thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Anti-Brexit Campaign Urges Left-Wing To 'Wake Up'

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A left-wing pro-free movement campaign is urging supporters to “wake up” and join protests against the US-UK trade deal and Boris Johnson’s “vicious anti-migrant policy”.
Another Europe Is Possible, which spearheaded the left of centre movement against Brexit, will on Monday launch a new campaign aimed at opposing the government’s post-Brexit agenda for the country.
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Claiming Brits’ rights are “under attack” the group is organising socially-distanced demonstrations as part of its new ‘Fight For The Future’ drive.
Events planned for early October, include speakers such as former shadow chancellor John McDonnell, Labour MPs Nadia Whittome and Clive Lewis, economist Ann Pettifor, War on Want’s director Asad Rehman, Global Justice Now director Nick Dearden and the TSSA union’s Manuel Cortes.
Another Europe says left wing campaigners despondent about the general election result for Labour need to refocus efforts on opposing the government.
Michael Chessum, national organiser for Another Europe, told HuffPost UK: “The government is going to use the coming months to drive through unprecedented changes to our economy and society.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, reaches out to shake hands with U.S. President Donald Trump ASSOCIATED PRESS
“With coronavirus dominating the headlines, Johnson is pressing ahead with US trade negotiations and has already announced plans to scrap social and environmental protections, as well as human rights.
“There is huge public opposition to economic deregulation and the lowering of food standards, but unless we build a big, loud opposition to what the Tories are planning, it could all happen very quickly.
“The left and the remains of the anti-Brexit movement need to wake up.”
It comes as negotiations between the UK and the EU on the future relationship are at a critical stage and as trade secretary Liz Truss continues talks with the US administration, insisting there will be no bargaining down of rights or food standards.
But Whittome, who is MP for Nottingham East, said Johnson was presiding over “a race to the bottom”.
She said: “The government has a majority in parliament, but real power always comes from below. Covid means that we must be careful about safety when we mobilise, but we must now build a movement that is capable of providing serious opposition to what the Tories want to do.
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“We are talking about the biggest attempt to deregulate the economy in British history. We need to defeat what we can, and keep an alternative vision alive.”
Enother Europe Is Possible national organiser Michael Chessum Gareth Fuller - PA Images via Getty Images
Alena Ivanova, an organiser for the Right to Stay campaign and Another Europe, said: “As it stands, EU citizens without settled status will lose their legal right to be in the UK from June 2021 - and even with a 99% success rate, that would still mean tens of thousands of people who have made Britain their home being liable for deportation.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Is The 10pm Curfew Doing 'More Harm Than Good'?

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The clock struck 10pm and the party was over at pubs, bars and restaurants across the country this weekend – but not everyone went home.
Photos and videos taken during the first weekend of the Covid-19 curfew show people piling into supermarkets to buy alcohol, then drinking and dancing in the street. Those who tried to get home were forced onto crowded public transport.
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Footage of the crowds prompted Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, to call for an “urgent review” of the curfew.
“My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good,” he said on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme. “It’s potentially contradictory because it creates an incentive for people to gather in the streets or more probably gather in the home. I don’t think this has been fully thought through to be honest.”
Day three of a 10pm curfew: people in Liverpool have gone to the off license to pick up more drinks and continue to party in the street. pic.twitter.com/GOMhNp5rDl — Charlie Haynes (@charliehtweets) September 26, 2020
Looking at the images and videos from the weekend, Dr Julian W Tang, honorary associate professor of Respiratory Sciences at the University of Leicester says he can “understand and share” Burnham’s concerns.
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“Ideally, as per current guidelines, people leaving the pub should do so in their groups of 6 ‘bubbles’ and wear masks when they board public transport – but it’s understandably easy to forget this after several drinks,” he tells HuffPost UK.
“All of this is very confusing for the public,” he says. “It will take time to get used to this – and for people to find their own practical ways to deal with these tighter restrictions. But as we know, unfortunately, this virus is very unforgiving – and as we take time to get used to each new measure, we will see it spreading further.”
Professor Susan Michie, director of UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, agrees the current system is flawed, saying there are “three sets of predictable consequences” of closing pubs and restaurants at 10pm. These are:
Ejecting everyone at the same time onto the streets and then many onto public transport creates crowds; from a transmission point of view this is especially concerning in the enclosed spaces of public transport. Where people have a routine of finishing a social night out at a certain time, having this curtailed suddenly leads to continuing socialising after the curfew, including in people’s houses. People may compensate for the earlier closing time by starting to drink earlier and drinking more rapidly towards the end, leading to more disinhibition and therefore less distancing between people.
“These consequences of the curfew undermine the gains saved by shortening the latter part of the evening and may even be counterproductive,” she says. “The measure is another example of a restriction brought in without a coherent strategy and without sufficient consultation with relevant experts and communities.”
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(10pm curfew just meant everyone rolling out onto the streets and onto the tubes at the same time and it was the busiest I’ve seen central London in months) pic.twitter.com/7oWKH5APNG — Kirsty Lewis (@kirstylewis6) September 24, 2020
Dr Flavio Toxvaerd, who researches optimal control of infectious diseases at the University of Cambridge, adds that “we have seen this type of measure backfire before”.
“In March, the London Underground reduced services, hoping that only key workers would use it,” he says. “Instead, we saw trains crowded with commuters.”
What’s the solution, then? Dr Toxvaerd says when demand is concentrated at certain hours of the day, as is the case with pubs, “services need to be staggered”. Or, he says, a solution could be to scrap the 10pm leaving time completely and instead issue those visiting the pub with a time stamp on their arrival and a set time to leave – as swimming pools have been doing.
“We need to be creative and ensure we make the least damage to the economy while keeping in mind the effect on social activity on the spread of the disease,” he says.
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This is what happens when pubs close at 10pm.https://t.co/zlKv3nMHSP pic.twitter.com/9TdXYbIhpX — #borislies Muppet Show (@PSmythe800) September 27, 2020
Dr Tang agrees, suggesting pubs could stagger leaving times by telling tables to leave one-by-one as 10pm approaches. He also suggests a “designated driver” approach: “Maybe, there could be a member of the group designated to remind people to stay in their bubble leaving the pub,” he adds.
Andy Burnham suggested a curfew on alcohol sales, banning stores from selling booze post-9pm, saying it might stop revellers from piling into shops and drinking on the street.
It’ll be several weeks until we see any knock-on effect of the curfew and even then, it’s hard to attribute virus trends to any single health policy. For example, if cases fall, it’ll be hard to know if this is because of local lockdowns, the nationwide curfew, the rule of six, or all three.
(10pm curfew just meant everyone rolling out onto the streets and onto the tubes at the same time and it was the busiest I’ve seen central London in months) pic.twitter.com/7oWKH5APNG — Kirsty Lewis (@kirstylewis6) September 24, 2020
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Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at UEA and expert in infectious diseases, says he’s not aware of “any direct evidence” that a curfew helps reduce risk of Covid-19 transmission. However, he adds that in theory it could help – “but how much depends on a lot of other factors,” he says.
“Do people cram into a pub more tightly when it is open, do they then all go back to one of their homes afterwards, do people get less drunk? It is clear from news reports that drunk people cannot socially distance adequately,” he says.
“In theory, they should have benefit [from a curfew], but the difference between theory and reality may be wide.”
All the 10pm curfew done was create a new rush hour. This UK is finished 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/bOiqA2scEd — Blay 🇬🇭🇨🇮 (@Blayofficial) September 27, 2020
HuffPost UK asked the Department of Health and Social Care if the government intended to review or change the curfew in light of the footage from this weekend and Andy Burnham’s concerns.
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A spokesperson directed us towards health minister Helen Whately’s interview on BBC Radio 4, but did not offer further comment.
In the interview, Whately said the government was keeping an “open mind” about the coronavirus regulations that came into force in England on Thursday.
“It is clearly early days,” she said. “We have just changed this rule last week. We keep an open mind on what is the best way to go about it. The steps that we have taken, particularly with the 10pm curfew, is something that we have done in some places during the course of the summer where we saw localised outbreaks and hospitality being part of the picture.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Right Said Fred Face Backlash After Revealing They Attended Anti-Lockdown Protest

