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Andy

@furnessandy.bsky.social
231 followers 521 following 0 posts

I don't post much/anything... I prefer just listening to others who say things much better than I could. 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 🇬🇱 💙

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Reposted by Andy
Robert Saunders @robertsaunders.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
90 years ago, Parliament responded to the rise of Oswald Mosley's Blackshirts by passing the Public Order Act, which banned political uniforms, private militias and the threat of force for political objects. The debates make very resonant reading today. Here's the Liberal Robert Bernays. (Short 🧵)
You cannot conduct a fair match when one side is playing with a ball and the other with bombs and, if democracy is to survive, it must be conducted according to definite and recognised rule. One of them is that no political party should resort to any weapon other than reason and argument. The introduction of private armies, as I see it, strikes at the root of democracy. I know it is contended that the Blackshirts are not armed and, therefore, are not an army, but I do not think that argument can be upheld. … Uniformed men in military formation suggest, and are meant to suggest, the idea of force. It is no argument to reply that at this or that demonstration no force is intended. It is an inescapable fact that a uniform in politics symbolises force, to be used either now or in the future.
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Reposted by Andy
Prof Christina Pagel @chrischirp.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
ULEZ has to stand as one of @london.gov.uk Sadiq Khan's finest achievements www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Children's stunted lungs show recovery in ultra low emission zone
Children's lung capacity caught up with their peers in less polluted areas once a clean air zone came in, a study shows.
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Reposted by Andy
Sean Jones KC @seanjones.org · 03/08/2026
One interesting aspect of the recent COVID discourse is that a lot of us have forgotten that lockdown and school closures was not simply about preventing deaths, it was about keeping the *rate of infection* down to a level the NHS stood some chance of coping with.
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Reposted by Andy
Better Streets for Birmingham @betterstreetsforbirmingham.org · 22/07/2026
A huge thank you to Hana Kitson, our Accessibility & Equality Lead, for speaking so powerfully to the BBC about the impact of pavement parking on disabled people. Everyone deserves pavements that are safe, accessible and free from obstruction. www.bbc.co.uk/news/videos/...
bbc.co.uk
Should pavement parking be banned?
Half of all councils in England actively encourage parking on pavements through marked bays or signage, BBC research has found.
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Reposted by Andy
Stephen Frost @sfrost.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Good news from Lancashire 👏 “Parents who have been closing their road to through-traffic every week so their children with special educational needs can play outside have said it has had a life-changing effect.” Much more of this 🙏
bbc.co.uk
Closing Colne street means children can play safely, mums say
Mums say children with special educational needs are safer with no traffic for a couple of hours.
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Reposted by Andy
Melissa & Chris Bruntlett @modacitylife.com · 26/06/2026
The Netherlands has introduced a €49 monthly ticket for unlimited nationwide train travel—a bold political response to soaring energy costs. When prices at the pump rise, you can either double down on car dependency, or give people attractive alternatives. The Dutch are (again) choosing the latter.
A hand holds a blue public transport card in front of a large bicycle parking facility and blue and yellow train at Rotterdam Central Station.
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Reposted by Andy
Prof. Ian Walker @ianwalker.bsky.social · 20/06/2026
🚨 New research by us! 📣 Most British drivers don't know how dangerous SUVs are to other road users, but adding information to SUV marketing materials seems to do almost nothing to change people's plans to buy SUVs Here's a 🧵 on why harder action is going to be needed 1/10
A mockup SUV advert image with a prototype safety warning
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Reposted by Andy
Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 15/06/2026
‘Brexit was a con, and those who sold it are guilty of a heinous crime’ – Michael Heseltine www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/rev...
thelondoneconomic.com
'Brexit was a con, and those who sold it are guilty of a heinous crime' - Michael Heseltine
Michael Heseltine is one of the biggest critics of Brexit - and he's now looking to turn the heat on those who sold the lie.
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Reposted by Andy
Chris Boardman CBE @chrisboardman.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I don't post much on here but today, I thought some dots needed joining. So, have a read of this, about the most powerful health, cost of living, growth and health intervention you've never heard of www.linkedin.com/pulse/most-p...
linkedin.com
The Most Powerful Health, Cost-of-Living and Growth Policy You've Never Heard Of
Imagine I told you there was a single intervention that could reduce annual sick days by 4.4 million, free up 1.
