Politics
The House | The New Generation of Mayors Trying To Bring Young People Back Into Politics
Credit: Princess Bright
11 min read
Young people in Britain are often described as disengaged and distrustful of politics. Zoe Crowther speaks to a new generation of civic leaders who believe they can help close that gap
Connor Mulhall and Princess Bright are from opposite corners of the country and come from contrasting backgrounds, but they do have one thing in common: both are the youngest-ever ceremonial mayors chosen to represent their town or borough.
They hope that if young people in their areas can see someone like them in positions of civic leadership, they are more likely to believe the system works for them.
There are around 300 civic mayors across England, alongside more than a dozen directly elected metro mayors. Mulhall and Bright are both far from the traditional image of a ceremonial mayor: usually an older white man in robes, wearing a heavy chain.
The House travelled to Wetherby, West Yorkshire, to meet its 27-year-old mayor, Connor Mulhall, who was named Young Councillor of the Year by the National Association of Local Councils earlier this year.
Many people are likely to know Wetherby for its large service station stop on the A1, the long dual carriageway that connects London all the way up to Edinburgh.
For Mulhall, it is much more. Walking through the town, he points out the details of every little feature of the town. The best fish and chip shops. An information board about the historic brass band marching contest. A school building in need of repair. Air pollution monitors he helped to install. Flowerbeds that have been upgraded. Some fallen branches in the river that he had requested be cleared. “And look, there’s a woodpecker!” he exclaims.
Inside the town hall, the generational contrast between Mulhall and his council colleagues is obvious. Mulhall is the only person in his 20s we come across in the building, and there is a lunch being hosted for elderly residents. An older woman approaches him to say thank you for his “lovely” get-well card. She turns out to be his ex-girlfriend’s grandmother.
Mulhall did not follow a typical route into politics. He left sixth-form to start an apprenticeship with O2, where he still works, alongside serving as mayor and councillor. At 19, he was encouraged by the local Conservative association to stand for the council, and broke the record to become the town’s youngest-ever councillor before doing the same as mayor when he was selected last year.
Wetherby is a traditionally Conservative area, and Mulhall is a Tory councillor. But he sees the mayoralty as something separate from party politics. For him, it is about being an ambassador for the town, supporting charities, organising events and encouraging people to take part in local life.
This includes advocating for causes very personal to him. The following weekend, he is due to speak at a service raising money for the mental health charity Mind. Mulhall grew up with both parents experiencing mental health problems and relying on benefits, and had to live with his grandparents from a young age.
“My mum and dad have been helped by that charity, and I know that a lot of people in Wetherby have as well,” he says.
“We have had a lot of young suicides in Wetherby in the last few years. It’s a lovely place to be, but we’re not immune to that, and it does happen. It is worth talking about, because it can go on quietly; a lot of people don’t know.”
A new study by a research team from Royal Holloway, University of London, has found that nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of UK adolescents aged between 12 and 17 would vote if given the opportunity – far above the most recent voter turnout in the 2024 general election (60 per cent).
A majority – 57 per cent – also said they were interested in politics, and 58 per cent said they were willing to participate politically across five different forms of participation, with a higher preference for online than in-person participation.
The report argues that while lowering the voting age to 16 could help to include young people in democracy, this engagement is tempered by anxiety about the future and low trust in institutions, leaving young people “willing but wary”.
Mulhall says that reflects what he sees on the ground, and he does not accept the idea that young people are apathetic. Instead, he points to growing involvement in local projects and events.
“We’ve got a lot of younger people wanting to be involved in the council’s work, getting involved in things like the town bonfire,” he says. “That’s how the interest in getting involved in local stuff starts, and that has improved over recent years.”
Princess Bright, 30, became the youngest-ever Mayor of Barking and Dagenham in London last year, at the age of 29. Her route into politics was very different, with her mother having served as a Labour mayor before her, and her father as a pastor.
