Podcast appearances and mentions of Daniel J Mclaughlin

Buckingham Palace is one of the most famous buildings in the world - but what is it like to be invited in for an evening reception with the King? Zena Hawley, agenda editor at the Derby Telegraph, joins Pod Save the King host Ann Gripper to take listeners inside the palace gates and last week's reception for regional media, where she reminisced with Charles about covering his visit to the city in 1981.  Ann also caught up with Mirror deputy royal editor Jennifer Newton on the latest in the Sentebale row, the king's health, Mothering Sunday celebrations, an exciting Homewards visit to Aberdeen and just how much you pay for jam. Pod Save the King is a Reach Studio production, edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the final episode of The Northern Agenda's Our Kids In The North podcast, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look at the choices facing young people in our region when they reach 16. That's the age when they no longer have to stay in school but they do have to stay in some form of education or training until the age of 18, so that opens up options like starting an apprenticeship, taking a vocational course like a T Level or pursuing further education with A Levels with a view to going to university. The aim of all that is to end up with a good job, or at least putting yourself on the path towards getting one. And that's why their success is something political leaders in the North are taking a keen interest in as they know the young people coming out of schools today will be the ones who in years to come will be helping to grow our region's economy. We hear from the further education college in Hartlepool whose principal describes it as “overlooked, undervalued, underfunded, yet marvellous” - how is it helping young people to better futures in the face of funding cuts and widespread poverty? Students in the buzzing centre of Manchester talk to Rob about how young people in the city are struggling with bad landlords and poor mental health. The Vice-Chancellor at the University of York talks about the broken funding system for higher education - and how he hopes to use technology to reach students across the world. And Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham describes how we have "an education system built for the third who are going to university and not the two thirds who are not" - and what he's doing to change that. The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

​"It's really difficult being a kid at the moment. And that's for a whole host of reasons. You see that with the increased mental health problems our children are facing. You see that with the issue of attendance at school. You see that with issues of family breakdown, issues of poverty. And those issues have been worsened by the pandemic." Jim Lauder,​ Assistant Vice Principal, Dixons Trinity Academy This week on The Northern Agenda's series Our Kids In The North, Rob Parsons and Annie Gouk look at​ what it's like to go to a school in Northern England, where absence and exclusion rates are higher than the rest of the country. ​Jim Lauder, whose trust runs schools in several Northern cities, tells of the challenges he and his colleagues face working with children from deprived communities in places like Bradford. There's exclusive data from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership about the areas of the North where pupils are most likely to miss school. And leaders in one area of our region tell Rob how they're using robots to give emotional support to young people struggling to attend. And at a time when the Labour government is making big changes to our education system, Rob speaks to Yorkshireman Neil O'Brien, the Conservative MP who's leading the attack on Bridget Phillipson's school reforms. And we hear from Jonathan Brash, who has a unique perspective as a Labour MP in Hartlepool who used to work in leading private schools in the North. Does he agree with the move to add 20% VAT to private school fees? The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The North in Numbers takes over The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North for this episode, looking at the human stories behind the stats. Annie Gouk, Data Investigations Editor at Reach and host of our sister podcast, explores the data on the rising cost and lack of availability of childcare, and what this means both for working parents, and for kids when it comes to being ready for school.  She speaks to: ⬆️ Steve Rotheram, the Mayor of Liverpool City Region, on the masterplan to tackle staff shortages in Early Years education and childcare in the area. ⬆️ Lydia Hodges. head of Coram Family and Childcare, on the charity's survey charting the cost of a part time nursery place for a child under the age of two in the North ⬆️ Fiona Spellman, the CEO of SHINE, a charity covering the north of England that was set up to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds to perform better in their education, on the growing number of children starting reception not “school ready” ⬆️ Mothers Tui Benjamin Thorp and Katie Jones on trying to juggle work with childcare, especially with the soaring costs The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our Kids in the North, a new series from The Northern Agenda, launched with a focus on the big societal problem that you can't escape if you're talking about children in the North of England: poverty. In the second episode of our podcast, Rob Parsons talks about a part of the country that has so much going for it, but where the high rates of poverty are holding back the potential of tens of thousands of young people. Nearly one in three child are living in poverty in the North East - but local leaders are now taking action themselves to give the region's children a better chance. Speaking to child poverty campaigners, entrepreneurs, top politicians, and charities who are helping reduce the effects of poverty, The Northern Agenda paints a concerning picture of the scale of the problem in the North East, but also highlights the determination of local leaders and communities to find innovative solutions to this pressing social issue. Rob Parsons speaks to: ⬆️ Kim McGuinness, the new mayor of the North East, about how she plans to tackle the root causes of poverty as well as helping families deal with the short term impacts. ⬆️ Paul Lindley, the Yorkshire-born founder of Ella's Kitchen, about why as a society we need to be switching our attention to our young people and take a much more entrepreneurial approach to finding the solutions that work. ⬆️ Sophie Balmer, a 21-year-old child poverty campaigner from Newcastle, about when she first realised she wanted to speak up on behalf of young people like her. ⬆️ Beth Major, chief executive of local charity The Junction, about the "multi-bank" that provides people struggling in the Tees Valley with surplus goods from companies and businesses, including clothes and hygiene products The Northern Agenda: Our Kids in the North is a Reach Studio production, presented by Rob Parsons with contributions from Annie Gouk. The podcast is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pod Save the King comes to you from Australia this week with Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers and photographer Ian Vogler discussing the upcoming