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James Thorniley

@jamesthorniley.bsky.social
700 followers 1.1K following 198 posts

Green Councillor for Lye Valley, Oxford City Council. Promoted by David Newman on behalf of James Thorniley (Green Party) at 12A Merlin Rd OX4 6EP

PostsRepliesMedia
Reposted by James Thorniley
Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 21/09/2026
More signatures needed!
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sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
hugging face is the most terrifying indicator of where the ai race is, in the sense that the industry is facing completely solvable collective action problems while guided by entrenched, unoustable leaders with the foresight and moral fortitude of above-average pigeons
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sarah jeong @sarahjeong.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
a lot freaks me out about AI but 0% of my anxiety is about AGI. i think this is the part that freaks me out the most right now -- the many many indications that no one is at the wheel and no adults are present
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Oxford Clarion @oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
The councillor who chairs Piddington Parish Council, near Bicester, says that yesterday’s stunt referendum – in which the village voted to leave the UK in protest against an asylum centre – was “an example of democracy in operation”. Tim McNally himself gained his role without a contested election.
Tim McNally, chair of Piddington Parish Council, on GB News
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Cycled through central/east London yesterday and from posts on here was prepared for Lime bike Mad Max. But in spite of lots of cyclists around didn't notice anyone jumping reds or running into pedestrians on zebra crossings or bus stop bypasses. Weird.
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
On the £36m Reform donation, Rachel Millward, deputy Green Party leader, says: "Farage is bought and paid for. Reform won't do a thing that this billionaire doesn't like. Their support is draining away because it's so clear they're working for the same super rich elites they pretend to be against."
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Dorian @dorwright.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
AI company employee: Guys, we're really scared, this isn't just hype, we don't know how dangerous this thing is. Okay, so stop. Just...don't do what you're doing. Turn on a big magnet in the server room. No? Okay, then yeah, this is just hype.
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Bill McKibben @billmckibben.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
At the moment we have no real idea how to scale up carbon removal--it's a hair on the mole of the ugly backside of the global hydrocarbon industry But we do know how to scale up solar panels and wind turbines and batteries. So that's our job billmckibben.substack.com/p/facts-on-t...
billmckibben.substack.com
Facts on the ground
Two things matter now: votes, and solar panels. (And wind turbines. And batteries)
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Dr Jo Kershaw @mthrjo.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
The RNLI have some of the best people in Britain volunteering for them. They put their lives on the line when they are called on and they will rescue anyone who needs them. Because every life matters, and offering help is the right thing to do. You can donate here: rnli.org
rnli.org
RNLI - Royal National Lifeboat Institution - Saving Lives at Sea
The RNLI is the charity that saves lives at sea. We do this through lifeboat search and rescue, lifeguards, water safety education and international interventions.
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lastpositivist.bsky.social @lastpositivist.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
Ah yeah see but this time, *this time*, when permanently furious pensions see that we actually agree with them that foreigners are scum who they rightly hate? That'll do it. That'll be the one that gets our Hero Voters back. You'll see. Believe in the mission, believe in the vision. We've got this.
Me posting in 2025: "Just one more concession to the right bro, I swear bro that's all we need, just one more, bro, I promise, please I need this, I swear down last thing, bro 😭"Me posting 4 months ago: "It's not surprising yet it is still shocking that Labour are still, even now, doing the Just One More Public Affirmation That We Agree On Reform About Their Core Issue And Its Importance thing. Presumably at this point they are just true believers willing to go down with the ship."
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Chess is very frustrating if you are the type of person who wants to consider yourself smart but not willing to put the work in (e.g. Elon), as a moderately committed 8 year old can beat you and there's no way to evade that
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Stephen Gower @sjgower.eurosky.social · 27/08/2026
Another minor update (v1.2). Some purple pixels around the HBS filter just to make it clear this route to Westgate/etc is not filtered, a few white pixels for clarity, and better rendering settings generally when zoomed in. Please now share this one ongoing (again under original terms up thread).
Unofficial explanatory map of Oxford’s car traffic-filter trial, starting 28th September 2026. Oxford streets are shown as four colour-coded areas showing how each can be reached by car from the Ring Road without passing through a traffic filter: blue from the north, brown/orange from the east, turquoise from the south, and purple from the west. Matching coloured arrows show the appropriate Ring Road approaches. Six traffic filters are marked: Hollow Way and Marston Ferry Road operate 7–9am and 3–6pm Monday–Saturday; St Cross Road, Hythe Bridge Street, Thames Street and St Clement’s operate 7am–7pm daily. It is noted that Traffic filter (TF) permits do not apply to other filters such as High Street or those in East Oxford/Cowley. A QR code and text links to full details at https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/trafficfilters
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Badly Parked Oxford @badlyparkedox.bsky.social · 21/08/2026
Marston St stub can be opened for emergency vehicles. This firefighter says they are often blocked by #badlyparkedcars. #dangerousparking
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Steve Peers @stevepeers.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Racist Zero under investigation by his current employer www.thenational.scot/news/2648073...
thenational.scot
Academic who sparked Jason Arday pile on under investigation by university
The academic who sparked the pile on which preceded a black British professor’s suicide has said he is under investigation by his university
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Causing A Scene @causingascene.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Venues and artists should genuinely consider applying for this new fund. The more successful it is, the more likely it is to continue beyond the proposed initial 2 years. www.oxford.gov.uk/grants/grass...
oxford.gov.uk
Grassroots Music Fund – Oxford City Council
Grant funding available for venues, musicians and promoters to help support musical activity in Oxford.
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Simon Munk @psimonk.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
I think every politician who attacked the ULEZ proposals & Mayor @london.gov.uk before the expansion should stand up and say if they now think they got it wrong or not. Is this a moment we learn from in reducing ills of motoring or is the next scheme doomed to face same type of unevidenced attacks?
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
If the barrier is only at the position shown, I can't see this having any effect on the cycle lane parking as the people using it are happy to drive over the grass verge too (they have to be as that's the only exit)
