Good morning from a chilly Lancashire, here's our latest editions of The Lead North this Sunday morning. Starting right here, as the leader of the Reform-led county council faces questions over why he missed Remembrance in the county

Undecided? Here’s a snapshot of some of the work we have published recently that shows exactly why this kind of journalism matters.

Most of us think we're poorer than we are – this disconnect creates worse social outcomes for us all New from @hannahfearn.bsky.social as she reflects on The Budget

This week, the Chancellor dared to address the disparities in our broken council tax symptom, at least partially. But is the mansion tax any good? We dug into it in the week's The Lead Untangles national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

A special edition this evening: Lifting the two-child benefit cap is welcome, but Rachel Reeves' tax and spend plans fall far short of the financial shake up this country needs. A verdict on the Budget through progressive eyes from our @zoegrunewald.bsky.social

Great analysis from @zoegrunewald.bsky.social for @theleaduk.bsky.social on today’s budget. Echoes my own thoughts about an overall sense of unambitious tinkering, despite some clear positives (2 child cap finally lifted) national.thelead.uk/p/the-leads-...

Could you rebuild an entire life in 28 days? Open a bank account, get a job, find somewhere to rent? It's an impossible task for most refugees, and it's leaving many people homeless and at risk. Important piece by @theleaduk.bsky.social 👇

It's Wednesday, here's our latest editions of The Lead North. The new boss of collapsed health and beauty chain Bodycare has promised the firm will remain based in Lancashire because locals know all about ‘rolling up their sleeves and getting on with it’.

Labour's slap dash approach to asylum policy - specifically, halving the the time limit for newly accepted refugees to leave Home Office accommodation - is leaving people at risk of homelessness, exploitation and far-right violence ✍️ @cjayanetti.bsky.social national.thelead.uk/p/new-asylum...

If you haven’t already seen this from @theleaduk.bsky.social it is essential reading …

X's new transparency feature has exposed many of the platform's influential MAGA personalities as being located outside the US. This is similar to the trend exposed by @kdenkwrites.com in the UK, where foreign 'UK patriot' accounts are even fooling councillors. national.thelead.uk/p/reform-cou...

Some weekend reads for you as latest editions of The Lead North drop, starting in Blackpool where the number of people needing support to feed themselves in the town is growing rather than decreasing

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.

The government has pledged more money to improve special needs education – but desperate families say the whole system needs overhauling.

Some parts of Lancashire are experiencing severe levels of child poverty. Out of 317 local authorities, Blackburn with Darwen, Hyndburn and Burnley all feature high on the list with 440 per cent or more of children coming from families struggling to make ends meet.

On top of our scoop in Lancashire about Reform's Tom Pickup being found posting in a far right Whatsapp group, you can check out the best reporting from The Lead's Northern titles in this week's Notes from the North national.thelead.uk/p/notes-from...

In this week's Reform Watch, Nigel Farage is accused of racism, Wales' Laura Anne Jones is suspended for racism, and Lancashire's Tom Pickup has been found posting a has been suspended for posting in a far-right Whatsapp group. Sounds about right! national.thelead.uk/p/reform-wat...

Ahead of the Budget, the housing sector is united in calling for Local Housing Allowance rates to be unfrozen – will Reeves listen? Journalist @mattyedwards23.bsky.social untangles this seemingly simple solution to the housing crisis. national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

Lancashire councillor Tom Pickup claims the party is showing a moderate face to the public that masks true immigration policies

Breaking political news from The Lancashire Lead as Reform's Tom Pickup is suspended over leaked WhatsApp messages about the party's stance on immigration

Breaking: A senior Reform UK politician in Lancashire has been suspended by the party. He will now sit as an independent. lancashire.thelead.uk/p/breaking-s...

What causes child poverty? A fall in earnings is the event most likely to put household incomes below the poverty line. But nearly a fifth of families tip into poverty after the arrival of a new child. Knock-on impacts like someone giving up work for childcare add to the risk.

It's Wednesday, so our latest editions of The Lead North have landed in thousands of inboxes. We start in Calderdale where @andrewgreaves84.bsky.social reports from the frontline with those who are seeing the impact of child poverty directly

The new asylum laws represent a fundamental downgrading of the rights of vulnerable people. And while Mahmood claims these measures will calm public anxiety, in reality, they will do the opposite. national.thelead.uk/p/new-asylum...

