ML Eren

Some good news.

London is meeting legal limits for toxic NO2 pollution for the first time – almost 200 years earlier than predicted – following the Mayor’s "world leading air pollution policies," City Hall announces.

The Ultra Low Emissions Zone - and similar policies - really do work.

It shouldn't be refreshing to hear a politician talk like this. They should all sound like this.

Hopefully there is now a clear understanding across govt that unless the two-child limit is scrapped, there will be more kids in poverty at the end of this parliament than when Labour took office. The policy must go in the child poverty strategy before the life chances of many more kids are damaged.

There were one million Reds at the title parade in Liverpool this year. Makes this ‘unite the kingdom’ nonsense look quite silly in this context.

The scenes on our streets are shameful consequences of decades of austerity - government after government fanning the flames of anti migration instead of tackling inequality.

We can & must make different choices. Solidarity to all communities under attack. We stand together.

Thank you for this. Extremely telling that this young Black man is being held to a higher standard than the majority of our politicians. The threats of violence, racism, and pile-on have been nothing short of abhorrent. A 20-year-old can make tasteless mistakes without having his life ruined.

Double standards when it comes to young black men, it appears

Could we please stop pretending that the flags being hung from streetlamps or painted on roundabouts are innocent expressions of patriotic pride? This is the far right marking out its territory. It uses these flags to intimidate its traditional victims and opponents. 🧵1/3

Buzzing about this - couldn’t think of anyone more equipped and more suitable for the role. Best of luck, Paula!

A racist mob menacing refugee children and our town. Read this and see what lies ahead, unless we act now | Anonymous Last weekend, it fell to ordinary people to oppose the far right and others. The national toxicity has reached us: a kind of hate I haven’t seen since the 1970s

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

We escaped war and torture but now we feel unsafe in Britain Special report: Amid protests and rising aggression towards asylum seekers across the country, we spoke to those being targeted

Thanks for the many shares and warm responses to this piece today.

I think we need to hear more from asylum seekers to counter the myths and lies being deliberately spread about them

I don't see Farage resigning over his tax affairs - or even half the outrage. I'm not Angela's biggest fan, nor a Labour member, but watching the way her personal life has been picked apart and paraded in the limelight has made me feel really uncomfortable and actually quite ashamed

Great turnout & interesting panel for tonight’s Durham Pride fundraiser. Kudos @redhillsdurham.bsky.social for hosting

Each day I am astounded and mortified by this country’s descent into open and brazen racism

I am equally astounded and mortified that rather than push back on the malign forces taking us to these dark places - an elected Labour government appears more interested in trying to learn from them

Meanwhile in the real world we have 169 thousand children living in temporary accommodation waiting to be housed. But sure, pushbike royals moving mansions is the real story here.

At a time when positivity about our borough is in short supply (thanks in no small part to Sarah Pochin), the loss of such a significant local asset - with minimal support from the council - is beyond frustrating.

What have we got left to take pride of in Widnes, or Halton more widely?

Speakers being set up at an event - 5 people sitting down and being given microphones

Next up:
@helenbarnard.bsky.social @bencooper1995.bsky.social
@liveren.bsky.social and Baroness Lister on tackling child poverty.

Under 5s have highest poverty rate of any age group - 1.2m babies & toddlers.

Strong links w libraries at this age so real chance to support

@thefabians.bsky.social

Outside the FCDO now. Israel must allow aid into Gaza.

NEW: Lifting the two-child limit and the benefit cap will immediately lift 400,000 children out of poverty, and 950,000 children will be living in less deep poverty.

We urgently need a serious, long-term strategy to tackle child poverty. That starts with making ambitious political choices that put children first.

Not one that gets put on the back burner every other month.

The response from Joseph Howes, the Chair of the End Child Poverty Coalition, which reads; “Today’s Spring Statement will cause further hardship for disabled people, which includes families with children. This government came to power with a commitment to significantly reduce the numbers of children living in poverty. Yet, today’s announcement, combined with the recent proposed cuts to disability payments – will likely pull more families into hardship. “The government’s planned Child Poverty Strategy, to be published in spring, will now need to mitigate the impact of these cuts to families - before putting in place further measures, to have any chance of addressing the already record high numbers of children in poverty.” The image also features the Coalition logo, and a placard with the words 'MPs Must End Child Poverty Now.

Here is our response to the Chancellor's Spring Statement

We are complicit in the horrific murders of children in Gaza. Arms embargo now!

Durham Uni announced it is so financially unstable it must lay off hundreds of staff. I just learned university financial statements give £18k/yr to the VC for lodging. That's more than the annual salary for a lowest paid full time worker. Save a job, pay for your own rent. #UCU @ducu.bsky.social

Are there any on the Lumo website?

200 professional services and support staff job cuts. Library hours massively reduced.

It appears the only people not making huge sacrifices in this £20 million deficit are at the very top of our university.

I know this sounds weak, I know it.

But kindness is one of the few things we carry that can make a difference for each other.

We can’t undo all this hate, but we can still make life a little easier for others.

"I have watched people die in hideous pain.

In my 20s, I watched my mother die with very little dignity or choice over how that was done."

Labour's Jess Phillips on why she will be voting to legalise assisted dying this week.

The Tory destruction of our Sure Start centres is arguably the most devastating & damaging consequence of their disastrous 14 years in power.

A small handful of ‘family hubs’ to replace them does not even touch the sides. We need proper investment in support for young people.