Paul Traynor

For people who love the great outdoors and want to protect fragile landscapes. Environmentalism without class struggle is just gardening.

[Labour Campaign For Council Housing @labour_council]

The first tranche of funding for the government's Social & Affordable Homes Programme will support 73,617 homes for "Strategic Partners" (outside of London). Only 3.8% of these will be council homes.
https://t.co/7b1hNB5vKB

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

@NedinPhil @finstumpf @dave43law The Right are already shifting the hate focus from ‘small boats’ to ‘send migrants back’ and ‘housing for whites first’. They have an endless menu of scapegoats to pick on from disabled people to ‘snowflake’ youngsters. Always punching down, never challenging privilege and wealth

[Feargal Sharkey @Feargal_Sharkey]

It rained....

And as predicted on @LBC with @HenryRiley1 not 48 hours ago.

Anything in brown is sewage being dumping into the environment right now, in real time, anything in red is sewage dumped over the last 24 hours.

[Yashar Ali 🐘 @yashar]

The American Federation of Musicians, the major labor union representing professional musicians in North America, is paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who was a member of its Nashville Local 257 for 58 years.

AFM says that for decades, Dolly consistently filed union contracts for her recording sessions, live gigs and tours.

That meant the musicians working for her were not simply being handed a check as hired players…their work was formally covered under union agreements that can require negotiated minimum pay, pension contributions, benefits and other workplace protections.

The union says Dolly “set the gold standard” for supporting the musicians behind her and “elevated our entire profession.”

[Neath RFC @neathrfc]

SIR BILLY BOSTON

Sir Billy Boston, the Wigan RL legend and former Neath RFC player who last year became the first rugby league player to be awarded a knighthood, has died at the age of 92.

The Welsh Rugby Union confirmed the news of Boston’s death on Tuesday, writing: “Sir Billy Boston, one of the best loved and most iconic figures in the history of Welsh sport, has passed away peacefully at the age of 92. The most famous son of Tiger Bay, he died overnight in hospital in his adopted home for the past 74 years, Wigan. His death came only four days after the funeral of his wife, Lady Joan, to whom he had been married for 70 years.”

While Sir Billy was best-known for his rugby league exploits, he first came to Neath's attention when playing for the Welsh Boys' Clubs against their English counterparts at The Gnoll.

In November 1950, he starred at full back in Wales' 8-6 win over England – included in the Wales team were four members of the Neath YMCA Colts team in Graham Michael, Morwyn Morgan, Don Devereux and Ron Waldron who all played for Neath, Don Devereux and Ron Waldron going on to earn full caps as prop forwards.

Boston was only 17 but he was an outstanding talent and, unwanted by his home-town Cardiff, Neath were prepared to give him an opportunity. 

The following Saturday he made his first-class debut at centre for Neath RFC against Penarth on December. 2, 1950 in a team skippered by Neath's legendary Wales and British Lion line-out ace Roy John. Neath won easily 16-6 through tries by Neath's other British Lion Rees Stephens, wing Elwyn Jones and back-rower Elvet Jones, full back Viv Evans kicked two conversions and outside-half Des Bater dropped a goal to complete the scoring.

The “Neath Guardian” felt that he was 'nervous' and 'over-awed' but Neath were more than happy to include him again. Later that season Boston starred at The Gnoll when he scored a hat-trick of tries as Glamorgan won the Welsh Boys' Clubs cup by beating Breconshire with 8 Neath lads also in the Glamorgan team.

The following season, the Welsh Boys' Clubs defeated England 32-nil again at The Gnoll and this time Billy Boston played at centre and contributed 17 points via four conversions and three penalties.

That day, he was joined in the Wales side by full back Phil Hopkins (Tonna) and five YMCA Colts – Brian Mullins, Doug Allin, David Rowlands, Noel Mellin and Ron Waldron.

Further Neath plans to include Billy Boston were thwarted as he had received his National Service call-up papers but a handful of appearances in 1952/53 brought him points and a fine try against Cheltenham.

