The Bylines Network Podcast

This week, four bills appeared in Parliament and were scrutinised by MPs: 

- The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which passed its Third Reading this week and is now in the Lords. 

- The Dissolution and Parliament Bill, which went through its Second Reading this week.

- The Nationality and Borders Bill and the Elections Bill, which both went through their First Readings this week. 

With such a busy week in Parliament, we sat down with a series of experts to talk about what the bills set out to do, and what the actual implications of them will be. Listen as Alex speaks with: 

Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy, on the Elections Bill 

Mitchell Westra, Operations Director at Open Britain, on the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill 

and Stella Perrott, former Civil Servant and writer at Yorkshire Bylines, on the Nationality and Borders Bill. 

Be sure to follow us @BylinesPod on social media, and thanks to Jules for editing the episode! 

Tune in for this week's episode of the Bylines Network podcast as we break down the result of the Batley & Spen by-election! 

Katrina speaks with Alex, who spent a few weekends campaigning in Batley & Spen, about the situation on the ground, why Labour managed to eek out a win, and what the result means for Labour. 

Then, join us for our article of the week, as we sit down with Kim Sanderson of North East Bylines. Kim is a professional translator and an expert on cross-border service provision, and last week wrote an article on the EU Settlement Scheme. Be sure to check it out here: 

https://northeastbylines.co.uk/settled-status-deadline-and-cross-border-services/

Thanks to Jules for editing this week, and be sure to check us out on social media @BylinesPod! 

This week, Chris and Jules dig into the Chesham & Amersham result, as the Liberal Democrats surge to a shock win. With tactical voting from many in Labour and the Greens, what does this say about the future of progressive politics, and the state of the blue wall. 

Then, in place of our "article of the week", Jules speaks to Liz Webster about the new UK-Australia trade deal, and its impact on British farming. 

Be sure to follow us on all social media at @BylinesPod, and thanks to Liz for appearing on the episode! 

At the height of pride month, join the team at the Bylines Network podcast, as we discuss the history and state of LGBTQ+ rights in the UK and across the world. 

 

Hosts Chris Davis and Connor Lamb open the discussion with a look at what Pride has become in 2021, the commercialisation of pride and the “pride-washing” which many companies do, making statements supportive of LGBTQ+ rights while acting against queer interests around the world. 

 

Then, listen in as we have our very first Member of Parliament on the podcast: Lloyd Russell-Moyle (Brighton Kemptown). Connor and Chris discuss what Pride means to him, in addition to the government’s plan for reforming the Gender Recognition Act. 

Be sure to follow us at @BylinesPod on all social media, and leave a review if you enjoyed the episode! 

This week, Alex and new host Connor Lamb from North East Bylines discuss the resignation of Kevan Collins, the government's education tsar. Why did the government ignore their own advice, and what will the £1.4bn dedicated to closing the education gap actually do? 

Then in our "article of the week" section, we speak with Viv Griffiths of Sussex Bylines about an article which she wrote about plans to convert a Brighton school into an academy. Be sure to check out the article here! 

https://sussexbylines.co.uk/keeping-schools-local-do-we-need-more-academies/

Over the weekend of the local elections, all eyes turned North to Hartlepool and the so-called “red wall”. The weekend’s narrative quickly became one of disaster for Labour, and triumph for Johnson. 

 

However, something very different was happening in the South. The Conservatives lost control of county councils in Oxfordshire and Cambridgeshire, and Labour gained the mayoralties in the West of England and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough. 

 

In this episode of the Bylines Network podcast, Alex and Jules ask “are voters in the South turning away from the Conservatives?”. To help answer this, we speak to: 

- The journalist Jonn Elledge (@JonnElledge)

- Liz Brighouse, leader of the Labour group on Oxfordshire County Council

- Liz Webster, former Liberal Democrat PCC candidate in Swindon and Wiltshire, and Chair of Save British farming (@LizWebsterLD) 

Thank you to all of them for appearing on the episode, and be sure to check out their social media! 

Join us for this week’s episode of the Bylines Network podcast, as Alex and Jules discuss the Queen’s speech. Listen as we take a broad look at what bills have been announced, and what they indicate about the government’s plan for the country over the next few years.

In our ‘article of the week’ section, we speak with Brian McHugh, who wrote on the exam arrangements for GCSE and A-Level students this year in Yorkshire Bylines. After a year of schooling in a pandemic, both teachers and students have felt the toll. However, neither the government nor exam providers are doing much to help schools, as profits soar for certification bodies like AQA and Pearson. 

 

Finally, Alex and Jules touch on some topics that they don’t feel are being covered enough in the news: the protests in Colombia, and plans to privatise Channel 4. 

Be sure to check out Brian's piece at: 

https://yorkshirebylines.co.uk/could-the-covid-class-of-2021-please-stand-up/

And for more info on the violence in Colombia and the privatisation of Channel 4, check out: 

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/may/05/colombia-protests-unrest-protesters-police

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/may/13/channel-4-broadcaster-privatised-oliver-dowden-culture-secretary

This week, join our team of young hosts: Kerry, Jules, and new host Chris Davis, to discuss being young, in politics, and in Bylines. What drew us to politics? How to we reach out to engage other young people? How did we get involved with Bylines, and what good can it do long-term? 

Be sure to follow all of our hosts: @jewelsog @kerrya_pearson and 

@Chris_Davis1998 on twitter. Thanks Kevin! 

Fed up of people asking what the local elections mean for Keir Starmer? Sick of hearing about the vaccine bounce or post-Brexit realignment? 

Join us as we break down the local results in terms of what they actually mean for the people who voted in them. This week, we have our first ever returning guest, as Georgia Taylor (now Councillor Georgia Taylor!!) comes back to discuss her successful campaign. We also speak with Emma Knaggs, Grassroots Director at Make Votes Matter, to talk about the government's efforts to extend First Past the Post to PCC and mayoral elections. 

Be sure to check them out at @Georgia_t and @MakeVotesMatter 

This week, we speak to some of the people hoping to get elected to local office at various levels of local government. 

1. Julian Greenbank speaks with Liz Webster, the Liberal Democrat candidate for Wiltshire and Swindon Police and Crime Commissioner. 

2. We revisit our local elections webinar with Labour Tees Valley mayoral candidate Jessie Joe Jacobs. 

3. Katrina Best speaks with Georgia Taylor, Green party candidate for the Forest Row and Groombridge ward for East Sussex County Council. 

Thank you so much to all of our guests, be sure to check them out at @LizWebsterLD, @JessieJoeJacobs, and @Georgia_t - and us @BylinesPod!

Our episode next week may be a little bit late coming out, as we'll be digging into the results themselves, which come out on Friday! 

Thanks to Julian Greenbank and Ellie Rainsley for editing the episode, our music was "Voxel Revolution" by Kevin McLeod - Thanks Kevin!!