Andrew Sissons
@acjsissons.bsky.social
Day job: climate change, heat pumps, energy at Nesta
Other stuff: low-fi economics on growth, cities & economic geography, general UK policy, occasional basic charts
Bristol, he/him, lots of parenting / caring.
Personal account.
Other stuff: low-fi economics on growth, cities & economic geography, general UK policy, occasional basic charts
Bristol, he/him, lots of parenting / caring.
Personal account.
Pinned
Andrew Sissons
@acjsissons.bsky.social
· Nov 17
Delighted to publish this personal essay by me and John: Getting Britain out of the hole.
We wanted to write something quite readable that covers the big picture of the UK’s economic struggles. Hopefully we’ve managed at least one of those!
@johnspringford.bsky.social
getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
We wanted to write something quite readable that covers the big picture of the UK’s economic struggles. Hopefully we’ve managed at least one of those!
@johnspringford.bsky.social
getting-out-of-the-hole.uk
It’s bad that the newspaper sector increasingly needs to be funded by philanthropy, a bit like think tanks.
It’s doubly bad because that kind of philanthropic funding has been drifting towards the authoritarian right.
It’s doubly bad because that kind of philanthropic funding has been drifting towards the authoritarian right.
February 5, 2026 at 12:20 PM
It’s bad that the newspaper sector increasingly needs to be funded by philanthropy, a bit like think tanks.
It’s doubly bad because that kind of philanthropic funding has been drifting towards the authoritarian right.
It’s doubly bad because that kind of philanthropic funding has been drifting towards the authoritarian right.
I generally try and avoid analysing the SEND system - it plays waaaay too big a role in my life.
BUT I think this is a sensible take on SEND reform. Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools, while reducing but not abolishing EHCPs feels right to me.
Also good to see teachers’ views in there
BUT I think this is a sensible take on SEND reform. Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools, while reducing but not abolishing EHCPs feels right to me.
Also good to see teachers’ views in there
England's SEND system is widely recognised as broken.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
February 5, 2026 at 9:41 AM
I generally try and avoid analysing the SEND system - it plays waaaay too big a role in my life.
BUT I think this is a sensible take on SEND reform. Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools, while reducing but not abolishing EHCPs feels right to me.
Also good to see teachers’ views in there
BUT I think this is a sensible take on SEND reform. Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools, while reducing but not abolishing EHCPs feels right to me.
Also good to see teachers’ views in there
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
England's SEND system is widely recognised as broken.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
February 5, 2026 at 9:00 AM
England's SEND system is widely recognised as broken.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
As teachers and parents await the Government’s SEND review, @danihpayne.bsky.social @beckymontacute.bsky.social’s latest briefing explores what trade-offs may be needed to fix the system.
Enjoyed actually seeing some of the extra #BigFebruary daylight today. Very wet out of the train window though
February 4, 2026 at 9:44 PM
Enjoyed actually seeing some of the extra #BigFebruary daylight today. Very wet out of the train window though
Enjoyed this piece, and would love to see more debate / reflection on this topic.
Competitive markets are amazing, often. But markets vary a lot, and a blanket prescription of "we just need more competition" is not always very helpful. (Energy market watchers will know this)
Competitive markets are amazing, often. But markets vary a lot, and a blanket prescription of "we just need more competition" is not always very helpful. (Energy market watchers will know this)
Is competition always the hero?
We compete for schools & jobs, while economists praise market competition for better choices.
But cases like SHEIN, Palantir, Samsung, & Boeing suggest competition can sometimes do more harm than good.
Nghi Nguyen explains in this latest blog: bit.ly/4rmChKq
We compete for schools & jobs, while economists praise market competition for better choices.
But cases like SHEIN, Palantir, Samsung, & Boeing suggest competition can sometimes do more harm than good.
Nghi Nguyen explains in this latest blog: bit.ly/4rmChKq
February 4, 2026 at 9:03 AM
Enjoyed this piece, and would love to see more debate / reflection on this topic.
Competitive markets are amazing, often. But markets vary a lot, and a blanket prescription of "we just need more competition" is not always very helpful. (Energy market watchers will know this)
Competitive markets are amazing, often. But markets vary a lot, and a blanket prescription of "we just need more competition" is not always very helpful. (Energy market watchers will know this)
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
'We force innovation where it doesn’t belong, pushing companies to be creative not in how they help us, but in how they exploit us.'
Is competition always the hero?
We compete for schools & jobs, while economists praise market competition for better choices.
But cases like SHEIN, Palantir, Samsung, & Boeing suggest competition can sometimes do more harm than good.
