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FAILING NOT SAILING! It's a heartache for Starmer as rebels force him to U-turn on welfare bill. Here's today's @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social cartoon...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

'This news comes as a surprise and we were not consulted' Sheffield's council leader (@tomhunt100.bsky.social‬) on the govt's decision to stop councils from being run by committee It does beg the question, shouldn't people in Sheffield - not Ministers in London - decide how their council is run?

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

In 2021 the people of Sheffield voted in a referendum to move their council to a commitee system rather than the cabinet and leader model. Now the Labour government has told them (and others using the committee system like Wirral and Cheshire East) that they must switch back 🤷 1/2

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has announced a new rapid investigation into NHS maternity services. And the Department for Health told me this morning that Leeds - whose services were downgraded last week by the Care Quality Commission - are among the 10 trusts to be looked at 1/2

submitted 6 days ago • 1 comment

What do you think of these ideas for a new community flag for Cumbria? There's a competition running, with winning entry used to celebrate the region's history, express community pride and increase recognition and awareness of the area. surveymonkey.com/r/CumbriaCom...

submitted 9 days ago • 2 comments

Today’s @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social cartoon… www.shareyourstories.live/northern-age...

submitted 9 days ago • 1 comment

This written statement by Local Government Minister @jimmcmahon.co.uk published a few minutes ago could be huge for the North of England and its cash-strapped local councils 1/4

submitted 9 days ago • 3 comments

On the Northern Agenda podcast this week: @liamthorp.bsky.social and I on why so many Northern private hire taxi drivers are licensed in Wolverhampton - and what that's to do with the child grooming scandal? PLUS: The Merseyside man who wouldn't pay his licence fee podfollow.com/the-northern...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

On the Northern Agenda podcast this week: @liamthorp.bsky.social and I on why so many Northern private hire taxi drivers are licensed in Wolverhampton - and what that's to do with the child grooming scandal? PLUS: The Merseyside man who wouldn't pay his licence fee podfollow.com/the-northern...

submitted 10 days ago • 0 comments

Town and village councils can be poisonous places. Troubled Yarm Town Council in disarray as all four remaining councillors resign. via @robparsonsna.bsky.social www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teessid...

submitted 10 days ago • 2 comments

Are men of Pakistani heritage overrepresented in child grooming gang cases in West Yorkshire? Questioned by Keighley Conservative MP Robbie Moore during some testy exchanges in Parliament today, Labour West Yorkshire deputy mayor Alison Lowe says yes they are 1/3

submitted 12 days ago • 0 comments

Back in the days of New Labour his father John Prescott was at the forefront of efforts to close the North-South divide and get the region's leaders to work more closely together. 1/3

submitted 12 days ago • 1 comment

In the latest ep of The Northern Agenda podcast, me & @robparsonsna.bsky.social chat to the always ace @henrimurison.bsky.social about what the Spending Review means for the north We also laugh at cringey Commons questions and talk about Rob’s hangover pain podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/r...

submitted 15 days ago • 0 comments

Today I got to reflect on #SpendingReview alongside north’s dynamic podcasting duo @robparsonsna.bsky.social & @liamthorp.bsky.social My overwhelming case was the politics of grievance is not going to serve #North well. We are the #opportunity to raise productivity & be counterweight to London

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

Why do the Green Book reforms matter? Which Northern town was named most in the spending review? Which Labour MP sucked up to Rachel Reeves in a cringeworthy way? @liamthorp.bsky.social, @henrimurison.bsky.social and I cover all this on the Northern Agenda podcast podfollow.com/the-northern...

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

Labour mayors in the North are generally pretty happy with Rachel Reeves' spending review - but not York and North Yorkshire's David Skaith (@davidskaith.bsky.social‬) He says: “This government had a real chance to show it was serious about rural and coastal areas - but it missed it." ☹️

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

Not sure why the Treasury haven't made more of this... Today's spending review includes £240m of new money to make it easier to get in and out of Leeds station (where traffic bottlenecks on nearby roads are a regular annoyance)

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

So no announcement of a new Manchester-Liverpool railway in today's spending review, which has taken some by surprise as it had been trailed. I gather it's now expected to be announced in the 10-year infrastructure strategy published next week...

submitted 18 days ago • 0 comments

🥂Feeling delighted - if a little delicate - this morning after winning the Best Individual-Led Newsletter (News and Current Affairs) award at last night's brilliant Publisher Newsletter Awards @mediavoices.bsky.social 🥂 Was a hugely strong shortlist including Financial Times, Economist and BBC

submitted 18 days ago • 1 comment

Am really looking forward to chatting with @joannafcummings.bsky.social and ‪@zoepaskett.bsky.social‬ about how to create an award-winning newsletter at the fantastic Publisher Newsletter Summit tomorrow. There's a great line-up of speakers (as well as me) - publishernewsletters.com/2025/en/page...

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

This week on the Northern Agenda podcast I interviewed Health Secretary @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social ➡️ Why health tech hotspot Leeds is a 'really special place' ➡️ Why he wants to hand more powers to mayors like @andyburnham.bsky.social ➡️ Why Keir Starmer's local critics are 'crackers' 1/2

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

There's a new episode of the Northern Agenda podcast out today! @liamthorp.bsky.social and I chat What makes Rachel Reeves' transport cash bonanza different to Rishi Sunak's from 2023? Why is one ex-Labour councillor in Yorkshire calling Keir Starmer the worst PM in his lifetime? 1/2

submitted 23 days ago • 3 comments

Fantastic to hear @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social talking not just about Leeds but also the government’s commitment to devolution of power in this. Worth a listen 👇

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

TRAMTASTIC! Green light for the North and a huge boost for @tracybrabinmayorwy.bsky.social and @andyburnham.bsky.social Here's today's @thenorthernagenda.bsky.social cartoon... www.shareyourstories.live/northern-agenda/

submitted 23 days ago • 2 comments

This week on the Northern Agenda podcast I interviewed Health Secretary @rthonwesstreeting.bsky.social ➡️ Why health tech hotspot Leeds is a 'really special place' ➡️ Why he wants to hand more powers to mayors like @andyburnham.bsky.social ➡️ Why Keir Starmer's local critics are 'crackers' 1/2

submitted 23 days ago • 1 comment

You've got to feel for the local bus workers in Rochdale who've been on their feet for the best part of an hour to act as a backdrop for Rachel Reeves's transport speech today. Not sure how much they're enjoying the experience. Hope they're wearing comfortable shoes.

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

EXCLUSIVE: I've been told by multiple sources that Chancellor Rachel Reeves will tomorrow announce mayoral combined authorities will now be getting the billions in transport funding promised by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak back in 2023. A short thread...

submitted 26 days ago • 5 comments

Do you want to hear me confuse Hollywood star Brendan Fraser with legendary British athlete Brendan Foster? Do you want to hear a story about a romantic gesture that turned into a messy bed of crisps? Do you want all your northern political news with some bad puns thrown in? Then here you go 👇

submitted 37 days ago • 0 comments

This week's podcast is our most slick and professional yet: @liamthorp.bsky.social gets Great North Run founder Brendan Foster mixed up with Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser and I forget what the 'RE' stands for in UKREiiF... Have a listen!

submitted 37 days ago • 0 comments

Andy Burnham and Manchester leaders want govt to invest in regeneration around a rebuilt Old Trafford - but should they be looking at the area round Everton's new stadium instead? Interesting comments from Everton's stadium director in today's Northern Agenda newsletter www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk

submitted 38 days ago • 0 comments