Luke Beardsworth

I sincerely hope the Gorton & Denton by-election gets a do-over. It could be a tremendous waste of time and resources but I think the result would be very funny.

A great reminder of the power of local journalism.

Credit to @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social and our sister publication @theleaduk.bsky.social Lancashire who drew attention to this story first!

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Prime Minister calls for deputy council leader to be sacked over death threat to MP social post As The Lancashire Lead first reported, Reform’s national leadership is under pressure to intervene over Simon Evans’ actions on Facebook

Prime Minister calls on Reform UK to sack their deputy council leader in Lancashire after he re-shared a social post calling for an MP to be shot.

The story was first reported by @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social yesterday in our Lancashire edition.

Reform UK deputy leader reshared social media post calling for Labour MP to be shot We reveal how the deputy leader of Lancashire County Council is to face no action for the shocking post he shared on Facebook

‼️🚨Exclusive from @theleaduk.bsky.social’a @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social

Reform UK will take no action against their deputy leader in Lancashire after he reshared social media content calling for a Labour MP to be shot

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/lancashire...

Reform UK deputy leader reshared social media post calling for Labour MP to be shot We reveal how the deputy leader of Lancashire County Council is to face no action for the shocking post he shared on Facebook

No action from Reform UK after the councillor apologised and removed the post.

But the post itself was a ‘grotesque and misogynistic call to violence’, according to Labour, who say he should be suspended.

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/lancashire...

Reform-run council says free library scheme for refugees ‘is not value for money’ Party withdraws all Lancashire libraries from City of Sanctuary UK programme that supports new arrivals to UK

Kudos to The Guardian for linking to The Lancashire Lead in their version of this (despite going out and getting their own response etc). Shouldn’t be uncommon, but is.

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

Preston City Council local elections set to go ahead in 2026 after government abandons cancellation plans – Blog Preston <p>Elections set to go ahead after government abandons plans for delays </p>

It is a ridiculous thing to allow your local cllrs to say they don’t want elections, then tell them they’re going ahead. Every leader who wrote, and not all councils could change hands, made their position weaker because they assumed they were safe to do so.

www.blogpreston.co.uk/2026/02/pres...

Reform UK quietly withdraws all its libraries from Library of Sanctuary scheme This week's newsletter corrects the record

The Reform UK cabinet member responsible said that the decision was made because the scheme wasn’t a good use of taxpayer money.

Cost of scheme: zero.

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/reform-uk-...

The stunning mountains and gorgeous views being wrecked by fly-tipping At the highest point in Nelson we meet the people left frustrated by the 'sheer laziness' of those who tip waste on their doorsteps

Fly-tipping isn't unique to Nelson, a town in the south Wales valleys, but as with widespread issues, the impact on locals is no less disappointing.

The latest long read for The Valleys Lead.

thevalleys.thelead.uk/p/fly-tippin...

Welcome to The Valleys Lead Going behind the headlines to share stories from people in the South Wales Valleys

The Valleys Lead is here. Based in or near the South Wales Valleys? You should be signed up.

thevalleys.thelead.uk/p/welcome-to...

Cat Smith banned from speaking about Fairtrade at Lancashire County Council-hosted event The authority is led by the party which claims it champions free speech - Reform UK

Surely the party of free speech will intervene on this one?!

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/cat-smith-...

Hundreds gather at Flag Market in Preston to protest against plans that could see care facilities close – Blog Preston <p>Hundreds of people gathered on the Flag Market in Preston to protest against plans which could see ten elderly care…</p>

Hundreds of people gathered on the Flag Market in Preston to protest against plans which could see ten elderly care facilities in the county close. 

www.blogpreston.co.uk/2026/01/hund...

Big turnout at Preston Flag Market to protest against Reform UK plans that could see ten care facilities close, hearing from cllrs from Progressive Lancashire and Labour, affected families and Lorraine Beavers, MP for Blackpool North and Fleetwood.

LCC insists no decision has been made.

The Valleys Lead | Substack News and features about the Valleys of South Wales. Edited and written by Lauren Crosby Medlicott based in Merthyr. Click to read The Valleys Lead, a Substack publication. Launched 4 days ago.

