stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 09/10/2026But how much of a change is it? Welfare cuts, spending cuts, small state, axing quangos, IHT cut, tax simplification, deregulation, it's like the 2010s all over again! Cameron and Osborne promised the same. 050
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Exactly the same policies as the 2010s, cuts to welfare, cuts to public spending, small state, deregulation. No new ideas, no appreciation of why they lost badly in 2024. Didn't work then and left the country in a far worse state. 040
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Quite. River pollution and illegal waste dumping are high profile problems that many people want stronger action against. The Tories proposals seem unlikely to deliver this. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/10/2026We need to be spending more not less on environmental protection. Think about shit in rivers and illegal waste dumping for example. And an Environment Agency needs to be powerful, well resourced and independent. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/10/2026So Kemi's Tory policies are basically a repeat of Tory policies from the 2010s. Welfare cuts, spending cuts, small state, bonfire of quangos. Didn't work in the 2010s, isn't likely to work now. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 27/09/2026As an engineer working on critical national infrastructure, I can tell you that the code to open the gate at one site was 1588 (Spanish Armada). This is a few years ago and obviously I can't reveal the location. 030
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 24/09/2026If only a reporter would pit that point to her - it was originally a Tory policy on her watch. 051
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 20/09/2026And few would thank you for a 10p cut, but once done it would be politically impossible to EVER reverse it. The responses to high fuel prices should be drive less, drive more economically or switch to an EV. Govt can't and shouldn't shield people from all global issues. 2220
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 18/09/2026I think SHOULD give them what they want. Piddington voted for independence - make it happen, border checkpoints, loss of UK services, everything. 031
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 17/09/2026Piddington. Would have loved a reporter to have taken the vote at face value and asked residents about border checks, Visas, losing NHS, etc. Are they ready to be outside the UK? Reality: the vote was meaningless willy-waving by parish council bigots. 153
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 16/09/2026Yes!!! Oh and for good measure the UK could establish multiple centres for those seeking asylum just outside Piddington's borders. Nothing Piddington would be able to do about it! 1140
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 16/09/2026FFS, the Tories had YEARS to come with a "truly independent reg regime" and failed miserably. Even the UKCA scheme for some goods got dumped! 190
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 16/09/2026UK Govt response should be 'You want independence, you can have it. And this is what it means, absolutely no UK-provided services, border posts, VISAs to travel out of Piddington, etc' 040
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 15/09/2026If Govt have decided that people should start paying income tax at £12570, then that should absolutely include pensioners. No reason to exempt them. Ok, there is the practical difficulty of collecting tiny amounts from people many of whom will not be used to dealing with HMRC. 110
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 12/09/2026So DfT believe a 5 car train is adequate to link some of Britain's biggest cities. They have learnt nothing from the last 30 years. I despair! 100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 12/09/2026Should be 8 cars. The idea that 5 car trains are adequate for a service linking some of Britain's biggest cities is ludicrous. We KNOW from experience over decades that the demand is there and 5 cars is not enough! 001
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 09/09/2026Much to unpick: Govt imposing a solution on a local Mayor (whither devolution?), does it cement in car dependency (2000 space car park?), victory for the 'Can It Be A Bus' faction in DfT, does it weaken the case for EWR to Cambridge? 100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/09/2026Surely there are multiple laws that could be used against those causing disruption, eg those brought in largely to counter anti oil protests. Will the police use the powers they have? 393
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 04/09/2026Farage probably should be prosecuted - Reform is his company. Yet a lot of the media are trying very hard not to talk about it, and Reform supporters won't care. Imagine if these accusations were about Labour, newspaper front pages would be covered in it every day for weeks. 130
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 03/09/2026Hannan banned from politics? I could warm to the idea! 030
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 31/08/2026By the time of the next Mayoral contest, there will be hardly any non-compliant vehicles left in London. Ulez won't be an issue. No votes in it. Ulez may rankle a bit in areas just outside London, but those people don't get to vote for the London mayor. 020
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 31/08/2026It's the 'Uxbridge effect'. That byelection that the Tories narrowly won continues to dominate political thinking for both main parties. The very particular circumstances and timing of Uxbridge were unique and will never be repeated. 150
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 23/08/2026And then there's Euston. No plan, no funding, so right now the HSR station at Euston is not happening. For the forseeable future, HS2 trains will stop at Old Oak Common, and the old Euston that we all love so much (I am a user!) will soldier on. 020
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 21/08/2026IEP, DfT's finest hour. They are 100% responsible for it. 110
