Central Bylines

Coventry City Council voted to end its contract with US technology giant Palantir following a Green Party motion backed by councillors. The motion asked the authority to publish the findings of a review of Palantir tech and set out the current and future intended uses of the firm's software. It also urged the authority to come up with alternative options.

The UK government has announced plans to introduce a ban on social media use for children under the age of 16. This follows a consultation on the impact of social media on young people's mental health, wellbeing and safety. It represents one of the most significant interventions in children's online lives since the Online Safety Act. The announcement has generated strong reactions.

Upon seeing a recent Facebook post about my old pro-EU group, Stratford4Europe, organising a Big Red Bus of Brexit Truths tour to mark the 10th anniversary of the Brexit referendum, I was hooked and couldn't wait to join my friends in driving the bus around Stratford-upon-Avon. The bus's design was such that it highlighted both the broken promises and damaging consequences of Brexit over the last 10 years.

A mate told me the other day they were spending time with "Reformy friends". This was not said with excitement, but the way one might announce an incoming storm; a sort of "brace yourself" tone. I recognised it instantly: that creeping dread when people you once trusted start parroting ideas that feel brittle, angry and performed - like they're auditioning for a low-budget political panto.

Postcards designed by The Walking Dead illustrator and Patriotic Millionaires UK member invite wealthiest Londoners to join the fight for a stronger, fairer, and more optimistic Britain. "There's no place like home" - that's the message being delivered to wealth holders by Patriotic Millionaires UK.

This is a statement I've heard many times over. It breaks my heart when men question themselves because counselling or therapy didn't work, convinced it must be down to their own failings. It obviously works for everyone else, right? If you identify as a male and struggled to make a connection when you sought counselling, you're not alone and you're not stupid or a luddite either. You're actually pretty normal.

In a new investigation for and , Amber Haque uncovers allegations of exploitation, coercion, violence, and the potential for modern slavery committed by OnlyFans managers. OnlyFans: Inside the Machine exposes an industry where young women feel trapped, threatened, and profited from - raising urgent questions about accountability at the heart of one of Britain's most lucrative tech companies.

"Our new Removals Force, modelled on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), will deport 150,000 illegal migrants each year," reads a 5 October 2025 Facebook post from Kemi Badenoch. The video attached to this post details the Tories' new 'Borders plan', pledging to leave the ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights), scrap the Human Rights Act, and ban asylum claims for 'illegal' entrants. The immigration crackdown has already started As with all Tory policies, this apes Reform.

Leonard spent his final leave with my grandparents before leaving for 'real' war duty. Before leaving Canada he shows some optimism in his letter to his parents. 9th September 1943 We hung out all our flags out yesterday to celebrate Italy's defeat. I hope it was not a premature gesture. Anyway it should all be over by 1950. Leonard's last letters London 21st May 1944 Just a line to let you know that I arrived on time after a good night's sleep.

I never met my father's brother, Leonard. His story is only known from the many long letters he wrote back home during the war. These letters give insights into the minor details of life in the forces at the time, but because of censorship, there is almost nothing written about the major events we now know about. My grandmother kept all these letters and those from my father. This precious box ended up in my mother's loft. I had no idea they existed.