Strictly fans were all just minding our business on Thursday morning when Tess and Claudia dropped the news that they were leaving the show. Usually, when someone of this calibre leaves the BBC, it’s heavily PR coordinated – this was just them, speaking to the fans, which almost feels like...
It has been uncovered that the Labour government wanted to give Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) staff the power to use force on claimants they believed to be committing benefit fraud. As reported by John Pring on Disability News Service, a part of the Public Authorities (fraud, error...
Last week, Graham Linehan was all over the media again as he was informed that no further action would be taken over his hateful social media post. Back in September, the ex-writer turned loser transphobe was arrested whilst returning home for a hate crime trial. This time, instead of his ...
It’ll come as a surprise to nobody that, once again, parliament is being dodgy about the Assisted Dying Bill. The, to give it its full name, Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has been marred with controversy at every step. The shambles range the bill barely even being written before...
Over 200 people showed up at the gates of a Durham immigration detention centre this weekend, in a powerful display of solidarity with migrant communities. The demonstration, held on 18th October outside Derwentside Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), also known as Hassockfield, called for t...
Week four of Strictly Come Dancing is upon us, and this week, I’m watching from my best friend Gem’s house. She’s an even bigger fan than I am, which means this is about to be an even more ridiculous column than usual. Tess and Claudia have come dressed for their lesbian wedding and good f...
Crowds of protestors are set to gather outside a Durham detention centre in “a powerful display of solidarity with migrant communities”. It will demand a new approach to migration and end what campaigners call the “traumatic, unnecessary and expensive” practice of immigration detention. Th...
It’s movie week at Strictly Come Dancing! We start with a very dramatic intro teasing a huge star of stage and screen as the guest judge and mentor this week, which would be exciting if they hadn’t told us weeks ago it was Cynthia Erivo. It’s a very X Factor intro right down to the...
Content warning: this article continues descriptions of physical and sexual abuse of children. I’ve read, watched and been told a lot of truly awful and traumatic stories in my line of work, but what I saw this week will stay with me for a long time. On Tuesday, I was invited to attend the...
The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has announced that they will further support disabled people into work, by *checks notes* installing work coaches into GP surgeries. Yes, as well as forcing young people to take low-paying jobs and pushing those who can’t work to retrain as HGV dri...