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 19/08/2026Difficult to be sure without a picture, but it could a large electric transformer. Used to convert one voltage to another. The biggest are very big and very heavy. Used at power stations and grid substations. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 15/08/2026Surely key problems are DfT and Treasury. They are terrible at running rail, but won't give up control. And Alexander appears to hopelessly out of her depth 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 14/08/2026I am reading that the Govt are to temporarily ban disposible BBQs. Perhaps they assume that doing this fully covers climate change? 100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 13/08/2026All we seem to have after a special Cobra meeting is that they MIGHT ban disposible BBQs, not 'will', 'might' at some vague time in the future. Pathetic is too kind a word. 100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 27/07/2026Love the 'Net Zero schemes that nobody voted for'. If you voted Tory in 2019 you very much did vote for Net Zero - read their 2019 manifesto. Likewise Labour in 2024. 040
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 16/07/2026Is there hard evidence that Unitaries do a better job? In my area it means that local services will probably be delivered from some remote town. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 15/07/2026If you could dig into McKinsey's 20% figure, you might well find that some junior figure in McKinsey has stuck a finger in the air and said 20%, and that there is no real evidence behind it. But McKinsey were probably paid millions to provide it! 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 14/07/2026Decarbonising rail is the lowest hanging fruit of all, using technology that has existed for over a 100 years (electrification). Rail is a small part of the transport market, but its share could grow a lot given the right policies. But Govts don't want to do that. 130
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 11/07/2026They are clearly rattled that their hero (Farage) might be beaten by a novelty candidate. Farage would be finished. Even if Farage won, but the margin was small (52/48 anyone?), he would be badly damaged. 0111
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 11/07/2026Nursing! Computing! WTF! And Creative Arts and Humanities. These support some of Britain's most successful industries - arts, culture, music, museums. Lots of employment, exports and tourism. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 10/07/2026Surely the argument that 'its just weather, climate change isn't real' is getting hard for these numskulls to sustain. 3rd heatwave this year, broken the record for the number of 34 deg plus days in a year, its only early July, coming after several other recent hot years. Action needed by all. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 07/07/2026Bollocks. He has had any easy ride till now. 0100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/07/2026See also: the saga of Beam Park station in East London. 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 28/06/2026MPs are chosen because they might win the seat, or be a good constituency MP, or as a reward for years of working for the party at a local level. So maybe there isn't an MP would make a good Foreign Sec. Cameron was quite well regarded in the role. 100
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 25/06/2026As an irregular user of Euston I can confirm that the Tube station could not handle much more traffic. Perhaps in choosing Euston it was assumed Crossrail 2 would be built and Euston Tube comprehensively rebuilt. Neither seems likely now. 020
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 25/06/2026Just maybe fewer people will be travelling than usual, and your train will be half empty, a scenario many Cross Country regulars can only dream about! 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 14/06/2026Good comments. What Farage is skirting around is a 'skin colour test' which is what some on the far right really seem to want, even if they are shy about saying it. 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 11/06/2026Exactly! When pension age changes were announced, it was quite a big news story. And you have long been able to request personal pension info from DWP. Cases of genuine hardship will surely be very few? 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 05/06/2026Traditional transport operators are rightly expected to improve access for the disabled. And it can be hard given the age of infrastructure. Yet here DfT are promoting something that is inherently not accessible! 031
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 01/06/2026DfT and Treasury are missing from the diagrams. They are the ones who are REALLY running the railway now, and will probably continue to do so. 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 21/05/2026Will be intetesting to see how much prominence these numbers get on the media. You can be certain if immigration ROSE sharply, it would be a big story for the BBC and many papers, but a big fall? 042
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 20/05/2026Underlines how hopeless Starmer is. This will enrage many people, help Russia, and probably do bugger all for fuel and energy costs in the UK. So why do it? 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 10/05/2026And maybe commentators underestimate the strength and commitment of the 'anyone but Farage' vote. Tactical voting could keep Reform out of lots of seats, but might lead to a messy result - multiple parties with sizeable blocks of MPs. 010
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 08/05/2026When it comes to people's own area, local councils have almost no money or power. Even bin collections are largely dictated by Westminster. And yes, the problems of many towns are very hard to fix mainly because shopping and work patterns have changed so much. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 03/05/2026Part of a bigger problem that the near 20-year 'cost of living crisis' prevents any meaningful tax reform because there might be losers. E.g.council tax, fuel duty and vehicle taxes, any tax simplification, pension triple lock, etc. 000
stephenashford.bsky.social @stephenashford.bsky.social · 15/04/2026Looks like the 'Can it be a Bus' voices central govt are winning. The long, long promised Leeds tram will end up being marginally improved buses. And I thought that had been tried? Any other European city of Leeds's size would probably have multiple tram lines and maybe a Metro as well. 110
