thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-06--UPDATE: Only 7 Places In The Entire UK Have Covid Levels Below The Quarantine Threshold

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Three islands are now the only areas left in the UK with Covid-19 levels below the government’s own threshold for quarantining overseas travellers.
Brits visiting countries with more than 20 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day average are required to quarantine for 14 days upon their return.
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Yet only a handful of places across the UK itself have infection numbers that would meet those criteria:
Isle of Wight – 12.0
Shetland Islands – 0
Orkney Islands – 0
At the start of this week, nine areas met the threshold. Since then, regions including Anglesey and Pembrokeshire in Wales, and Herefordshire and Swindon in England, have edged over the 20 mark.
Even the Isle of Wight, which was on 9.9 infections per 100,000 a few days ago, has now reached 12.0.
The areas now below a rate of 20 per 100,000 cover just 0.3% of the entire UK population: about 187,000 out of 66.7m.
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The old docks and parish church In Orkney. ClaudineVM via Getty Images
The official number of cases in parts of England has soared yesterday after a computer glitch in the UK’s Test and Trace system that had been hiding rates in areas such as Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle upon Tyne – and a week of high daily positive tests, culminating in more than 17,000 on Thursday.
The average number of cases per 100,000 in England is now an eye-watering 123.5.
Nottingham has the highest rate, with 661.2 cases per 100,000 – even though it is not yet in any kind of local lockdown.
Knowsley has the second highest rate, with 621.8 cases per 100,000. Liverpool is on 561.6.
The director of public health for Nottingham, Alison Challenger, said on Tuesday that current restrictions in the city were “no longer enough to stop the spread of the virus”.
The Isle of Wight's Yarmouth coast Sterling750 via Getty Images
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In Scotland (national average 94.3), the worst affected areas are Greater Glasgow and Clyde, with 165.2 cases per 100,000, and Lanarkshire on 154.1.
In Northern Ireland (national average 248.4), the Derry City and Strabane region is on 704.9 cases, making it the most infected place in the UK.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Trump Says Getting Coronavirus Was A 'Blessing From God'

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“I think this was a blessing from God that I caught it,” the president said of Covid-19 in a video message outside the White House on Wednesday.
He added that his use of the medication from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals had allowed him to experience first-hand how effective it could be.
Trump tested positive for Covid-19 last Thursday and spent three days hospitalised at Walter Reed medical centre before returning to the White House on Monday.
The US leads the world with over 7.5 million confirmed coronavirus cases and more than 211,000 dead so far.
The president also said he was feeling “great — I feel, like, perfect” and touted his recovery: “For me, I walked in, I didn’t feel good, a short 24 hours later, I was feeling great.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Is Keir Starmer Ready To End His ‘Constructive Opposition’?

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Labour really stuck it to the government today. The country has a soaring R rate thanks to “a complete failure to tackle the spread of the virus”. Ministers took too long to set up test-and-trace. More cash should go to businesses “now at risk because of its incompetence”. While public health is the priority, people’s jobs must now be protected.
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But guess what? The government under fire was Nicola Sturgeon’s, and the country in question was Scotland. Yes, it was Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary (and only MP north of the border) Ian Murray who was scathing today about the first minister’s handling of the pandemic.
Sturgeon certainly made a huge call in going ahead with her 16-day crackdown on hospitality in Scotland, itself the kind of “circuit break” that Boris Johnson has been pondering but so far has refused to commit to. And the criticism she faced just underscored that for any party in government, this is a really tough time politically.
Sturgeon’s huge advantage is that – unlike Johnson in England – her party is way ahead of Labour in the polls and her personal popularity is still very high. However, although both leaders have long taken comfort from the fact that most of the public back tough restrictions no matter where they live in the UK, patience with their performance may be starting to fray among both business leaders and battle-weary residents suffering local lockdowns.
But while Labour has long been critical of the Scottish government, Keir Starmer has stuck to his “constructive opposition” approach with their Tory counterparts in London. Until today, that is. The gloves really came off in Prime Minister’s Questions as Starmer hounded the PM over the 10pm curfew, test and trace and lack of help for local lockdown areas.
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Johnson performed better this week, yet still had few answers to the direct questions on why he had not published scientific evidence for the curfew, why test and trace was still failing or why some areas were in lockdown when other (Tory MP areas) weren’t despite similar Covid levels. As ever the best PMQs are the unanswerable ones, and asking why the virus was still soaring in Bury, Burnley and Bolton (all seats taken by the Tories from Labour, note) despite lockdown exposed that perhaps Johnson is as baffled as anyone else.
As roadtested in his interview with me last week, Starmer also managed to turn the “Captain Hindsight” jibe back on Johnson. “The prime minister ignores the warning signs, hurtles towards a car crash, then looks in the rear mirror and says, ‘What’s all that about?’ It is quite literally government in hindsight.”
Now it’s true that for a long time Johnson’s effective response to criticism has been to say: well, what’s your alternative then? For months, Starmer has insisted he is not trying to “second guess” ministers, and has no alternative plan. Today, his spokesman said Labour did have a credible alternative, saying it would fix test and trace, was the first to call for 24 hour testing, to call for German-style clarity on criteria for lockdown/unlockdown and so on.
It may be that Gogglebox Labour voters have sparked this more confrontational approach. But it’s more likely that Starmer is once again doing what he did on Brexit, iterating his stance as he goes along while keeping that strategically patient eye on his big strength: an image of competence compared to repeated government failures that directly affect millions.
Starmer does know that this is a very tricky balancing act and that the public dislike carping. Given he wants to rebuild bridges with business and need to save jobs, he can’t call for tougher lockdowns without strong cause. Yet the sight of him at least trying to provide alternatives could pay off politically.
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Next week’s vote on the 10pm curfew is already causing ministers a real headache precisely because Labour could for the first time oppose the government. But if he does go down that route, Starmer will have to make crystal clear what his alternative is to curfew. A 11pm closing time with matching shop alcohol sales (as in Northern Ireland as some ministers want)? A Scottish style firebreak closure of some pubs completely?
Crucially, Starmer knows that Johnson is going to have to impose yet further tough curbs in some areas and that the PM is constantly in fear of being seen to blame the public for any sharp rise in hospitalisations and deaths. It’s not inconceivable he could just make the government squirm, then back it or abstain next week, while waiting for Johnson to make himself more unpopular with tougher curbs.
Most important of all, having overpromised things would be back to normal by Christmas, Johnson is now open to the Starmer charge that he really was asleep at the wheel when he should have been preparing this summer for a winter of discontent.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Keir Starmer Brushes Off Unite Union £150,000 A Year Cut In Funding To Labour

General secretary of the Unite workers' union, Len McCluskey. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Keir Starmer has brushed off a decision by Unite to cut funding to Labour and is set instead to turn to other unions, party members, donors and the general public to plug the gap.
The UK’s second biggest union voted to slash its party affiliation fees by just under 10% on Tuesday, a reduction that would mean a fall in income of around £150,000 on the £1.5m it donates in an average non-election year.
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Despite wilder speculation that the move would result in a £750,000 annual cut, the union’s executive committee voted to cut by 50,000 its number of affiliates, with each affiliate paying £3.
Some 500,000 affiliates will now be helping fund Labour per year, rather than 550,000. The union gave a further £3m to the election campaign in 2019.
Starmer’s spokesman refused to deny that Unite’s decision could even help his drive to make Labour more electable because it would put distance between the leadership and general secretary Len McCluskey.
“Unite has taken their decision, we have seen Len’s remarks. We acknowledge that decision,” the spokesman said.
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“Labour will continue to take decisions in the best interest of the country, that means tackling coronavirus, protecting people’s jobs and restoring public trust in Labour so we can win in 2024.”
Former cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw said that the move was welcome because McCluskey had kept the Tories in power for the last decade.
“Few people have done more to keep the Tories in power for the last 10 years than Len McCluskey”
Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said the Unite leader has “done our movement so much damage” as the union plans to reduce its donation to Labour by 10%#politicslive https://t.co/PcfOkpnII9 pic.twitter.com/LDTSoQ2BFR — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 7, 2020
Asked if the decision would benefit Labour because it was a visible break with leftwinger McCluskey, the spokesman replied: ”Len has taken this decision, it’s for others to speculate and analyse that decision.”
“The party has a long history of raising money through its members, and through the trade unions and through individual supporters. We’ll continue doing that, we have a fundraising strategy in place.”
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On the suggestion of public crowdfunding to raise cash, he added: “We will look at everything. Even before the Unite decision we were looking at how we can raise the funds to win in 2024. We are looking at various different models.”
Allies of Starmer pointed out that he had actually won a majority of Unite members’ votes in the leadership election earlier this year, when he easily beat its nominated candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey.
Meanwhile, HuffPost UK has learned that senior Unite figures dismayed by the funding cut have vowed that Jeremy Corbyn-backing group Momentum will not be benefiting from the money diverted away from Labour.
Sources said that the spare cash would go instead to groups like the Tribune magazine and “the energetic, intellectual left” rather than Momentum.
One member of the union’s executive committee had raised the grassroots group as a possible recipient in a debate about the kind of organisation that would get Unite support.
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But it is unlikely that the committee would approve such a move because many Unite members were wary of Momentum not least because of its moves to cut trade union influence in Labour, insiders said.
“There is definitely no proposal to affiliate or donate to Momentum. It’s certainly not going to happen,” said a source. “Many Unite members are active in CLPs [constituency Labour parties] and have seen the chaos caused by Momentum internally,” another added.
Some within the United Left grouping of the union fear that the decision to cut affiliates weakens the union’s influence within the party and paves the way for other unions to edge it out.
The split within the union over the move to slash funding to Starmer was laid bare at the committee meeting on Tuesday, when it was approved narrowly by 25 votes to 23.
HuffPost UK understands that several weeks ago, there was pressure within the union to go even further and cut affiliate numbers by half – a move that would have led to the loss of £825,000 a year.
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McCluskey told the BBC’s Newsnight that the deeper cuts could occur if the party veered away from Jeremy Corbyn’s agenda. “My activists will ask me, ‘Why are we giving so much money’?”
McCluskey, who is due to step down in 2022, expressed dismay that Unite funds had been spent by Labour paying damages to whistle-blowers who contributed to a Panorama programme about Labour’s handling of the anti-Semitism crisis.
But some Unite members are understood to be much more worried about the large sums spent on defending a libel case won by ex-Labour MP Anna Turley last year against the union and a leftwing blog Skwawkbox.
At a further meeting of the union executive on Wednesday, some members from its South East region asked who had authorised the spending on the legal case, which resulted in a £75,000 damages payout to Turley and in which the court costs have been speculated as being up to £2m. Costs have yet to be agreed.
McCluskey is understood to have said that as general secretary he had authority on behalf of the committee. He also warned members not to believe “right wing media” reports of the alleged multi-million pound costs.
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Assistant general secretary Howard Beckett, a fierce critic of Starmer’s who backed the funding cut, told the meeting that the union had had several legal successes and justified defending the Turley case, sources said.
Euan Philipps, spokesperson for Labour Against Antisemitism, said: “If Len McCluskey, the general secretary of Unite, is threatening the further removal of financial support in order to dictate Labour Party policy then that should be welcomed by Labour leader Keir Starmer, not resisted.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--It's Four Years Since Trump's 'Grab 'Em By The Pussy' Tape Leaked. Here's What's Changed Since