Ministers are set to announce a plan to ban selling tickets to live events for a profit is to be banned. It's no secret that big gigs are becoming more expensive and less accessible - and all of this has an impact on grassroots culture national.thelead.uk/p/live-music...

The Lead exists because readers believe in what we do. By becoming a paid subscriber, you’ll be investing directly in thoughtful, nuanced journalism that refuses to give up on hope. You can get 30% off if you sign up before the end of the month. national.thelead.uk/p/independen...

For The Lead's End Child Poverty campaign, @kevingopal.bsky.social looks at how families in the North of England are in dire need of help - and why the child poverty strategy must right many years of wrongs. national.thelead.uk/p/the-north-...

What do children miss out on when they live in poverty? Data journalist @clairemiller.bsky.social dug into the stats around material deprivation national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...

Welcome to Sunday and our latest Lead North editions are out, starting in Lancashire where we exclusively reveal RMG back-tracked on a huge proposed rise in fees at this estate

Former Editor of the Big Issue North, Kevin Gopal, looks at how families in the North of England are in dire need of help - and why the child poverty strategy must right many years of wrongs

A spiky little thing I wrote about the media and my huge thanks to @theleaduk.bsky.social for doing bold work that so many refuse to do: national.thelead.uk/p/my-award-w...

Child poverty is at a record high (and the Government might finally be about to do something about that). I dug into the numbers for @theleaduk.bsky.social and what they show about what the impact of child poverty looks like and how we got here. national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...

This is part of an ongoing assault on people seeking safety. Hotel contractors take huge sums from the government yet provide poor, unsafe accommodation and food. When someone speaks out, they are punished. It is horrifying and deeply worrying. national.thelead.uk/p/refugee-fa...

Our comment on this horrifying case is featured in @theleaduk.bsky.social. Thanks @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social for reporting on this story. The government must stop wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money enriching private corporations like Serco & create safe, permanent housing for everyone.

The broadcaster and British institution has been at the centre of a worldwide story this week but behind the headlines there is a battle for the soul of the Beeb, Ella Glove reports for the latest edition of The Lead Untangles

The government is launching an independent review into the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training, also known as NEETs. We dug into some of the reasons in a recent edition of The Lead Untangles national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-u...

We are delighted that our regular contributor, @hannahfearn.bsky.social, has won best news story and best opinion writer at this year's Freelance Journalism Awards - and we're especially glad the judges highlighted pieces that were published by The Lead! national.thelead.uk/p/my-award-w...

Looking for something to read? This week's Digest is full of hot takes and interesting analysis, plus a couple of fun social videos for those who'd rather scroll (we get it!) national.thelead.uk/p/the-lead-d...

EXCLUSIVE: A family of Palestinian refugees fleeing the brutal war in Gaza were evicted from Blackpool’s controversial Metropole Hotel asylum facility the day after they spoke to ITV News journalists about their living conditions. national.thelead.uk/p/refugee-fa...

In this week's briefing on the north, we have more on the Vic, one of the country's worst hospitals. Elsewhere, the Greens in Calderdale are pushing for scrap the two-child benefit cap, and we’ve looked at why child poverty is felt most keenly in Lancashire. national.thelead.uk/p/notes-from...

Don't forget, you can get 30% off The Lead's annual subscription if you sign up before the end of the month national.thelead.uk/p/independen...

Child poverty isn’t evenly distributed across the country. Children in the hardest hit local authority area are seven times more likely to live in poverty compared to those in the area with the lowest rates. national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...

Reform council plans to double council tax on second homes, despite Nigel Farage denouncing such policies as “madness” and “extortion” - and more on this week's Reform Watch (send tips to [email protected]) national.thelead.uk/p/reform-wat...

Our latest edition of Reform Watch, what have they been up to now? The chaos in Kent continues, branding the King as 'anti-British' and more....

The child poverty crisis in numbers national.thelead.uk/p/child-pove...

Child poverty is at a record high. But how did we get here? And what do we do about it? As part of The Lead's campaign to end child poverty, data journalist Claire Miller drills into the numbers behind the problem.

We need an independent BBC. @herefordshire4eu.bsky.social

Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC for £1 billion, backed by the People's Billionaire Nigel Farage. But, argues @[email protected], the BBC is a cornerstone of British democracy: protecting it is imperative. national.thelead.uk/p/the-bbc-is...

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