From “Make Brexit work” to whispered hints at policy shifts – Labour’s EU stance is a muddle of funk, fear, and McSweeney’s influence. Are they lost or just playing it safe? Peter Thurlow reports

Brexit isn’t just a disaster – it’s Labour’s new identity. Starmer isn’t fixing it. He’s accepting it, and dragging the country along. Peter Thurlow reports

Since 2009: spending on preventative children’s services is down 79%. Spending on crisis care up 71%. Local government has turned from community building to damage control. Stephen McNair reports

🎬 Cambridge Film Festival isn’t just about movies – don’t miss Mark Kermode live on cinema’s greatest soundtracks. On now!

Whittlesey North West (Fenland) Council By-Election Result: 🌳 CON: 47.5% (-9.8) ➡️ RFM: 34.1% (New) 🙋 Ind: 12.5% (New) 🌹 LAB: 5.9% (-16.2) No GRN (-20.5) as previous. Conservative HOLD. Changes w/ 2023.

New report confirms: Britain’s local government crisis is deepening. Councils are running out of money, and services people rely on are collapsing. Stephen McNair reports

Rachel Reeves told the IMF the UK’s productivity challenge is compounded by Brexit. Yet Labour refuses to discuss freedom of movement. How long can they ignore the truth? Peter Thurlow reports

The Institute for Government’ annual review of the state of local government, published last week, paints an alarming picture | Stephen McNair

Labour says it wants to “make Brexit work.” But after years of shrugging at EU issues, is this government really capable of confronting the economic damage it inherited? Or are they just busking? Peter Thurlow reports

The “New American Way” might not be what you think – and Guy Anthony Ayres makes the provocative case why in his Letter from America ⤵️

AI is eating our art, our jobs, and our attention, and we’re asking for seconds. If we don’t act now, writes Tom Haczewski, it’ll be too late to push away the plate.

Independence. Transparency. Accountability. Stability. Public engagement. Five principles to protect truth from power. Look at the US, writes Stephen McNair: the UK needs these principles now more than ever.

From employee-owned companies to Einstein’s socialism: Guy Anthony Ayres explores what democratic socialism can look like in his Letter from America ⤵️

🌿🐞 Go Green Go Wild in Stowmarket! 🐾🍂 Join Essex & Suffolk Rivers Trust et al this October half term! Venue: Milton House Grounds & Scout Centre in Stowmarket from 10:30 am to 2:30 pm on Tuesday 29th October. Free entry, family-friendly, and full of eco-inspiration. Have fun. #GoGreenGoWild

“The people making decisions, not the billionaires” – a bold line from Guy Anthony Ayres calling for social ownership and justice in his Letter from America ⤵️

Anglian Water one of many water companies told to refund millions to their customers. Via BBC News

East Anglia is powering Britain’s clean-energy future through its offshore wind farms – but it also wants fairness, innovation and respect for its landscape.

Labour ministers whisper about economic damage from Brexit… then panic at the thought of freedom of movement. Courage? Not in this government. @peterthurlow.bsky.social

For those who yearn for a return to the EU, Labour’s cowardly retreat into support for Brexit besmirches its principles. So is the party coming to its senses at last? | Peter Thurlow

Sharing my most recent article. Guy

Billionaires, tax breaks, and workers’ rights: Guy Anthony Ayres lays out the case for democratic socialism in America’s future in his Letter from America ⤵️

🇺🇸 Are the “American Way” and democratic socialism finally on the same page? Read how Guy Anthony Ayers argues a new path for America in our letter from America ⤵️

You can’t fix a broken state with another round of cuts. The Bear wants the grown-up conversation Westminster keeps avoiding.

Artificial intelligence is the new junk food: cheap, addictive, and everywhere. We’re trading human art for algorithmic sludge. Tom Haczewski looks on sadly

Suffolk MP James Cartlidge has become a leading voice for fairer energy infrastructure – arguing that East Anglia shouldn’t bear the cost of Britain’s green transition alone.

