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The Bench Report
@benchreportuk.bsky.social
🇬🇧 Making UK politics accessible & accountable.
🗣️ Debates & briefings direct from Parliament.
📝 Source: Hansard.
🎧 AI Pod and Blog 📝🤖
👨 Human: @tommygarb.bsky.social

Pod: https://www.thebenchreport.co.uk
Blog: https://thebenchreport.substack.com
An issue close to my heart as there are several small village schools here in North Yorkshire. Vital lifelines to the local community.

Listen on Substack below or wherever you get your podcasts.

#saveourschools

@ukparliament.parliament.uk

open.substack.com/pub/thebench...
The Crisis of Rural Education: Funding, Closure Threats, and the Fight for Village Schools.
Village schools are the "beating heart" and "fabric of rural life," sustaining community identity and providing supportive environments for students.
open.substack.com
January 23, 2026 at 12:42 PM
🚨 NATION OF ANIMAL LOVERS? THE FIGHT FOR NEW ANIMAL RIGHTS 🚨
The UK Govt has unveiled its most ambitious Animal Welfare Strategy in a generation. From banning trail hunting to ending gas stunning for pigs, the plan aims to overhaul animal lives by 2030.
The Bench Report 📜👇 (1/9)
January 22, 2026 at 11:24 PM
Look out for overviews of debates in the Commons each day on The Bench Report 🗣️
The House of Commons sits from 9.30am today.

The #OrderPaper is published each sitting day and lists the business of the House.
January 22, 2026 at 11:34 AM
Reposted by The Bench Report
What's on in the House of Commons this week? 👇

www.parliament.uk/business/new...
January 20, 2026 at 4:53 PM
👨👩 UNDERSTAND THE UK GENDER PAY GAP 💲💰

Key themes discussed include how the gap grows substantially after age 40, due largely to "child penalties" where mothers experience a significant drop in earnings and time spent in full-time work compared to fathers.

youtube.com/watch?v=_16W...
Understanding the UK Gender Pay Gap: Facts, Figures, and the Impact of Parenthood
YouTube video by The Bench Report
youtube.com
January 21, 2026 at 2:30 PM
This isn't just about one platform; it's about the future of AI. X's decision to paywall the abuse rather than stop it has enraged Parliament.

#elonmusk #twitter #deepfake
@podsaveamerica.crooked.com @podsavetheuk.crooked.com @politico.com @politicsjoe.bsky.social

open.substack.com/pub/thebench...
GROK, X, AND THE DEEPFAKE NIGHTMARE
It’s illegal, degrading, and happening on X right now.
open.substack.com
January 20, 2026 at 11:18 PM
The sector is under extreme financial pressure - decline of the traditional print model and the dominance of major tech platforms that siphon off advertising revenue.
@yorkshirepost.co.uk
@holdthefrontpage.bsky.social
@liverpoolecho.co.uk
@manchestereveningnews.co.uk

youtube.com/watch?v=HLt3...
The Future of Local Media: Protecting Journalism, Democracy, and Community News
YouTube video by The Bench Report
youtube.com
January 20, 2026 at 8:13 AM
There is a crisis in the UK criminal courts, marked by an 80,000-case backlog and devastating delays for victims.

Sir Brian Leveson's review calls for bold action, structural reform, and modernisation to deliver "swifter justice for victims.

youtube.com/watch?v=i1Gq...
Justice Delayed: The Debate Over Jury Trials and Fixing the UK Court Backlog
YouTube video by The Bench Report
youtube.com
January 19, 2026 at 12:01 PM
Reminder ALL episodes are available on YouTube as well as the regular podcast platforms - including the latest on UK home energy grants!

youtu.be/vWG4PX8CobI?...
UK Home Energy Grants: Find Support for Efficiency, Heating, and Renewables
YouTube video by The Bench Report
youtu.be
January 9, 2026 at 11:14 AM
The #ashes haven't gone so well, so hear all about life at the other end of cricket at #grassroots

@sport-england-se.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/g...
Grassroots Cricket Clubs: The Vital Role of Community Sport and Government Support
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 05/01/2026 · 12m
podcasts.apple.com
January 5, 2026 at 4:04 PM
One for all the politics students!

Public Inquiries are investigations set up by ministers to respond to events of major public concern or to consider controversial public policy issues

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/w...