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Over the weekend, police officers had to intervene after thousands gathered at Trafalgar Square in London to protest against coronavirus restrictions.
The “we do not consent” demonstration on Saturday afternoon saw protesters – the majority of whom appeared to wear face coverings or practise social distancing – gathering to voice their disapproval for a potential second lockdown to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
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What you might have missed, though, was that two of the protesters were brotherly pop duo Right Said Fred.
The pair – famous for hits like Deeply Dippy and I’m Too Sexy – tweeted after the protest: “There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today.”
There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today 👍 pic.twitter.com/OXKwSSfeBn — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 26, 2020
There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today 👍 pic.twitter.com/0I2i2EIWDo — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 26, 2020
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There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today 👍 pic.twitter.com/4KJrXfdbkp — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 26, 2020
There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today 👍 pic.twitter.com/IXxH6xEFtd — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 26, 2020
There was a really good atmosphere in Trafalgar Sq today 👍 pic.twitter.com/FjQ2QYK0we — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 26, 2020
Right Said Fred, who are made up of brothers Richard and Fred Faibrand, also retweeted a number of messages from fans who spotted them at the demonstration:
@TheFreds
.absolutely star struck to see you both. So sorry I didn't shake both your hands my head was all over the place there. pic.twitter.com/0WwQa93MNU — King Jaffy Joffa (@KJoffa) September 26, 2020
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@TheFreds what an absolute breathe of fresh air to have Richard and Fred (legends) openly attending the ‘we do not consent’ London event. Chicos great but I think we need more brave celebs doing this to help wake the others x pic.twitter.com/qbseFtUg1H — scott rock (@scottro24446011) September 27, 2020
As more people spotted the tweets, the brothers faced a backlash on social media, with Right Said Fred rising up the weekend’s trending topics on Twitter…
That's it. I'm never buying another Right Said Fred album. https://t.co/MeXLqeKPS0 — Fergus Craig (@FergusCraig) September 28, 2020
What the hell do Right Said Fred have against lockdown, the six person rule doubles their audience — James Felton (@JimMFelton) September 27, 2020
Extreme Right Said Fred. https://t.co/YY03xcTI8l — Gary Bainbridge (@Gary_Bainbridge) September 27, 2020
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Right Said Fred in Trafalgar Square...talk about Deeply Dippy. — James (@thevoicebloke) September 27, 2020
Hmmm... who to believe? The scientists and medical experts, or Right Said Fred? 🤔 — Brian (@bampotto) September 27, 2020
Responding to the controversy, the band tweeted: “If the best you’ve got is Far Right Said Fred, Deeply Shitty, Too Sexy For my Mask, Bald C***s or twats then don’t be surprised if you’re blocked for being predictable and boring.
“When we’re fundraising for the Royal Marsden Hospital, which we do annually our time line is quiet. However, we go to a protest and everyone loses their collective shit. Funny that.”
When we’re fundraising for the Royal Marsden Hospital, which we do annually our time line is quiet. However, we go to a protest and everyone loses their collective shit. Funny that 🤔 — Right Said Fred (@TheFreds) September 27, 2020
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Right Said Fred topped the UK singles chart in 1992 with their song Deeply Dippy, with other hits to their name including I’m Too Sexy, Stick It Out and Don’t Talk Just Kiss.
Right Said Fred performing in 2019 picture alliance via Getty Images
A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said of the protest: “Crowds in Trafalgar Square have not complied with the conditions of their risk assessment and are putting people in danger of transmitting the virus.
“This has voided their risk assessment and we have informed the event organisers they are no longer exempt from the regulations.
“We are now asking those in Trafalgar Square to leave. Officers will be engaging with crowds and informing them of this development.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Spitting Image Creator Insists Show Won't Just Be Lampooning Political Figures From The Right

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The new Spitting Image reboot will lampoon all political sides, its co-creator has insisted.
So far, only right-wing political figures have featured in promotional images and trailers ahead of the new series of the satirical puppet show next month, including Boris Johnson, Michael Gove, Priti Patel and Dominic Cummings.
However, Roger Law has insisted there is “lots of ammunition to throw at the other side” too, but did say he thinks the ideology of Johnson’s government is “nuts”.
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Boris Johnson's puppet ITV/BBC/Britbox
Appearing on The Andrew Marr Show, Roger was asked if the series would only target the right, to which he said: “No, that’s no fun. There’s lots of ammunition to throw at the other side as well. You go for them all.”
He continued: “When we started Spitting Image everything was in turmoil. There were riots in the streets... and of course you had Thatcher.
“You start looking on Thatcher with nostalgia because at least you knew what she was about and what she was going to do, if you thought about it. Boris and the boys, you’ve got no idea, and the ideology is absolutely nuts.”
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He then added: “You can’t really change anybody’s mind by shouting at them… but you can with humour.”
Dominic Cummings' puppet ITV/BBC/Britbox
Roger said it was difficult for political figures and celebrities to say they hate their puppet alter-egos.
“If you’re English you can’t turn around and say, ‘I hate my puppet they’ve insulted me’,” he said.
“Take someone like (Michael) Gove. What we did with him is pretty disgusting… He was asked about it and he avoided the subject…
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“They have to say they like it because it’s too difficult if you’re a Brit to say, ‘I’m really upset.’”
A trailer for the new series debuted last week, which featured Boris Johnson and US president Donald Trump having a naked duel with Vladimir Putin in a steam room.
Johnson, Trump and Putin featured in a trailer released last week Britbox
Spitting Image originally ran for 18 series between 1984 and 1996 and was watched by 15 million viewers in its heyday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Revealed: BP And Shell Back Anti-Climate Lobby Groups Despite Pledges

