Noah Vickers
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noahvickers.bsky.social
Noah Vickers
@noahvickers.bsky.social
Journalist @TheHouseMag.bsky.social | Previously reported for @theLondonStandard.bsky.social and @EDP24.bsky.social | 🏳️‍🌈

noah.vickers@thehousemag.co.uk
Pinned
NEW: Labour's northern MPs grow frustrated over the government's repeated delays in progressing Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Ministers don't want to commit to anything that looks like HS2, but have found the two schemes are bound up with one another:

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
What Is Behind Labour's Northern Powerhouse Rail Delay?
Labour’s long-delayed plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail have left MPs and mayors frustrated. What’s the hold up? Noah Vickers reports
www.politicshome.com
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Update

Kent County Council, described as Reform's "shop window" council, has proposed a 3.99% council tax hike

Celebrated as a win by council leader: "Through sound financial management and efficiencies, the council has been able to keep the proposed increase below the level previously expected”👇
Reform-run councils are facing “huge headwinds”, one of the party’s cost-saving chiefs admits

One Reform source tells me that the struggle to lower council taxes should be seen as "a learning curve" + it will be important for candidates to think about "overpromising + underdelivering” in 2026
Reform Councils Say 'Huge Headwinds' Are Thwarting Plans To Lower Tax
Reform UK-run local authorities are facing “huge headwinds”, one of the party’s cost-saving chiefs has admitted, as Nigel Farage’s party faces crit...
www.politicshome.com
January 9, 2026 at 10:57 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Councillors' home addresses will soon be kept secret from the public under new legislation, amid rising concern over politician safety

The LGA found that 1 in 4 councillors had experienced threats of violence or death against themselves or someone close to them

@noahvickers.bsky.social reports
Councillors' Addresses To Be Kept Secret By Default Over Safety Fears
The home addresses of local councillors will soon be kept secret from the public under new government legislation, amid rising concern over threats...
www.politicshome.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:50 PM
Amendments to the English Devolution Bill mean local councillors' home addresses will soon be kept secret by default, amid mounting concern over politicians' safety at all levels.

@jocoxfoundation.bsky.social and @local.gov.uk have welcomed the change:

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Councillors' Addresses To Be Kept Secret By Default Over Safety Fears
The home addresses of local councillors will soon be kept secret from the public under new government legislation, amid rising concern over threats...
www.politicshome.com
January 8, 2026 at 1:48 PM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
🏏 Parliament’s cricket team has been playing since 1850

Graham Stuart and Andrew Bingham tell @noahvickers.bsky.social about the sport’s lasting popularity among MPs, peers and staff
175 Years Not Out! Parliament's Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary
Parliament’s cricket team has been playing since 1850. Graham Stuart and Andrew Bingham tell Noah Vickers about the sport’s lasting popularity amon...
www.politicshome.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:36 PM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Grim nights in Wales and Scotland are already baked into Labour thinking about the May locals

Less discussed, however, @matildamartin.bsky.social & @noahvickers.bsky.social report, is things getting ugly in London, where Polanski eyes gains

"The whole of the Olympic Park belongs to the Greens"
Labour facing tough London elections in May.

“The whole of the Olympic Park belongs to the Greens,” Labour source says.

“There is no Labour party presence in one of the most sizeable developments in the whole of London… It’s all Green, Green, Green.”

Story w @matildamartin.bsky.social
'We've Got A Tough Fight': Labour Braces For Council Losses In London Heartlands
Labour is steeling itself for bruising results nationwide at the May local elections. However, there's one part of the country where party sources ...
www.politicshome.com
January 5, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Labour facing tough London elections in May.

“The whole of the Olympic Park belongs to the Greens,” Labour source says.

“There is no Labour party presence in one of the most sizeable developments in the whole of London… It’s all Green, Green, Green.”

Story w @matildamartin.bsky.social
'We've Got A Tough Fight': Labour Braces For Council Losses In London Heartlands
Labour is steeling itself for bruising results nationwide at the May local elections. However, there's one part of the country where party sources ...
www.politicshome.com
January 4, 2026 at 10:55 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
All eyes are on elections in Scotland & Wales next year.

