The latest from our Lead North team, starts with an exclusive for Lancashire Lead subscribers this morning as we revealed the deputy leader of Lancashire County Council and Reform county councillor for Skelmersdale, Simon Evans, is suing his former employer

Anyway, have some good news: www.gamesindustry.biz/after-layoff...

Atreus chinned Cat Bells so thoroughly that they’re now calling it Dog Bells.

Such a remarkable success to harken back to 🥰

Our northern Lead titles won Best Newsletter at the Press Gazette Future of Media Awards this week. If you’re in Lancashire, Blackpool, Teesside, Southport or Calderdale and haven’t signed up yet, why not? national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-n...

Congratulations to Newsletter of the Year (Specialist/Regional) winner @theleaduk for The Lead North #FutureMediaAwards

We have a new website today! We expect the site to be down for around an hour while this happens. Back very soon!

I’ve seen this be very effective in calming people down when the corners of WhatsApp/FB are doing what they do after an incident. The clear problem is that whenever the information is not released, people will very rapidly assume things about suspects. www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

I think this image from the Metropole in Blackpool at the weekend is quite powerful. Refugee toddler watches on as a flag with “send them home” waves outside. 📷 Rob Gomm

Tired of living in the worst rated hotel chain in the country, unable to work, while over a year is taken to make a decision your claim? You could always just go home. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/metropole-...

It’s a beautiful morning to be battered awake by my dog at 5.30am.

Roses are red This looks pretty sinister: national.thelead.uk/p/rushanara-...

EXCLUSIVE: Whistleblower shares the horrifying reality of living in Blackpool's OnlyFans asylum hotel ✍️ @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social for The Blackpool Lead blackpool.thelead.uk/p/the-metrop...

While tough questions need to be asked of the continued housing of asylum seekers in hotels, I don’t believe that demonising the vulnerable has to be part of it. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/the-metrop...

Chloe Kelly and Hannah Hampton are just unreal.

While tough questions need to be asked of the continued housing of asylum seekers in hotels, I don’t believe that demonising the vulnerable has to be part of it. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/the-metrop...

In April, a Reform election candidate posted that a closing care facility was to be used to house asylum seekers. This is how it was worded. There was no evidence and the time and it was criticised.

Common sense politics has arrived in Lancashire. Right? lancashire.thelead.uk/p/lancashire...

There’s no coherent argument for why 16-year-olds shouldn’t be able to vote. Well overdue.

Good news!📣 We’re delighted to tell you the in-depth local journalism we publish twice-a-week across the North of England is up for an award. Press Gazette’s Future of Media Awards has seen The Lead North project shortlisted in the Best Journalism-Based Newsletters of 2025 (Specialist/Regional).

“The first thing that is going to hit is the staffing. They’re talking about not being able to increase staff pay, not being able to fill vacancies and the stark reality is that some are talking about closing and you can't get away from that.” lancashire.thelead.uk/p/reform-uk-...

I took a fantastic picture of Atreus on the evening walk.

Globally, roughly a third more power is being generated from the sun this spring than last. If this exponential rate of growth can continue, we will soon live in a very different world, @billmckibben.bsky.social writes.

Delighted that The Lead North has been nominated in the @pressgazette.co.uk Future of Media Awards, alongside some real heavyweights of journalism. pressgazette.co.uk/publishers/d...

The only surprising thing about Jake Berry joining Reform is that we haven’t seen more Tory former MPs do the same. Yet. He’s the fifth to do so. Over 60 Reform candidates in the local elections were former Tories. The leader of Lancashire County Council is a former Tory. More will follow.

Essential reading: www.football365.com/news/diogo-j...

A polite telling off for the Prime Minister, then. lancashire.thelead.uk/p/prime-mini...

Just one bloke risking quite a lot for his crystal clear vision. Preston is all the better for it. www.blogpreston.co.uk/2025/07/from...

Reform tries to organise piss up at brewery. Fails. lancashire.thelead.uk/p/reform-lan...

Next week, Kier Starmer faces his first major rebellion, with more than 100 Labour MPs officially opposing the government's controversial welfare reforms. The roots of this rebellion started in The Lead's major patches in the north west. @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social reports ✍️

Lancashire MPs leading the way on the amendment to the welfare reform bill. Their constituents would be some of the most impacted in the country. lancashire.thelead.uk/p/lancashire...

ANSWER OUR READER SURVEY🎙️ As we approach the first anniversary of Labour coming into power, we want to know what you think of this government. Use our reader survey to tell us exactly how well you think Labour are doing. Use the ranking system and then add your comments. (Link below )

"It's clear that the owners have been very happy for their venues to be used by and associated with the most extreme and unpleasant racists in the UK, and it is unfortunate that Reform UK seems happy to join them on that miserable guestlist." blackpool.thelead.uk/p/reform-pub...

God Only Knows is a heartbreaking beautiful song. That’s not an original take but it’s amazing where it crops up. Its chorus is written on the chest of Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil. It’s hauntingly featured in Bioshock Infinite. Blessed that I got to see him. RIP Brian Wilson. youtu.be/jUffPtS3-7A?...

A mum from Preston has spoken out after problems in her home that she says have left her with fatigue, migraines, breathing issues and deteriorating mental health. Her housing provider ultimately paid compensation after admitting to shortcomings. www.blogpreston.co.uk/2025/06/i-fe...

The reality is that it never used to be necessary to tell the British public a suspect was white to stop them setting things on fire. Now it is, so it’ll happen more. national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

I've got an absolute belter of a story in tomorrow's Teesside Lead. If you're into local government, FOI requests and taxpayer-funded trips abroad with no evidence of any work being done you'll love it. Who could it be?! Sign up free to get it straight to your inbox tomorrow morning.

The reality is that it never used to be necessary to tell the British public a suspect was white to stop them setting things on fire. Now it is, so it’ll happen more. national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

It rather felt like everyone focused on the quirky angle of the UK’s first Reform pub. Not that simple though. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/bosses-at-...

It rather felt like everyone focused on the quirky angle of the UK’s first Reform pub. Not that simple though. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/bosses-at-...

I am off work this week to rip my house to bits and try to put it back together. But there’s always room for 7am journalism no matter what time I book and how little plaster my walls have. www.blogpreston.co.uk/2025/05/form...

Tomorrow’s Blackpool Lead is a story you know about but one where it feels like everyone else has missed the point. It’s therefore a banger. Sign up: blackpool.thelead.uk

Clean energy just put China’s CO2 emissions into reverse for first time. www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-cle...

I am looking to speak to Ukrainian refugees in Reform-controlled local authorities about their feelings on the potential flag ban. If you know of someone who is able to share, please could you let me know? I'm at [email protected]. #journorequest

For the Lancashire Lead, I looked at the potential impact that slicing through net zero projects could have in the county. Being a climate change sceptic might make for a shareable FB post, but it’s hard to see how losing all or any of this would be a gain. lancashire.thelead.uk/p/reform-uk-...

This week’s Blackpool Lead was part one of our interview with Chris Webb. It’s been a very busy year for any new Labour MP in the North with no shortage of headaches induced from London. blackpool.thelead.uk/p/chris-webb...

Ruth and I took Atreus to Roddlesworth then I made a pie. Top Sundaying.

NEWS: A petition started by local campaigners against the Jameson Road Landfill Site, which calls on the government to close landfills that cause smells and toxins near residential areas, has reached 10,000 signatures. You can sign it here: petition.parliament.uk/petitions/70...

Atreus making friends with Hugo by pretending he doesn’t exist.

Just had dinner here (after chinning Helvelyn, don’t judge me) - very good.