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In the UK, it’s sadly common for politicians to make promises they have no intention of keeping. Usually, however, they at least promise things they could plausibly achieve. This is not the case with what some would-be Reform councillors are promising:

Local election leaflets based on pretty much everything that the local council doesn't do – who would have thought it,,,,, pic.twitter.com/U0Ndt64yWv

— dave lawrence (@dave43law) April 20, 2026

What can Reform do for you?

The full post is from the Facebook page Reform Are Not Your Friends. We’re going to have a look to see if we can confirm their analysis:

1⃣ “Put Londoners first for social housing”

Reality: That’s set by central government and the Mayor of London. Watford isn’t in London.

Just because Watford isn’t in London, that doesn’t mean they can’t prioritise Londoners. It would be a strange thing to do, obviously, but would it be any stranger than this?

NEW – Reform-led Nottinghamshire County Council are set to piss away £75k on flags while 22% of local children live in poverty

By @jjgjourno https://t.co/9QcUFD66yt

— Canary (@TheCanaryUK) October 24, 2025

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2⃣ “Oppose housing illegal immigrants in hotels”

Reality: This is controlled by the Home Office. Councils don’t decide asylum accommodation.

To be completely fair, councils can “oppose” local migrant hotels. Whether it will make any difference is another matter entirely.

There are good reasons to oppose the policy of boxing migrants in hotels (as opposed to allowing them to live and work in communities). Reform aren’t making that argument, though; they’re just punching down, because they’re bullies.

3⃣ “Support our struggling high streets”

Reality: This is one of the few things the council actually can influence. Local investment, planning, events.

Good on Reform for getting one right!

4⃣ “End ULEZ and the war on drivers”

Reality: The Ultra Low Emission Zone is run by the Mayor of London. Watford has no authority over it.

I.e. Reform have lost the war on drivers.

Embarrassing, honestly.

It’s also embarrassing that Reform is yet another party which refuses to acknowledge the benefits of cycling and mass public transport:

Even if you never use public transit, it helps make your drive easier. Buses & trains remove cars from the street. pic.twitter.com/p7t0XV23Tc

— Andy Boenau (@Boenau) April 13, 2026

If you’re a diehard motorist, you should want as many people on buses and bikes as possible.

Unless you’re actually a diehard ‘sitting in traffic’ person, obviously, in which case carry on.

5⃣ “Crack down on anti-social behaviour”

Reality: Policing is handled by Hertfordshire Constabulary. The council plays a supporting role at best.

Councils do cover things which fall under the blanket of ‘anti-social behaviour’ (graffiti, fly-tipping, etc). At the same time, candidate Mark Dixon doesn’t clarify how he’ll fix these issues; he just says he’ll magically save money elsewhere.

As we’ve seen with the Reform-run councils, these savings keep failing to materialise. In fact, Reform have actually increased spending in some instances – including on their own pay packets.

Absolute shower

All in all, it looks like Dixon doesn’t know what he’s running for. And as they say, where there is no vision, there is no gold.

Oh wait, actually, that’s wrong isn’t it; this is the actual phrase:

Yes it's real

And yes I'm crying pic.twitter.com/OFO9CxCODS

— dave lawrence (@dave43law) April 19, 2026

What’s going on with these Reform candidates?

Featured image via Virrage (via Canva)

By Willem Moore

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The BBC has, yet again, tried to provide cover for Israeli criminality and mitigate damage to its already appalling reputation.

Support among the misguided ‘Christian’ right for the US-Israel war on Iran had already been rocked by Trump’s self-indulgent post of himself as Jesus. Images of an Israeli soldier attacking a statue of the crucified Jesus during Israel’s illegal invasion of Lebanon are doing more damage still, so the BBC did its best to cover and fudge, as commentator Saul Staniforth noted.

#BBCNews: “Can I ask you specifically about this image thats come to light of an IDF soldier allegedly striking a statue of Jesus”

allegedly, adverb, used to convey that something is claimed to be the case or have taken place, although there is no proof.