Like Mulhall, Bright believes that mayors can help to turn young people’s interest in politics into active engagement.
Bright believes visibility matters, explaining that young people have told her that before seeing someone like her as mayor, they “didn’t really care” about politics or local events.
“One thing I would say to young people is for them to remember that their voices matter,” she says. “And why I say that is the fact that even at a local level, they can be part of a change.”
Her presence online has helped reinforce that message. With more than 20,000 followers across Instagram and Facebook, she believes her social media profile has led to her being invited into more schools and community spaces than her mayoral predecessors, giving her opportunities to engage directly with younger audiences.
Bright believes social media is crucial for making local politics more visible and understandable.
“There is a lack of education about local politics in general,” she says.
Mulhall agrees, but stresses the need to balance the traditions of the ceremonial mayor’s role with more modern digital communication.
“Having the traditional stuff that happens every year – I think it’s really important, and I will continue to do that, because that’s the historic part of it all,” he says.
But he puts his own energetic twist on his role as mayor. In the run-up to Christmas, he filmed himself recreating the Hugh Grant dance scene from Love Actually in Wetherby town hall to raise money for Martin House children’s hospice.
Particularly for young people, if there is any time to get involved in politics, it’s now, because it’s not normal times in terms of the state of the world
Mulhall traces his own political interest back to primary school in York, where he lived as a child before moving to Wetherby.
“The park on my street was really derelict, and it had been neglected,” he says. “I worked with the local council and councillors to help redesign that park.
“I brought it to the school for consultation, and I worked really closely with a lot of the teachers. We converted this playground into a brand new one, and it’s still being used today. It still looks really nice. I do occasionally go down there, and that’s something I think is really nice in local politics… You can look at something and go: ‘I actually helped to do that’.”
He briefly considered standing for Youth Parliament as a teenager, but decided local government was where he could have the most impact.
“For me, it’s about getting things done,” he says, hinting at a sense of urgency.
“Particularly for young people, if there is any time to get involved in politics, it’s now, because it’s not normal times in terms of the state of the world.
“Regardless of your viewpoints, you need to be involved in that conversation, because it could go down paths that you may not agree with or dark paths.”
When pressed on what he means, he points to a broader breakdown in political dialogue rather than any single party. But he and Bright are clearly both painfully aware that their mainstream parties are getting squeezed by Reform UK on the right and the Green Party on the left, with young people even more likely to be tempted by the insurgent challenger parties.
“There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes to kind of bridge those gaps, but that can easily slip away,” Mulhall says. “I think it’s now more than ever for young people to get involved and have their voice heard.”
Mulhall is not up for election as a councillor this year, but Bright is fighting for her council seat. She also avoids directly criticising Reform and the Greens, which are both predicted to win multiple seats from Labour in the upcoming May elections. Barking and Dagenham looks to be a tight race between Reform and Labour, while there are multiple contests across the capital where the Greens could win councils from Labour. However, Bright encourages young people “not to vote blindly just because of what the hype is online”.
“We had Nigel Farage come down to Dagenham last week, because there is a huge influx of Reform, especially on social media, doing a lot to try and build a narrative and gain a lot of the Labour and Tory votes.
“I always say to young people when I’m out on the doorstep that they should make sure that they are reading literature properly and really understanding what the parties are offering, what their ethos is, what their manifesto is, what their policies are. I can never really personally try and convince them to vote a specific way this year because of my apolitical status.”
Being a young mayor is not always straightforward, with both saying their age can prompt scepticism from older councillors and residents.
“It can be quite challenging sometimes when they think I’m quite naive,” Mulhall admits. “But I’ve actually got over 10 years of experience in working and relationship building.
“I’ve been working since I was 14, and the things I’ve seen in my life, the people I’ve met and the jobs that I’ve done, it’s all part of the experience that I bring to the table. I don’t have a traditional background in terms of how I’ve got to be here.”