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Nate O @nateo.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
Ex-PM Starmer said, in response to Raise the Colours terrorising people, ‘I am supporter of flags’, ‘I’m very encouraging of flags. I think they’re patriotic and I think they’re a great symbol of our nation’ and his family had ‘got St George’s flag in our flat’ www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Raise the Colours Oxfordshire organiser Ben Cullen head-butted a highways worker after police were called to McDonalds in Benson where highways staff were attempting to remove flags from lamp posts;
Highways staff now wear unbranded PPE, work in unbranded vehicles, wear face coverings to hide their identity, and do not travel alone for fear of attacks;
Highways staff working on streetlight maintenance, not flag removal, have been spat on and abused by RTC supporters;
Cullen and his partner Trudy Wells posted the office addresses and phone numbers of highways depots online, leading to comments suggesting “hanging council workers from those same lamp posts”;
RTC Oxfordshire fixed trackers to the vehicles used by highways staff, then used this to find out their home addresses – which have been published online, and repeated to staff with threatening messages;
Highways depots now have to remain locked at all times;
A highways contractor’s sponsorship of a children’s football club is being rethought after concerns that children could be targeted.
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Oxford Clarion @oxfordclarion.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Oxford’s Green councillors say the city should stand firm against “a manufactured moral panic which seeks to demonise the existence of trans and nonbinary people”. They are calling on the City Council to support their rights in the face of “overly simplistic approaches to sex, gender and sexuality”.
Trans flag. Alexander Grey at unsplash.com.
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 12/07/2026
Great to see how well the new report into rent controls has landed! It saves renters money and it saves Govenrment money. And some of that money should be used on building new social housing stock, too! Win/win all around! 🙌🏽
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Jan Rosenow @janrosenow.bsky.social · 11/07/2026
1/ Irony number one: Many of the people now cheering me on spent years insisting heat pumps don't work. Air conditioners ARE heat pumps. Same refrigeration cycle, same physics, running in reverse. Most modern units do both. If AC works (it does), heat pumps work (they do).
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Gregory Norminton @gregorynorminton.bsky.social · 09/07/2026
The lack of urban trees across the UK is a public health emergency. We need vastly more green shade (and we need to nurture it through ever more brutal summers).
eciu.net
Heatwave: UK's overheating towns and cities rank way below European…
Only Hastings and Guildford rank above European average for urban tree cover, with Manchester leading large cities in England
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TandemKate @tandemkate.bsky.social · 08/07/2026
Really important article from @lauralaker.bsky.social - we need better training & guidance for police & legal changes to stop legal e-cycles & other mobility aids being wrongly seized by police. Wheels for Wellbeing briefing on current rules here: wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk/our-campaign...
wheelsforwellbeing.org.uk
Campaigning for inclusive cycling, Wheels for Wellbeing
Wheels for Wellbeing is an award-winning charity supporting disabled people of all ages and abilities to enjoy the benefits of cycling.
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Gillian Brockell @gillianbrockell.com · 06/07/2026
There's a part in the book "Careless People" where the author beats Zuck at Settlers of Catan, and he is absolutely wrecked by it. Someone pulls her aside to explain everyone else has been letting him win for years. I think about this a lot re: why tech bros think everyone will love AI chatbots.
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Adam Tranter @adamtranter.bsky.social · 02/07/2026
Tech companies: Our pavement robots are safe for pedestrians and don't get in their way! The robots:
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Alistair Coleman @alistaircoleman.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Well. www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/2624087...
oxfordmail.co.uk
Raise the Colours Oxfordshire leader to stand trial over 'indecent child images'
A leading figure in the Oxfordshire's Raise the Colours movement is due to stand trial accused of making indecent child images.
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
It's tempting to mock these tabloid headlines sabout a train station with no car park (how will people get there!!!! 😡😡) but really it's just an indictment of the way we've been conditioned to think about transport.
Telegraph headline: The train station with 1,000 cycle spaces but no car park. Subhead: New Cambridge South station will cause chaos as drivers try to park in nearby streets, residents say.
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Very interesting - research showing that reducing traffic reduces perceptions of crime in an area. (HT @oxfordclarion.bsky.social) www.leeds.ac.uk/news/article...
leeds.ac.uk
Cutting traffic cuts vandalism, burglary and violence, research shows
Lowering traffic on urban streets can cut vandalism, burglary and violence, according to a significant new study by Leeds researchers.
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Steve Chambers @planningtransport.co.uk · 29/06/2026
These have been threatening to burden our pavements for at least a decade. So I wonder what has changed now. I guess the Deliveroos and Uber Eats have gone off the idea of paying drivers.
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M a r c u s 🏳️‍🌈🇧🇧 @marcusjdl.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
remember when they lost in Uxbridge and Keir Starmer leader of the opposition then told the mayor to “reflect” on this policy
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Sr133 @sr133.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
The delegates also thought it was a really good look to give him a whooping standing ovation for this youtu.be/rAdVNw_axGE?...
youtu.be
Prime minister heckled over Gaza at Labour Party conference
YouTube video by Sky News
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Gregk Foley @gregk.co.uk · 13/06/2026
The British state is handing contracts for increasingly sensitive elements of the Defence/Security apparatus to a man who has repeatedly tried to stoke open insurrection while aggressively backing British politicians who receive shady foreign funding and a guy who is currently in Moscow.
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Foxxi, First of her Name @foxxiloxxi.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
Getting bloodwork for Wrigley done this morning and this sign was in the lobby (it’s a vet office, just to be clear)
A letterboard that says “0 days since last poop in the lobby. Record is 15 days”
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Tomas Hirst @tomashirstecon.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
They did this to *kids* involved in the London riots of 2011. Absolutely no excuse not to do it here. And these people proudly post evidence of their crimes online.
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Ben Goldsborough MP @bengoldsborough.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
This was a race riot. Families were driven from their homes. People were targeted because of who they are and where they come from. Words matter. Those who fuel hatred and division bear responsibility too. We have more in common than that which divides us.
A statement from Ben Goldsborough which reads: What we witnessed in Northern Ireland last night was a race riot.

