The famous and globally known car manufacturer faces a sharp decline in sales in Europe potentially due to Elon's politics. What does this mean for Tesla, Elon and the EV market in Europe? Elon Musk has been under fire from key investors and shareholders of Tesla as the company sees a 45% decrease in sales within Europe. Many speculate that this is due to Elon's 'morally questionable' foray into politics with him cozying up to the current U.S. President Donald Trump. Whilst this is occurring, international buyers have shifted focus to different EV manufacturers such as Chinese firm BYD who have recently overtaken Tesla in sales. The traditional car titans such as BMW, Volkswagen and Renault have also seen increased interest as European customers seem to stray away from the American EV maker. Social media has had a sizeable impact on this decrease of sales with multiple accounts condemning the politics of Elon Musk and his association with the U.S. president. The TikTok account Overthrow Musk engages in a form of gorilla protesting by creating billboards and cardboard cutouts to discourage people buying Teslas (and other Elon associated products such as 'X'). From the TikTok profile 'Overthrow Musk' showing a billboard in Tottenham linking Tesla with Trump. (Original TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZNd8SAhta/ ) Other accounts such as People Vs Elon have also grown in popularity with over 61,500 followers which could show a growing trend against Elon and his products. This may have created a potential for a new 'social stigma' around owning a Tesla with many owners of the EVs covering their £40,000+ cars with bumper stickers telling how they bought their car before the Elon - Trump friendship. This social shame around owning a Tesla may have caused the 70% increase in the number of second hand Teslas on the market compared to last year as owners try and offload their vehicles. "I bought this before Elon went crazy" bumper sticker that can be bought on online retailers such as Amazon. A recent survey by online news portal T-Online showed that 94% of 100,000 Germans surveyed would not buy a Tesla, which spells bad news for the car manufacturer who only recently opened a 740 acre 'giga-factory' in the country. The Norwegian market, which has long been a secure market for Tesla due to it's strong EV incentives for buyers, saw Tesla market share drop from 21.7% in January 2024 to 7.4% a year later with legacy competitors such as Toyota covering the gap. It is clearer then ever that consumers, especially wealthy consumers who have the means to buy a Tesla, are voting with their wallets and moving away from what was once seen as the magnum opus of electric cars. Europeans have traditionally been more left leaning meaning Elon's relationship with the controversial Trump administration has clearly left a sour taste in the mouth of many. With Tesla's popularity decreasing, many buyers are looking towards other brands such as the established BMW, Volkswagen and Toyota as well as newcomers from China such as BYD and Omoda who are quickly expanding their UK and European sales. This may give these newer competitors an opportunity to grow their market share in the lucrative EU market where EV sales are constantly increasing due to pressures to reduce carbon emissions union wide. Overall, it is clear to see that Tesla sales are decreasing rapidly due to Elon's recent political stances, however it is not clear yet where the floor of this decrease is and how much longer Tesla stockholders will hold out before demanding a change in leadership and a distancing of Elon from the brand. In the next year we may see either a significant reduction in Tesla's market share, popularity and sales or a situation where Musk is pushed away from Tesla in an attempt to save the brand. We'll have to wait and see what happens with Tesla.

Grace Marsh stars in a self-written and directed play based on her own personal experiences, taking us on a journey many don't have. The promotional poster of Blindsided (Credit: @blindsidedbygracemarsh on Instagram) The play encompasses 40 minutes of quick-witted teenage humour as well wonderfully raw moments showcasing the struggles Jasmine is going through all wrapped up in clever lighting and set design considering the fact this show has a limited budget being a student production. All elements come together to create a well-paced, informative and overall heartwarming performance which left me speechless as I left the theatre. Synopsis of Blindsided At the start of the play, we meet a 15-year-old high school student Jasmine (played by Marsh) just after the school holidays and beginning her GCSEs, however, over the summer she has lost her sight leading to challenges as she adjusts her way of life which worries her Mum Suzy (played by Grace Hale). At school, we overhear the characters aptly called B*tch 1 and B*tch 2 (played by Hope Sandhu and Ry Wood respectively) question Jasmine's experience of sight loss suggesting she is faking it for attention which irritates Jasmine who overhears the exchange. She confides in her friend Molly about this encounter, and with Molly "saying the wrong thing" the besties fall out leaving Jasmine on her own. Throughout these scenes, we cut to Jasmine with her teacher, Jan (played by Bree Colclough) which provides a pleasant respite of comedic flair whilst also continuing the story. As Jasmine's 16th birthday party fast approaches, she worries about the lack of RSVPs although she hides her worry from her also worried Mum. On the day of her birthday party, no one shows leaving Jasmine alone dressed in her birthday sash and sparkly outfit. Luckily, Molly arrives (after being invited by Jasmine's mum) and the two make up, both acknowledging their mistakes and understanding that things are more difficult and unknown than ever before in their friendship. Suzy and her daughter also apologise to each other with Jasmine promising to try the counselling recommended by Jan. The play ends with a heartwarming display of human connection as Jasmine is held by her mum on the left and her best friend on her right. Review The story itself is easy to follow which is perfect for its 40-minute run time. While I do wish we saw a longer, more