Why the white rose of Yorkshire is the only flag we can wave with pride Englandās flags risk being hijacked by hate, but Yorkshireās white rose offers a symbol of unity, hope and regional pride against division By Colin Speakman
Chair of European Movement UK. š¬š§ šŖšŗ Founder of the Bylines Network. Founder of Scientists for EU. Lover of science, Europe and humanity. š
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Why the white rose of Yorkshire is the only flag we can wave with pride Englandās flags risk being hijacked by hate, but Yorkshireās white rose offers a symbol of unity, hope and regional pride against division By Colin Speakman
Every month, we bring you 10 brilliant articles from our UK national and regional publications, in Best of Bylines. Find it here bylinesnetwork.substack.com/s/best-of-by... The lead article for August looks at what is going on in the Reform UK-run Kent County Council.
Week after week, in a small market town, a group gathers in silence to acknowledge Gazaās devastation. They donāt chant or march, writes Jacob Ecclestone. They simply stand, refusing to look away.
ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF THE WILL HUTTON STUDENT JOURNALISM PRIZE. This Thursday, 4 September, on our YouTube channel. 5 pm. Join here: www.youtube.com/@bylinesnetw...
Stoke-on-Trent City Council has committed to a new five-year policy to help rough sleepers and those at risk of becoming homeless @centralbylines.co.uk
Flags and crosses: patriotism or racism? Flags and graffiti on roundabouts and now even churches have made one West Midlands resident angry; when will it all cease? | Mark Cunliffe @markcunliffe.bsky.social
2025: Yvette Cooper suspends the rights of child refugees to come to the UK, effectively rejecting Article 8 of the ECHR 2016: Yvette Cooper making a passionate plea for child refugees to come to the UK Cooper spent over a decade speaking up for child refugees, now she rejects Article 8 of ECHR
Key quote: "Domestic orders have risen and are offsetting the weakening demand from abroad. In fact, the best remedy against U.S. tariffs may be to strengthen domestic demand. Many expect to produce more in 12 months than they do today." Spain, Greece lead - Germany edging towards stabilisation.
This excellent @ukandeu.bsky.social and @resfoundation.bsky.social report shows how closer UK-EU relations are crucial in an array of policy areas. A key conclusion: government rejection of the single market and customs union is 'impacting negatively on growth'. ukandeu.ac.uk/reports/poli...
England once had 10,000 windmills. Today, Suffolk has just 37 ā half still with their machinery. Their survival depends on a craft so rare it could vanish within a generation. Mark Kendall reports
While politicians in Westminster look away, ordinary people remote from London continue to stand, refusing to ignore the horror unfolding in Gaza. Jacob Ecclestone reports
Columbia University Suspended Me for My Pro-Palestinian Activism "Iāve been punished for two different divestment movements ā I know first-hand the 'Palestine exception' is real." Read Jessie Lee Rubin's full piece for Zeteo: zeteo.com/p/columbia-u...
Congratulations to the newly elected Leader of the Green Party of England & Wales, @zackpolanski.bsky.social
Well done, Sussex Bylines. Excellent analysis and the issue is urgent.
More stuff about restaurants and food. Iām trying to grow this column into a vehicle to explore Brightonās many food policy challenges sussexbylines.co.uk/community/li... #brighton #sustainability
Fear and obfuscation at the Amex stadium 'Roger Wade, founder of fashion label Boxfresh and a 10-year Brighton & Hove Albion season ticket holder, had, it seemed, been denied access to his seat for wearing a Palestine t-shirt.' @jpjoughin.bsky.social @sussexbylines.co.uk
Flags and crosses: patriotism or racism? Flags and graffiti on roundabouts and now even churches have made one West Midlands resident angry; when will it all cease? | Mark Cunliffe @markcunliffe.bsky.social @centralbylines.co.uk
Tim Whiting left school at 16 to train as a cabinet maker. Today heās one of only a handful of millwrights in Britain, leading prestigious projects that keep some of our finest windmills and wind-pumps working. Read his story here ā¤µļø @eastangliabylines.co.uk
Want to keep up with everything we publish? šāØ Download the Bylines Network app (Apple & Google stores) and get direct access to all 10 publications in one place. No algorithms. No adverts. Just journalism. š apps.apple.com/gb/app/bylin... š play.google.com/store/apps/d...
Our government is complicit. Our mainstream media, BBC included, is complicit.
