How do you pronounce ‘mayoralty'?
The most inventive seemed to be Jonny Dymond on Radio 4, who called them mayoralities, introducing an i, as in words such as realities or moralities. Although mayoralities wasn't exactly the required word, it sounded much better than the popular but hideous method of basing its pronunciation on mayor as if it consisted in two syllables, may and or, with the second stressed.
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BBC News
36 minutes ago
- BBC News
Teenage Warwickshire council leader George Finch 'wanted to teach'
George Finch had planned to be at university studying to become a history at the of 19, he has become the youngest council leader in the UK, running Warwickshire County Council with a budget of £ Reform UK councillor still lives at his family home and cannot yet drive. Facts which have led to jibes in public and private from some opposition became the largest party on the previously Conservative-led authority with 23 seats in May's local elections. Speaking exclusively to the BBC, he hit back at criticism about his lack of life and professional experience – labelling those turning their noses up at his appointment as "ageist" and "not relevant".Sitting down in the leader's office, shortly after scraping through a leadership vote at the council's Shire Hall headquarters, Finch called out his said: "All I see is age… I don't care about my age. Would people be questioning if there was a 70-year-old at the helm? Probably not."Joe Biden, Donald Trump, presidents that are older – no-one questions it. But they're questioning someone who is 19." But leading a £2bn organisation is not a typical job for a 19-year-old, and Finch admitted he had had other plans."I wanted to be a history teacher. I loved history and I loved teaching but the problem was the curriculum, especially history. Universities and colleges are a conveyor belt for socialist wokeism."Finch said he had been inspired by Reform and former Conservative MP Lee Anderson, who has previously criticised educational establishments for what he perceives as teachers pushing "dog whistle divisive politics" on April, National Education Union members called for funds to be used to help campaign against Reform UK candidates. The organisation, Britain's biggest teaching union, branded Reform UK "a racist and far right" party. In his time as interim leader, Finch said he had used his new "influence" over education by calling Anjit Samra, CEO of Stowe Valley Multi-Academy Trust, to his office after a row over a union jack dress at Bilton School, in Rugby."I don't have the power to tell him what to do as he's an academy, but I do have that influence. "I asked him simple, I said 'I would like to see, and I think it's in your best interests, if you have a school assembly on the importance of British culture'."Asked what his friends made of his new job, he said: "They love it, when I have to go to the pub I don't have to buy a pint." But why did Reform appeal to him and why is it gaining momentum with some young people?"People can't afford homes, they can't have a car, postgraduate jobs are decreasing. It's getting harder for us to see a good future, a better future. And with Reform UK, that's what gives people that hope."He said he thought his appointment would probably help attract people to the party."It shows that anyone can do anything in this party, if you're up to the task. If you've got that merit-based system - and that's where we've gone wrong for far too long in the private and public sector."He added: "It's 'oh, here's a job because of your skin colour or your creed or your religion'. No, you get the job because you're good at it." A keen rugby player, Finch is used to battling on the pitch. But it was in the corridors of power where he faced his first public fight, in a row with the council's chief executive Monica Fogarty, after he asked for a Progress Pride Flag to be removed from outside Shire Hall in UK leader Nigel Farage even waded into the row calling out what he perceived as "obstructionism" by council officials saying "Warwickshire is a very, very good example".Asked if he could work with the council chief executive and other officers, Finch said: "We have done. We have to have that professional working relationship."Pushed on whether it was professional to publicly call out the council's chief executive, he said: "We're working together, the council is running. I think you're looking too deep into this." Talking about his priorities for Warwickshire over the coming months and years, Finch said having a sister with special educational needs and disabilities meant he had a keen interest in the area which has been labelled a financial threat to the future of the has pledged to cut wasteful spending and improve the efficiency of the councils it runs. But some of its spending decisions have faced criticism, while opponents say there has been little concrete action to reduce Warwickshire, opposition parties have criticised Finch and his party for planning to hire political assistants at a cost of up to £190,000 a year, saying the money should be spent on front-line services contentious area is the potential scrapping of lower-level councils as part of the Labour government's devolution said he wanted to look at these ideas in his county and he would like to see areas such as Nuneaton and Bedworth given their own town councils.