A Black family in County Antrim were forced to flee their home after their windows and door were smashed. A Ukrainian family escaped after their front door was set alight. On one street, hundreds of masked men carrying bottles and bricks set bins ablaze while chanting "foreigners out". The Fire and Rescue Service was called to 62 separate incidents.

We should be clear about what happened. This was not protest. It was organised racial violence. It had all the hallmarks of a pogrom.

The scenes we saw last night carried echoes of some of the darkest episodes of recent disorder in our country. We are also seeing our democracy come under attack from those who seek to spread division, whether through foreign influence, deliberate disinformation, or the reckless rhetoric of people calling for civil war and encouraging a politics of cold rage.

Words matter. Those with public platforms have a responsibility to use them carefully. Inciting hatred, stoking fear, or encouraging mob behaviour is never acceptable.

To everyone in South Norfolk and across the United Kingdom who feels frightened or targeted by these events, I want you to know that I will do all I can to stand up for our brilliantly diverse nation. Britain is stronger because of the people who have chosen to make their lives here, contribute to our communities, and call this country home.

This year marks the tenth anniversary of the murder of Jo Cox. At moments like this, her words deserve to be remembered:

"We have more in common than that which divides us."

Those words remain as important today as they were ten years ago. We must reject hatred, stand together against racism, and defend the values of decency, tolerance, and democracy that bind us together.
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Paris Marx @parismarx.com · 07/06/2026
x is a right-wing cesspool. it is not a public square and people with a conscience should abandon it.
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David Roberts @volts.wtf · 02/06/2026
The idea that only nuclear or gas can provide "firm power" -- the last line of defense against the relentless advance of clean energy -- is going the way of the dodo. There are no arguments left. The only reason to fight progress now is corruption & raw political power.
canarymedia.com
24/7 renewables could happen sooner than you think
Grouping wind, solar, and batteries together can already be more affordable than building a coal or gas plant in prime locations, new report finds.
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Amy Borrett @amyborrett.ft.com · 29/05/2026
🚨Elon Musk has boosted the public profile of Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe on X, pulling Britain’s political discourse towards extreme content and amplifying his influence ahead of a knife-edge election in Makerfield More @FT: as.ft.com/r/80f4639f-0...
Dot plot of X posts with at least 2mn views since Restore Britain launched showing Rupert Lowe has far more viral posts than Farage despite having a third of the followersLine chart of cumulative earnings from X showing Rupert Lowe has earned more than £72,000 from his X posts
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Oxford Green Party @oxfordgreenparty.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Oxford Green Councillor's statement on the EHRC's transphobic and deeply exclusionary guidance. We will fight to protect trans wellbeing and inclusion in Oxford 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍⚧️
We understand the EHRC code of practise will be a cause of anxiety and distress to Trans+ people in Oxford and the UK. Contrary to the government's claims, the Code of Practice does not deliver certainty and creates ongoing vulnerability for trans people in accessing services. We condemn the failure of the Labour Government to legislate to recognise the reality that trans men are men, trans women are women and non-binary people are non-binary, and protect their rights.