Last year, the Labour government announced that 16- and 17-year-olds will be able to vote in the next general election. While Bright supports the change, Mulhall is unconvinced.
“I appreciate there are lots of other things you can do when you’re 16, but actually it should be up to 18 for everything,” he says, arguing that many 16-year-olds do not yet “have a real grip and understanding of the world”.
When it comes to their own futures, both mayors are cautious, but do not rule out considering a move into higher political office, including running for Parliament.
“Do I want my political career to stop at just being the mayor?” Bright says. “No. But do I know my next steps, and have I mapped it out yet? No.”
Mulhall admits he has thought about what he might be giving up by pursuing a political career. Before becoming mayor, he had been considering leaving Wetherby and travelling, like many of his friends.
“I love what I do,” he says, but acknowledges that the role comes with trade-offs. For now, he has chosen to stay, and says “never say never” when it comes to running for a seat on Leeds City Council in the future.
“But one thing that I’ve learnt is that it’s all well and good having a plan, but there’s something that can come and hit you from the side and completely change what you do and where you are.
“So, I’ll just see where I am. My focus is working with the town council and the other councils to get through the strategy for the next year. But never say never… That’s a very politician’s answer.”
Back in Wetherby town hall, his name now sits at the bottom of a plaque listing every previous mayor dating back to the 1970s. But it is another plaque that holds his attention longer: the one celebrating outstanding young people in the town, part of an annual award he says he is most proud of hosting.
The Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) has decried the dire state of the north of Ireland’s emergency departments (ED). The RCEM said the new figures released by the Department of Health (DoH) about A&E units show:
…the worst four and 12-hour performance for Northern Irish EDs for any quarter on record.
In a statement, they continued:
The stats, which cover January–March 2026, showed that almost a quarter (23.5%, or an average of 12,309 patients per month) of all major ED attendances waited more than 12 hours before being discharged, admitted or transferred. A decade ago, only 1% of patients waited this long.
Meanwhile, less than a third (30.5%) were in and out of the department within the target of four hours.
The Department of Health’s targets stipulate that:
95% of patients [be] either treated and discharged home, or admitted, within four hours of their arrival in the department; and no patient… should wait longer than 12 hours.
Horror of patients left to wait for days in A&E
Perhaps the most shocking statistic is the RCEM’s citing of:
…a truly staggering 1,280 patients [who] waited more than two and a half days.
That means often very ill and exhausted people sitting or lying in corridors for sometimes 72 hours and more before they are admitted to a ward. In fact:
More than 400 (449) admitted patients waited more than 3 days in the ED in January alone.
6.7% of people simply leave the ED before they’re treated, due to the appalling wait times.
The RCEM’s north of Ireland’s vice chair Dr Sara McGurk said:
The state of our emergency care system is utterly horrifying.
She continued:
These patients [waiting for days] are being put at risk of deterioration, or even death, by this overcrowding of departments. Meanwhile, the patients who can pass through, or be discharged from, our departments within four hours are now firmly in the minority.
It is becoming difficult to even perform the basics of emergency care with overcrowding as bad as it is. Things are dire and, as the data shows, the worst they have ever been.
The RCEM’s Dr Michael Perry urged Stormont to act. He said when speaking to the BBC’s Good Morning Ulster programme (segment starts at 1:36:50 mark):
Problems in A&E [Accident & Emergency] are symptoms manifesting themselves because of [issues in] the wider network.
He continued:
I’m not here saying A&E needs all the money to fix things. It has to be distributed across the system because if we improve community care, waiting lists, timely access to specialists in hospital, social care and discharge, a lot of the problems we’re seeing manifested in our departments will be actually eased a bit.
Doctor calls for Stormont to intervene as Westminster withholds funds
Perry called on Stormont to pass a three year budget which he said would:
…improve things, it would allow a plan to be put in place to tackle this rather than stumbling on through the same permacrisis year after year.
