Josiah Mortimer

bbc.co.uk'It's offensively cheap': How solar power is quietly becoming bigger than nuclearAfter defying projections, solar's dramatic growth means it is overtaking nuclear as a global power source. Here are seven reasons for solar's success, and where it might go from here.

19 July 2025

Sharing this to pin it: For non/new followers, hello! I'm Josiah. I'm a UK political journalist from Cornwall & based in the South West. I also report regularly from Westminster. My work focuses on democracy, social movements, & Britain's political system. Get in touch: linktr.ee/josiahmortimer

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Jan Rosenow

@janrosenow.bsky.social

Solar has overtaken nuclear. A decade ago it supplied 1% of the world's power. In 2025 it met three quarters of global demand growth. Almost nobody saw it coming. I spoke to Jocelyn Timperley at BBC Future about why. www.bbc.co.uk/future/artic...

theguardian.comBBC News to axe education editor role in cost-cutting moveFears over lack of scrutiny for key sectors as health editor position also to go in cuts aimed at saving £5.5m

15h

The cuts being made at the BBC are unforgivable. They are putting it into a death spiral. The weaker it gets, the less people will want to support it. And yes, this is an issue for the Government, which likes to pretend it's not their problem. It is.

libdemnewswire.substack.comPerhaps the most pointless question PMs are asked (LDN#215)Lib Dem Newswire #215 takes a look at when the next general election might take place, the problem with fake number plates and more.

16h

Agree with this completely. It's amazing how many potentially important questions are not asked as a result. "'Are you going to call an early election?’ is perhaps the most useless question that Prime Ministers get asked" libdemnewswire.substack.com/p/perhaps-th...

Conservative peer Lord Jackson told a debate on Lords reform on Friday: "An elected House...will result in a House of compliant placemen from party lists, donors, careerists, cranks and the unemployable." Which to most members of the public sums up their view of the Lords as it is *now*

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hansard.parliament.ukHouse of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL] - Hansard - UK ParliamentHansard record of the item : 'House of Lords (Alternative Second Chamber) Bill [HL]' on Friday 23 October 2026.

Full debate here hansard.parliament.uk/Lords/2026-1...

bylinesupplement.comInterview: The Plaid Cymru Baroness Holding Burnham’s Feet to the Fire on House of Lords ReformJosiah Mortimer talks to Carmen Ria Smith who, at 30 years old, is the youngest Peer, on her bill to abolish the House of Lords

Background to the debate - my interview with Plaid Cymru's Baroness Smith www.bylinesupplement.com/p/interview-...

Lord Jackson told the chamber the House of Lords "should not be slowly killed off by a consultation portal peopled by angry misfits and anarchists in their parents’ bedroom."

Lord Jackson: "We all know that the same old people will be mounting their hobby horses in this campaign: Unlock Democracy, the Electoral Reform Society, the Fawcett Society & of course the Guardian." Lords reform "is way down the list of voter salience & voter concern." I wonder why he'd say that?

Rupert Lowe MP was asking some surprisingly insightful questions about connection delays at last week's DESNZ committee meeting on the national grid. Then I realised he had declared a major interest in a battery storage development firm

Of course he may just genuinely care about it, but it did trigger a hollow chuckle from me

At DCMS committee last week, Ofcom said most fines about age verification under the Online Safety Act are unpaid, and some never will be... Ofcom has issued 11 fines: 2 have been paid, 1 is under appeal, 1 is not yet due & 7 are overdue. 3 of those sites remain accessible with the risks unmitigated

Today Plaid Cymru MP, Ben Lake, will lead a Backbench Business debate in the House of Commons on the emerging risks of advanced AI Plaid Cymru says it's the first debate on the regulation of advanced AI systems in the House of Commons chamber

Ben Lake MP will "call on the UK Government to restrict the development of superintelligent AI and introduce binding regulations for the most powerful systems"

Nerdy but (I think) important point. We haven't talked enough about how significant Google ending its 'cached' versions of websites in 2024 was. It was effectively a huge archive of much of the open internet. It's completely gone, leaving historians & journalists etc heavily reliant on one service.

Politico: The BBC reports that "Jack Ross, the former Tory activist who appeared to offer to “broker” the hiring of contract killers, previously worked for CCHQ undertaking social media work until earlier this year. A party spokesperson said his membership has been suspended"

Is Jack Ross still a 'research fellow' for the 'world's oldest conservative think tank' the Bow Group? I've sent them several requests for comment and had no response... (and their website is down for me, anyone else? Archived pic below)

And much of Oxford Street is going car-free from tomorrow! I don't even live in London anymore but I'm genuinely excited about this. If it works well, it could be one of Khan's big legacies. People have been talking about doing this for literal decades, and now it's happening.