When Amanda Litman first heard the words: “When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy,” she was at Hillary Clinton’s campaign headquarters in Brooklyn, New York.
It was October 7, 2016, a Friday afternoon, and The Washington Post published a bombshell: Donald Trump, then the Republican presidential nominee, had boasted about sexual assault in 2005. And it was on tape.
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“It was almost a feeling of: ‘Oh my god, we just won the election,’ complicated by the fact that so many of the women on our staff were deeply traumatised,” Litman said. She remembers female staffers listening to the audio over and over again, then leaving the office for 10-minute walks around the block. When they came back, they looked as though they had been crying.
The audio, taken from an “Access Hollywood” shoot, seemed like a turning point in the election. Republican politicians quickly condemned Trump, many of them noting that as fathers of daughters, they had to speak up. Then-House Speaker Paul Ryan reportedly urged the party’s chair to get the nominee out of the race. Trump’s daughter Ivanka reportedly pleaded with him to offer a full apology. Karen Pence, the wife of Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, was reportedly livid, but her husband decided it was too late to leave the ticket.
In the 20 days that followed, 15 women came forward to say Trump had sexually abused them. Democrats thought this might be their shot to cement the election for Clinton, who would have been the first female president in US history.
But come November, Trump won nonetheless.
The same Republican politicians who claimed they couldn’t abide his words continued to back him. Then-congressman Jason Chaffetz, who said after the tape’s release that he couldn’t look his 15-year-old daughter in the eyes and still endorse Trump, announced 19 days later that he still planned to vote for the nominee. Once Trump became president, Ryan and other Republicans helped push through his priorities, which they shared. Trump went on to appoint Judge Brett Kavanaugh, who was accused of sexual assault, to the Supreme Court.
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Four years later, the “Access Hollywood” tape is buried under Trump’s record in office, including mishandling the coronavirus pandemic, dismantling the immigration system, derailing climate change efforts and much, much more. This September, when former model Amy Dorris accused Trump of sexually assaulting her at the 1997 US Open, the charge was simply added to the list. Few, if any, Republicans spoke out, and the news cycle moved on.
But women haven’t forgotten. Activists and former Clinton staffers say that the “Access Hollywood” tape (and Republicans’ subsequent inaction) helped lay the groundwork for a seismic national shift in both the dialogue surrounding sexual abuse and the political mobilisation of many women who had previously been passive observers.
“It’s one of the reasons why the Women’s March was such a galvanising thing,” said Litman. “[Trump] didn’t just beat a woman candidate; he did so while denigrating women, which lays the cultural groundwork – along with the work Tarana Burke had been doing for years – for the Me Too movement.”
Photo: Getty Images
At Least He’s Not Clinton
When David Fahrenthold, the Washington Post reporter who first uncovered the “Access Hollywood” tape, reached out to the Trump campaign before publishing, they at first thought the transcript wasn’t real.
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“This doesn’t sound like me,” Trump said, according to a retelling of the weekend by Politico’s Tim Alberta.
Then the campaign received the audio, and it was clear that it was Trump speaking.
The campaign went into spin mode. “This was locker-room banter, a private conversation that took place many years ago,” Trump said in a statement to the Post, before quickly turning to his opponent’s husband. “Bill Clinton has said far worse to me on the golf course – not even close. I apologise if anyone was offended.”
That non-apology didn’t quell the public outrage after the story was published, and Trump appeared on video later that night to try again. In a markedly un-Trump-like performance, he said he never claimed to be a perfect person. “I said it, I was wrong, and I apologise,” he said, before claiming the video was “a distraction from the important issues we’re facing today” and attacking Bill and Hillary Clinton for the former president’s sexual misconduct and alleged assaults, as well as accusing the former first lady of having bullied her husband’s victims.
One person faced swift consequences: Billy Bush, the “Access Hollywood” host who laughed along with Trump on tape, was suspended from his job at the “Today” show and fired a week and a half later.
It looked like Trump might face consequences too.
Republican after Republican issued statements condemning him. “As a husband and father, I was offended by the words and actions described by Donald Trump in the 11-year-old video released yesterday,” Pence said in a statement, notably emphasising that the remarks were made a long time ago. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called Trump’s comments “repugnant, and unacceptable in any circumstance”.
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Left to right: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and President Donald Trump looking chummy in 2017. Manuel Balce Ceneta/Associated Press
Speaker Ryan uninvited Trump from a campaign event set to take place the next day. During a call with House Republicans on October 10, he told the lawmakers that he would not campaign with Trump or defend him. If others wanted to, that was up to them.
“I’m going to spend the next 28 days working hard with all of our members to get re-elected because we need a check on Hillary Clinton if Donald Trump and Mike Pence don’t win the presidency,” Ryan said at the time, according to audio later published by Breitbart News.
Some House Republicans agreed. Others didn’t – and the ones who wanted to defend Trump were some of the loudest voices.
On the call, member after member said, “I don’t care how bad this is, you can’t let Hillary Clinton win,” according to a then-Republican aide. “It was very clear that everyone was still thinking in highly political terms.”
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That was the calculus: sure, what Trump said was bad. But at least he wasn’t Clinton.
“It demonstrated what was to come in terms of being able to rationalise anything as long as you compare it to Democrats,” the former party aide said.
Outrage, Pain And Motivation
The next episode of “Saturday Night Live” featured a sketch about the “Access Hollywood” tape that cut to Clinton campaign headquarters, where the candidate, played by Kate McKinnon, and her staff pop champagne.
But in reality, learning about the tape wasn’t a gleeful moment for the Clinton team.
“I was like: ‘Wow, they don’t usually get that wrong,’” said Jess McIntosh, who was a senior communication adviser to the campaign.
Today, McIntosh likens the moment to learning last week that the president had been diagnosed with Covid-19: a pre-election shock that might impact the race, but certainly nothing to cheer over.
In fact, for many Democrats, the tape was a sobering reminder of just how much was at stake in the election. Both Clinton and vice presidential nominee Tim Kaine responded swiftly to the audio. On October 7, Kaine told reporters that Trump’s words made him “sick to my stomach,” adding: “I’m sad to say that I’m not surprised.” Clinton tweeted the Washington Post story along with the comment: “This is horrific. We cannot allow this man to be president.”
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Two days later, Trump and Clinton were in St Louis facing off at the second presidential debate. When the tape came up, Clinton attempted to hammer home the idea that Trump’s denigration of women made him unfit to hold the highest office in the nation.
“With prior Republican nominees for president, I disagreed with them, politics, policies, principles, but I never questioned their fitness to serve,” she said. “Donald Trump is different.” During the same debate, Trump stood behind Clinton and followed her across the stage – a physical posturing that many compared to stalking.
Donald Trump lurks behind Hillary Clinton during the October 9, 2016, presidential debate. Rick Wilking/Reuters
Democrats and activists alike were also grappling with the larger cultural implications of a Republican nominee for president who bragged about sexual assault. At 7.48pm on the night the audio was published by The Washington Post, author Kelly Oxford tweeted, “Women: tweet me your first assaults. They aren’t just stats. I’ll go first: Old man on city bus grabs my ‘pussy’ and smiles at me, I’m 12.” Women began responding, many using the hashtag #NotOkay. According to NPR, within a day, a million women had responded to Oxford’s callout.
For so many, Trump’s words felt sickeningly familiar. They felt personal.
Jess Morales Rocketto, who was working on the Clinton campaign in 2016 and is now the civic engagement director of the National Domestic Workers Alliance and the executive director of Care in Action, told HuffPost that the Trump tape – and working with fellow Clinton staffers to make people see the enormity of the moment – pushed her to grapple with her own sexual assault.
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“Engaging in that work [...] is what enabled me to understand what had happened to me,” Rocketto said.
“And to make it something that was not just about what had happened to me, and instead use it as fuel and transformation for keeping myself safe, and keeping other women like me safe.”
For Shaunna Thomas, co-founder and executive director of UltraViolet, and other activists who focus on women’s and survivors’ issues, the “Access Hollywood” tape was a loud, clear and “rude awakening” to the ways that “American society continues to degrade women and reward people who abuse them.”
Thomas also saw an opportunity for a larger conversation to come out of Trump bragging so brazenly about sexual assault. Because, as many pointed out in the days and months after the “Access Hollywood” tape dropped, sexually abusive “locker-room talk” was reflective of a cultural rot much larger than Donald Trump.
“I remember thinking, like, that this was a pivotal exposure of what we knew was likely true about him and about his attitudes, but also the attitudes and the beliefs and behaviour of so many men like him,” said Thomas. “And that it was a hugely important opportunity for having a national conversation about why that attitude and behaviour is so toxic [and] so damaging.”
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‘But Her Emails’ Takes Over
But the Trump campaign had a secret weapon. Trump and the campaign, via unofficial adviser Roger Stone, knew as of August that WikiLeaks had obtained hacked emails from Democratic Party staffers, including Clinton’s campaign chair, John Podesta, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report published in August of this year. The hack was unrelated to Clinton’s previous email controversy, which had to do with her use of a private server for some official business as secretary of state. But given the sensitivity of “email” and “Clinton”, it could still be highly damaging.
According to US intelligence, the hack was carried out by Russians, whom Trump had openly courted to find Clinton’s “missing” emails.
On October 7, Stone learned about the “Access Hollywood” tape before its release and called Jerome Corsi, an infamous conspiracy theorist, to ask him to get in touch with WikiLeaks, according to the Senate Intelligence Committee report. Stone “[w]anted the Podesta stuff to balance the news cycle,” Corsi told the committee.
“According to Corsi, Stone also told him to have WikiLeaks ‘drop the Podesta emails immediately,’” the committee report states.
Later that day, WikiLeaks did.
McIntosh, the former Clinton adviser, was dismayed at how quickly the media seized on the hacked emails even amid the news that Trump had admitted to sexual assault.
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The media’s focus on the “Access Hollywood” tape “only lasted until everybody got into John Podesta’s risotto recipe,” McIntosh said. “They played journalists so perfectly with that release. They had that in their back pocket for their ‘break glass in case of emergency’. This was clearly the emergency. They broke the glass and everybody scattered for it.”
In the following weeks, even as multiple women accused Trump of sexual assault, reporters continued to question him on other matters, which McIntosh found disappointing.
“I am pretty sure if Hillary Clinton had been accused of assaulting somebody, that would be the last time someone asked her about her climate change plan,” McIntosh said. “The only questions would be: ‘When are you going to drop out of the race?’ And that was simply not what happened.”
“They had that in their back pocket for their ‘break glass in case of emergency.’ This was clearly the emergency. They broke the glass and everybody scattered for it.” - Jess McIntosh, a former Clinton staffer, on the WikiLeaks release of Democratic Party emails
About a week before the election, then-FBI Director James Comey released a letter saying the agency was examining more of Clinton’s emails – an announcement that Clinton blames, in part, for her ultimate loss.
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The Democratic candidate’s emails remained in the news. The same Republicans who had condemned Trump’s remarks continued to back him.
And then, a month and approximately a million news cycles later, Trump won.
Despite the polls, despite the “Access Hollywood” tape, despite the allegations of 15-plus women. The man who openly denigrated women, immigrants and people of colour was going to ascend to the highest office in the nation.
Litman remembers thinking about Trump’s “grab ’em by the pussy” comments on election night as she watched the returns come in from the Javits Center in New York City.
“I could not stop thinking about: what does this tell little girls and what does this tell little boys,” said Litman.
“[For little girls], you can be talked about this way, you can be treated this way, you can be assaulted this way, and there will be no punishment. For little boys, you have to behave this way to gain power. What a horrible message.”
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The Birth Of The ‘Pussy Hat’
However, after the initial shock and grief subsided, something else happened. Lots of American women who had once observed politics from the sidelines were angry. Furious, even. And they started organising. Within four weeks, thousands of women had signed up for programmes designed to help people run for political office.
Litman sees the mass, sustained effort as a response to the obvious lack of consequences for egregious behaviour, like openly bragging about sexual assault, coupled with more than 15 women telling the country that this man had assaulted them.
“He did this and then he got rewarded,” said Litman. “There were tapes. It wasn’t just a ‘he said, she said’. He bragged about [assault] and then he got the highest office in the land. There’s no sense of justice.”
On November 8, just hours after Trump was elected, retired attorney Teresa Shook posted on Facebook suggesting that women march on Washington. The post lit a spark that turned into the Women’s March – the largest single-day protest in US history. Thanks to seasoned organisers Carmen Perez, Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour, who stepped in early to help, the Women’s March brought an estimated 500,000 people to DC on January 21, 2017, the day after Trump’s inauguration. (The New York Times reported that crowd scientists thought the march drew a crowd three times larger than that on Inauguration Day.)
Throngs of people, many wearing pink "pussy hats," joined the Women's March in Washington on January 21, 2017. Shannon Stapleto/Reuters
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Sister protests happened around the nation and the world. Many of the participants showed up wearing handmade pink “pussy hats”, a direct response to the president’s “grab ’em by the pussy” comment.
Less than three months later, organisers showed up again, this time to protest the continued employment of Fox News host Bill O’Reilly, after news broke that the network had settled five separate sexual harassment lawsuits on his behalf since 2002. On April 19, 2017, O’Reilly was officially ousted from Fox.
“There was a [new] opportunity for holding people in positions of power accountable for abusing or harassing their staff,” said Thomas. “We were ready. The survivors came forward, the evidence was overwhelming, but it was also Fox News. It was an important moment to demonstrate the public lack of patience and disinterest in continuing to see institutions protecting abusers from accountability.”
Trump’s Republican Party Takeover
The opposition from women didn’t seem to greatly affect Trump, who soon after his election began to suggest to Republican senators and other allies that the tape wasn’t real, The New York Times reported in 2017.
Trump went on to push policies that harmed women and to back powerful men in spite of allegations that they had harmed women. He supported Republican senatorial candidate Roy Moore of Alabama in 2017 as Moore faced allegations of sexual assault and misconduct, including against teenage girls. Trump stuck with Kavanaugh when the now-Supreme Court justice was accused of sexual assault. He defended his former aide Rob Porter after Porter resigned from the White House due to accusations he had abused his ex-wives. All three men have denied the allegations against them.
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The “Access Hollywood” tape continued to come up. UltraViolet Action played the tape on loop outside the Capitol in 2018 to protest Kavanaugh’s nomination.
Demonstrators gather outside the U.S. Capitol to protest the confirmation vote for Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh in 2018. Alex Brandon/Associated Press
Activists stress that there isn’t one straight line from the “Access Hollywood” tape to a movement, but that it is all connected.
“There’s no way of knowing all the ways this stuff ripples out,” Rocketto said. If the Trump tape hadn’t been exposed by The Washington Post, she’s not sure if she would have ultimately organised against Kavanaugh’s confirmation. “I wouldn’t have confronted Senator [Ted] Cruz in an elevator,” Rocketto said. “You don’t have Christine Blasey Ford coming forward [about Kavanaugh] without Me Too. And you don’t have a wave of women being elected.”
During the 2018 midterm elections, 125 women were elected in House, Senate and governor races. And not only did women run for elected office, they also spoke out about their own experiences with sexual harassment and abuse. Litman, who is now the executive director of Run for Something, an organisation that helps recruit and support young Democrats running for office, told HuffPost that the shift in candidates’ openness about surviving sexual abuse has been significant.
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“We work with these candidates who incorporate their experience as survivors into their campaigns,” Litman said. “I don’t think that would have happened before four years ago.”
Four years after the “Access Hollywood” tape was revealed, Trump remains president and Republicans still control the Senate, where they are fighting to confirm a new Supreme Court justice who could put abortion rights at risk. Except now, we are also in the midst of a global pandemic, in which more than 200,000 Americans have died, millions have lost their jobs, and women – especially women of colour – have been hit especially hard.
There’s still plenty to fight for.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--If Brexit Goes Wrong At The Border Blame Me, Michael Gove Says

