How to make communities of coast and country part of the nation's revival. Observations for Andy Burnham from LCC co-founder, @Hywel_Catalyst labourcoastandcountry.org/20…

Restore direct trains to London from Wrexham, Shropshire and the Midlands sign the petition ✍️ change.org/p/restore-direct-…

Children in coastal communities like mine are being left behind – this attainment gap cannot continue ✍️ Richard Quigley MP politicshome.com/opinion/art…

We’ve launched a Red, Amber, Green rating system, so you can see how well your local highway authority (LHA) is fixing your local roads. 🟢 Green = best practice, long-term preventative plans 🟠 Amber = on the way, but room to improve 🔴 Red = support in place to raise standards With a record £7.3 billion invested in road maintenance, LHAs can stop short-term patch jobs and focus on prevention, saving drivers more money on repairs 🚗 How well did your LHA do? Find out using the interactive map: maps.dft.gov.uk/local-road-m…

As we want everywhere to thrive, we need to make sure we include everyone labourcoastandcountry.org/20…

Worth a read theguardian.com/environment/…

Labour, good for your village and town high street labourcoastandcountry.org/20…

As the Community Empowerment Bill heads to the Lords we’re working with C&C Parliamentarians twds a recognition of neighbourhood area cttees as a stepping stone to more formal & capable Town or Parish Councils - essential in the new local govt settlement labourcoastandcountry.org/20…

Organised crime. And despite the foamers ranting about immigrants as usual, this will very likely be the work of Brits. It's big business - the National Crime Agency (2024) estimates £100m–£200m annual profit from illegal waste. Meanwhile Environment Agency prosecutions have plummeted 95% since 2007 due to chronic underfunding and lack of interest from the police.

Always important to look beyond the surface labourcoastandcountry.org/20…

Just had another "we are currently experiencing a unusually large volume of calls - and will be with you as soon as possible" message. JUST BE HONEST instead record "we are currently understaffing our call centres, we will be with you as quickly as is financially expedient!"

I can’t help but think that a Farage government would be worse than Brexit and Covid combined…

I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most dedicated and capable civil servants in the world. They approach their work with professionalism, integrity, and a deep sense of public duty — regardless of which political party happens to be in government. These individuals are not just competent. They are world-class — often admired by their international peers, and rightly so. They keep the machinery of government running, not for headlines or personal gain, but to serve the public interest. Quietly. Consistently. Effectively. When politicians start taking aim at civil servants, they risk eroding public trust and undermining institutions they barely understand. It’s a slippery slope — one that often reveals more about political short-termism than any actual failure of the civil service. And let’s be clear: the idea that private sector systems can simply be imported into the public sector is a fantasy. Government isn’t a business. It’s not meant to be. Public services operate under different constraints, values, and accountabilities. Applying a corporate mindset to the public sector without understanding those differences is not reform — it’s a recipe for dysfunction. Good governance depends on mutual respect between ministers and civil servants. Undermining that relationship doesn’t make the system better — it breaks it. #PublicService #CivilService #Leadership #Governance #Policy #PublicSector #TrustInGovernment #InstitutionalIntegrity #RespectProfessionals #GoodGovernance linkedin.com/feed/update/urn…

"I want to put my experience to work for our community". Read more from Helen Torrance, Labour's candidate for the Widcome & Lyncombe by-election on Thur 9 October, here: bathlabour.online/?p=757

The latest HMICFRS State of Policing report highlights the need for: 👉 Stronger neighbourhood policing 👉 Victims at the heart of justice 👉 More focus on prevention 👉 Partnerships to tackle serious & organised crime These are already built into my Police, Crime & Justice Plan 2025–29 for County Durham & Darlington: ✅ Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee ✅ First-class victim care ✅ Tackling alcohol, drug & gambling harms ✅ Vision Zero – zero road deaths ambition ✅ Stronger partnerships through our Local Criminal Justice Board

🌾Today is #BackBritishFarmingDay! Over the weekend, I met with the North Somerset Rural Business Forum in #HamGreen to discuss the specific concerns facing farmers in #NorthSomerset.

The UK’s growth model in the 90s-00s was driven by: a) North sea oil b) Unsustainable financial services c) Booming house price inflation d) Easy consumer credit All four are now a busted flush, and we haven’t figured out a replacement. Hence the perpetual doom loop

Excited to be joining @LabourList as a monthly columnist I'll be writing on housing, early years and a range of other topics I may even write about the Sea Wall and coastal areas - if I can sneak it past @EmmaBurnell_