🗞️ The Valleys Lead is coming - led by the fantastic @laurenmedlicott.bsky.social

Sign up early here: thevalleys.thelead.uk

Reform UK-led Lancashire County Council proposes increasing council tax by 3.8% The ruling party will likely declare increasing council tax by less than the maximum-permitted amount as a victory

Council tax increase at Lancashire County Council all but confirmed this morning.

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/lancashire...

More relevant.

Still relevant.

In Conversation with The Lead Editors From child poverty to the first 'Reform pub' – our editors dive into the things they have loved reading, commissioning and working on this year.

From child poverty to the first 'Reform pub' – our editors dive into the things they have loved reading, commissioning and working on this year in a special edition of The Lead In Conversation with @nmozz.bsky.social @zoegrunewald.bsky.social and @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social
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UK to rejoin EU’s Erasmus student exchange programme Exclusive: British students will be able to participate in EU-wide scheme from January 2027, sources say

Behaving like grown-ups for a change is it

www.theguardian.com/world/2025/d...

Lancashire County Council failing to meet own pothole targets in 10 out of 12 areas Reform UK have planted the flag of victory on potholes - is it that straightforward?

Speaking of Reform, @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social has been digging into pothole data to see if the claims by Lancashire County Council are as they seem

Reform UK's Lancashire leader takes trip paid for by Israeli government The first cabinet meeting cancelled at County Hall in quite some time raises eyebrows in opposition ranks

Good morning from a chilly Lancashire, here's our latest editions of The Lead North this Sunday morning. Starting right here, as the leader of the Reform-led county council faces questions over why he missed Remembrance in the county

The Stranger Things episodes out are incredible and don’t let anyone con you into thinking otherwise for engagement.

Rise in number of asylum seekers living in Lancashire hotels Labour has pledged to closing asylum seeker hotels by 2029 after a public backlash

The figures rise every summer (which this data shows) and dip in winter. An increase in this period doesn’t demonstrate anything.

www.lancs.live/news/lancash...

Lancashire weather update:

Exclusive: Calls for anti-extremism investigation of suspended Reform councillor after "hardline" posts in far-right WhatsApp group revealed Lancashire councillor Tom Pickup claims the party is showing a different face to the public

Lancashire councillor Tom Pickup claims the party is showing a moderate face to the public that masks true immigration policies

Breaking: Senior Reform UK figure at County Hall suspended by party Whatsapp leaks lead to suspension of the council's lead member for finance and resources

Breaking: A senior Reform UK politician in Lancashire has been suspended by the party.

He will now sit as an independent.

lancashire.thelead.uk/p/breaking-s...

The new asylum laws represent a fundamental downgrading of the rights of vulnerable people How do you build a life when your right to remain is reassessed every two and a half years?

Subway saw spuds going viral and decided to start selling spuds.

Doesn’t mean anyone is choosing Subway for spuds.

See also: Labour trying to out-dickhead Reform.

national.thelead.uk/p/new-asylum...

'Horrifying' treatment of Palestinian family-of-seven fleeing Gaza conflict - booted from asylum hotel day after speaking to journalists The Blackpool Lead has exclusively revealed the family was moved the day after speaking with ITV News – with just two hours' notice.

This is part of an ongoing assault on people seeking safety.

Hotel contractors take huge sums from the government yet provide poor, unsafe accommodation and food.

When someone speaks out, they are punished.

It is horrifying and deeply worrying.

national.thelead.uk/p/refugee-fa...

Our comment on this horrifying case is featured in @theleaduk.bsky.social.

Thanks @lukebeardsworth.bsky.social for reporting on this story.

The government must stop wasting billions of pounds of taxpayer money enriching private corporations like Serco & create safe, permanent housing for everyone.

Palestinian family-of-seven booted from Metropole day after raising concerns over condition of hotel The Blackpool Lead can exclusively reveal that the family were moved 24 hours after speaking with ITV - leaving their eldest daughter's nurse training in disarray

The discourse right now dictates that refugees must integrate and must strive to be useful (when it isn’t rejecting them altogether).

But that’s challenging when a nurse studying to adapt her qualifications for the UK is relocated with an hour’s notice.

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