Greg Shickle

@danny__kruger Sooooo boring.

Nick Timothy and Nigel Farage are right, and Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer are wrong. Small groups of people, of whatever religion, praying in public places is fine. And as a Christian country we should allow a special privilege for churches to lead services in our national spaces, like the Palm Sunday celebration that happens in Trafalgar Square. What we don't want is mass ritual observances intended to claim the civic realm for another religion, or assert the domination of another culture over our own Christian traditions. What happens in our national spaces is not neutral. People use Trafalgar Square, for celebrations and demonstrations, to make a point about the kind of country they want us to be. The Palm Sunday pageant reminds us of who we are - not as individuals (many or most of us don't identify as Christians at all) but as a national community, with the roots of our institutions in the ground of the Bible and our most solemn communal moments, from coronations to funerals, mediated through the liturgies of the Church. A mass Adhan held there, or in any town square, is making a different point: that Britain is not a Christian country, and that - inshallah - one day it shall be Muslim. This is unacceptable to the British public and indeed incompatible with our constitution. As ever with these debates, the issue is partly one of kind and partly one of degree. There is an issue with Islam itself as a religion which in most interpretations does not admit of pluralism or freedom of conscience, and therefore is inherently aggrandising, including over territory. But with a bit of confidence and a bit of toleration we could handle that - if it were not for the issue of degree. It is the scale of Islam in Britain, and the ambition of its leaders for greater scale, that makes the problem. The numbers of people who assembled for the adhan in Trafalgar Square, clearly and openly claiming the territory for a faith with no connection (indeed, with strong doctrinal disagreement) with the model of Western liberal democracy that Britain has developed and exported to the world - that is the problem. The numbers, whether everyone there understood it this way or not (and I suspect many did), convey an explicit threat to the foundations of our country. Being relaxed about other people's religion is a good thing, a very British thing. I don't mind modern druids dancing around Stonehenge in my constituency (arguably, though the historicity is tenuous, they have a claim to the place). I don't mind small groups of Hindus or Buddhists or Muslims demonstrating the reality of Britain's religious toleration by worshiping in Trafalgar Square. But let's not kid ourselves about this adhan, or pretend that we're just seeing another harmless expression of Britain's religious diversity. We are seeing an abuse of liberalism, led by people who are not themselves liberal; or - let us imagine they are acting in good faith - who are themselves deceived about what they are doing. It should not happen again. And it would be good to hear the Church of England say so.

@ricey63 @francesca_kms Which isn’t true. But you’ve just shown your hand. Most people can debate and reason without getting upset. The moment you insult and exaggerate you lose the argument.

@GregShickle @francesca_kms I repeat just incase one of your two braincells click into operation...... millions upon millions of people depend on a motor vehicle. There is no fucking alternative no matter how many times you say there are.

When I talk about cycling in London, the biggest barrier people mention, by far, is safety. Esp with kids. Yet a bike is still the most efficient way to get from A-B. Evidence👇 Imagine how many more would cycle if safe, protected infra was the norm rather than the exception.🚲

@ricey63 @francesca_kms It is exactly that simple. Make alternatives amenable, affordable & safe to create space for people/journeys that require a car The hard part is the transition after 50+ yrs of ‘just one more lane’ thinking The central issue is avoidable, short & single occupancy car journeys

@GregShickle @francesca_kms It's really not that simple. Your life may not depend on a motor but millions of is have no choice.

@ricey63 @francesca_kms It’s not a binary choice. Most people who cycle also drive. It’s about choosing the right tool for the job and your ability I’m not cycling to Bristol & I’m not driving to the gym.

@francesca_kms The internal combustion engine is essential for the survival of the human race and is responsible for giving you all the comforts you enjoy today. You won't be happy till its gone and the world burns

@HenMazzig I’d recommend listening to @bbclysedoucet on @BBCr4today this past week. It’s a much better reflection of the situation in Iran & how excellent she is. It’s clearly more difficult to speak to people & give a true reflection of the situation on TV than on radio.

“It’s a public holiday today, and in Tehran it feels like a family festival.” I can’t believe this BBC report. Over 40,000 families are mourning at least one loved one. Yet according to this journalist, the sun is shining, Iranians are happy, the regime is “listening,” and even apologizing for economic hardship. Who exactly are they apologizing to? They slaughtered everyone who dared to complain.

@Stephen33752561 @JohnJohnStewart @BobFromAccounts This is fascinating stuff Stephen. But back to the original point. Cycling infrastructure in London is disproportionate to its contribution to passenger transport: 2% is nowhere near enough if we’re to provide equitable transport options for everyone.

@GregShickle @JohnJohnStewart @BobFromAccounts So suited to changing it, plenty of space to do so and to increase housing density.

Fact Check: 1. Less than 2% of London's roads have separated cycle lanes. 2. There are 1.5 million hire bike journeys alone in London each day 3. There are fewer than 6 million car journeys in London per day, 35% private 4. Lord Moylan is talking bollocks again

@JohnJohnStewart @Stephen33752561 @BobFromAccounts Massive public-transport-fan-John advocating for everything to make public transport better provided it only involves clamping down on bicycles.

