Simon Jeffrey
@simonjeffrey.bsky.social
Personal opinions about transport and devolution policy.
Research commissioned by Lime suggests that under optimum conditions it could reach a fleet of 88,000 shared e-bikes in London getting 4x rides per day. That's 128m rides a year, equivalent to half a Victoria Line or two Circle Lines. steergroup.com/sites/defaul...
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Research commissioned by Lime suggests that under optimum conditions it could reach a fleet of 88,000 shared e-bikes in London getting 4x rides per day. That's 128m rides a year, equivalent to half a Victoria Line or two Circle Lines. steergroup.com/sites/defaul...
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
With all disagreements between the Commons and the Lords now resolved, our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill is on course to receive Royal Assent before the end of the year.
Labour is getting Britain building again.
Labour is getting Britain building again.
November 25, 2025 at 3:02 PM
With all disagreements between the Commons and the Lords now resolved, our landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill is on course to receive Royal Assent before the end of the year.
Labour is getting Britain building again.
Labour is getting Britain building again.
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
Urban anti-car measures may seem like political dynamite. But metro mayors should note the lack of fanfare over London's recent congestion charge increases.
For integrated transport to be most effective requires both carrots and sticks in big cities - selling them as a package is the way forward
For integrated transport to be most effective requires both carrots and sticks in big cities - selling them as a package is the way forward
November 25, 2025 at 11:14 AM
Urban anti-car measures may seem like political dynamite. But metro mayors should note the lack of fanfare over London's recent congestion charge increases.
For integrated transport to be most effective requires both carrots and sticks in big cities - selling them as a package is the way forward
For integrated transport to be most effective requires both carrots and sticks in big cities - selling them as a package is the way forward
There's more?!?
Covid Inquiry to probe furlough and business loans
The inquiry will look at how support schemes were designed and what was done to minimise fraud and waste.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 11:26 AM
There's more?!?
Excellent. The best way to increase the real value of maintenance loans is reducing the cost of housing in student areas. ‘Default yes’ within 1km of a university library?
Nice to see local press reporting (and SU organising) to push for more/better housing
www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/2564024...
www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/2564024...
'Housing hell': York students working multiple jobs to pay rent they can't afford
University of York Students' Union has launched a campaign over what it says is a 'housing hell' faced by students in the city.
www.yorkpress.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 11:21 AM
Excellent. The best way to increase the real value of maintenance loans is reducing the cost of housing in student areas. ‘Default yes’ within 1km of a university library?
Sounds good and exactly the sort of thing councils with a bit of funding could be trialling. Would be great to see a decent evaluation. Credit to BBC London for a good news feature.
Tower Hamlets Council drugs squad tackles antisocial behaviour
The squad is solely focused on tackling drugs and antisocial behaviour in east London.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 24, 2025 at 11:09 AM
Sounds good and exactly the sort of thing councils with a bit of funding could be trialling. Would be great to see a decent evaluation. Credit to BBC London for a good news feature.
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
TBH my ideal Covid Inquiry would have just to have been getting public health officials and Ministers from South Korea, Australia, and Japan and gone "we fucked up and you didn't, why was that?" and got it over and done with in three months.
November 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
TBH my ideal Covid Inquiry would have just to have been getting public health officials and Ministers from South Korea, Australia, and Japan and gone "we fucked up and you didn't, why was that?" and got it over and done with in three months.
Millennium Stadium is so good. Huge capacity, steep terraces up to the pitch, roof closed for crackling atmosphere. Criminally underused. Meanwhile the WRU is financially screwed. FA Cup semi finals should be played there every year.
November 22, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Millennium Stadium is so good. Huge capacity, steep terraces up to the pitch, roof closed for crackling atmosphere. Criminally underused. Meanwhile the WRU is financially screwed. FA Cup semi finals should be played there every year.
Question is, will the proposed changes to the revised NPPF for a ‘default yes’ within 800m of train stations cover this? If so, they need to brand it better to let the winners know. If not, add that in sharpish. Separately, look forward to seeing how the OBR will have scored the revised NPPF
If Starmer or Reeves wants to stand up and give a speech to unlock hundreds of billions of investment, birth thousands of new small builders and make hundreds of thousands of millionaires by the time he sits down, he should declare a Labour ‘Right to Build’ for homeowners.