@campolis.bsky.social @nclpolitics.bsky.social @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social
What Are Public Inquiries and How Do They Work? (UK Law)
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 10/12/2025 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
December 10, 2025 at 1:08 PM
This week on The Bench Report:

Mon: UK Football Policing 👮
Tues: Video Games 🕹️
Weds: Public Inquiries 📝
Thurs: Football Regulator ⚽
Fri: Hillsborough Law ⚖️ 97

#podcast #politics #parliament #football #hillsborough

@podsavetheuk.crooked.com @politicshome.bsky.social @politicsjoe.bsky.social
December 7, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Rogue or "cowboy" builders operating in the RMI sector have cost homeowners an astonishing estimated £14.3 billion over five years!

@ukparliament.parliament.uk
@teamlabouruk.bsky.social
@conservatives.bsky.social
@libdems.org.uk

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/s...
Stop Cowboy Builders: Why Licensing and Consumer Protection Reforms are Needed in the RMI Sector
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 05/12/2025 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
December 6, 2025 at 12:27 PM
Learn how the UK's high alcohol duty rates have had a severe impact on the nation's vital wine sector and hospitality industry. 🥂🍷

@majesticwine.bsky.social
@teamdb.bsky.social
@nakedwines.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/u...
UK Wine Tax Crisis: Why High Alcohol Duty Hurts British Businesses and Consumers
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 04/12/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
December 5, 2025 at 1:32 PM
The debate highlights severe inequalities, noting that the cost of diagnosis (around £600) means diagnosis often depends on parental income, leading to a postcode lottery.

@patoss-dyslexia.bsky.social
@laurenscribbler.bsky.social

#dyslexia #education

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/d...
Dyslexia Support Crisis: Why Early Diagnosis and a National Strategy are Essential
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 03/12/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
December 3, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Autistic adults face significant challenges in securing and maintaining meaningful employment, despite the majority expressing a strong desire to work.

@thinkingautism.com @autisticadvocacy.org @autismallianceuk.bsky.social @journalautism.bsky.social

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/a...
Autistic Adults and Employment: Why Systems Must Change to Unlock Talent
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 02/12/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:27 PM
NEW EPISODE! House building in London has collapsed dramatically, with starts falling to under 5% of the Government’s target in some periods.

#housingcrisis
#londonlife

@houseofcommons.parliament.uk @ukparliament.parliament.uk @podsavetheuk.crooked.com

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/l...
London Housing Crisis: Why House Building Collapsed and How Policy Changes Might Fix It
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 01/12/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
December 2, 2025 at 2:18 PM
On the agenda this week!

Housing Crisis 🏠
Autism and Employment 💼
Dyslexia support 📝
Wine Tax 🍷
Cowboy Builders 🤠

Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

@ukparliament.parliament.uk @hansardsociety.bsky.social
@senedd.wales @campolis.bsky.social @cambup-polsci.cambridge.org
November 30, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Approximately 1.2 million people in the UK live in areas known as "food deserts," which are isolated due to lacking basic services, even within towns and cities.

#righttofood
@thefoodchain.bsky.social
@elfoodbank.bsky.social
@foodfoundation.bsky.social

open.spotify.com/episode/0EmL...
Tackling Food Deserts: Access, Inequality, and the Fight for Nutritious Food
open.spotify.com
November 28, 2025 at 12:21 PM
The UK national curriculum is being renewed to adapt to global competition, AI, machine learning, and widespread misinformation.

@teacherhead.bsky.social
@ictevangelist.bsky.social
@teachertoolkit.bsky.social
@weareteachers.bsky.social
@teachthought.com

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/n...
National Curriculum 2.0: Media Literacy, Triple Science, and Major Education Reform.
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 26/11/2025 · 13m
podcasts.apple.com
November 26, 2025 at 7:15 PM
Today we learn about the crucial debate calling for Statutory Maternity and Paternity Pay (SMP/SPP) to be raised to the National Living Wage (NLW).

#paternitypay #nationallivingwage #nlw #Parenthood #nhs

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
The UK Parental Pay Crisis: Why Maternity and Paternity Rates Must Match the Living Wage
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 25/11/2025 · 5m
podcasts.apple.com
November 25, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Hoarding Disorder is defined by persistent difficulty discarding possessions, regardless of value, leading to severely cluttered and distressed living spaces.

#hoarding #hoardingdisorder #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/t...
Tackling Hoarding Disorder: A National Call for Compassion and Mental Health Support
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 24/11/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:20 PM
Opposition raises serious concerns about erosion of civil liberties, risks of exclusion for the digitally vulnerable, potential data breaches, and the estimated high cost of up to £2 billion.

#DigitalID
#IdentityVerification
#KYC
#britcard
#DataSecurity

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/m...
Mandatory Digital ID: Balancing Control, Security, and Freedom in the UK
Podcast Episode · The Bench Report · 21/11/2025 · 6m
podcasts.apple.com
November 22, 2025 at 1:45 PM