Finance minister John O’Dowd put forward a draft budget in January 2026, but Stormont is yet to reach agreement on passing it. Ministers within the Northern Ireland Assembly have been pushing Westminster for additional funding. Thus far the Labour government has granted a £400 million loan. They will also provide an extra £380m over three years. Obviously, the second sum will largely go towards simply paying back the first.
The Treasury’s response to recent pleas for more money has been an unashamedly neoliberal review that suggested hammering average earners with regressive measures. These included water charges, raising rates (the equivalent of England’s council tax) and cutting public sector pay.
Perry also lamented the effect the A&E disaster has on staff, saying:
The nursing staff turnover that we have in our departments is vast and is largely to do with the environment they work in.
This creates a vicious downward spiral in which insufficient staffing leads to worsening conditions, and those worsening conditions lead to even more staff being driven away. Perry spoke of the moral injury endured by heroic healthcare workers:
We talk about moral injury and I’ve had staff with me who have tried to deliver the best care they can and because of the environment something adverse has happened. All we’re asking for is the capacity to do our jobs.
The concept of moral injury entered wider public consciousness during the COVID pandemic. It refers to the psychological distress endured when someone is forced to violate their own moral code. It was routine during the pandemic for healthcare staff to be forced into saving just one of two desperately ill patients.
Proper pandemic management and healthcare resourcing by the Tory government would have prevented them being put in this cruel position. Six Counties healthcare workers are now having to make those same choices again.
Patients dying in A&E are the human sacrifice capitalism demands
Anyone familiar with A&E in the north of Ireland will know that at times it isn’t far from the apocalyptic scenes shown in the sci-fi film Elysium. That film is set in 2154 and is meant to show the United States as essentially a failed state with a tiny oligarch class and crushing poverty for everyone else.
The north of Ireland isn’t even a proper state — it’s a strangled, dysfunctional appendage of de-developing Britain. A region that should rightly be part of a united Ireland instead suffers instead under partial autonomy, and endures the ritual humiliation of going to Westminster with a begging bowl.
Even then, Stormont is up against a Labour government captured by oligarchs, in a society where 50 families hold more wealth than half the population. An intelligent alien coming across this ‘civilisation’ would be puzzled by what it saw. It might consider it strange that the people living on this group of islands seemingly see it as correct to murder hundreds of thousands of people so a billionaire can have another yacht, or a 3,000th house.
Of course, most of us don’t actually believe that, we’re just subject to an economic system that ensures psychopaths rise to the top and make these decisions. The north of Ireland is simply an acute case of the intersection between empire’s legacy and late-stage capitalist reality. Those being left to die in A&E are the human sacrifice these beasts demand as they continue limping on.
Featured image via the Canary
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There’s nothing worse than a bad night of sleep. You wake up feeling tired; you can’t focus; and even worse, you know it will be the same the next night.
If you’re one of the 10 million people in the UK with sleep apnoea, you’ll know this all too well.
Then there’s the having to deal with the impact on your relationship and worrying about the affect it has on your overall health. Not to mention having to be strapped up to a CPAP machine every night – which is boring, bulky, and uncomfortable.
But now, there might be a solution to more restful sleep. As most cases of sleep apnoea are caused by throat obstruction during the night, Derila has created a pillow specifically designed to keep your airway open as you snore.
Shaped like a butterfly, the pillow is not only made of cooling, hypoallergenic material, but its ergonomic shape contours your head and neck to keep them in a neutral position.
For those with mild to moderate sleep apnoea, this could stop the airway from narrowing during sleep – whether you sleep on your back, side, or stomach.
The Derila pillow can also be used at the same time as a CPAP machine, which can help with aligning your head to the mask and reducing leaks.
The result? Less snoring, not waking up so much during the night, and (the cherry on top) feeling less groggy and more energised in the morning.
So much so that 87% of testers reported better sleep within their first week of using the Derila pillow.
