Cllr Oliver Patrick 🔶 🇬🇧 🍏 🕊 Profile picture
I've moved to Threads. Find me there: @libdemoliver
Feb 23 8 tweets 2 min read
Sat in Full Council earlier this week a Tory Councillor sagely opined - "there is no such thing as public [Government] money, there is only taxpayers’ money."

I thought it sounded familiar. They were channeling the late Margaret Thatcher!

But what does it mean? A thread 🧵
1/ A picture of Margaret Thatcher Ask yourself one simple question - where does our money come from?

I’m afraid the answer goes a bit deeper than “from the job I do” or “from that thing I sold” - where does it *really* come from?
2/
Mar 14, 2023 7 tweets 3 min read
👎🏻 Folks I have some disappointing news. The Lib Dem Federal Conference Committee has decided my right to safe air emergency motion doesn’t qualify to enter the EM ballot at Lib Dem Conference this weekend 😢
1/ The title page of the emergency motion with a red banner whi The motion was highly commended for the quality of its drafting and content - and I’ve received really encouraging feedback, especially from the party’s Health team. However, it ultimately fell because the motion did not address an issue that had arisen unexpectedly.
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Feb 11, 2023 7 tweets 4 min read
Could smokers hold the key to purifying the air? Bear with… Last night I had the most interesting #CleanAir chat with a pub landlord and it has sent me down quite a rabbit hole… 🐇
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The pub in question is the excellent Muddled Man in #WestChinnock, #Somerset 🇬🇧 They now have an air monitor and a poster. But the most interesting thing was not the air monitor - it was the discussion it started…
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Feb 9, 2023 4 tweets 4 min read
1/ Today I popped along to The Shed in #Crewkerne. Allow me to introduce you to two wonderful people, Mick and Mike, who have built something quite special…
#CorsiRosenthalBox #CleanAir A picture of a street in Cr... 2/ Meet Mick and Mike!👇 Last year they built a wooden #CorsiRosenthalBox in collaboration with @SmartairUk. However they used a metal cage fan & some small HEPA filters, but they built the frame to accommodate @3MUK MERV13 filters. Smart Air asked if I could bring some along… A picture of Mick and Mike ...
Jan 1, 2023 4 tweets 2 min read
Starting 2023 as I mean to go on Image Building more #CorsiRosenthalBoxes Image
Dec 22, 2022 25 tweets 13 min read
🙏🙏 Thanks to all your amazing donations (£3,512!), encouragement, and support - today I delivered my last #CorsiRosenthalBox to a family just in time for Christmas. It got me thinking about what we've achieved over the last 3 months... A monster thread🧌🧵1/24 Image It all started in late summer, when @PeteUK7 sent me the kit to make a #CorsiRosenthalBox 2/
Dec 8, 2022 9 tweets 2 min read
I have 3 children (I know: yawn 🥱). But they’ve all been ill over the last month. Vomiting. Fevers. Headaches. All = time off school (naturally). Our youngest (6 weeks) was admitted to hospital 2 days ago with a fever. It was, frankly, terrifying - and I can’t help feel…
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…maybe we should be doing something to reduce the levels of illness we’re seeing? Is anyone doing anything about this? There are schools moving to virtual teaching due to staff absence!

Anyway here are a few things I learned following a trip to hospital with our 6-week old…
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Nov 30, 2022 12 tweets 6 min read
Soon I’ll have no money left for #corsirosenthalboxes! Requests are coming in thick and fast, and soon I’m going to have to start saying “no”…

⁉️Got me thinking though: why the surge in interest…?
A thread 🧵 1/
gofund.me/3691a0c0 On 24th November 2022 (time stamping for future ref), the Department for Education (@educationgovuk) wrote to all their mailing list members (Local Authorities and signed-up schools). They stressed the importance of ventilation to tackle Covid and flu in schools this winter👇 2/
Nov 23, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
WARM HUBS NEED FRESH AIR || @SomersetCouncil’s Public Health Department has published this ⭐️ outstanding ⭐️ poster for warm hub organisers in #Somerset. A thread 🧶
1/ Image ✅ There is a clear message on ventilation, how to measure it, and when action is needed