Royal Visit. They discuss the Republican movement in Australia, state premiers boycotting a reception with the King, and the repatriation of Indigenous artefacts. The timing is also interesting for Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese, a sworn republican, who has been under fire recently. What can we expect from the meeting between Albanese and the King? And was Charles - when he was the Prince of Wales - taking the biscuit by not taking the Lamington cake on his last visit to New South Wales in 2018? You can get the slice of the action (sorry) from Russell and Ian in their update from the Royal Visit. Pod Save the King is a Reach Studio production, edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We all know there's a big North-South divide when it comes to pay, but which part of the North of England has the highest average wage? Here's a clue, it's not Manchester or Leeds. With an average median annual full-time wage of nearly £42,000, Ribble Valley in Lancashire is the highest-paid local authority area in Northern England. Its residents earn an average of £14,000 a year more than those in Tameside, not too far away in Greater Manchester. The Ribble Valley is a beautiful district to the east of Preston, described as boasting "picturesque villages, soul-soothing countryside and warm-hearted inhabitants". And for foodies, it boasts several gastro pubs that are officially rated the very best the UK has to offer. Rob Parsons has never been and wants to put that right in this special episode. He heads to its main town Clitheroe to chat to locals about why the area's doing so well, the one thing that's worrying locals and intriguingly, why, if everything's so great, the area has just booted out its two Conservative MPs in favour of Labour politicians at the last General Election. The Northern Agenda is a Reach Studio production, produced and edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most of us spend our days with a mobile phone practically glued to our hand - in fact you may well be listening to this podcast on it right now. And it's becoming more and more common for children to have a smart phone, some even before they start at secondary school. But there are more and more people who are terrified at what the ubiquity of smart phones and social media is doing to our children's minds, their mental health and their ability to learn. And one of the politicians articulating those fears most vocally is an MP in South Yorkshire, Miriam Cates, who this week led a debate at Westminster calling on the Government to take urgent action before it's too late. Rob Parsons speaks to her and also a former Yorkshire headteacher whose school introduced an effective ban on smart phones because of what it was doing to students' behaviour.  And he chats to Local Democracy Reporter Dan Holland about one of the more interesting developments in Northern politics this week, namely the relationship between civic and business leaders in the North East of England and the oil-rich Gulf state of Saudi Arabia. We know Manchester's booming economy has been achieved thanks in large part to massive private investment encouraged by city leaders, including the Abu Dhabi royal family who now own Manchester City Football Club. But is something similar on the verge of happening in the football-mad city of Newcastle - and why are many in the North opposed to it? The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Rob Parsons finds out about a new museum display celebrating the trailblazing contributions of Muslims living and working in the North of England. Leeds City Museum's Voices of Asia Gallery is hosting Muslims in the North, which explores the pioneering work of prominent Muslims in fields including commerce, healthcare, law and research. Maria Hussain, lecturer in management and organisations at the University of Leeds Business School, whose research underpinned this display, tells Rob how she hopes the exhibit will help people in the North appreciate cultural diversity and explains her aim of "decolonising civic spaces". Plus: Is Boris Johnson really going to be campaigning for Rishi Sunak in the North ahead of the General Election? Has Levelling Up failed? And should we be letting 16-year-olds vote in parish council elections? Rob talks over these big issues from the news this week with Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week Rob Parsons speaks to two political best mates who were born just a few miles away from each other in Liverpool and have gone on to be two of the best-known elected figures in our region. Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, and Steve Rotheram, mayor of the Liverpool City Region, have teamed up to write a new book where they share their formative experiences and set out an ambitious ten-point plan to rewire and reimagine our country beyond the Westminster bubble. Their book Head North, which is out today, sets out how both men were shaped in different ways by the Hillsborough disaster and how we can spread political and economic power throughout the UK, away from the centre of power in London and towards the North. The timing for the book is pretty interesting - both men are up for election in a few weeks and there's a General Election not far away where they might hope some of their radical ideas could become Labour policy. Find out what they thought of each other when they first met, how Keir Starmer might react to their radical ideas and their take on the row over Labour abandoning its £28bn-a-year green jobs pledge. The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the focus of Northern politicians is on Leeds, where the Convention of the North will see hundreds of the region's political and business leaders try and work out how to make our region a powerhouse again. Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove and Labour's Deputy Leader Angela Rayner will be making their pitch about what their parties can do for the North at the two-day Convention of the North conference. But a report out today from the IPPR North think-tank sets out how far there still is to go and says it will be 2080 - a full five decades away - before the gap in healthy life expectancy between the North and the South East really changes. The question is, what do we do about it? And this week on the podcast Rob Parsons speaks to Richards Stubbs, CEO of Health Innovation Yorkshire and the Humber, one of the organisations behind a new report that says focusing our attention on creating high-skilled jobs is the best way to get the North off its collective sick bed. The research prompts the intriguing question, if we want to save the NHS in the North of England do we need better hospitals, or better train links? But in terms of the national media, the only story in town as far as the North is concerned is the absolute chaos of the Rochdale by-election, where, as you might remember from our episode two weeks ago, what started out as a safe Labour seat has now seen the party without a candidate and voters subjected to one of the most divisive election campaigns in recent years. Joseph Timan of the Manchester Evening News sends in a dispatch about who won as firebrand former Labour MP George Galloway bids to pull off a shock upset to return him to Parliament. The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer Janette Manrara opens up about the bond she and Aljaz Skorjanec with their daughter Lyra, saying they are still in awe of her. In an emotional joint interview with the Invite Only podcast, the Strictly: It Takes Two star goes on to admit the connection wasn't instant, as her painful C-section prevented her from holding Lyra at first.  