Shoplifting rife, police overwhelmed, an angry public … the trail leads back to one person: Theresa May | Dal Babu I have seen up-close the fallout of the disastrous policing decisions May made as home secretary. We need to urgently restore the force to what it once was, says former chief superintendent Dal Babu

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Waitrose employee sacked after stopping shoplifter from taking Easter eggs Walker Smith, 54, who worked for retailer for 17 years, says he grabbed bag from thief before they escaped

Seems wrong to me

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

The Thames Water creditors are closing in on a deal - urge your MP to stop them An action to write to MPs urging them to reject the Thames Water creditors' attempts to takeover the utility, signing off on pollution till 2030

Thames Water's creditors want to set a new low for privatised water by asking Ofwat to sign off on a deal which allows them to break the rules. Ofwat are poised to agree. We can't let them. Email your MP now: weownit.org.uk/act-now/the-...

Stop the steal: protect workers’ and renters’ rights! Reform UK has just pledged to rip up legal protections for workers and renters. Sign this petition to stop the steal.

Have you seen this? Reform UK has just pledged to rip up legal protections for workers and renters. I'm really worried about it. I've signed a petition to stop the steal. Can you add your name too? www.megaphone.org.uk/petitions/st...

Editor hits out at fresh Reform UK 'shenanigans' - Journalism News from HoldtheFrontPage Reporter wrongly told there were no press seats available

Reform-run Notts CC barred Nottinghamshire Live journalists from having contact with its cllrs & officers last year until being forced to back down

Now the authority has tried to stop a reporter from sitting on the press bench during a council meeting, wrongly claiming there were no seats available

Why axe so many juries? My plan would solve the courts crisis without harming justice | Alan Moses The backlog in England and Wales is serious but there are other ways to address it. There are many retired judges and calling them into action could be key, says former lord justice of appeal Alan Mos...

Worthy of serious consideration….

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Email your MP - the Thames Water creditors' latest deal must be rejected The Thames Water creditors' latest proposal still asks for regulatory leniency. Email your MP to get them to urge Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds to resist the deal

Thames Water's creditors are trying their luck. Their latest proposal is another brazen attempt to dodge regulations. I've just emailed my MP asking them to reject the proposal, and bring Thames Water into Special Administration. Email your MP now: weownit.org.uk/act-now/emai...

Friendships, fishing and community clean-ups: the unseen kindness of life on the Bibby Stockholm barge Bibby Boys photo exhibition documents experiences of the men who lived on the former asylum seeker vessel in Dorset and the local community that rallied around them

Great story

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026...

The Strategic Gap in British Foreign Policy We cannot build our place in the new order while pretending the old one still exists.

Thoughtful and challenging piece from Andrew Noakes at
#FutureStatecraft. Deserves a wide audience.

www.futurestatecraft.org/p/the-strate...

Bailiffs board Ryanair plane after airline refuses to pay delayed flight compensation Austrian officials took action after airline ignored court order to pay €890 to unnamed women

Well, well, well

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine Find out about the MMR vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella, including who should have it, when it's given and possible side effects.

Measles is a highly infectious disease. It can make children seriously unwell, especially young infants and those with weakened immune systems.

The best way to protect your family is by ensuring you and your children are up to date with your MMRV jabs.

Ask your MP to meet with ‘Dirty Business’ activists! #DirtyBusiness exposed the human cost of profit before public health. Our water system won’t be fixed with tinkering. It needs public ownership. I’ve asked my MP to attend the MP drop-in on 17th March...

#DirtyBusiness exposed the human cost of profit before public health.

Our water system won’t be fixed with tinkering. It needs public ownership.

I’ve asked my MP to attend the MP drop-in on 17th March & hear that message directly from sewage campaigners: actionnetwork.org/letters/ask-...

South Africa’s president calls Trump’s policy to offer refuge to white Afrikaners ‘racist’ US president is ‘truly uninformed’ for spreading claims of ‘white genocide’ in South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa tells New York Times

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/m...