But you don’t have to take their word for it. Here’s what Derila customers said about the pillow:
One reviewer said: “Yesterday I received my pillow and last night I had the best nights sleep in a very long time. My husband also commented that I didn’t snore last night , so hopefully I will continue to sleep peacefully and in the same way as last night.”
Meanwhile, another buyer said the pillow has improved sleep for them and their partner: “The pillow fits our neck very well, even when we turn. I wear a CPAP every night, and my wife wears an oxygen thing in her nose. We can turn and our breathing is not affected.”
“Since getting the pillow, I’ve had no more neck pain,” another reviewer claimed. “My sleep apnoea has improved significantly.”
I don’t know whether I notice it more in the sunshine or if flies really do come out en masse in spring, but I feel like I’ve noticed a lot more of the unwelcome visitors on my houseplants recently.
And while I’ve found vinegar and washing-up liquid traps are a really effective way to manage a fruit fly bonanza, I can’t help but wish there was an easier, less deadly way to de-fly my ferns.
Luckily, plant educator Peyton, known online as Plant Caregiver, is one of a few voices to suggest a chemical-free method: in a TikTok video, the creator said, “a lot of your plant problems could be fixed by having a fan”.
Why might a fan help to get rid of pests?
Speaking to Homes & Gardens, Julia Omelchenko, an expert in plants for the Plantum app, explained that proper ventilation and air flow keep soil drier, preventing a buildup of, e.g., fungus gnats.
That can involve opening a window. But it can also include running a “fan on low speeds where your plants are situated,” so long as you “avoid cold drafts and don’t point the fan at the plants,” she added.
Aside from preventing wet soil, which fungus gnats love, using a fan also helps to create an environment in which fruit flies struggle to fly (they have quite weak wings).
An Ideal Homes writer put it to the test and was impressed with the result. And, more recently, a Guardian writer and houseplant expert tried it on a mildewy plant; she wrote, “It’s one of those hacks that sounds unnecessary until you try it”.
How else can I get rid of flies from my houseplants?
As we’ve mentioned before, soil that stays wet for too long can attract fungus gnats. Try watering your soil less often if that’s the case.
Adding a gravel mulch, using sticky traps, and even using predatory nematodes can all help, too, per BBC Gardener’s World.
You can also change the potting soil to that which has been specially formulated for houseplants.
Attracting wildlife to your garden is one of the best ways you can help out the planet, control pests, and support struggling species.
Speaking to HuffPost UK previously, Helen Bostock, a senior wildlife specialist at the Royal Horticultural Society, said: “Environments are more resilient and function better when there is both species and genetic diversity, helping combat challenges such as climate change, carbon capture and pollution.”
There are many ways to do this, from making a little pond out of an old washing-up bowl to putting out water for hedgehogs. But wildflowers can help too, says Elise Harlock, a floral expert at Prestige Flowers.
“Small changes can really help to create a thriving natural environment… By adding the right flowers to your garden, you can support biodiversity and make it look extra beautiful,” she said.
Here are the best ones to get in the ground for a more buzzing backyard this summer:
1) Lavender
Beloved by bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, those “single-layered, long petal flowers are easiest for insects to feed and pollinate from,” Harlock said.
And because it’s such a favourite of so many insects, “you’ll see the flowers full of creatures all summer long”.
Safety: Mildly toxic to dogs if ingested and can be toxic to cats.
2) Foxglove
Lavender loves sunny spots, but if your garden is a little short on those, try foxglove instead.
“Foxgloves thrive in shade, so you can grow them in almost any garden type,” Harlock told us. “Their colourful flowers and height are great for adding depth to a garden, but also act as safe, tubular and nectar-rich environments for insects.”
Flowers in: June to September
Safety: Very toxic to adults, children, and pets if ingested. Don’t plant in places where either kids or pets play.
3) Echinacea
“These daisy-like flowers are excellent for butterflies and bees. The open and flat structure of the flower head makes them perfect pollen-heavy landing spots, whilst adding loads of bright colour to your flower beds,” the expert said.
