Oldham NEU

I am delighted to be appointed by the Prime Minister as a Minister in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG).

I’m looking forward to driving the next stage of devolution. We laid the foundations through the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act, which established devolution by default, introduced the right to request, and delivered £12 billion of integrated settlements alongside new mayoral authorities. The next stage must ensure that every part of the country can realise its full potential and that we raise our ambition on what powers, resources and freedoms are devolved.

There is a big job of work ahead to strengthen the foundations of local councils. That work began through the Fair Funding Review and the introduction of the Recovery Grant, both of which finally recognised deprivation as a driver of demand and cost for councils, alongside the first multi-year financial settlement for local government in over a decade. But the real test of success will be when local people see the vital services that make places thrive rebuilt in every part of the country.

I want to continue building respect for councillors and mayors, giving them the powers they need to get things done for their regions and communities, while ensuring that devolution reaches into the heart of every neighbourhood with empowered frontline councillors.

Above all, I want to ensure that the benefits of a Labour and Co-operative-led Government are felt in every part of the country, so that people see a real difference in the places they call home through grassroots economic growth, thriving community-owned assets and a stronger co-operative economy.

Could one of the most important battles in Anglo-Saxon history have been fought in the Surrey Hills?

More here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0p0dkkf

World Breastfeeding Week runs from 1–7 August.

Many women who return to work from maternity leave are still breastfeeding.
Women have the right to return to work without suffering discrimination because they are breastfeeding, and employers should provide the support they need to continue breastfeeding at work.

Find out more about your rights and our Maternity Matters resources: https://bit.ly/4amBi5f

Deval Laurdine Patrick is an American politician who served as the 71st governor of Massachusetts from 2007 to 2015. He was the first African-American governor of Massachusetts and the first Democratic governor of the state since Michael Dukakis left office in 1991. Patrick served from 1994 to 1997 as the United States assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division under President Bill Clinton. He was briefly a candidate for president of the United States in the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

Raised on the South Side of Chicago, Patrick earned a scholarship to Milton Academy in Milton, Massachusetts, in the eighth grade. He went on to attend Harvard College and Harvard Law School. After graduating, he practiced law with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and later joined a Boston law firm, where he was later named a partner. In 1994, Bill Clinton appointed him as the United States assistant attorney general for the civil rights division of the United States Department of Justice.

During his governorship Patrick favoured the legalization of same-sex marriage because of the fundamental principle that "citizens come before their government as equals". He worked with the state legislature to prevent a ballot measure eliminating same-sex marriage in Massachusetts, which protected the state's first-in-the-nation same-sex marriage allowance.

After his governorship, Patrick served as managing director at Bain Capital. He also served as the chairman of the board for Our Generation Speaks, a fellowship program and startup incubator whose mission is to bring together young Israeli and Palestinian leaders through entrepreneurship. He also holds a board of directors position at telehealth company American Well.

(Text: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deval_Patrick)

‘Pro-girl’ gap in teachers’ predicted A-level grades identified Teachers often predict higher A-level grades for girls than boys, and this could be affecting students’ access to university courses, researchers warn

HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a person whose face and voice were both recognisable to many. For more than 27 years Glyn Lewis was a TV announcer whose voice was heard regularly on BBC1 and BBC2 in Wales. Glyn,from Cardiff, was also known by his drag names Edna Clouds and Sister Gloria Snockers. As Sister Gloria, he was part of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.

In the UK, the group continues this legacy as the Order of Per­petual Indulgence, carrying forward the American sisters’ mission of joyful protest, community support and unapologetic visibility. Gloria was a founding member of the Cardiff house, estab­lished in 2017 and later known as the House of the Chiffon Borg by 2020. The house works within the LGBT+ community to offer support, raise funds for charities, cham­pion sexual health aware­ness, and stand proudly in protest when needed. Gloria’s presence, humour and dedication helped shape the spirit and direction of the Cardiff sis­ters from the very beginning.

In a statement, his family said: “We are devastated by the loss of Glyn. From a very young age, he refused to be defined, sauntering through life with a dry wit and a wicked look in his eye, spreading chaos and laughter like glitter. Generous, charismatic, talented and utterly irreplaceable. You could call him a force of nature but he wasn’t that. He was a force of Glyn. We are so proud of him.”

BBC Wales colleagues and people from across the LGBT+ community have been sharing tributes and memories of Glyn, who was described as being “proudly and authentic­ally himself” and who brought “warmth, colour and kindness” to work every day. Interim director of BBC Wales Gar­mon Rhys said: “We are deeply saddened by the loss of Glyn Lewis. Glyn joined the BBC in 1995, begin­ning his career with BBC Radio Cymru before becom­ing a con­tinu­ity announ­cer and dir­ector in TV present­a­tion. Over many years, audi­ences came to know and appreciate his recognisable voice, cre­at­ive scripts and distinctive presence.

(Text: https://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20260801/281565182560589)

Only 7 in 10 teacher trainees employed in state schools The proportion of postgraduate trainees working in state schools is lower than previous years, official data from 2024-25 cohort shows

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A forgotten BBC broadcast. A lost piece of LGBTQ+ history. A story that still resonates today.

In 1954, the BBC recorded its first radio documentary about male homosexuality. The programme was so controversial that it was banned, heavily edited and shelved for three years before a shortened version was finally broadcast. Then the original recording disappeared.

More than seventy years later, a forgotten transcript has been rediscovered and brought to life on stage by award-winning playwright Dr Stephen M Hornby.

Following sold-out performances across England and an award-winning Irish premiere in Dublin, The BBC's First Homosexual comes to Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
📍
Assembly Festival, George Square – The Crate 5th –16th August: 1pm

"A powerful piece of theatre, meticulously crafted and profoundly felt." – London Theatre Reviews
The BBC's First Homosexual is presented by Inkbrew Productions in association with Emmerson & Ward Productions.



(Text: https://assemblyfestival.com/whats-on/the-bbcs-first-homosexual)