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Michael Gove has given the UK and EU a 66% chance of agreeing a Brexit trade deal and urged people to blame him if there is chaos at the border in January.
He batted away suggestions that councils in key areas, such as Kent, would get the blame if the border and surrounding roads get choked up with lorries and EU trade is slowed or halted.
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Gove last month outlined a reasonable worst case scenario, which warned there could be queues of 7,000 lorries in Kent if not enough businesses prepare for border checks at the end of the transition period on December 31, sparking accusations he was seeking to shift blame.
But the Cabinet Office minister told the Commons EU future relationship committee: “If things do go wrong, then to paraphrase Rag’n’Bone Man, put the blame on me.”
"If things do go wrong, then to paraphrase Rag'n'Bone man - put the blame on me" 🎶
Cabinet minister Michael Gove is asked whether local authorities like Kent will be blamed if things aren't ready in time for the end of the Brexit transition periodhttps://t.co/vK1PbW5xZ4 pic.twitter.com/2UTZLpyshd — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) October 7, 2020
Gove also gave the UK and EU around a two-thirds chance of striking a Brexit deal amid reports that Boris Johnson could pull the plug on negotiations if an outline agreement is not within sight by October 15.
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Asked by Tory MP Nigel Mills if he still rated the chance of a deal at 66%, Gove replied: “I think the number might have oscillated upwards or downwards since the last time we spoke but I’d say that is about right.”
UK chief negotiator David Frost, appearing alongside Gove, added: “I think that a deal is eminently achievable and could be achieved but equally it is possible that we don’t get there and we’ll have to see what the next few weeks bring.”
Meanwhile, the prime minister and European Council president Charles Michel acknowledged “significant areas of difference remain”.
Johnson told Michel during a call that citizens and businesses need “certainty very soon” with the deadline looming, according to Downing Street.
A No.10 spokesperson said Johnson reiterated that the UK would be “prepared” to leave at the end of the transition period without a trade deal, but acknowledged brokering one would be “better for both sides”.
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“Although some progress had been made in recent discussions, they acknowledged that significant areas of difference remain, particularly on fisheries,” a statement read.
“Chief negotiators should continue to work intensively in the coming days to try to bridge the gaps.
“The prime minister reiterated that any deal must reflect what the British people voted for and that businesses and citizens needed certainty very soon on the terms of our future relationship. They agreed to remain in touch on this issue.”
Michel meanwhile warned that the EU wants a deal “but not at any cost”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Valerie Bertinelli Hails Ex-Husband Eddie Van Halen's 'Gorgeous Spirit'