He also scored 6 tries as his Royal Signals team defeated the Welsh Guards in the final of the Army Cup and such prowess naturally alerted rugby league scouts and in 1953 he began a life-long association with Wigan where he played until 1968 setting records along the way. He played 488 games and scored 478 tries and was also a member of Great Britain’s World Cup-winning squad of 1960.

But he was always grateful to Neath RFC - somewhat misty-eyed, he once told Neath RFC secretary Mike Price, "You gave me my chance."

Sir Billy, Neath RFC are proud that we did – doubly proud too of all your subsequent achievements and the Club's condolences go to his family and very many friends in both codes.   MP

[BBC Sport Wales @BBCSportWales]

Read more: https://t.co/17ClPAWkSO

[Miners Strike @Miners_Strike]

Retweet if you agree 👇

[Dave Nellist @davenellist]

Did the Metropolitan Police destroy files that could have explained why #MI5 spied on me in the 1980's - and who authorised it? It is a question that should be answered by the Undercover Policing Inquiry, as Paul Heron, my lawyer, explains:
https://t.co/VW6aJkHQdV

[Terry Abraham @terrybnd]

🔔🔔 PUB PART OF KIRKSTONE PASS INN CLOSED WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT! 🔔🔔😢 This iconic & historic inn of Cumbria, the county’s highest, popular with locals and visitors has closed.

#lakedistrict #pubs

The fab Kirkby Lonsdale Brewery did a great job and I feel for em 💔😢 The landlord had no care I guess for the history and heritage of the place.

It’s been mired in controversy since the landlord bought the whole site.

https://t.co/iRYKsdT96h

Sad innit.

Once again I’m reminded of the late and great Harry Griffin:

“Guard our precious Lake District, be vigilant and prevent exploitation by those who only want to make money.”

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

@WillHayCardiff @unioneyes There’s a layer of mainly older people who’ve swallowed whole the ‘net zero hoax’ line of right wing media. Clue is that the first thing they say if you refer to global warming is ‘remember 1976’. As if that’s some sort of killer argument. Sad really.

[Fire Brigades Union @fbunational]

Footballers during the World Cup had hydration breaks every 25 minutes. Meanwhile, firefighters are working in scorching temperatures for hours at a time.

We need 5,000 more firefighters, backed up by access to proper welfare and PPE.

[Prem Sikka @premnsikka]

England councils sold 14,275 social homes in the year to March 2026. Average receipt £112,900.

3452 replacement homes funded.

Over 2m sold since the 1980s.

Many sold to private landlords, many to councils at a profit.

1.3m waiting list for social homes
https://t.co/pY985LYkxX

[Paul Lewis @paullewismoney]

Housing crisis timeline:
3 October 1980: Right to Buy compels local councils to sell their homes at big discounts.
1 January 1989: private tenants lose security of tenure turning homes into assets.
24 September 1996: buy-to-let mortgages convert owner occupied homes into rented
2000s: developers monetise leasehold as brownfield developments trap a generation in high cost new builds they never own

[Fire Brigades Union @fbunational]

FBU members have spent days battling a wildfire in the Rhondda that's scorched an area the size of over 500 football pitches.

We need a UK-wide wildfire strategy now. The FBU is leading on a National Wildfire Summit, to build resilience and protect firefighters and the public.

[ICIMOD @icimod]

"I just want to find them."

Those were the words of a father after a cloudburst destroyed his home in Kashmir.

His story is heartbreaking. It's also part of a larger climate story unfolding across the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

[Ansell Eade @AnsellEade]

The 1988 TV adaptation of Trevor Griffiths’ play “The Party”, set in London during the events of May 1968, is online (link in comments).

Features fictionalised versions of the WRP’s Gerry Healy, New Left Review’s Perry Anderson, etc., debating revolutionary theory and practice…

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

@RachelD1892 @birdman2 If you think Streeting is a socialist I’ve got a bridge to sell you.

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

@Miners_Strike @Battlebridge_ Militant ran this photo of a pit village under police occupation. Interview with the ex-miner being frogmarched runs beside the pic.

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

@ceritheviking @pete_savin @MarieHeleneTho2 Surely the ancestral seat of Count Binface.

[Paul Traynor @TreadsoftlyUK]

https://t.co/OdmEtgnQbW