Chris Ames
@christoframes.bsky.social
Freelance investigative journalist and writer of original fiction. Creator and one-time editor of the Iraq Inquiry Digest.
But Reeves is still in a job, right?
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
OBR chair quits after inquiry into early release of Reeves’s budget
Richard Hughes departs after investigation into how official forecaster accidentally published budget 40 minutes early
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:58 PM
But Reeves is still in a job, right?
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
This appears to be the result of good journalism.
Credit where credit is due.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Credit where credit is due.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Manchester-London 7am ‘ghost train’ to carry passengers after outcry over regulator’s decision
Avanti service was to have been axed from mid-December but would have still run because of needs out of Euston
www.theguardian.com
December 1, 2025 at 4:20 PM
This appears to be the result of good journalism.
Credit where credit is due.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Credit where credit is due.
www.theguardian.com/business/202...
Reposted by Chris Ames
The government’s cycling and walking investment strategy does NOT mention pavement parking.
Respond to the consultation (which ends midnight 15 December) and highlight this important issue.
actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
Respond to the consultation (which ends midnight 15 December) and highlight this important issue.
actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
Help make cycling and walking the fun and easy options!
In June, Transport Action Network won a historic victory in the Court of Appeal, the most significant case for active travel in English legal history. Following this, the government is consulting on a...
actionnetwork.org
December 1, 2025 at 9:01 AM
The government’s cycling and walking investment strategy does NOT mention pavement parking.
Respond to the consultation (which ends midnight 15 December) and highlight this important issue.
actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
Respond to the consultation (which ends midnight 15 December) and highlight this important issue.
actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
Reposted by Chris Ames
As I report on my Transport Insights blog, Rachel Reeves has again misstated Labour's manifesto commitment to fill over a million extra potholes for every year of the Parliament, although the money seems to be there to do it.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
No surprise! Reeves pulls pothole cash out of the hat
Ministers have announced £7.3bn capital funding for local highway maintenance in England between 2026-27 and 2029-30, keeping the £500m annual “uplift” , now badged as “incentive funding”, with cou…
transportinsights.blog
November 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
As I report on my Transport Insights blog, Rachel Reeves has again misstated Labour's manifesto commitment to fill over a million extra potholes for every year of the Parliament, although the money seems to be there to do it.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
As I report on my Transport Insights blog, Rachel Reeves has again misstated Labour's manifesto commitment to fill over a million extra potholes for every year of the Parliament, although the money seems to be there to do it.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
No surprise! Reeves pulls pothole cash out of the hat
Ministers have announced £7.3bn capital funding for local highway maintenance in England between 2026-27 and 2029-30, keeping the £500m annual “uplift” , now badged as “incentive funding”, with cou…
transportinsights.blog
November 30, 2025 at 6:38 PM
As I report on my Transport Insights blog, Rachel Reeves has again misstated Labour's manifesto commitment to fill over a million extra potholes for every year of the Parliament, although the money seems to be there to do it.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/30/n...
With the Office of Rail and Road under fire for its timetabling decisions, such as cancelling a popular manc > Ldn service, my train into Victoria has had nearly 10 minutes added to help Southern fiddle its punctuality stats.
And the ORR just lets them do it.
And the ORR just lets them do it.
November 30, 2025 at 11:22 AM
With the Office of Rail and Road under fire for its timetabling decisions, such as cancelling a popular manc > Ldn service, my train into Victoria has had nearly 10 minutes added to help Southern fiddle its punctuality stats.
And the ORR just lets them do it.
And the ORR just lets them do it.
Reposted by Chris Ames
NEW POD EPISODE! 🚨An unhappy fifth birthday. Five years and four prime ministers since the pavement parking consultation ended, and still no action.
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Pavement Parking: An Unhappy Fifth Birthday | Streets Ahead
We wish the government's pavement parking consultation its unwanted fifth birthday
shows.acast.com
November 29, 2025 at 8:07 PM
NEW POD EPISODE! 🚨An unhappy fifth birthday. Five years and four prime ministers since the pavement parking consultation ended, and still no action.