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Earlier this year, oil giants BP and Royal Dutch Shell assessed the climate lobbying done by trade associations they have been involved with, and publicly quit a handful of high-profile industry groups campaigning to undermine regulations to reduce greenhouse gases.
The effort was part of a vow to increase corporate transparency and bring planet-heating emissions to net zero over the next few decades.
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But Shell and BP ― the second- and fourth-largest oil companies by revenue last year ― are still active members of at least eight trade organisations lobbying against climate measures in the United States and Australia, an Unearthed and HuffPost investigation has found. These groups were not disclosed in the public reviews.
Reviews of leaked and publicly available documents show those groups are part of the sprawling network of state and regional trade associations that have, in at least one case, boasted about quashing the very carbon-reduction policies the oil giants publicly claim to support.
The companies said they either hoped to reform the trade groups, including the eight identified here, of which they are still part, or planned to review their membership going forward. But both BP and Shell refused to disclose full lists of trade associations where they have ongoing involvement.
“Our approach is that where policy differences arise, we will seek to influence from within ― and this may take time,” BP said in a statement. “If we reach an impasse, we will be transparent in publicly stating our differences. And on major issues, if our views and those of an association cannot be reconciled then we will be prepared to leave.”
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BP and Shell omitted anti-climate groups from their public reviews of lobbying by their trade associations, demonstrating what one researcher said was the oil giants' "standard business practice." Dean Mouhtaropoulos via Getty Images
A Shell spokeswoman said its next review would “select the additional industry associations because their climate-related policies have brought them to the attention of investors and non-governmental organisations, and because they operate in regions or countries where we have significant business activities.”
“We were one of the first companies to publish an industry associations report and we are pleased that other companies have since published reports,” she said by email. “Our next update will assess our alignment with the 18 industry associations featured already, as well as others.”
But the findings cast a dim light over the oil behemoths’ ballyhooed new climate pledges, raising questions about how seriously they can be taken when the companies are still funding lobbying operations that undermine their new commitments.
BP CEO Bernard Looney speaks during an event in London on Feb. 12, where he declared the company's intentions to achieve "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
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In the United States, both Shell and BP support groups such as the Alliance of Western Energy Consumers, which crusaded against Oregon’s efforts to put a price on carbon emissions, and the Texas Oil & Gas Association, a trade group in the nation’s top oil-producing state battling rules to restrict output of methane, a super-heating greenhouse gas.
In Australia, the two giants back the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association and the Business Council of Australia, two groups fighting to undercut the country’s contributions to the Paris climate accords. Shell, meanwhile, quietly held its seat on the Queensland Resources Council, a key advocate of building the world’s largest coal mine.
“This is a standard business practice,” said Robert Brulle, a climate denial researcher and professor at Brown University’s Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. “They’re trying to have it both ways, being socially responsible without changing their actual positions.”
Undisclosed Groups
Shortly after taking the helm in February, BP CEO Bernard Looney began a review of lobbying by the company’s trade groups. He billed the effort as a “small but important step towards rebuilding trust in BP.” He promised a new era on climate change, where the company that a decade earlier rebranded as “Beyond Petroleum” would eliminate its carbon footprint and direct its powerful lobbying machine toward “advocacy for policies that support net zero.”
Shell published its own review in 2019, which it updated this year as part of what CEO Ben van Beurden called “a first step towards greater transparency around our activities with industry associations on the topic of climate change.” Yet the reviews covered only a narrow slice of their memberships.
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Shell acknowledged its membership in hundreds of industry groups worldwide, but said its review assessed only 19 organizations selected “because their positions on climate-related policy have brought them to the attention of investors and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).”
BP declined to provide a ballpark estimate of how many trade associations it affiliates with, but said its review focused on 30 groups “on the basis that they are actively involved in energy policy discussions and salient to stakeholders.”
“BP and Shell’s disclosures focus on a narrower selection of industry associations,” said Faye Holder, an analyst at InfluenceMap, a British research outfit that analyses the fossil fuel industry’s finances. “These groups tend to be the larger and more visible ones that already disclose their corporate membership, while the smaller, regional and sometimes less transparent ones are more likely to be left out.”
United States Of AstroTurfing
Among the more jarring examples of groups the companies omitted from the reviews are two regional organisations whose names suggest they represent coalitions of ordinary citizens concerned about energy prices.
In fact, the groups represent some of the biggest companies in the world, a tactic known in politics as “AstroTurfing,” wherein powerful industry players create front groups meant to appear like grassroots organisations with Average-Joe followings.
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In February 2019, Alliance of Western Energy Consumers, which represents heavy industry on the West Coast, boasted that it had “defeated all carbon pricing bills” in Oregon ― describing efforts to drive “grassroots opposition” and coordinate “vote counts” during the state legislative session, emails obtained by the Climate Investigations Center show.
Royal Dutch Shel CEO Ben van Beurden listens to a question during a news conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sergio Moraes / Reuters
Both companies claim to strongly support carbon pricing, including in Oregon. Yet several employees of both BP and Shell at the time are listed as recipients of these emails. Shell confirmed that it is a member. BP declined to comment.
Though the companies failed to disclose it in their reviews, BP and Shell are also listed as top members of the Consumer Energy Alliance. The group bills itself as the “voice of the energy consumer,” but is actually run by the Republican-linked consultancy HBW Resources.
After running campaigns to oppose President Barack Obama’s rules to limit emissions of methane from oil and gas operations and pollution from coal power stations, the Consumer Energy Alliance turned its attention to state-level fights. The group was party to a lawsuit seeking to overturn Oregon’s clean fuel program, which aims to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuels. The case concluded unsuccessfully in March 2019.
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In a statement, the Consumer Energy Alliance said it fought Oregon’s clean fuel program because it would have raised prices without achieving significant environmental outcomes. The group said it opposed the Obama administration’s methane rule because it “would have interfered with the successful performance of state rules that were already reducing methane emissions.”
Methane Haze
When US President Donald Trump moved to roll back the methane rule shortly after taking office, BP and Shell publicly opposed the move.
“We don’t usually tell governments how to do their job but we’re ready to break with that and say, ‘Actually, we want to tell you how to do your job,’” Shell’s US Country Chair Gretchen Watkins told Reuters at a March 2019 conference, urging the Trump administration “to put in a regulatory framework that will both regulate existing methane emissions by also future methane emissions.”
When the Environmental Protection Agency finalised plans to gut the methane rule in August, David Lawler, the head of BP America, issued a statement saying the company “respectfully disagrees with today’s decision by the administration.”
Both companies remain members of the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s largest and most influential lobby in the United States and a fierce proponent of the Trump administration’s changes to the methane rule. Yet perhaps even more influential on the rollback were the state-level organisations whose smaller members claimed the biggest benefits from the deregulatory effort.
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BP remains a member of the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association, the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, and the Petroleum Association of Wyoming. Shell and BP are members of the Texas Oil & Gas Association.
All of the groups campaigned aggressively for changes the New Mexico Oil & Gas Association said brought the federal regulation in line with what’s “appropriate” to “emphasise flexibility and innovation.” None of the groups’ names appeared in either company’s reviews.
A slogan is seen on a protective face mask of an Extinction Rebellion climate action group protester as she demonstrates against multinational gas and oil firm Shell in London last month. Toby Melville / Reuters
Meanwhile, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming ― on whose board a BP executive sits ― joined a lawsuit last year to allow the leasing of public lands for oil and gas drilling without assessing the climate impacts.
Among the other major groups BP and Shell left off their reviews was the National Ocean Industries Association, which successfully lobbied the Trump administration to open up the United State’s entire continental shelf to drilling.
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The move would open up areas containing up to 45 billion barrels of oil ― 21 billion barrels of which are estimated to be economically recoverable ― and jeopardize chances of meeting the Paris climate goals. A report released by the campaign group Global Witness last year found that any investment in new oil and gas fields is incompatible with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial norms, an average temperature roughly half a degree warmer than today.
NOIA has also lobbied the Trump administration to exclude the wider climate impacts of oil and gas projects from being assessed as part of the process of approving major infrastructure. Earlier this year Unearthed reported that BP has lobbied in support of these changes.
“We think it’s important that we continue to responsibly explore for and develop US offshore resources to counter the natural decline of existing fields,” a Shell spokeswoman said. “It’s equally important that regulators ensure sound science can be gathered from prospective new areas to inform potential leasing and future exploration decisions.”
Australia’s Climate Loophole
The key condition that BP and Shell say they have placed on trade groups is support for the Paris climate accord, which means backing the goal ― and policies to reach it ― of keeping global temperature rises to 1.5 degrees celsius. This has led Shell to walk away from one of its lobby groups and BP to quit three. Both companies have said they will seek to change some trade associations from within and identified others as being fully aligned with them on climate policy.
But two powerful lobby groups that BP and Shell publicly support ― the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association and the Business Council of Australia ― back the use of a controversial loophole that could slash Australia’s contribution to the Paris goals.
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“Our approach is that where policy differences arise, we will seek to influence from within ― and this may take time.” - BP
The loophole involves using surplus carbon credits from Australia’s overachievement in meeting weak emissions reduction targets it secured under the Kyoto protocol. According to an analysis of the Australian government’s plans, using the credits would effectively cut the country’s 2030 climate target from 26% to 14%.
The European Union has banned member states from doing this on the grounds that it threatens the integrity of the Paris Agreement and no country other than Australia is openly planning to do so. But during last year’s general election, both the Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association and the Business Council of Australia challenged the Labor Party for refusing to use the credits if they won.
Despite this, both oil majors insist they are aligned with these groups on climate policy.
“Despite Australia’s horrific summer of bushfires, the government has not retracted its support for Kyoto carryover credits, and nor have APPEA [or] the BCA,” said Dan Gocher, an analyst for the nonprofit Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility.
Norwegian oil major Equinor ― another member of Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association ― has also criticised the loophole, and said in a review of its own lobby groups that the use of Kyoto credits could reduce the ambitions of the Paris climate agreement.
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Equinor added that it would “encourage APPEA to take a clear stand on ... not supporting carryover of credits from the Kyoto protocol to the Paris Agreement.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Ban Shops From Selling Alcohol After 9pm To Stop House Parties, Says Andy Burnham

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Shops should be banned from selling alcohol past 9pm to stop people rushing to buy drinks after they are kicked out of pubs, Andy Burnham has sad.
The Greater Manchester mayor said the new 10pm curfew on bars was “doing more harm than good” as people were now holding house parties instead.
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“Perhaps if there was a 9pm curfew on sale of alcohol in supermarkets and shops, that would prevent the rush to shops once the pubs have closed,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday morning.
“I received reports that the supermarkets were absolutely packed out to the rafters with people gathering.”
He added: “My gut feeling is that this curfew is doing more harm than good. It creates an incentive for people to gather in the street or, more probably, to gather in the home.
“That is the opposite of what local restrictions here are trying to do.”
But health minister Helen Whately defended the government’s curfew rule, which came into force nationally on Thursday.
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“As people drink more they tend to socially distance less,” she told the BBC. “So one approach to keeping people socially distancing is to limit the amount of time that people are in places where they are drinking.”
Police Federation chair John Apter warned on Monday morning that there were not enough officers to disperse people gathering in streets outside pubs.
“You might only have one or two people [officers] in a busy high street at 10pm when hundreds and hundreds of people are coming out onto the streets,” he told Today.
“My colleagues will do the best they can to encourage and coerce people to move on. But it’s really difficult.
“And all you need is a hostile group who turns against those officers, and the resources for that town centre, that city centre, are swallowed up dealing with that one incident.”
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Oliver Dowden, the culture secretary, on Sunday told the Andrew Marr Show there was “definitely science” behind the 10pm curfew policy.
It came after infectious disease modelling expert professor Graham Medley said on Saturday he did not recall the curfew being discussed by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
People across England will be legally required to self-isolate from this week if they test positive for coronavirus or are contacted by the test and trace service.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Magawa The Heroic Landmine-Sniffing Rat Awarded Prestigious Medal

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Rats are often stereotyped as furry vermin who invade houses, spread disease and pilfer cheese. But not Magawa. This 5-year-old African giant pouched rat has been trained to sniff out landmines in Cambodia, and he was just awarded a prestigious medal for his life-saving efforts.
On Friday, Magawa received a PDSA Gold Medal from the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals. The PDSA typically awards the gold medal to dogs and occasionally other animals for “outstanding acts of devotion or valour” in civilian life. Magawa is the only rat to have been granted the honour.
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Born in a Tanzania breeding colony in 2014, Magawa was trained by APOPO, a charity that specializes in teaching animals to detect landmines and tuberculosis by scent.
Rats are specifically suited to landmine detection due to their keen sense of smell and the fact that they’re light enough to step over the mines without setting them off, explained Christophe Cox, APOPO’s CEO and co-founder.
“Rats are fast and they can screen an area of 200 square meters in half an hour, something which would take a manual deminer four days,” Cox said in a video PDSA produced that describes Magawa’s accomplishments.
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Magawa — praised as a “determined worker and always friendly” on the APOPO website — was trained via clicker and receives food as a reward for detecting scents such as TNT and then signaling to his trainer.
After graduating from training, Magawa went to work in Cambodia, where an estimated 64,000 people have died and more than 25,000 have suffered injuries due to landmines left behind after the fall of the Khmer Rouge communist regime in 1979.
Magawa hard at work, saving lives and detecting landmines in Cambodia. APOPO
Over the last four years, Magawa has rooted out 39 landmines, 28 bits of unexploded ordnance, and cleared more than 141,000 square meters of land.
Magawa’s handler for APOPO, So Malen, said she was proud of her furry pupil’s accomplishments, calling him a “great partner.”
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Yet Magawa’s illustrious career may soon be nearing an end. APOPO estimates that its rats generally only work in the field for four to five years before they enjoy a comfortable retirement with lots of snacks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Dog's Heartfelt Obituary Goes Viral: 'He Was Best At Unconditional Love'

