Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · 1d

A snapshot of things I did last week 👇 I’ve been standing up for residents, particularly those with additional needs, pushing the police to do more to stop crime & ASB, and backing local businesses. Also great to host the London #LibDems in #Southwark 🧡Always more to do #DemandBetter #VoteLibDem

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · 8d

Would be helpful if a few people who were still MPs would say this...

Andrew Cutting @andrewcutting.coe.int · 8d

Interesting: Leaving the #ECHR would be a grave mistake, writes former UK Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Sir Robert Buckland KC👇

🔗 conservativehome.com/2025/10/05/r... via @conservativehome.bsky.social

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Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 11d

Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council,

"Residents are horrified by the antisemitic terrorist attack we have witnessed on our streets"

"Manchester will come together. Hate has no place in our city"

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Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 16d

One man opened a series of cinemas in abandoned London buildings (from Catford to Ealing, from Sidcup to Sutton) as part of a plan to revive the capital’s high streets. Politicians love the idea and provided millions to help. So why do they keep going bust? www.londoncentric.media/p/preston-be...

The man who can't stop opening disastrous London cinemas

Preston Benson received millions of pounds in public funds to help revive London's high streets with a chain of cinemas stretching from Ealing to Catford, and Sidcup to Sutton. What keeps going wrong?

www.londoncentric.media

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · 17d

Brilliant day with the @southwarklibdems.bsky.social talking to people across London Bridge, Bermondsey and Chaucer. Thanks for everyone who took the time to speak to us!

No love for Labour here, and great to speak to so many former Labour voters now coming over to the Lib Dems! 🔶🔶

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Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · 18d

I’m really intrigued and potentially alarmed by this development. How will Hackney use the cash? What about competitors to Lime & Voi? And what’s the plan for addressing some of the serious concerns about dockless e-bikes - poor parking, hacking, red light jumping and “Lime leg” to name a few?

Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 18d

London exclusive: Competition between big money e-bike operators has hit the point where Hackney residents will now get flat fare £1.75 journeys within the borough, with Lime and Voi winning a contract that predicts *up to £93m* in revenue from one borough. www.londoncentric.media/p/lime-bike-...

E-bike fares capped at £1.75 in Hackney — could the rest of London be next?

Exclusive: Lime and Voi win the battle for control of the £93m Hackney rental e-bike market, amid a fierce London-wide battle between deep-pocketed companies vying for control of a booming industry

www.londoncentric.media

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Simon Jeffrey @simonjeffrey.bsky.social · 18d

Great scoop. Hackney the most cycle-centric part of the city due to the demographics, location and relatively weak/absent rail and tube links. No surprise e-bike hire companies in a bidding war - Hackney is their Premier League TV rights. Great to see the lid lifted ever so slightly on the business

Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 18d

London exclusive: Competition between big money e-bike operators has hit the point where Hackney residents will now get flat fare £1.75 journeys within the borough, with Lime and Voi winning a contract that predicts *up to £93m* in revenue from one borough. www.londoncentric.media/p/lime-bike-...

E-bike fares capped at £1.75 in Hackney — could the rest of London be next?

Exclusive: Lime and Voi win the battle for control of the £93m Hackney rental e-bike market, amid a fierce London-wide battle between deep-pocketed companies vying for control of a booming industry

www.londoncentric.media

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Josiah Mortimer @josiah.writes.news · 21d

Picked up some Lib Dem stats at conference. Some of these surprised me (especially given media coverage):

1. The Liberal Democrats now control more councils than the Conservative Party

2. In May's local elections in England, the LDs elected more councillors than either Labour or the Tories.

(1/x)

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Farrukh @implausibleblog.bsky.social · 21d

Ed Davey's LibDem conference speech was pretty much everything Labour's change was meant to be

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Josh Matthews @josh-matthews.bsky.social · 21d

Fantastic discussion for a just transition at another terrific @libdems.org.uk conference

From public procurement, to AI, to new outcomes for economies, to the need for transition planning regulation

Thank you to the @greenlibdems.org.uk for hosting!

@rachelbentleyld.bsky.social

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · 21d

Fantastic end to #LDConf with @eddavey.libdems.org.uk's speech.

In the absence of either the Tories or Labour standing up to Farage and Reform, it falls to the Lib Dems to stand up for our British values here and abroad. Decency, kindness, tolerance, respect for human rights and the rule of law. 🔶

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Green Liberal Democrats @greenlibdems.org.uk · 23d

Our second event of the day begins shortly.

