Luke Allan 🔶🏳️‍🌈

Contract Trees Not Cars on Facebook to find out more 👇

www.facebook.com/treesnotcars...

A promotional flyer: “Join Trees Not Cars: Educational Event – Air Pollution and Kids’ Health.” The flyer features colourful illustrations, including a child’s drawing reading “I need clean air,” lungs with a stethoscope and inhaler, and children’s posters about trees and pollution. The event offers: • Kids’ art activities on air pollution • Face-painting and snacks • An asthma awareness talk • A breath workshop with a qigong teacher • A “traffic adventure” walk to Great Ancoats Street • Playtime at Mayfield Park Date: 10th July Time: 3:30–4:30 PM (note: the flyer says 3:30 AM, likely a typo) Location: Cotton Field Park, M4 5DH – near the area with tables and benches

Great to see this educational family event from #TreesNotCars planned at Cotton Field Park in #Ancoats today.

A creative, hands-on event exploring air pollution and children’s health — giving kids a chance to learn about air pollution, get creative, and appreciate our green spaces. 💚

A truly lovely mix of community, culture and celebration.

With summer finally making an appearance, it’s good to see so many people out enjoying it — long may it last!

Stalls and shoppers at the Ancoats Makers Market, set against red-brick apartment buildings, with people browsing handmade goods and sitting on benches.

Crowds take part in the Madonna del Rosario procession in Ancoats, with banners for Saint Michael’s and a pipe band leading the way along a busy street.

A smiling Luke holds a pastry wrapped in white paper at the Ancoats Makers Market, with red-brick buildings and market stalls visible in the background.

Crowds take part in the Madonna del Rosario procession in Ancoats.

There was a great buzz around #Ancoats yesterday with the much-loved Ancoats Makers Market and the 135th Madonna del Rosario procession, organised by the Manchester Italian Association.

Thankfully, the rain held off, and both events brought people from all over to our wonderful corner of the city.

Visit Manchester | Official Tourist Board for Manchester Plan your perfect visit with our complete guide for things to do and what's on in Manchester.

In #Manchester and at a loose end today? See what’s on offer here 👇
visitmanchester.com

Luke, smiling in gym gear, stands in front of a canal lock with red-brick buildings, trees and street art in the background. It’s a cloudy bank holiday, but the weather looks dry.

Happy bank holiday Monday! 🎉

Whether you’re out making the most of it, getting bits done like I was this morning with a gym trip and food shop, or just taking it easy — I hope you have a great day as the long weekend winds down.

The Manchester Flower Festival Celebrate the start of summer at The Manchester Flower Festival.

I had a quick wander yesterday and was blown away by the creativity and effort behind the displays — truly brilliant.

Can’t wait to explore it all properly. If you’re going, grab a coat (it’s still Manchester) — and maybe a hayfever tablet too!

Find out more: MCRFlowerFest.com

A close-up of a Manchester Flower Festival flyer in the foreground, held up in front of a floral display shaped like Manchester Town Hall. Behind it are posters referencing Manchester culture (Oasis, Sounds from the Other City) and colourful potted plants arranged at the base of the structure.

A vibrant floral installation beneath a leafy tree, featuring a mannequin dressed in a skirt made of purple and green flowers, with a bright pink and gold sash. Colourful parasols hang overhead, and a small pink elephant sculpture made entirely of flowers sits nearby.

A street scene from the Manchester Flower Festival on New Cathedral Street. A bright blue structure frames an arrangement of tropical plants, bold fabric drapes and painted crates filled with flowers, oranges and decorative plates. Festival banners and people browsing the displays complete the scene.

The #Manchester Flower Featival is in full bloom this bank holiday weekend! 🌸

The city centre is bursting with colour as we celebrate spring and move into summer.

Expect incredible floral installations, free activities, live entertainment and plenty of delicious food. #MCRFlowerFest

Today marks eight years since the Manchester Arena attack, when 22 lives were tragically lost. We remember them, those who were injured, and everyone whose lives were changed that night.

Whether you lived here then or have made Manchester your home since, we all stand together in remembering.

We've been working with @pluslibdems.bsky.social and @assoclibdemcllrs.bsky.social on a template council motion on trans rights that ALDC will be sending out next week!

Transphobia isn't feminist, and Lib Dem Women will always stand with the Trans community.

As we mark #IDAHoBiT, let it be a reminder that the fight against hate is far from over. Politicians, the media, society — we all have a responsibility to challenge hate and stand up for our LGBTQ+ communities every single day. We must do better and must never shy away. 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

The bridge built by Wes Streeting.

I’ve made a simple offer to the SNP government: introduce the legislation to ban conversion therapy practices this year, and if you can’t, or won’t, give the Bill to me and I will introduce it. The only blockage now is the Scottish Government. Jamie Greene MSP

All political parties promised to back a change in the law to ban conversion therapy practices in their 2021 manifestos.

The SNP made an explicit promise if they got into government to introduce this Bill and haven’t.