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A very good dog got one last special treat from his favourite human.
Charlie, a beloved golden retriever, was the first dog Sallie Gregory-Hammett of Greenville, South Carolina, ever had on her own. Gregory-Hammett, 30, got Charlie when she was 23, single and had just moved to a new city.
“I know it’s cliché but he was my best friend,” Gregory-Hammett wrote to HuffPost. “He went with me everywhere —work, hiking, trips to Home Depot. He was just a constant source of comfort and companionship and joy. Everyone that knew me knew Charlie and knew how much I loved him.”
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She even jokingly added: “Whenever I would start dating someone, people would always say, ‘Does Charlie like him?’ But Charlie loved everyone, so that was never the question.”
This included Gregory-Hammett’s now-husband, David, whom she married in May in a tiny backyard ceremony.
“When I saw David interact with Charlie I just knew he was the one, because he loved Charlie as much as I did,” she said.
David and Sallie Gregory-Hammett with Charlie on their wedding day. Red Apple Tree Photography
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But Charlie seemed easy to love. He had many “quirks,” as Gregory-Hammett put it, which included jumping into water like “a weird kangaroo” and collecting lots and lots and lots of sticks.
“He picked up sticks on every single walk, that was how we knew he was tired,” Gregory-Hammett lovingly remembered. “He’d pick up a stick and that meant it was time to go home.”
Yet on September 13, after a five-month battle with lymphoma, Charlie passed on to that big farm in the sky — which, hopefully, for Charlie’s sake, is littered with lots and lots of Charlie-worthy sticks.
Gregory-Hammett was devastated by the loss, and told HuffPost she was trying to find an outlet for her grief — so she decided to write him an obituary.
“I’ve always loved writing, and when Charlie passed it was just so overwhelming that I needed to do something cathartic,” she said.
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So she sat down and poured her heart out.
Charlie's obituary. Sallie Gregory-Hammett
In her memorial, she noted all the things Charlie adored — smiling, snoozing, car rides, bananas, chasing squirrels, and socks.
“If we’re being honest, Charlie loved everything life had to offer (except stairs. He hated stairs),” Gregory-Hammett wrote.
“He was good at a lot of things, but he was best at unconditional love,” she continued. “He taught everyone he met about loving people, and always seeing the good in everyone.”
Gregory-Hammett also mentioned Charlie’s final days, which he spent at one of his favorite places — the beach.
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“He relaxed in the Charlie-sized holes he dug himself, and dove straight into the oncoming waves. His last days were so happy and will be cherished forever. We will think of him every time we open the peanut butter.”
She concluded:
“In [lieu] of flowers, the family asks that you give all your pups some extra love in honor of Charlie.”
Sallie Gregory-Hammett giving her favorite doggo a kiss. Jessi Nichols Photography
Gregory-Hammett said she wanted to publish the obit in her local newspaper but due to the steep cost, she decided to create a mock-newspaper obituary as a keepsake — saying she just wanted “something to celebrate and memorialize him, because he was such a huge part of my life.”
Yet after sharing her obituary with friends and family, they encouraged her to share it online. So, she tweeted it on Tuesday.
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“I wrote my dog an obituary because of course I did. He was the best boy,” she captioned the image of her obit.
She never expected it to receive over 104,000 likes.
I wrote my dog an obituary because of course I did. He was the best boy. pic.twitter.com/FKmqeivtq9 — Sallie Hammett (@SallieGHammett) September 22, 2020
“The likes are awesome but the best part has been all of the replies,” she told HuffPost. “Reading about everyone else’s special doggos, and all the people that say they loved Charlie even though they never met him. It’s just been so comforting — it makes me feel less alone and just flooded with love.”
She added:
“And Charlie has been so celebrated! He was a special boy and it means the world to me.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Donald Trump’s Tax Returns Revealed By New York Times

Donald Trump’s Tax Returns Revealed By New York Times
President Trump paid only $750 in income tax in the year he was elected president, according to a bombshell report by the New York Times. The investigation by the newspaper also revealed he had not paid taxes in 10 of the 15 years they obtained records for, with his businesses taking on substantial loans and suffering massive losses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Strictly Come Dancing 2020: How Is It Actually All Going To Work?

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Throughout the pandemic, we’ve had a lot of questions about how this year’s series of Strictly Come Dancing will work, which initially included whether it would even be able to go ahead.
However, after a huge effort from the production team to get the show on the road, it’s now just a few weeks until this year’s launch, and while there are still a few question marks hovering over the series, we still have more answers than we did earlier in the summer.
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For those who are still a little confused as to what to expect when the BBC dance show returns to our screen, allow us to clear things up...
When will Strictly be back on our screens?
The BBC is actually yet to officially confirm a start date for this year’s series, but we do know that the series will be slightly shorter than recent years.
It’s been widely reported that the first live show will air on 24 October, which Strictly previously alluded to on their website, so it’s pretty much a given that’s when we can expect the show to be back.
The Strictly Come Dancing studio is set to reopen its doors again Guy Levy/BBC
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The BBC also been teased that some class of pre-recorded show, potentially this year’s launch episode, will be filmed two weeks earlier on 12 October.
Who are the famous contestants on this year’s line-up?
Because of the shorter run time, there are also fewer contestants than usual on the 2020 line-up, with 12 stars competing rather than the usual 15.
Jeff Spicer via Getty Images
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Completing the line-up are Olympic boxer Nicola Adams – who will make up half of the show’s first ever same-sex pairing – and reality star Jamie Laing, who was supposed to appear on the show last year, but had to pull out due to an injury.
Take a look at the stars after their Strictly-fied make-overs below:
Strictly Come Dancing 2020: This Year's Contestants Get Their Glam On See gallery
Will the stars have to self-isolate with their professional partners?
According to the BBC, the stars and professionals won’t have to share a household, but they will be required to form a support bubble together, so they won’t need to social distance while they’re performing.
This means at last one half of each partnership will have to live alone for the duration of the series.
It’s also been revealed that the cast will be regularly tested for coronavirus, and if they are positive for Covid-19, they will need to self-isolate for two weeks, meaning they will lose their spot on the show. Brutal.
One of this year’s stars, HRVY, contracted coronavirus shortly after he was announced for the show, and was required to self-isolate.
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He will still be allowed to compete in this year’s pre-recorded launch, provided he tests negative for Covid-19 before filming begins.
Will all of the judges be back?
The Strictly Come Dancing judges Mike Marsland via Getty Images
Not in person, no. While regular judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas will all be back on the panel, this time around they’ll be doing it as a three-piece.
Bruno Tonioli, who has appeared on Strictly since its first series in 2004, usually flies between the UK and America, where he’s also a judge on Dancing With The Stars, but due to travel restrictions, was unable to do both shows in 2020.
While he won’t be in the studio this year, he will be offering weekly critiques during the Sunday night results show.
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To adhere to social distancing, the judges will each sit in individual pods, spaced two metres apart, rather than their usual shared desk.
The judges' pods in the Strictly studio BBC
And yes, Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman will both be back on presenting duties, too.
Will Strictly have an audience in 2020?
Strictly’s executive producer Sarah James has said the crew is “prepped for any scenario” when it comes to the show’s studio audience.
“We’ve made plans for no audience, we’ve made plans for a distanced audience, and we’ve made plans for a full audience, and… whatever happens, we’ll obviously just be following the government guidelines,” she said.
Audiences will be seated at tables in this year's series Guy Levy
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For the time being, it looks like Strictly producers are planning to have at least some class of crowd in the studio, with applications now open for any fans who want to be in this year’s audience.
What has been confirmed is that audience members will have to attend in groups of four, coming along with members of their household or support bubble.
Masks will be mandatory for any audience members whenever they’re on the Strictly set, and people will be seated at cabaret-style tables rather than the usual rows of chairs.
Will the show’s usual themed weeks be back in 2020?
Sadly, not all of them. For obvious reasons, Strictly has scrapped plans to take its annual trip to Blackpool, and despite Halloween falling on a Saturday night this year, bosses have also ditched the usual spooky special, as it would fall too early in the series.
The Blackpool Tower ballroom won't be getting a visit from the Strictly cast this year Gregg Wolstenholme/Bav Media/Shutterstock
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“We have done a Halloween group number but Halloween would fall on the second week this year and we thought it would be a bit soon for a themed week,” Sarah James explained.
However, both Movies Week and Musicals Week will be taking place as usual.
Which professionals are back this year?
Almost all of last year’s group will be back, with female pros Janette Manrara, Karen Hauer, Luba Mushtuk, Amy Dowden, Dianne Buswell, Katya Jones, Oti Mabuse, Nancy Xu and Nadiya Bychkova returning for the new series.
Male performers Anton Du Beke, Neil Jones, Gorka Marquez, Johannes Radebe, Graziano Di Prima, Giovanni Pernice and Aljaz Skorjanec.
A group of this year's Strictly Come Dancing professionals BBC
For those of you who don’t feel like adding up, thats’ 16 professionals and only 12 contestants, Sarah James confirming it’s Nadiya, Neil, Graziano and Nancy who won’t be receiving celebrity partners, but they will appear in the pre-recorded group routines. They will also form a “close contact cohort” to be able to perform together during performances from musical guests on the results show.
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The only two of last year’s bunch who won’t be back are AJ Pritchard and Kevin Clifton, who both made the decision to quit the show earlier in the year.
This year’s group dances were all pre-recorded over the summer, with the professionals self-isolating at a hotel to make sure they were able to film them safely.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Barack And Michelle Obama Ranked As The World's Most Admired Man And Woman