Join @joshmatthews.bsky.social to discuss how we ensure a just transition to clean energy. @conference.libdems.org.uk

🕦11:30
📍Mariott Hotel, Blandford Room

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Green Liberal Democrats @greenlibdems.org.uk · 23d

Our party has passed a comprehensive policy paper that takes the twin climate and nature crises seriously.

We are also pleased that our amendment, strengthening our commitment to protecting those most vulnerable to climate change, was passed.

@pippaheylings.bsky.social @conference.libdems.org.uk

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Jim Waterson @jim.londoncentric.media · 24d

A little bit of navel-gazing on the last twelve months of trying to run a start-up local news organisation with no investment or plan, entirely funded by readers. www.londoncentric.media/p/london-new...

One year of London Centric

A selection of our favourite stories that you might have missed — and a quick note from Jim.

www.londoncentric.media

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · 23d

Fab to be at Lib Dem Conference with such a great group from @southwarklibdems.bsky.social! Always great to catch up with friends across the UK, and real excitement as we look towards the local elections in May 2026! 🔶🔶🔶

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Green Liberal Democrats @greenlibdems.org.uk · 23d

For this evening's fringe, our Energy and Climate Change spokesperson @pippaheylings.bsky.social joins experts to talk about how local government can make a real difference for climate and nature. @conference.libdems.org.uk ems.org.uk

ems.org.uk

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Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · 25d

@londoncycling.bsky.social Sorry to say that the cycle lane drawing pin vandal is back in Bermondsey. Please exercise caution when using along the cycle lane by Bermondsey station. The Met Police are aware.

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Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · 26d

I love your stuff! I’m not exaggerating when I say that London Centric’s emails are the only ones I read top to bottom the moment I see them 🤓🤓

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Martin Robbins @mjrobbins.com · Sep 14

See also the *massive* cocaine epidemic among 40- to 50-something men. The media keeps talking about young people and drugs but peak deaths are among 40-49 year olds now.

James Ball @jamesrball.com · Sep 14

The discourse is all around deradicalising young men and the crisis among young men.

The discourse would be much better targeted if it was about deradicalising boomers (and increasingly Gen Xers).

Duncan Robinson @duncanrobinson.bsky.social · Sep 14

Shot, chaser

Young men more likely to vote Green than Reform. Young men second most progressive group of any demographic. Combined right-wing vote barely bigger than Green vote alone for young men

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Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · Sep 14

Teamwork is dream work 🔶

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · Sep 13

A huge thank you to everyone from Team Southwark who came out in Dulwich Village today!

Huge unhappiness with Labour, and really great to see so much support for us on the doorstep. 🔶🔶🔶

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Sam Freedman @samfr.bsky.social · Aug 10

I worked with Janet at the DfE - she was my fellow policy adviser (supporting Lib Dem ministers). She was brilliant and cares more about local government than anyone I've ever met so if you happen to live in her ward do vote for her.

Luke Taylor MP @luketaylorld.bsky.social · Aug 10

Proud to join friends from across London in West Hampstead on Saturday to support the brilliant Janet Grauberg in the by-election happening on 28th August.

…a Lab Cllr defected to the Cons, then resigned after being filmed abusing a local shopkeeper…no wonder residents were behind Janet to win!

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Rachel Bentley 🔶 @rachelbentleyld.bsky.social · Aug 20

It’s because you’re so young! I knew this 😏

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · Aug 20

This is unacceptable. While across London child homelessness has been stable, under Labour in Southwark it's risen by 77%.

Labour's failure to get a grip on the housing crisis in our borough is shameful. No child should be growing up without a safe, secure home.

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Southwark sees 77% rise in homeless children, report finds

There is one classroom worth of homeless children for every primary school, the report says.

www.bbc.com

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Richard Wingfield @richardwingfield.bsky.social · Aug 20

The Liberal Democrats have always been the only party willing to stand up for civil liberties. And just as we had to fight draconian terrorist legislation under the last Labour government, I'm pleased to see that we are doing so under this new one.

Liberal Democrats @libdems.org.uk · Aug 20

Liberal Democrats have written to the Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation to call for a review into legislation that led to mass arrests last weekend under terror laws simply for holding signs.

A the guardian article graphic.

IMAGE: Ed Davey

TEXT: Ed Davey calls for review of terrorism legislation after Palestine Action arrests

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