Northerner in exile; Labour member; mum of Grace; political consultant.
London
Joined April 2010
- Tweets1.6K
- Following476
- Followers173
- Likes1.9K
Ailsa Williams retweeted
A common Westminster mistake is to look at big moments in US politics and assume the same battle lines will be drawn here. AI and the mid-terms are a good example of this.
The easy assumption is that a big polarising debate on data centres is about to hit the UK, just because it has in the US. But that ignores two important facts.
First, the government has watched the free-for-all in parts of the US, has learned lessons from it, and is setting out a different approach. We do need to secure grid connections for strategic data centres, and we are setting up a Ministerial Control Centre to do just that. But move too quickly without bringing communities with you, and people understandably start worrying about the impact on their area and asking what they’re getting in return. That's why we're putting protections in place, to prioritise data centres only where they meet the tests set out in our Data Centre Covenant published at the Budget.
This means data centres have to lower electricity bills for other users, minimise and report on water usage, support our reindustrialisation objectives and support UK sovereignty. And crucially, it means agreeing to the principle that local communities around new infrastructure should share in its benefits - both through jobs and wider support.
Second, our problem is not that we have an abundance of data centre construction that our politics needs to reckon with, it's that build out is slower here than it could be. 15 of the world’s top 20 largest data centre markets are in the US. None are in the UK. The pace of investment here is, frankly, too low for what we need to stay at the forefront as AI technology develops. High electricity costs and slow grid connections (thanks, Conservatives) mean we haven't been near the top of the list for investment, and too often we're reliant on AI infrastructure overseas. The Budget last week set out a new direction to change this for all business and households, but we can't turn this round overnight.
Data Centres today are essential infrastructure. They underpin much of everyday life in the UK, from banking and shopping, to public services, to helping doctors screen for diseases. AI makes that infrastructure even more important and as AI becomes more widely used across out economy, Britain will need more of the data centres that support it. But we won’t allow that growth to come at any cost. We’ll protect communities. And we’ll make sure local people benefit.
Ailsa Williams retweeted
Slavery was an evil in which people from every continent and region participated. We should be honest about the whole history, not select the parts that are politically convenient today, especially given Britain's leading role in ending the transatlantic slave trade.
If Caribbean countries are asking Britain for a formal apology for Britain’s role in the transatlantic slave trade, will they also be asking the same of the descendants of African kingdoms, rulers and merchants who captured, sold and profited from the trade?
On demands for reparations, whether through cash or debt relief, we have been down this track before. Twenty-five years ago, Jubilee 2000, Drop the Debt and Make Poverty History argued that cancelling the debts of poorer countries would give them a fresh start. More than $100 billion of debt was eventually written off, but many of those countries have since built up even bigger debts. Labour are already spending too much on Britain's welfare state, now is not the time for Andy Burnham to be providing global welfare.
There is no reason British taxpayers today should be held financially responsible for things that happened generations before any of us were born. And I have even less patience for political elites in commonwealth countries who don’t know how to make their own citizens prosperous now looking for another opportunity to blame Britain.
As Prime Minister, Andy Burnham should be Britain’s greatest defender. Instead, he is writing articles saying we need to confront our history (as if we haven't done enough of that) and considering another formal historical apology. Tony Blair already expressed Britain’s deep sorrow and regret for our role in the slave trade nearly twenty years ago. There is no need to do so again.
This is all another navel-gazing distraction. The Commonwealth should be looking forward, not endlessly backwards. That means economic partnerships to make us all richer and deeper military and security cooperation against common threats. If every Commonwealth summit becomes an exercise in presenting Britain with demands for cash then we need to start asking if it is worth the effort.
Hi @SW_Help can you trll me which train to get right now from Motspur park to Vauxhall? The app is saying both the 0746 and 0750 are running fast?!
Ailsa Williams retweeted
In my kitchen there is a jar of honey gifted to me by Phil Rosenberg, the President of the Board of Deputies, who insisted I take it home for my family, along with a bag of apples, because it would not be a proper new year otherwise.
So let me begin the simple way: Shana tova u'metuka. A good and sweet new year to every Jewish family in Britain.
The custom of dipping an apple in honey is one of the most hopeful things I know. It is not a claim that the year gone by was sweet. It is a decision that the year ahead should be.
And I know that the year behind us has been anything but.
Two Jewish men, Melvin Cravitz and Adrian Daulby both of blessed memory, were murdered at the gates of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation in an antisemitic terror attack on Yom Kippur, defending their synagogue and those praying inside it. As Mayor of Greater Manchester, I felt first-hand the anxiety that attack caused across the Jewish community. The sorrow and fear of that day have not disappeared.