Spencer’s victory speech an object lesson in grace while Reform’s man rages | John Crace Matt Goodwin claimed cheating in Gorton and Denton, Angeliki Stogia fled, Keir was tin-eared and Kemi brought the comedy

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

This from @adilray.bsky.social made me cry ❤️

Email Ofwat - the public have said NO to illegal sewage until 2040

No more Dirty Business ! The public, MPs and Environmental Groups have said NO to 14 years of illegal Thames Water sewage pollution. Email Ofwat now, so that they can't ignore us @weownit.org.uk weownit.org.uk/act-now/emai...

Dirty Business review – if this doesn’t incite righteous anger over our filthy water then nothing will Based on the true story of amateur sleuths appalled at the dumping of sewage in our rivers, this drama starring David Thewlis is a blast of controlled fury – and could become the next Mr Bates vs the ...

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio...

"Consider this fact: England...is pretty much the only country in the world whose entire water industry is fully privatised". Spot on from Graham Hiscott in he Daily Mirror.

Watch Channel 4's 'Dirty Business' tonight. It's brilliant, and you'll be outraged.

vist.ly/4sib8

Ministers must end ‘barking mad’ restraints on civil service pay, union leader warns Exclusive: Prospect boss Mike Clancy cites problems retaining technical and digital experts

www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The Observer view: Save our students | The Observer Exorbitant loans are bad for graduates and for universities. The debt trap must be fixed

Yes! Morally right, politically savvy and economically viable. Message to HM Government: Just do it!

observer.co.uk/opinion-and-...

Oh great. The World at One has begun its coverage of Jim Ratcliffe's remarks with two "vox pops" - one for, and one against. Just such an awful, cop-out model of reporting.

Jim Ratcliffe sorry his ‘choice of language offended some people’ after saying UK colonised by immigrants – politics live Manchester United owner responds to criticism by saying: ‘It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK’

So he’s not sorry he said it, only that we were offended. Say sorry like you mean it Jim.

www.theguardian.com/politics/liv...

Ireland announces scheme to provide basic income for artists The Basic Income for Artists (BIA) project is believed to be the first permanent one of its kind in the world.

After a trial over the last few years, Ireland has launched a permanent scheme giving a basic income of €325 a week for artists.

2,000 will be eligible, and successful recipients will be chosen at random from applicants, who must be "professional artists" (definition tbc).

Great to hear @andyburnham.bsky.social put the case for a political reset and redefined priorities this morning.

Such a shame Ashwin Prasad CEO #TescoUK didn’t stay for Q&A at the @resolutionfoundation.org #UnsungBritain this morning. There was much to discuss!

A real pleasure to meet George Clarke and hear about his experiences growing up on a council estate. We both know the positive impact social housing can have on families’ lives.

That’s why I’m determined to continue delivering more council homes as we build a fairer London for everyone.

Exclusive: Reform UK just broke electoral law in Gorton and Denton People across the constituency thought they were getting a letter from a concerned pensioner, they didn’t know she was working for Reform

Exclusive: Reform UK just broke electoral law in Gorton and Denton
manchestermill.co.uk/exclusive-re...

If men did bookclubs..... - Makes You Think There are good reasons why men don't do book groups....but they're not what you think

Why don’t #men do #bookgroups? A wry look - the truth will surprise you!

www.makes-you-think.com/2026/01/16/i...

Labour revives Northern Powerhouse Rail project with pledge of £45bn funds Plan will start with TransPennine upgrade with new line connecting Liverpool and Manchester in second phase

Excellent news but does it have to take soooo long? #rail #northernpowerhouse

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

New polling: majority of Thames Water customers want Ofwat to reject creditors’ proposal for the utility New polling has revealed that 54% of Thames Water customers think Ofwat should reject a deal proposed by Thames Water's creditors, and put it into special administration.

weownit.org.uk/news/new-pol...