Enjoyed my visit to parliament yesterday to talk about the serious challenge facing journalism from SLAPPs. All power to Baroness Tina Stowell and Sir John Whittingdale for their private members bills that would make it easier to throw out abusive lawsuits before costs become ruinous.

It’s sad for Senator Lindsey Graham that the last person he spoke to on this earth was the president who stole his soul. Read more of my take on Graham’s passing in Fresh Hell. tinabrown.substack.com/p/lindsey-gr...

Now that GMP have made arrests, legal proceedings are considered to be “active”, meaning The Mill is no longer able to report in detail on the UGM story. Please join us to support our journalism - it’s only possible because of our members. manchestermill.co.uk/exclusive-vi...

When @molliesimpson.bsky.social started reporting on the renamed Bolton University two years ago, I had *no idea* it would turn into one of the biggest scandals in the history of UK higher education. Proper, proper reporting of the kind that a functioning society relies upon.

Exclusive: Vice-chancellor George Holmes among those arrested on suspicion of fraud. It marks an unprecedented moment in British higher education - the first time a university vice-chancellor has ever been arrested in the UK as part of a criminal investigation. manchestermill.co.uk/exclusive-vi...

Sweating over a scorching day in Manchester? Try sweating over the future of the city region instead. ☀️🗳️ In just 20 days, Greater Manchester votes for its next mayor. And three days before you cast your ballot, we are hosting the definitive political event of the summer: The Mill Mayoral Hustings.

Ladies and gentleman, we have a new favourite podcast: @beebwatch.bsky.social. Here’s Mark Damazer, the former controller of BBC Radio 4, being very nice.

I’ll be hosting a massive @manchestermill.bsky.social mayoral hustings on Monday 27th, three days before polling day. Tickets are FLYING off the shelves - almost 200 sold in 12 hours - and that’s before @bevcraig.bsky.social was confirmed, which she now is. manchestermill.co.uk/meet-the-wan...

Want to join the @millmedia.bsky.social team? We're hiring two Staff Writer roles, one in Liverpool and one in Birmingham. The Liverpool one closes today! Please share with talented friends. millmediaco.uk/jobs/

Playing this on repeat

Why high quality local journalism matters .

BREAKING: Three people have been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, fraud and bribery at University of Greater Manchester, @molliesimpson.bsky.social reports. Greater Manchester Police are investigating the alleged misuse of as much as £1.7 million. manchestermill.co.uk/breaking-thr...

BIG NEWS from @molliesimpson.bsky.social: Three people have been arrested on suspicion of money laundering, fraud and bribery at University of Greater Manchester. Police say opened their investigation a year ago “after we received allegations from The Mill". manchestermill.co.uk/breaking-thr...

Love to see this - readers getting behind @abi-whist.bsky.social and The Post to help pay for the massive legal bills it incurred fighting off Laurence Westgaph, who launched a year long campaign to force Abi to reveal her sources. Aiming for 300 new or upgraded members. 11 days to go.

Mill subscribers in our comments with the REAL recommendations for No.10 North... Andy take notes.

We need someone who can work on complex stories, inject enthusiasm and urgency into a team, develop writers and help to oversee and feed into the strategy of a fast-growing company. Applications close tonight.

The editor role closes today 🚨

For @theexchangeleeds.bsky.social I talked to Network Raik about how they look after what are locally known as the Dark Arches, the fabulously dank and atmospheric caverns under Leeds Station. theexchange.news/the-keeper-o...

📆 Our Senior Editor role closes THIS WEEKEND! We’re open to applicants in any of the cities we cover. Join one of the most talented editing teams in journalism. Applications close tomorrow night. Please share. millmediaco.uk/2026/06/15/w...

Great of discussion of our model and the state of local news in the @beebwatch.bsky.social podcast too - with some interesting ideas about sharing the licence fee from @publicinterestnews.org.uk. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...

This FT op-ed is the best piece I’ve read about the difference between talking about growth and actually *prioritising* growth. From observing him over the years, I think Burnham is mostly concerned about rebalancing and equalising the economy rather than growing it.

Extremely nice

So close! This is actually the opposite of the lesson of HS2.

Few people are better placed to judge the BBC’s future than Mark Damazer – ex Radio 4 Controller, Deputy Director of News & BBC Trustee. We discuss BBC cuts, “digital‑first” for radio & TV, and what Matt Brittin and PSB supporters must do next. 🎧 podfollow.com/beebwatch

"I think there really could be something quite exciting to be done in that space, but it does require the BBC to have a little bit of a shift in mind set." A refreshing take on local journalism from Jonathan Heawood of @publicinterestnews.org.uk 🎧 podfollow.com/beebwatch

A parochial but fun local perspective... manchestermill.co.uk/number-10-no...

