“It’s sad that it’s got a reputation in certain parts of Bolton, a very undeserved reputation”
The council’s masterplan envisages adding accommodation for 5,000 people to the town centre
The recent by-election in Rochdale, won not by Labour or Conservative but George Galloway, raised questions about whether the Gaza vote could impact broader election outcomes
Bolton elects one third of the council each year, with a rest year every four years, and Labour will be hoping to reclaim control
There are 21 seats up for grabs in Bolton’s local elections on 2 May - but all parties will be ultimately trying to deliver a reasonable service on 'totally savage' budget cuts
No change in control of Bolton - but plenty of isolated drama, and the Green Party winning its first ever seat
Conservatives have brandished migration fears as key to retaining Labour strongholds they won in 2019. But recent polling and interviews paint a more complex picture on migration - and while many voters are back to pre-Brexit positions, many are also saying they won't bother to vote in 2024 at all.
As cost-of-living becomes more deeply ingrained in our vocabulary, teachers are forced to go above and beyond to ensure kids can learn effectively
Bolton was quick to understand the need to get vaccines out to communities as well as getting people to come to clinics - but now the town needs answers from the COVID Inquiry
Levelling Up was a key part of the Conservative manifesto in 2019 - but spending increasingly limited funds to even compete for investment can be problematic
CCTV and motion sensors are becoming more common in primary and secondary schools - the aim is to improve behaviour, but the cost is a worrying slide towards privacy infringements.
The British-Nigerian historian, author and BAFTA-winning filmmaker on why younger generations are facing a unique convergence of challenges, and why they need more support to build the future of society.
The government has decimated school support for kids with special educational needs - and now it's launched a crass attendance campaign that feels like a direct assault on the parenting skills of already struggling families.
Don't speak. Don't take your eyes off the teacher. Just nod - or else. Britain's schools are starting to feel like dystopian nano-states that cherish performative obedience and quantifiable grades above all else. How come? And why are private schools exempt from the hyper-disciplinarian approach richly meted out to working class kids?
Housing prices are pushing families out of London. Primary schools no longer have enough students to function and shut down. Secondary schools lose their local intake and follow suit. And local economies suffer. London is being hollowed out as a living city - at an ever-accelerating pace.
Creativity, curiosity, self-esteem and social skills are essential for our well-being - but because they are not quantifiable, they are being left behind.
We can't hope to compete with AI on speed and volume of technical tasks. But AI can never compete with us in the truly creative thinking - from music, to philosophy, to the kind of inspired science fiction that guides actual technological progress. As humans, this is our natural advantage, and it needs to be shored up.
I am Englishman, a Christian, a teacher, a patriot, an admiral of the fleet, a golfer, a hunter and a chartered accountant - and trust me: Rishi Sunak's inquiry into sex education doesn't go remotely far enough.
The ultra-disciplinarian headteacher stepped down from her Social Mobilities role, but will continue to fan the flames of culture wars in education. Pity the children.