Charlie Alford

Unite – no ballots to Gibraltar members as Graham faces international officer rival

Post author:Skwawkbox
Post published:31 July 2026
Post last modified:31 July 2026

With just twelve days remaining of the Unite general secretary contest, the union has failed to deliver ballots to any of its members in Gibraltar. Incumbent Sharon Graham has been heavily criticised for her treatment of union staff. Her rival in the election is Simon Dubbins, Unite’s international officer. Unite say: ‘tough luck’ An email from the union to Gibraltar members blames Spanish postal services for the non-delivery. And it indicates that, even if members don’t receive ballots in time to post them back to the UK before the 11 August deadline, then tough: Dear Member, GENERAL SECRETARY ELECTION – GIBRALTAR…

FIFA rulebook faces stress test after Trump intervention

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:6 July 2026
Post last modified:7 July 2026

Not every crisis to hit football begins with a refereeing error. Some begin when fans lose faith that the law will have the final say, and when politics fills the space left behind. The latest controversy surrounding Folarin Balogun’s red card is no longer about whether the punishment was right or wrong. It is about whether FIFA’s disciplinary rules can withstand political pressure. Politics enters the equation Referees can make mistakes, but the rules have always been the final word. In fact, that was football’s strongest defence against those who suspected something more sinister. Errors are part of the game. However,…

Croydon homelessness service closure faces High Court challenge

Post author:The Canary
Post published:3 July 2026
Post last modified:4 July 2026

On 7 July 2026, the High Court will hear an application for permission to bring a judicial review of Croydon council’s decision to close its walk-in homelessness service, Access Croydon, in March 2025. The claim is brought by a vulnerable individual who wishes to remain anonymous, represented by the Public Interest Law Centre. Since the closure of Access Croydon, local residents can only access homelessness information, advice or assistance via a system based on pre-booked appointments and an online self-service tool. The Claimant is an individual who faced eviction. However, because of a learning disability, they were unable to access LB…

DR Congo faces England next after historic World Cup comeback

Post author:Faz Ali
Post published:29 June 2026
Post last modified:29 June 2026

DR Congo needed nothing but a win in their final group game, or go home. By the final whistle, they had their first-ever World Cup victory, a 3-1 comeback over Uzbekistan, and a knockout clash with England locked in. Yoane Wissa, already carrying two goals into the third match day, left with two more and a performance that defined the Leopards’ night. This was tight, tense, and shaped by moments, some ruled out, some seized, some survived. But it was DR Congo’s resilience that carried them through. DR Congo brought chaos early Uzbekistan came out swinging. Inside the opening minute, Eldor…

Palestine Action lawyer faces renewed contempt proceedings

Post author:DANIA AKKAD
Post published:23 June 2026
Post last modified:2 July 2026

Judge rules to refer Rajiv Menon KC once again over his closing speech in trial of pro-Palestine activists A leading British civil rights barrister faces contempt proceedings once again after a judge decided to refer allegations against him for a second time. The original proceedings brought against Rajiv Menon KC were thrown out last month for procedural reasons.But on 22 June, Mr Justice Johnson ruled that Menon’s case met the necessary “threshold conditions” to proceed and that it was in the public interest to do so. He said the case should be referred to a judge who can “deal with the…

The more scrutiny Andy Burnham faces, the less popular he gets

Post author:Ed Sykes
Post published:17 June 2026
Post last modified:17 June 2026

The Makerfield by-election has got people around the country talking about Andy Burnham again. And a new poll has shown that, with increasing scrutiny, he’s become a lot less popular. We reckon that’s because he represents the same kind of fence-sitting, corporate politics that gave the UK Keir Starmer. Unsurprising popularity dive Voters tend to view most politicians unfavourably, overall. But Andy Burnham was a rare case before the by-election campaign. Because there were actually more people who viewed him favourably. That has quickly changed in recent weeks, though, with YouGov reporting that his: favourability has declined markedly over the past…

Morocco faces injury setback ahead of World Cup opener

Post author:Alaa Shamali
Post published:12 June 2026
Post last modified:13 June 2026

Morocco have suffered a significant setback just days before the start of their 2026 World Cup campaign, with defender Nayef Akrad and winger Abdel Samad Al-Zalzouli both ruled out through injury. Unfit to play The Moroccan Football Federation, in coordination with FIFA, have confirmed that both star players will miss the tournament. The team have called up Marwan Saadane and Amine Sebaï as replacements ahead of their Group C opener against Brazil. Akrad’s absence is a major blow to Morocco’s defensive structure. A key figure in the run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals, he had been included in the squad…