Lauren E. White

Understanding politics isn’t easy – let alone trying to understand the role of the most important person in Britain: the Prime Minister. This week’s Mastering Politics is all about the power of the prime minister and how much of it they really have. What is the role of the prime minister? The prime minister’s (PM) […]

University can be one of the most challenging times in an individual’s life. Suddenly, you’re all away from home and the friends and family you love with a bunch of people who are so utterly different from you. You might not like your course, your ‘friends’ or the city you’re in. And suddenly you find […]

For a lot of people, politics is a very confusing topic. There are so many words to remember, so many parties and government positions and it’s not easy to know what it all means. But there is no shame in not knowing. After all, it’s not like the news explains the definition of all of […]

Graham Norton’s debut novel Holding attracted significant media attention and glowing reviews. Most likely because Graham Norton of The Graham Norton Show wrote a fiction crime novel. Presumably most reviewers would have liked to slate it for some kind of self-gratifying purpose. I hate it when celebrities get book deals. Half of them can’t write; it’s never usually because […]

When Charlotte Brontë called her sister Anne’s book The Tenant of Wildfell Hall a “mistake” and prevented it from being published for ten years, I do think she was being rather severe. Anne Brontë’s second novel is not the masterpiece Jane Eyre is or Wuthering Heights. I am hesitant to call it a masterpiece at all, but there are […]

Dearest readers, welcome back. Bridgerton series two is out now and if you’re anything like me, you’ll have spent eight hours in bed binge-watching before allowing it to consume your being. (Ha, see what I did there…) If you didn’t do that – worry not, there’s plenty to look forward to. And plenty to think […]

Russian President Vladimir Putin has declared war on the eastern European country of Ukraine. Here is everything you need to know about the situation so far. Why Ukraine? Putin has referred to Ukraine as “ancient Russian lands”. He also says the invasion is about the “de-Nazification” of the country, accusing it of committing genocide against […]

A Monster Calls is one of the most renowned books of the 21st century. Patrick Ness, its author and flame-carrier, is just as renowned. There is a reason for that. A Monster Calls is one of the most moving, brilliantly executed, and informative novels I’ve read in a while. I’m possibly too old to be considered the target […]

The Color Purple feels strange to write in American English. It would feel somehow wrong and a disservice to such a touching, thoughtful, and pure novel to add that “u” into the title, though. So, I won’t. Alice Walker’s writing is uniquely American, in the same way that Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird carries that […]

Plenty of people have hit the headlines this year. But here’s the ten who made them for all the best reasons. 10. Regé-Jean Page Actor Regé-Jean Page had us all talking about him – for the right reasons – back in January after the release of Netflix Original series Bridgerton. Starring as The Duke of […]

2021 has been full of villains, some worse than others. So here, we break them all down for you, from the bad eggs to the very bad eggs. 10. James Corden The general distaste in the air for James Corden has prevailed in 2021. There’s no real reason for this dislike, but it’s a thing. Can […]

Whenever Sam Fender is about to step on stage at a hometown show, the chants of “Toon, Toon, Black and White Army” get progressively louder. It’s almost enough to drown out the soft beginning of Mark Knopfler’s Local Hero – the Geordie anthem played before every Newcastle match at St. James’ Park. But the chants never […]

Almost twenty-five years after her death, Princess Diana’s status as a British icon has only grown. When Elton John sang at her funeral “your candle burned out long before your legend ever will,” he wasn’t wrong. But Spencer – the latest Diana saga film – goes against the grain of her typical legend status. Directed by […]

The Bridget Jones’s Diary empire is synonymous with the nineties; it has (rightly) achieved legendary chick-flick status; is renowned for being comedy gold; and criticised just enough to make the whole thing semi-controversial. The last part depends on who you ask. But Bridget Jones’s Diary hasn’t always been that mega bucks film starring Texan Renee […]

Few singers have achieved the kind of legendary status Bruce Springsteen has. Known as ‘The Boss’, this humble, energetic, and deeply thoughtful musician has produced a life-spanning catalogue keeping generations entertained. And here we take a look at his best five songs. 5. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) Sandy has become synonymous with Bruce […]

Sam Fender’s second album Seventeen Going Under has a lot to live up to. From the soaring heights of the debut’s title track Hypersonic Missiles to the real groove of The Borders, the album was virtually perfect. So, how does Fender’s new record compare? With this one, we’ve had time to warm up. The lead single, where Seventeen Going […]

Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner Kim McGuinness has promised an £800,000 investment to make the North East safer for women. The funding includes extra CCTV in parks linked to control rooms, Metro safety volunteers on patrol, and an independent review of street lighting. The Safer Streets funding package is part of the Home Office’s £25m […]

Located in the heart of Newcastle’s Quayside, pre-pandemic Aveika was popular with clubbers wanting a classy, modern dine-and-drink experience. Post-pandemic, Aveika still has that nightclub vibe – just a slightly toned down version. We popped in last Sunday afternoon to sample the Japanese restaurant and mocktails (it was a Sunday, so alcoholic beverages were not […]

New figures have revealed that the North East had the highest suicide rate in England and Wales during 2020. Data from the Office for National Statistics showed an 11% rise in suicides in our region, rising from 190 in 2019 to 211 in 2020. The region with the lowest figure of deaths per 100,000 of […]

Sally Rooney has had a stratospheric rise to fame and success after the publication of her first two novels, Conversations with Friends and (of course) Normal People. Both novels have received widespread critical acclaim, with the latter cementing Rooney as perhaps the frontrunner of millennial literature. Beautiful World, Where Are You only serves to compound this reputation. This novel, […]

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most famous names in not just football, but the entire world. The Portuguese footballer has a league of his own fans and is considered by many to be one of the greatest players of all time. Yet there is one thing the world remains silent on when it comes […]

Post-9/11 we all know the story. The Western world was at a heightened sense of insecurity, anger, paranoia – the lot. We ended up invading Iraq with America – and we also all know how that ended. Tony Blair, Prime Minister at the time, can not do anything now without being labelled – rightly or […]

The UK Ministry of Culture really sounds like something straight out of The Thick of It. For those not in the loop, the show is set around the running of a fictional government department. It’s the worst department of the lot, and something similar to the reputation of the real-world Culture Ministry. Except in the real […]

There’s nothing quite like Mamma Mia! – both the film and the musical are simply sublime pieces of art. But the original film, released in 2008, brought together a range of fantastic actors. I mean, let’s be honest, where else would you get Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, and Christine Baranski all in one place, next to Amanda […]

More than a third of children referred to mental health services last year were turned away. Around 73,000 of 195,000 patients were closed before treatment even began in the year 2020-21, according to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request from the Labour Party. It is likely that these figures actually understate the number of children […]

Actor, comedian, and writer Robin Williams would have been 70 today. The star of many blockbusters was a childhood hero of many, starring in the likes of Mrs Doubtfire, Flubber and Jumanji which have entertained millions over the years. After Mrs Doubtfire filming, Lisa Jakub who played Williams’ eldest daughter, received a letter from her school […]

It’s that time of year again where the sun is boiling hot, we spend days in the sun, and get back in the house, sat before the TV at 9pm, ready to watch Love Island. The show has returned to our screens after a Covid-related hiatus, but this series has been a bit of a […]

A National Audit Office report has found that school funding for the most disadvantaged areas of England has fallen, while funding for the most affluent areas has increased. The report found that the average per pupil funding in the most deprived fifth of schools fell by 1.2% between 2017-18 and 2020-21. In contrast, this funding […]

When Sarah Everard, a marketing executive living in London, a Durham University graduate; a girlfriend, friend, daughter; a human being, was abducted, raped, and murdered by a complete stranger when she was walking home one evening, the nation was shook. For days, social media was ablaze with rightly furious women posting about what had happened […]

The Home Office’s annual report and accounts for the year 2020 to 2021 confirm that the department spent over £370,000 to settle a top civil servant’s claim against Home Secretary Priti Patel. Sir Philip Rutman served as permanent secretary before quitting in February last year, citing Ms Patel’s behaviour as the reason behind his exit. […]

Many North East legends have travelled far and wide to make an impact. Many of them leave and do great things. But the one who stayed and has done the greatest is, of course, Sam Fender, who returned this evening with a new single Seventeen Going Under. This is the lead, eponymous new track from […]

If you are under 18 and worried that a nude photograph or video of yourself may end up online, you can report this using a new tool on the Childline website to prevent it from being uploaded. Childline, ran by the NSPCC, provides free help and support to under-18s and has teamed up with the […]

Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library was a Sunday Times number one bestseller. Why? For the life of me, I cannot fathom it. That’s personally, though. If I look at the general state of the world and publishing as it is, I can totally see why. The Midnight Library is essentially a mix of everything this society has come to superficially […]

Ever since elected leader Aun Sang Suu Kyi was overthrown by the Myanmar military junta in February, protests have swarmed streets and state-sanctioned violence has been amplified in cities. But on Wednesday, Myanmar freed over 2,000 of its detainees held since the beginning of the coup. Of those released were journalists and others who the […]

Home Secretary Priti Patel is to introduce laws next week that will allow the government to send asylum seekers abroad for processing. An asylum seeker is an individual who has been forced to leave their home country but their application to live in another country has not yet been concluded. People often seek asylum due […]

Good food and good drinks is all anyone really wants, isn’t it? Well, I should think so anyway. Newcastle’s Tomahawk Steakhouse, I am pleased to confirm, makes both of those wishes come true. Set by the glorious Quayside, a window seat offers you a lovely view of Gateshead’s Sage. If you’re not seated at the […]

Just weeks after the Electoral Commision launched an investigation into Boris Johnson and the Downing Street flat refurbishment, he is planning to strip the body of its power to prosecute breaches of law. In May, the Prime Minister found himself at the heart of controversy as details of his expensive flat refurbishment were found to […]

The reputation of Where the Crawdads Sing is gigantic. 72-year-old zoologist Delia Owens’ debut novel has garnered the best reviews from critics around the world, and sat on The New York Times Best Fiction Sellers list for 124 weeks. Is this novel – the one about an abandoned young child who learns to survive all alone in […]

In the news for the past few months have been stories about an ongoing genocide in the Chinese region of Xinjiang. Most of the population living in the north-western region are Uighur Muslims and they are currently the victims of horrific government-sanctioned abuse. Please note: this article features mentions of rape and torture. Who are […]

In 1988, the Local Government Act brought in by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government introduced Section 28 to Britain. It is one of the most controversial and deeply harmful pieces of legislation ever seen in Parliament because of what it meant for the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Section 28 prevented schools from “promoting the teaching of […]

The government’s Towns Fund is no stranger to controversy – but the revelation that 26 of the 30 towns awarded the shared £725 million budget have Conservative MPs adds fuel to the fire. In March, Chancellor Rishi Sunak was forced to deny favouritism after the previous list of 45 towns receiving a chunk of the […]

French 18-year-olds are to be given €300 to spend at cinemas, theatres, museums, or on books. Should the move – dubbed as a ‘culture pass’ – be replicated in Britain? Given that cinemas and museums have been among many industries shut down in both countries, the potential boost in income from young people could be […]

The Bridgerton hype is going nowhere fast. That is almost one hundred percent guaranteed – and the books are no different. After living above a rock, I have obviously seen Netflix’s adaptation of Bridgerton more times than I care to recall. However, as we all know, I am an avid reader and so, naturally, have […]

Ever since Prince Harry said in a 2017 interview that he sought professional counselling, I have always found everything he does strikes a chord with me. That kind of raw, open honesty from someone in his shoes was unheard of – and it meant way more than he could have ever known. Recommended Reading: Prince […]

A World Health Organisation (WHO) study has found that long working hours are killing 745,000 people per year. In the first global study of this kind, the WHO found that in 2016, hundreds of thousands died from strokes and heart disease due to the length of their working hours. The report also found that those […]

The North is one amazing place to live, work, and study – but you didn’t need us to tell you that. We all know that being Northern is the best gift we could have been giving, even if our region’s achievers are oftentimes the forgotten folk. So, we’ve devised this list of ten amazing Northerners […]

Professor Andrew Pollard, who helped develop the Oxford AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine, has said that it is “morally wrong” to offer the jab to children in wealthy countries before adults in poorer nations. Professor Pollard is the director of the Oxford Vaccine Group and told a group of MPs that global vaccine inequality is “plain to […]

Mastering Politics is back with an explanation of the Israeli air strikes currently happening in Gaza City. As a little disclaimer, we know that this issue is far more complex than just what’s happening today. A more in-depth look at the Israel-Palestine conflict will be coming to Beep in the next few weeks. What’s happened? […]