This farce of a by-election is a distraction tactic straight out of the Trump playbook. The Government should just say no to Farage’s ego-trip and block his resignation until the Standards Commissioner has finished investigating him.

Donald Trump and Iran's leaders must stop this spiralling tit-for-tat. It will drag the whole region back into war, and harm Brits already struggling with the cost-of-living crisis. They need to put egos aside and get back around the negotiating table. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Your summer reading list, sorted 📚 From Tahmima Anam and Daniyal Mueenuddin to Yassmin Abdel-Magied — @thediyora.bsky.social picks five unmissable books by authors of Muslim heritage for 2026. hyphenonline.com/2026/07/08/b...

Council approves demolition of Wood Street building emblazoned with mural 176 Wood Street – emblazoned with a popular cultural mural – will be torn down and replaced with a five-sto https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/2026/07/08/council-approves-demolition-of-wood-street-building-emblazoned-with-mural/

Another anti-Muslim attack in Britain, this time near my home in Leyton. When are we going to see real action against those who drive this hate (media, politicians, commentators/influencers)?

I recently highlighted in Westminster how developers are exploiting top-down housing targets and grey belt rules to push through inappropriate developments. Labour has kept the same top-down approach as the Conservatives. Residents deserve a real say over development in our area

Arab League chief says Israel blocked first foreign trip to Ramallah - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/arab-league-chief-says-israel-blocked-first-foreign-trip-ramallah

💫”Six to Fix!” 🔶The Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats manifesto for the upcoming Local Elections on 7th May focuses on crime, health, housing, waste & recycling, the environment, roads and pavements. #walthamforest #votelibdem #grovegreen #highamhill #leyton

What exactly is white phosphorus and why is it controversial? - https://www.middleeasteye.net/explainers/what-white-phosphorus-controversial-israel-lebanon

Smoking drives preventable illness and leads to 64,000 deaths a year in England alone. Dr Javed Khan, whose research was key to the Tobacco and Vapes Act 2026, explains why the UK is phasing it out for good. hyphenonline.com/2026/04/30/s...

Reform UK is expected to make huge gains in next month’s local elections. Here’s what the party’s actual policies could mean for British Muslims. ✍️ @weronikas.bsky.social hyphenonline.com/2026/04/27/r...

Did you know that…8 of the top 10 councils for recycling in England are run by Liberal Democrats? 🚮♻️🔶 Labour-run Waltham Forest is ranked 247th out of 321 councils. The highest ranked Green-run council is 162nd! Stats from Let’s Recycle: www.letsrecycle.com/league-table...

Did you know… Labour-run Waltham Forest is just *247th out of 321 councils in England for #recycling. Improving recycling and bin collections across the borough are one of Waltham Forest Liberal Democrats’ #SixToFix Local Election pledges. 1/2

🔶Higham Hill councillor candidate Alex Marshall-Lewis puts the spotlight on an area between Shaw Square & Millfield Avenue, E17, that is plagued with littering & dumping, explaining how Lib Dems would combat these #flytipping hotspots if elected.🔶 #SixToFix #Environment #HighamHill #VoteLibDem

🔶 Whether it’s getting dumped rubbish removed or fixing broken street lights, Liberal Democrats work hard for their communities all year round, not just at election time. 1/2

Labour councillors in Grove Green missing in action - again!! We have traffic chaos in our neighbourhood with this and other road closures following serious incident on Wednesday night. Well done to @arranangus.bsky.social for stepping up

“The Liberal Democrats believe that everybody has a right to safe, affordable #housing, but that’s not happening here in Waltham Forest,” Fiona Hamilton, Lib Dem candidate for Grove Green ward #walthamforest #libdems #grovegreen #SixToFix

Londoners are working the longest hours for more than 20 years, official figures reveal... They show the average week for all workers in London is 34 hours, a peak not surpassed since 2004 www.standard.co.uk/news/london/...

A beautiful day for it. Let’s have it! COYS!! 🤍

Daoud Abdel Sayed: Why the late Egyptian filmmaker was so important - https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/daoud-abdel-sayed-why-late-egyptian-filmmaker-was-so-important

50,000 Minnesotans standing together against hate and lies. #iceout #minnesota

The message to social media giants is clear: if your platform spreads harmful content or relies on addictive and algorithms, you should not be allowed anywhere near our children. Our age rating system would protect children online and ban under 16s from harmful social media.

We have a national crisis of illegal waste dumping. My experience in Kidlington showed the urgent need for reform with: a national strategy; a step-change in funding to go after criminals; a clear hotline to report incidents; rapid, joined-up response by agencies. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

You could’ve fooled us…

Iranian dissidents in Germany are urging European leaders to cut diplomatic ties with Tehran, as reports suggest thousands have been killed in the regime’s brutal crackdown on protests. ✍🏼Jessica Bateman https://hyphenonline.com/2026/01/22/iran-tehran-germany-berlin-protest-sever-diplomatic-ties/

Trump is acting as the world's bully and there comes a point where you have to do something. Sucking up doesn't work. We have to put threats on the table. Trump adores the Royal Family and the royal visit to America is leverage that no one else has. We should use it.