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
What will it take to reclaim pavements?
shows.acast.com/streets-ahea...
Firstly, however pleased with herself she looks, Mahmood is not banning asylum seekers from using taxis for medical appointments but, in her own words “ending [their] unrestricted use”.
Secondly, she cannot actually ban ppl using taxis, just refuse to pay for them
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Secondly, she cannot actually ban ppl using taxis, just refuse to pay for them
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
UK asylum seekers to be banned from taking taxis to medical appointments
Move, which is part of crackdown on costs, comes after it emerged Home Office spends £15.8m a year on service
www.theguardian.com
November 29, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Firstly, however pleased with herself she looks, Mahmood is not banning asylum seekers from using taxis for medical appointments but, in her own words “ending [their] unrestricted use”.
Secondly, she cannot actually ban ppl using taxis, just refuse to pay for them
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Secondly, she cannot actually ban ppl using taxis, just refuse to pay for them
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
This is brilliant satire bcoz it cuts to the heart of what hacks do every day of the week- find the losers from every new policy
Huge respect to the papers for finding both an 88 year old worried about the tax bill on her 6 bedroom Kensington house and a 20 year old fretting about only being able to save £12k a year tax free.
Top work all around. These are not easy case studies to find.
Top work all around. These are not easy case studies to find.
November 29, 2025 at 10:58 AM
This is brilliant satire bcoz it cuts to the heart of what hacks do every day of the week- find the losers from every new policy
Spot the difference: the state broadcaster (traditionally) tells the story that is embarrassing to the state in terms of state denials.
While Pravda buries it altogether and foregrounds the story that the state wants to get across as a so-called “exclusive”🙃
While Pravda buries it altogether and foregrounds the story that the state wants to get across as a so-called “exclusive”🙃
November 29, 2025 at 8:07 AM
Spot the difference: the state broadcaster (traditionally) tells the story that is embarrassing to the state in terms of state denials.
While Pravda buries it altogether and foregrounds the story that the state wants to get across as a so-called “exclusive”🙃
While Pravda buries it altogether and foregrounds the story that the state wants to get across as a so-called “exclusive”🙃
It would be lovely if the hacks who speculated about the speculation that turned out to be cynical misdirection would show a bit of contrition
I think the person who did this is bang to rights over complaints of speculation
either/or = speculation
I assumed = faulty speculation
they need...according to reports = ill-founded speculation
When will hacks realise that speculating about unreliable briefing of hacks is wasting everyone's time?
either/or = speculation
I assumed = faulty speculation
they need...according to reports = ill-founded speculation
When will hacks realise that speculating about unreliable briefing of hacks is wasting everyone's time?
November 29, 2025 at 7:51 AM
It would be lovely if the hacks who speculated about the speculation that turned out to be cynical misdirection would show a bit of contrition
The cover story in this week’s issue is fatally compromised by a reliance on spin:
“on the very last day...They were informed by the forecaster that instead of plugging a £30bn black hole, they only needed to fill £20bn.”
Except that didn’t actually happen.
www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
“on the very last day...They were informed by the forecaster that instead of plugging a £30bn black hole, they only needed to fill £20bn.”
Except that didn’t actually happen.
www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
The Budget of last resort
Inside Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves’ fight for survival
www.newstatesman.com
November 29, 2025 at 7:43 AM
The cover story in this week’s issue is fatally compromised by a reliance on spin:
“on the very last day...They were informed by the forecaster that instead of plugging a £30bn black hole, they only needed to fill £20bn.”
Except that didn’t actually happen.
www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
“on the very last day...They were informed by the forecaster that instead of plugging a £30bn black hole, they only needed to fill £20bn.”
Except that didn’t actually happen.
www.newstatesman.com/cover-story/...
Labour can't go a week without shooting itself in the foot.
The thing they're too stupid to understand is that this kind of shit corrodes trust.