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Traffic on a large stretch of Oxford Street is already gone, as of tonight. H/t mayoral staffer

Josiah Mortimer reposted

bylinetimes.comInside the notebook of Josiah Mortimer, Chief ReporterWhen Kemi Badenoch railed against Reform UK’s “authoritarian” blocking of journalists from its conference this summer, we rather hoped she might U-turn on her party’s own decision to bar Byline Times from the Conservatives’ gathering. No such luck.

📌 ICYMI — Inside the notebook of Josiah Mortimer, Chief Reporter — @josiahmortimer.bsky.social When Kemi Badenoch railed against Reform UK’s “authoritarian” blocking of journalists from its conference this summer……

Josiah Mortimer reposted

🟡 NOVEMBER EDITION Inside the notebook of Josiah Mortimer, Chief Reporter When Kemi Badenoch railed against Reform UK’s “authoritarian” blocking of journalists from its conference this summer, we rather hoped she might U-turn on her party’s own decision to bar Byline Times from the…

Josiah Mortimer reposted

bylinetimes.comThree Labour Peers Spoke at a Festival Sponsored by a Reform Mega-Donor – And Which Hosted a Far-Right BookshopLabour MP Phil Brickell says “no respectable person” should be associated with the event and accuses his colleagues of "legitimising" Reform's billionaire crypto donor

🔴 NEW Three Labour Peers Spoke at a Festival Sponsored by a Reform Mega-Donor – And Which Hosted a Far-Right Bookshop By @josiahmortimer.bsky.social Read below. ↓

Josiah Mortimer reposted

Phil Brickell MP

@philbrickellmp.bsky.social

There's no excuse for legitimising Ben Delo's involvement in our politics - me in @bylinetimes.bsky.social 👇

bylinetimes.comThree Labour Peers Spoke at a Festival Sponsored by a Reform Mega-Donor - And Which Hosted a Far-Right BookshopLabour MP Phil Brickell says “no respectable person” should be associated with the event and accuses his colleagues of "legitimising" Reform's billionaire crypto donor

Three Labour peers have been criticised by one of their party colleagues after speaking at the ‘Battle of Ideas’ festival It's sponsored by a Reform mega-donor and last weekend partnered with a far-right bookshop, which sells books by Joseph Goebbels and Oswald Mosley and demands "remigration now"

🔴 Three Labour Peers Spoke at a Festival Sponsored by a Reform Mega-Donor – And Which Hosted a Far-Right Bookshop Labour MP Phil Brickell says “no respectable person” should be associated with the event and accuses his colleagues of “legitimising” Reform’s billionaire crypto donor

This is the second part of my investigation into Oldspeak bookshop. It didn't find an audience in Long Melford but it's become a darling of the right, despite its extreme content bylinetimes.com/2026/10/23/t...

Josiah Mortimer reposted

Adam Bienkov

@adambienkov.bsky.social

"He won't spend more on defense" You wouldn't know from any of the coverage that defence spending is now higher than at any point under the last Conservative government, and is due to continue rising every year under Burnham

By no means the most pressing issue today, but... The Govt's announcement this morning they will be "slashing red tape" by pausing a requirement for small firms to file/publish profit-and-loss statements - which was due to come into force in April 2028 - is bad news for anti-corruption efforts.

The new Code of Practice on trade union workplace access rights comes into force a week today The Code provides guidance to employers, unions, workers etc on how to implement unions' new legal right to access workplaces for organising. Massive development for unions, & they'll be rushing to use it.

And coming into force on the 29th: new powers allowing the Department for Work and Pensions to recover benefits debts directly from bank accounts, including via 'direct deduction orders'

If the electric vehicle sales mandate is weakened further, and heat pump grants are slashed (both strongly mooted)...this is going to be a pretty bad month for UK climate action

A good milestone. There are now 100 plug-in solar kits listed as compliant on the official database, according to Plug-In Solar Register 27 are currently on sale, with the cheapest 2-panel option (2x460W) selling for £379 plus £55 delivery (cheapest single panel option is basically the same price)

pluginsolarregister.co.ukApproved plug-in solar devices in Great Britain: live ENA register127 of 138 plug-in solar devices are listed compliant on the ENA register. Look up any register reference or model: status, verified prices, where to buy. Independent, checked 23/10/2026 08:09 BST.