As Yom Kippur approaches once again, I know many people will remember them and reflect on what that attack meant. So, this message has to be more than a greeting for the chaggim. It has to contain a commitment.
Jewish people must be able to live, worship, go to school, attend synagogue and participate fully in British life without fear.
That is why we are investing more than £250 million to increase policing, improve community safety and tackle rising antisemitism, bringing total government investment in Jewish security to almost £310 million.
In recent days, the Housing Secretary and I have heard directly from Jewish community leaders about the challenges they face and the anxiety many families are experiencing as the High Holy Days approach.
That is why we have established a Cabinet committee on antisemitism, bringing departments together to ensure our response is coordinated, comprehensive and sustained.
But security is only one part of the response. We have to tackle antisemitism at its source.
We are also investing £7 million to tackle antisemitism in schools, colleges and universities, including support for Jewish students, staff training and action to address misinformation and promote respectful discussion. And we are expanding the Common Ground programme to support communities facing the greatest risk of antisemitism and help local leaders respond when tensions rise.
British Jews have helped build the schools, charities, businesses and institutions that make our country stronger. From the NHS and education to the arts, innovation and entrepreneurship, their contribution has enriched every part of our national life. The contribution the Jewish community makes to British life is remarkable- and we should celebrate it.
This new year, my commitment is simple: to work every day to ensure that Jewish people are safe, valued and able to live their lives free from fear.
May the year ahead be sweet, and may it be safe. Shana tova.
Hello @SW_Help why have there been no trains from Vauxhall to Raynes Park for 20 mins? People are trying to get home. Thank you!
Ailsa Williams retweeted
New immigration stats show that the numbers of asylum seekers in hotels is down to 16k - falling 50% in a year.
Small boat crossings down 23% in the year to June.
Numbers waiting for initial decision down from almost 180k to 40k.
Ailsa Williams retweeted
I will accept Nigel Farage’s request to be appointed Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead.
It is a farce and a desperate distraction, and the people of Clacton deserve better.
But if he wants to spend the summer arguing with a bin, I won't stop him.
Absolutely appalling experience at @Gatwick_Airport appreciate no trains but you’ve known this all afternoon, no staff to manage the huge taxi queue and @Uber pick up points so complete carnage. Felt unsafe.
It is so miserable commuting with @SW_Help who are unreliable and when the slightest thing goes wrong are unable to provide information to passengers. It’s not fair on your station staff or your passengers!
Ailsa Williams retweeted
In November 2023, police found the decayed corpse of Tracey Turnell in Walthamstow Market.
She had no phone, job, passport, friends or lovers. There wasn’t a single photo of her.
I pieced together who she was and who was responsible for @_TheLondoner
the-londoner.co.uk/tracey-tu…
Ailsa Williams retweeted
I'm also incredibly impatient of the argument that it's 'too hard' to set out proper arguments because populists/trust/people are so annoying and won't listern. Name me five politicians that have tried, seriously, for a few years (or even months).
Was on @BBCWorldatOne on Blair's essay in which, among other things, I argue i) it is a very good right wing manifesto, and one which the public could significantly support (1/2) and...
Ailsa Williams retweeted
“Apprehending violent and dangerous criminals is a full contact and messy task which may appear shocking to observers with little experience of policing in the real world.”
Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley writes to Zack Polanski.
ALT Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley's letter to Green Party Leader Zack Polanski.
ALT Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley's letter to Green Party Leader Zack Polanski.
Ailsa Williams retweeted
I am very concerned about these strikes in Iran. What if the Iranian government retaliates by funding a network of proxy militias across the Middle East, attacking US troops in the region, sponsoring terrorism against Israel and Saudi Arabia, and attacking vessels in the Red Sea?
Morning @SW_Help you’ve delayed the 0746 from Worcester park to Waterloo and the national rail app says you plan to run it fast to Waterloo. Why do you do this to people living in suburban south west London?
Ailsa Williams retweeted
I do sometimes wonder if I'm losing my mind. thecritic.co.uk/full-budget-…
ALT But one of the many fascinating things about Badenoch is that she seems unable to accept “incompetence” as the answer to the question “why did the government do that thing?” This refusal is all the more surprising when you remember that she was a minister in Boris Johnson’s government. She has seen incompetence up close. Perhaps that’s the problem: when you’ve lived through the technicolour widescreen shambles that was the last Conservative administration, Starmer’s dreary disasters simply can’t compare.