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Reposted by Andy
Walk Ride Rochdale @walkriderochdale.org.uk · 31/05/2026
Strong messaging from @chrisboardman.bsky.social on fuel prices - walking and cycling remain free #ActiveTravel @walkridegm.org.uk
bbc.co.uk
Chris Boardman says fuel price surge a reason to swap car for bike
Olympic medal winning cyclist Chris Boardman calls on drivers to change the way they travel.
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Reposted by Andy
Andy Cox @andy-cox.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
Horrific and a devastating human tragedy. Why has there not been wider mainstream coverage and debate about this case? Some crimes rightly dominate headlines for weeks. Yet road crimes even of this magnitude do not. Increased awareness can help create safer travel. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Pair jailed over 139mph fatal crash in 30 zone
The pair filmed themselves inhaling nitrous oxide, running red lights and weaving through traffic.
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Reposted by Andy
Urban Truth Collective @urbantruth.bsky.social · 24/05/2026
This is worth reading, for excellent communication & story-telling. “I’m driving less. I don’t want to see the world through a driver’s eyes any more. Before I began driving less, I had long had a melancholic sense that the city lifestyle I lived was cut off...” #UrbanTruth From @irishtimes.com
irishtimes.com
I’m driving less. I don’t want to see the world through a driver’s eyes any more
Before I began driving less, I had long had a melancholic sense that the city lifestyle I lived was cut off from the seasons and nature
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Reposted by Andy
The Guardian @theguardian.com · 23/05/2026
‘Men and boys need to see this’: Jo and Kush and the joy of Race Across the World
theguardian.com
‘Men and boys need to see this’: Jo and Kush and the joy of Race Across the World
The BBC series and its breakout teen stars have been lauded as a much-needed antidote to crueller, more toxic entertainment
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Reposted by Andy
Dave Walker @davewalker.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
It's the UK local elections this Thursday, 7 May. Please vote if you can.
Cartoon showing six numbered doors, with windows next to each. Six people are visible, saying the following things:

“I can’t be bothered to vote”
“My vote doesn’t count in any case”
“I don’t see the point in voting to be honest”
“What difference would my vote make?”
“My vote wouldn’t change anything anyway”
(With ‘Vote extremist party’ poster in the window) “I’ll be voting”
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Reposted by Andy
NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade @69thsb.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Fellas! Part 2 is here! 🔥 Featuring the Remembrance campaign, the Swiss Battalion, Help99 Monthly, and the Frank Wilde campaign! 🔗 Full episode: www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8w... Huge respect to all donors! Thank you for donating, thank you for supporting!
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Reposted by Andy
NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade @69thsb.bsky.social · 27/04/2026
🇬🇧 Final push for UK Battalion — 94% funded (£16,792.81 / £17,800) We’re raising funds for a NAFO Truck 3.0 🛻 for the 53rd Brigade 🇺🇦 🔗 Join this campaign: www.help99.co/patches/uk-b... Let’s finish this, fellas! Forwards to Victory 🫡
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Reposted by Andy
Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 26/04/2026
Thinking about this one again…
“I miss the old days when billionaires’ vanity projects were to build public libraries, museums and music venues.”
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Reposted by Andy
Yaroslava @strategywoman.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
Seen in Kyiv today. A car rally called “Our People Are Still Not Home.” Held in support of Ukrainian prisoners of war and missing soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
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Reposted by Andy
Tim Harford @timharford.ft.com · 25/04/2026
Well, it’s been a long road since I raced the dinosaurs at a New Year’s Day parkrun. I’ve managed various niggles (knee, glute, achilles… yawn).
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Reposted by Andy
Gravel Influencer @gravelinfluencer.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
This may be shocking, but despite being a vocal e-bike proponent I had never actually ridden one before last night. I had two takeaways: 1. It was remarkable how easy it made riding. Cruising at 18 mph while pedaling lightly was incredible. 2. E-bikes are so much fucking fun.
