Former Green Alliance director, CPRE chief executive, and Labour & Co-op MEP. Rochester resident, ever hopeful Gills supporter.https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mlsi67r4kc22On this slow news day, hold the front page! I’m delighted to be joining the LCEF board. In all the (often excessive) gloom about Labour’s time in government it’s worth celebrating its good record on climate, energy & many aspects of the natural environment. Now let’s crack on & go further & faster. [contains quote post or other embedded content]14 May 2026 09:15 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsi67r4kc22https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mlsd3zjukk2oSo interesting to hear Justin Webb and Katya Adler's views on the European reset. Inevitably, they don't think it's up to much. #r4today14 May 2026 07:44 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlsd3zjukk2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mlnni6ongc24This must be deeply embarrassing to the many green Tories out there. To paraphrase Clement Attlee, "the words you read are from the Conservative Party, but the thoughts are those of Reform UK". Forward to the 1980s! [contains quote post or other embedded content]12 May 2026 11:06 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnni6ongc24https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mlnbfackqc25"I don't like to have the last word in an interview", says Nick Robinson on #Today. Perhaps the biggest news of the morning so far.12 May 2026 07:30 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlnbfackqc25https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mllzc6pi7s2cI understand Labour MPs wanting a change in leadership, & no one should tell the electorate it’s wrong. But talking up their own government’s mistakes & accusing it of “failure” is a dangerous game. If Labour MPs think the government’s been rubbish, why should anyone else think differently?11 May 2026 19:32 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mllzc6pi7s2chttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mliv65utsk2jThis is an excellent book, a plea from a distinguished Holocaust scholar “not to accept the logic of the fanatics & the extremists, who keep seeking the destruction of the other”. You can support the state of Israel while utterly condemning the actions of the current Israeli government.10 May 2026 13:41 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mliv65utsk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mlgttfb3ok2kThis is a first on my regular evening walk.09 May 2026 18:11 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlgttfb3ok2khttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mle6t6dpqc24“We need to heed the anger, not feed the anger.” Well said Eluned Morgan.08 May 2026 16:50 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mle6t6dpqc24https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mldoq6uxxk2nMy heart sinks to hear Zack Polanski on #r5live say the battle is now between the Greens & Reform. Both parties play an important role in pulling politics in their direction, but has there ever been a populist government that's improved people's lives in the long term? Beware easy answers!08 May 2026 12:02 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldoq6uxxk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mldb7cw2us2tHappy birthday Sir David. On the day after polling day, let’s join the dots between his status a a national treasure who speaks out on climate change )based on deep knowledge), & Reform’s climate denialism & the Conservatives’ determination to trash their legacy on climate action.08 May 2026 08:00 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mldb7cw2us2thttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3ml3ohf46sc23Kemi Badenoch & Nick Robinson say the Conservatives want to scrap "net zero targets". What they mean is that the Tories want to scrap climate action & end UK climate leadership. You can't be good on the environment unless you're also good on climate. #r4today05 May 2026 07:36 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml3ohf46sc23https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mkki7b76hk2nRecommended: "I'm opposed to indiscriminate increases & then working out how it's going to be spent." There are many good points in the podcast. I'd also ask what we're defending - the Indian Ocean, Cyprus, Gibraltar, the Falklands?... We need an affordable, post-imperial defence policy. [contains quote post or other embedded content]28 Apr 2026 11:29 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkki7b76hk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mkaza3uonc22What a terrible summary on @bbc5live.bsky.social 6 o’clock news of why the assisted dying bill fell. The bill might have had flaws, but that’s not why it fell. The Lords could have addressed them & tried to improve it. Instead, unelected peers set out to sabotage it. #Shameful https://bbc5live.bsky.social24 Apr 2026 17:07 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkaza3uonc22https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mjyh2bvors2eNick Robinson really is a terrible interviewer, far keener to get his views across & get a gotcha moment than in listening to