Valerie Bertinelli shared moving words for ex-husband Eddie Van Halen after the rock legend died from cancer at the age of 65.
Paying tribute to the Van Halen co-founder on Tuesday, Valerie hailed his spirit, and thanked him for the son they share.
“40 years ago my life changed forever when I met you,” the One Day At A Time and Hot In Cleveland star wrote. “You gave me the one true light in my life, our son, Wolfgang.
“Through all your challenging treatments for lung cancer, you kept your gorgeous spirit and that impish grin. I’m so grateful Wolfie and I were able to hold you in your last moments. I will see you in our next life my love.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Friends Fans Share Their Most Controversial Opinions About The Show... And There Is A Lot To Digest

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Friends fans have been getting some of their feelings about the hit show off their chest, after one Twitter user asked to hear people’s most “controversial opinions” about the 90s sitcom.
On Wednesday morning, writer Sara Gibbs wrote: “What’s your most controversial Friends opinion? Mine is that Emily was 100% in the right.”
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What’s your most controversial Friends opinion? Mine is that Emily was 100% in the right. — Sara Gibbs (@Sara_Rose_G) October 7, 2020
What Sarah perhaps wasn’t expecting was that her tweet would spark more than 1000 responses, with certain character names even starting to trend on Twitter as more people got involved in the discussion.
The responses ranged from the obvious...
Joey became an absolute parody of himself. He started off as a charming, ladies man who was adorably slow, but by the end he could barely count to ten or know the days of the week. He deserved much better! — Kayley 🌻 (@Kayley_A) October 7, 2020
They /were/ on a break - it was Rachel's suggestion. But Ross sleeping with that woman the very same night is a dickish move — Naomi 🌻 (@misoravampyre) October 7, 2020
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If you want to live in a desirable area on an average salary you'd better make sure your parents own a rent controlled apartment. — Sam Whyte (@SamWhyte) October 7, 2020
It was completely unrealistic that that same sofa was ALWAYS available for them to sit on when they went to the coffee shop. — Amanda Pearce (@Starlet03) October 7, 2020
Series 1-5 = brilliant comedy
Series 6-10 = a shambles of a show — Jamie Tucker (@Tukka) October 7, 2020
That the writers pretty much gave up on character development for Joey by the end of the show. He went from mildly dumb to speaking actual gibberish and not realising. He became a caricature of himself and it wasn’t funny or endearing. — Emily Rose Chriscoli (@EmilyRChriscoli) October 7, 2020
Also: Ross and Rachel *were* on a break that she initiated. She even called him the next day asking to “be his girlfriend again”. That doesn’t negate what Ross did, however. He still behaved inexcusably badly. — Emily Rose Chriscoli (@EmilyRChriscoli) October 7, 2020
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…to some that actually gave us a lot to think about (particularly when it comes to some of the main characters’ past love interests)...
It should've been Kathy & Chandler forever and making Kathy unfaithful again was just a quick-fix way of writing her out so Chandler could get with Monica — sophie hall-oween 🎃 (@SophLouiseHall) October 7, 2020
Janice was a better match for Chandler than Monica. — Darren Richman (@darrenrichman) October 7, 2020
Rachel shouldn't have been angry at ross for the comparison list he did between her and Julie.
She knew Ross was in love with her since high school, but waited until he was in a loving committed relationship before making a move? OF COURSE he's going to need to make comparisons! https://t.co/CG7RRnD6cH — Femi (@Femi_Sorry) October 7, 2020
That Janice is actually really sweet and the friends are all horrible to her just cause she has a nasal voice — Nick Bartlett (@IMDBartlett) October 7, 2020
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They all showed Gunther a complete lack of respect despite him being more dedicated to his career than any of the friends and him running a successful business. Gunther should have banned them. — 🧟♀frankenbananas🧟♂ (@fatherbananas) October 7, 2020
Janice. Loved her and the group were just snarky and mean. She was big hearted, sweet, style icon, great fun, thoughtful, loud, loving, funny and gorgeous. pic.twitter.com/0kPjERlwJp — Lord Christopher Laverty (@Clothesonfilm) October 7, 2020
Oh! Oh! Another one, Gavin Mitchell was an incredible match for Rachel and I still can’t understand why they didn’t develop that relationship more 😫 pic.twitter.com/btPxNG6nqz — Ellé (@ElleStardust93) October 7, 2020
I've always hated that they built this relationship up for several episodes and then... it went nowhere. he was a former rodeo clown! it would have been amazing! — katie (indoors) (@katefeetie) October 7, 2020
Ursula was the good twin! https://t.co/NMVXKmhovX — Tasha Is Screaming Inside Her Heart This Halloween (@TashaMCampbell) October 7, 2020
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Rachel should have stayed on the plane, and Phoebe should have picked David over Mike. — Breandán 🇮🇪🇪🇺🏳🌈💜 (@BrendannadnerB) October 7, 2020
Rachel should have slept with Mark pic.twitter.com/c8yEtUZb1T — Andrea Cleary 🎃 (@AndreaCleary_) October 7, 2020
I love it. BUT: Janice was great. Phoebe was calculating, not dizzy. They were AWFUL to Bonnie. Ross was right about Phoebe & the cat. Phoebe should’ve ended up with David. Rachel should NOT have got off that plane! And... I wouldn’t ever want any of them as my actual friends 🙄 — Charlotte Bangbala (@Twit_ter_whoo) October 7, 2020
Monica and Chandler’s wedding was trash. For all of its expense and her supposed taste, the aesthetic was “any hotel anywhere” and a huge let-down after Ross & Emily’s venue. — Kristy (@kristysf) October 7, 2020
Naming a Village-based coffee shop after Central Park is some real “I’ve never been to New York” bullshit. https://t.co/2NNzuxRl5Z — David Onearybaba (@DeusExCinema) October 7, 2020
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That there was no way they could have actually made a poking device out of chopsticks long enough to reach through the window of Ugly Naked Guy’s apartment. — Amanda (@Pandamoanimum) October 7, 2020
And while many also took the opportunity to point out some of the show’s more problematic aspects...
The treatment of Chandler's AMAB parent and of Ross's first ex wife reads as horrifically homo and trans phobic and underlines just how much all of them were horrible people. — Laurel T (@AngelzLT) October 7, 2020
The story arc where Chandler gets a new roommate (Eddie), which culminates in them gaslighting someone who's clearly mentally ill and leaving him homeless, was gross. https://t.co/fp4ISTcVBf — ada lovelace #indyref2 🏴🦄 (@adalovelace_x) October 7, 2020
That it could have had 100% less fat jokes, gay jokes, trans jokes and David Schwimmer. https://t.co/M72QMOhyK1 — the ashen (@theashen3) October 7, 2020
- Ross mental health issue wasn't funny at all
- Chandler's character development was awful (I know Matthew Perry had his own issues)
- Its possibly the least inclusive show on TV. 6 straight, skinny, white people in NYC. It would never be made like that now. https://t.co/nhUkwSQDtz — Baz Walsh (@BazWalsh85) October 7, 2020
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Terrible show. No bame, lgbt or handicapped lead actors involved, so how is it representative of New York in the 90s? https://t.co/qEgJo11r6U — Dan (@DaniGJC) October 7, 2020
...others voiced their more *ahem* left-field fan theories...
Gunther was slipping mercury into Joey’s coffee. — Olaf Falafel (@OFalafel) October 7, 2020
That Joey was actually a PhD anthropology student deeply embedded undercover within a self-obsessed micro-community to research high-level solipsism. His 'acting' career was cover for his absences to write up/ report back, his 'thick' persona made him a confidante. Perfect. — Stu Neville, Ostrobogulous of Brislington (@stu_neville) October 7, 2020
Central perk was actually just a mafia front https://t.co/DT1BxMIs0a — not_a_bot (@choiceblend) October 7, 2020
that the name 'Friends' is loosely based on the relationship between the main characters https://t.co/Sg9l4TCMph — Fred Delicious (@Fred_Delicious) October 7, 2020
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High-flying Business Heart-attack Phoebe was the one who deserved the spin-off. pic.twitter.com/MhsdYosTtS — Gracie Lou He-bush | Black Trans Lives Matter (@darkestflameboy) October 7, 2020
one of them should have just bought a cafetiere https://t.co/cWofdvLxTw — harry (@HrryBtlr) October 7, 2020
As Sara’s post began to gain more attention, there was one Friends opinion she refused to accept as controversial, though.
“Love you guys but ‘Ross is terrible’ doesn’t count as controversial,” she tweeted.
Love you guys but ‘Ross is terrible’ doesn’t count as controversial 😘 — Sara Gibbs (@Sara_Rose_G) October 7, 2020
Friends fans are currently waiting on the show’s much-anticipated reunion, which was announced earlier this year.
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The one-off special – which would see all six members of the main cast reminiscing about their 10 years on the much-loved sitcom – was supposed to debut on the streaming service HBO Max in the spring, but has repeatedly been pushed back as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
The cast of Friends pictured during the height of the show's popularity NBC via Getty Images
Explaining the delay, Jennifer Aniston previously said: “Unfortunately it’s very sad that we had to move it again. It was, ‘How do we do this with live audiences?’
“This is not a safe time. Period. That’s the bottom line. It’s not a safe time to do it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Lincoln Project Trolls Trump's Balcony Stunt With Singalong 'Evita' Parody

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Donald Trump marked his return to the White House on Monday from hospitalisation for the coronavirus with a photo-op at the Truman Balcony ― a scene his critics likened to the iconic moment from the musical “Evita.”
Now his critics on the right turned that comparison into a song parody.
The Lincoln Project ― a group of never-Trump Republicans ― released “Covita,” a parody based on the musical’s showstopper:
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The Lincoln Project did not say who sang the track. Asked on Twitter, co-founder Rick Wilson responded: “I’ll never tell.”
Patti LuPone, who originated the role on Broadway and won a Tony as Eva Peron, weighed in on Trump’s balcony appearance a day earlier on social media.
“I still have the lung power and I wore less makeup,” she wrote on Twitter. “This revival is closing November 3rd.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Dawn French Explains Why She Gave Strictly Come Dancing The Brush-Off

