 1000 litre order now around Β£360 more than last week.
I don't see the need or value of a Commission on introducing #ProportionalRepresentation for Westminster elections. It just needs legislation which can be debated and refined through Parliament.
Maybe one of the stories in this anthology 'Menace of the Machine'? Review here lists most of the stories... vector-bsfa.com/2021/04/10/r...
π¨ "Large groups of permanently unrepresented voters create fertile ground for anger and extremism."
π―οΈ Powerful speech by @rozsavage.bsky.social about the dangers of sticking with FPTP in our current, fragmented and polarised reality.
π The Representation of the People Bill needs to address this.
This is good, but is there time or need for a Commission? Labour have introduced PR in devolved administrations. Could you not instead press for legislation in the next Kings Speech to introduce this at Westminster?
Universities use QR funding for a wide array of costs to support their research. The idea that it all goes to βcuriosity driven researchβ is totally wrong.
Either UKRI knows this and is deliberately misleading Parliament, or, perhaps worse, it doesnβt.
π§ͺ
committees.parliament.uk/publications...
I've often wondered if EV battery swapping might be a part of the transition to EVs generally. Swap batteries rather than spending time recharging while travelling. Similar business model to buying gas in a bottle.
Today is the Second Reading of the Representation of the People Bill.
It's an important bill - it's just a shame it does nothing to change the voting system that leaves millions of people without representation π
We went to Westminster to speak to MPs about this. Our CEO Emma Harrison explains π
"While votes at 16 is a genuinely historic step, how motivated will young voters feel when, for so many, their vote will almost certainly change nothing?
The most powerful thing we could do to engage all voters is to give them a system in which their votes actually matter."
Well said π
If you haven't already, please consider adding your name to ... actionnetwork.org/petitions/th...
I agree Andy. A #ProportionalRepresentation system using those poll results would roughly be...
-- Seats / MPs --
β‘οΈ Ref: 143
π΅ Con: 130
π’ Grn: 123
π Lib: 71
π΄ Lab: 110
So not great for progressives, but Farage would need to do actual politics to get anything through.