If they won't introduce this bill, @jamiegreeneuk.bsky.social will.

This is about more than pride and parades — it’s about rebuilding trust.

Politicians and parties need to show the LGBTQ+ community that they’re listening, understand why confidence has been shaken, and are committed to doing better and continuing the fight for equality.

Tonight @pluslibdems.bsky.social has written to Lib Dem MPs, urging those who haven’t yet signed @cajardinemp.bsky.social’s Early Day Motion on political parties at Pride to do so.

This is a pivotal moment for politicians and parties to start the next steps in rebuilding trust.

Trans councillor who quit Labour over anti-trans stance joins the Lib Dems A councillor who quit Labour after saying the party throws "trans people under the bus” has defected to the Lib Dems, PinkNews can reveal.

Welcome to the @libdems.org.uk, Dylan. We know it's not easy to change party - we're delighted that you're with us. 💛🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

www.thepinknews.com/2025/05/15/l...

Ahem.
@eddavey.libdems.org.uk
@cajardinemp.bsky.social
@markpackuk.bsky.social

Will you help us stop it by publicly standing up to Labour on trans rights, Ed? You did brilliantly in 2003 when you led the abolition of Section 28. We need that @eddavey.libdems.org.uk in the fight with us again.

We encourage all @libdems.org.uk MPs to attend this session.
@cajardinemp.bsky.social
@eddavey.libdems.org.uk

I’m disappointed that all political parties have been banned from Pride in London this year. I love attending with the London Lib Dems. But our commitment to equality remains - it lives in our policies and our continued championing of all LGBTQ+ rights. #TransRightsAreHumanRights

A disappointing decision to ban political parties from Manchester Pride.

As an MP who consistently speaks up for LGBTQ+ rights, I believe now is the time to challenge parties to do better - not shut them out.

This isn’t accountability, it’s letting them off the hook.

As a trans person who has fought tooth and nail for the last few years to make my party as trans inclusive as I physically can the blanket bans on political parties at pride that are happening genuinely have me feeling like shit.

We are all the angry returning officer.

A low-resolution picture of page 3 of today's Financial Times, a paper famously printed on slightly pink paper. The main headline is 'Lib Dems chase 'big opportunity' in push for Tory rout in southern shires', with the subtitle 'Leader Davey hopes party will be major beneficiary of discontent with Labour and Conservatives' just visible. A very large picture is in the centre, of a besuited Sir Ed Davey MP walking down a village lane in bright sunshine, alongside a woman wearing sunglasses, a red short-sleeved top, a black skirt and leggings, and brown boots.

What's that? Oh, just Ed Davey campaigning beside a trans #LibDem local election candidate as the main picture in the leading article about the local elections in today's FT!

Best of luck to all @libdems.org.uk candidates in tomorrow's local elections. 💛

FT article here: www.ft.com/content/8089...

A picture of a diverse group of smiling Liberal Democrats waving placard in the colours of the trans flag, saying 'Trans Women Are Women', 'Trans Men Are Men', and 'Trans Rights Are Human Rights'. Most of the placards have a rainbow Lib Dem bird-of-liberty in the corner, and the woman on the right is carrying a very large trans flag on a pole. In the centre of the group are an older woman and a smiling woman in a wheelchair.

Big shout out to @soton-libdems.bsky.social for the great #LibDems turnout at Southampton's #TransRights protest earlier. Hundreds of people attended the protest, with about ten days' notice. 💛

If standing up for trans rights makes me 'woke', at least that shows I care Following the Supreme Court judgment on the definition of ‘woman’, the UK Government must make sure our trans community can still go about their lives feeling safe and valued

Thank you, @cajardinemp.bsky.social. 💛 We'll need many more to stand up and be counted over the next few months.

We’re incredibly grateful to @cajardinemp.bsky.social (Equalities Spokes), @eddavey.libdems.org.uk (Party Leader), and @lisasmartmp.bsky.social (Home Affairs Spokes) for taking the time to meet with @pluslibdems.bsky.social, @libdemwomen.bsky.social, and @youngliberalsuk.bsky.social and members.

As we navigate the next steps, let me be clear: the @libdems.org.uk stand with our trans+ and wider LGBTQ+ community. While we as a party haven’t always got everything right, we are united in our mission — and we’ll keep pushing for progress, including within our own party.

This week, LGBT+ Lib Dems, Lib Dem Women, Young Liberals and trans+ members met with Christine Jardine MP, Sir Ed Davey MP, and Lisa Smart MP to discuss the Supreme Court ruling.

We talked about its impact and how we can continue to work together to support and stand up for our trans+ communities.

YouTube video by Trans Actual Reading Trans Rights Protest - 19th April 2025

TransActual’s Director of Policy and MD, Helen Belcher (she/her), spoke at the trans rights demo in Reading on Saturday.

This is what she said:
youtu.be/7-GY3DbN1kM?...

#Trans #Nonbinary #TransRights #EqualityAct #SupremeCourt