Nghi Nguyen explains in this latest blog: bit.ly/4rmChKq
We compete for schools & jobs, while economists praise market competition for better choices.
But cases like SHEIN, Palantir, Samsung, & Boeing suggest competition can sometimes do more harm than good.
Nghi Nguyen explains in this latest blog: bit.ly/4rmChKq
February 3, 2026 at 11:06 AM
'We force innovation where it doesn’t belong, pushing companies to be creative not in how they help us, but in how they exploit us.'
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
It’s been a pretty inauspicious start to #BigFebruary, let’s be honest, but here are some snowdrops
February 3, 2026 at 8:48 PM
It’s been a pretty inauspicious start to #BigFebruary, let’s be honest, but here are some snowdrops
Oh! I'm starting a Nesta newsletter called The Energy Edit.
Here's the first edition, looking at the big offshore wind auction and the Warm Homes Plan and asking what they mean for energy bills.
In short: more offshore wind is no longer an easy fix to reduce bills
www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew...
Here's the first edition, looking at the big offshore wind auction and the Warm Homes Plan and asking what they mean for energy bills.
In short: more offshore wind is no longer an easy fix to reduce bills
www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew...
February 2, 2026 at 12:26 PM
Oh! I'm starting a Nesta newsletter called The Energy Edit.
Here's the first edition, looking at the big offshore wind auction and the Warm Homes Plan and asking what they mean for energy bills.
In short: more offshore wind is no longer an easy fix to reduce bills
www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew...
Here's the first edition, looking at the big offshore wind auction and the Warm Homes Plan and asking what they mean for energy bills.
In short: more offshore wind is no longer an easy fix to reduce bills
www.linkedin.com/posts/andrew...
Oh dear - this is awful news for cricket and beyond
February 1, 2026 at 3:07 PM
Oh dear - this is awful news for cricket and beyond
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
February is the BEST in terms of how the days get longer as a proportion of the actual length of day.We gain more minutes per day in March, but the days are longer then anyway so who cares...
(Sorry for the terrible graph)
(Sorry for the terrible graph)
February 1, 2026 at 9:23 AM
February is the BEST in terms of how the days get longer as a proportion of the actual length of day.We gain more minutes per day in March, but the days are longer then anyway so who cares...
(Sorry for the terrible graph)
(Sorry for the terrible graph)
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
New personal piece: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
It has become a common complaint that regulators in the UK are toothless and ineffective. Unable to keep up with the pace of the internet…
acjsissons.medium.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:36 AM
New personal piece: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
Happy February!
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
February 1, 2026 at 8:18 AM
Happy February!
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Welcome to most underrated and fastest improving month. You start in the depths of winter and end waking up in the light to the sound of birds singing, to the sight of snowdrops, daffodils and early blossom in the trees
#BigFebruary
Excited for the launch of this year’s Big February tomorrow.
It’s been a pretty miserable January. But to be fair to it, when the skies are clear, the light is wonderful
It’s been a pretty miserable January. But to be fair to it, when the skies are clear, the light is wonderful
January 31, 2026 at 9:06 PM
Excited for the launch of this year’s Big February tomorrow.
It’s been a pretty miserable January. But to be fair to it, when the skies are clear, the light is wonderful
It’s been a pretty miserable January. But to be fair to it, when the skies are clear, the light is wonderful
Weekend plug for my new personal post: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
Sometimes regulators are just useless, but more often the problem is that governments don’t give them the tools or the powers to deter bad behaviour
Sometimes regulators are just useless, but more often the problem is that governments don’t give them the tools or the powers to deter bad behaviour
Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
A sewage outfall pipe in the River Solway, Cumbria, with (probably) a regulator in the background. Photo by John Collins
acjsissons.medium.com
January 31, 2026 at 9:02 AM
Weekend plug for my new personal post: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
Sometimes regulators are just useless, but more often the problem is that governments don’t give them the tools or the powers to deter bad behaviour
Sometimes regulators are just useless, but more often the problem is that governments don’t give them the tools or the powers to deter bad behaviour
There is a traffic apocalypse in Bristol this evening - gridlocked traffic down residential roads, no one going anywhere.
It is incredible how bad our transport system is
It is incredible how bad our transport system is
January 30, 2026 at 6:05 PM
There is a traffic apocalypse in Bristol this evening - gridlocked traffic down residential roads, no one going anywhere.
It is incredible how bad our transport system is
It is incredible how bad our transport system is
So much this.
