The future of the Labour movement lies with trade unions. Wherever you work and whatever you do, join a union today. @unitetheunion.bsky.social also has a place for retired people Unite Community, whose members are super active in local politics. @uniteneyh.bsky.social, @uniteeastmids.bsky.social

I think I'm in a f*cking parallel universe.

The 'nan-hunt' continues🙄 www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

Children with SEND are among the most vulnerable in our county. Parents/carers already have to fight to get the most basic support across every aspect of their lives. Spreading misinformation perpetuates stigma & makes their lives harder, perhaps that's the intention? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

How on earth could a former Human Rights lawyer, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), get this so wrong? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/a...

On International Cat's Day, Rita says you should stop stressing and join a Union: @unitetheunion.bsky.social @uniteneyh.bsky.social

Bright and early at @uniteneyh.bsky.social, Sheffield, for the Education Regional Industrial Sector Committee at which I represent The University of Sheffield 💪

Much more than tenanted squares of ground, allotments provide a safe space where people can enjoy fresh air, physical graft and mental respite. Allotments are a force for so much good, not just for individuals but for the surrounding communities. It would be such a shame to see them go.

"Proportionate, discriminate, and avoiding unnecessary harm"?

I'm pleased & proud to have been invited to speak alongside three wonderful & inspirational sisters at the Compassionate Voices UK event, Chesterfield FC on 12 Sept. Tickets are selling fast, but there's still some available & you can get yours on the link below www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/compassion...

𝑩𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆: 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒆𝒉? My latest free-to-read Substack looks at the passion (or lack of) in our current politics - and politicians. Let me know if the comments who your all-time favourites were/are. open.substack.com/pub/annefran...

The UK may have a million and one problems, but Reform UK is not the answer to a single one of em:

Often referred to as the "motherhood penalty" or "daughterhood penalty". Heart breaking that, in the 6th largest world economy, women still sacrifice their health & future in order that our elderly and vulnerable receive the care to which they are entitled. www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/news/people/...

Recognition of Palestine conditional on the actions of the oppressor? Within a month or so? In the midst of the worst man made famine in my lifetime? After 60,000+ Palestinian deaths, 150,000 injured & the destruction of Gaza? How many more in the next month or so? news.sky.com/story/uk-to-...

The Govt has been urged by the world’s leading economists to introduce a wealth tax to tackle extreme levels of inequality. The campaign group Tax Justice UK has estimated that a 1%-2% wealth tax on assets of more than £10m would affect only 0.04% of the population & could raise £22bn a year.

My latest free-to-read Substack article is about two extraordinarily ordinary lives. substack.com/@annefrances...

My take on Thursday's announcement of a new political party led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zara Sultana: open.substack.com/pub/annefran...

Aw I had the best time at the lovely (and very clever) Liz Mullins' Graduation Do last night - held in Vanishing Point Records, Chesterfield. Liz used to be Chesterfield CLP Youth Officer when I was Chair and we've been pals ever since♥️

Looks like France finally got fed up of waiting for the UK to join her... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Utter and complete madness🤯 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Even the right wing press has found its humanity. This is a horror no-one can ignore.

𝑺𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒏𝒂𝒎𝒆: 𝑴𝑰𝑪𝑯𝑬𝑳𝑳𝑬 𝑨𝑮𝒀𝑬𝑴𝑨𝑵𝑮!!! - Not you, racists. #giveracismtheredcard

From my Substack - thoughts on the 'revolutionary' changes to the water industry...

𝑺𝒐 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 '𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕' 𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒘𝒂𝒚 - 𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝒏𝒐𝒘.

Pale Male Stale

Had the best time at this afternoon's brilliant ‘Gig in the Garden’ fundraiser for the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centre with @alexfawbert.bsky.social and dear friends. Fantastic event with great live bands and money raised for this much needed local service.

With the wonderful Colin Hampton of the Derbyshire Unemployed Workers' Centres (DUWC) at today's 'Gig in the Garden' fundraiser in Brim.

𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒃 𝒂 𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒔 '𝑫𝒆𝒏' 𝑪𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆𝒔. Here we chat about Den's upbringing in South Normanton and his work in the coal industry, including his experience of the 1984 miners' strike. youtu.be/KfHNH8qgYwM?...

💯This 👏👏👏 Government introduces huge pro-democracy bill to allow votes at 16, campaign finance reform, increased powers for elections watchdog and most significantly (imho) a move towards automatic voter registration: www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

For the record - from my Substack:

Handing out leaflets for Rose Hill Art Centre's forthcoming performance of the wonderful A Northern Requiem at Durham Miners Gala 2025 this morning.

Proud to help carry the @unitetheunion.bsky.social Equalities banner for my branch, @uniteneyh.bsky.social during the march at Durham Miners Gala 2025 earlier today:

𝑾𝒆 𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒍: NGL this is difficult to watch... BUT failure to resolve local crises like Birmingham's bin strikes was never going to end well. www.unitetheunion.org/.../unite-co.... @unitetheunion.bsky.social @uniteneyh.bsky.social

Yes! I'll be helping carry the Equalities banner for @uniteneyh.bsky.social. Can. Not. Wait. @unitetheunion.bsky.social

Sooo Chesterfield Reform is the 'death merchant' in the room with you now...?

𝑻𝒖𝒓𝒒𝒖𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝑻𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒔: news.sky.com/story/ex-tor...

The Universal Credit Bill cleared the Commons at third reading, after it received MPs’ backing by 336 votes to 242, majority 94. A total 47 Labour rebels voted "no".

Today (9 Jul), MPs have a final vote on the UC and Personal Independence Payment Bill. I hope MPs who voted in favour of the bill have had time to consider the effect this will have on our most vulnerable - and vote it down on this its 3rd reading. @unitetheunion.bsky.social @uniteneyh.bsky.social

𝑪𝒂𝒏. 𝑵𝒐𝒕. 𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒕.💪 Speakers announced for Saturday's Big Meeting. I shall be helping to carry the Equalities banner for @uniteneyh.bsky.social. If you see me, say Hi x @unitetheunion.bsky.social #DurhamMinersGala2025

𝑾𝒂𝒊𝒕, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕? MPs have voted AGAINST allowing 10 Premier League games to be broadcast for FREE in the UK: 340 to 86. What happened to the working class sport for working class people? www.sportbible.com/football/foo...

𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚! There's much more to fashion than meets the eye. My latest article is about all things sartorial - and free-to-read on Substack via the link below: annefranceshayes.substack.com/p/if-youre-e...

Disappointed not to be able to get to the @unitetheunion.bsky.social policy conference in Brighton this week. Sharing this pic of the delegates standing in solidarity with disabled people against the proposed cuts due to receive its third reading vote tomorrow (9th July). @uniteneyh.bsky.social

In a further amendment to The Employment Rights Bill, employers will be banned from using non-disclosure agreements to silence workplace harassment and abuse👏 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

𝑺𝒄𝒓𝒂𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒘𝒐-𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒕 𝒄𝒂𝒑. On any level, child poverty is grotesque. www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...

@unitetheunion.bsky.social is balloting its members at @sheffielduni.bsky.social & recommending they vote to reject the pay offer by the UCEA. The ‘final’ pay settlement offer of 1.4% is well below the inflation rate of 4.3% (May 25) & represents a pay cut. @uniteneyh.bsky.social @tuc.org.uk

𝑨𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒈𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒐𝒚𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝑹𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍...

𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆:👏

Honestly? I think this move is much needed and well overdue. Political balance in the UK has been out of synch for some time, and a whole swathe of voters have been left with no natural home. A balance between left and right-wing political perspectives is crucial for a healthy democracy:

𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆! 👏👏👏 Now bring in RTB for private rentals too! www.housingtoday.co.uk/news/newly-b...