"When you live to be over 70 it is sometimes tempting to think that you have seen it all and that nothing much will shock you. Then you hear something that stops you in your tracks, causing you to re-assess your definition of evil."
āIn April 2025, Starmer was instrumental in continuing Palantirās capture of crucial digital infrastructure in UK public institutions, he oversaw Coventry City Councilās signing of a Ā£500,000 deal with Palantir for a "strategic AI platform"ā
In 30 pages, the Good Friday Agreement cites the ECHR seven times as an essential safeguard www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home...
Who would have guessed? Well, all of us who abandoned the cesspit that is now X. Morality as well as pragmatism. Yet I'm still wondering why the UK government remains there (not the only thing about it that makes me wonder) www.theguardian.com/technology/2...
The President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa called the orange felon a Russian asset in a live televised speech. Well done, this is how you do it. š
The world is protesting in solidarity with the flotilla - and do what their governments failed 50,000 in Genoa march for Palestine, sending off the Global Sumud Flotilla with 300 tons of food for Gaza.
Yet another capitulation to Reform, when all the evidence shows that following the far right agenda is a disaster for centrist parties. Politics 101, which Starmer has once again entirely failed to grasp.
Anna Sewell wrote Black Beauty in Norfolk. Translated into more than 125 languages, it became one of the most influential books to improve equine welfare ever published. Its message is still urgent today for horse lovers.
Today Nick Ferrari asked if treaties like the ECHR & the Refugee Convention that were drawn up in the wake of WWII are still relevant to modern Britain. I said the context of racial hatred towards Muslim immigrants now echoes the hatred of Jewish immigrants in the 20th century. We need these laws.
The ECHR isnāt āBrussels meddlingā. Itās the foundation that protects you the day your government goes too far. The Bear explains why losing it would mean losing control.
Grooming gangs are real. The abuse is horrific. This article looks at whether childrenās lives are being cynically used as tools in a bigger political game. @eastangliabylines.co.uk @stephenmcnair.bsky.social
Just watchā¦
Difference between a husky and border collie... šš š¤£ #dog #dogday #bluesky
Ed Milliband in 2016, "Labour leaders are clear that we want to remain in the European Union" Back when Labour put country ahead of ideology
Reform UK, the right leaning think tank Policy Exchange, and some Labour grandees, are all pushing for us to either leave the ECHR, or disapply parts of it temporarily or permanently. This puts me, you and everyone at risk, not just those seeking sanctuary.
Troops in the streets and he thinks heās going to get a Nobel, peace begins at home
āIn April 2025, Starmer was instrumental in continuing Palantirās capture of crucial digital infrastructure in UK public institutions, he oversaw Coventry City Councilās signing of a Ā£500,000 deal with Palantir for a "strategic AI platform"ā
"When you live to be over 70 it is sometimes tempting to think that you have seen it all and that nothing much will shock you. Then you hear something that stops you in your tracks, causing you to re-assess your definition of evil."
Not in our name: the flag belongs to us all The far-right does not have an exclusive claim on our national flags.
A success story from a country with a left-wing government, a wealth tax, a humane policy on immigration, and sensible management of the energy transition, and within the EU. Lessons for #Starmer.
Our government is complicit. Our mainstream media, BBC included, is complicit.
Yvette, I'm confused.
UK politicians and media have stirred up so much hatred. Time to say: NO. Time to reclaim British values of fairness, tolerance and compassion
The term of āillegal migrantā has been nurtured and the media repeat it as fact. Itās designed to whip up hate & dehumanise - there needs to be a pushback Seeking asylum is legal & has been for 74 years, since the UK signed the UN Convention on Asylum Seekers in 1951 @northeastbylines.co.uk
"Do you call this a genocide?" Humza Yousaf: "Yes" "Do you see the UK govt as complicit in genocide now?" "Completely"
Today's front page from The Independent š° You can download a digital newspaper every morning with a subscription to Independent Premium Subscribe here ā”ļø bit.ly/3Q6bzWD
Going on Ferrari @lbc.co.uk in a minute to argue about the ECHR as well. WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.
Are rivers 'living entities?" David Clayden, Action Group chair for the River Nidd, overlooked by King John's 900 year old Knaresborough Castle, makes this point on BBC's 'Countryfile' (available on the BBC iPlayer in the UK).
