Since precisely no one has asked, my book of the year is Helm by Sarah Hall. For a novel about the wind - or a specific type of wind in a specific part of Cumbria - it's absolutely brilliant, amazing sweeping storytelling spanning hundreds of years. Perfect for cold, dark winter nights. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is a shocker - these briefings are a really important opportunity to hold the government to account.

This is fucking grim. Somebody invented a white guy, an "IT professional" named Edward Crabtree, who stopped the Bondi shooting and spread it all over the internet, which was picked up by AI agents and slop aggregation sites. The real hero is a fruit stand owner named Ahmed el Ahmed.

Excl: Andrew Gwynne says he has no intention of stepping down as he dismisses "idle speculation" he will give up his Greater Manchester seat for Andy Burnham www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

shocking tale of peak British officialdom from @patrickjbutler.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Nigel Farage is “emboldening” abuse of people of colour, says broadcaster @sangitamyska.bsky.social, after a Reform UK council leader was expelled from the party for alleged racial slurs against her and others: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A Reform UK council leader has been accused of racism after allegedly describing Sadiq Khan as a “narcissistic Pakistani” and saying a black British lawyer should have “F’d off back to Nigeria”. www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Leaked report reveals culture of bullying and harassment at scandal-hit NHS hospital

New: Three new ex-pupils come forward, on the record, to say Farage's racism as a teenager was targeted, persistent and nasty. Farage has denied targeting any individuals - but two of the men tell us they recall Farage abusing Peter Ettedgui. w/ Dan Boffey, @drblacklock.bsky.social

Big Carer’s Allowance moment coming tomorrow…

My story from a day reading the very long and very damning report by the official Covid inquiry into the actions of government during the pandemic. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

This is top-tier reporting from @paddyedrich.bsky.social into the disturbing world inside Southport killer Axel Rudakubana’s home and the terrifying signs of what was to come

Parents, multiple authorities, X and Amazon, loads of failures. Not just more holes than a sieve, it was like a hole with bits of loose string over it.

After nine weeks of evidence and more than 100 witnesses, my big read on how the Southport atrocity could - and should - have been prevented: www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Over nine weeks and more than 100 witnesses, the Southport inquiry heard in shocking detail how the atrocity was completely preventable. Testimony from the families was the most harrowing and heartbreaking I’ve heard in 15 years of reporting. Full story 👇 www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Crumpsall is an amazing melting pot where so many cultures, classes and religions have lived peacefully alongside each other. That mustn't be forgotten amid the horror of the Heaton Park synagogue attack www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Do you have information that could lead to a story? Email me - [email protected], or (using a non-work phone) use Signal or WhatsApp to message +44 734 199 8403. For the most secure communications, use SecureDrop: theguardian.com/securedrop

Excl: Neighbours of Manchester synagogue attacker say they reported concerns to police - police were at the house earlier this year over safeguarding concerns, they say - killer said to have suffered brain injury after cliff fall in his teens www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Huntington’s disease, my family, and hope at last. I spoke to my good friend ⁦‪@helenpidd.bsky.social‬⁩ for this podcast. Spoiler alert: one of us cried. www.theguardian.com/news/audio/2...

EXCL: Manchester synagogue terrorist was on police bail for alleged rape when he carried out Yom Kippur attack www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Amazing to be nominated for Society of Editors awards for mine and @patrickjbutler.bsky.social's work on Carer's Allowance. Congrats to all nominees! www.societyofeditors.org/events/media...

Huntington’s disease treated successfully for first time in gene therapy trial

This is so amazing! Anyone who knows how devastating this disease is (my dad has it) will know the feeling today. Huge congratulations to all the researchers and volunteers. Incredible. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Government considering compensation for victims of carer’s allowance scandal

“I’m very sore, very shaken, very emotional and I’m frightened to be honest.” www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Steve Coogan's not holding back: www.theguardian.com/culture/2025...