A foundational belief of #TeamMorePlanning is that you need a strong local or regional authority who can, if not build the infrastructure, at least plan and coordinate it
A foundational belief of #TeamMorePlanning is that you need a strong local or regional authority who can, if not build the infrastructure, at least plan and coordinate it
Neoliberals (like me) put too much thought into how much the planning system explains why we used to build more stuff, and not enough into how we used to have muscular local authorities and actually nationalised industries doing it all
Brilliant letter in The Economist from Professor Ian Wray
Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, University of Liverpool
www.economist.com/letters/2026...
Heseltine Institute for Public Policy, Practice and Place, University of Liverpool
www.economist.com/letters/2026...
January 30, 2026 at 12:40 PM
So much this.
A foundational belief of #TeamMorePlanning is that you need a strong local or regional authority who can, if not build the infrastructure, at least plan and coordinate it
A foundational belief of #TeamMorePlanning is that you need a strong local or regional authority who can, if not build the infrastructure, at least plan and coordinate it
New personal piece: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
It has become a common complaint that regulators in the UK are toothless and ineffective. Unable to keep up with the pace of the internet…
acjsissons.medium.com
January 30, 2026 at 8:36 AM
New personal piece: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
The news is full of businesses behaving badly and seeming to get off very lightly. Why? As someone who used to work for a regulator, I wanted to set out some of the very simple reasons regulators struggle…
I've got a new personal blog up: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
By me, a former regulator (!)
I'll plug it properly in the morning, but dive in if you fancy some late night reading
acjsissons.medium.com/why-does-reg...
By me, a former regulator (!)
I'll plug it properly in the morning, but dive in if you fancy some late night reading
acjsissons.medium.com/why-does-reg...
Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
It has become a common complaint that regulators in the UK are toothless and ineffective. Unable to keep up with the pace of the internet…
acjsissons.medium.com
January 29, 2026 at 9:43 PM
I've got a new personal blog up: Why does regulation often feel so toothless?
By me, a former regulator (!)
I'll plug it properly in the morning, but dive in if you fancy some late night reading
acjsissons.medium.com/why-does-reg...
By me, a former regulator (!)
I'll plug it properly in the morning, but dive in if you fancy some late night reading
acjsissons.medium.com/why-does-reg...
Agree with a lot of this. AI benefiting all industries is the key test of whether it’s economically transformative.
It feels like so far the strongest use cases are geared towards coding. Which would make the exam question: is “abundant code” a viable mechanism for transforming most industries?
It feels like so far the strongest use cases are geared towards coding. Which would make the exam question: is “abundant code” a viable mechanism for transforming most industries?
AI tools are immensely powerful. The use of AI as a general purpose chat bot that is used like an encyclopaedia is the worst possible use of AI. AI is now, given good instructions from a knowledgeable user, capable of doing absolutely vast amounts of work extremely fast.
lots of people, especially on here, are fastened onto the idea that it's just AI bro marketing or whatever to consider it a fixture of the information landscape. it's easy to think that when everyone in your circles is an ethical AI refuser. but I'm afraid it really has been mass adopted.
January 29, 2026 at 9:58 AM
Agree with a lot of this. AI benefiting all industries is the key test of whether it’s economically transformative.
It feels like so far the strongest use cases are geared towards coding. Which would make the exam question: is “abundant code” a viable mechanism for transforming most industries?
It feels like so far the strongest use cases are geared towards coding. Which would make the exam question: is “abundant code” a viable mechanism for transforming most industries?
Should not be allowed to give these things real people’s names
JFC "Andrew" the "AI-generated expert on artificial intelligence" on this Microsoft course is the worst teacher and my already dim view of AI in education and training has plummeted even further now.
January 28, 2026 at 6:43 PM
Should not be allowed to give these things real people’s names
My friend and I did a student radio show and tried to do a recurring feature on surprising music genres. We did Ghettotech for week one, Grindcore week two and then entirely ran out of ideas
Grindcore is taken guys
January 28, 2026 at 6:01 PM
My friend and I did a student radio show and tried to do a recurring feature on surprising music genres. We did Ghettotech for week one, Grindcore week two and then entirely ran out of ideas
Reposted by Andrew Sissons
Grindcore is taken guys
January 28, 2026 at 5:12 PM
Grindcore is taken guys
Interesting new analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre, which suggests that most of the increase in electricity bills since 2021 is still because of gas.
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Expensive gas still biggest driver of high UK electricity bills, says UKERC - Carbon Brief
High gas prices are responsible for two-thirds of the rise in household electricity bills since before the global energy crisis.
www.carbonbrief.org
January 28, 2026 at 8:57 AM
Interesting new analysis by the UK Energy Research Centre, which suggests that most of the increase in electricity bills since 2021 is still because of gas.
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...
Nice wrote up by @drsimevans.carbonbrief.org
www.carbonbrief.org/expensive-ga...