🚨 >1,500ppm is “UNSAFE”
2/ Image
Nov 21, 2022 6 tweets 4 min read
UK GOES IT ALONE… (with 🇸🇪) || In September 2022 the @ECDC_EU published a detailed, country-by-country report on Covid vaccination strategies across Europe. The UK is doing it differently… A short thread 🧶
1/ First: see this map. UK is in grey because we’ve turned our backs on Europe - worse still, we’ve not just decided to go it alone geopolitically and economically but, it seems, medically as well👇
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Sep 27, 2022 11 tweets 6 min read
As expected - now my campaign for clean air in #Somerset schools blows up (ha), I am coming under fire in all directions. Important, I think, to clarify a few things. A 🧵…
gofund.me/3691a0c0
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1️⃣ It’s not “my idea” and I didn’t just make it up. I’m quite literally standing on the shoulders of giants. Namely doctors and scientists in the 🇺🇸 like @JimRosenthal4 and @CorsIAQ; as well as @rhysthomas, @PeteUK7 and others in the 🇬🇧
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Sep 25, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
Over the last few days I have faced some criticism for my Air Filters for #Somerset Schools campaign👇🏻 Please donate! 🙏🏻

One such criticism is that I should be raising money for more school resources as that’s a bigger priority (a🧵)
1/ gofund.me/3691a0c0 My response to this? Imagine a school didn’t have any fire extinguishers or fire alarms. It had them last year (and the year before), but it got rid of them this year because all the adults are fire-safety trained now anyway
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Sep 24, 2022 4 tweets 4 min read
🚨🚨🚨So, here it is folks. Please help me raise £13,500 to build HEPA air filters for every junior school and nursery setting in #CokerDivision that wants them👇🏻

gofund.me/2f8c05c4 @PeteUK7 @CorsIAQ @JimRosenthal4 @PlasticFull @mishwoz @WCountryVoices @bbcsomerset @itvwestcountry @DanielMumby @rupertevelyn
Sep 22, 2022 5 tweets 2 min read
Q: which was more deadly to children in England & Wales in 2021: Covid or Flu?

Let’s look at influenza first 👇🏻
1/ Image Now, Covid 👇🏻
2/ Image
Sep 21, 2022 7 tweets 3 min read
🚨 Covid isn’t over 🚨 A thread about schools…

At present, schools in 🇬🇧 follow guidance from this manual👇🏻
1/ Image The guidance now lumps #Covid with flu, and states that respiratory infections spread during the winter months (of course)👇🏻
2/ Image
Sep 20, 2022 4 tweets 3 min read
📢 Do you want to make a real difference this winter? The next few months are going to be difficult for many in #Coker

So, to help residents get the help they might need, Cllrs @MikeHewitson1, @NicolaClarkLD & I have published a leaflet full of useful information 🧵 1/ From @cab_south to @Somerset_CF - we've pulled together the direct contact details of a range of local agencies, charities, and councils
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Sep 9, 2022 8 tweets 5 min read
Today, I took delivery of @PeteUK7’s DIY air filter parts. I made a cup of tea and in 2 hours I’d constructed a highly effective air purifier at a cost of ~£160. An off the shelf comparator costs £400+
🧵 1/ Image There is plenty of data out there re: the effectiveness of the #CorsiRosenthalBox. See: @CleanAirClassrm & others. Here it is at no.1 (the lowest fan speed). It’s very quiet.

I’ve done some calculations on what it would cost to get 1 of these into every school in #Somerset
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Sep 5, 2022 5 tweets 3 min read
Excellent Policies, Children's and Families Scrutiny Committee meeting at County Hall in #Taunton this pm, with some excellent questions from members. However the big 🐘 in the room was Covid and its likely impact on education this autumn/winter... 🧵
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The Chair permitted me to ask an urgent question under AOB:
📈What measures are in place to tackle any anticipated rise in Covid cases/school closures?

With written follow up Qs:
💉What is the child Covid vaccination rate in #Somerset & what are we doing to increase take-up?
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Aug 21, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
It’s fun watching Tory MPs argue they did not, in fact, vote to allow water companies to discharge into waterways

They are essentially relying on us not knowing the detail of what happened last year when the Enviro Bill ping-ponged between the House of Commons/Lords
1/ Fact: the Enviro Bill originally did nothing for sewage overflows

Fact: House of Lords tabled Amendment 45 - to place a duty on sewerage undertakers to do everything they can to eliminate sewage overflows
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Aug 12, 2022 6 tweets 2 min read
Some comparative stats have just been released by @cab_south in relation to hardship in #SouthSomerset. Comparing Jan-July 2021 with the same period in ‘22. They make for grim reading:
🧵1/ ⬆️ Food bank referrals +15,700%

⬆️ Fuel-driven financial crisis +2,900%

⬆️ Actual homelessness: +119%
2/
Aug 11, 2022 6 tweets 3 min read
🚧 #ChinnockHollow update 🚨 I attended a very productive meeting with senior highways officers this afternoon, including the new Lead Member for Transport Cllr @MikeSRigby
🧵 1/ Image You don’t need me to tell you that sorting out the Hollow is going to be a complex and expensive job. Public safety is absolutely paramount, so this needs to be looked at with all due care and consideration. 2/ Image