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Dawn French has admitted she has been invited to compete on Strictly Come Dancing, but despite wanting to take part, turned the offer down.
Speaking on her brilliantly-titled new podcast Titting Around, Dawn told her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders that she’d have loved to take part on the BBC dance show, but feared that if she signed up she’d be considered a comedy act.
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“They’ve approached me in a circling way before now about it,” the Vicar Of Dibley star explained. “If I did it, I’d want to properly dance. I’d want to be taken seriously and you can’t. At this age, you’re not taken seriously.”
Dawn French Karwai Tang via Getty Images
Dawn added that she feels, as a comedian, that producers would want to “shoot her out of a cannonball like Ann Widdecombe”.
“I don’t want that,” she added. “I want the nicest dresses, the most elegant other dancer and to take it seriously, and nobody would want that.”
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Jennifer agreed with Dawn’s point, saying: “We know we’d be with Anton Du Beke. We wouldn’t get Aljaz or any of the nice ones.
“We’re up for making people laugh. We’re not up to be laughed at, that’s the big difference.”
Jennifer Saunders and Dawn French, pictured in 2012 Dave M. Benett via Getty Images
However, unlike her comedy partner, Jennifer said she would “never” want to be on Strictly under any circumstances, stating that being on the show would make her “cringe”.
She explained: “I can’t dance. I’ve got no rhythm. I’d do it if it wasn’t for the background films… Please don’t make me do your silly films and your stupid jokes and skip off with a dancer hand-in-hand.
“I like watching it. I’m not saying I don’t like watching it. But I have to say, being on it would make me cringe.”
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Listen to French & Saunders’ podcast Titting Around in full on Audible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Biden Responds To Trump's Late-Night Tweetstorm With A Single Scathing GIF

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Former Vice President Joe Biden had a message for Donald Trump on Tuesday evening ― and he delivered it in the form of a GIF.
The Democratic presidential nominee didn’t mention Trump by name in his tweet, but it came after Trump spent Tuesday evening firing off tweets and retweets.
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Trump shared wild conspiracy theories, insulted political rivals, made accusations about voting and attacked the media. He also ripped his own Food and Drug Administration, “scum” at the FBI and the “pathetic” CIA.
And in a head-spinning about-face, Trump also demanded action on a coronavirus relief package― which he himself had killed earlier in the day.
Trump fired off more than 40 tweets and retweets over about half an hour ― leading to this message from Biden:
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The quote came from an early September event in which Biden urged Trump to make a deal on coronavirus-related economic stimulus legislation.
“Get off Twitter and start talking to the congressional leaders of both parties. Invite them to the Oval Office,” Biden said. “You always talk about your ability to negotiate. Negotiate a deal, a deal for somebody other than yourself.”
No deal was ever reached, and on Tuesday, Trump announced he would no longer make one, saying he has cut off negotiations until after the November 3 election.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--The Government's Career Quiz Is Suggesting People Retrain As Boxers

A question from the government's careers advice quiz Gov.UK
It’s no secret that, thanks to the global coronavirus pandemic, a *lot* of people are struggling for work right now.
In the UK, many industries – especially those that rely on big groups of people coming together – are in serious trouble.
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It’s been estimated that there could be 450,000 redundancies in the next few months alone.
On Tuesday, chancellor Rishi Sunak suggested that some people whose work had been affected by Covid should consider “fresh and new opportunities”.
Asked in an interview with ITV News what musicians, actors and artists – who have been heavily affected by social distancing and lockdown rules – Sunak said: “In all walks of life everyone is having to adapt.
“I can’t pretend that everyone can do exactly the same job they were doing at the beginning of this crisis.”
What's Rishi Sunak's message to musicians, actors, freelancers in the arts who don't feel govt is supporting them? Should they get a different job?
The Chancellor told me it's "not right that there's no work available...and everyone is having to adapt." @ITVNewsPolitics pic.twitter.com/ewrQixpAne — Daniel Hewitt (@DanielHewittITV) October 6, 2020
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It’s an answer that sparked a backlash among a number of high profile creatives – including Liam Gallagher, former Great British Bake Off host Sue Perkins and author Ian Rankin.
But others, curious about their future job prospects, have turned to the government’s National Careers Service skills assessment.
The quiz gives suggestions of which fields – and specific jobs – people may suit based on a series of questions such as: “Are you able to control your emotions even in difficult situations?”
Participants are also asked if they agree or disagree with statements like “I set myself goals in life”.
Other statements include: “I am comfortable telling people what they need to do” and “I prefer to follow what other people are doing”.
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The assessment hasn’t helped everyone as much as they were hoping.
So I've just completed the government's skills assessment as a bit of fun. I answered everything honestly:https://t.co/HB0ZxuRRqz
The outcome? It suggests I should be a sports professional or a boxer.
So it's about as useful as a Buzzfeed quiz then.@robinHEG @Chris_Bunn pic.twitter.com/uyJMgEY0qL — Michael Viggars (@MichaelViggars) October 6, 2020
Thanks to https://t.co/Yb6GOzFoTQ I realise I have picked the wrong career and should become either an Actor, a Newspaper Editor or a Civil Engineer.
Let me know if you need a newspaper editor or if casting a movie. Would consider TV. No am-dram.
Free most evenings & weekends. — Iain Collins (@iaincollins) October 7, 2020
I went to see what the government thought I should retrain as and 🙃 pic.twitter.com/E1wC8R039F — RafaellaAAAAAAAARGH 🕸⚰ (@RafaellaMarcus) October 7, 2020
I see the government has branched out into buzzfeed personality tests. I got: Actor / Sports Professional / Boxer / Football Referee. What did you get? https://t.co/aEwcHaYmCW pic.twitter.com/hLMwjNdfkc — Katie Witchard 🧟♀ twitch.tv/katietwitchard (@katiepritchards) October 7, 2020
can't wait to start my new life in manufacturing https://t.co/0PlYE3FHPC pic.twitter.com/ULlUJiVd1h — Emily Holyoake (@princecolin) October 7, 2020
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Here’s the quiz thing where the government tells you what career you should retain as. Basically it’s BABYSITTER OR BRAMBLE PICKER https://t.co/7Q8AhWq1ak pic.twitter.com/aNd2iZPWXj — hanna hanra (@HannaHanra) October 7, 2020
Lol. Guess I should retrain as what I already have trained as, and am. Any thoughts @NationalCareers ? pic.twitter.com/aRGYZu7FtT — Joseph Hardy (@Joseph__Hardy) October 7, 2020
So do I still need to retrain or...? My theatre job and my other job🙃🙃🙃 pic.twitter.com/4qKsJzBFST — Carys Wright (@wright_carys) October 7, 2020
so the government have released a beta website telling ppl in the arts what they could retrain as (https://t.co/zIQiMixBpB) and this is what I got. a boxer? in this economy? in this age of tyson fury and anthony joshua? me????? @BorisJohnson thank u!!! pic.twitter.com/KDVl9logs2 — ryan bassil (@ryanbassil) October 7, 2020
Decided to do that skills quiz that the Government posted because, you know, I need to retrain. (https://t.co/TKDXCxXzHz)
These are my top 3 jobs. Sports agent I can understand, but, a holiday rep?! Me?!?!? pic.twitter.com/eeBILG8kZE — hayley (@hayleywhispers) October 7, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Dolly Parton's New Christmas Film Looks Even More Camp Than We Thought Possible

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Never has the phrase “camp as Christmas” been more appropriate than when it comes to these new photos from Dolly Parton’s upcoming Netflix film.
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It was previously revealed that Christmas On The Square, a new Yuletide musical, will focus on Christine’s character, Regina Fuller, who wants to sell her father’s old land to a shopping mall developer.
However, Regina is eventually talked out of it by – you guessed it! – her guardian angel, played by Dolly.
Netflix has now unveiled new photos from the film, including a first look at Dolly in character as Christine’s guardian angel. Prepare yourself...
Just when you thought Dolly Parton couldn't out-camp herself... Netflix
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A Netflix press release announcing the film previously said: “A rich and nasty woman, Regina Fuller, returns to her small hometown after her father’s death to evict everyone and sell the land to a mall developer - right before Christmas.
“However, after listening to stories of the local townsfolk, reconnecting with an old love, and accepting the guidance of an actual angel, Regina starts to have a change of heart.
“This is the story about family, love, and how a small town’s Christmas spirit can warm even the coldest of hearts.”
Who wouldn't want Dolly Parton to be their guardian angel? Netflix
OK, but seriously – is it Christmas yet?!
The project was actually first announced a little while ago, but Netflix revealed last week that the film will debut on the streaming service on 22 November.
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Christmas On The Square will feature a total of 14 (!!!) original songs, written and performed by the country music icon.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Craig Revel Horwood Names The Strictly Guest That Left Him 'Literally Grovelling At Her Feet'