@GregShickle @Stephen33752561 @BobFromAccounts It is you who bought cars in. Public transport and walking were mentioned. And yes in Milton Keynes there are built in cycle lanes.

@BroeerJ @TheEconomist Blue tick bloke in Denmark is an authority on London, more of an authority in fact than……the Economist. You earned €0.0001 for this? Have some dignity.

The author of this article in The Economist is using selective data to support his view. a) This is a paid piece to improve the image of London and the current government, likely through agencies b) or the author is ignorant of scientific standards c) a manipulative activist, almost liar. Why do we pay yearly for TEP services and professional tools if we are bombarded with cloak-and-dagger agitprop? A manufactured misleading article.

London gets a bad rap. It’s often portrayed online as a crime-ridden wasteland overrun by migrants. In reality it’s one of the safest major cities in the world: econ.st/4tu3koT

@Stephen33752561 @JohnJohnStewart @BobFromAccounts Milton Keynes - are you having a laugh? A town built specifically around cars. But good old medieval London: perfect for cars, custom made for them. The idiocy.

@BobFromAccounts London suits public transport and walking. Many other towns and cities have better opportunities for cycling space, especially new towns like Milton Keynes.

@JohnJohnStewart @danielmgmoylan Your plan is more buses without solving the real issue: too many cars. While it fits your weird prejudice to offer the catnip of cyclists causing bus delays. It’s patently evident they don’t. 2% LDN roads have bike lanes, public transport capacity +28% in 10 yrs.

@GregShickle @danielmgmoylan I'm not suggesting more of the same at at all. More of the same would be to continue with Sadiq Khan's approach which favours cycling over buses. I'm suggesting sound investment in public transport so it becomes more attractive to drivers and cyclists.

The amount of road space dedicated to cycling in central London is already disproportionate to its contribution to passenger transport.

@JohnJohnStewart @danielmgmoylan Great strategy: if we can just more of the same it’ll eventually work, won’t it John?

@danielmgmoylan 100% right. All great cities rely on mass transit systems - rail and metro - to move people, and buses for shorter trips. That is where the investment should be going rather than cycle lanes which clutter up what are already the most congested streets of any European city.

@william98024502 @Telegraph @CliveAslet No, Salvini had to backtrack almost immediately due to it being such an unworkable and expensive idea that had little to zero benefit.

@GregShickle @Telegraph @CliveAslet I think Italy do now and want the same throughout the European Union as well

✍️ 'They’ve already proved they hold the rules of the road in contempt, so they must be made identifiable' | Writes @CliveAslet Read the column ⬇️ telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/02/1…

@TRAK1812358 @Clutter2 @reformexposed Amazing. Your maths is worse than your English

@Clutter2 @reformexposed You mean just like the Millions of Muslims who are having 5/6 children while sitting on there arses on benefits !

Reform by-election candidate calls for ‘young girls’ to be given ‘biological reality’ check Matt Goodwin argued ‘young girls’ should be explained ‘the biological reality’ that ‘many women in Britain are having children much too late in life’ independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

@reformexposed Why are they so obsessed with micromanaging other peoples lives? It wasn’t so long ago they were vilifying young mothers. They were the reason for all of society’s ills apparently

@narindertweets Freedom of speech advocates man handling women for speaking freely

Jewish activists have heckled Nigel Farage during the launch of Reform UK's Jewish alliance!! "My grandmother fled Germany, you would deport her!"

@PeterStefanovi2 What is their obsession with micro managing everyone’s lives?

BREAKING: Nigel Farage calls for an end to working from home and the focus on work-life balance "People aren't more productive working from home - it's a load of nonsense” Whatever you do JUST DON’T VOTE REFORM

@82_jasper @francesca_kms Good luck with that. You talk like it’s something new. You know there’s another 60m people to consider don’t you? Jasper wants to drive wherever he bloody well wants - the crazy renegade.

@GregShickle @francesca_kms And my job is to disincentivise government that wants to interfere with my way of life and not live in areas with councils that have the ability to be heavy handed. People are fed up of government nudging and it's going to get real comedic over the next decades.

LTNs reduce unnecessary car trips like this👇The comment describes a journey that v short & walkable. Driving this distance only becomes longer because through-traffic has been removed, if you’re travelling from one end of the rd to the other, walking/cycling is more appropriate

@82_jasper @francesca_kms Indeed. We all will. But the job of government is to disincentivise the most harmful choices. that’s what’s happening here. no, it won’t work overnight partly because delivery is patchy but mostly because 50+ years of prioritising our cities around cars

@francesca_kms I'll decide what means of transport is most appropriate for me thanks 😂

@haymansafc @TheABD Ah yes, because every situation is the same.

Despite the anti-motorist brigade almost hysterically claiming otherwise, here's an example of new roads cutting congestion... #Suffolk @TheABD suffolknews.co.uk/ipswich/news/t…