Invite Only is a Sunday Mirror podcast presented by Laura Armstrong and Nicola Fahey, editors of the No Filter column, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week the Northern Agenda switches focus away from the two main political parties to one that seems to be gathering momentum and hopes to do some real damage to the Conservatives at the next General Election. Reform UK, founded by Nigel Farage as the Brexit Party back in 2018 and renamed in 2020 to campaign against lockdown measures during the Covid pandemic, came third in two Parliamentary by-elections last week and has promised to field a candidate in every single constituency at the next General Election. We know Reform is anti-lockdown, pro-Brexit, in favour of slashing taxes and leans into a number of divisive culture war issues. But does it have any policies to improve the lives of people in the North of England? This weekend it's holding a big spring conference in Doncaster and ahead of the event Rob Parsons talks to one of the main speakers, the Talk TV host Alex Phillips who is now one of the party's most high profile members. Rob asks her about the involvement of Nigel Farage in the party, how Reform plans to hurt the Tories at the ballot box and why the party would support an end to the ban on fracking, the highly controversial technique for extracting shale gas in places like North Yorkshire and Lancashire that caused huge protest before being ruled out by the Conservative government in 2019. Plus, Yorkshire Conservative councillor Tom Jones explains why Reform may not have the impact they're hoping for - and what his party can do to stop them taking votes off them at the next election. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mollie Pearce tells the Invite Only podcast how Claudia Winkleman privately comforted her after she was left devastated by The Traitors winner Harry Clark's trickery.  The model and campaigner admits she's still plagued by nightmares about the show but is grateful for the experience, which has helped her break down stigma around stoma bags and disability. Invite Only is a Sunday Mirror podcast presented by Laura Armstrong and Nicola Fahey, editors of the No Filter column, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The King shared a message of thanks and gave a big wave to Sandringham visitors at the weekend as he adjusts to life as a cancer patient.  But Prince Harry and Meghan are in the spotlight too after launching their new Sussex.com website.  Pod Save the King host Ann Gripper is joined by Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers - fresh from an engagement with Queen Camilla.  They discuss the King's progress, the Waleses' Sandringham stay and the Sussexes' very royal rebrand, as well as sharing listeners' assessments of the prospect of Harry reconciling with his family. *** Pod Save the King is a Reach production for the Mirror. It is presented by Ann Gripper, and edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sara Davies tells the Invite Only podcast about how she supported Amy Dowden through her breast cancer battle as the much-loved pro dancer took an emotional step back from Strictly Come Dancing. The entrepreneur also gives a sneak peak into life behind the scenes on Dragons' Den with secret supper clubs and VERY expensive wine. She also has confessed she didn't know what Dragons' Den cameo star Gary Neville looked like when he joined the show. The entrepreneur was left red-faced when the Manchester United legend rocked up to the dressing room and she didn't recognise him.  Invite Only is a Sunday Mirror podcast presented by Laura Armstrong and Nicola Fahey, editors of the No Filter column, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Super producer will.i.am has opened up about Britney Spears' fight for freedom, saying he believes she'll never quit music and may even tour again. He also has high praise for the Britney Army - even if they haven't always seen eye to eye. The Voice UK judge also exclusively tells us all about THAT four-hour meeting with Lady Gaga at an LA restaurant last November.  The Black Eyed Peas star also chats about his new album, Olly Murs leaving The Voice, and a potential music collaboration with a very different Fergie. Invite Only is a Sunday Mirror podcast presented by Laura Armstrong and Nicola Fahey, editors of the No Filter column, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is it harder for Northerners to have their voices heard in literature and comedy because of age-old regional biases? That's the question on The Northern Agenda podcast this week with two guests who've explored that thorny topic with academic rigour. Jen Bowden, a journalist and writer from a small pit village called Wingate in County Durham, hosts the Northern Voices podcast but is also working on her PhD looking at the use of Northern dialect in contemporary UK fiction and biases against the North in the UK book industry. And poet, author and comedian Kate Fox, who was born in Bradford and grew up in Yorkshire and Cumbria, has a book out called Where There's Muck, There's Bras: True Stories of the Amazing Women of the North. Her PhD looked at a similar subject, namely why it's harder for Northern comedians to be heard due to age old biases. In conversation with The Northern Agenda's Daniel J. McLaughlin, himself a stand-up poet in Manchester, they discuss the unconscious biases standing in the way of people from the North trying to tell their stories on a national stage.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The first full year of the Carolean era is (nearly) complete. The history books will remember the sparkle and fanfare of the coronation - but right now the rift with the Sussexes which has dominated the beginning and end of the year casts a heavy shadow.  Pod Save the King host Ann Gripper is joined by Daily Mirror royal editor Russell Myers and his boss, Mirror editor Alison Phillips, to discuss a rollercoaster year. They reflect on the state of the family, their work and their relationships, pick their Royal of the year - and share their hopes and expectations for the Firm in 2024. *** Pod Save the King is a Reach production. It is presented by Ann Gripper, and edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Photo: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

