Matty Edwards

Freelance journalist based in Bristol, formerly of media coop @TheBristolCable.

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

📢 Some personal news: Seven years after joining the @TheBristolCable as a green reporter, I'm moving onto my next challenge.

It's been a privilege to work at such an innovative org with so many great people, and hopefully tell some important stories along the way. (1/3)

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

📢 On Friday I'm speaking about my months of reporting on Birmingham's controversial asset sales programme for the @brumdispatch, also featuring Dr James Brackley, hosted by @francesnorthrop from @NEF

Get your free ticket (12pm-1pm): https://t.co/WbpfnL3vlZ

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🚨 Last week, I reported on a challenge by Birmingham councillors of a recent decision to declare a swathe of green spaces surplus. They also slammed the "woeful consultation".

And now, 11 of these have been saved after the Cabinet reviewed the decision: https://t.co/CmfDEghzQk

[Birmingham Dispatch @brumdispatch]

Data acquired by The Dispatch under freedom of information laws lays bare which assets have been sold since the council went bankrupt in September 2023. 💸

Over the last two years, a whopping 1,000 assets have been flogged for a total of nearly £230m. 🔨

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🚨 My latest exclusive for the reveals the full extent of assets sold by Birmingham Council after it went bust.

A whopping 1,000 assets have been flogged off but another £500m has to be raised by March to satisfy the government-appointed commissioners.
https://t.co/cfOoa6TX0h

[Renters' Reform Coalition @RentersReformCo]

The Renters' Rights Bill has been APPROVED by the House of Commons!

This is the final step before the Bill receives Royal Assent, which we expect shortly.

No more amendments, no more debate - renters' rights are coming.

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

The charity behind Manchester Pride has gone bust, leaving artists and performers owed thousands in unpaid fees https://t.co/AO5Lu4TPmq

[Birmingham Dispatch @brumdispatch]

Recently released council accounts show Birmingham had hundreds of millions it could have used instead of going bankrupt & issuing extreme cuts, say 35 accountant researchers.

They're demanding an inquiry. Read the full story, in The Dispatch.

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🚨 REVEALED: Accounting experts are calling for a public inquiry into Birmingham City Council's decision to declare itself bankrupt, as new analysis uncovers that the council’s financial health was much better than reported when it raised the alarm in 2023 https://t.co/uZf0MZUOiL

[Neil Maggs @NeilMaggs2]

Good article from ⁦@MattyEdwards23⁩ this - worth a read. https://t.co/F16u9ZkCwY

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🚨 New figures show Bristol City Council has barely improved its record of answering FOI requests on time, 18 months after it was slapped with an enforcement notice by the ICO https://t.co/BmP3TuVF5b

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

📚 I've co-written this report for Research For Action into how to urgently improve the poor accessibility of financial information from local councils, in collaboration with @SussexUni https://t.co/jea7jOWbCi

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🙌 From community centres to youth centres and libraries, groups across the Birmingham are trying to keep vital assets in community hands and save them from closure.

There are stories of hope among the doom and gloom after their council went bust

https://t.co/tagZ28Bz9m

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

🏠 After years of spiralling costs of placing homeless people in temporary accommodation, including hotels or homes owned by private companies cashing in on the crisis, Bristol is one the councils managing to turn the tide.

My latest for @theleaduk https://t.co/UoduD1ubrP

[The Bristol Cable @TheBristolCable]

📰 The Filton 18: ‘The more you oppress people, the more they will rise’

The story of @Pal_action activists taking on the Elbit Systems Israeli arms facility on the outskirts of Bristol

https://t.co/CEQLWbBWKq

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

Important work by @theleaduk who have launched this petition to amend the Employment Rights Bill to prevent any cuts to Statutory Sick Pay for workers on lower wages #SafeSickPay https://t.co/G9InFSoHc9

[Lucy McDaid @LucyJMcDaid]

NEW: Reform UK is advertising for a 'deeply patriotic' candidate for West of England Mayor

The ad says 'no political experience is necessary'

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

👏 What a brilliantly creative way to bring untold stories to light in the face of legal threats https://t.co/srGnerUhZG

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

Next I'm going freelance and will carry on writing about Bristol and social issues on a national level.

📩 For any stories about Bristol or other commissions, drop me an email: [email protected] (3/3)

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

📢 Some personal news: Seven years after joining the @TheBristolCable as a green reporter, I'm moving onto my next challenge.

It's been a privilege to work at such an innovative org with so many great people, and hopefully tell some important stories along the way. (1/3)

[Matty Edwards @MattyEdwards23]

After years of trying to produce local journalism that matters to people in a small team of dedicated journalists, I'm looking forward to reading more important stories in the future along with the thousands of members powering the Cable's work (2/3)

https://t.co/gzVkoQ6wkV