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Reposted by Andy
European Cyclists' Federation @ecf.com · 23/04/2026
📣𝗝𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗜𝗡: A coalition of European mobility advocates is calling on governments at all levels to urgently scale up cycling as a fast, affordable and energy-efficient solution to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. 🔗Read the full article here: tinyurl.com/33jjwttd
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Reposted by Andy
Jon Burke🌍 @jonburkeuk.bsky.social · 19/04/2026
“If you invite more cars, you get more cars. If you make more streets better for cars you get more traffic...If you invite people to walk more and use public spaces more, you get more life in the city. You get what you invite.” - Jan Gehl
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Reposted by Andy
Nick Reeves #FBPE #NAFO @nickreeves.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
With the local elections fast approaching this deserves revisiting: Farage squirms as Rep. Jamie Raskin obliterates the "Putin-loving, free speech imposter, Trump sycophant". Please share as widely as possible. The news media have a convenient habit of forgetting about Farage's service to Russia.
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Reposted by Andy
EmmanuelSPV @emmanuelspv.bsky.social · 10/04/2026
Before (1970) / After (2026) Rue Saint-Luc, Paris 18. In 1970, there was just a "children crossing" sign. Over time, parking along the school was removed and barriers were installed, then the street was pedestrianized, then greened, and this is what the 2023 "school street" looks like today
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Reposted by Andy
Sally Kyd @profkyd.bsky.social · 06/04/2026
The law on dangerous driving is confusing because most have lost an understanding of what minimum driving standards look like. (Not my choice of headline) www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Why do some killer motorists get short prison sentences? UK road safety laws are letting them off the hook | Sally Kyd
Two court cases last month illustrate how confusion over legal definitions are feeding into a culture of poor driving standards, says law professor Sally Kyd
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Reposted by Andy
Reena Mahajan @reenamahajan.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
Saving lives? Or removing danger? We don’t run 'electricity safety' campaigns. We fix the system. #SeeYourStreetDifferently #LiveStreetSmart #RoadSafety
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Reposted by Andy
Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
It wasn't until my late 30s that I realized we don't have to follow the boring, textbook "adult" progression of driving everywhere. Discovering e-cargo bikes reconnected me with the youthful joy of riding. It puts actual fun back into the mundane reality of day-to-day mobility.
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London Cycling Campaign @londoncycling.bsky.social · 29/03/2026
🙋‍♀️ Want a safe, connected cycle network in your borough? Ask for it! 👨‍💻 Email your local election candidates today: lcc.org.uk/streets
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Reposted by Andy
Laura Laker @lauralaker.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
If you fancy hearing some cycling myth busting on a Tuesday, I was on Lunch with Leon, a podcast with the former head of surface transport for Transport for London pca.st/episode/06ab...
pca.st
Laura Laker
Leon delves into the world of active transport in this week's episode, joined by cycling journalist and co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast, Laura Laker. Laura, who has forged a career focused…
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Reposted by Andy
Fietser @americanfietser.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
Bicycle infrastructure has a minimal footprint that preserves nature and enhances our surroundings. Car infrastructure demands the opposite. It clears the landscape and sterilizes our environment, quite literally paving over the very things that make our world enjoyable.
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Brent Toderian @brenttoderian.bsky.social · 17/03/2026
If you haven’t watched this before, you really should. The brilliant Dr. Carl Sagan testifying before the United States Congress in 1985 on #ClimateChange. We should have listened then. Will we now? Remember, climate change isn’t an on & off switch. It’s an exponential dial. We’re making it worse.
youtu.be
Carl Sagan testifying before Congress in 1985 on climate change
YouTube video by carlsagandotcom
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Reposted by Andy
Chris Hayes @chrislhayes.bsky.social · 08/03/2026
Please please read this from the archbishop of Chicago www.archchicago.org/statement/-/...
archchicago.org
Statement of Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, archbishop of Chicago, “A Call to Conscience” - Statements - Archdiocese of Chicago - AoC Portal
As more than 1,000 Iranian men, women and children lay dead after days of bombardment from U.S. and Israeli missiles, the official White House X account on Thursday evening posted a video of scenes fr...
