Homelessness crisis ‘forcing councils in England to pay 60% above market rent’ Half of local authorities charged double by landlords and hotel owners for temporary housing, investigation finds * ‘It feels very much like a prison’: inside a cramped Birmingham homeless hostel Private landlords and hotel owners are charging councils far in excess of market rent to house people who would otherwise end up on the street, an investigation has found, laying bare the depth of England’s homelessness crisis. Local authorities in England are paying 60% more for rooms in places such as bed and breakfasts and hostels than it would cost to rent similar-sized accommodation on the private market, with half of them spending double the local going rate. Continue reading...

Homelessness crisis ‘forcing councils in England to pay 60% above market rent’

I didn’t really notice him till the leaf (sp?!) lectured on radio four and was instantly touched by his intellect humanity and consciousness.

Rural communities could be destroyed if UK signs US trade deal, says former food tsar Exclusive: Henry Dimbleby joins farmers in voicing fears of lower standards and a poor deal for British food producers

Hugely important warning: allowing cheaper US food imports that don’t meet the same environmental & animal protection standards as British farmers would sound a death knell for UK farms & rural communities. It must not be part of any future trade deal

Decision looms for plans to build more than 100 homes in city Plans to build more than 100 homes in Benfield Valley are due before councillors next week even though Brighton and Hove City Council – as…

Benfield Valley development goes before planners next week despite #Brighton and #Hove City Council pulling the plug as freeholder #LDreporter www.theargus.co.uk/news/2503771...

This is Brighton & Hove Speak Out's key campaign for the year. Speak Out is a voluntary sector organisation providing advocacy & supporting self-advocacy with adults with learning disabilities. I'm a volunteer advocate. I think this poster, designed by a person with LD, sums it all up!

There won't be any capital gains to tax.

Bill Ackman:

“There won’t be any capital gains to tax.”

Oh Canada 🇨🇦 🤓

*Girls in Custody: Exploring the Harms*

Following Susannah Hancock's independent review of the placement of girls in custody, join NAYJ and the Youth Practitioners' Association for an event looking at what comes next.

Tuesday 20 May: thenayj.org.uk/events/

Britain didn't get the lowest tariff Nick, Russia did at 0% #r4today

And….Kiss me Kate (black & white version) on last night too, including gr8 songs, brush up your Shakespeare and true to you darling.

Narrow cycle lane marked with a dashed line running along the side of a long, straight, single carriageway road with a 60mph speed limit.

I don't think this narrow advisory cycle lane alongside a long, straight road with a 60mph speed limit is going to encourage many people to get on their bikes.

The DWP forced a deaf claimant to have a PHONE interview for his PIP The DWP forced a deaf claimant to have a PHONE interview for his PIP from Canary on 2 April 2025

The DWP forced a deaf claimant to have a PHONE interview for his PIP

Yes, you read the headline right - not that this should surprise ANYONE with any lived experience of the DWP & its staff.

Tip of the iceberg when it comes to DWP breaches of the Equality Act.
www.thecanary.co/uk/analysis/...

Security fencing at Guys Marsh prison.

There are 87,919 men, women and children in prison in England and Wales today.

The number rose by 235 last week – about one-sixth of the capacity of Millsike, the new jail just opened.

We cannot build our way out of this crisis: howardleague.org/prison-watch/

📸 @andyaitchison.bsky.social

Charity takes on city centre pub A city centre pub next to the Royal Pavilion has been bought by a learning disabilities charity which will turn it into a cafe bar. Team Dominica, which has run cafes elsewhere in Brighton, has bought the former All Bar One in Pavilion Buildings. The venue was recently refurbished following a fire during lockdown. The […]

Charity takes on city centre pub

Marine Le Pen Found Guilty of Embezzlement, Banned From Next Elections Judges convicted the far-right leader of misusing EU funds and barred her from running in the 2027 French presidential elections.

