Simon Dalley

Argentina wants the Falklands. Britain’s answer should not be another statement. It should be a construction boom. Oil. A major South Atlantic port. Fisheries. Energy. Antarctic logistics. New infrastructure. New towns. Tens of thousands more people. 3,500 residents on islands this strategically important is a wasted asset. Because the real contest is no longer simply Britain vs Argentina. It is about who controls the gateways of the South Atlantic and the approaches to Antarctica. Washington can have a wealthy, heavily developed British ally sitting astride that space. Or it can watch China fill the vacuum. Argentina wants the Malvinas? If Britain does nothing, relying forever on the self-determination argument of a few thousand Falkland Islanders is a weak long-term strategy. So stop treating the Falklands as an outpost to be defended and paid for. Build them into a proper country in their own right!

Nice to see Christ Church in Bacup being featured in @ProlificNorth - prolificnorth.co.uk/news/30k…

Nice to see the £30k grant-funded groundwork and landscaping that's taking place at Christ Church being featured - exciting to see this Rossendale digital hub busy and taking shape as an important part of the community: openpr.com/news/4599181/hist…

Good! I've just dropped the ministerial correspondence inbox an email about trying to get Lancashire devolution right before the compromise solution that was announced a few days ago gets fully put into place. Time for a pause and proper leadership.

Good start and good signal. But it's going to take more than £45 a year (or less than a £1 a week) for any of us to feel genuinely better. But it's a good first step. Keep going.

Nigel Farage has resigned as MP but will stand again in the Clacton-on-Sea by-election.

I wish the @UKLabour Party would start having a conversation about CANZUK labourfuture.co.uk/labour-sh…

Absolutely no reason why we shouldn't be able to do this kind of stuff, at this kind of scale, with this kind of speed. We used to. It's time to sort this out.

Just had a read of this post celebrating the Rossendale digital hub at Christ Church. It's been 10 years now since I started working on the idea of buying a building in which digital businesses could live and work together. My idea was based on what was the Watermark in Preston, where I worked when I worked at @skiddle. I was looking for an old pub or nursing home or hotel. Something big enough, with rooms and parking. Then I noticed Christ Church was for sale, just a handful of minutes from our home. It's been 7 years since I put the proposal to the Church of England for us to acquire Christ Church in Bacup to turn it into a business centre for digital businesses. It took another 3 1/2 years before we got planning permission. We acquired the building in late 2024. It's been one heck of a journey! I believe the next step is about helping small businesses kick off their journey with a sizable award about to be launched for Rossendale startups. So watch this space! growtraffic.co.uk/celebratin… #Rossendale #RossendaleDigital #RossendaleDigitalHub #DigitalRossendale

Love Tyson Fury but I can't help thinking he's been knocked down one time too many. Hope I'm wrong!

Just got prevented from buying some glue at @BandQ in Bamber Bridge because I was with my 16 year old son. How bizarre. Not what I needed when I'm trying to repair damage after being burgled.

I think Anas Sarwar has pulled a blinder here getting in front of the curve saying Keir Starmer should go. Whether Starmer does or not, it positions Sarwar perfectly.

Here's me talking on @LBVmagazine about the importance of businesses redeveloping Lancashire's landmark buildings, whilst thinkings about @RossendaleDigi and the redevelopment of Christ Church in Bacup to create Rossendale's first dedicated digital hub - The Bacup Campus: lancashirebusinessview.co.uk… #RossendaleDigital #BacupCampus #RossendaleDigitalBacupCampus #DigitalRossendale #Lancashire #LancashireDigital #DigitalHub #RossendaleDigitalHub

Is AI about to kill business websites and the way we think about the internet in general? app.qwoted.com/press_release…

Clarification: 316B Newchurch Road and the Future of the Business This page is provided to clarify the history of operations at 316B Newchurch Road, Stacksteads, Bacup, OL13 0UJ, along with my role and to set out the direction we are working towards for the business. Ownership and operation From 1st June 2025, the premises at 316B Newchurch Road began operating under Leavenry Ltd. In the period thereafter, we were supported in a transitional period by and away from The Bakehouse and Bar Ltd. Leavenry Ltd later introduced a new concept and brand for the venue, now known as All On Board. All On Board operates as a separate venture with its own identity and management approach. I am a Director of Leavenry Ltd. I am not responsible for the day-to-day management of the venue, which is overseen by the current management team, headed up by Rachel and Poppy. My previous involvement in The Bakehouse & Bar Ltd Before Leavenry Ltd operated the premises, I held a 10% minority shareholding in The Bakehouse & Bar Ltd. I did not manage the business or make operational decisions. For a period, I was listed on Companies House as a Person with Significant Control due to an administrative error. This was later corrected. Separate businesses Leavenry Ltd and All On Board are not connected with The Bakehouse & Bar Ltd or its former owners. Each company has its own management, structure and direction. This clarification is provided simply to avoid confusion about names, roles and timelines. Company information for all businesses is publicly available through Companies House. Leavenry Ltd and Hyper Global Mega Net Leavenry Ltd is affiliated with Hyper Global Mega Net, a network of independent but interconnected companies that collaborate where it makes sense to do so. The purpose of this network is to: • share knowledge and experience • support one another’s growth • create opportunities across businesses • look for ways to ensure everyone involved benefits from that collaboration Each company within the network remains independent, but where there is alignment, the aim is to work together in a way that is constructive, ethical and mutually supportive. Looking ahead My focus now is firmly on the future and seeing something built that lasts. Through Leavenry Ltd and All On Board, the aim is to develop a welcoming, sustainable and community-focused business that supports jobs, creates opportunities and offers spaces people genuinely enjoy spending time in. This isn’t intended to be “just one venue”. Over time, the ambition is to grow All On Board into a multi-location business, rooted in Rossendale but able to operate across the wider area where it makes sense to do so. The goal is to create: • a consistent, recognisable brand • venues that feel local rather than corporate • specialist offerings shaped around the communities they sit in • opportunities for staff to progress as the business grows Growth will be steady and thoughtful, shaped around what works in each location rather than a one-size-fits-all model. Alongside that, the intention is that the business: • provides fair and reliable employment • creates training and development opportunities • works with local suppliers wherever practical • contributes positively to local centres and high streets • becomes something people feel connected to, not imposed upon them My hope is that All On Board becomes a brand people recognise across different sites, whilst still feeling genuinely local in each place it appears. Rossendale remains at the heart of that journey. That is the direction of travel, and it is what we will continue working towards.

Trying to watch the new war of the world's film. What am I watching?!

If we have free movement with Europe anymore, perhaps we can have the old free movement rights back. petition.parliament.uk/petit…

Ive just signed this petition suggesting the UK should start talks on forming a CANZUK union of some kind - could be an interesting lightweight alternative to the EU petition.parliament.uk/petit…

Absolutely would love to see this.

On March 2, 2025, Prime Minister Keir Starmer stood tall in London, hosting a summit with European leaders and Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, proving once again that the UK chooses to do what’s right, even when the stakes are sky-high. With a £1.6 billion deal for air defense missiles and a bold ‘Coalition of the Willing’ ready to put British boots on the ground and planes in the air, we’re stepping up to secure peace in Ukraine. This isn’t just policy - it’s who we are. Britain has always borne the weight of tough choices, from wars to global crises, because standing against tyranny is woven into our soul. Now, as our leading daughter nation, the USA, turns her back and shirks her duty, it’s time for British troops to head to Eastern Europe and stop a madman in his tracks. We’ve done it before, and we’ll do it again - because that’s what it means to be British.