King Charles III has the weight not just of his mother's long reign behind him, but 1,200 years of history. Pod Save the King host Ann Gripper is joined by writer, broadcaster and podcaster Iain Dale, editor of Kings and Queens featuring an essay on each of the English and British monarchs since Alfred the Great - and a few who come with an asterisk. They discuss the past emotional year of royal history, why Charles's reign has got off to a better start than expected, what makes a memorable monarch and the resilience and adaptability the monarchy has shown to survive this long. *** Pod Save the King is a Reach production. It is presented by Ann Gripper, and edited by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Image: Ranald Mackechnie/Handout via REUTERS Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on the podcast Rob Parsons speaks to two fascinating but very different guests. Conservative MP Dehenna Davison has packed a huge amount into her short career so far since being elected in Bishop Auckland in County Durham in 2019 while still in her 20s. Until recently a Levelling Up Minister, this summer she stepped back because of her battle with migraines, but she's got a lot to say about the challenges she faced in government and what levelling up can and can't do for communities like hers. She's also trying to get tougher sentences for people who kill with one punch - something she knows all about as someone who lost her father in just this way when she was a teenager growing up in Sheffield. Rob also quizzes a senior official at the North's biggest bus operator about why West Yorkshire should not go down the route of Andy Burnham and Greater Manchester and take local bus services under public control.  Private bus firms are advocating an alternative approach called the Enhanced Partnership+ which they say will deliver the same benefits as franchising but faster and cheaper. So listen out to hear Kayleigh Ingham, commercial director of First Bus, talk about how it would work. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The North in Numbers - the podcast that gets the human stories behind the statistics - is back, taking over The Northern Agenda again this week. Annie Gouk, a journalist who writes local news stories based on statistics for regional papers up and down the country, looks at the data on dog attacks, speaking to experts to try and unpick what's behind the increase, as well as what needs to be done to tackle the problem. Official NHS figures show that in the year to March, there were 9,277 hospital admissions where the patient had been bitten or struck by a dog. That was a record high, with the number increasing steadily since at least 1998, when figures began. Behind those numbers are people like Kayleigh, whom Annie speaks to, who have been left with life-changing injuries. The North in Numbers, in collaboration with The Northern Agenda, is a Laudable production for Reach. It is written and hosted by Annie Gouk, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a brutal plot that resulted in the horrendous death of a dearly loved father, Liam Smith.  The 38-year-old electrician was shot dead and doused in acid yards from his home in Wigan in November last year. The murder had been planned for 10 months. Couple Michael Hillier and Rachel Fulstow were once united on their plan to murder Smith as part of what they saw as “vigilante justice” - but the plotting pair soon turned on each other, placing the blame on another in court. In this episode of Testimony, our true crime podcast, Andrew Bardsley, who reported on the trial, explains the plot behind Smith's murder, the day of the killing, and how it played out in court. The Manchester Evening News court reporter tells the podcast how Hillier and Fulstow were branded “judge, jury and executioner” during the trial. *** Testimony is a Laudable production for the Manchester Evening News. It was presented and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin, featuring Andrew Bardsley. You can listen to previous episodes of our podcast on all the major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, Google, and more. And you can read more about this case on the MEN's website: manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anyone who listens to this podcast or reads the Northern Agenda newsletter won't need telling about the incredible strengths the North and its 15 million population boast. But elsewhere in the country, and down in the corridors of power in London, it seems there's still more to do to tell people who matter what our region can do to tackle the many challenges the country faces. In the next few weeks a series of public events will be held to address just this issue, featuring speakers who've dedicated themselves to the issue of unlocking prosperity and closing regional divides. 'UP North: Innovative thinking from the North to unlock a more prosperous future for all', will be hosted by members of the N8 group of universities this autumn and winter. So what are they hoping to achieve? Rob Parsons speaks to two of the senior figures behind this initiative, one is Dr Annette Bramley of the N8 Research Partnership, a collaboration between the eight most research intensive Universities in the North of England.  The other is Andy Haldane, Chief Executive Officer, a former chief economist at the Bank of England who's been at the heart of the Levelling Up agenda after being appointed in 2021 by Michael Gove to head up the taskforce dedicated to the issue. Born in Sunderland and educated in West Yorkshire, he's now chief executive of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, a think-tank committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. For more about the UP North events visit www.n8research.org.uk/upnorth. *** Plus, Rob gives some sleep tips from Erling Haaland to father-to-be and Liverpool Echo political editor Liam Thorp, as they talk about Rishi Sunak forcing violent criminals to face their victims in the dock, and how the Conservatives are playing fast and loose with the facts on fly-tipping. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let's start with a question: how often do you go to your nearest town or city centre? For many, the answer would be: not as much as I used to. And there are a host of reasons for that: the rise of online shopping, people working from home instead of offices, and even the cost of living crisis. It is perhaps easy to understand, then, why Britain has lost 6,000 storefronts in just five years after the combined pressures of Covid, the cost of living crisis, and the rise in business rates. Local leaders have described these factors on our high streets as "devastating". But at the same time, it is clear that the state of our high streets, whether it's in a big city centre or a small market town, really matters to voters who consistently put it at the top of their priorities. If we are no longer going to our towns to shop, our urban centres need to offer something different in order to survive - whether that's leisure, green space, or even somewhere to live. On this week's episode, Rob Parsons investigates how this agenda is progressing across the North, speaking to those in the know in Wakefield, a city in West Yorkshire, and Ormskirk, a smaller market town in Lancashire. The Northern Agenda editor also speaks to a national leading expert on town centre management on what these places need to do to succeed. Rob chats to: ⬆️ Michael Graham, the Labour councillor for Wakefield West ⬆️ Ojay McDonald, Chief Executive of the Association of Town & City Management ⬆️ Jamie Lopez, senior reporter for Lancs Live *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you own a small business in the North of England and you're either starting up or trying to grow to the next level, the chances are you'll be after some financial backing to make that happen. But for many firms, access to finance can be hard to come by - and that's where the British Business Bank and its chief executive Louis Taylor comes in. The agency, founded in 2014 and with its headquarters in Sheffield, underpins debt and equity provision to small and medium-sized companies and aims to make the business finance market fairer, more efficient and more diverse.  