The madness of King Donald: part two Dishonest and selfish people often achieve power with popular support. Politicians of principle still exist, and often suffer persecution westenglandbylines.co.uk/politics/the...
Here's the ECHR polling from @yougov.co.uk. It ill behoves a generation who've had everything on a plate for two decades to yet again burn the surface off the Earth and leave the young to try to rebuild. Maybe take a pass on this one eh Boomers.
A new aid flotilla bound for Gaza set sail from Genoa yesterday, with a dockworker warning that if communication with the flotilla is lost, port workers would immediately block all shipments to Israel.
[Giuliani's final breath] Tell my family I loved...9/11
My main issue with the debate around ECHR is that no one advocating for it seems willing to accept that the past decade of politics has shown us that withdrawing from organisations/treaties/institutions always has more unintended consequences than intended, usually negative.
Small businesses can face many problems, but there are ways some of those can be prevented from turning into serious disputes Luca Angarano northwestbylines.co.uk/business/com...
A āBritish Bill of Rightsā sounds patriotic. But as The Bear says, rights that can be rewritten by whichever grievance-peddler is in power arenāt rights at all ā theyāre privileges.
Imagine being so āpatrioticā you spend your Saturday vandalising roundabouts like Temu Banksy. NHS underfunded, schools crumbling, but donāt worry ā weāve got freshly glossed patriotism between Tesco and the A46.
Not in our name: the flag belongs to us all The far-right does not have an exclusive claim on our national flags.
One reason for Trump's soft approach to Putin seems to be belief that US sanctions pushed Moscow into Beijing's arms. His attempt to be clever, imposing big tariffs on India to get it to buy less Russian oil rather than hitting Russia direct, has now helped pushed Delhi into Beijing's arms as well!
Fractured North: the threat to our legacy ā can we rebuild? From minersā banners to massive seat gains, the North East faces a dangerous reckoning. Is grassroots action the answer? northeastbylines.co.uk/news/opinion...
š„ One in four UK MPs have taken pro-Israel lobby funding, raising urgent questions about foreign influence and trust in British democracy.
āļø Atlantic circulation collapse could come sooner than expected Brian McHugh interviews Professor Sybren Drijfhout, lead author of the new report, who explains why cutting carbon dioxide emissions to net zero is becoming even more urgent to prevent AMOC collapse and climate disaster.
Farage is whipping up anger against the ECHR with false claims. As The Bear brilliantly writes: āThe ECHR [is] the foundation that protects you from your own government.ā That's why leaving the ECHR would be a Really Bad Idea.
Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". -seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951. This legally trumps all arguments of ābut they arrived by illegal meansā. Thatās just a fact. Thatās why you donāt see asylum seekers arrested & charged. Our MSM must do better.
All that is not action is noise. This week's column on Gaza as politicians rinse and repeat statements of concern without meaningful pressure on Israel. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Spot on, by @nesrinemalik.bsky.social Brexit was meant, by many of its proponents, to āsolveā immigrationā¦ but of course it didnāt. And for many, immigration will never not be an issue to stir & sell as a delusional panacea.
An upcoming news conference with victims of Jeffrey Epstein could be āexplosive,ā one of the congressmen pushing for full release of the files on Epstein predicts. Democratic Rep. Ro Khanna said the victimsā accounts will force lawmakers to vote on a bill requiring DOJ to release its files.
Trumpās digital threats: a test of EU sovereignty and unity
Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". -seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951. This legally trumps all arguments of ābut they arrived by illegal meansā. Thatās just a fact. Thatās why you donāt see asylum seekers arrested & charged. Our MSM must do better.
'āYou said Britain is on the wrong track. Which of these moments, if any, do you think is most responsible for putting Britain on the wrong track?ā ... by a long way, āthe 2016 Brexit referendumā is the most damned cause of the apocalypse'
Farage is whipping up anger against the ECHR with false claims. As The Bear brilliantly writes: āThe ECHR [is] the foundation that protects you from your own government.ā That's why leaving the ECHR would be a Really Bad Idea.
āļø Atlantic circulation collapse could come sooner than expected Brian McHugh interviews Professor Sybren Drijfhout, lead author of the new report, who explains why cutting carbon dioxide emissions to net zero is becoming even more urgent to prevent AMOC collapse and climate disaster.