what his interviewees have to say. #r4today21 Apr 2026 07:20 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjyh2bvors2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mjygbleqtc2xHow did oil and gas nan Nick Butler come to be the Prof #r4today turns to for commentary on drilling for more oil and gas?21 Apr 2026 07:06 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjygbleqtc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mjgz44bzos2aThe question should be, what forces do we need as a relatively small, post-imperial power, & where should we deploy them? We can't afford to do everything (including maintain costly, US-dependent nuclear weapons) & operate everywhere (the Med, the Indian Ocean...). tinyurl.com/mn9cx9mm https://tinyurl.com/mn9cx9mm14 Apr 2026 08:55 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjgz44bzos2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mixyv6q67s2lFrom @patrickwintour.bsky.social - this just about what Trump has achieved through his war.08 Apr 2026 09:42 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mixyv6q67s2lhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mittbefha22cTrump: “happy Easter, we had a great Easter, this is one of our better Easters, I think, in a lot of different ways. I can say, militarily it’s been one of the best.” Blessed are the war makers.06 Apr 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mittbefha22chttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3minr5n3r3224Once again, the enthusiasm of #r4today for fossil fuels & scepticism about renewables (“to move to renewables can take decades to put in place”, says Anna Foster) is striking.04 Apr 2026 07:56 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3minr5n3r3224https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mi6rlr47v22sAmazing to hear a discussion on #BroadcastingHouse about Kemi Badenoch's 'drill, baby, drill' anti-net zero policies without a word about #ClimateChange. What would Kemi Badenoch and the Tories do about it? And is there any Reform policy on climate and energy she won't imitate?29 Mar 2026 08:54 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi6rlr47v22shttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mi53bhtvbs2tA couple of faves from today’s march against the far Right (&, judging from some of the banners & chants, for & against umpteen other things…). It was good to see such a huge number of people (mostly) taking a stand for tolerance & diversity. Now for a cup of tea.28 Mar 2026 16:42 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi53bhtvbs2thttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mhumszbxnc2zIt’s depressing to hear Mel Stride suggest that ditching climate action should be the government’s economic priority in the face of Trumpflation. He sounds like a slightly less vulgar version of Richard Tice. Does the Conservative Party even believe in climate change now? #r4today25 Mar 2026 08:02 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhumszbxnc2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mhsblcadxc24Ten years after the zero carbon homes standard was scrapped, it's good news that we're finally getting there - but the government really must stand up to the housebuilders and avoid further unnecessary delay! https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/24/ministers-delay-new-rules-for-low-carbon-housing-in-england24 Mar 2026 09:36 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhsblcadxc24https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mhpnhiytn22xAmol Rajan on #Today: "the chronic challenges don't get much bigger or harder than fixing the planning system so we can build many more houses." He should stop taking his talking points from the anti-planning Tufton Street think tanks and developers blaming planning for their slow build out rates.23 Mar 2026 08:31 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhpnhiytn22xhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mhc2eqhf622nI’m disappointed (but perhaps not surprised) to hear Robert Jenrick repeat the line that EU rules on nutrient neutrality are stopping the UK building 100,000 houses. Does Reform really want to be the sewage party? There are ways of building more homes without adding to river pollution.17 Mar 2026 22:44 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhc2eqhf622nhttps://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mh66ofx2dc22It’s hard to listen to the LRB podcast, Aftershock: the war on terror, & not hear echoes of today’s war - the mix of “arrogance & provinciality” in the US approach, the failure to think beyond the conflict, Tony Blair’s keenness to outsource UK policy to the White House etc etc. Recommended.16 Mar 2026 09:51 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mh66ofx2dc22https://bsky.app/profile/shaunspiers1.bsky.social/post/3mgkg3mstj22vSo Tony Blair thinks we should slavishly back US wars, legal or not. There’s a surprise. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/mar/08/yvette-cooper-rejects-tony-blair-call-for-uk-to-have-backed-trump-strikes-on-iran?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other08 Mar 2026 13:10 +0000at://did:plc:bpt45ha2gublbgla6kq5i3i7/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgkg3mstj22v