November 22, 2025 at 1:26 PM
Question is, will the proposed changes to the revised NPPF for a ‘default yes’ within 800m of train stations cover this? If so, they need to brand it better to let the winners know. If not, add that in sharpish. Separately, look forward to seeing how the OBR will have scored the revised NPPF
Wishful thinking perhaps, but one thing I can see the impending doom for Labour in London next May affecting is govt’s willingness to do the right thing and put Thames Water into a special administration regime when the crunch comes in March(?).
Hmmm - so tacking hard right on immigration led the Danish equivalent of Labour to lose the capital city for the first time in a century to a “Green-Left” party?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
And all the seats on London’s borough councils are up next May? Including the progressive packed ones held by Labour for generations?
November 22, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Wishful thinking perhaps, but one thing I can see the impending doom for Labour in London next May affecting is govt’s willingness to do the right thing and put Thames Water into a special administration regime when the crunch comes in March(?).
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
England has 25.8 million homes and 4,632 were demolished in the last year, at which rate the average existing home will need to last for around five and a half thousand years.
November 21, 2025 at 2:30 PM
England has 25.8 million homes and 4,632 were demolished in the last year, at which rate the average existing home will need to last for around five and a half thousand years.
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
This is one of my favourite bits on here: the Uk actually taxes its top decile a lot and under taxes the middle, giving us Europes most progressive taxation system. European taxes for the top decile and then they get frozen out of the benefits system because the middle do not pay their share.
November 21, 2025 at 7:34 AM
This is one of my favourite bits on here: the Uk actually taxes its top decile a lot and under taxes the middle, giving us Europes most progressive taxation system. European taxes for the top decile and then they get frozen out of the benefits system because the middle do not pay their share.
Incredible work by Birmingham City making Man Utd's big top proposal look sober and refined in comparison. (It has actually grown on me tbf). A nod to heritage is nice but this is an unprovoked headbutt.
November 20, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Incredible work by Birmingham City making Man Utd's big top proposal look sober and refined in comparison. (It has actually grown on me tbf). A nod to heritage is nice but this is an unprovoked headbutt.
Ah, but what price can we put on Birmingham successfully protecting its character while Japanese and French cities lose theirs through overdevelopment in pursuit of high quality modern and affordable housing in more prosperous and liveable cities?
The reason is because the built form of the urban core *outside the city centre* of British big cities is essentially frozen.
This is totally different to French and Japanese big cities which see construction across their urban core.
This is totally different to French and Japanese big cities which see construction across their urban core.
November 20, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Ah, but what price can we put on Birmingham successfully protecting its character while Japanese and French cities lose theirs through overdevelopment in pursuit of high quality modern and affordable housing in more prosperous and liveable cities?
This is great. I trust the bond markets to kick the tyres of Local Growth Plans effectively and provide a stronger stimulus for effective investment policy than various govt departments.
How municipal bond markets can save Britain <-- a fantastic, must-read (and FREE TO READ!) guest post from @morganwild.bsky.social !
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/municipal-...
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk/p/municipal-...
How municipal bond markets can save Britain
The case for more fiscal devolution to build the infrastructure we need
takes.jamesomalley.co.uk
November 20, 2025 at 12:26 PM
This is great. I trust the bond markets to kick the tyres of Local Growth Plans effectively and provide a stronger stimulus for effective investment policy than various govt departments.
Remarkable how unremarked upon the announcement was. It’s a big deal. Would have been much better - messaging impact and delivering 1.5m homes wise - if it had been announced in the first week after the election.
"It would mean more people could benefit from those frequent Central Line services. It is exactly what I hoped this Labour government might do.
"And I almost missed it, because they instead won’t shut up about being horrible to foreigners."
"And I almost missed it, because they instead won’t shut up about being horrible to foreigners."
The Weekly Howl
The British government just did something I agree with, and it feels almost gross to mention it. Also: who invented the week? And some Beeching-themed maps.
jonn.substack.com
November 20, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Remarkable how unremarked upon the announcement was. It’s a big deal. Would have been much better - messaging impact and delivering 1.5m homes wise - if it had been announced in the first week after the election.
Remarkable new data and analysis of UK cities’ density problem. Tiny islands of lukewarm city centre development trapped tightly in a frozen sea of suburbia. TCPA was like an ice age descending on cities.
Latest @centreforcities.bsky.social report out today Flat Britain: the urban density gap and how to close it
www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
www.centreforcities.org/publication/...