*gazes wistfully out a window*

Overheard: The Tesla Chainsaw Massacre.

Six New York prison workers indicted for murder in beating death of inmate Assault on Robert Brooks in December caught on body cameras, triggering widespread outrage and calls for justice Six New York prison workers have been indicted for second-degree murder in the beating death of an incarcerated man who had been handcuffed,…

Six New York prison workers indicted for murder in beating death of inmate

They shouldn’t the police should.

One of the biggest punk rock bands, divided and irreconcilable 🤬

39 years ago today
Dead Kennedys played their last show with Jello Biafra at Freeborn Hall, UC Davis on this day in 1986, supported by Phranc, Mojo Nixon and 7 Seconds.

#punk #punkrock #hardcorepunk #deadkennedys

Army’s mishandling of assault factor in teen’s death – coroner The mother of a 19-year-old soldier who took her own life has accused the Army of a “cover-up” after a coroner ruled a string of failings contributed to her death.

Army’s mishandling of assault factor in teen’s death – coroner

www.channel4.com/news/armys-m...

Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexually assaulting Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso Former president of Spanish football federation kissed player after team won women’s World Cup in 2023 The former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexually assaulting the footballer Jenni Hermoso by…

Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexually assaulting Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso

Lifting the lid on prisons: SENTENCE INFLATION

Five of the most senior former judges in England and Wales made an extremely rare intervention and called on the government to reverse the trend of imposing ever longer sentences.

Here we discuss the impact of sentence inflation: howardleague.org/what-is-sent...

The old governors house now used for Clinks restaurant inside HM Prison Brixton (photo by Andy Aitchison)

The prison population stands at 86,802. There are 339 more people in prison than there were last week.

By the prison service's own measure of safe and decent accommodation, there is room for only 79,409, the population is 7,393 above this level.

howardleague.org/prison-watch/

Probably a change in medical practitioners thinking might be more useful?

First post, and I must say……it seems awfully quiet in @bsky.app

“Meaningful education & training so that those released can earn a living and most importantly, effective support from a well-resourced probation service to deliver quality resettlement provision and re-integration into the community, which would protect the general public better and be seen to be a good use of public funds.” - Bruce

Our members in prison often write to us with ideas about how to improve the prison system. In our blog post we look at the letters that tell us about wider issues, including the work of the probation service, maintaining family ties, and sentencing.
howardleague.org/blog/more-ca...

Window to stop decline of England’s nature closing fast, watchdog says Office for Environmental Protection calls for urgent action after finding government is falling short on most targets

Vital reading for the government with its current obsession with growth at all costs (growth of what and for whom is never spelt out). A commitment to restore nature was conspicuous by its absence from PM’s Plan for Change, launched last month - that urgently needs to change 👇

<em>Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry</em> | ACAMH Pediatric Journal | Wiley Online Library Background Standardised Diagnostic Assessment tools, such as the Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA), may aid detection and diagnosis of emotional disorders but there is limited real-world...

A new study has found that only a small proportion of children and young people with high levels of mental health need have received clinical diagnosis as well as poor access to support.

Read the article here👇
acamh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Publican ‘lost his life because of a false allegation’ after recall on IPP jail term Exclusive: Despite nine years successfully rebuilding his life, IPP prisoner Haydar Jefferies was hauled back to jail over a false allegation, his family says, before he took his own life amid a strin...

“It was evident that Haydar was suffering due to the unjust circumstances of his IPP recall and that this contributed to his deteriorating mental state. Staff...failed entirely to recognise his deterioration and to take appropriate steps to keep him safe."

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crim...

‘The worst it’s ever been’: teachers decry Send crisis in England’s schools Staff and parents share their experience as number of pupils with special educational needs spirals * Send provision in ‘vicious downward spiral’, says former children’s commissioner “The Send [Special educational needs and disabilities] system is…

‘The worst it’s ever been’: teachers decry Send crisis in England’s schools