intensive showcase of Jasmine's life and personal struggles, I feel that the story was perfect to present what it needed to and did not suffer from the drawn-out melancholy that some other shows feature. The dialogue of all characters is well written and acted with the choices in language and articulation both being what I'd expect for each character. Alongside this, I felt that all actors were not only comfortable with the material but also embraced it and performed it as if it was their story to tell. Blindsided's use of lighting, or on some occasions lack thereof, was a creatively excellent choice. The harsh lighting when Jasmine can't sleep is perfectly contrasted at the end with the soft warm projected on the central trio. Blackouts are also used several times to represent 'blindness' with only Jasmine's voice being heard placing us as the audience in the shoes of the protagonist and allowing us to experience just a little of what she might experience day-to-day. The set, whilst minimalist, provides utility and allows for a wide range of environments to be created without long-winded set changes. It is clear that a great number of creatives helped make this show possible when looking at its quality in all aspects. Details were clearly thought about and included to make this show special and more impactful. Blindsided has changed the way I think about how people experience sight loss and has exposed the reality that many partially or fully blind people have experienced or are experiencing. Jasmine performs multiple monologues throughout the play showcasing her internal thoughts and how she perceives the situations happening to her. These felt almost heart-wrenchingly real, with Marsh bringing us into the head of Jasmine in a way which felt personal and raw. This play is a clear work of Grace Marsh with her personal experiences curating and shaping the script, direction and set in a way which could not have been done by a fully sighted person. Blindsided is unapologetic of its source material with Marsh herself saying the story is based on her own experiences with sight loss making it such a deep-cutting, realistic and authentic show. Final Words Blindsided by Grace Marsh is an excellent display of student theatre with both an emotionally intelligent storyline, wonderfully creative production and direction details and a perfect cast and crew to bring the whole thing together. I sincerely hope that we see a second production of Blindsided as I feel that this is both an important topic which isn't talked about much in both theatre and also wider society as well as feeling it would be a waste of a wonderful script to not see it re-emerge. I think that this would be a perfect play for limited runs at smaller venues around Yorkshire or as a tour around local high schools in order to teach young people about the experiences of sight loss. Editor's note: Blindsided was dedicated in memory of Beth, a personal and beloved friend of Grace Marsh. On the program handed out at the venue a link to EDS UK was included if you would like to make a donation in Beth's name. Click here if you are interested in making a donation or want to learn more about EDS UK.

Recent reports show some UK universities  are experiencing financial difficulties and have had to scale back spending. We've compiled a list of some of the most affected universities and how they've got there. But first, what do the reports say about UK universities right now. Last year the Office for Students reported that roughlty a third of the 150 UK universities and higher education institutions only had enough money to last the next 100 days meaning they had to rapidly decrease spending. They also noted that up to 72% of unis could be in financial difficulty by the end of this year telling us that this is not a local issue. Universities are funded by a wide range of sources. The majority of a unis finances, 52%, come from tuition fees with half of that amount being made up by international students. The rest is made up of a mixture of research grants and direct government funding. Unis in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have slightly different methods of funding such as tuition in Scotland being paid for by the Scotish goverment rather than the student directly. Many universities are claiming that their precarious financial position is caused by tuition fees not keeping up with inflation and the rising cost of salaries, building maintenance and other operational costs. There is also a decrease in the number of new university applicants post pandemic with some young people looking at alternatives to university such as apprenticeships, going directly into work or taking a gap year. This all has reduced income for some universities. This is expected to have an effect on the quality of higher education with some universities having to cut spending leading to less contact hours, lower quality facilities or courses being eliminated. There is also pottential for some universities to merge together in order to gain a better financial position. It also has the effect of placing more pressure for UK universities to attract international students as they can be charged a higher tuition fee. Many universities now have dedicated staff and services designed to attract elusive international students in order to maintain financial stability. Some people argue that this is 'unfair' for UK students as it may appear the university places international students in higher regard than domestic applicants. Which UK unis are in financial trouble? Cardiff University Cardiff University, the largest university in Wales and a member of the prestigious Russell Group, announced they had a £31.2 million deficit between 23-24 and could run out of money within 4 years if nothing changes. Because of this they announced 400 staff would be made redundant which represents 10% of their workforce. Along with this they've also cut some subjects such as music, nursing and modern langauges in a bid to reduce spending. Unions representing some of the staff at the uni have said that the reduction in staff numbers will increase the staff to student ratio and lead to more stress for staff and make it more difficult for students to learn. Some have also said that the cutting of the nursing course could worsen the shortage of nurses in Wales. University of Huddersfield The West Yorkshire university is still relatively young only being founded 1992, however this hasn't prevented them from having financial challenges. In May last year they announced they will cut 200 jobs and get rid of up to 12 courses including geography, sociology and maths. The annoncement was met with outrage from students who protested the decision sighting a reduction in educational quality. Some students suggested reducing the salaries for the highest paid staff at the uni, such as the vice-chancellor, on online blog sites . Sheffield Hallam University Sheffield Hallam University said that external pressures including reductions in the amount of international students let into the UK by the government has led to them needing to reduce staffing costs by around 20%. Last year they announced that up to 400 jobs could be made redundant as part of these cost cutting measures. University of York Another member of the Russell Group, the University of York faced a £24 million deficit in their budget last year leading them to take measures to avoid bankruptcy. By December last year, the university already got rid of 272 staff through a voluntary redundancy scheme announced earlier in 2024. The uni wants to save £34 million in order to return to a financial surplus through another round of voluntary staff redundancys, increasing domestic undergraduate rates and seeking further commercial and research opportunities. It is important to note that at time of writing the uni does not intent to reduce or cut any of their courses or subjects when looking to save money. Unions have stated that the reduction in staffing numbers could leave a negative impact on teaching quality and overall staff and student wellbeing. Kings College London It should be clear by now that even the most prestigious institutions are not immune to budget diffiuclties. In December of last year Kings College London announced a £19.3 million deficit in their budget which was a decrease from the year before. University of Aberdeen This Scottish university found itself in financial difficulties at the start of last year leading them to take decisive measures. The uni has been forced to make up to £14 million in savings through reducing the number of staff and decreasing expenditures for new facilities. How things could be fixed? There is currently no clear, one size fits all solution to ensure the long term viability for higher eductation institutions in the UK. Some universities suggest increasing domestic tuition fees further in order to make up for rises in inflation and the increased cost of living, however this may have the undesired effect of reducing applications leading to less students attending university. Another solution could be to remove some of the visa restrictions imposed by the former Conservative government and increase the number of international students studying in the UK as a way to increase tuition revenue and in a way, 'subsidise' domestic student's education. One of the more common solutions suggested by students, staff and unions is for the government to increase their contribution to higher education institutions through more direct funding siting the positive economic impact UK universities have with research into new fields, regional employment and the often higher tax revenues university-educated people provide. Information correct as of writing (29th March 2025)

Welcome to The Sparrow. A new and Independent online news site and magazine. Pause Tesla Sees Drop In Sales Due To Elon Musk And His Political Ties Technology - 35 minutes ago 3 min read 0 comments 0 Post not marked as liked Blindsided Review: An eye-opening Student Play on the realities of sight loss Theatre - 4 days ago 4 min read 0 comments 0 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Cash Crunch: The UK Universities who are running out of money Politics - Apr 1 4 min read 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Welcome to The Sparrow From The Editors - Mar 28 2 min read 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Hello World... From The Editors - Jan 7 1 min read 4 comments 4 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Blindsided Review: An eye-opening Student Play on the realities of sight loss Grace Marsh stars in a self written and directed play based on her own personal experiences taking us on a journey many don't have. Theatre - 4 days ago 4 min read 0 comments 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Welcome to The Sparrow A welcome to our new online magazine from the editors in chief. From The Editors - Mar 28 2 min read 0 comments 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 About Us Hello World... We are The Sparrow, an independent online magazine and news site based in Leeds, UK. We're excited to cover a wide range of topics and stories from across Leeds and the rest of the UK. We want to explore each topic in detail and a way which is factual and truthful, embracing our identity as a new, independent and forward focused news site. Click here to learn more about us Featured Articles Blindsided Review: An eye-opening Student Play on the realities of sight loss Grace Marsh stars in a self written and directed play based on her own personal experiences taking us on a journey many don't have. Theatre - 4 days ago 4 min read 0 comments 0 3 likes. Post not marked as liked 3 Welcome to The Sparrow A welcome to our new online magazine from the editors in chief. From The Editors - Mar 28 2 min read 0 comments 0 1 like. Post not marked as liked 1 Sign up and get more benefits Sign up for a free account and get access to more benefits across the site! Get emails when new articles are published. Like and rate articles. Leave comments and start a conversation. Easily track all articles you have read, commented on and liked on your members dashboard. Log In Become A Writer We're always looking for new people to work with us and create articles for our readers. Think you have a great idea you have to share or a perspective which will change someone's mind? Click here for more details

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