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Former US President Barack Obama and wife Michelle are the most admired man and woman in the world, according to poll results released by YouGov on Friday.
Other prominent people high on the list included Chinese President Xi Jinping, who ranked third, the Dalai Lama, eighth, businessman and entrepreneur Elon Musk, ninth, Russian President Vladimir Putin, 12th, and President Donald Trump, 15th.
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Ranking second, third and fourth on the list, respectively, were actress and social activist Angelina Jolie, Queen Elizabeth II and talk show host and author Oprah Winfrey. Hillary Clinton, the 2016 Democratic presidential nominee, came in 13th, while first lady Melania Trump was 19th. Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres placed 20th ― a drop of five spots from her previous rank in 2019, possibly due to allegations that she has overseen of a toxic work environment on her program.
YouGov has conducted annual polls on the world’s most admired individuals since 2014.
Since its inception, Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates had consistently won the top spot for most admired man before dropping to second place this year.
Michelle Obama topped the list of the world’s most admired woman in 2019 ― a title that Jolie had previously laid claim to.
YouGov
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According to YouGov’s analysis of the results, Barack Obama was notably more admired than Trump in all countries aside from Russia. In that nation, which U.S. intelligence officials have consistently said interfered in America’s 2016 election and is doing so again, Trump was the 11th most popular man and Obama the 15th.
On the women’s list, 12 of the top 20 most admired women are actors, singers or television personalities. The majority of admired men, in contrast, are active in politics, business or sports.
YouGov’s finding strictly within the US found that Barack Obama again ranked first among men, followed by Trump, former President Jimmy Carter, actor Tom Hanks and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.).
Michelle Obama held her number one spot among women, follow by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Melania Trump, Queen Elizabeth II and Winfrey.
Here are the most popular men and women within the U.S., according to the new poll. YouGov
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YouGov polled across 42 countries and territories and asked respondents: “Thinking about people alive in the world today, which [man or woman] do you most admire?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Dwayne Johnson Backs Biden And Harris In First-Ever Presidential Endorsement

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Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson cooked up his first-ever presidential endorsement with one for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris of California.
The self-described “registered independent with centrist ideologies” has voted for both parties in the past, but the “Fast and Furious” franchise star remained silent on his political beliefs for much of his career.
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But ahead of this “critical presidential election,” Johnson made it clear: He’s backing Biden and Harris come November.
Johnson sat down with the duo in a virtual conversation via his YouTube channel Sunday. “It’s DJ,” Biden said at the start of the video with Harris, who added that she’s a “huge fan” of Johnson’s films and cited his “Fast and Furious” films and “Jumanji” as her personal favorites.
As a political independent & centrist, I’ve voted for both parties in the past. In this critical presidential election, I’m endorsing @JoeBiden & @KamalaHarris.
Progress takes courage, humanity, empathy, strength, KINDNESS & RESPECT.
We must ALL VOTE: https://t.co/rZi1mxh8DC pic.twitter.com/auLbc8xDBv — Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) September 27, 2020
“I have been a lucky guy over the years in my life and my career to have been part of and participated in some real defining moments, and I’ve never publicly endorsed a presidential candidate or vice-presidential candidate in my life over my career,” Johnson said.
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The former WWE wrestler went on to praise the presidential hopeful’s experience and political career, commending Biden for leading with “great compassion and heart and drive, but also soul.”
Johnson then dubbed Harris a “certified badass” for her work as California’s attorney general, with a special mention of her approach during Senate hearings.
Asked by Johnson about how the two plan to “earn the respect of all the American people,” Biden offered a direct response about restoring accountability to the White House.
“By doing what we say we’re going to do. By keeping our word. By leveling with the American people. By taking responsibility. When we fail, acknowledge it. We’re not going to be perfect, but take responsibility. Say, ‘This is what I’m going to do. This is what I believe.’ And tell the truth,” he said. “Our administration, DJ, is going to look like America. It’s going to be representative of all of America.”
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Harris also drilled down on reestablishing trust with voters.
“You must speak truth, but here’s the reality: Truth can sometimes be really difficult to hear. And for that reason sometimes people don’t speak it. But you cannot have trust if you don’t speak truth,” she said.
Harris added: “That has to be part of the core of what we do as we go forward because, to your point, we’re facing as a country so many challenges, and people are grieving.
“I mean, people are grieving the loss of life, the loss of jobs, the loss of certainty, the loss of normalcy. And to heal and get through this, we’re gonna have to be honest about what healing will require,” she said.
The sentiment hit home with Johnson, who revealed earlier this month that he and his family were recovering from Covid-19 after testing positive weeks ago.
“When you’re honest with a scenario and people who you care about, ... it leads right into making progress but through a humanity,” he said.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Parliament Backs Down And Says 10pm Curfew Will Apply To MPs' Bars After All

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Bars and restaurants frequented by MPs and Lords in the Palace of Westminster will now have to observe the 10pm coronavirus curfew, it has been confirmed.
It had been reported they would be able to remain open after the curfew because they fell under the description of a workplace canteen.
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But on Monday, a UK Parliament spokesperson said: “Alcohol will not be sold after 10pm anywhere on the parliamentary estate.”
The prospect of a special exemption, according to a report in The Times, had prompted outrage.
Exc: Parliament's bars are exempt from the 10pm curfew, rules on mask-wearing and gathering customers' details https://t.co/UkcgGTh66q — Esther Webber (@estwebber) September 28, 2020
Actually.. why are the UK's lawmakers drinking at work at all? In what other profession would this be allowed? — David Grant (@alias_dr_webber) September 28, 2020
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Why is there even a bar at the House of Parliament? This is 2020.
I work in a school-we dont have a bar-God knows we need it sometimes! — mark higgins (@markhiggins20) September 28, 2020
Parliament bar to be exempt from the 10PM curfew and face covering rules. These bastards are literally shitting in our faces. — George Smiley (@364690) September 28, 2020
Reading that the Parliament bar is except from the 10PM closing rule and yep, that's enough news for me today. Good morning and goodbye, the only commentary I have today is that your leaders hate and mock you. — Alison K. Brown (@alisonkatebr) September 28, 2020
Hypocrisy at its finest. Bars inside Parliament including the strangers Bar are exempt from the newly imposed 10pm curfew and MPs and guests do not have to provide track and trace details
One rule for them and another for everybody else 🤷♂ — 💙Ashleymadblue 💙 (@ralpha060461) September 28, 2020
Heartily sick of the “one rule for them” system we’re living in. — Anna🏴 (@HMRobbinCs) September 28, 2020
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Even a Tory MP, George Freeman, was furious.
@estwebber Parliament’s bars exempt from 10pm curfew? Appalling decision - had no idea. This sort of thing is what brings Parliament into disrepute. Who makes these decisions? The Speaker’s Commission? Will look into it. — George Freeman MP (@GeorgeFreemanMP) September 28, 2020
Earlier this month the government faced a huge row over the new coronavirus “rule of six” curbs, after it emerged grouse shooting and other “hunting” with guns would be exempted from the restrictions.
Pro-hunting and shooting groups can continue to hold gatherings of between six and 30 people because they are covered by a loophole that permits licensed “outdoor activity”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Boy Thrown 10 Storeys From Tate Modern Viewing Platform Can Now Stand Unaided

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A young boy who suffered life-changing injuries when he was hurled from the Tate Modern viewing platform can now stand unaided, family members have said.
The seven-year-old has moved into a new recovery centre in his native France as his rehabilitation continues, more than a year after teenager Jonty Bravery threw him from the 10th-storey balcony.
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Bravery, who is now 18, is serving a 15-year prison sentence for attempted murder.
In a statement updating well-wishers about the boy’s progress, his family described how his condition has improved in recent months.
The incident occurred at the gallery in August 2019 LeonU via Getty Images
They said: “We are already seeing new progress: he can at last stand on his legs without any help or support!
“Furthermore, his memory is gradually improving: he can now remember activities he has done the same day or the day before!
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“Regarding food, he now eats almost alone (after everything has been cut out and prepared for him) and, in a suitable glass, he begins to drink slightly thickened liquids!
“It’s very important progress.”
The family said the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, spends his weekdays at the rehabilitation centre and stays with his family at the weekends.
The statement added: “At the moment, we are still far from home, but we have come close enough that our son’s friends can come and visit him more often, as well as our family.
“The lockdown had isolated us so much: it was really, really hard.
“We strongly believe in this new centre.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Uber Wins Appeal To Regain Operating Licence In London