During recent post-election negotiations, one of the key concessions which Oxford City Green Councillors required from Labour in order to allow them to form a minority administration was an undertaking to protect trans people in service delivery following the publication of the Code of Practice.Oxford City Council delivers extensive services affected by the Code of Practice, from public toilets to leisure facilities. As a public authority, the Council has to comply with terms of the Equality Act, including adhering to the Code of Practice. However, there will need to be considerations of how the Code is practically applied, and our Green councillors will fight to ensure that the rights and welfare of Trans+ residents are centred in the council's approach.

As Greens, we are proud to be trans inclusive and we stand in solidarity with the trans community. We will fight to ensure these changes do the least possible harm to Oxford's trans population, and continue fighting for changes to the law that recognise and protect trans rights. - Lois Muddiman, Oxford City Green Group Leader
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Natalie Bennett @nataliegreenpeer.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Great work @oxfordgreenparty.bsky.social! One of five gains from Labour overnight, taking Green council number to 13. Congratulations also to other target winners James Thorniley, Alfie Davis, Sushila Dhall and Edward Mundy
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James Thorniley @jamesthorniley.bsky.social · 08/05/2026
Incredible night for us Greens in Oxford, and delighted to have won! Incredibly grateful for all the support.
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Caroline Lucas @carolinelucas.bsky.social · 28/04/2026
Such blatant profiteering from human misery is sickening. And here at home families struggle to pay bills as energy giants rake in higher profits & destroy the climate. Time for a further windfall tax now
bbc.co.uk
BP profits more than double as Iran war sends oil prices higher
The energy giant said it had seen an
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The Green Party of England & Wales @greenparty.org.uk · 27/04/2026
The experiment of bus privatisation has been an unmitigated disaster. Green councillors will campaign for publicly-controlled buses and free bus fares for all people under 22 years. Vote Green on 7 May to boost our buses 🚌
LOCAL ELECTIONS 2026
VOTE GREEN TO BOOST OUR BUSES
Green Party
Promoted b Chris Williams on behalf of The Green Party, both at PO Box 78066. London SE16 9GQ
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Peter Stefanovic @peterstefanovic.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
The governments plan will keep people working in key industries like care in temporary status for a decade or more, it will keep people in insecure work, make them more easily exploitable, poorer and marginalised - when did that become the policy of a Labour government?
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Zack Polanski @zackpolanski.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
It is now clear the Greens are directly challenging Reform. People are fed up with the status quo and want change but Farage is offering them old Tory solutions and scapegoats the vulnerable. The Greens have a real plan to lower bills, protect the NHS & cap extortionate rents.
Zack Polanski also responsible. Zack Polanskis party has risen inversely to Reforms decline.
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Josiah Mortimer @josiahmortimer.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
🔴 Britain’s Solar Revolution Is Here and We Should Be Shouting It From the Rooftops Ed Miliband is helping to turn the country into a nation of ‘solar zealots’ and I'm enthusiastically along for the ride. Thankfully I'm not alone. bylinetimes.com/2026/04/22/b...
bylinetimes.com
Britain’s Solar Revolution Is Here and We Should Be Shouting It From the Rooftops
Ed Miliband is helping to turn the country into a nation of 'solar zealots' and Josiah Mortimer is enthusiastically along for the ride
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Repeat Blunderer @doghousereilly.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
It’s illustrative to recognise when the Guardian uses the word investment (straightforward handing over cash to the private sector) and when it uses spending (welfare, public sector wages)
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mothball @gcball.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
“A caring health system would place staff and patient health and wellbeing at the centre of policy decisions and promote improved public transport and active travel options as a way to achieve this, while also contributing to wider environmental and public health benefits.“
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Jon Owen @anotherjon.bsky.social · 15/04/2026
This is a great data visualisation. It clearly shows why policy interventions that support/subsidise driving tend to not just miss an opportunity to reduce inequality, they are likely to entrench inequality, because those in the most deprived areas will derive the least benefit.
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