The more you try to be clever & justify trashing what you got elected on, the less people trust you
Blairism + Cleggism
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The thing they're too stupid to understand is that this kind of shit corrodes trust.
The more you try to be clever & justify trashing what you got elected on, the less people trust you
Blairism + Cleggism
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Labour MPs attack Starmer U-turn over workers’ rights as ‘complete betrayal’
Former minister says ditching plan for day-one protection against unfair dismissal ‘definitely is a manifesto breach’
www.theguardian.com
November 28, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Labour can't go a week without shooting itself in the foot.
The thing they're too stupid to understand is that this kind of shit corrodes trust.
The more you try to be clever & justify trashing what you got elected on, the less people trust you
Blairism + Cleggism
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
The thing they're too stupid to understand is that this kind of shit corrodes trust.
The more you try to be clever & justify trashing what you got elected on, the less people trust you
Blairism + Cleggism
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
With soil moisture deficit just one of the things whose impact on and disruption of the rail network is increasing, the question is, will ministers increase climate change adaptation funding?
It goes without saying that the answer is far from clear...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/28/n...
It goes without saying that the answer is far from clear...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/28/n...
No pledge of more cash as climate change wrecks rail routes
I’ve previously raised the question about whether the government is putting sufficient cash into our transport networks to fund climate change adaption, with ministers often just saying they are pu…
transportinsights.blog
November 28, 2025 at 2:06 PM
With soil moisture deficit just one of the things whose impact on and disruption of the rail network is increasing, the question is, will ministers increase climate change adaptation funding?
It goes without saying that the answer is far from clear...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/28/n...
It goes without saying that the answer is far from clear...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/28/n...
I think he means the guardian
The UK, where the day after a decision to take half a million children out of poverty, the media & political world has been full of sneering at those same children & their families, labelling them as ‘Benefits Street’, while the same people are moaning about a tax on £2m mansions. Shameful stuff.
November 27, 2025 at 9:43 PM
I think he means the guardian
Labour needs to get rid of the Blairites now
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
Government to ditch day-one unfair dismissal policy from workers’ rights bill
Flagship Labour plan to be replaced with six-month threshold after Peter Kyle vows to not let businesses ‘lose’ under new law
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 6:16 PM
Labour needs to get rid of the Blairites now
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...
Reposted by Chris Ames
Share your views with the Department for Transport on its next 5 year strategy for walking, wheeling and cycling!
This is a rare opportunity to shape future policies and funding to make things better.
Deadline is 15 December actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
This is a rare opportunity to shape future policies and funding to make things better.
Deadline is 15 December actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
Help make cycling and walking the fun and easy options!
In June, Transport Action Network won a historic victory in the Court of Appeal, the most significant case for active travel in English legal history. Following this, the government is consulting on a...
actionnetwork.org
November 27, 2025 at 2:37 PM
Share your views with the Department for Transport on its next 5 year strategy for walking, wheeling and cycling!
This is a rare opportunity to shape future policies and funding to make things better.
Deadline is 15 December actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
This is a rare opportunity to shape future policies and funding to make things better.
Deadline is 15 December actionnetwork.org/letters/help...
“That is precisely the dynamic my first Reith lecture describes: institutions censoring themselves out of fear of those in power.”
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
BBC tells staff they cannot quote Trump line removed from Reith Lecture
Journalists not allowed to repeat Rutger Bregman’s corruption claims against US president in coverage of edit
www.theguardian.com
November 27, 2025 at 1:31 PM
“That is precisely the dynamic my first Reith lecture describes: institutions censoring themselves out of fear of those in power.”
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
www.theguardian.com/media/2025/n...
I can understand why the govt published a Budget setting out 2029-30 local roads funding but not next year's - so it can pull a £500m rabbit out of the hat later - but I remained baffled why they thought it was clever to backtrack on a Labour manifesto pledge.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/27/l...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/27/l...