UK lawyers seek travel and financial sanctions against Netanyahu - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/uk-lawyers-seek-travel-and-financial-sanctions-against-netanyahu

Reform UK are targeting low-turnout elections in May. HOPE not hate are organising locally to stop them. Find out more: secure.hopenothate.org.uk/page/184951/...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech today is one of the most insightful, albeit sobering, political speeches in a long time. Carney tells it as it is: "If you're not at the table you'll be on the menu." Well worth finding the time to watch: www.youtube.com/live/dE981Z_...

Trump is threatening British jobs and all of our security. We have to make him back down. It's clear that he doesn't listen to Starmer's pleading whispers. @eddavey.libdems.org.uk is right: we must spell out consequences that would hurt him and his cronies. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Makhlouf Mamèche, newly elected president of Musulmans en France, says the best way to fight misconceptions about Islam is optimism and visibility and wants to restore his religion’s image in the country. Rory Mulholland has more. hyphenonline.com/2026/01/19/m...

Trump is acting like an international gangster. His threats to Greenland have crossed a red line. Enough appeasement: Britain needs its own trade bazooka to stand up to him.

Labour is heading into a brutal electoral year, with thousands of council seats at stake but Keir Starmer is busy with global events. Shehab Khan explains Starmer’s bind: follow the EU and risk provoking Trump, or hold back and risk isolation. hyphenonline.com/2026/01/21/k...

Israel’s demolition of Unrwa HQ ‘blatant violation of international law’ - https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israels-demolition-unrwa-headquarters-denounced-blatant-violation-international-law

China super-embassy approval is Starmer’s biggest national security mistake yet

"Putin is waging war in Europe. Trump is threatening the end of NATO. So why won’t the Prime Minister just get on with buying Great British helicopters?" @EdDavey.LibDems.org.uk

Shocking stats. Labour really need to get a grip on this NHS crisis. Scandalous they have reneged on their election pledge to fund the rebuild of Whipps, but Labour are now also failing to provide adequate resources for social care which would free up hospital beds 😠

Our deepest sympathies to all the victims and their loved ones. As a society we need to do better to root out antisemitism and all forms of extremism that threatens the safety & wellbeing of Jews. The light will always prevail 🕯️ 2/2

Today is the first day of Hanukkah 🕎, the Jewish Festival of Lights. It should be a day of celebration and joy and yet, instead, Jewish communities everywhere are faced with new heartache following today’s horrific terror attack in Bondi Beach, Sydney. 1/2

Israel killed 279 Palestinians in Gaza since ceasefire, government media office says - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israel-killed-279-palestinians-gaza-ceasefire-government-media-office

Anti-Muslim hate is up by 19% in the UK, with incidents across the country including here in Waltham Forest. Grove Green activist Arran Angus explains how we can “flip the script” to check the growing tide of #Islamophobia. #walthamforest #libdems #muslimcommunity #hatecrime #flipthescript

Every word! We should protect the BBC’s independence and not give in to the pressure of another leader. No shock to see Truss, Braverman and Dorries call for the licence fee to be scrapped, or that Huddlestone and Badenoch are claiming institutional bias. Davie biased against the right? Come on.

'Genocide stopped only in media': Gaza endures daily bombings a month into truce - https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/genocide-stopped-only-media-gaza-endures-daily-bombings-month-truce

From Friday 14 to Sunday 23 of November, London will be transformed into the capital of jazz, with Iranian, Japanese and American artists taking stage at the London Jazz Fest. https://hyphenonline.com/2025/11/10/london-jazz-festival-preview-persian-experimentation-iran-nigeria-japan/

Good to see local paper @WalthamForestEcho.bsky.social give space to a comment piece by our chair Alex Marshall-Lewis @libdemalex86.bsky.social on what sets the Lib Dems apart from other political parties in the borough. walthamforestecho.co.uk/2025/11/01/c...

Very fitting words on Remembrance Sunday by my friend & Lib Dem colleague Alex Lewis @libdemalex86.bsky.social

This Remembrance Sunday, we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice. We must never forget them — nor can we forget the veterans and serving personnel who continue to protect our freedom.

‘Turn the volume up’: Mamdani invokes Trump in fiery speech that laid out plan of action

Madness

Brilliant to wake up to this news: hope has triumphed over hate. Now Zohran Mamdani has to deliver, which isn’t going to be easy given Trump’s determination to undermine him. I hope ZM has a strong & experienced team around him.