Writer, film maker, welcomes science led discussion. Investigative journalism, fiction, poetry, art, oceans. Author @BrixhamChimes save our coastal communities
South Devon UK
Joined September 2023
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Labour’s war on ‘environmental zealots’ hides complex issues, flawed policies & use of public funds for private gain. Fresh revelations on Plymouth Freeport, failing growth, jobs & Qs on env. & SEZs with @EuropeanPowell & @JimFunnel1 get tickets here
eventbrite.co.uk/e/plymouth-…
If you live within a freeport boundary you’ll be familiar with wildly inflated jobs claims. Plymouth Freeport is actually now beset with jobs losses - despite vast public investment. Read the full story here totnespulse.co.uk/plymouth-s…
@AnnAubert3 @rbrooks45 @GeorgeMonbiot @wshed
The spectre of Devolution is causing political panic across local communities. UK freeports were the 1st step towards alternative strategic authorities & many councils readily signed up. Are they the architects of their own redundancy? totnespulse.co.uk/re-arrangi… @wshed @blowhound
1/Proof of ‘growth’ is hard to pin down w/ freeports, not least when the numbers keep shrinking. Plymouth Freeport promised 60% freight growth through the port back in 2021/22: the figure vanished in its subsequent business case 🧵@wshed @blowhound @EuropeanPowell @GeorgeMonbiot
2/Growth thru Plymouth Freeport’s Langage ‘hydrogen centrepiece’ is also questionable. The site will create hydrogen - currently a tiny market. Orig claims its H2 will power shipping were always fanciful, w/ ammonia likely to be the (also problematic) future shipping fuel 🧵
3/Freeports must now match big promises w/ delivery- how are they doing? Read 1st in a new series of articles @TotnesPulse on Plymouth Freeport & beyond totnespulse.co.uk/plymouth-s… @SusanChubb1
1/Common Freeport fears: they're not democratic. After a day of ‘online engagement’ @EMidsFreeport acquiesced there'll be no public consultation on its imposition. With no meaningful say in the freeport they’re stuck with, public will just ‘feed in’ to delivery. A 🧵@tonyroe
4/This agency is gold dust. Downing Street accidentally ‘launched’ 5 new Freeports last week & PM Keir Starmer doubled down that Freeports are ‘working well’. All UK Freeports are behind schedule, finance, job projections, so why the PM support? 🧵 independent.co.uk/news/uk/po…
5/@Keir_Starmer should read the FT that reminded anyone paying attention the OBR "expected the impact of freeports on UK GDP to be so small it would be "difficult to discern””. Someone somewhere isn’t being entirely truthful on ‘Freeport benefits’ @norasenior1 @bertie__adam
1/Just Wow. Labour in freeports free fall. A “total cock up with the comms” (quote Downing Street) re ‘5 new freeports’. Believable or not, Starmer’s delusion that Freeports are “working well” remains. So what now? A 🧵@blowhound @EuropeanPowell
independent.co.uk/news/uk/ho…
4/ This “comms cock-up” is weird. But it shouldn’t detract from facts: the UK is building Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS/CCUS) industry using freeports as hubs for road, rail, ship & pipeline transport of dangerous CO2 condensed ‘product’. The UK = ‘CO2 Binman of Europe’ 🧵@wshed
5/One can only hope we are in line for another u-turn: that when UK Gov committed £22Bn for CCS/CCUS that too was a ‘total comms cock-up’ and they in fact meant £22Bn to protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030 @leanahosea @SalvoFreeports @SiOldridge @guardiannews
1/ Labour’s 5 new proposed UK Freeports/ Freezones fly in the face of warnings & evidence - incl. terrible records of the current 12 Freeports already failing in their promises. So why announce more? A 🧵 @blowhound @EuropeanPowell @wshed @guardiannews ft.com/content/9c7a0b55-271c…
6/ CCUS risks: leaks, contamination, explosions. Freeports give secrecy thru ‘Regulation Engagement Network'. CCUS multinationals must be thrilled they may never have to disclose incidents, risks or efficacy whilst drinking fr/ the funding tap 🧵 @TonyStaunton @WCountryVoices
7/ I’m finishing a short vid series on UK freeports. I'll release the facts as I & others have found them: false claims, council chaos, failures & the capture of UK Gov by lobbyists. The funding taps are on, running fast & we’re paying @TotnesPulse @PROT_DISEWORTH @SusanChubb1
