David Boothroyd

Labour’s bumper day of affordable housing delivery - Westminster Labour Councillors - Westminster Labour Today is a landmark day for Labour in Westminster, as the council celebrates the completion of two significant 100% affordable housing developments – Westmead in Westbourne ward and Turing House in Li...

When Conservatives ran Westminster, most of Westmead development was going to be sold on the open market. Under
a Labour council it's been delivered as a 100% affordable scheme with homes for overcrowded local families www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/issues/housi...

Last week, Cllr Ellie Ormsby, Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Renters, visited Balmoral House in Churchill Gardens to lay the last shovel of cement on the roof of 10 new social rent homes.

Labour takes decisive action after Conservative mismanagement of housebuilding contract - Westminster Labour Councillors - Westminster Labour When it came to managing a key contractor the Conservatives set the course and ignored the warning signs – when they were kicked out of office Labour stepped in, acted decisively, and got the projects...

The real story from @citywestminster.bsky.social: how the previous Conservative leadership set up a deal with a company in financial trouble, and how Labour stepped in to save the situation and deliver more affordable homes www.westminsterlabour.org.uk/issues/housi...

YouTube video by Sticky tape 'n' rust [720p/50p] BBC2 (Scotland) | University Challenge edition and continuity | 1st November 1995

Watching a 30 year old edition of 'University Challenge' - and the questions are measurably a lot easier in 1995 than they are in 2025. www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ywa...

I’m doing the last councillors’ surgery at the Stowe Centre. Thanks to PDT for hosting us for the past 10 years. From next week we will be at Maida Vale Library - same time, 11 am on Saturday

Delegates and visitors for @teamlabouruk.bsky.social Conference 2025 are being sorted out but here's a link to the unofficial conference report for 2023: drive.google.com/file/d/14xBx...
And for last year's conference: drive.google.com/file/d/1lkxv...

Credit to @adamhug.bsky.social @carasanquest.bsky.social and Westminster colleagues for reinvesting in Children’s Centres locally after a decade of cuts and closures. This is how to make a difference

From the Hundred of Ossulston, wishing everyone in the county a very happy #MiddlesexDay

I've no vote, but the ten I'd put through are:
Albania #ALB
Azerbaijan #AZE
Belgium #BEL
Cyprus #CYP
Netherlands #NED
Norway #NOR
Poland #POL
San Marino #SMR
Sweden #SWE
Ukraine #UKR
#Eurovision #Eurovision2025 #ESC2025

Whoever decided to do it, using 25pSF (film effect) on #Eurovision2025 is awful. It makes it look like a recording, not live television. Bring back 50fps interlaced

Canadian colours I think

And here's what happens if you flip it the other way and look at religious affiliation by ethnic group (so, eg, 69.8% of White Irish people in London are Christian)

Here are the London-wide figures for Ethnic group by religious affiliation (so, eg, 96.8% of all the Hindus in London are from Asian ethnic groups)

Interesting opening from @davehillonlondon.bsky.social in the OnLondon extra, about religion in London. One thing the Census does is allow you to look at cross-tab data, and dataset RM031 on Ethnic Group by Religion is quite interesting in London www.ons.gov.uk/datasets/RM0...

Good news today that the British Newspaper Archive has added almost the entire run (1861-1891) of 'The National Reformer', Charles Bradlaugh's secularist newspaper which takes in his many battles for freedom and liberty www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/titles/natio...

If Labour members didn't stay, fight to remove antisemitism, the party could've been lost. If Trade Unions left thinking Labour didn't want them, there would be no Employment Rights Bill.

Loyalty to party, even if disappointing or doing profoundly disagreeable things, is underappreciated, admirable

For Americans who didn’t get the joy of living through the Truss/Kwarteng budget, this is the point where the government starts to call the stock market left-wing and/or woke.

I presume Hachette checked their obligations to Kelvingrove Gallery for the use of Dali's "Christ of Saint John of the Cross" on the 1st US edition

‘Do as I say, not as I do’: a review of ‘Dominion’ by Tom Holland - The Freethinker In the city of Valladolid, Mexico (not to be confused with Valladolid in Spain, the capital of the…

‘Buddha did it earlier than Jesus — and did it better.’ Strongly recommend this review of Tom Holland's "Dominion" by Nicholas E. Meyer in @thefreethinkermag.bsky.social freethinker.co.uk/2025/03/do-a...

Very impressed by @deirdrecostiganmp.bsky.social on BBC Politics London explaining what Labour is doing to help people out of poverty, while Chris Philp boorishly repeats stale Tory gibes and shouts over her

It is International #AtheistDay on 23 March, and a day to be thankful of freedom of thought, liberation from repressive doctrines, and a hearty affirmation that this existence is all there is

NSS calls for blasphemy laws to be repealed in new NI legislation Northern Ireland Justice Bill should include repeal of 'blasphemy' and 'blasphemous libel' offences, NSS urges Minister of Justice Read More »

Northern Ireland’s blasphemy laws are out of step with the European Convention on #HumanRights, says the @natsecsoc.bsky.social 👇

🔗 www.secularism.org.uk/news/2025/03...

#FreeSpeech #ECHR

YouTube video by Westminster City Council Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan 2025 – 2026: Ebury Bridge Fairer Housing

We're increasing affordable housing through regeneration projects like Ebury Bridge in Belgravia.
Phase 1 is complete, with over 90 families back in their new homes. An additional 133 homes for social rent will follow.

Read our Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan 👇https://bit.ly/4kShprW

A great piece. As an aside, perhaps Anthony Sharp doesn't get enough recognition for playing authority figures in both straight drama and comedies

Excellent news that Grand Junction, at St Mary Magdalene's Church, has got a grant from MHCLG for National Windrush Day on 22 June

The joys of British legislation - clause 94 of the recently introduced Planning and Infrastructure Bill:

Labour-led Westminster is delivering for local residents whilst keeping council tax low. Our budget delivers more support for adult social care; temporary accommodation; tackling rough sleeping; rent support & £2m on dealing with ASB inc 200 CCTV cameras.

YouTube video by Westminster City Council Delivering a Fairer Westminster

Last night, at Full Council, we were delighted to announce that our Fairer Westminster Delivery Plan for April 2025 – March 2026 has been approved.

This is our vision for how we are going to combine delivering effective services with creating a more equitable city.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ_2...

Location discovery: "The Crunch" by Nigel Kneale (ATV, TX 19.1.64) was made at Hazlewood Crescent, Kensal Town. The 'Makang Embassy' was 50 Hazlewood Crescent. Most of the street is long since demolished but Our Lady of the Holy Souls RC Church survives

RSH publishes regulatory judgements for 11 social landlords The Regulator of Social Housing has today published regulatory judgements for 11 social landlords.

Today's C1 judgment for Westminster Housing is a great achievement for @begumliza.bsky.social and her the whole team. Managing social housing is really difficult, not getting easier, but pulling WCC Housing out of a rut and pointing it in the right direction is outstanding www.gov.uk/government/n...