Flat Britain: The urban density gap and how to close it - Centre for Cities
This report addresses the unanswered questions that remain – exactly where should British cities increase density, and how can they do it?
www.centreforcities.org
November 20, 2025 at 10:41 AM
Remarkable new data and analysis of UK cities’ density problem. Tiny islands of lukewarm city centre development trapped tightly in a frozen sea of suburbia. TCPA was like an ice age descending on cities.
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
"The mark of 22,711 megawatts (MW) was set at 7.30pm on 11 November, beating the previous high for wind power generation of 22,253 MW set on 18 December last year."
news.sky.com/story/new-re...
news.sky.com/story/new-re...
New record for wind-powered electricity in Britain
The National Energy System Operator (Neso) has predicted Britain could hit another milestone in the months ahead by running the grid for a period entirely with zero carbon power, renewables and nuclea...
news.sky.com
November 19, 2025 at 10:49 PM
"The mark of 22,711 megawatts (MW) was set at 7.30pm on 11 November, beating the previous high for wind power generation of 22,253 MW set on 18 December last year."
news.sky.com/story/new-re...
news.sky.com/story/new-re...
December’s police reform white paper sounds extremely interesting - and overdue.
November 19, 2025 at 11:20 PM
December’s police reform white paper sounds extremely interesting - and overdue.
Exactly, let's not make VAT worse when there's much better options on the table to do something similar.
How can the Government help families with high energy bills?
Jonny Marshall explains why cutting VAT from bills would *not* be the best approach.
Catch up on the full discussion to find out how the Government can cut costs for three-in-four households ⤵️ buff.ly/aA5q2H3
Jonny Marshall explains why cutting VAT from bills would *not* be the best approach.
Catch up on the full discussion to find out how the Government can cut costs for three-in-four households ⤵️ buff.ly/aA5q2H3
November 19, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Exactly, let's not make VAT worse when there's much better options on the table to do something similar.
Reposted by Simon Jeffrey
The relative tax treatment of the employed and the self employed is simply not fair. Action should be taken.
Taxes on the typical salary are now 55% higher than on self-employment income.
The effective tax rate for a self-employed worker equivalent to the median employee in 2025-26 was the second lowest in 50 years, behind only 2024-25 ⤵️ buff.ly/4ppe7Q8
The effective tax rate for a self-employed worker equivalent to the median employee in 2025-26 was the second lowest in 50 years, behind only 2024-25 ⤵️ buff.ly/4ppe7Q8
November 19, 2025 at 1:29 PM
The relative tax treatment of the employed and the self employed is simply not fair. Action should be taken.
Don't know why this article annoyed me so much, but it's the second most read on BBC News, quite long and yet at the end I didn't have anything but the most vague answer with almost no details on the question it asks: why is the number of childminders falling, especially for 3 and 4yos?
Our son's about to turn three - it's become a childcare nightmare
The number of childminders in England is falling - with one charity warning they could all be gone by 2033.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 19, 2025 at 8:47 AM
Don't know why this article annoyed me so much, but it's the second most read on BBC News, quite long and yet at the end I didn't have anything but the most vague answer with almost no details on the question it asks: why is the number of childminders falling, especially for 3 and 4yos?
Tourist tax; default ‘yes’ to housing within 800m of train stations; and devolution of local rail to mayors: all quite good stuff individually that can combine into something very good. But all things that should have been announced on Day 1 of the Labour Govt.
November 18, 2025 at 9:35 PM
Tourist tax; default ‘yes’ to housing within 800m of train stations; and devolution of local rail to mayors: all quite good stuff individually that can combine into something very good. But all things that should have been announced on Day 1 of the Labour Govt.
Default ‘yes’ to new housing around train/tram stations. Feels like quite a big deal. We have a lot of train stations surrounded by fields that are well connected into city centres. 1000 commuter villages will provide a lot more homes than 10 new towns.
Housebuilding around train stations will be given default “yes”
Housebuilding near well-connected train stations will receive a default “yes” in future if they meet certain rules, ensuring more homes are built
www.gov.uk
November 18, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Default ‘yes’ to new housing around train/tram stations. Feels like quite a big deal. We have a lot of train stations surrounded by fields that are well connected into city centres. 1000 commuter villages will provide a lot more homes than 10 new towns.
Surprised by how little attention the Bezos reusable rocket launch success has got on here, if only for Musk no longer having the monopoly on that.
November 14, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Surprised by how little attention the Bezos reusable rocket launch success has got on here, if only for Musk no longer having the monopoly on that.