There’s a photo! pic.twitter.com/n8vswBs4yb

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— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) April 20, 2026

BBC journo: ‘allegedly’. Israel: ‘No, it’s real actually’

The presenter’s attempted obfuscation that the image only “allegedly” showed the attack was made even more ridiculous by the fact that the Israeli regime has already admitted it’s real. More ridiculous still by the fact that the correspondent mentioned this. But the BBC is no stranger to self-humiliation for propaganda purposes, particularly regarding Israel.

The ‘Christian’ right, particularly but not exclusively in the US, supports Israel because of a twisted theology that claims Jesus can only return with ‘Israel’ back on land it has stolen from the Palestinians.

Israeli contempt for Christians is well established, such as their spitting on Christian pilgrims. Extremist Israeli ‘security’ minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, defended this practice as ‘tradition’.

The ‘Christian nationalist’ right has been happy to suck up this humiliation and ignore Israel’s slaughter of Christians and the destruction of churches in Gaza. However, images of Zionist US president, Donald Trump, depicting himself as Jesus as he does Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu’s war bidding  — and now of an IOF soldier attacking a statue of the suffering Christ with a sledgehammer — threaten that Pavlovian support.

A worried Netanyahu condemned it and said the IOF is investigating — marking its own homework as ever while the scandal dies down.

Never fear, though. The BBC will always do its best to deflect and defuse for the occupiers.

Featured image via BBC News

By Skwawkbox

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The Scottish Greens have been laying out policy plans ahead of the Holyrood elections on 7 May. The party is hoping for a “breakthrough” result.

They’ve pledged action to make maternity care safer for women, babies and staff. The Greens would introduce earn-as-you-learn routes to bring more people into the midwife profession and ensure that financial barriers don’t put off those who want to train.

And as part of plans to cut the cost of living and protect the environment, the Scottish Greens will introduce a Scottish Repair Voucher scheme. This would allow people to get a discount on repairing household goods at participating manufacturers and retailers.

Safer maternity services

Earn-as-you-learn midwife training is part of a range of measures. These will also include minimum safe staffing levels on all maternity and labour wards.

The Scottish Greens say the changes are vital to ease pressure on overstretched maternity services. And they would ensure women and families get the safe, high-quality care they deserve throughout pregnancy, labour and the postnatal period.

Scottish Greens co-leader Gillian Mackay said:

Too many women and families are being let down by a maternity system that is under enormous strain while midwives are being asked to do more and more in overstretched services. That is not fair on them or on the people relying on their care.

For far too long, staff have been carrying the burden of workforce shortages, rising pressure and a system that is too often stretched beyond safe limits. That has real consequences for the quality of care, for staff wellbeing and for the confidence families should be able to have in maternity services.

Dignity, safety and making sure every family gets the care they deserve at one of the most important moments in their lives is crucial. Women should know that when they need care, the right staff will be there, with the time and capacity to support them properly.

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That is why the Scottish Greens are committed to introducing minimum safe staffing levels on all maternity and labour wards and expanding the midwife workforce by creating accessible earn-as-you-learn routes into midwifery.

Because, if we are serious about fixing the staffing crisis, we need to remove the barriers that prevent more people from taking up training in the profession in the first place.

On 7 May, people have a chance to vote for the Scottish Greens who will demand better for women’s health, better for maternity care and better for the staff who keep these services going.

Greens to introduce Scottish Repair Voucher scheme

A coalition of charities and waste management groups launched the UK’s first repair voucher pilot scheme in North London in 2025. It allowed residents to get up to 50% off the cost of repairs at participating businesses.

Similar schemes have already proven successful in other European countries, including Austria, France and Germany.

This is part of a package of measures that the party is proposing to reduce waste and save people money. This would include a requirement on some product manufacturers to take back used products, such as mattresses and textiles, at the end of their life.

Mackay said:

If we’re serious about tackling the cost-of-living crisis and the climate crisis, then we have to make it cheaper and easier for people to do the right thing. Our repair voucher scheme will make it cheaper to repair the things we already own rather than buying them again as new.

It is a simple and straightforward way of putting money back into people’s pockets. By covering part of the cost of fixing everyday items, we can help households to stretch their budgets and avoid unnecessary big purchases.

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The benefits are wider, as it will also help us to cut waste while supporting local repair businesses. It’s a win for households struggling with the cost of living, and a win for the small businesses rooted in our communities.