Even better: their seedheads make amazing food for birds once the flowers have died out.
Flowers in: July to late August
Safety: Generally considered safe for pets and children, though some adults and children may have an extreme allergic reaction to the plant.
4) Sunflowers
“Everyone knows sunflowers are great for bees, but few know why,” Harlock told us.
“Their centres are bursting with nectar, which makes them a rich source for pollinators, so planting even one or two in your garden is guaranteed to attract plenty of bees.”
However, they need a lot of sun (shocker), so make sure your garden has enough light before planting them.
Flowers in: July to September
Safety: Non-toxic to cats, dogs, horses, and children.
5) Peonies
“Bees and butterflies love the sweet scent of peonies, and they’re a really beautiful addition to any summer garden,” the flower expert said.
Flowers in: April to July
A Telegraph investigation has revealed the role Richard Hermer KC, the UK attorney general, played in the Al-Sweady scandal, which led to British servicemen facing false accusations of murder and torture for over a decade. As a result, senior MPs have reported Hermer to the Bar Standards Board for misconduct.
The Al-Sweady scandal centred on claims brought by Iraqis who alleged that British soldiers had tortured and executed civilians after the Battle of Danny Boy in southern Iraq in 2004. These claims originated with the now disgraced solicitor Phil Shiner, who broadcast them to the world in a widely publicised press conference in 2008.
The subsequent Al-Sweady Inquiry (2009-2014) into these allegations concluded that they were ‘wholly without foundation and entirely the product of deliberate lies, reckless speculation and ingrained hostility’. It turned out that Shiner’s clients were not innocent farmers and labourers murdered by malevolent British soldiers. They were in fact members of the Mahdi Army – an Islamist militia backed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
It later emerged that Shiner had advanced the claims using dubious intermediaries to gather witness evidence. He used cold-calling to invite people to give testimony, with the promise of remuneration. He also made fraudulent claims to the Legal Aid service, receiving money from the public purse to fund his discredited litigation. He was struck off. Shiner later pleaded guilty to three counts of fraud and was sentenced on 10 December 2024 to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years.
Hermer played a significant role in the litigation. In the words of the Telegraph, he ‘acted as lead counsel in civil claims against the Ministry of Defence and pressed for lucrative compensation despite mounting evidence that his eight Iraqi clients were “on the make”’.
These are very damaging claims for Hermer. Barristers often say they have a professional obligation to act in cases irrespective of their personal views. They cite the ‘cab-rank rule’, which requires them to accept instructions in cases they may not personally support.
But the cab-rank rule did not apply in this case. Hermer worked instead under a conditional-fee agreement at double his normal fees. This is what most people would call a ‘no win, no fee’ agreement. That meant he would not be paid unless the claims succeeded. It also meant he could have withdrawn from the case without breaching the cab-rank rule. Indeed, if he had doubts about the credibility of the claims, he would have been under a professional obligation to withdraw.
That is why Hermer has now been reported to the Bar Standards Board. It appears that he had concerns about the claims but remained involved. In one internal email advising Shiner on how to ‘get the big story out there’, Hermer admitted that there needed to be ‘wriggle room if the killings did not in fact happen’. Other emails also appear to show that Hermer was enthusiastic about litigating against British soldiers, saying in one message, that ‘these Iraqi cases are a good reminder of why I wanted to be a lawyer’.
Hermer denies any wrongdoing. He has distanced himself from Shiner and maintains that his work on the case was entirely proper. This may all be true. But Hermer cannot expect to be politically immune from the professional decisions he took as a lawyer. He could have withdrawn from the case if and when he had concerns about the credibility of the allegations. Yet he failed to do so. He was plainly committed to what he was doing. He will now need to explain that to the Bar Standards Board.