It's also recently launched a new £200m investment fund in the South West and Louis, who grew up in the North East tells Rob Parsons about his commitment to helping unlock the potential that exists in our region, address regional imbalances and make sure finance markets work better for entrepreneurs, no matter where they are in the country. And Rob also chats about the big stories of the week - including A-Levels and the glorious Lionesses - with Ruth Hannan, director of the People's Powerhouse movement. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you opened Friday's Northern Agenda newsletter you won't have been able to miss the cartoon by Graeme Bandeira featuring Nadine Dorries, the Merseyside-born Tory MP and former Culture Secretary who seems to be absent without leave from her constituency in Bedfordshire. She's failed to speak in the Commons for more than a year and hasn't voted in Parliament since April, but as her constituents are finding out, it's very difficult to get rid of an absentee MP outside election season. But at local level in our town halls the rules are very different, as Hull councillor Sarah Harper-Riches found out to her cost. Councillors cease to be a member of their authority if they fail to attend any meeting for six consecutive months. But her recall has sparked fury as her absence was triggered first by the birth of her first daughter but then because she suffers from chronic fatigue syndrome, delaying her return to local politics. She spoke to Rob Parsons about the shock of being kicked off Hull council and why her story matters for the diversity of who represents us at local level.  *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been described as the country's longest cul-de-sac, but is the town of Barrow-in-Furness the next powerhouse for the North? That's the vision set out by Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove, as he aims to help Barrow take advantage of its thriving shipyard and its status as a green energy hotspot. But as high-skilled workers from across the world descend on Barrow, can it overcome the dire reputation of its town centre and its poor transport links, with just one major road going in and out? Rob Parsons looks at what the future holds for the place Bill Bryson described as 'just about the most out-on-a-limb, end-of-the-line place in England' with local Conservative MP Simon Fell. This week the podcast also explores a vital issue for any economy in the year 2023. As developing technology and digital industries - from AI to cyber-security - grow in importance, do people in the North have the skills and opportunities to take the jobs they create? And furthermore, why is that tens of thousands of people are simply too poor to even be able to connect to the internet. Rob speaks to an expert guest in the form of Mo Isap, the Salford-based founder of the technology firm In4Group who is responsible for the UK's largest technology skills bootcamp programme. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With the cut and thrust of politics dying down a bit for the summer, Rob Parsons gets his teeth into an issue we all have to confront at some point: the state of our teeth. He looks at the stark North-South divide in England when it comes to rotten teeth and oral health. The Northern Agenda editor speaks to Jennifer Owen, a dentist in the North East, who's administering the fillings and tooth extractions for one of the worst affected areas; Eddie Crouch, a leading figure in the body that represents dentists about why it is some areas have more teeth decay than others; and Mary Foy, an MP who has raised the issue in Parliament, and who is demanding urgent action from the government. Rob also looks at the numbers behind the story with The North in Numbers podcast host and ace data reporter, Annie Gouk. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

They could well win three by-elections this week, but actually it's been a tough few days for Keir Starmer's Labour Party, who have had to front up to the fact that some of what he'd hoped to offer the electorate next year just won't be possible because to coin a phrase, there's no money left. It means that in the interests of economic stability a Labour government wouldn't end the cap on benefits for families with more than two children, something a number of prominent Labour politicians have previously expressed their outrage about. So who better to ask about Labour's much more prudent approach to its spending than Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor who could be in charge of the public purse strings in just a few months time? She was speaking at a meeting in her home city of Leeds of Northern Gritstone, an organisation which invests in innovative ideas from Northern universities and aims to turn them into big, impactful businesses. Rob Parsons asks her about innovation in the North, what the new economic reality means for Labour's promises on green jobs and HS2, and what she makes of North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll quitting the party. We also hear from Leeds academic Professor Piers Forster, an expert in climate physics who's helped write some of the most globally significant reports on climate change. He's the director of the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures and as of last month he's the interim chair of the Climate Change Committee, the independent body that advises the UK government on how to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. With greenhouse gas emissions at record levels, heatwaves sweeping the globe and Rishi Sunak facing criticism for not taking the issue seriously, it feels like a critical time for this most pressing of issues. But what can we do to help in the North?   *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Back in 2019 as Labour's red wall was crumbling in the North, Boris Johnson ally Nigel Adams was strolling to a 20,000 majority in the safe North Yorkshire seat of Selby and Ainsty. So it says something about how the fortunes of the main parties have changed since then that when locals go to the polls in next week's by-election - caused by Nigel Adams quitting after failing to get a peerage - there's every chance that Labour could cause a huge upset and take the seat. After a fair amount of cajoling and WhatsApp messages Rob Parsons managed to secure interviews with the candidates for both the main parties.  For Labour there's Keir Mather, a 25-year-old who was born in Hull and grew up near Selby, who's most recent job was at the Confederation of British Industry.  And the Conservatives' candidate, chosen at the second attempt, is Claire Holmes, a barrister and a local councillor in the East Riding of Yorkshire.  