But London council elections will also be a crucial bellwether for the government. We can reveal that nervousness extends from City Hall to London Labour MPs & councillors

With @noahvickers.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
'We've Got A Tough Fight': Labour Braces For Council Losses In London Heartlands
Labour is steeling itself for bruising results nationwide at the May local elections. However, there's one part of the country where party sources ...
www.politicshome.com
January 3, 2026 at 10:03 AM
175 Years Not Out! Parliament's Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
175 Years Not Out! Parliament's Cricket Club Celebrate Their Anniversary
Parliament’s cricket team has been playing since 1850. Graham Stuart and Andrew Bingham tell Noah Vickers about the sport’s lasting popularity amon...
www.politicshome.com
December 24, 2025 at 5:00 PM
In 2018, Heidi Alexander (then London's deputy mayor for transport) told the London Assembly that Heathrow expansion "would expose hundreds of thousands more people to worsening air quality and adverse noise impacts".

Now she says a third runway has "transformational potential"
December 16, 2025 at 11:41 AM
NEW: Labour's northern MPs grow frustrated over the government's repeated delays in progressing Northern Powerhouse Rail.

Ministers don't want to commit to anything that looks like HS2, but have found the two schemes are bound up with one another:

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
What Is Behind Labour's Northern Powerhouse Rail Delay?
Labour’s long-delayed plans for Northern Powerhouse Rail have left MPs and mayors frustrated. What’s the hold up? Noah Vickers reports
www.politicshome.com
December 15, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Andy Burnham has warned the Treasury not to give Manchester a "cut-price" rail upgrade

In a strongly-worded message to Westminster, the Greater Manchester Mayor said removing Manchester Airport from Northern Powerhouse Railway plans would be "ludicrous”

He sat down with @noahvickers.bsky.social
Don't Leave Manchester With 'Cut-Price' Rail Upgrade, Andy Burnham Warns Ministers
Exclusive: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned the government not to give his region a “cut-price infrastructure option” as discussion...
www.politicshome.com
December 9, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Exclusive: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned the government not to give his region a “cut-price infrastructure option” as discussions continue over Labour’s plan to deliver the Northern Powerhouse Rail project www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Don't Leave Manchester With 'Cut-Price' Rail Upgrade, Andy Burnham Warns Ministers
Exclusive: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned the government not to give his region a “cut-price infrastructure option” as discussion...
www.politicshome.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:07 AM
EXCL: Burnham warns ministers not to build "cut-price" version of Northern Powerhouse Rail, as Treasury ponders how to keep costs down.

Cutting Manchester Airport from the route while expanding Heathrow would be "one of the most London-centric things ever"

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Don't Leave Manchester With 'Cut-Price' Rail Upgrade, Andy Burnham Warns Ministers
Exclusive: Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham has warned the government not to give his region a “cut-price infrastructure option” as discussion...
www.politicshome.com
December 9, 2025 at 10:27 AM
What is the roll-out of AI doing to the UK's labour market? What kind of future scenario planning is going on inside government to prepare not only for the opportunities ahead, but for the prospect of mass job losses?

My feature for @thehousemag.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Is The UK Jobs Market Ready For AI's 'Transitionary Shocks'?
AI is transforming the world of work. Will it lead to a spike in unemployment? What is being done to prepare for one? Noah Vickers reports
www.politicshome.com
December 8, 2025 at 10:46 AM
NEW: My interview with Natural England chair Tony Juniper, who tells me, on the infamous HS2 'bat tunnel':

"We could have finished up with a much better outcome for the bats, without having to spend that money"

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Natural England's Tony Juniper: Money Spent On Bat Tunnel 'Could Have Been Put To Better Use'
Natural England wants to cast off its ‘blocker’ image and reframe its mission as one that enhances national infrastructure. Noah Vickers speaks to ...
www.politicshome.com
December 5, 2025 at 9:06 AM
A real pleasure to interview Sir Michael Lyons for @thehousemag.bsky.social