Regardless of what the regulator decides, this ought to be politically catastrophic for Hermer. He was involved in one of the most shameful scandals to hit the legal profession in living memory. One can only imagine what those young men went through. They survived a firefight with Islamist insurgents, only to return home and face false allegations of the gravest crimes imaginable.
Hermer must be held to account for his role in all this. His position as the most senior law officer of the Crown is no longer tenable. He should either step down, or be forced out. Either way, Hermer must go.
Luke Gittos is a spiked columnist and author. His most recent book is Human Rights – Illusory Freedom: Why We Should Repeal the Human Rights Act, which is published by Zero Books. Order it here.
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During my time as a cleaner, I learned a lot about which products were worth saving and splurging on. A good mop? Splash the cash! Glass and metal cleaners? Not so much.
That’s because in my experience, specially-designed glass sprays leave streaks and a thin film behind. As window cleaning services Window Hero write, “Many store-bought cleaners leave behind… soap or chemicals.
“If this residue isn’t thoroughly rinsed, it dries on the glass and causes streaks.”
Instead, I use what I’ve since seen other cleaners swear by: good ol’ washing up liquid, and/or white vinegar.
How can I make a DIY glass cleaner?
In an Instagram Reel, cleaning influencer Jessica May showed a video of her using a Dishmatic full of washing-up liquid and white vinegar on her windows.
“Mix equal part[s] dish soap and white vinegar… lightly scrub this over your windows, use a squeegee and voila. I also used a microfibre cloth to remove any excess water from the bottom of the window,” she wrote.
Personally, I’d ditch the Dishmatic: I’d worry that it’d leave far too much product on the surface itself, which could put you at the same streak risk as using a window spray. “If too much cleaning agent is used in the solution, a greasy film can form on the window,” said cleaning product company Karcher.
But as for the ingredients themselves, cleaning company Wecasa said that around a half-teaspoon of washing-up liquid per 500ml of water is ideal for greasy marks.
Meanwhile, a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar to water sprayed on a glass surface is great for everyday dirt.
Karcher agreed with both approaches, though they warned you’ll want to cover any marble sills or nearby surfaces if you’re using vinegar, as it can damage the surface.
And Tradesman Saver wrote that “While there are many commercial glass cleaners available, professional cleaners often prefer simple, homemade solutions,” including one made with one part water, one part white vinegar, and a few “optional” drops of washing-up liquid.
How else can I clean my glass surfaces?
Other ways to achieve a streak-free clean include thoroughly rinsing windows with clean water after applying soaps and wiping them clean with a lint-free microfibre cloth.
Whether you’re using a spray, vinegar, or washing-up liquid, don’t use too much: this is what can leave a film behind.
And try to avoid cleaning windows on sunny days. That can make liquids dry far too fast, leaving residue behind.
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Kids may say the darndest things, but parentspost about them in the funniest ways.
Every week, we round up the most hilarious quips from parents across social media platforms like X, Threads and Bluesky to spread the joy. Scroll down to read the latest batch.
Related…
It’s been announced that Helena Bonham Carter will no longer be appearing in the upcoming fourth season of The White Lotus.
However, just over a week after production got underway, US broadcaster HBO announced that Helena would no longer be taking part in the new episodes.
“With filming just underway on Season 4 of The White Lotus, it had become apparent that the character which Mike White created for Helena Bonham Carter did not align once on set,” a spokesperson said.
“The role has subsequently been rethought, is being rewritten and will be recast in the coming weeks.”
“HBO, the producers and Mike White are saddened that they won’t get to work with her, but remain ardent fans and very much hope to work with the legendary actress on another project soon,” the statement concluded.
In their reporting on the matter, Deadline cited undisclosed “sources” who claimed that Helena had already filmed several scenes when The White Lotus creator Mike White – who also writes and directs the show – “felt that her character as originally conceived was not what it should be”.
This isn’t the first time a White Lotus has been recast once production is already up and running.
Early on in the process of making season three, Charlotte Le Bon was brought in to replace Francesca Corney in the role of Chloe.
