Reform UK mega donation criticised, private water companies lambasted, menstrual study launched

Bradford East MP criticises mega Reform UK donation 

The MP for Bradford East has criticised the two £36 million donations from two crypto billionaires, saying that “our democracy should not be for sale to the highest bidder”.

Imran Hussain said that the record-breaking donations made by Ben Delo – who has recently moved back to the UK from Hong Kong, and Christopher Harborne, who is still based in Thailand, has reignited the debate over how much money should be allowed to be given to parties.

“We need to get big money out of politics – and quickly,” he stated, after calling for political donations to be capped. He didn’t say how much that amount should be.

Reform UK’s leader, Nigel Farage, who is under investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over his “failure to register an interest” – a £5 million gift from Harborne – has responded to criticisms of the £72 million donation by saying that they are "100% compliant with the law today".

Now … there is talk of them [the government] retrospectively declaring donations illegally,” Farage said in an interview with the BBC. “Well, that simply cannot be. If a government was allowed to do this, you know what would happen?

There’d be a response the other way. We or the Conservatives would say, right, if you’re going to stop legitimate donors like this, we will then say to the trade unions, you can’t give money. And if you do that, you have collapsed the whole political system.”

West Yorkshire mayor sets her sights on reducing energy bills

Homeowners and businesses across West Yorkshire are to be given the power to reduce their energy bills as part of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority’s (WYCA) group-buying scheme.

The second round of the initiative will let locals join forces to buy and install solar panels, electric car charging points, and battery storage systems at a lower price than they’d get if they did it alone.

According to the mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, “this vital, practical action” was one of the ways households can “reduce their energy bills” and keep “more money in their pocket”.

“I’m committed to everyone having a warm, safe, and secure place to call home,” she said. “That’s why we're making it easier for people to access support to improve their home.”

The second phase of the scheme comes on the back of the 2024 pilot’s success, the WYCA explained, which it said had helped over 600 households across the region. On top of that, it claimed that some residents were making up to £13 a day selling unused electricity back to the grid.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, 91% of new large-scale renewable energy projects produce energy more cheaply than the cheapest new fossil fuel based alternative.

Private water company profits “before people and nature” is "disgraceful"

The MP for Shipley has criticised the management of water by private water companies, describing their stewardship over this basic human need as “disgraceful”.

Speaking at the water sector public ownership debate in the House of Commons, Anna Dixon said it was shocking that private water companies have been allowed to “abuse our rivers and put profit before people and nature” for so long.

“Why are we in this terrible situation?” she asked. "As others have said, in 1989, the Tory government did what no other country has done – there is no international precedent for this – and put the stewardship of our most precious natural resource into the hands of private companies.

“We were told that private ownership would bring investment, efficiency and innovation. Instead, we have seen rising debt, rising bills and more pollution in our rivers.”

She called on the Labour government to develop a legal framework that would result in the water sector being stripped of private ownership and returned to the public. 

In an editorial from 2024, the Guardian described the privatisation of water in England as an “oddity in the world”, highlighting the fact that it bucks the trend, as 90% of countries have in place state-owned operations.

Last year, Yorkshire Water was named as one of three companies that were most responsible for an increase in serious pollution incidents, which the Environment Agency described as “causing significant environmental harm”.

Baildon Town Council gets new exhibition funding

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has awarded Baildon Town Council nearly £90,000 to develop a new exhibition all about the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve.

The exhibition, which will open at Bracken Hall Countryside Centre, will be developed over 15 months and will tell visitors about the new nature reserve, which was only established in 2025.

Ann Foster, chair of Baildon Town Council, said she was thrilled to have received ££87,915 from the UK’s largest heritage funder.

“As the only visitor centre in the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve, Bracken Hall Countryside Centre is well-positioned to help visitors discover its unique wildlife and landscapes,” she said.

“This funding will allow us to create an inspiring new exhibition that encourages visitors to enjoy and protect our natural heritage for future generations."

Earlier this year, Condé Nast Traveller named the Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve one of 2026’s seven wonders of the world.

“Rather like King Charles himself, there’s something stoic and un-showy about this 1,272-hectare region, resided in, and beloved by, the Brontë sisters and encompassing Ilkley Moor, Penistone Hill Country Park, Harden Moor and Bingley North Bog,” the traveller publication noted.

“If Britain ever needed proof that the everyday could still surprise, the Bradford Pennines Gateway delivers with quiet aplomb.”

Major study into menstrual cycle is launched

A major study into the menstrual cycle dubbed CycleTrack has been launched by Born in Bradford in collaboration with the Universities of Exeter and Bristol.

The goal is to learn more about what happens when women experience a period every month, including the “full range of menstrual experiences”.

This includes understanding more about the factors that influence menstrual symptoms, why some women experience more difficult periods and how doctors can better support women during this time.

Salma Chopdat, community research coordinator at Born in Bradford, said: "For too long, women's experiences have been overlooked, leaving gaps in our understanding of how menstrual health affects everyday life, wellbeing, and healthcare outcomes. 

Now Born in Bradford participants can help us to change this by sharing their experiences now or in the past.”

In April this year, Keir Starmer’s Labour government published the Renewed Women's Health Strategy for England.

Writing in the report, Professor Lesley Regan, the women’s health ambassador for England, described the strategy as a “clear mandate” that moved the government beyond making promises and into actual delivery of “sustainable improvements in women’s health”.

“This is an opportunity to embed the voices of girls and women at the heart of the design and delivery of their healthcare,” she said.