Our family’s story is in today’s Liverpool Echo — Thursday 25 September. On the surface, it is about one household in New Brighton — me, my wife Jana, and our three boys — but it is really the story of thousands of families across the UK. Families who came here in good faith, followed every rule, paid every fee, and are now being told that they may not belong.

Falling in love should never carry a price tag. Marriage, family, the decision to build a life together—these are meant to be the foundations of joy, not a bureaucratic punishment. And yet in Britain today, love itself has been monetised. Falling in love with someone from outside these shores is no longer a simple act of union, it is a transaction, a test of wealth, a prolonged ritual of anxiety.

The geese fly without paperwork. Families like mine don’t. On the Mersey, migration is physics and cooperation; in Westminster, it’s theatre and menace. And here on the Wirral, the chorus includes a Reform chair with a history we should remember.

On Monday 15 September, I spoke at the Economy, Regeneration & Housing Committee meeting in Wallasey Town Hall. The Committee was reviewing major policy frameworks — including the Liverpool City Region’s Spatial Development Strategy (SDS) and Wirral’s Local Plan.

It starts with a feeling — not quite desire, not quite hunger. A kind of soft restlessness, like a tuning fork humming behind your ribs.

We’re calling on Wirral Council to recognise the New Brighton mural trail as a cultural asset — and to work with local partners to secure its care, upkeep, and future development.

I’ve already said my piece about Fender Lane, the council process, and the bigger picture for Wirral. My white paper stands for itself. But watching how the numbers keep getting quoted and debated, I thought it’s worth sharing a quick data lesson for anyone curious about what these statistics really mean.

Wirral Council’s so-called 'Active Travel' initiative has descended into a farcical mess that would be laughable if it weren’t so depressing

Last week, I arranged to visit the Floral Pavilion in person — to see what I’d missed, to ask questions directly, and, above all, to listen.

If you were looking for a case study in bureaucratic breakdown, strategic contradiction, and reactionary politics, look no further than Liscard. Wirral Council has spent the last four years publicly promoting cycling, face coverings, and active travel. But now? They want to criminalise all three.

Imagine cycling from Birkenhead to Liscard or from Seacombe Ferry to Wirral Waters—without battling traffic, potholes, or painted tokenism masquerading as infrastructure. That’s exactly what London’s Islington to Whitechapel route achieves: a seamless, 18-minute journey across neighbourhoods via quiet streets, protected lanes, and well-connected LTNs.

This week, I read in The Guardian that Folkestone’s controversial harbour redevelopment plan had finally been approved: 410 new homes, 54 commercial units, right on the waterfront. The council voted it through. And the tone wasn’t triumph — it was resignation. “We cannot block the blocks,” one councillor said. It was less a victory than a surrender.

Connor Hilton didn't start as a pizzaiolo. His story didn't begin with dough recipes passed down through generations or culinary training from a prestigious chef. Instead, it started with a spark of creativity, a bold opportunity, and the supportive spirit of New Brighton's vibrant community.

If you’d wandered down Victoria Road in New Brighton back in early 2018, you might have noticed a bit of a bleak canvas—tired concrete corners, unloved traffic boxes, a street needing more than just sunlight. It needed imagination. It needed someone willing to plant a seed.

This post supports my recent article, Bin the Bollards, by detailing how I sourced and verified crash data on Duke Street. It shows step by step how the evidence doesn’t support the claim that wand orcas are needed for cyclist safety.

Just a year ago, Labour swept into power with the swaggering confidence of someone who’d somehow landed tickets to Glastonbury after...

Stand on Kings Parade and look down towards the lifeguard station—the one watching over the tide like a sentry in a hi-vis vest.

This is New Brighton. Yes, New Brighton.” – Dom Joly on His Unexpected Night Out

This piece was written in direct response to Environment, Climate Emergency and Transport Committee - Monday, 16th June 2025 6.00 p.m decision to approve the Duke Street Active Travel Scheme.

This article was developed as part of a wider effort to understand and document the key turning points in Wirral’s regeneration agenda.