The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Zelenskyy faces domestic and international criticism over anti-corruption agencies reform
Update: Date: 2025-07-23T07:23:50.000Z Title: Morning opening: Ukraine faces criticism over anti-corruption agencies reform Content: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's decision to approve a contentious bill weakening Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies is facing growing criticism at home and abroad – just hours before another round of peace talks with Russia in Istanbul. Last night, around 1,500 people protested against the reform in Kyiv, first urging him to veto the bill, and then opposing his decision to sign it into law. Large protests also took place in other cities. As my colleague Luke Harding reported from Kyiv, in his nightly video address, Zelenskyy said he had spoken with the Nabu chief, Semen Kryvonos, and other top prosecutors. Anti-corruption bodies, Zelenskyy said, would continue to function 'but without any Russian influence. It all must be cleansed.' 'There must be more justice. Of course, Nabu and Sapo will continue their work,' he said. 'It's also important that the prosecutor general be committed to ensuring real accountability for those who break the law. This is what Ukraine truly needs.' But international criticism of the reform could prove equally tricky, with EU commissioners and ministers from allied countries also coming out against the reform. Enlargement commissioner Marta Kos said the EU was 'seriously concerned' about the law, warning that 'the dismantling of key safeguards protecting Nabu's independence is a serious step back.' 'Independent bodies like Nabu & Sapo, are essential for 's EU path. Rule of Law remains in the very center of EU accession negotiations,' she said. She later added she had a 'frank' conversation with the new Ukrainian prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko. EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius added: 'In war trust between the fighting nation and its leadership is more important than modern weapons – difficult to build and to keep, but easy to lose with one significant mistake by the leadership. Transparency & open European dialogue is the only way to repair the damaged trust.' This morning the reactions continue, with France's European minister Benjamin Haddad saying it was not too late for Ukraine to reverse its decision. 'It is not too late to go back on this,' he told France Inter radio. 'We will be extremely vigilant on the subject.' Elsewhere, I will be keeping an eye on the peace talks in Istanbul, the government reshuffle in Poland, and the meeting of France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz in Berlin tonight. I will bring you all key updates from across Europe today. It's Wednesday, 23 July 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning.
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Scotsman
Why return of James Cleverly is huge news for Tories' fightback against Reform
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Last month, pollsters YouGov published the results of their first 'multilevel regression and post-stratification' poll since the general election. A statistical modelling technique that combines a large poll – in this case of 11,500 people – with census data and other sources of information, it is designed to produce a more comprehensive picture of the nation's views than ordinary surveys. Its findings suggested the Conservatives – long claimed to be the world's most successful political party – are effectively facing extinction as a serious political force. The poll found Reform UK would win 271 seats, Labour would get 178 and the Liberal Democrats 81 if a general election was held then. The Tories, who just six years ago won 365 seats, would be reduced to 46 MPs. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This is the scale of the challenge facing party leader Kemi Badenoch. In this endeavour, she must realise that repeatedly agreeing with Reform has been driving the Conservatives' decline and they need to start campaigning against Nigel Farage and co with all their might. James Cleverly failed in his bid to become party leader but is now back on the Conservative front bench (Picture: Carl Court) | Getty Images 'Complete nonsense' So the news that former Home Secretary James Cleverly is to return to the Tories' frontbench as Housing Secretary is welcome, as he is one of the few heavyweight figures willing and able to take on Reform. Appearing at the Institute For Public Policy Research think tank last week, he dismissed calls to 'smash the system' and replace the civil service with an 'anti-woke, right-wing' alternative as 'complete nonsense', saying: 'It's excuse-making and it's weak.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He also urged his party to reject climate change 'luddites' – a favourite Reform slogan is 'net stupid zero' – and warned Farage's new army of councillors in England would soon suffer from scrutiny of their actions in government. READ MORE: How Labour rebels will put Nigel Farage in Downing Street If the Tories continue to chase Reform, only oblivion awaits. The party needs strong, sensible voices capable of standing up for true Conservative values like ensuring a strong economy, law and order, and the preservation of institutions, including the civil service.
