I wish I didn’t have to share this. But the BBC has decided to censor my first Reith Lecture. They deleted the line in which I describe Donald Trump as “the most openly corrupt president in American history.” /1

Former editor of The Big Issue in the North @kevingopal.bsky.social discusses the shameful crisis of child poverty and the regional disparities that are being driven by inequality and deprivation with @nmozz.bsky.social

Child poverty is at an all-time high in the UK according to official statistics - but it's important to look beyond the figures to who it really impacts. Last week, @kevingopal.bsky.social spoke with Sophie, a student who grew up skipping meals in Newcastle, because she saw her mum doing it.

My fave bit is "did it work?" 🤣

Touch flat footed, Zak #Ashes

“When you’re younger and you’re in it it feels normal. Where I’m from everyone was in the same boat. It’s not just my mam who was in poverty – it’s generations before that." Sophie, from Newcastle.

As this week's flip-flopping on income tax shows, nothing is an entirely done deal - me for @theleaduk on child poverty in the North and the prospect of the end of the two child benefit cap - substack.com/@kevingopal/...

This contribution to the volume of human misery is yet another policy from Labour based on a false premise, in this case that refugees are overly attracted to Britain. It will increase bureaucratic limbo, thus making worse the problem of "cohesion" it purports to solve. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

If it quacks like a duck, and walks like a duck ... Jaw dropping letter to investors confirms 79th Group could be UK's biggest ever Ponzi scheme www.thebusinessdesk.com/northwest/ne...

If Shaheen is an activist, then Goodwin, whose whole twitter feed is extreme and inaccurate far right nonsense, is definitely an activist. If Goodwin is an academic, then Shaheen, who has done more recent and more credible academic work, is an academic.

lmao david byrne showed the video of the ice agents tripping over themselves while trying to run after a biker on wacker drive during the “life during wartime” segment of his chicago show tonight

Asylum seekers, housed in hotels in Manchester, are reaching out in their own words to address the concerns of the local community. Please take a minute to read their letter, & share it with the people in your life who need to hear the truth about the people they are protesting.

Ah, right.

* reaches for that Irish passport application form *

From @zackpolanski.bsky.social on Lab govt: “The alarm bells of authoritarianism are ringing loud and clear."

📢 Benefit cuts don’t have widespread support

Amongst pro-migration voters - i.e. Labour's base last year and the easiest votes to recover in future - support for this policy is...0%. Nil. Nada. Zip. Zero. Goals don't come more open than this. Labour should be attacking this proposal at every opportunity.

Shame on Downing Street for going along with this. So much for being committed to a free press

Gone by tomorrow?

One of those "it's hard to be shocked in 2025, but...." stories. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Statement from Rachael Maskell MP after at least three racist incidents in York recently: "these flags are more than just a flag of our country, for some they have been used to rally those who suppress the rights of others and perpetrate acts of hate"

Not sure what's worse - that she's lying or telling the truth.

"Bluntly, if the government cannot make the point that it is a bad idea to give money to the Taliban, it is far from clear to me when a better opportunity to attack Farage is going to present itself."- on.ft.com/3HKB1zO via @stephenkb.bsky.social

It's Black Sabbath country I guess 🎶gammons gather in their masses 🎶 smaller than most evening classes

Butterflies galore in the Wenning Valley

Rushed in before the ICO verdict? Regulator @infocommission.bsky.social‬ says: "We have recently concluded our audit of South Wales Police and Gwent Police and will be sharing our findings shortly.”

And a bit out of time for the early eighties - the Led Zep film The Song Remains the Same.

The deliberate killing of five Al Jazeera staff has brought the total number of journalists killed by Israel since the start of the war to 237, according to Gaza's Government Media Office. 🔴 LIVE updates:

Penultimate paragraph undermines story: 'The researchers stressed their findings were observational and did not prove a cause and effect relationship' - www.theguardian.com/food/2025/au...

His wise counsel then included use of the word 'swamped' - 'David Blunkett warned Tony Blair of ‘explosive’ research into immigration attitudes in 2004' - on.ft.com/418nFUf via @FT

Kent Police appear to be arguing that 'reasonable suspicion' of support for Palestine Action is the offence itself

Police in Canterbury today informed a protestor that the phrase "Israel is committing genocide in Gaza" could be considered a declaration of support for Palestine Action and therefore a terrorism offence.

Some politicians are happy to let universities fail — but the consequences on local economies and social mobility would be colossal. Read @kevingopal.bsky.social's latest piece in today’s newsletter: national.thelead.uk/p/higher-edu...

Me for @theleaduk.bsky.social this week on the higher education crisis, and what the real damage would be if Blue Labour's wish was granted and a university went to the wall - national.thelead.uk/p/higher-edu...

Niche Manchester/Salford property q. Does anyone know or remember a hotelier called Barry Parker, who bought Parkers hotel near Victoria station in the late 1980s (a former Co-Op building). Not sure if he’s still alive. Anyway if anyone has any thoughts please do drop me a message, much obliged

Freeports - backwaters or murky maelstroms? Me for @theleaduk.bsky.social this week - national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

"ICE agents then stormed into the courtroom, kicked out the attorneys, and detained everyone in the courtroom over the judge's objections. Really terrifying." my g*d this is barbaric.

This form of exchange should be revived: MacIntyre was "in frequent debate with the Marxist historian EP Thompson, who used to stick notes on the windscreen of MacIntyre’s car urging him to publish his thoughts on socialist consciousness". www.theguardian.com/books/2025/m...

Hats off to the players joining the fans

Wow solar and wind a whisker off of 90% of British electricity this morning. #NetZero #LoveNetZero via grid.iamkate.com

HASSAN: What is habeas corpus? NOEM: Habeas corpus is a constitutional right that the president has to be able to remove people from this country HASSAN: That's incorrect

The concessions could include separating kids into deserving poor (under 5s) and undeserving poor (the rest) 》'Ministers scramble to avoid Labour rebellion on disability benefit cuts' www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

Your regular reminder that Republicans in Congress could put a stop to much/all of this any time they wanted. They are enabling authoritarian government.

Can I humbly and with great respect for a former PM suggest this new social media platform is called LetUsSpeak www.thelondoneconomic.com/news/exclusi...

Applications are open for the North West Spokesperson Network - we are looking for campaigners, organisers and academics working in the NW pushing for progressive social change who want to use the media to get their messages out All the info here - www.neweconomyorganisers.org/work/support...

💭 Worried about the proposed changes to disability & health benefits? Our latest blog breaks down what’s been announced, what it could mean for people in #GreaterManchester, and where to find support. ⤵️ bit.ly/4jbror2

A wealth tax, taxes on wealth - or both? Me for @theleaduk.bsky.social this week.

This would also confirm that the UK negotiations achieved absolutely nothing

okay so he genuinely thinks that fentanyl smugglers have to pay tariffs lmfao