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As Strictly Come Dancing’s most hard-to-impress judge, you might think Craig Revel Horwood would not be one for a fanboy moment.
Not so, it seems.
Craig has revealed that while he doesn’t get starstruck by the BBC ballroom show’s celebrity contestants, it’s rather a different story when it comes to its A-list musical guests.
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In a new interview with Fubar Radio, he revealed how he was turned into a “grovelling” mess by one particular star.
Craig Revel Horwood SIPA USA/PA Images
“When Shirley Bassey came on to sing, I was literally grovelling at her feet,” he recalled.
“I was disgusting. I turned into a teenage girl. It was ridiculous.”
Craig went on to recall how he felt similarly star meeting a number of other big names thanks to his role on Strictly.
Dame Shirley Bassey David M. Benett via Getty Images
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He continued: “I went and met Liza Minnelli through the show as well. Love that.
“Bette Midler was another one that came and sang on the show. Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, I mean the list goes on.”
Spilling on his encounter with Queen Bey, Craig was delighted when it turned out she knew who he was.
Beyoncé PA
“I couldn’t believe it, I was so starstruck when Beyoncé came through with a 25 entourage,” he said. “I was in the hallway. No one is allowed to look at her or anything. And she came straight up to me and said, ‘Hey Craig!’.
“I went, Oh my God! She knows who I am! Beyoncé!
“I was so excited,” he added.
The Beyoncé effect 🤩 Look out for tomorrow’s #AccessAllAreas when @CraigRevHorwood joins @BobbyCNorris and @SteveLeng to name drop some of the biggest guests he’s fangirled over on #Strictly. Tune in Thursday’s from 6 - 7PM on https://t.co/3vfgmArdSQ pic.twitter.com/TS5BphH3AA — FUBAR Radio (@FubarRadio) October 7, 2020
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Craig is returning to Strictly Come Dancing for the new series later this month, alongside fellow judges Motsi Mabuse and Shirley Ballas.
Bruno Tonioli will sit out the Saturday night live show as he is residing in the US amid the pandemic, but will give his verdict on each of the performances during the pre-recorded Sunday results shows.
It is just one of a number of changes to this year’s series, which is due to kick off on 17 October on BBC One.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Meghan Trainor Announces She's Pregnant With Her First Child

“I’m very good as you can tell, it’s all Christmas here,” she said on the show, before adding: “But there’s other news that I’m dying to tell you and my heart’s pounding out of my chest.”
She then said “Hit it, Daryl,” to her husband, who announced: “We’re pregnant!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Line Of Duty Fans Have New Series 6 Theory After Spotting Tiny Detail In On-Set Pics

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The new series of Line Of Duty might still be a long way off, but fans have already got their theories about what’s going to happen.
After the BBC show’s creator Jed Mercurio posted the latest set of on-set images from filming in Belfast, some eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice a tiny detail in one of the shots.
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They picked up on the fact DS Steve Arnott – played by Martin Compston – was not wearing police stripes on his epaulettes, suggesting that he was now working as a police constable.
#LineofDuty6 Another great week of filming in Belfast pic.twitter.com/VFU4Z5DiCp — Jed Mercurio (@jed_mercurio) October 5, 2020
Previously, he has been a detective sergeant, which is indicated by three white stripes worn on an officer’s shoulders.
A PC usually just has their collar number, which Arnott is seen wearing, pointing at the possibility the character will be demoted in the new series...
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Stevie boy demoted to PC? pic.twitter.com/pDQ2nBVPts — DW Gareth (@d_wgareth) October 5, 2020
Steve’s not got his sgt stripes!? 👀 — Ed Harry (@EdharryEd) October 5, 2020
However, it could also suggest that Arnott is sent undercover, as his colleague DI Kate Fleming, played by Vicky McClure, has done in previous series.
Or undercover? — Elaine (@laneychich) October 6, 2020
Seriously, get this lot a job with AC-12.
A couple of others thought there was some subliminal message in another of Jed’s pictures that pointed to Superintendent Ted Hastings being the mysterious organised crime boss “H” – a plot that featured heavily in the last series...
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Massive spoilers on wall. pic.twitter.com/IzdjuOUI3z — Ashley Bell (@Ashley_Bell182) October 5, 2020
Someone trying to tell us something? pic.twitter.com/ZYTMBCppup — K (@thewanderer58) October 5, 2020
Filming on the sixth series of Line Of Duty resumed in August, having previously been suspended after four weeks back in March, due to the pandemic.
The cast and crew have now all bubbled up together in Northern Ireland, where the show is filmed, with strict safety measures and testing in place to keep them safe.
Bosses are aiming to complete filming in the hope of airing the series in early 2021.
It was previously confirmed that Kelly Macdonald has joined the cast, playing Detective Chief Inspector Davidson, who had been dubbed the “most enigmatic adversary AC-12 have ever faced”.
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Kelly Macdonald has joined the cast for the sixth series BBC
The fifth series of Line Of Duty concluded last year and revealed legal counsel Gill Biggeloe had been setting up Hastings as “H”.
It was later confirmed from a closer examination of DI Matthew Cottan’s dying declaration that “H” was actually a clue, rather than a person, indicating there are four high ranking officers in league with organised crime.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Starmer 'Disappointed' Arsenal Making Staff Redundant Amid Covid-19

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Labour leader Keir Starmer is “disappointed” that Arsenal is looking to make “Gunnersaurus” mascot Jerry Guy, and 55 other staff members, jobless amid the pandemic.
Starmer, who is an Arsenal fan, praised midfielder Mesut Ozil for offering to pay the mascot’s wages, but his spokesperson went on to say top flight clubs should show “compassion, decency and fairness” during the crisis.
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Guy was facing redundancy after 27 years as Covid-19 continues to affect the north London club. No fans have been able to go to games since March.
Fifty-five other staff members face joblessness – yet Arsenal signed midfielder Thomas Partey for £45m from Atletico Madrid on Monday’s transfer deadline day.
The Labour leader’s spokesperson said: “Football is the national sport and football clubs, particularly those wealthier clubs, at this difficult time should be showing how they are supporting their staff.”
I was so sad that Jerry Quy aka our famous & loyal mascot @Gunnersaurus and integral part of our club was being made redundant after 27 years. As such, I’m offering to reimburse @Arsenal with the full salary of our big green guy as long as I will be an Arsenal player... pic.twitter.com/IfWN38x62z — Mesut Özil (@MesutOzil1088) October 6, 2020
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“Football clubs need to demonstrate the values that have come out so strongly during this pandemic, which are compassion, decency and fairness. We hope all the clubs take this on board.”
First-team players and head coach Mikel Arteta agreed a 12.5% pay cut in April but Starmer’s spokesperson said Arteta should be supporting staff and trying to help lower league clubs, many of which are in dire straits.
Asked about the job cuts at Arsenal, the spokesperson added: “[Starmer] was disappointed by the club’s decision. All football clubs should send messages of solidarity to people during this difficult time.
“He agrees people take a dim view of clubs that are spending millions of pounds on transfers on same day they are making hardworking staff redundant.”
Asked about Ozil, who is reportedly paid around £350,000 a week, and his offer to help Guy, he added: “[Starmer] does applaud him and thinks that’s the kind of message footballers should be sending.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Alcohol Banned Indoors In Scottish Pubs And Restaurants For Two Weeks

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Pubs, restaurants and cafes in most of Scotland are being barred from selling alcohol indoors for more than two weeks, Nicola Sturgeon has announced.
The first minister announced the “urgent” move on Wednesday in a bid to control a surge in coronavirus infections.
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Sturgeon said the measure would be imposed from October 9 until October 25.
Indoor hospitality venues will only be allowed to operate between 6am and 6pm.
However, all licensed premises in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Arran, Lothian and Forth Valley health board areas will be closed for both indoor and outdoor operations.
Cafes without a licence to sell alcohol will be allowed to open until 6pm, the Sturgeon said, to counter social isolation.
Ahead of the announcement, the Scottish government published a briefing document it had received from its chief medical officer, chief nursing officer and national clinical director.
“Any indoor setting where the public mixes freely with members of different households and people of different age groups carries a number of risks. Hospitality therefore presents one of the highest risks,” the scientists said.
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But Sturgeon told the Scottish parliament the country was “not going back into lockdown” of the type seen in March.
She said schools would not be closed and people were not being asked to stay at home.
But people in the central belt of Scotland have been asked to avoid public transport unless absolutely necessary in the next two weeks.
Addressing MSPs, Sturgeon said it was important “for the morale of all of us” not to forget that progress has been made.
Cases are not rising as quickly as in March, with the current number of cases just 13% of the highest point of the pandemic and the understanding of the spread of the virus has increased.
She said: “So while there are significant restrictions still in place – and they are hard and painful – we are living much more freely now than in the spring and early summer.
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“We are determined – if at all possible – that this will continue to be the case.”
Boris Johnson faced fresh pressure to consider a tighter national English lockdown in the face of figures suggesting local measures to contain the spread of coronavirus were not working.
Professor Calum Semple, a member of the government’s scientific advisory panel who specialises in disease outbreaks, recommended a “circuit breaker” be considered on a national basis in a bid to slow the virus, rather than trying to reduce it at a later stage.
At PMQs, Keir Starmer said 19 of the 20 areas subjected to local measures for two months had seen infection rates increase.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Fun Halloween Ideas For Kids That Are Safe For Covid Times

ArtMarie via Getty Images Halloween is a little different in 2020 than in previous year.
If you’re a parent of young kids, waiting on tenterhooks to find out whether or not trick-or-treating will be cancelled this year is likely one of approximately two hundred billion stressors running through your mind right now. Before making a decision one way or the other, many parents are starting to think of alternatives, in case trick-or-treating is deemed too risky.
The good news is that even if it does end up getting cancelled, there are a lot of fun and easy ways to celebrate Halloween at home. Here are a few of the best options.
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Have a Halloween candy hunt
If you treat Halloween like Easter and hide sweets throughout your home, your kid gets both a fun activity that will keep them occupied (hunting!) and the best part of trick-or-treating (the haul).
Plus, added bonus: you can buy just the good stuff and leave out the stuff your kid will never actually eat. And, if you’re so inclined, pick up the treats you and your kid both like.
Westend61 via Getty Images Kids can enjoy all the benefits of a candy haul without trick-or-treating.
Turn your space into a haunted house
If you have the space to decorate, making your living room a haunted house is a great way to make the day different and special. Leading up to Halloween, shops are full of stuff like fake cobwebs, pumpkins, spiders and ghosts. Add one of those Halloween sounds playlists, which you can of course find for free online these days, and voila!
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Watch spooky movies
There are a ton of Halloween movies for kids of all ages and scaredy-cat levels. There’s something special about seeing a movie you only get to watch at one point in the year. “Hocus Pocus,” “ParaNoman,” “Frankenweenie,” “Casper,” and “The Addams Family” are all good options — plus, there are a lot of new Halloween movies.
Jose Luis Pelaez Inc via Getty Images Watching scary movies as a family can be a fun way to celebrate Halloween.
Tell scary stories
If screen time isn’t your thing, turn out the lights and light some candles or get a flashlight and tell scary stories. Here are a few different options, some for younger kids and others for kids who can handle a scare.
Halloween-ify your meal
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Play games
There’s the classic thing of telling a blindfolded child that the peeled grapes they’re touching are actually eyeballs, of course. But there are a ton more options, for kids of all ages: playing checkers with mini pumpkins, maybe, or spooky charades, or “pin the web on the spider” (which can be adapted to “pin the stem on the pumpkin” for the spider-averse).
Make a piñata
Another fun alternative candy distribution method: the piñata. You can make your own if you’re looking for a pre-Halloween craft, or pick one up at a party store. A pumpkin is a classic and easy-to-make shape — or, if you want a slight challenge, a ghost.
Have a pumpkin scavenger hunt
Walk around your neighbourhood looking for different kinds of jack-o’-lanterns. You can download and print scavenger hunt cards on Pinterest, or make your own.
Don’t forget about dressing up and carving pumpkins
Remember that in typical years, trick-or-treating only lasts and hour or two. A lot of the fun of Halloween comes from what happens before kids even leave the house.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Spitting Image Comic Reveals The Politician He's Struggling The Most To Get Right