Our weekend read is here! With Andy Burnham riding his Bee Network to Number 10 Downing St (and back to 'Number 10 North' again), the political capital of buses is on the rise. In August, phase two of WMCA's bus takeover kicks in. But what does it all mean for our region?

Time to share the licence fee? Jonathan Heawood, bsky.app/profile/publ... and @impressorg.bsky.social on the rise of Manchester’s independent newsletter @manchestermill.bsky.social its Andy Burnham scoop, and what it means for the future of local journalism. 🎧 Listen: podfollow.com/beebwatch

At Oldham Coliseum, the CEO can’t explain over £30,000 in trustee expenses, and stays in luxury hotels. One play is described by staff as “possibly the worst thing they’ve ever seen.” The company is haemorrhaging money, and staff are instructed not to speak to each other...

Chelsea and Westminster is the poster child for Palantir – the first hospital to use its tech. It claims to have cut waiting lists there by 183,000. But when I investigated for @londonermag.bsky.social, I found evidence that wasn't true. Now MPs are calling for an inquiry. Read my full expose:

Will 'Number 10 North' be good for the country? Who knows - but it will be very, very good for Manchester, writes @joshih.bsky.social, attracting jobs, investment and lots of new spies into the city. Bring it on. manchestermill.co.uk/number-10-no...

A moderately successful Bluesky thread is now a @manchestermill.bsky.social hot take: Burnham's plans will be very, very good for Manchester. manchestermill.co.uk/number-10-no...

Good analysis from @richardaljones.bsky.social on @andyburnham.bsky.social’s economic and innovation policy agenda including this lovely reference to @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social softmachines.org?p=3324

Really glad to see @pressgazette.co.uk covering this story - and noting its importance for press freedom in the UK pressgazette.co.uk/media_law/co...

The ideal location

Finding this morning podcast very insightful. Today explaining how the defence spending boost has meant cancelling a big road project in Derby that was seen as important for growth. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/p...

Just to be parochial for a second: The No10 North thing might sound gimmicky but it’s clearly, unambiguously a great thing for this city. Whether it works for the country? I don’t know. Hope so. But Manchester is going to be a much bigger power centre for at least a few years. Very exciting.

Ahead of Andy Burnham’s big speech on devolution tomorrow, read our essay from a few years ago on why it matters.

Seems an appropriate time to repost this piece manchestermill.co.uk/london-knows...

This was clearly always going to be the denouement of Bazball, it’s like a bad Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel

An important test case for journalists everywhere here — and a great write-up about how it unfolded.

'Clearly, GDPR rules need to be amended to stop people like him harassing small companies with bogus, bad-faith cases that are incredibly expensive to defend.'

We’re delighted to have won the case brought against us by the TV historian Laurence Westgaph. Westgaph tried to use data protection laws to force us to reveal our sources. We fought the case for a year and the Judgment is a big win for press freedom in the UK. www.livpost.co.uk/a-dish-best-...

Bad faith lawsuits don’t work folks

Well done, @joshih.bsky.social Various elements of GDPR are being increasingly widely misused as a weapon against journalists and publishers - to censor, to intimidate and to punish by the very nature of the process itself. It’s a serious problem.

TV historian Laurence Westgaph sued us to expose our sources and posted sinister threats about me and the 'cutthroats and sell outs'. We spent £75,000 fighting him in court - a crucial first test of the 'journalism exemption' in GDPR. And we won!! ✌️ www.livpost.co.uk/a-dish-best-...

I love that @manchestermill.bsky.social is doing the important stuff as well as the important stuff. manchestermill.co.uk/the-mills-de...

So many delicious moments and great insights in this piece. Thought experiment: if Labour MPs had read this the day after the local elections, or earlier this year, would they have coalesced around him?

@joshih.bsky.social @jenwilliamsft.bsky.social join @rosatkins.bsky.social and BBC media editor Katie Razzall to discuss @andyburnham.bsky.social’s media strategy. Also the end of BBC on long wave. www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m...

"Stop looking for Burnhamism - in six years, I’ve never found it" - @joshih.bsky.social @manchestermill.bsky.social manchestermill.co.uk/stop-looking...