Kieran Lowe
@kieranran.bsky.social
Work in news and public affairs. Climate change/energy/tech, Pokémon, X-Men & LGBT+ rights. 🏳️🌈 retreating from the bad apps
There are better ways to lower the cost of energy for households than a simple VAT cut @madgabes.bsky.social outlined recently - hopefully the Chancellor will tomorrow look to reduce electricity bills along lines of the tax-free measures @nestauk.bsky.social proposed www.nesta.org.uk/report/tax-f...
November 25, 2025 at 4:43 PM
There are better ways to lower the cost of energy for households than a simple VAT cut @madgabes.bsky.social outlined recently - hopefully the Chancellor will tomorrow look to reduce electricity bills along lines of the tax-free measures @nestauk.bsky.social proposed www.nesta.org.uk/report/tax-f...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
🙏This would be very welcome. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Rachel Reeves decides against cutting VAT on energy bills in Budget on.ft.com/3Xifliv
Rachel Reeves decides against cutting VAT on energy bills in Budget
Chancellor expected to continue with support package for households, including easing of electricity costs
on.ft.com
November 25, 2025 at 4:13 PM
🙏This would be very welcome. Fingers crossed for tomorrow
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
And few who are sympathetic to us, some who are friendly with me on here, will ever stick their head above the parapet
November 25, 2025 at 12:37 PM
I don’t like subtweeting people I consider online friends, but there is a subset of people who are very worried about the ongoing radicalisation of our political elite but won’t ever acknowledge the echoes with the radicalisation of their colleagues on trans rights
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
November 25, 2025 at 9:26 AM
I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture.
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
The Economic Impact of Brexit
Other
siepr.stanford.edu
November 24, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Still reeling from the Stanford report on Brexit. Reduced GDP by up to 8% and investment by as much as 18%. The UK Treasury would have £40 billion more each year if Britain had remained in the EU. Devastating self-immolation.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
As harrowing as this, it felt like a relief to read it. The commentariat's refusal to grapple with what climate change will do to us, if we don't phase out fossil fuels, has been driving me insane.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
November 23, 2025 at 6:05 PM
As harrowing as this, it felt like a relief to read it. The commentariat's refusal to grapple with what climate change will do to us, if we don't phase out fossil fuels, has been driving me insane.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
This should help break the collective amnesia.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Why has the price ratio jumped? Gas prices have fallen by around 6% driven by lower wholesale costs. At the same time, electricity costs have risen, driven mainly by adding the cost of new nuclear to bills, plus some other increases.
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
Price gap between gas and electricity hits highest level since energy crisis of 2022
Sharp increases in electricity costs are set to push the electricity-to-gas price ratio to its highest level since the 2022 energy crisis, according to new analysis from the innovation foundation Nest...
www.nesta.org.uk
November 22, 2025 at 7:58 AM
Why has the price ratio jumped? Gas prices have fallen by around 6% driven by lower wholesale costs. At the same time, electricity costs have risen, driven mainly by adding the cost of new nuclear to bills, plus some other increases.
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
We have some @nestauk.bsky.social analysis here:
The gap between electricity and gas prices in Jan will now be 20% larger than a year before, pushing up bills for a typical household using electric storage heating by £100, compared to typical dual fuel billpayer seeing bills rise by just £2.50 www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
November 22, 2025 at 9:48 AM
The gap between electricity and gas prices in Jan will now be 20% larger than a year before, pushing up bills for a typical household using electric storage heating by £100, compared to typical dual fuel billpayer seeing bills rise by just £2.50 www.nesta.org.uk/press-releas...
this season of #dragraceuk has been riggory after riggory, honestly so boring, Tayris deserved better
November 21, 2025 at 9:05 PM
this season of #dragraceuk has been riggory after riggory, honestly so boring, Tayris deserved better
great to hear Martin Lewis making a very articulate and impassioned case for moving policy costs off electricity bills and onto taxation earlier, to reduce bills and incentivise heat pumps, in light of Ofgem's price cap rising more steeply for electricity users than gas users in January #r4today
November 21, 2025 at 10:04 AM
great to hear Martin Lewis making a very articulate and impassioned case for moving policy costs off electricity bills and onto taxation earlier, to reduce bills and incentivise heat pumps, in light of Ofgem's price cap rising more steeply for electricity users than gas users in January #r4today
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
tomorrow's newsletter is literally called "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and boy isn't this a darling example, a phrase popularised by full-on racists on Elon Musk's Twitter now being bandied around in the mainstream press and sold as a Labour term
November 20, 2025 at 2:38 PM
tomorrow's newsletter is literally called "aren't you tired of feeling insane all the time?" and boy isn't this a darling example, a phrase popularised by full-on racists on Elon Musk's Twitter now being bandied around in the mainstream press and sold as a Labour term
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
The majority of the UK media, encouraged by the UK's equality body, is waging a campaign to encourage the public, employers and health providers to harass anyone who doesn't fit their definition of what a woman should look like.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
November 20, 2025 at 11:41 AM
The majority of the UK media, encouraged by the UK's equality body, is waging a campaign to encourage the public, employers and health providers to harass anyone who doesn't fit their definition of what a woman should look like.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
This is what JK Rowling is funding.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
I suspect they're delaying it because its mental and unworkable - and is clearly aimed at the exclusion of trans, and gender conforming people, from society.