Full list (and a v useful resource) www.pluginsolarregister.co.uk

Josiah Mortimer reposted

🟡 MAGAZINE Inside the notebook of Josiah Mortimer, Chief Reporter By @josiahmortimer.bsky.social Read below. ↓

New statutory instrument: Councils in England can seize empty homes after six months, not two years, as of 5 November The Govt has amended the rules governing Empty Dwelling Management Orders (SI 2026/1085). 'Negative procedure' so it will go through quietly unless someone 'prays' against it

Josiah Mortimer reposted

bylinetimes.comUK Universities Accused of ‘Silencing’ Pro-Palestinian Students and AcademicsSuspensions, campus bans and threats to the visa status of students are being imposed for chanting, clapping and wearing keffiyehs, human rights group says

🔴 NEW UK Universities Accused of ‘Silencing’ Pro-Palestinian Students and Academics By @josiahmortimer.bsky.social Read below. ↓

bylinetimes.comUK Universities Accused of 'Silencing' Pro-Palestinian Students and AcademicsSuspensions, campus bans and threats to the visa status of students are being imposed for chanting, clapping and wearing keffiyehs, human rights group says

🔴 UK Universities Accused of ‘Silencing’ Pro-Palestinian Students and Academics Suspensions, campus bans and threats to the visa status of students are being imposed for chanting, clapping and wearing keffiyehs, human rights group says bylinetimes.com/2026/10/22/u...

A raft of UK universities have restricted solidarity with Palestinian people amongst students and academics, including speech that could be perceived as critical of Israel, according to a new report from Amnesty International bylinetimes.com/2026/10/22/u...

The Silencing Dissent report finds that universities have cancelled meetings and events, framed peaceful protest as ‘disruption’, shut down encampments and taken pre-emptive punitive measures. It presents 26 case studies across nearly two dozen universities, covering 7 October 2023 to 30 Sept 2025

Politico: Ex Tory council candidate Jack Ross, the chief exec of Turning Point UK "appeared to tell an undercover reporter that he knows of people who could “kick the f*ck out of someone"...“cutting people’s faces up” or “kill[ing] someone” if the price is right". He's now suspended from the Tories

I'm looking to speak to accountants and company law experts for a political donations story. If you or someone you know fits the bill and is interested, please drop me a message in confidence 👇 DMs open jmjourno.21 on Signal josiah@bylinetimes.com

gov.ukExpanding electric vehicle charging access for tenants and leaseholdersSeeks views on measures to improve access to electric vehicle (EV) charging for tenants and leaseholders in England.

Looks like this Government consultation is heading towards introducing a new legal right for tenants and leaseholders in England to install a home EV charger. Could be quite important. Also: As of today, drivers in England no longer need planning permission to install cross-pavement EV chargers

Josiah Mortimer reposted

Adam Bienkov

@adambienkov.bsky.social

This won't go anywhere, obviously, but it's still a useful indication of how they'd act if they ever get into Government. Locking up journalists would just be the start

Press Gazette@pressgazette.co.uk

Reform UK said it has reported ITV to the police following the broadcaster’s expose which revealed racist remarks by members of the party The allegations involve an undercover reporter "doctoring" a passport and others canvassing for Reform in Portsmouth pressgazette.co.uk/news/reform-...

pressgazette.co.ukReform says it has reported ITV to the police over undercover investigationReform accuses undercover journalists of "doctored" passport and canvassing-related offences.

Josiah Mortimer reposted

bylinetimes.com‘Andy Burnham Has an Opportunity to Lead the Fight Against Russian Interference’Successive governments have failed to act against Moscow's pernicious influence on our politics. The new Prime Minister must seize this opportunity to change that, argues former Labour MP Ian Lucas

🔴 NEW ‘Andy Burnham Has an Opportunity to Lead the Fight Against Russian Interference’ By Ian Lucas Read below. ↓

Josiah Mortimer reposted

bylinepodcast.bsky.social

🟣 SUBSTACK Interview: The Plaid Cymru Baroness Holding Burnham’s Feet to the Fire on House of Lords Reform By @josiahmortimer.bsky.social Read below. ↓

Josiah Mortimer reposted

@bylinepodcast.bsky.social

Not just "a few bad apples"... On the latest pod @nafeez.bsky.social exposes the long standing far right links cultivated by Farage and other senior Reform figures @goldbergradio.bsky.social @bylinetimes.bsky.social Listen: pod.fo/e/6d1203 Watch: youtu.be/Ov0P3gWSmwg?...

youtu.beReform Racism ExposedYouTube video by Byline Times TV

open.substack.comInterview: The Plaid Cymru Baroness Holding Burnham’s Feet to the Fire on House of Lords ReformJosiah Mortimer talks to Carmen Ria Smith who, at 30 years old, is the youngest Peer, on her bill to abolish the House of Lords

The youngest House of Lords peer, Baroness (Carmen) Smith of Llanfaes, is proposing a new bill to overhaul the second chamber – and abolish her own role – this Friday. It’s already ruffling feathers among the ermine-robed masses... open.substack.com/pub/bylineti...

Andy Burnham has made no secret of his desire to move away from a fully-appointed upper house. Is this his chance? open.substack.com/pub/bylineti...