"There should be no billionaires." That’s not a radical statement – it’s a moral one. Democratic Socialism isn’t about control. It’s about reclaiming power from the ultra-rich. Who might lead the fightback? Guy Anthony Ayres in the US has a view

Britain’s clean-energy transformation is accelerating... But in East Anglia, campaigners say the power lines bringing it ashore must respect local communities as well as the countryside.

A good reason to be abstemious... ??!! Eight countries added to methanol poisoning warning list 👇

Democracy depends on facts. Facts depend on independent institutions. But in the UK, many of those bodies could be rewritten or silenced by ministerial whim. Trump’s America shows we need better protection to secure the truth. Stephen McNair reports

Art makes you feel, writes Tom Haczewski. Content makes you click. AI is turning creativity into fast food for your brain.

It’s good to have clarity.

"Capitalism has led US down the proverbial primrose path that is filled with nothing but briars." Could AOC, Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Saunders or Gavin Newsome offer a path to reduce US economic inequity, expand social programs & improve workers’ rights?

🎬 Cambridge Film Festival returns today – 11 days, 100+ films, star names and local stories on screen.

"Capitalism has led US down the proverbial primrose path that is filled with nothing but briars." Could Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (aka AOC), Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Saunders or Gavin Newsom offer the US a path to reduce economic inequity, expand social programs & improve workers’ rights?

Britain’s clean-energy transformation is accelerating – but in East Anglia, campaigners say the power lines bringing it ashore must respect local communities as well as the countryside.

James Cartlidge MP says underground cables could deliver clean power across East Anglia without scarring the countryside | East Anglia Bylines

Imagine if Bernie, not Trump, had won in 2016. We had a chance to change history – and the Democratic Party sabotaged it. Here's what could've been … and who might still carry the torch. Full story by Guy Anthony Ayres ⬇️

AI art and videos aren’t feeding our creativity – they’re feeding our dopamine addiction. Read how we’re sleepwalking into a new epidemic: junk food for the mind. ⤵️ @eastangliabylines.co.uk

🇺🇸 Are the “American Way” and democratic socialism finally on the same page? Read how Guy Anthony Ayers argues a new path for America in his letter from America ⤵️ @eastangliabylines.co.uk @guyanthonyayres.bsky.social

"I go to work every day in order to provide & to try to be the best husband, dad [&] carer... but every single day I sit down in the evening when I'm on my own & beat myself up because I don't think I'm doing enough," Unpaid carers across Essex can take part in a consultation. Details 👇

"As people walk through it, they will be hearing the rhythm of the garden and music... to hopefully relax and connect with nature." Pensthorpe's new garden... Via BBC News

Truth needs institutions to protect it. A new report warns that UK agencies safeguarding science, health and data are vulnerable to political interference – and lessons from the US show how fragile truth can be. Stephen McNair reports.

Wildlife is a barometer for global warming. As temperatures rise, some summer visiting birds now stay year-round in East Anglia, writes Jenny Rhodes ⤵️

Can a 19th-century reading room survive in the digital age? One historic institution shows exactly how – by listening, adapting, and welcoming all. Barbara Norrey reports

But while Labour and Tories try to avoid discussing what they no longer believe in, the voters are keen to talk, to find a party which does actually believe in something. Pecksniff observes the week’s news.

Labour whispers “hard choices.” The Tories shout “more cuts.” Reform shouts “maths is optional.” The Bear hears only one thing: snip-snip-snip.

AI is eating our art, our jobs, and our attention, and we’re asking for seconds. If we don’t act now, writes Tom Haczewski, it’ll be too late to push away the plate.

Exciting news - in Ipswich you can now look at people in Ireland, Poland, Lithuania and the US who are looking at you!

Who's ready to lead the charge against authoritarianism? It's time we stop waiting for the Democratic Party to grow a backbone. These three democratic socialists aren't just talking change – they live it. Guy Anthony Ayres' list, and why it matters.

Chris Hinchliff (North East Hertfordshire) said bottom trawling was the “underseas equivalent of ploughing a bulldozer through a wildflower meadow”. “Once these species are gone, they’re gone forever.."