It’s official - the north could not be in safer hands with @joshhalliday.bsky.social in charge. Defo recommend a midlife career pivot. www.inpublishing.co.uk/articles/the...

Three bosses at the hospital where Lucy Letby worked have been arrested on suspicion of gross negligence manslaughter. More on @guardian soon.

This is a great piece, and by no means all bleak. One of the things it highlights for me is the difficulty of scaling up good ideas when the ideas’ attractiveness is so bound up with the commitment and talent of the first ones to carry them out

Fascinating piece on (another) unseen health timebomb, which also helps explain a lot about both pressures on A&E and arguably on sickness benefits www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

💊The NHS is battling "medieval" levels of untreated illness in some of Britain's poorest communities – at a cost to the health service of about £50bn a year, or the same as the defence budget. My big read from Barrow, Blackpool, Burnley and Blackburn: www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Let’s hope some good comes out of this horrifying death: www.theguardian.com/education/20...

Carer's Allowance latest: The mother of a teenager with cerebral palsy has demanded an end to the “sickening harassment” of unpaid carers after a significant legal victory against the government. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

In this era of media disruption and falling trust, it can become unfashionable to point out that good journalists and good journalism are a thing. Great piece by @arusbridger.bsky.social, through the lens of the work done by the great Duncan Campbell:

This is such a powerful piece.

This piece floored me and will stay with me for ages.

Fantastic long read by @patrickjbutler.bsky.social and @joshhalliday.bsky.social on the #CarersAllowanceOverpayment Scandal If you know nothing about this scandal , or what to know more - this is the article to read ⬇️ www.theguardian.com/news/ng-inte...

We're delighted to see Patrick Butler and @joshhalliday.bsky.social‬ honoured and recognised for the contribution these @theguardian.com journalists made to uncovering and sharing the Carer's Allowance scandal. #paulfootawards #carersallowance #socialcare

It was amazing to even make the shortlist for this award so to win it is incredibly humbling. All thanks to those brave enough to speak out about this injustice.

This is yet another example of why we need to see a complete reform of the current system to stop this devastating impact on unpaid carers. Thank you @joshhalliday.bsky.social and The Guardian for your consistent support in bringing awareness to this issue.

This is outrageous (as is this whole policy) Mother of autistic boy left with £10,000 debt after breaching DWP carer's allowance rules by £1.92 a week www.theguardian.com/society/...

Latest on Carer’s Allowance scandal: the parents of an autistic teenager have been left with a £10,000 debt after breaching “inhumane” and “perverse” DWP rules by just £1.92 a week. 1/4 www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Twenty years ago, Peter Lodge wrote to the Guardian to complain about the state’s treatment of family carers. In 2022, he died suddenly at the home he shared with his severely disabled son, David, who had no way to call for help. 1/5

Thrilled to be nominated for this with @patrickjbutler.bsky.social for our carer’s allowance work. Latest chapter in the scandal coming up this weekend!

A Reform official in Runcorn tells @joshhalliday.bsky.social: “Those planning to vote Reform roughly fall into two groups: ‘those who set their alarm for work in the morning and are angry at those who don’t – and those who don’t.” How will they satisfy both? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The first Observer overseen by Tortoise Media - and what a picture they got to kick it off.

@kaleighwatterson.bsky.social Hey Kaleigh! Please could you follow back so I can DM? Thanks a lot!

A rare victory for investigative journalism. Well done @patrickjbutler.bsky.social and @joshhalliday.bsky.social. www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Absolutely horrific. A 16-year-old boy who fled war-torn Syria - where he was injured in a bombing - had only been living in Huddersfield for two weeks when he was fatally stabbed, his family tell ⁦‪@RobynVinter‬⁩. He only moved to Britain in October. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

Some news! Huge congratulations to the peerless @helenpidd.bsky.social - and to our northern dynamo @hannahalothman.bsky.social who we now get to keep! 🥳🎉🎊