I am thrilled to announce I've made it. I have a Twitter impersonator.

Thanks to Simon Evans for alerting me. I can't see it as said account has blocked me.

If you do see @tomh_analyst_ around please check on their wellbeing, must be at absolute rock bottom to bother with me.

I decided I needed a project* for the rest of my maternity leave… so here’s Political Heat! Would be great if you gave it a follow. Got an exciting cast list for the first few episodes - watch this space 👀

*in my personal capacity

If it's not possible to spend money on infrastructure at the moment, then we can't afford tax cuts.

If we can afford tax cuts, we can afford to stop the country from falling apart.

Over the next 9 months, we will have tobtolerate many an 'official Treasury' costing of Opposition policy. Since time immemorial, whatever the party in power, these costings have had little if any credibility. Political advisers determine the assumptions. #rubbishinrubbishout

The ‘British disease’ according to AEP:

Public & private capital formation in Britain has lagged the G7 average by 4.7 % points of GDP on average over 3 decades, barely matching Italy even during the eurozone debt crisis. At 1.9 last year.

telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/…

The curious case of a misleading story in the Sunday Telegraph and how it is being pushed towards becoming accepted truth.

Our good friends in Net Zero Watch seem determined to turn this into an ongoing story, so it’s time to debunk.
🧵

Live in #Edinburgh & looking for a last minute #christmas present?

Get tickets to celebrate #springequinox St Giles' Cathedral on 20th March 2024 with a candlelit concert with pianist Jennifer Austin. Something to look forward to…

citizenticket.com/events/illumin…

Live in #Edinburgh & looking for a last minute #christmas present?

Get tickets to celebrate #springequinox St Giles' Cathedral on 20th March 2024 with a candlelit concert with pianist Jennifer Austin. Something to look forward to…

citizenticket.com/events/illumin…

Enjoyed working with Chris Stark Andrew Wilson Mercedes MarotoValer Peter Reekie Royal Society of Edinburgh on this.

The work is only just beginning - we urgently need more investment into Scotland to truly power up this kind of work.

Pleased to have contributed to this paper by Royal Society of Edinburgh - on securing greater economic advantage from the Scottish net-zero transition and refocusing the Scottish climate strategy on a more positive set of outcomes for people and businesses in Scotland.

rse.org.uk/expert-advice/…

More announcements from the UK Government as the end of the year approaches. This time it’s the next stage of support for key carbon capture projects (it really does look like CCS will happen in the UK for doubters).

Ruth Herbert summarises them here, with links in her thread.

This never gets old. More great insights from Steve.

My favourite line: “Yet nobody walks around SW1 sagely stroking their chin, “ah yes people *say* they care about schools/crime but are they willing to pay for it?”” 😆

I really like Will’s pragmatic approach. Give him a follow for a consumer-focused perspective on the energy transition.

'Thames Water blames 'very low' bills for £14.7bn debt pile.'

They've got balls these WCs.

When Macquarie owned TW they paid themselves £1.6bn in dividends, loaded com with £10.6bn debt & ran up £260m pension blackhole.

Tell me again bills are too low?

thisismoney.co.uk/money/markets/…

The big #COP28 headlines focused on the final text, as ever, but a series of more concrete pledges outside the diplomatic talks could make a more immediate difference. Jamie Smyth and looked at their chances of success ft.com/content/af71fc… via @ft

Nice.

Where have you been all my life?

Now, for someone to find a way of calculating the cumulative subsidies that have been handed out to said owners over the last 5 decades? Who will accept this challenge?

To those who opposed a clear reference to phase out of fossil fuels during the #COP28 Climate Conference, I want to say:

Whether you like it or not, fossil fuel phase out is inevitable. Let’s hope it doesn’t come too late.

Disappointed to see BBC Question Time framing climate change with inclusion of Hitchens. His views on energy are flatly inaccurate, and often have to be corrected. I had meetings with investors this week: all raised recent UK sceptical narrative on net zero. Confusion reigned 😬👀

The fact that oil producing states and fossil fuel companies are getting tetchy is a sign that we’re making good progress. It shows COP is working, Sepi Golzari-Munro tells Alexis Conran 𝕏.

Times Radio | #COP28UAE

The oil & gas industry faces a moment of truth. It must choose: keep contributing to the climate crisis or embrace the shift to clean energy.

Its efforts to date aren’t encouraging. It accounts for only 1% of global clean energy investment → iea.li/3uP9xSI