How's the campaign going, what are the big issues for voters, and what do they make of each other? Have a listen and find out. Rob also catches up on this week's Northern news - including hydrogen in our homes, a possible U-turn on the North's railways and a new investment zone for South Yorkshire - with Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's nothing that excites politics-watchers at Westminster like the arrival of a new group or faction, particularly in the ruling party. The latest emerged this week in the form of the New Conservatives, mostly made up of recently-elected Tory MPs including quite a few in the North, and they're calling for what they describe as "a new era in which Westminster respects the views, values and interests of the British people". And their controversial plan to lower migration levels - and help solve the country's social care crisis into the bargain - involves ending temporary visa schemes for care workers coming in from abroad. Rob Parsons speaks to one of the group's members, Bolton West MP Chris Green, about how the policy would work and whether Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is likely to listen. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We've all heard of Levelling Up - but this week there was a launch of a book called Levelling Up 2.0: A Blueprint for the Future, by the policy institute Curia, where Michael Gove, the Cabinet Minister in charge of the project, gave a keynote speech. Could it be a sign that the concept which was on everyone's lips when Boris Johnson was Prime Minister needs some fresh impetus to get it back on the political agenda? This week on the podcast Rob Parsons speaks to Katherine Fletcher, Tory MP for South Ribble in Lancashire, who wrote a chapter in the book. She talks about why we should be focusing on more than just big boys' trains sets when talking about transport links, and why a mayor like Andy Burnham might not be the answer for her home county of Lancashire. And Rob has a look at some of this week's more interesting politics stories - like sewage in the water and the impact of soaring interest rates - with a brilliant Northern journalist who's made his name in London, Kevin Maguire, associate editor at the Daily Mirror. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

So what's the big battleground likely to be at the next election, above stopping the boats and even the NHS? It's the economy stupid, in the immortal words of Bill Clinton. Sky-high inflation rates mean our money's not going as far as it used to as wage increases are outstripped by rising prices and we're all having to cut back, with many families in the North now really struggling. But is there an end in sight now for the UK's economic pain - and will people living in the North see the same kind of recovery as those in London and the South East? As a wider point, are the efforts by the Government to level up and tackle regional inequalities having any impact on the economic prospects of towns, cities and villages in our region? We've got a great expert guest to answer those questions and more in the shape of Simon French, the chief economist of Panmure Gordon, an investment bank with a big office in Leeds. And Rob Parsons speaks to Charlotte Nichols, Labour MP for Warrington South, about her tumultuous time in Parliament so far, battling post-traumatic stress disorder and why being a politician at Westminster is like no other job. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Should Labour party bosses in Westminster or local party members be in charge of who the party puts forward for the biggest political jobs? Labour leader Keir Starmer is facing severe criticism this week for excluding the left-wing North of Tyne mayor Jamie Driscoll from the Labour shortlist to be the first ever metro mayor of the North East. And there's been a huge backlash to the Government's plans to house hundreds of asylum seekers in barges, with Merseyside and Teesside the reported sites the Government are looking at. Rob Parsons looks at both these stories with Ruth Hannan, who's based in Manchester and is a director of the People's Powerhouse, a movement that aims to bring Northerners together to have a say on what the future of the North should be. And she explains why she's picked a fight with Northern Powerhouse Partnership chairman Lord Jim O'Neill after he set out how growth, investment and high wages should be the cornerstone of the North's future. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Did you know that across the North, hard-up councils are spending a staggering £5m a week sending children to school in taxis? The Northern Agenda has been crunching the numbers and it turns out that across the region nearly 33,000 pupils have taxis to school paid for by their local authorities, who have a legal duty to help children who cannot walk or use public transport to get there. Why is the total so high and why are some councils paying so much more than others? Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons talks about the story with Una Summerson, head of policy and public affairs at Contact, a national charity for families with disabled children.  And with the political machinations in Tory mayor Ben Houchen's Teesside patch now involving key Ministers like Michael Gove and even Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, Rob's been speaking to one of the region's Conservative MPs to find out what he makes of it. Matt Vickers is MP for Stockton South tells us about the unexpected resurgence of the Conservatives in his borough, what the Government's doing to bring down record high migration levels and of course that big Teesworks row that's been making all the headlines. *** Don't forget you can now watch the best interviews from The Northern Agenda podcast on YouTube - check out our playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzE0rXt9oGq2nfc3VHw-Pzx1tttiLpP6z *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If Stephen Bear was aiming for theatre during his trial, the former reality TV star instead delivered farce and pantomime.  But it was no laughing matter: the Celebrity Big Brother winner was sent to prison for 21 months in March following his conviction on revenge porn charges in December last year. Bear uploaded a video of him having sex with Love Island star Georgia Harrison without her consent on OnlyFans and WhatsApp. He was charged with two counts of disclosing private sexual photographs or films and one count of voyeurism. From day one, he made a mockery of the proceedings: from extravagant costumes and props to a rented Rolls Royce to unfounded claims about the jury. In this episode of Testimony, our true crime podcast, Ellis Whitehouse, chief reporter at EssexLive, who was there throughout the trial, discusses Bear's bizarre behaviour, the bravery of Georgia Harrison, and the reaction to his conviction. *** Testimony is a Laudable production for Reach, in collaboration with Essex Live. The story was told by Ellis Whitehouse with questions from Daniel J. McLaughlin, who also produced the podcast. You can listen to previous episodes of our podcast on all the major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, Google, and more. And you can read more about this case on the Essex Live website: https://www.essexlive.news/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a question everyone in the North should care about: Why are so many young people in our region planning to move elsewhere for a better life? On the week of a new report being published about the 'Northern brain drain', Rob Parsons speaks to young people and political leaders about what we need to offer to stop them leaving. And it's been a busy week for our two best-known metro mayors, Tees Valley's Ben Houchen and Greater Manchester's Andy Burnham, who've been hitting the headlines for very different reasons. Rob discussed their fortunes with Henri Murison of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership and asks whether Alastair Campbell was right to say there's no such thing as the North-South divide. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Tony Blair's official spokesman and director of communications Alastair Campbell was in the room where it happened for some of the biggest decisions of the last Labour government.  Now a journalist, author, strategist, broadcaster and activist, he's behind one of the country's leading politics podcasts and has just released a new book about how normal people can get involved in politics.  But this week he's on The Northern Agenda podcast talking to Rob Parsons about his childhood in Keighley, West Yorkshire, the success of levelling up, what Tony Blair did for the North and how the 'red wall' deserted Labour. Oh and the success of his beloved Burnley FC. And Rob chats with the Liverpool Echo's Liam Thorp about the big stories of the week. As Eurovision fever takes over Liverpool, do the local election results mean Rishi Sunak has met his Waterloo? And will nationalising TransPennine Express make rail services in the North Ooh Aah Just A Little Bit better (sorry)? *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's local elections day which means plenty of town hall drama to digest - including a new mayor in Middlesbrough and closely-fought contests across the North. But what does it all mean for the balance of power in our region - and were people even able to vote at all due to the new ID rules brought in by the Government. Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons digests what we know so far with Zoe Billingham, director of the IPPR North think-tank. *** And Rob interviews journalist and author Bernard Ginns about his new book detailing one of the most vicious corporate battles in recent years involving a maverick Northern industrialist, Andrew Cook, as he tried to find off the powerful financial institutions that wanted to take over his company. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The bunting is out, the candles on the cake are lit, and the party poppers are at the ready: the Northern Agenda is celebrating its second birthday! And of course the best person to celebrate the occasion with is the person who was there from the beginning - and still keeps the newsletter and podcast strong - two years later: Northern Agenda editor Rob Parsons. Rob speaks to producer Dan McLaughlin about the past two years in Northern politics - and whether levelling up is still a priority for Rishi Sunak and the government. *** And it wasn't that long ago that the big story on all of our minds was vaccines: who's making them, who's getting them, do they work and how often we need them? But despite the worst of the pandemic now being thankfully in the rear view mirror, in large part thanks to the incredible roll-out of coronavirus vaccines across the country, the need to protect people from vaccine-preventable diseases. And in fact a major issue concerning health professionals is the host of other diseases that vaccines can help prevent and the fact that for many of these we're a long way behind where we should be, with millions of children missing out on vaccines during the pandemic. It's an issue medics are hoping to raise as this week is the World Health Organisation's World Immunization Week. But actually there's lots of fantastic work going on in our region on just this subject which could have a major impact on global health. So let's find out more about it Dr Marie O'Brien, co-founder of University of Liverpool spinout company called ReNewVax *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In two weeks the country will just have elected some 8,000 new local councillors and we'll know who's going to be in control of town halls from Liverpool to Leicester and from Middlesbrough to Milton Keynes. May's local elections are generally described from a national media standpoint as a litmus test of the popularity of our main party leaders - which is understandable given that we could be just a year out from the next General Election. But actually these kinds of sweeping generalisations overlook the fact that at a local level the elections on May 4 could make a massive difference to the political scene in towns, villages and cities across the North of England. On The Northern Agenda podcast this week Rob Parsons speaks with Jonathan Carr-West of the Local Government Information Unit think tank about the races to watch in the North and why we really all ought to be voting. And Rob's joined by friend of the podcast Edna Robinson of the People's Powerhouse movement to talk about the North-South health divide, protests at the snooker and why Rishi Sunak's 'maths for all' plan doesn't add up. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Agenda Editor Rob Parsons is back on podcasting duties after a break for Easter and ready and raring to go with more expert analysis about two topics which could make a huge difference to the lives of people in our region in the coming years. First, there's carbon capture and storage - where the harmful emissions from our polluting industries in the North aren't simply released into the atmosphere but stored in enormous under-sea caverns instead.  The Government is backing this technology to the tune of £20bn but how does it all work and will it make any difference to levelling up or net zero in places like Teesside, the Humber and the North West? Rob's been talking to a leading expert, Jonathan Briggs, Director of Humber Zero with VPI Power, a firm based in Immingham south of the River Humber, to find out more. PLUS: We all need a fast, reliable internet connection but there are still a few pockets of the country that can't get the fast broadband speeds the rest of us have come to expect - and many of them are in rural or remote towns and villages in the North. That's a big problem for anyone trying to start a business in these areas and often means, ultimately, that families move out to find areas with better connections. So the stakes are very high - and the man put in charge of the effort to roll out faster broadband is Simon Blagden, who chairs the government's Building Digital UK agency. He talks to Rob about his work on Project Gigabit and how broadband is even an issue in his village in North Yorkshire. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There's a big exclusive this week from The Northern Agenda as we've been digging into the process that saw hundreds of local councils bidding for cash to improve their communities as part of the Levelling Up Fund.  There were lots of winners who got £20m here or £10m there for regeneration schemes but also many more losers who put time and money into their bids and got nowhere. But it turns out there was one big winner from the whole process and that's the consultancy firms who helped our cash-strapped local councils write their bids. There's a huge change to local democracy arriving on April Fool's Day in the rural heartlands of the North. From April 1, in Cumbria and North Yorkshire the old system of district and county councils are being ditched and replaced by brand new unitary authorities.  