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However, as one of its new impressionists has revealed, not all of the characters are coming so easily.
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During an appearance on the BBC podcast Newcast, comedian Matt Forde confirmed that he’s voicing Labour leader Keir Starmer in the new series, but admits he’s “a bit harder to do” than some of his political peers in the Conservative government.
“He is a bit harder to do than people like Boris and Trump,” Matt explained. “Because he is almost deliberately set against their style and their whole philosophy. So they’re big and bold and ludicrous, and he’s very single-mindedly professional.”
The difficulty of doing Keir Starmer - @MattForde is the comedian charged with doing just that for the Spitting Image reboothttps://t.co/elHmTUGZKW | @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/jnta14Q1Ew — BBC Radio 4 (@BBCRadio4) October 7, 2020
Matt added that to deliver his best impression of Starmer, he needs to act like there’s “a slight blockage in his nose somewhere, not a full nose block”.
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At the request of the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg and political correspondent Chris Mason, he then performed a line in character, saying: “I’m a constructive leader of the opposition, BUT.”
Keir Starmer House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images
Co-creator Roger Law recently said he was keen to make sure the show took shots at figures on all sides of the political spectrum, insisting there is “lots of ammunition to throw at the other side” too, although he did add that he finds the ideology of Boris Johnson’s government “nuts”.
The Spitting Image reboot debuted on the streaming platform BritBox last week, with new episodes coming every Friday.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Self-Isolating Lancaster University Students Are Being Charged £17.95 A Day For Meals

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A university has offered to bring its self-isolating students three meals a day – provided they can stump up £125 a week.
Hundreds of people stuck in quarantine a Lancaster University of charging “unacceptably high” prices for the service, which costs £17.95 a day for three meals.
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The university has emphasised that the meal plan is just one of the option for students, explaining that they still have access to their kitchens, alternative food delivery services and takeaways.
But students on campus – many of whom are first years – said that takeaways for a fortnight were an unaffordable option and supermarket delivery slots hard to find in an area already in extended lockdown due to high Covid-19 cases.
My uni charging £17 a day for food if you have to isolate is an absolute shambles. How can they expect everyone on budgets to be able to afford that?? — Bhav (@bhavreetkd) October 6, 2020
More than 900 people have signed a petition calling for the university to “stop profiting from self-isolating students”, with the student paper The Tab estimating that the actual cost-per-day of the menu (with supermarket delivery costs) is just £4.
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An example menu features a breakfast of “pain au choc”, a homemade granola bar, a piece of fresh fruit and a fruit juice. For lunch the student will be brought a cheese and pickle sandwich, a packet of crisps, another piece of fruit and a bottle of water. For their evening meal they can tuck into jerk chicken with spicy salsa or a spicy aubergine and lemon casserole with new potatoes and peas, alongside a soft drink and followed by a sweet treat.
The petition describes the cost of the meal package as “unacceptably high”, arguing that the “rates for food delivery will exacerbate the health impacts of the pandemic, making those with symptoms less likely to isolate, and more likely to break the rules.”
First year student Oliver Hill, 19, said he and his flatmates – who have been self-isolating in halls on campus for the past eight days – only found out about the university’s food service after seeing the row about the cost in The Tab.
He said he and his flatmates had been “very lucky” to secure supermarket delivery slots, adding that many students would have struggled to afford Lancaster’s meal delivery service.
An example menu for the service, shared on the university website Lancaster University
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A search by HuffPost UK found that while Tesco had a limited number of delivery slots available in Lancaster for Thursday, October 7, the city’s two largest supermarkets – Sainsbury’s and Asda – had nothing available until the weekend.
“We didn’t know about it [the university prepared meal plan] until a couple of days ago so we just had to sort ourselves out, but as soon as we found out we all pretty much agreed that it was ridiculous and we just couldn’t afford it,” Hill said.
“We’ve been ordering online and two of us are going down to pick the food up with masks on, trying not to touch anything outside of our flat, which isn’t ideal but there isn’t much else we can do.”
Fellow first year student Bhavreet Dulku, 18, told HuffPost UK that students on campus felt that the £17.95-a-day price tag for the meal service was an added insult on top of paying £9,000-a-year fees and huge rent costs for what amounted to as little as an hour a week contact time for some students.
She said: “It feels like the university doesn’t really care about student wellbeing, they promised that it would be safe when we came back and they said: ‘We’ll do our best for you’, and then this happens.
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“We have people who are on low incomes without parents supporting them, the loan can’t cover a food budget like that.
“It’s hard to get delivery slots too, sometimes they’re not available for over a week. Most students on campus have only been here for a couple of weeks, so they might not have friends in other flats yet who can help them buy food – so what else are they supposed to do?”
Students have also criticised the university for charging self-isolating students £7 for a laundry service which would ordinarily cost around £2.40 a wash if they were able to do it themselves using communal facilities.
Hill said: “We haven’t really been told anything by the university. I do have enough clothes to last through the two weeks, but what if you didn’t? We’re already paying £9,000 a year to sit inside and learn online and then whatever it is for accommodation, and then they’re also trying to do this for money as well – how are people my age supposed to afford all that?”
Lancaster University issued a lengthy comment in response to allegations that they were profiting from self-isolating students, insisting that the £17.95 meal delivery service was opt-in, and students had been given details of alternative ways to secure food and supplies for the duration of their self-isolation.
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A spokesperson said: “We recognise self-isolating can be a difficult and stressful time for our students. To make life a little easier we have provided an opt-in meal delivery service for any self-isolating students wishing to have fresh food prepared and cooked for them and delivered to their door.
“We are charging less than we would for our normal dining-in restaurant and café offer, despite additional costs of delivery and disposable containers.
“Students are not obliged to use this service and still have access to their own kitchens, alternative shopping and takeout food delivery services. The university has also provided students with information about suitable alternative source of food including supermarket delivery and other local commercial outlets.”
They explained that the package consists of three meals a day, prepared on a daily basis by chefs in the university kitchens, with prices kept “as low as we can without compromising on quality.
“Students choosing this service can have full confidence that they are eating food that has been prepared from locally sourced products – where possible – and all allergens and food intolerances are catered for,” they added.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--MPs Asked To Wear Masks In Parliament Amid Uptick In Coronavirus Cases

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MPs have been asked to wear face masks around parliament due to an increase in coronavirus cases.
A well-placed parliamentary source told HuffPost UK that the guidance had been issued on the advice of Public Health England after a “small number” of increased Covid-19 infections over recent days.
Now the Commons Speaker has asked MPs, Lords, staff, journalists and others to wear face coverings when walking between buildings or queuing for food and drink around the parliamentary estate.
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The move comes a week after MP Margaret Ferrier travelled from Scotland to parliament and back to Scotland on the train despite having coronavirus.
Commons authorities have refused to reveal how many new cases have been recorded in parliament in recent days.
But a source said: “There has been a rise in cases in London and we have had a small number of cases on the estate so the House of Commons Commission consulted with Public Health England and they said now is time to put your masks on.”
It goes beyond the usual government guidance for workplaces in England, which notes that there are “some circumstances when wearing a face covering may be marginally beneficial and a precautionary measure”.
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DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said: “Just as we have all had to wear them in supermarkets and on public transport, it makes sense that we all wear face coverings to protect each other on the estate.”
Staff and MPs are not expected to wear face coverings in meetings or when working in their offices.
While MPs are not expected to wear face coverings in the Commons chamber, they have been advised to wear them in the lobbies during a division.
Hoyle has also asked those that take part in the Speaker’s procession to wear masks “for the foreseeable future”.
This includes a Commons’ doorkeeper, the Serjeant at Arms with the mace, the Speaker, the Trainbearer, Chaplain and Secretary, who “move circuitously from Speaker’s House through central and members’ lobbies into the chamber” every day that parliament sits.
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A Commons spokesperson said: “Passholders are being strongly encouraged to use face coverings on the parliamentary estate, especially in areas where it is difficult to maintain social distancing after a small number of cases of Covid-19 have emerged on the estate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-07--Death In Police Custody: Victims' Families 'Appalled' As New Law Grants Officers Anonymity