These kinds of schemes are already common across Europe and are already helping to support people through the cost of living crisis while reducing waste and protecting our planet. It’s time to do the same in Scotland.

Featured image via the Canary

By The Canary

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A global accounting giant and an economic forecasting firm say the war in Iran could see 250,000 people lose their jobs in 2027. The math is simple: the ruling class wages war and makes money, and workers carry the costs. Professional services giant Deloitte and economic forecasters at EY Item Club delivered their warning on 20 April.

Iran: economic blowback

The Guardian reported:

The EY Item Club also expects unemployment to hit 5.8% by the middle of 2027, up from the current five-year high of 5.2%, with almost 250,000 more people losing their jobs because of the crisis in the Middle East.

Adding:

If the forecast is correct, that would increase the number of jobseekers from 1.87 million now to more than 2.1 million.

Meanwhile, EY Item Club economist Matt Swannell said:

Spiralling energy costs and disruption to supply chains will push the UK to the brink of a technical recession in the middle of this year.

Consumers’ spending power will be squeezed, while more expensive financing arrangements and a less certain global economic backdrop will pour cold water on companies’ investment plans.

Deloitte’s head economist Ian Stewart told the Guardian:

Finance leaders are coping with high levels of external uncertainty and their focus is on managing risks from geopolitics, rising energy prices and higher financing costs,” said Ian Stewart, the chief economist at Deloitte UK.

‘Cost control’ = job cuts

The newspaper reported:

When asked about the consequences of adverse geopolitical developments over the next three years, the top three concerns among CFOs were energy costs (61%), inflation and interest rates (61%) and an increase in cyber-attacks (60%).

Stewart said:

Rarely in the last 16 years have UK CFOs been more focused on cost control than today.

He said the current “challenging environment”:

is prompting CFOs to scale back expectations for margins and sharpen their focus on cost reduction and cash conservation.

Adding:

The immediate priority for finance leaders is to strengthen balance sheets in the face of external headwinds.

Let’s translate this into plain English…

The foreign policy decisions – notably around Iran – of Trump and Starmer are coming home to roost. And the victims of any downturn aren’t going to be millionaires and billionaires. Hard-pressed workers will be hit to “strengthen balance sheets” in the “face” of “external headwinds”. That is to say, their jobs could be cut to keep the  bank accounts of the wealthy swollen.

Any sensible political party would push against this. But none of the big parties is likely to…

People say British mainstream politicians are impossible to tell apart. That charge is essentially true. The fact is they all align on having an aggressive foreign policy and a commitment to free market capitalism.

Some would say foreign policy doesn’t figure in domestic elections – especially council elections. But these are not normal times. Faced with rising fascism, there are few electoral alternatives to the brutal free market capitalism and forever wars which produce it. Yet they do exist. Local council elections are on 7 May 2026. You can find out about eligibility, ID requirements and register to vote here.

Featured image via the Canary

By Joe Glenton

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Other than at the gym and when I have a UTI (which is, unfortunately, pretty often) my pelvic floor isn’t something I’ve ever given much thought to.

Admittedly, I pee probably 20 times a day (for real) but I’d always attributed that to the fact I drink a shit ton of water, tea, and coffee.

Whenever I see those ‘do your kegels with me’ videos on TikTok or Instagram reels, I’ll follow along (I’m fickle, after all). And by my judgement, it does seem like I know how to do a kegel.

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But otherwise, I go about my life pretty much entirely ignorant of my pelvic floor health.

When I heard that Smile Makers Collection – the creators of some of my favourite sex toys like the Ballerina and Poet – was venturing into the wellness category with the launch of Pelvic Partner, I wasn’t exactly excited.

I mean, vibrators are one thing, but pelvic floor trainers are another thing – perhaps necessary, but they’re not going to give you any thrills. Or, so I thought.

When I received the Pelvic Partner, though, that changed everything I thought I knew about the pelvic floor.

What is the pelvic floor and how do you engage it?

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If, like me, you’re wondering why the pelvic floor really matters, it might surprise you to learn that strengthening this group of hidden muscles can help prevent unwanted symptoms as you age.

The muscles surround the bladder, bowels, and reproductive organs, which means they can weaken as you age, during menopause, or during and after childbirth.

