Trade unionism matters more than ever. With the economy still in a slump, the Tories in power and the shadow of Brexit hanging over millions of jobs, unions are the only line of defence for working families. So the future direction of Unite, the biggest trade union in Britain and Ireland, is vital. It is far too important to be reduced to an extension of the rows in the Labour Party. I am standing for re-election as Unite's General Secretary for two reasons: My record - and my vision.
The future holds more competing but I also want to finish my degree, to grow up a little and I am also interested in a media career - I would love to be the next Clare Balding. Until then, I want to inspire other athletes and show them what can be achieved through hard work.
The challenges created by social care are immense. And they cannot be solved with token gestures. What's needed is a serious settlement, a blueprint that will ensure we have a properly funded and efficient system that will withstand the rapidly changing demands of an ageing population. A robust system that can meet everyone's needs. When Theresa May became leader, she pledged to deliver a country that works not just for the privileged few but for everyone. To follow through on that promise, the government must come up with a plan to resolve the crisis in social care.
Until the centre-left changes its thinking to better reflect working-class needs, they will become increasingly politically irrelevant, inequality will continue to increase, and working-class workers will turn to parties of the far-right who at least pretend to be listening to their concerns.
It is crucial that we now capture and garner the mobilisation of young people before they become disillusioned with a politics that continues to misrepresent the vast majority of them. We must ensure that the youth feel listened to in the negotiations, and that they have a say.
What would be a crowning glory on this series though is seeing Ore Oduba winning the Glitterball Trophy. Here is someone that has only ever danced at wedding discos before and has now shown that with dedication and application, what a complete novice can achieve on the dancefloor.
By 7am the river was in full flood and flowing over the bridge deck. The flooding stretched for over a mile. I have seen water on the bridge before but never as much as that night. The river had risen over 3 feet in a few hours and we had an anxious wait as river levels continued to rise.
Narcolepsy stops the brain from regulating the normal cycle of sleep. Most people also have cataplexy, which is triggered by strong emotions. These emotions can affect your muscles so you feel weak and tired or just collapse on the spot. That's why laughing is so dangerous. It slurs your speech too, no wonder people think you've had too much to drink.
Until Wenger's future becomes clearer, it's unlikely that either Ozil and Sanchez will sign new deals. As the team's best players, they deserve to know what the future holds for the club, but the reality is that no-one knows what Arsenal will look like as of next June.
Every child deserves to be given the same opportunities in life, the same chances to find their unique talent, to enjoy something for them, not because their parents push them into the limelight and then take credit for their achievements. As a parent we are biologically programmed to be proud of our children for any achievement.
Biases can only be fixed if you're aware of them, yet the clinicians who may have learned from past research are not the people who develop algorithms. How can we expect a programmer with a Computer Science degree to recognise that the data he is looking at is biased?
Our favourite stories at this time of year of course involve babies. Mary is a trafficked Albanian woman. She has been hosted, since the birth of her infant in September, by one of our generous hosts. Can you imagine taking in a total stranger and her newborn?
Whether Syrian, Sudanese, Afghan, Eritrean, Ethiopian or Oromo these are children caught up in conflicts not of their making. No one is suggesting all those seeking sanctuary in Europe should come to Britain, but we are saying we can and should do our bit to help.
Having invested in Creative Access for three years, the Government now risks damaging its own efforts to get more disadvantaged young people into the creative industries. We're determined not to give up. We're already looking at a new business model that builds on our strengths: providing recruitment services for media companies and training and support services for BAME interns.
An extraordinary second Monday in December may have heralded long-awaited government action to tackle the care crisis. With more than a million older people not getting the help they need and cash-strapped local authorities squeezing fees to fragile care businesses, the care system seems close to collapse. Now all eyes are on the government's funding settlement for councils later this week. Will it simply allow councils to raise council tax to fund care or will it offer something more fundamental?
Children are most at risk. With the innocence of youth, they fetch water, collect wood and play football. On a path, they step on an invisible landmine, or reach for a brightly coloured cluster bomb found in a bush. In a split second, if they survive, their life will be devastated - changed forever.
Maybe it's that I'm writing this on three hours sleep after a midnight showing, or maybe it's that I have a hard time being objective about anything Star Wars but I think Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is probably the best thing that's happened in this all-round trash year.
Christmas is the season of giving, but what if we were to shift the focus from giving presents to giving time, support or even just a listening ear? What may seem like a small gesture to you could mean the world to somebody that's struggling, and surely that's what Christmas is actually all about.
We see the love and sense of pride in the faces of mums and dads, and make sure that our little'uns can see us in the audience, so they too can be reassured that there is someone who cares. We take photos, and collect the programmes, which will find their way into memory boxes and albums for when the day comes, as inevitably it will, for them to move on.
While sitting there with pills in hand - I got a text from a friend I hadn't seen in awhile. A conversation sparked up, he said, "Miss you, man" and "You really need to come up and see us - it'll be amazing" and without knowing it he saved my life.
I was incredibly moved to see how sport impacted upon the lives of the refugees and was able to participate in women's football, taekwondo, wrestling and table tennis. Each sport and practice session brings something to look forward to for the children and adults. Sport brings a little joy into the long, hot desert days where not much else happens.
Christmas is approaching fast, the high streets are alive with shoppers, and presents are mounting up ready to be wrapped. Among the most popular of gifts are clothes; after all, we love to look good. But, do we really need them?