Rob Parsons has been speaking to two politicians from those patches, Keane Duncan a senior councillor on the new North Yorkshire council talking about the hot potato of active travel schemes that prioritise cyclists and walkers over cars, and the A64, the road that's holding back North Yorkshire's economy. And in Cumbria we're hearing from John Stevenson, the MP for Carlisle who also leads the influential Northern Research Group of backbench Tory MPs. Rob asked him how Levelling Up is faring under Rishi Sunak and why quite so many Conservatives are leaving politics ahead of the next election. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The issue of who claims asylum in this country, in what numbers and how they're getting here has been hugely controversial in recent weeks. Rishi Sunak has made his plan to 'stop the boats' one of his priorities as Prime Minister, and has unveiled legislation which aims to stop people claiming asylum in the UK if they arrive through unauthorised means.  But as new government figures show that towns and cities in the North take a far greater share of asylum seekers than other parts of the country, what does it mean for the communities affected? Rob Parsons reports from a conference in Newcastle where experts from a host of different fields put forward their view on how we can fix the country's broken asylum system. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It was a brutal murder that shocked Manchester: torture, betrayal, killers likened to “creatures” and “a kind of cancer”. In the summer of 2022, Thomas Campbell was attacked in a professionally planned operation, lasting hours, and left for dead. He succumbed to his injuries after being stabbed, punched, kicked, and strangled. Andrew Bardsley followed this case as it played out in court, and he describes it as “the most brutal murder I've come across” over the years he has worked as a reporter. The Manchester Evening News court reporter tells Testimony -A True Crime Podcast about the events in July 2022, the investigation, and the reaction in the courtroom. *** Testimony is a Laudable production for the Manchester Evening News. It was presented and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin, featuring Andrew Bardsley. You can listen to previous episodes of our podcast on all the major platforms, including Spotify, Apple, Google, and more. And you can read more about this case on the MEN's website: manchestereveningnews.co.uk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Calculators at the ready - it's that time of year again when the North's political and business leaders but also members of the public pay a little extra attention to what's being said in Westminster. In a special live edition of The Northern Agenda podcast - Rob Parsons delves into Jeremy Hunt's first Budget as Chancellor and looks at what it means for the North. There were some big national news lines: we saw a major expansion in state-funded childcare and tax breaks for businesses in Budget measures aimed at boosting economic growth. But will levelling up efforts be helped by some of the other key policies - like big devolution deals for Greater Manchester, new low-tax investment zones and a massive boost for funding for carbon capture and storage? We've got a fantastic panel full of expertise about Northern politics to dissect what it all means for people in our region. - Zoë Billingham - Director of the IPPR North think-tank - Nicola Headlam - the Chief Economist at Red Flag Alert and former Head of Northern Powerhouse at the Government's Cities and Local Growth Unit - Tom Lees, the Managing Director at the Manchester-based economics consultancy firm Bradshaw Advisory - And Henri Murison, chief executive of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership   *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hello and welcome to this very special episode of The Menopod to mark International Women's Day. Award-winning hosts Susan Lee and Dawn Collinson are back to chat about every aspect of the menopause - or what they like to call puberty's evil older sister. Joining them on this special is Dr Paula Briggs, Chair of the British Menopause Society and a Consultant in Sexual and Reproductive Health. All of which means she knows her onions when it comes to menopause and perimenopause - and answers some of our listener's most pressing questions about this critical stage in a woman's life. Sue and Dawn discuss whether there is now almost too much information out there about the menopause? Have we moved from a place where women struggled to find any information to there now being a blizzard of stuff? Welcome to your FAQs about life for women over-45. *** The Menopod is presented by Susan Lee and Dawn Collinson, and it is produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. It is a Laudable production for Reach, and it is available on all major podcasting platforms, including Apple and Spotify. The title music is End of the Rainbow by Quincas Moreira. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's an idea few could take issue with - having all the services you need like work, food, health, education and culture within 15 minutes of your house by bike or on foot. The urban planning concept of 15-minute cities is gaining traction around the world and in the UK, with leaders in Sheffield and Newcastle among those embracing the idea of self-sufficient neighbourhoods with less need for cars. But the philosophy has many vocal opponents on the right of politics - and last week in the Commons Conservative Don Valley MP Nick Fletcher joined their ranks as he described 15-minute cities as an "international socialist concept" that "will cost us our personal freedom". This week on The Northern Agenda podcast, the South Yorkshire 'red wall' MP tells Rob exactly why he's concerned - and a local councillor in Sheffield explains why the changes will make it easier to access services on your doorstep. Also, Rob chats with Luke Myer from the IPPR North think-tank about some of the big events of the week in Northern politics. *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Getting more people into high-quality skills training is apparently one of Rishi Sunak's big priorities. And progress can't come soon enough as the gap in productivity - meaning the amount of value generated by the average worker per hour - is widening between the North and the South East. But what would Labour do about it if they got into government? We might get the answer at the Labour Party Northern Skills Conference, held in Heckmondwike in West Yorkshire and chaired by Kim Leadbeater, the MP for Batley and Spen.  This week on the podcast Rob Parsons speaks to Kim about how we can get talented young people from the North into the jobs that will get our region's economy moving. Rob also chews over some of the other big politics stories in the North with someone who's probably covered every inch of rail and road in our great region over the years, Henri Murison from the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, described as the leading voice of business and civic leaders across the North.  We'll be asking, do we need a Minister for the North? And does it matter that Michael Gove's Levelling Up Department can't spend any money without approval from the Treasury? *** The Northern Agenda is a Laudable production for Reach. It is presented by Rob Parsons, and produced by Daniel J. McLaughlin. You can subscribe to the daily Northern Agenda newsletter here: http://www.thenorthernagenda.co.uk/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices