Holding the World Cup in the North is a brilliant idea all England should support.
Football is our national game – but even southerners have to admit its spiritual home can be found in the great cities of Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield and Newcastle.
We have learned from bitter experience that landing the World Cup is fraught with difficulty. England enlisted Prince William and David Beckham in an attempt to win the 2018 bid but still failed to persuade FIFA.
Money does a lot of the talking in deciding the host nation. But what it cannot buy is the history and heritage of football in the North.
If we need a trump card to play when making the 2030 bid it can be found on the terraces of Anfield, Old Trafford and St James’ Park. All that is needed is for politicians in Westminster to throw their weight behind the campaign.
If the World Cup were held in the North then football would truly be coming home.
End knife hell
The New Year has just begun and already a young life is lost to knife crime.
What makes the fatal stabbing of Isaiah Usen-Satchell so unbearable is that he is highly unlikely to be the only teenager who will be killed on our streets in 2020.
You would think the death toll last year, with more than 140 knife crime victims, might have jolted the authorities into action.
Britain desperately needs a concerted effort to stamp out the causes of knife crime.
This means tackling the drug trade that fuels violence, putting more police on the streets, educating young people on the danger of carrying dangerous weapons and re-investing in youth clubs and out-of-school activities.
Too many young lives are being lost, robbing them of a bright future and bringing grief to their families and friends. We can, and must, do more to keep our children safe.
Steakaway food
The new vegan steak bake from Greggs has got the thumbs-up from customers.
But if you are a carnivore it may not meat your expectations.
