Tony Shield

[Ineluctable Chris @BoveFromAbove]

I’d normally be the kind of person who wouldn’t stand up for a politician like Starmer. There’s plenty I don’t agree with him on; I find Labour a big disappointment and nowhere near as radical as I’d like on issues like abolishing the House of Lords, proportional representation, legalising pot, nationalising water, a wealth tax, and rejoining the EU.
However, I also recognise some good things this government is doing or has done: workers’ rights, GB Energy, improving the NHS, VAT on private schools, closer ties to Europe, and standing up to Trump. I understand they were never going to fix the mess made by the Tories overnight and they have to prioritise.
The attacks on Starmer are relentless. I might not agree with him on everything; I even find him a bit boring, but I don’t see the "incompetent monster" they paint him as. He’s not corrupt, he’s not incompetent, he’s not dishonest, and he’s not self-serving. I see a decent man trying his best. I don’t see the buffoon I saw in Johnson or a reckless halfwit like Liz Truss.
I voted Lib Dem and will do again as I have a Lib Dem MP, but that doesn’t mean I want to bring this government down or see it fail. I wish Starmer all the luck in the world and hope he stays on, as he’s a darn site better than his Tory predecessors.

[Adam Tranter @adamtranter]

Good news for walking!

The Government has confirmed in its new "Better Connected" strategy that it will enable new simplified zebra crossings.

Many campaigners have, for many years, been advocating for this change. Here's the case I made in 2022.

https://t.co/pG8IUJ6Ql8

[Adam Tranter @adamtranter]

What if I told you we could make crossing the road easier, more comfortable, and make walking more attractive for short journeys?

What if I told you this could be done at a fraction of the cost of the usual way, by using "simplified" or "side road" zebra crossings?

What if I told you the studies have shown they have high levels of compliance, even without the usual Belisha beacons?

What if I told you the presence of these simplified crossings is merely reinforcing pedestrian priority already detailed within the Highway Code updates?

What if I told you civil servants and Government ministers use them every day (the video shown is outside the Department for Transport offices), but only because one local authority decided to take a risk and try them out (credit Westminster City Council), despite official guidance not permitting them.

What if I told you they could cost as little as £300, compared to between £50,000-£100,000 for a full zebra crossing with Belisha beacons.

What if I told you they were already commonplace all across Europe?

What if I told you, starting March 11, 2026, Welsh local authorities can install simplified zebra crossings at side road junctions in 20mph zones? (because: Devolution)

It's about time England got a move on and permitted them through updating The Traffic Signs Regulations and General Directions 2016. The Government could also publish the long-awaited Manual for Streets 3, while they were at it.

[Adam Tranter @adamtranter]

The cheapest petrol is the petrol you don't use.

As fuel prices rise once again, it could be a good time to consider switching to an e-bike, as these ads at pumps in Bristol suggested.

(Campaign by @fusionmediasvs for Specialized from a few years back)

[Liz Webster @LizWebsterSBF]

🚨 @PeterKellner1 new analysis is extraordinary:

• 6 million 2016 voters have died
• 5:1 pro-EU majority among new voters
• 29% of Leave voters now want to rejoin
• Brexit has cut GDP by 8%, confirmed by the NBER study

➡️ Net result: an anti-Brexit majority of 8 million.

Britain is now overwhelmingly pro-European 👉the public has moved on.

The only people still defending Brexit are the ones benefiting from the damage.

[Liz Webster @LizWebsterSBF]

🔥 This FT letter exposes truth:

Reversing Brexit is the only serious route out of Britain’s fiscal and economic crisis.

Labour has the majority to do it but instead they’re running down the country for a corporate fire sale while distracting us by blaming immigrants.

Brexit broke Britain. Rejoining would fix it.

The question is: will Labour act before Reform take power 👉 or let the collapse continue?

[Nick Reeves #RejoinEU #NAFO #FBPE @nickreeves9876]

The BBC's Charter must be rewritten to make clear that its duty to truth absolutely overrides its duty to be impartial. There must be no 'balancing' of truth and falsehood. The BBC's prioritising of balance has been catastrophic for this country.
https://t.co/5VZvCbrIqb

[Tony Shield @TonyLShield]

I've just signed this petition. Will you add your name and share too?
https://t.co/LGewLvL0Qh via @38degrees

[Lankershim @LankershimNoHo]

@MysterySolvents 😄

[Tony Shield @TonyLShield]

It's time to change the laws around streaming services so that musicians get their fair share! Join me in signing to Musicians' Union petition to fix streaming! @WeAreTheMU #FixStreaming https://t.co/HlFDB33EGI via @megaphoneuk

[Tony Shield @TonyLShield]

🚨🌱 The Chancellor is currently reviewing all public spending from scratch. Please join me in signing the @_CFTA petition to remind the UK Government: the arts make our lives happier and our communities stronger. Now is the moment to invest in them. https://t.co/g9oj0mmh5J

[Brian Cox @ProfBrianCox]

This is the correct course of action and the current government position is wrong. I don’t know exactly whose fault it is that they persist with their so-called ‘red lines’, but it’s nonsense given the geopolitics and economics of 2025.

[REJOIN CAMPAIGN @sonofr]

Message to Starmer:

GET RID OF YOUR RED LINES!

The new threats Britain faces demands that we rejoin the Single Market and the Customs Union.

Common sense demands we rejoin the Single Market and the Customs Union.

Stop wasting time - DO IT!

@Keir_Starmer @UKLabour @labourlewis @jon_trickett @RichardBurgon @AngelaRayner @AnnelieseDodds @darrenpjones
@mattfrei @itvpeston @vicderbyshire @DaleVince
https://t.co/7vbCuoXWnT

[Larry the Cat @Number10cat]

@mtgreenee @brianglenntv Sir Winston Churchill visiting the White House during the Second World War

[Liberal Democrats @LibDems]

If this government was really serious about growth, it would start negotiating a new UK-EU trade deal with a bespoke customs union at its heart.

This is the single biggest lever ministers could pull to turbocharge our economy. The refusal of the Chancellor to even consider it shows a worrying lack of ambition.

[The Rejoin EU Party @RejoinP]

💥Hit the like 👍 & Retweet button if you agree that Brexit is the greatest barrier to Growth.

#ExitBrexit

[Paragon Singers (inactive) @ParagonSingers]

As a group we no longer feel at home on X due to the lack of moderation and the actions of its owner. Thank you to all our followers - please stay with us on Instagram, Bluesky or Facebook 🙏

[Steve Blair @UniversalExile]

Trump's furious because as a Bishop, Budde can move as far she wants diagonally, but as a Russian pawn he can only move one square at a time.

[Anna Soubry 🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇺🇦🇪🇺🖤🤍 @Anna_Soubry]

The Chancellor is seeking ideas to boost our economy - let’s start with joining the customs union #EU #RachelReeves