The Lead newsletters

This is not who we are

The racists have been emboldened and sanctioned by our government’s own rhetoric – to now talk vaguely in terms of resistance is far too little, much…

10 hrs ago •

On the streets of St Helens, would Reform win?

Polls show support surging. St Helens should bleed the red of Labour. But if a general election were called tomorrow, would it?

Sep 13 •

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Why the race for Labour’s next number two matters

Plus: Tell us who you want to win in our poll, the latest from The Lead's northern titles, and everything our team is reading and listening to this…

Sep 11 •

The Lead Editors

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The scramble for a spare room

Inside the experience of trying to get by in houses of multiple occupation and the realities of renting in 2025. Ella Glover writes as the Renters…

Sep 9 •

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There is an epidemic of violence against women – what will it cost to fix it?

Labour made a big pledge to protect women and girls by halving rates of violence. More than a year since the announcement, what progress has been made?

Sep 6 •

Hannah Shewan Stevens

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Angela Rayner is not some kind of Monopoly Board empress. Don't sack her for a mistake

Plus: Ice cream scandals and a war on local press in Reform Watch, the latest news from The Lead North, and our team's recommended reads in The Lead…

Sep 4 •

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Becoming our own spies: The rise and rise of surveillance culture

Gen Z loves tracking each other's location, but are they inadvertently creating a surveillance nightmare?

Sep 2 •

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From Brighton to Leicester: Where do people go for a good night out these days?

With venue closures soaring and purse strings tightening, UK nightlife is in crisis. Fred Garratt-Stanley samples two nightlife cities to see if the…

Aug 30 •

Fred Garratt-Stanley

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The fight to save Scotland's crumbling mountain paths

Brexit removed vital European cash for mountain path building and maintenance. Now, volunteers are taking action to help fill the gaps, as Peter…

Aug 23 •

Live facial recognition has no place at Notting Hill Carnival

The Met Police is pushing ahead with plans to use divisive LFR at Notting Hill – it's another terrifying slide towards state surveillance. Plus: Zoë…

Aug 21 •

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Arts Council grant shutdown leaves creatives in limbo – and stunts UK innovation

A grant-giving system is offline for seven weeks, Fergal Kinney reports on the body-blow to creatives, and the precarity of the arts industry.

Aug 19 •

Level the playing field: Why are there still so few Black referees?

As the Premier League kicks off this weekend you're unlikely to see a non-white official on the pitch. With so many initiatives to improve diversity in…

Aug 16 •

Fred Garratt-Stanley

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