Kitty Thompson

Freed from the burden of choosing a prospective government, by-elections are an opportunity for voters to tell the political class how they really feel. It is therefore no great surprise that the people of Gorton and Denton, until now a solid Labour heartland, have called on the uber-left Greens to give the status quo a kicking, with Reform coming in second. For the Conservatives, the more interesting story is not the Greens’ success in outer Manchester, but what the Green surge at the national level says about the voters who have been drifting into Zack Polanski’s orbit. The Greens have previously benefited from the agreeable vagueness of their brand. Green is a comforting word, smelling of cut grass and virtue.

There are few sights more unsettling than a politician trying to get ‘down with the kids’. Last week it was Zack Polanski’s turn. The new Green Party leader appeared on TikTok, lip-syncing along to Nicki Minaj with a climate activist as his contribution to the viral ‘What’s going on?’ trend. Rather than being met with rapturous applause, viewers that haven’t drunk the Green Kool-Aid were left asking what on Earth was going on.  Although there is nothing wrong with politicians trying to appear human, many seem to forget that politics is supposed to be a serious business If you want to reach the youth, you don’t go on Newsnight. You head to the For You Page.

When it was put to him that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, Richard Tice, Reform UK's deputy leader, was blithe in his reponse: “Why do you think the UK is one of the most nature-dependent places? You look at our countryside, look at the environment, it's incredible. It's absolutely remarkable.” But, whether Tice admits it or not, the truth is that the UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. We have lost 97 per cent of our wildflower meadows in just a century. 87 per cent of our peatlands are degraded, dried out and now emitting tonnes of carbon dioxide every year. Just 17 per cent of our globally rare chalk streams are in good ecological condition.

The powers that be at Amazon seem to have an uncanny talent for releasing each new series of Clarkson’s Farm just as British politics descends into fresh farming chaos. The new series is no different. At the exact moment that I am watching Jeremy Clarkson and the cast of Diddly Squat farm get their government-funded agri-environment schemes in order for the year, over in Whitehall, Rachel Reeves is plotting how to cut the budget that pays for them.  A recurring theme so far in the show's fourth series has been the jibes directed at the government for paying farmers for seemingly non-food things, like establishing wildflower meadows. Initially, this does seem strange. That is, until you realise that farming is not just about the end product.

After a 3,000 year hiatus, the mighty elk could soon return to England. Plans to reintroduce this towering creature were announced last week, as part of a growing movement to bring back lost species and help restore our natural ecosystems. But the uncomfortable truth is that restoration doesn’t just mean bringing certain animals back, but taking some away. Free to wallow, trample, graze, and knock down trees to create clearings, elk would reshape the small corner of England we give them for the better. Like beavers building dams or lynx hunting their prey, elk are a keystone species. They are critical for maintaining the balance and biodiversity of their wetland ecosystem and will help to reverse our fortunes as one of the world's most nature-depleted countries.

Christ is risen. Lent is over, Eastertide has begun. With it, my Lenten fast – and that of millions of others – has also reached its natural conclusion. This year, I sacrificed every kind of sweet treat I could think of: cakes, chocolate, biscuits, jam, pastries, ice cream. In doing so, I found myself grappling with the significance of resisting temptation in a society that increasingly outsources its self-discipline. Back in March, I knew the next 40 days and 40 nights would not be easy. That is why I chose to do it. Growing up, no dinner was complete without a dessert. My grandad's puddings would have made Mary Berry blush. Thanks to my family of sugar fiends, I have a ridiculously sweet tooth. As an adult, I regularly cave to my sugary cravings.