BREAKING: Our hearts Our new front page #ProtectJournalistsInGaza #LetReportersIntogaza Www.bylinetimes.com
"The myths are seductive, the reality is very different ā without the ECHR your freedoms rest on whichever Home Secretary wakes up grumpy"
Back in 1908, when Kenneth Grahame published 'Wind in the Willows', water voles were a common sight along the banks of Britainās rivers. Today, after much predation by American mink introduced in the 1950s, water voles are one of the UKās most endangered species... - but are now making a comeback!
It's very simple. The people costing all the money, are the people with all the money. Not the people with hardly any money. It really shouldn't need explaining.
āHuman rights arenāt baubles handed down by ministers ā theyāre guarantees.ā The Bear demolishes the myths around the ECHR, and asks why Labour are so quiet while the far right set the agenda.
Leaving the ECHR isnāt about sovereignty. Itās about scrapping the safeguards that stop governments abusing power. The Bear explains why that should scare us all.
Our North American correspondent has set out quite plainly what is occurring in the USA... .... and what happens when the foundation stones that protect you from your own government are failing..
UK wildlife protection laws are diverging from the EUās, writes Jenny Rhodes. There are reasons why the UK is not free to drop behind too much; read about them here:
Leaving the ECHR wonāt āTake Back Controlā ā it will hand your rights to politicians āThe myths are seductive, the reality is very different ā without the ECHR your freedoms rest on whichever Home Secretary wakes up grumpyā eastangliabylines.co.uk/politics/jus...
If you are not following the brilliantly @bearlypolitics.co.uk you are missing out! This superb article was originally published at bearlypolitics.co.uk. Do check it out & subscribe
A great recipe for all that September windfall fruit...
"Iād love to read an interview with a āBritish patriotā where they did recognise the facts. I think it might end something like thisā¦ 'Thereās no two ways about it ā Iām being played for a mug. An absolute mug. Sod this for a game of soldiers, Iām going home'.ā
"In December last year, Resolute 1850 Ltd was incorporated in the UK. With a thinktank soon to be launched and funds from MAGA, American Big Tech and the US religious right already pledged, it seeks to use Reform as a vessel to bring Project 2025-style policies to the UK."
'āYou said Britain is on the wrong track. Which of these moments, if any, do you think is most responsible for putting Britain on the wrong track?ā ... by a long way, āthe 2016 Brexit referendumā is the most damned cause of the apocalypse'
Back in 1908, when Kenneth Grahame published 'Wind in the Willows', water voles were a common sight along the banks of Britainās rivers. Today, after much predation by American mink introduced in the 1950s, water voles are one of the UKās most endangered species... - but are now making a comeback!
In addition, govt's Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill 2025, currently in progress through Parliament, will repeal parts of the Illegal Migration Act 2023, so that asylum seekers (irregular arrivals on beaches) will be properly treated as before
We had swastikas and Islamophobic graffiti painted on a garage door and pavements in our solidly middle class road a couple of weeks ago. Red crosses are appearing all over the place on roundabouts and crossings. These areas are in no sense left behind. Itās really horrible.
YES! Thank you... Say it again, and again, and again. They are not "illegal immigrants". - seeking asylum is legal and has been since 1951.
"In December last year, Resolute 1850 Ltd was incorporated in the UK. With a thinktank soon to be launched and funds from MAGA, American Big Tech and the US religious right already pledged, it seeks to use Reform as a vessel to bring Project 2025-style policies to the UK."
"The myths are seductive, the reality is very different ā without the ECHR your freedoms rest on whichever Home Secretary wakes up grumpy"
Did Brexit cause the small boats? Are any countries managing immigration well? How do I stay calm when arguing with dickheads? What can we all do to fight back against the hate? Wonderful questions from the @bremaininspain.com community :) - my answers here www.bremaininspain.com/bremainers-a...
An excellent point by @zoejardiniere.bsky.social: the asylum seekers in hotels are here legally - thatās why they are given accommodation if they need it - yet they canāt legally work, contrary to what most UK citizens want. Thatās one reason they canāt pay for their own accommodation.
For godās sake someone remind the bbc.
šššāļø
Good grief - as if Douglas Carswell wasn't bad enough when he was in the UK. Trump's America has radicalised him further.
Immigration has been in the news for what feels like forever. However, our hosts feel like there's a missing voice from these discussions, the voice of the immigrants and the people who help them. We talk to Charlotte Khan from Care4Calais about the this so called 'crisis'. shorturl.at/GQcjc
Amen