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Families of people who have died in police custody have expressed serious concerns about a new policy which gives anonymity to the officers involved.
Campaign groups and relatives say it will be harder to hold police accountable under the ramped up policy, which came into force in July.
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They believe it is misguided for forces in England and Wales to take extra steps to protect anonymity at a time of global calls for greater transparency following the killing of George Floyd in the United States.
The new guidance gives officers involved in custody deaths the same level of anonymity as firearms officers following a fatal shooting.
Leading campaigner Tippa Naphtali, whose cousin Mikey Powell died whilst in the custody of West Midlands Police in 2003, said: “At a time like this, in the limelight of racial issues and the Black Lives Matter issues, it’s appalling.
“It’s really disrespectful that they should even be thinking of a policy of this type, which is basically to afford police even more protection than they currently have, which makes them almost untouchable.”
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A protester holds up a sign during a Black Lives Matter march in London in June Toby Melville / Reuters
The new “Death or Serious Injury Authorised Professional Practice” policy was announced on the Police Federation website in July.
A statement on the site said: “Officers involved in deaths or serious injuries will be given protection in College of Policing policy – akin to colleagues who carry firearms.”
The policy sets out clear steps that should be taken by forces to “protect officers legally, ensure their welfare is looked after as well as assist with the investigation that follows”.
But the charity Inquest said the new guidance “could undermine the integrity of investigations into police related deaths”.
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Naphtali, who runs the 4WardEver UK and Friends of Mikey Powell campaigns, said the system is already heavily weighted against bereaved families.
Tippa Naphtali, a leading campaigner on custody deaths and cousin of Mikey Powell Supplied by Tippa Naphtali
His cousin Powell died aged 38 of asphyxiation shortly after being arrested by police in Birmingham in 2003 while suffering a psychotic episode. His death has parallels to that of George Floyd, the family say.
Ten officers were charged with criminal offences after Powell’s death, but all were cleared of wrongdoing in 2006.
Naphtali pointed to the fact that there has been no conviction of a police officer related to a death in custody for more than five decades in this country.
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“The first recorded death in custody was David Oluwale in 1969,” he said.
“That’s the last time ever, in 1969, that a police officer was actually imprisoned in the UK for a death in custody. That’s disgraceful.”
Mikey Powell died whilst in the custody of West Midlands Police in 2003 Supplied by Tippa Naphtali
There have been 1,755 deaths in police custody or otherwise following police contact in England and Wales since 1990, according to Inquest.
While the risks faced by officers are acknowledged, as witnessed with the fatal shooting of Sgt Matt Ratana at Croydon Police Station last month, families argue that people who die in police custody should have the same access to justice.
Acclaimed poet Benjamin Zephaniah, the brother of Naphtali and cousin of Mikey Powell, said: “We just ask for the same amount of consideration when civilians die at the hands of police.”
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“When I see the outpouring of compassion and feeling for those officers, I want the same to happen for people that die at the hands of police, because the police should be subject to the same laws.”
Poet Benjamin Zephaniah, cousin of Mikey Powell Tim P. Whitby via Getty Images
Debbie Whelan, of the Justice for Cameron Whelan campaign, also condemned the changes, saying equivalent support is not available to families of the dead.
“[They] slipped that one in under the radar didn’t they,” she said, speaking to the 4WardEver UK campaign. “It’s a shame they don’t afford the same to the families of the people they kill.”
Her son Cameron, 26, was pursued by Warwickshire Police in May 2018 and entered the water of the River Avon before his body was found four days later.
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The Independent Office of Police Conduct investigated the force’s contact with Cameron prior to his drowning and a jury inquest into his death found no critical findings in relation to police, despite the serious concerns of the family.
The Angiolini Report
In 2017, a report on deaths in police custody by Dame Elish Angiolini QC, made 110 recommendations to minimise the risks of future deaths.
Commenting on the new policy, Dame Elish told HuffPost UK she “had no difficulty” with officers having access to legal advice and anonymity was not unusual in the UK at the early stages of an investigation.
But she expressed concern about “the persistence of the practice” of bringing officers together following an operation, a practice that has been criticised because of the risk of testimony becoming tainted or collusion occurring.
“My concern is about a group of officers being kept together for several hours after the incident is over but before they have provided their own independent account of the circumstances,” she said.
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“That practice in England is wholly contrary to the guidance issued by the Independent Office for Police Conduct and is often not in the longer term interests of all the officers involved.”
Inquest director Deborah Coles echoed the concern saying “conferral and separation of police officers, and preservation of the scene” were both raised as critical issues in the Angiolini review.
People march to Westminster during a Black Lives Matter protest following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody Henry Nicholls / Reuters
There has been a heightened global focus on deaths in police custody, particularly the disproportionate deaths of Black people, since the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.
Floyd died aged 46 after a white police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes as he cried out “I can’t breathe”.
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Inquest, which carries out casework and monitoring on custody deaths in England and Wales, says its data shows Black people die disproportionately as a result of the use of force or restraint by police.
The Police Federation did not comment when approached by HuffPost UK in relation to criticism of its new policy.
But Steve Hartshorn, Police Federation of England and Wales’ post incident procedure lead, said at the time the policy was announced: “There has been a deaths or serious injury policy in place for firearms for many years which has been tested through the courts and has set a standard that protects officers and assists with the provision of best evidence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-08--Tory Peer Lord Holmes Cleared Of Sexually Assaulting Massage Therapist

Lord Holmes of Richmond (left) leaving Westminster Magistrates' Court, London where he appeared on charges of sexual assault PA
A Paralympic gold medallist and Tory peer has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a beauty therapist during a massage.
Nine-time Paralympic swimming gold medallist Lord Holmes of Richmond had been accused of grabbing the complainant’s bottom and asking her if she did “extras”.
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The former athlete, who retired from sport in 2002 and went into a career in law, denied one count of sexual assault at the trail at Southwark Crown Court.
The jury on Thursday returned their not guilty verdict on one count of sexual assault after just over five hours of deliberations.
Holmes, of Richmond, Surrey, was accompanied by his guide dog in the dock and rubbed his eyes and repeatedly breathed sighs of relief after the verdict was given.
He was helped from the dock by his wife.
The 48-year-old, who went completely blind almost overnight at the age of 14, was accused of groping the woman after asking to touch her to see what she looked like – something she had consented to.
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He had admitted asking to touch the therapist, but denied it was due to any kind of sexual motivation.
Holmes had told the court: “I understand how difficult it is to imagine what it must be like to have no sight whatsoever, because up until I was 14 I couldn’t have any indication of what that would be like, but that really is my world.
“My world would stop here (in front of me) if I couldn’t contact that external world that you can get in the blink of an eye, and I try and use everything I’ve still got to try and construct that world.
“So, through sound, smells, and, yes, touch, but touch as a means of being able to construct that world, touching objects, and, yes, touching people every single day.”
He continued: “(It’s) to get a sense of that other person – not to make a facsimile or an oil painting of them, just having a sense of that other person who was in a room that I didn’t really know, with a person I don’t know, lying on my back and feeling completely vulnerable.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-08--10pm Curfew To Stay As Labour Says It Will NOT Vote Against It Next Week

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The 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants will remain in place after Keir Starmer said Labour would not vote against the coronavirus restriction next week.
Scores of Tory rebels were threatening to defeat the government on the controversial policy – if they could secure Labour backing to oppose the measures on Tuesday.
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But Starmer said MPs were only getting a straight “take-it-or-leave-it” choice on the curfew and so Labour would not oppose the regulations because that would risk no restrictions being in place at all.
He urged Boris Johnson to learn from Wales, where there is a 10pm deadline for selling alcohol but drinkers are given time to finish so they are not all kicked out of venues at the same time.
In England there have been concerns that ordering venues to physically close at 10pm was leading to people all leaving at the same time and packing together on public transport, which could pose a higher risk of spreading Covid-19.
The rule also means many pubs are forced to call last orders at 9.30pm, further reducing the time in which they can make money compared to establishments in Wales.
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There have also been concerns that the government has failed to provide scientific evidence for a 10pm curfew, which has not been discussed or modelled by its own Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).
On Thursday, Starmer told broadcasters: “There’s growing concern about the 10pm curfew and lots of examples of everybody coming out of venues at the same time and causing a problem with the way people are exiting.
“We need this reform, there’s a smarter way of doing this.”
He went on: “The problem with the vote next week is it’s an up-down take-it-or-leave-it vote and therefore if you vote down the current arrangements there won’t be any restrictions in place.
“That’s not what we want so we won’t be down the restrictions that are in place.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-08--Gary Lineker Brands Mortifying World Cup Moment His 'Worst Possible Situation To Wake Up In'

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Gary Lineker had a rather blunt reply in response to a tweet asking people to imagine the “worst possible situation you could wake up and find yourself in”.
And yes, before you ask, it involved that time he pooed himself in the middle of a World Cup match.
As you may recall, Gary was on the England squad during the World Cup 20 years ago, when he endured a mortifying moment during a game against Ireland.
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Or, as the man himself put it back in 2014…
Yeah, I know....I shat on the pitch. — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 3, 2014
Well on Thursday afternoon, the Match Of The Day star brought it all up again (not literally though, don’t worry), when journalist Joel Golby tweeted: “What’s the worst possible situation you could wake up and find yourself in?”
Proving he has a sense of humour about the whole thing (well, you’d have to, really) he responded: “Play for my country in a World Cup game with hundreds of millions watching and shit myself on the pitch.”
Play for my country in a World Cup game with hundreds of millions watching and shit myself on the pitch. https://t.co/79rcs6Dneq — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) October 8, 2020
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The difference for poor old Gary is, most of the other responses to the original tweet weren’t actual lived memories…
Recalling the infamous moment during an appearance on The History Channel in 2018, Gary explained: “I had a bit of a dickie stomach, I don’t know where it came from. I managed to get through the first half despite terrible stomach cramps.
“You know, it’s a World Cup, you cannot say ‘Excuse me, ref, is it alright if I pop off for five minutes?’.
“Anyway, the ball went and I kind of go for it but I stumble a little bit. And as I stumbled, I... relaxed.”
Gary Lineker taking a tumble during a match against Ireland in 1990 Ross Kinnaird - EMPICS via Getty Images
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He added: “I remember Gary Stevens coming up to me and he’s looking over me saying ‘are you alright?’.
“And I just remember saying: ‘I’ve shit myself.’ What do you do?”
Gary Lineker in the This Morning studio last year Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Fortunately, Gary doesn’t seem to have done too badly out of the whole thing, having just been named the BBC’s top-earning presenter for the third year in a row.