Thursday briefing: Why young people fear ‘there’s nothing here for us’ in England’s coastal towns

<p>In today’s newsletter: As a new Guardian project begins, we hear from the teenagers navigating deprivation, isolation and a sense of being forgotten</p><p></p><p>Good morning. A few weeks ago, 18-year-old Tamsin Jarman-Smith, born and raised in a small town just outside Blackpool, sat on a battered sofa at House of Wingz, a community youth organisation tucked down an alleyway a few streets from the beach, and explained what it felt like to be a young person growing up in a coastal town.</p><p>“I’m lucky because I found this passion for dancing and I come to this place, which has saved me I think, especially my creativity and hope for opportunities for myself, but lots of people my age feel like there is nothing here for them,” she said.</p><p><em><strong>Europe </strong></em>| Talks over a British and French migration deal remained <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/jul/09/anglo-french-talks-over-migration-deal-hanging-in-balance">deadlocked on Wednesday night</a>, as negotiators haggled over how much Britain will pay towards the cost of policing small boat crossings.</p><p><em><strong>UK news </strong></em>| Campaigners have decried as “dangerously naive” the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jul/09/uk-governments-deal-with-google-dangerously-naive-say-campaigners">UK government’s sweeping deal with Google</a> to provide free technology to the public sector.</p><p><em><strong>Europe </strong></em>| Police have <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/09/police-raid-headquarters-of-french-far-right-national-rally-party">raided the headquarters of France’s far-right National Rally</a> and seized documents as part of an investigation into alleged illegal campaign financing.</p><p><em><strong>UK news </strong></em>| Thames Water has refused to claw back <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/09/thames-water-paid-out-millions-in-bonuses-using-3bn-emergency-loan-documents-reveal">almost £2.5m paid to senior managers</a> from an emergency loan that was meant to keep the failing utilities company afloat.</p><p><em><strong>Housing </strong></em>| The Bank of England has rolled out <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/09/threat-of-trump-tariffs-puts-uk-businesses-at-risk-of-going-bust">looser mortgage rules</a> that policymakers hope will help 36,000 more first-time buyers on to the housing ladder each year.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/09/thursday-briefing-theres-nothing-here-for-us-growing-up-in-englands-coastal-towns">Continue reading...</a>