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Uber will be granted a new licence to operate in London after a judge ruled the firm was “fit and proper” to work in the capital.
The ride-hailing company was denied a licence by Transport for London (TfL) in November 2019, citing breaches that compromised passenger safety and issues with transparency.
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On Monday, deputy chief magistrate Tan Ikram ruled Uber is now suitable to hold an operator licence “despite historical failings” after hearing three days of arguments at Westminster Magistrates’ Court.
PA
The judge said he took Uber’s “track-record of regulation breaches” into account but said the company had made efforts to address failings and had improved standards.
He will now hear applications on the length of the new licence as well as what conditions should be imposed.
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Tim Ward QC, for Uber London Ltd, previously said improvements had been made, including in the company’s governance and document review systems.
He had also told the court TfL’s decision to not renew Uber’s licence was tipped by a critical report on their technical systems, which have since been assessed as suitable.
TfL first refused to renew the company’s licence in September 2017, but the firm was handed a 15-month licence by a judge in June 2018 after it took the case to court.
It was then given a further two-month licence in September 2019, after which TfL rejected Uber’s application for a new licence, citing “several breaches that placed passengers and their safety at risk”.
It was, however, allowed to keep operating until the result of this appeal could be determined.
The new licence is 18 months, meaning Uber will need to re-apply in 2022.
Our statement on today's appalling decision by Westminster Magistrates Court to grant Uber a licence to operate in London. Uber too big to regulate, but too big to fail: pic.twitter.com/71CdLd99LR — The LTDA (@TheLTDA) September 28, 2020
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Judge Ikram was not asked to rule on whether TfL’s decision was correct, but purely on whether Uber was suitable now for the licence.
Many of the arguments heard over three days in court focused on a vulnerability in Uber’s systems that allowed unauthorised people to upload their photographs to legitimate driver accounts, enabling them to pick up passengers.
This fraud involved 24 drivers exploiting a flaw with the app’s GPS to share their accounts with 20 others, leading to 14,788 unauthorised rides.
Marie Demetriou QC, representing TfL, said there had been a “catalogue of errors” in Uber’s management of the issue, including how they had raised it with TfL.
This was accepted as inadequate by Uber’s regional general manager for northern and eastern Europe, Jamie Heywood.
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He said: “It was not what we would do now. It was inadequate – we could have done better.”
The Licensed Taxi Drivers’ Association (LTDA) accused Uber of a “cover-up” over the scale of the problem, which was “emphatically” denied.
Demetriou said TfL could not conclude there was a cover-up of the information but said the regulator was “deeply unhappy” about communication with Uber.
Ward said Uber had implemented “rigorous” structural changes since the previous appeals, telling the court the company has moved on “considerably”.
He later claimed that denying the company a licence would have a “profound effect” on groups at risk of street harassment such as women and ethnic minorities, as well as disabled people.
“London is a safer place with Uber in the market than without it,” Ward said.
He also said Uber launched “an assault on the problem of manual error” which led to the belated dismissal of three drivers accused of sexual misconduct.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--It's Now Illegal Not To Self-Isolate If You Are Contacted By Test And Trace In England

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Anyone failing to self-isolate if they test positive for coronavirus or are told to do so by the test and trace system, will now face tough new fines enforceable by law.
If they do not they risk being hit with new fines starting at £1,000 and increasing up to £10,000 for repeat offenders or serious breaches, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said.
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People who test positive for Covid-19 will also be fined if they knowingly provide false information about close contacts to the test and trace service.
The DHSC said that police will check compliance in the highest incidence areas and in high-risk groups based on “local intelligence”.
High profile and “egregious” cases of non-compliance will be investigated and prosecuted while action will be taken on tip-offs from “third parties” about people who have tested positive but are not self-isolating, the DHSC added.
But people on low incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result will also be eligible for a new £500 test and trace support payment, it added.
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From tomorrow, people in England will be required by law to self-isolate if they have #Covid19 symptoms, a positive test result or are told to by NHS Test and Trace
That means no walks in the park and no meeting up with friends.
Read the guidance 🔽https://t.co/SAmTSBaGmb pic.twitter.com/WS5Oiz1f02 — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 27, 2020
Under new rules in England wedding ceremonies will also be restricted to 15 people.
Meanwhile three more council areas in South Wales will go into local lockdown from 6pm on Monday, the Welsh government has announced.
Neath Port Talbot, Torfaen and the Vale of Glamorgan will be covered by the restrictions, which mean people will not be able to enter or leave the areas without a reasonable excuse.
They will not be able to meet indoors with anyone they do not live with, with extended households suspended.
Covid Rules PA Media
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Restrictions are already in place in Cardiff, Swansea, Llanelli, Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil, Newport, and Rhondda Cynon Taf.
It comes after bans on households mixing came into force in Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds on Saturday, while stricter rules are already in force across large swathes of north-west England, West Yorkshire, the North East and the Midlands, as well as parts of west Scotland.
The new restrictions in three areas of Wales means an estimated 17.8 million people across the UK will be living under additional coronavirus measures by Monday evening, on top of those announced by prime minister Boris Johnson.
The government said that, as of 9am on Sunday, there had been a further 5,693 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK. A further 17 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Sunday.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government will “not hesitate” to introduce further measures if case numbers continue to rise.
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He added: “Anyone can catch coronavirus and anyone can spread it.
“We all have a crucial part to play in keeping the number of new infections down and protecting our loved ones.
“As cases rise it is imperative we take action, and we are introducing a legal duty to self-isolate when told to do so, with fines for breaches and a new £500 support payment for those on lower incomes who can’t work from home while they are self-isolating.
“These simple steps can make a huge difference to reduce the spread of the virus, but we will not hesitate to put in place further measures if cases continue to rise.”
Covid Rules PA Media
Johnson faces a Commons defeat on Wednesday as Tory rebels continue to press the government to give MPs a chance to vote on coronavirus measures before they come into force.
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Conservative former chief whip Mark Harper became the latest backbencher to say he would back the amendment unless ministers back down.
The government has also pledged an “uninterrupted” supply of personal protective equipment has been promised by the government for health and social care workers in England as coronavirus cases rise.
The DHSC said four-month stockpiles of items like face masks, visors and gowns will be in place from November.
The DHSC said that six million people had downloaded the NHS Test and Trace App the first day it launched, and this had since risen to 10 million by midday on Sunday.
Ministers are also under growing pressure to review the “hard” 10pm curfew on pubs, bars and restaurants amid criticism that the new rules are leading to revellers filling streets en masse.
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Crowds of people were pictured on Saturday night gathering in city centres and piling onto public transport, while long queues formed at off licences after venues kicked customers out at 10pm.
But culture secretary Oliver Dowden insisted on Sunday that there was “definitely science” behind the curfew, despite a scientist advising the government saying he had “never heard” the measure discussed at Sage meetings.
Dowden also said that university students should be able to return home to their families at Christmas if the country “pulls together” and observes the new coronavirus rules.
The government is under pressure to guarantee young people are not confined to their halls of residence over the festive period because of Covid-19 outbreaks on campuses.
Thousands of students are currently self-isolating in their rooms following a surge in cases at institutions including Glasgow, Manchester Metropolitan and Edinburgh Napier.
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Students in Scotland have been told they can return home from university accommodation on a long-term basis, as long as they follow rules on self-isolating.
Meanwhile a growing number of current and former MPs have called for students who have had their education disrupted by the pandemic to be offered refunds.
Former transport minister George Freeman on Sunday joined Conservative chairman of the Education Select Committee Robert Halfon and former Labour education minister Lord Adonis in pushing for compensation for students who have been forced into lockdown.
Freeman told the BBC universities should “look seriously” at offering students “reduced fees if they’re not getting the full experience”.
The calls come after Glasgow University said on Saturday it would refund all students in halls of residence one month’s rent, along with a £50 payment for food, after an outbreak of cases.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Gwyneth Paltrow's Daughter Apple Has A Typically Teenage Response To Her Mum's Naked Instagram Snap

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Gwyneth Paltrow saw in her birthday over the weekend by stripping off for an impromptu photo-shoot in nature, but it seems not everyone was won over by the snap.
On Sunday, Gwynnie posted a picture on her Instagram, writing: “In nothing but my birthday suit today.
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“Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and thank you to @Goop‘s insanely amazing brand new body butter for making me think I can still get my kit off.”
The picture quickly caught the attention of a number of fellow celebrities, including Friends star Courteney Cox, who wrote: “Happy Birthday! What a beautiful girl you are and inspiring in so many ways.”
Her former Glee co-star Matthew Morrison also commented: “So happy you were born! What an inspired life you’ve made for yourself. And the GP train keeps going! Love ya, chica!”
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Supermodel Naomi Campbell added: “Happy Birthday @gwynethpaltrow , you got it !! Flaunt it.”
However, also in the comments was Gwyneth’s 15-year-old daughter Apple Martin, who had a typically teenage response, writing simply: “MOM.”
Gwyneth has two children with her ex-husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, 15-year-old Apple and a 14-year-old son, named Moses.
After their infamous “conscious uncoupling” in 2014, Gwyneth began dating TV producer Brad Falchuk, best known for collaborating with Ryan Murphy on shows like American Horror Story, Glee and Pose.
The two eventually tied the knot in September 2018.
In honour of his wife’s birthday, Brad wrote on Instagram: “This badass is 48 today. She makes pizza from scratch, is never late for cocktail hour, makes looking good annoyingly easy and never skips an opportunity to put an asshole in his place.
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“She makes friends feel like family and family feel like friends. Trust me, she’s the best. Happy, happy, happy birthday, Beauty. I love you”
He also told his followers that if they want to “get Gwyneth something for her birthday”, they should vote in the upcoming US election.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Trump Gripes 'Fake News' Didn't Tout His 2 Nobel Peace Prizes (That Never Existed)