November 19, 2025 at 10:39 PM
I suspect they're delaying it because its mental and unworkable - and is clearly aimed at the exclusion of trans, and gender conforming people, from society.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
This mural has gone up in Kingston, ostensibly for Christmas but AI has ensured it's actually to celebrate the return of our dark lord Cthulhu
November 18, 2025 at 9:44 AM
This mural has gone up in Kingston, ostensibly for Christmas but AI has ensured it's actually to celebrate the return of our dark lord Cthulhu
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
In 'Splitting the bill' we found that if the Government removed some policy costs from electricity bills, it could save the average family £160, while pushing down on inflation.
Read here 👉 buff.ly/z69JDpL
Read here 👉 buff.ly/z69JDpL
November 19, 2025 at 10:44 AM
In 'Splitting the bill' we found that if the Government removed some policy costs from electricity bills, it could save the average family £160, while pushing down on inflation.
Read here 👉 buff.ly/z69JDpL
Read here 👉 buff.ly/z69JDpL
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Remember integration? That thing voters "really, really" care about? Where's that in the latest plans?
My column:
My column:
Labour has given up on integration
Shabana Mahmood's latest asylum plans prioritise return at the expense of integrating newcomers
www.newstatesman.com
November 18, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Remember integration? That thing voters "really, really" care about? Where's that in the latest plans?
My column:
My column:
Scottish Gov published its draft Heat in Buildings Bill today and confirmed it won't be introduced in this Parliament. @nestauk.bsky.social Scotland's Robin Parker responded saying legislation is needed "sooner rather than later" and needs to be enhanced to boost heat pump uptake.
November 18, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Scottish Gov published its draft Heat in Buildings Bill today and confirmed it won't be introduced in this Parliament. @nestauk.bsky.social Scotland's Robin Parker responded saying legislation is needed "sooner rather than later" and needs to be enhanced to boost heat pump uptake.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Punchy language from the Environment Agency.
England can no longer take water for granted, the EA has warned after finding an average person's water use is "unacceptably high".
The regulator said household water efficiency should be a "national priority".
Sign of how intense drought worries are.
England can no longer take water for granted, the EA has warned after finding an average person's water use is "unacceptably high".
The regulator said household water efficiency should be a "national priority".
Sign of how intense drought worries are.
November 18, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Punchy language from the Environment Agency.
England can no longer take water for granted, the EA has warned after finding an average person's water use is "unacceptably high".
The regulator said household water efficiency should be a "national priority".
Sign of how intense drought worries are.
England can no longer take water for granted, the EA has warned after finding an average person's water use is "unacceptably high".
The regulator said household water efficiency should be a "national priority".
Sign of how intense drought worries are.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Listening to Steve Reed explain on the radio today that he can't say what Mahmood's plan means for kids of people who give birth after they've been granted asylum because that's a hypothetical Q govt can't be expected to answer right now made me think these reforms are going to unravel quite fast
November 18, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Listening to Steve Reed explain on the radio today that he can't say what Mahmood's plan means for kids of people who give birth after they've been granted asylum because that's a hypothetical Q govt can't be expected to answer right now made me think these reforms are going to unravel quite fast
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Labour’s contribution to the field of “least surprising opinion poll results” continues to to be very strong.
Those who hold more restrictive views on refugees are more likely to see Labour as pro-immigration, while those who hold more liberal views tend to see Labour as anti-immigration
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
yougov.co.uk/topics/polit...
November 17, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Labour’s contribution to the field of “least surprising opinion poll results” continues to to be very strong.
Turkeys for Christmas is woke nonsense - they’ve have only been the UK’s Christmas lunch of choice since the 1930s, so any self-respecting flag-shaggers should be celebrating that the UK has gone back it’s roots by rejecting the immigrant turkey www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
What actually happened is the opposite of "woke". There is a turkey shortage because of bird flu.
You know the sort of thing animal welfare regulations and consumer protections might have prevented if not for decades of deregulation.
You know the sort of thing animal welfare regulations and consumer protections might have prevented if not for decades of deregulation.
November 16, 2025 at 12:26 PM
Turkeys for Christmas is woke nonsense - they’ve have only been the UK’s Christmas lunch of choice since the 1930s, so any self-respecting flag-shaggers should be celebrating that the UK has gone back it’s roots by rejecting the immigrant turkey www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
When Tommy Robinson is celebrating your policies it is time to take a long hard look in the mirror and then quit politics forever.
Not everyone is unhappy about the Government's descent into anti-refugee politics
November 16, 2025 at 10:01 AM
When Tommy Robinson is celebrating your policies it is time to take a long hard look in the mirror and then quit politics forever.
Reposted by Kieran Lowe
Read 'em and weep. (www.nber.org/system/files...)
November 14, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Read 'em and weep. (www.nber.org/system/files...)