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Joni Askola @joniaskola.bsky.social · 07/03/2026
As Trump launches wars around the world, don’t forget Ukraine, which is hit by more shahed drones each week than any other Middle Eastern country has faced so far
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Tom Flood @tomflood.bsky.social · 06/03/2026
White text: strange how nobody cares about pedestrian safety until the villainous cyclist shows up
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Tufnell Park Cycles @tpc2s.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
Child forced to pay for own road safety www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Girl, 12, hopes to plug funding gap for Leckhampton zebra crossing
Amalie hopes to raise the final £7,000 needed for the crossing outside a school in Leckhampton.
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Reposted by Andy
Transport Action Network @transportaction.bsky.social · 24/02/2026
Have you read our latest blog post on 'smart' motorways? We look at what the recently published evaluation reports tell us about them... transportactionnetwork.org.uk/smart-motorw...
transportactionnetwork.org.uk
'Smart' motorway reports expose costly failure
After much delay, National Highways has finally published the evaluation reports for 16 ‘smart’ motorways. As expected, they showed that almost all of the ‘smart’ motorways had been costly failures. I...
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Reposted by Andy
John Oxley @joxley.jmoxley.co.uk · 24/02/2026
So much that could be said on the 4th anniversary of the full scale invasion, but it all just boils down to the ultimate admiration for Ukrainians who have endured so much, fought so hard and deserve victory, peace and prosperity. Slava Ukraini!
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
NEW How Palantir captured the Ministry of Defence How a close read of public domain documents show how MoD was commercially colonised by Palantir By me, at FT www.ft.com/content/5207...
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
This may have been missed today. More than 150,000 adults with disabilities should have at least £400 a year extra to help with living costs under changes announced by the government
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𝙽𝚊𝚜𝚑 𝙸𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙸𝚝 @nashishereforit.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
Wow.
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Andy Cox @andy-cox.bsky.social · 14/02/2026
Exceptional hardship defence prevented driving ban. Court weighed impact on him & other employees — but where are the crash victims in that balance? Where does road safety feature? In UK, around 250 people die each year in fatal crashes linked to phone distraction. www.edp24.co.uk/news/2584864...
edp24.co.uk
Norfolk businessman escapes driving ban after using mobile phone while at the wheel
Daniel Bedwell from Stalham has narrowly escaped a driving ban after he was caught using a mobile phone while driving on Bracondale.
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Greg Jenner (Historian) @gregjenner.bsky.social · 01/02/2026
Hi! If you enjoy my podcast, you might like my books — and ASK A HISTORIAN is only 99p on Kindle during February
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John Munro @johnmunro.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
When so many of our elected officials have, with years of practice, perfected their shoulder shug or even their applause at road designs that put people without cars in harm's way, someone like @carolinerussell.bsky.social really does stand out. Here in Birmingham, we really notice it!
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Simon Munk @psimonk.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Just saying @carolinerussell.bsky.social is ace. The effort & genuine care she shows in horrific circumstances like these... Compare to the endemic inaction at roads like this, the shrugged shoulders at junctions like the ones that bookend this road, despite clear patterns of collisions, the idea...
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Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
I met people in Hackney who are calling for safer streets. Kenworthy Road is a place where people live and children go to school but the roads are still hostile and filled with fast traffic. Mrs Murphy died here in 2009 and Harry Webb was killed in 2023, and yet nothing has really changed.
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Rich @hoxtonrich.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Listen to Derek Clifford, 50 year longstanding resident of Bethnal Green, talk about the transformative effect of the LTN residents just saved from being ripped out. #LTNs #StreetsForPeople
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The Empty City @davidallengreen.bsky.social · 18/01/2026
What the United States has done this week is as devastating for the cosy Atlanticist world view, as the Credit Crunch was for those who comfortably believed that left to themselves markets tended towards equilibrium. In other words: a serious conceptual rupture. A world view has died this week.
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Caroline Russell @carolinerussell.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
The casual acceptance of risk from driving cars is utterly bemusing. If this many people were being killed on trains the rail system would be shut down until the risks could be eliminated. Why is it seen as normal that so many people are killed and injured while people drive vehicles?
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Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan @london.gov.uk · 21/12/2025
No one should be forced to sleep rough in our capital. If you see someone sleeping rough, you can help get them out of the cold. Contact StreetLink to connect them with local support: thestreetlink.org.uk
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Simon (only spookier) @winklesbloke.bsky.social · 13/12/2025
Love and solidarity to Robin. I reckon that now would be an excellent time to support him by buying his books for example.
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