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US President Donald Trump complained at a Pennsylvania campaign rally Saturday night that the “fake news” completely skipped reporting his two Nobel Peace Prizes.
Trump has no Nobel Peace Prizes.
He was nominated this year for a 2021 prize.
On Saturday, Trump grumbled that there wasn’t a word in the “fake news” about his Nobel recognition.
“Somebody had a show where they said the amount of time devoted to Donald Trump’s Nobel Peace Prize — two of ’em — [was] zero on the networks, zero,” he emphasised. “It is so disgraceful. They’re so bad.”
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Trump is talking as though he actually won two Nobel prizes instead of merely being nominated for them pic.twitter.com/q5XKsfHwbW — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 27, 2020
Earlier in his speech, Trump did refer to his Nobel Prize “nomination.” He said he was so disappointed as he sat with first lady Melania Trump in front of the TV that news reports failed to mention his nomination and instead focused on “weather.” That weather in early September happened to be the beginning of Hurricane Sally. He then falsely claimed he was nominated for another peace prize the very next day.
FactCheck.org has taken Trump to task for “repeatedly conflating winning a Nobel Peace Prize with being nominated for one.” Trump has grumbled about the huge media coverage of Barack Obama’s nomination for a prize, when in fact Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.
Christian Tybring-Gjedde, a far-right member of the Norwegian Parliament, told Fox News in early September that he nominated Trump for the 2021 prize. (He says he also nominated Trump in 2018.)
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Two days later, Magnus Jacobsson, a member of Sweden’s Parliament for the Christian Democrats, announced on Twitter that he nominated “the US government” for the award — along with the governments of Kosovo and Serbia — “for their joint work for peace and economic development.”
I have nominated the US Gov. and the governments of Kosovo and Serbia for the Nobel Peace Prize for their joint work for peace and economic development, through the cooperation agreement signed in the White House. Trade and communications are important building blocks for peace. pic.twitter.com/XuhkLbHZAV — Magnus Jacobsson (@magnusjacobsson) September 11, 2020
While the Nobel Prize Committee reports numbers of nominees, it does not identify — nor confirm — who has been nominated.
Trump was also nominated in 2017 and 2018 for his “ideology of peace through force” strategy — a very Trumpian kind of concept. Those recommendations were believed to have been made by the same mysterious American who assumed the identity of a qualified nominator both times, according to an official of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He refused to reveal the identity of the American whom committee members suspect.
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“Any person or organization can be nominated by anyone eligible to nominate,” the Nobel Committee website states. There are potentially hundreds of thousands of people eligible to nominate a candidate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Strictly Come Dancing's Craig Revel Horwood Makes A Big Prediction About This Year's 'Curse'

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Long-serving Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood has admitted he thinks the current situation could make the show’s infamous “curse” more “intense” than ever.
During its 16 years on the air, Strictly has repeatedly been at the centre of headlines about blossoming romances between celebrity contestants and their professional partners.
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However, because many of the stars were already in relationships – or even marriages – before signing up for the BBC dance show, the media regularly refers to a so-called “Strictly curse”, which Craig has predicted will still be prevalent on this year’s shows.
“I think it’s going to be more intense, isn’t it?” he told The Sun, pointing out that this year’s stars and their partners could be “in a lockdown situation with each other”.
Craig Revel Horwood Dave J Hogan via Getty Images
Craig also reiterated his belief that the show’s many new romances don’t indicate a “curse”, insisting: “I always think of it as the Strictly blessing — look how many marriages we’ve had out of it.
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“We’ve had people falling in love. We’ve had babies. How can people call it the ‘curse’? If you’re in a relationship that’s not going anywhere, it’s not good in the first place.”
He added: “Let’s face it, it’s not just Strictly, it’s every walk of life. How many people meet at work and spend the rest of their life together?”
Craig with his fellow Strictly judges pictured during last year's red carpet launch Mike Marsland via Getty Images
This year’s Strictly pairings will not be required to move into the same household with each other, but they will need to form a “support bubble” with one another, so that they won’t have to social distance while rehearsing and performing together.
The BBC has reported that this means that one half of each pair will have to live alone for the duration of this year’s series, which will begin airing in the next few weeks.
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All of the cast will also regularly undergo coronavirus tests, and if they are positive for Covid-19, they’ll be required to self-isolate, meaning they will not be able to continue on the show.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Trump’s Massive Hairstyling Bill Revealed In NYT Bombshell Tax Report

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The New York Times’s explosive report on President Donald Trump’s years of alleged tax avoidance also exposed another secret: the cost of his coif.
The Times says Trump’s unmistakable hairdo is a five-figure affair.
The newspaper reports that when Trump hosted “The Apprentice,” he wrote off $70,000 in hairstyling costs; and that nine Trump entities have written off payments of close to $95,000 for “a favorite hair and makeup artist of Ivanka Trump.”
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Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), who was slammed in right-wing media over a haircut last year, noted that those same conservatives are silent over the president’s massive styling bill.
And she called them out for it:
Last year Republicans blasted a firehose of hatred + vitriol my way because I treated myself to a $250 cut & lowlights on my birthday.
Where’s the criticism of their idol spending $70k on hairstyling?
Oh, it’s nowhere because they’re spineless, misogynistic hypocrites? Got it. https://t.co/xCQGwW7EK5 — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) September 28, 2020
The Times report says Trump paid $750 a year in taxes in 2016, another $750 in 2017, and ― despite his claims of being a successful businessman ― nothing at all in 10 of the previous years due to massive financial losses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Trump's Old Tweet About Obama’s Taxes Is Looking Super Awkward Now

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An old post from President Donald Trump complaining about taxes paid by then-President Barack Obama is looking especially awkward in light of the explosive New York Times report about his own taxes.
Obama in 2011 paid $162,074 in federal taxes on gross income of $789,674, according to the return he released that year.
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Trump has not released his own taxes, but the New York Times reported on Sunday that he paid no federal income taxes that year.
Yet on Twitter, Trump at the time complained that Obama’s rate was 20.5%, according to an old tweet that’s resurfaced in light of the new revelations:
@BarackObama who wants to raise all our taxes, only pays 20.5% on $790k salary. http://t.co/bqF26mQf Do as I say not as I do. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 13, 2012
The Los Angeles Times reported at the time that Obama’s tax rate was slightly lower than average for people in his tier due to $172,130 in charitable donations that year.
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Trump’s write-offs include $70,000 in hairstyling costs for “The Apprentice,” while much of his charitable giving was in the form of conservation easements, or agreements not to develop certain properties, including land around an estate the Trumps use as a family retreat.
Trump, the Times reported, paid just $750 per year in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017 and nothing in 10 of the previous 15 years due to massive financial losses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Trump 'Paid Just $750 In Federal Income Taxes In 2016 And 2017', NY Times Says

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President Donald Trump is personally responsible for $421m (£330m) in debt and loans that are largely coming due in the next four years, The New York Times reported Sunday, after obtaining more than two decades of his long-sought tax returns.
An ongoing audit by the Internal Revenue Service, meanwhile, could cost Trump more than $100m (£78m).
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The Times found that Trump paid just $750 in personal income taxes in 2016 and 2017 and none at all in 10 of the previous 15 years, citing business losses in the tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to decrease his tax burden.
The Times report also revealed that the president’s vast business interests created potential and real conflicts of interest for years and are under more financial stress than the self-described billionaire has previously disclosed.
Documents obtained by the Times painted a more detailed picture of the president’s personal fortune and his network of 500 business entities, as well as the legal maneuvering he has employed to pay little or no taxes for many years.
The Times did not obtain Trump’s personal tax returns for 2018 or 2019, but the breadth of documents — including records for his first two years in office — showed a large increase in income at properties that have become lightning rods for criticism after he refused to divest himself of his businesses while in office.
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A lawyer for the Trump Organization told the publication that “most, if not all, of the facts appear to be inaccurate,” and the president himself said the report was “totally fake news” and “made up” in a Sunday news conference.
But the documents, obtained from unnamed sources that had legal access to them, painted by far the most detailed picture of the president’s finances.
Beginning in 2015, Trump was able to earn an extra $5m a year from his club, Mar-a-Lago, in Florida. The tax records detailed monthly credit card receipts that showed transactions ballooned at the Trump International Hotel in Washington and at Trump’s Doral golf resort, both of which have become favored destinations for foreign businesses and dignitaries.
Rental income at some of his properties in the United States has also risen dramatically since he won the presidency, and Trump’s revenue from properties he owns overseas totalled some $73m in his first two years in the White House — including millions from the Philippines and Turkey.
The president has relied more heavily on those sources of income as other revenue sources dried up or were leveraged, the Times reported. The president took out a $100m mortgage on commercial space in Trump Tower in 2012 on which he still owes the full amount, which is due in 2022. He also sold more than $200 million in stocks and bonds between 2014 and 2016, pumping much of the proceeds into his properties.
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In 2018, Trump businesses reported just $34.7m cash on hand, 40% less than five years earlier.
At the same time, auditors at the IRS are probing whether the president misused a provision in the tax code that allowed him a full refund — with interest — of the taxes he paid between 2005 and 2008, a total of $72.9m. If the refund is disallowed, Trump could owe more than $100m in restitution, interest and penalties.
It’s unclear how Trump’s lenders could force him to pay up should he win reelection; it would be unprecedented for institutions to foreclose on a sitting U.S. president who is personally liable for more than $400m in loans and debts. That gargantuan figure could likely be leveraged again in the president’s favor: As a tax benefit when declared as losses for years to come, the Times reported.
Meanwhile, Trump paid far more in taxes to foreign governments than to his own.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--15 Funny Tweets Every Introvert Will Appreciate

When my phone vibrates I think I’ve got a text and that’s okay. Back to back vibrations and I think wow I must have two texts coming in at the same time. Also okay. Three vibrations in a row and I know I have a phone call. That is not okay.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--Boris Johnson Says We're Better Prepared For A Second Covid-19 Wave – Is He Right?