Sir Michael chaired the independent New Towns Taskforce which the government commissioned after last year's election. He tells me how ministers can make their grand plan a reality:

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
New Towns Chair Sir Michael Lyons: Government Must Be 'Muscular' In Developer Negotiations
The next generation of new towns will follow the work of a taskforce led by Sir Michael Lyons. He tells Noah Vickers that ministers must not slacke...
www.politicshome.com
November 21, 2025 at 10:35 AM
My @thehousemag.bsky.social interview with Mel Stride:

🔵Is keeping the pension triple lock an example of 'living within our means'?
🔵Will Tories change PIP to voucher-led system?
🔵Would he have resigned if he'd made Reeves' rental licence error?

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Mel Stride: Let's Bring The 80s Back With A More Popular Capitalism
Shadow chancellor Mel Stride tells Noah Vickers about reforming the welfare system, why the Tories are sticking with the triple lock and Rachel Ree...
www.politicshome.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Juliana Süß, from defence think tank RUSI points to China’s growing capabilities in space.

“China has thrown everything they have up into space...For them, space is tied to the China dream."

Story from @noahvickers.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
'No Longer A Distant Frontier': How Can Britain Compete In The 'Battlefield' Of Space?
As hostile states seek to expand their reach in space, how can the UK defend its infrastructure? Noah Vickers reports
www.politicshome.com
November 11, 2025 at 4:49 PM
EXCL: MPs in parliaments around the world tell @thehousemag.bsky.social they are concerned about China's proposed UK embassy.

Lawmakers as far away as New Zealand fear that cabling beneath the site could present security risks not just for the UK but globally

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
International MPs Urge Caution Over UK's China 'Mega-Embassy'
China’s plan to build a ‘mega-embassy’ in the heart of London has set alarm bells ringing in parliaments around the world. Will it get the green li...
www.politicshome.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
"We Are Very Exposed": How Should The UK Protect Its Economy From Cyber-Attacks?
'We Are Very Exposed': How Should The UK Protect Its Economy From Cyber-Attacks?
A wave of crippling cyber-attacks on major UK businesses has raised questions about Britain’s economic security – and who is responsible for protec...
www.politicshome.com
October 24, 2025 at 11:04 AM
The Home Office confirms to me that it does not keep a record of what sensitivity settings police are using when they deploy live facial recognition (LFR) cameras, despite concerns over the technology's accuracy and civil liberty impacts

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Home Office Not Monitoring How Police Use Live Facial Recognition
The Home Office is not monitoring how police forces are using live facial recognition technology despite evidence that the equipment can lead to ra...
www.politicshome.com
October 19, 2025 at 11:36 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
Live facial recognition cameras have been used by police for years. With a government consultation on the way, MPs and campaigners are demanding safeguards on the technology, reports @noahvickers.bsky.social
MPs Urge Restrictions On Police Using Live Facial Recognition
Live facial recognition cameras have been used by police for years. With a government consultation on the way, MPs and campaigners are demanding sa...
www.politicshome.com
October 19, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Reposted by Noah Vickers
“We’re at a very low spot right now, and there’s no guarantee that things can’t get worse," admits Tory chair Kevin Hollinrake

He insists Badenoch can turn it around — but signs of progress are needed by May — and says "if you want revolution, then vote Reform"

He spoke to @noahvickers.bsky.social
Kevin Hollinrake: “There’s No Guarantee That Things Can’t Get Worse” For Conservatives
Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake has been tasked with steering the party’s administration. He tells Noah Vickers how the Tories can turn thei...
www.politicshome.com
October 5, 2025 at 8:57 AM
In their search for alternative forms of asylum accommodation, ministers will be forced to balance a range of competing factors, including cost, speed of procurement and equity of dispersal. What will they choose?

My piece for @thehousemag.bsky.social

www.politicshome.com/news/article...
How Will Labour Meet Its Promise To Close Asylum Hotels?
After a summer of protests outside hotels housing asylum seekers, the government is under renewed pressure to find alternative accommodation. What ...
www.politicshome.com
October 4, 2025 at 8:27 PM