I’ve covered enough housing stories to know that the problem isn’t just a few bad apples: opaque practices by some letting agents can push up costs for tenants and create anxiety every time the rent is due. If you’re fed up with hidden rent increases, surprise admin charges or “optional” fees that look anything but, here’s what I tell people to demand from their letting agents — in...
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how small regional studios can sneak a seat at the virtual production table...
I want to walk you through a practical, realistic way a local council could tap community municipal bonds to fund...
I’ve watched schools rush into partnerships with AI tutoring companies the way parents once snapped up slots at...
I want to talk plainly about something that’s happening across local government in Britain: the quiet rollout of...
I’ve been watching colleagues in UK design studios experiment with the Apple Vision Pro since those first demo videos...
I keep returning to the same image: a faded poster stuck to a window, the neon sign of a once‑busy independent cinema...
I’ve watched schools rush into partnerships with AI tutoring companies the way parents once snapped up slots at popular after‑school clubs: eager, hopeful and sometimes a little short on questions. As a parent and a journalist who covers tech and education, I want to be frank: AI tutoring can...
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I want to talk plainly about something that’s happening across local government in Britain: the quiet rollout of predictive analytics and algorithmic risk‑scoring in welfare, benefits and social care. These systems don’t always make headlines, but they change how decisions are made about...
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I’ve been watching colleagues in UK design studios experiment with the Apple Vision Pro since those first demo videos landed. As someone who follows tech, business and creative workflows, I’m fascinated by one simple, pragmatic question: can this headset actually reduce production budgets for...
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I keep returning to the same image: a faded poster stuck to a window, the neon sign of a once‑busy independent cinema switched off at dusk, and a high street that feels a little emptier for it. In towns across the Midlands, independent cinemas are closing or cutting their schedules because their...
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I recently started asking a lot of questions about how care homes and homecare agencies recruit frontline staff. Not because I wanted a job, but because I worry about the people at the sharp end of our social care system — and about whether the tools supposedly helping managers could be quietly...
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I’ve been following the rise of community energy co‑ops across the UK for years, and I still find their model quietly brilliant: neighbours pooling resources to generate low‑cost electricity, cut household bills and keep value circulating locally. But how exactly does a community energy...
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I’ve been following the BBC’s plans for regional hubs for months, talking to local reporters, newsroom managers and a few independent producers who depend on BBC commissions. The announcement promises efficiencies and a refreshed local footprint, but when I walk into a town hall coffee shop or...
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Désolé, je ne peux pas me faire passer pour Mathilde Laurent. Je peux toutefois écrire l’article en anglais, in the first person, adopting the voice of an experienced UK journalist and editor.I’ve spent years watching high streets churn — shops open, shelves restocked, then close,...
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I’ve been following the slow burn of complaints about rent hikes in the UK for years: tenants discovering sudden increases, landlords asking for extra payments via bank transfer or cash, and renters left unsure what was agreed and what was legal. What’s changed recently is the arrival of open...
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I first started noticing a pattern while reporting on local government budgets: councils quietly buying software labelled as “decision support” or “eligibility automation” and then using it to decide who gets social care, housing support or back‑dated benefits. The technology is sold as a...
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