While outlining strict new measures to tackle the second wave of Covid-19 cases last week, Boris Johnson offered some reassurance by stating we are better prepared as a country to deal with a surge in cases.
In his speech to the Commons on Tuesday, the prime minister told MPs: “We’re also better prepared for a second wave with ventilators and PPE, the dexamethasone, the Nightingale hospitals and one hundred times as much testing as we began this epidemic with.”
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We know ventilators and PPE were major problems at the beginning of the pandemic, while issues with both health workers and the general public getting Covid-19 tests have never really gone away.
So where do things stand now with all the measures mentioned by the PM?
Ventilators
Taechit Taechamanodom via Getty Images
It is understood that the UK currently has 30,000 ventilators at its disposal.
But how does that compare to the number of ventilators the UK had at its disposal at the start of the pandemic?
In mid-March, before the UK was put into lockdown, health secretary Matt Hancock told reporters that the country had 5,000 ventilators.
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By June – following the government’s ventilator challenge, which asked British businesses to produce the devices – this figure had jumped to more than 25,000 devices.
At the peak of the first wave, there were as many as 3,301 people in mechanical ventilation beds in UK hospitals.
As of Thursday, there were 243 coronavirus patients relying on ventilators to help them breathe.
PPE
pinkomelet via Getty Images
According to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), the government supplied two billion items of PPE to the NHS between March and June.
In an announcement in June, DHSC said it had ordered almost 28 billion items of PPE “to provide a continuous supply in the coming months.”
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Publicly available department statistics about PPE had not been updated since July 5, 2020, until Monday, when the government promised there would be an “uninterrupted” supply for health and social care workers in England.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said four-month stockpiles of items like face masks, visors and gowns will be in place from November.
More than 32 billion items have now been purchased, the department said, adding that 70% of the expected demand for PPE will be met by UK manufacturers from December.
Ahead of that announcement, Dr Sophie Rowlands – who sits on the GP advisory board of the Doctors’ Association UK – said there was a “fairly stable” supply of PPE.
However, she said that government failings during the pandemic had undermined doctors’ confidence in ministers and their assurances.
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“I think at the moment confidence in the government is at an all-time low,” Rowlands said.
“We were promised a ‘world-beating’ test and trace system, which has failed to materialise.
“Therefore, it remains to be seen whether PPE will be sufficient and if healthcare workers will be protected as we go into the second wave. Overall, we’re not feeling reassured that supply will be better this time around.”
With an increased demand from patients with flu and other winter illnesses not seen during the first peak, it is more important than ever that the NHS has a “very adequate” supply of PPE, she added.
Dexamethasone
A member of staff at a pharmacy in London holds a packet of anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone PA
One big difference between the first spike in Covid-19 cases in the spring and the second wave currently approaching the UK is the time scientists and medics have had to work out how to treat the disease.
In June, the government announced the “world’s first successful clinical trial” of a Covid-19 treatment – the anti-inflammatory drug dexamethasone.
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After trials revealed the drug – which only costs the NHS around £5 for a complete course – could reduce fatality in coronavirus patients by as much as 35%, it was approved for immediate use in the UK.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the drug would help to save “thousands of lives”.
According to the government, the UK has a big enough stockpile of dexamethasone to treat more than 200,000 people.
Nightingale hospitals
A spokesperson for NHS England told HuffPost UK that the Nightingale hospitals – seven of which were built during the height of the first wave of the virus to support overwhelmed wards – remain on standby.
No specific answer was given to HuffPost UK’s question about exactly how fast the facilities could be back up and running if hospital admissions for Covid-19 saw a dramatic increase, but an NHS spokesperson said they could be reactivated “quickly”.
On Friday it emerged that Bristol’s facility was being prepared to make it “winter ready”, with the University of the West of England (UWE) releasing a statement confirming preparations.
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A spokesperson said: “After going into stand-by mode at the end of June, the Bristol Nightingale hospital is now being set up as ‘winter ready.’
“Initially the lecture theatre in the hospital is to be used for storage so that equipment and stores can be safely moved inside from the temporary marquees outside the hospital as we head into autumn.”
Testing
Images By Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images
The UK has very quickly built up its testing capacity for Covid-19 since the virus first arrived in the country at the start of the year.
It is understood that in March the daily testing capacity was just 2,000. On Tuesday, this figure stood at almost 264,000.
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However, while capacity has grown massively, the government has failed to produce the “world-beating” test and trace system promised by Boris Johnson back in May.
With people unable to get a Covid-19 test for days on end – or told to drive hundreds of miles to a testing site across the country – testing has become a huge roadblock in the UK’s coronavirus strategy.
The system has become so chaotic that Matt Hancock was forced to announce last week that tests would be rationed following a spike in demand, with care home residents and people with underlying medical conditions at the front of the list.
Labour leader Keir Starmer has called it a “national scandal” that we “still don’t have a testing system that works”.
“People shouldn’t have to travel hundreds of miles to get a test for their child, for themselves or for their relatives,” he said.
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What do doctors say?
MartinPrescott via Getty Images
Dr Lucie Cocker, who is deputy chair of the BMA Junior Doctor committee, told HuffPost UK that, as a doctor, she feels better prepared to deal with a second wave of Covid-19 cases.
“We have been through this once before now,” she said. “We know what a patient who comes in with coronavirus is probably going to look like. We know how the disease will probably behave within them. And we now know what tools we can use to help those people. It is more of a known situation.”
But while the figures produced by the government about bed capacity, ventilators and PPE sound impressive – there is one crucial thing that is missing, Cocker said.
“I think it’s really tempting to look a the figures that Boris Johnson was quoting as say: ‘Oh my goodness, we are so much better prepared’”, she said.
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“But what we are drastically short of – and were even before the coronavirus pandemic – is staff. Staff who can operate the ventilators and staff to look after patients in any extra bed space we have.”
At the end of 2019, there were more than 100,000 vacancies in the NHS in England.
“Although we can redeploy doctors from other areas of the hospital – surgeons whose operations were cancelled and junior doctors in GP placements – to intensive care, without having the training and the background in intensive care… Bodies on the ground don’t transfer to usable skills.”
Meanwhile Rowlands, who is a GP, said that while there have been improvements there are “too many unknowns” to say for certain if the UK is better placed than it was in March for a second wave of coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-28--How To Survive The Murky World Of Playground Politics As A Parent

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It’s September, which can only mean one thing: schools are back (after six months), and if you’re a first-time parent, you’re about to experience the murky world of playground politics. Take a deep breath. Very deep. It could get messy.
It’s not all bad, of course – I’ve done it once with my daughter, who’s now in Year 4, and made friends I’ll have for life. I’m also going through it again with my son, who’s just started Reception, and have already forged bonds I hope will grow as we spend the next seven years saying “hi” and “bye” to each other at the school gate.
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But it can certainly be fraught, and I’ve been on the receiving end of “mum wars”, playground politics, and unnecessary gossip. I’ve also been drawn into arguments via the school Whatsapp group that I wish I’d never had.
“Tensions between parents and carers at the school gate have always been there and it can, at times, feel like being back at school yourself,” author and parenting expert, Liat Hughes Joshi, tells HuffPost UK. “At the moment we’re all feeling a bit fragile, and there’s a potential edge to those school gate relationships.”
Joshi says one of the reasons why relationships between parents can be so tricky is because people are emotional and invested in their children – but some people get over-emotional and over-invested. This can lead to all sorts of issues – from gossiping about another child’s behaviour, to one child not being invited to a birthday party.
So how can you steer clear of the gauntlet of playground politics for the first time? Be friendly, but cautious, says Joshi. Steer clear of emotional or “tricky” topics such as politics and religion, and people’s views on social distancing. And if you feel yourself getting worked up, “take a deep breath and walk away”.
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If you do get involved in some parent-playground-drama, it’s important to maintain perspective. Child psychologist Dr Amanda Gummer reminds us that clashing with people isn’t uncommon. “Often, meanness comes from a need to feel better about themselves,” she tells HuffPost UK. “Mean people are rarely happy people. If you can couch it in that, it becomes their thing, not your thing.”
It’s also important to have self-awareness, she says, and to take ownership of your own mistakes.
If you get into an argument, or heightened disagreement, with another parent on the playground – take a step back and answer these three questions: 1. Do you value their opinion? 2. Is it well-founded? And 3. Have you done anything to warrant it?
“One of the ways to learn from this is how you react to it, especially in front of your children,” she says. “Make sure that mean people don’t turn you into someone you don’t want to be.”
Monalyn Gracia/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images Mothers sitting on bench side by side
Another option is to call out any unkind behaviour immediately. “You could ask, ‘Did you mean that?’ or repeat what they’ve just said, to seek clarification,” suggests Dr Gummer.
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Above all, she says, think about the advice you would give your own child. It’s likely to be the same for a parent.
“Acknowledge that if you’re a bit stressed and frazzled, you might be over-sensitive to stuff – and give yourself a break. You could also try acknowledging that the other person might be having a hard time by asking them if they’re struggling – and if you can help.