Francesca had already been flown out to Thailand and had spent time with the rest of the cast, when it was announced that her role was being recast, reportedly due to the fact that producers wanted Chloe to come across as slightly older.
Woody Harrelson was also supposed to play a pivotal role in season three, with reports claiming he pulled out due to a pay dispute.
The three-time Oscar nominee later clarified that he’d actually withdrawn as filming would have clashed with a pre-planned family holiday, which is how he came to be replaced in the project by Sam Rockwell.
Other stars confirmed to be appearing in the fourth season of The White Lotus include Kumail Nanjiani and Black Swan’s Vincent Cassel, Max Greenfield, Heather Graham and Sandra Bernhard.
Mike White previously teased that the new season would be centred around questions about fame, and will be set during the Cannes Film Festival.
You’ve finally saved up a little money. You have a stable living situation. It’s been a long time coming, but you’re finally ready to do the most grown-up thing possible: Take care of someone other than yourself.
The next step is crystal clear. Time to start looking for your dream dog. For many of us, that means heading to the local shelter to rescue a scrappy little companion whose life you can enrich with treats, long evening walks and the most vigorous of belly rubs.
First of all, cheers to you for choosing a shelter over a breeder or pet store. So many experienced pet parents — including us, Raj Punjabi-Johnson and Noah Michelson, co-hosts of HuffPost’s Am I Doing it Wrong? podcast — can attest to the joy of giving a rescue a great home.
And if you have a preference for a certain breed, you’re in luck. Contrary to popular belief, shelters house every kind of dog. “We recently posted a gray poodle named Izzy on our social media, and she has this frou-frou gray hairdo,” said Rachel Ziering, founding executive director of Muddy Paws rescue and pet adoption expert, on this week’s episode. “We get poodles, we get Shih-Tzus, we get maltipoos — and we get puppies. So it might take a little longer [to get] whatever you’re looking for, but we do get all kinds of dogs.”
So dream big (literally, if you want a huge dog, please check out Zeiring’s unbearably sweet 162-lb. foster pup Earl, who also made an appearance on this episode). And when you think you’ve found your new bestie, remember to ask these questions to ascertain whether the dog will be a good fit — because the goal, after all, is to gallop off into the sunset together and live slobberly ever after.
Straight out of the gate, Ziering suggested, you should ask about the pup’s temperament. Are they very outgoing or a bit of an introvert? Are they anxious or generally unbothered? These are important personality traits of a pet that will help you decide if they will be able to comfortably acclimate to your lifestyle.
“And then in terms of medical, you’re going to want to make sure the dog has all of its basic vaccines and testing and all of that stuff,” Ziering added, “which any reputable shelter is going to be doing.”
You also want to ask about the dog’s social behaviour around other animals — especially if you live in a city. In this case, she says, you’re really going to need a dog who can kind of tolerate and get around in busy, heavily populated streets. “Have you seen the dog with other dogs? Have you seen the dog with cats?” Ziering prompted. “And usually the answer is no there. But in a foster-based rescue, sometimes the answer is yes.”
In terms of what you should ask yourself before signing those adoption papers, Ziering advises taking into consideration your own social and travel habits to making sure you’re able to really give your new pet the attention and care they require. “If you don’t feel like you’re in a good place to give a dog or cat a forever home, foster,” she added. “It’s beautiful. We need fosters more than anything. We can’t take dogs from shelters unless we know that we have a foster home for them.”
On this episode, we also talk to Ziering about why certain pets end up at shelters to begin with, and all the ways we can help a new pet feel comfortable and safe, so click here to hear the full episode or listen wherever you get your podcasts.
Make sure to subscribe to “Am I Doing It Wrong?” on whatever podcast platform you prefer.
For more info about Muddy Paws, head here.
Have a question or need some help with something you’ve been doing wrong? Email us at AmIDoingItWrong@HuffPost.com, and we might investigate the topic in an upcoming episode.
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