Weak pelvic floor muscles can result in incontinence, instability, lower back pain, and needing the toilet often, while having a pelvic floor that is too tight can also result in constipation, pain during sex, and erectile dysfunction.

To prevent your pelvic floor weakening as you age, the NHS recommends doing daily pelvic floor exercises. This involves squeezing your muscles to engage them for two seconds and releasing, and repeating 10 times.

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Not sure how to tell you’re doing it right? The NHS describes the sensation as the same as when you’re stopping yourself from peeing and farting. So it’s about to get hot and sexy up in here.

How to use the Pelvic Partner

Thankfully, Pelvic Partner easy as to use (you’re not going to get me to do exercise any other way).

After charging it using the USB cable, you simply slather the surface in lube, pop it inside your vagina up until the ‘comfort line’ and bend the tail towards your belly button.

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You then turn it on, using the button at the end of the tail, and switch between the eight ‘training programmes’ the toy is equipped with.

Just like you’d train at the gym, Smile Makers Collection recommends using the Partner three times a week for two to three sets, at 10-15 reps per session.

To start with, the brand suggests choosing a setting you can complete all your exercises with. Settings one and two are ‘gentle’ to teach you how to engage your pelvic floor; three and four are ‘building’; five and six are ‘strong’; and seven and eight are ‘advanced’.

Once you feel like it’s easy to complete your session, you can move up to the next setting. This would be easy, I thought.

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My review of the Pelvic Partner

How I tested

About me: I’m a 26-year-old woman who doesn’t have children. I’ve been testing sex toys and sexual wellness products for around five years, both in this role and my previous role at Cosmopolitan, Women’s Health, and Men’s Health, as well as while running my podcast/magazine, Sextras.

I’ve been using Smile Makers Collection’s Pelvic Partner for three weeks, making sure to not testing any other pelvic floor products at the same time.

As someone who has never done pelvic floor exercises consistently, I made sure to stick to a regime of three times a week. I also followed the brand’s instructions of how to use the trainer to make sure I was getting the most out of it.

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First impressions

First up, this little orange device has two bulbous spheres that are supposed to sit inside your vagina – and just from giving it a squeeze with my hands, it felt fantastic.

Covered in smooth silicone, the toy has a cushiony feel to it, which is unlike other internal sex toys and pelvic floor trainers I’ve tried. This also makes it slick enough for washing it to take seconds.

Upon turning it on, I could tell exactly how the toy would work. It’s loaded with 360 degrees of haptic squeeze sensors, which means it vibrates when you’re engaging your pelvic floor.

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To make sure you know what setting you’re on, the trainer will buzz the same amount of times, making it extremely intuitive.

Even better, it doesn’t require an app, so I knew I wouldn’t have to worry about it storing any of my sensitive data.

Final verdict

As someone who has done mat Pilates at least once a week for the last few years, I have always believed myself to know where my pelvic floor muscles are, and how to engage them. I’ve also never had any serious health conditions linked to my pelvic floor, so I didn’t think I had any issues with strength down there.

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The first time I tried this trainer, it became clear just how wrong I was. While its first two settings felt like light work – it immediately vibrated at even the slightest contraction on the first one – the move up to the third setting was significant.

While I could easily do 10 reps, it felt tricky (to say the least) to keep going after just one set. I just about managed two, and thought I’d move up to the fourth programme just to see if I could hack it. But no ball. No matter how hard I tried, I simply could not make the damn thing buzz.

Now, I’m not exactly a competitive person, which is why I’ve always been a begrudging exerciser. With this trainer, though, I started to feel myself become competitive the more I used it.

Determined to move up through the strengths, I committed to using it three times a week.

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And in the span of a mere seven days, I was able to move up to the fourth setting with no problem at all.

I even think the trainer has helped with my posture and my workouts. At my weekly Pilates class, I have found myself engaging my core in a way I didn’t know I needed to previously.

Another welcome side effect is that my orgasms feel slightly stronger, or at least I’m more aware of my pelvic floor during penetration – and I’m excited to see how this builds as I work up through the programmes.

Overall, I’d rate the trainer five stars – both for design, ease of use, and results I didn’t know I needed.

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