Labour repents over pothole pledge repeat
The Treasury has insisted that the Labour government remains committed to fixing an extra million potholes across England in each year of the Parliament, despite some very contradictory language in…
transportinsights.blog
November 27, 2025 at 9:51 AM
I can understand why the govt published a Budget setting out 2029-30 local roads funding but not next year's - so it can pull a £500m rabbit out of the hat later - but I remained baffled why they thought it was clever to backtrack on a Labour manifesto pledge.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/27/l...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/27/l...
Reposted by Chris Ames
Here's @garethdennis.uk making a case which I've made for years (even when I lived in Inverness and travelled south regularly): dualling the A9 Perth to Inverness is the wrong solution (estimated cost- £3.8bn). Better to dual & electrify the Highland Main Line £4.5bn)
youtu.be/0cr1UFujfws?...
youtu.be/0cr1UFujfws?...
How to BETTER spend the A9 dualling project's £3.8bn
YouTube video by Gareth Dennis
youtu.be
November 26, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Here's @garethdennis.uk making a case which I've made for years (even when I lived in Inverness and travelled south regularly): dualling the A9 Perth to Inverness is the wrong solution (estimated cost- £3.8bn). Better to dual & electrify the Highland Main Line £4.5bn)
youtu.be/0cr1UFujfws?...
youtu.be/0cr1UFujfws?...
My take on the Budget is that if there was a continuation of the £500m "uplift" for English local roads maintenance, they would be shouting about it and that if they meant to honour the million extra potholes *every year* they wouldn't be redefining the pledge.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/26/l...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/26/l...
Labour postpones pothole pledge
It looks as if Rachel Reeves has dropped the £500m “uplift” for local road maintenance (in England) and Labour appears to have ditched its manifesto pledge to “additional one million potholes acros…
transportinsights.blog
November 26, 2025 at 4:03 PM
My take on the Budget is that if there was a continuation of the £500m "uplift" for English local roads maintenance, they would be shouting about it and that if they meant to honour the million extra potholes *every year* they wouldn't be redefining the pledge.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/26/l...
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/26/l...
Never missing an opportunity to exaggerate, the Guardian discusses “the death of the living room” on the basis that a “growing number” of rentals come without living room access.
Please don’t anyone tell them birth rates are falling or we’ll be extinct 🙃
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Please don’t anyone tell them birth rates are falling or we’ll be extinct 🙃
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
The death of the living room: ‘It’s hard to invite people over – not everyone wants to sit on a bed’
The number of rental properties without a lounge is surging, and people are having to eat and socialise in kitchens, bedrooms and stairwells. How can you relax and build community without a communal a...
www.theguardian.com
November 26, 2025 at 1:47 PM
Never missing an opportunity to exaggerate, the Guardian discusses “the death of the living room” on the basis that a “growing number” of rentals come without living room access.
Please don’t anyone tell them birth rates are falling or we’ll be extinct 🙃
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
Please don’t anyone tell them birth rates are falling or we’ll be extinct 🙃
www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...
National Highways has released 27 POPE reports since it last published one on a smart motorway scheme.
In the meantime, it has produced 19 POPEs on smart motorways but ministers won't let it publish them until they can agree a plan to manipulate public opinion.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/25/d...
In the meantime, it has produced 19 POPEs on smart motorways but ministers won't let it publish them until they can agree a plan to manipulate public opinion.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/25/d...
DfT working out how to spin bad news on smart motorway safety
Update: National Highways has told me that the DfT is sitting on a total of 14 reports. Of these, nine are five years after and five are one year after. National Highways has said it will publish t…
transportinsights.blog
November 26, 2025 at 10:45 AM
National Highways has released 27 POPE reports since it last published one on a smart motorway scheme.
In the meantime, it has produced 19 POPEs on smart motorways but ministers won't let it publish them until they can agree a plan to manipulate public opinion.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/25/d...
In the meantime, it has produced 19 POPEs on smart motorways but ministers won't let it publish them until they can agree a plan to manipulate public opinion.
transportinsights.blog/2025/11/25/d...