thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Surviving On £7 A Day: ‘How The Benefits Cap Is Penalising Single Parents Like Me’

Sally Worrall thought everything was fine with her marriage, but when her husband suddenly left her with four young children – including nine-month-old twins – her life began unravelling.
Since then, Sally says, everything has been about scrimping. She lives a basic lifestyle in order to provide for her children, using food banks and buying everything secondhand.
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The latest data from the Department for Work and Pensions reveals that the number of single parents affected by the benefit cap – the limit on the total amount of benefit you can get – has almost doubled since the pandemic hit.
Figures show single parents now account for 62% of those affected by the benefit cap – including 52,000 with a child under the age of five.
The number of single parents impacted by the benefit cap increased from 56,821 to 95,832 during the pandemic – an increase of 39,011, the figures reveal.
“Punishing single parents for a relationship breakdown is not the way to motivate men and women back into work,” Sally tells HuffPost UK, saying the coronavirus crisis has highlighted the hardships that exist.
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“I am stuck between a rock and a hard place with no end in sight.”
Sally Worrall, mum-of-four, says she has been hit hard by the benefit cap since her relationship suddenly ended
Sally continued: “I want to work but everything I want to do seems impossible. Childcare is so expensive and even though you can get up to 85% of the costs back, you have to pay upfront and you just cannot save when you are affected by the benefit cap.
“After all my bills are paid, I am left with just £7 a day for me and my four children to live on. That is to pay for clothes, haircuts, top-up food and day-to-day necessities.”
““Punishing single parents for a relationship breakdown is not the way to motivate men and women back into work. I want to work but everything I want to do seems impossible.” - Sally Worrall
Sally, 30, who has four children: Chester, nine, Rory, seven and four-year-old twins Jenson and Molly, was told she had 39 weeks to find a job after her husband left, or she would be hit by the cap.
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She was living in a rented house which she couldn’t afford, so ended up in arrears and eventually being evicted and made homeless.
Sally Worrall with her four children, Chester, nine, Rory, seven and four-year-old twins Jenson and Molly, Sally Worrall
“I was in rent arrears because of the benefit cap,” Sally explained. “After the 39 weeks, my housing benefit got cut. I was getting £950 a month and that got reduced to £150 a month. The house we were renting couldn’t take housing benefit as it was written in their insurance.
“It was a year before I was actually evicted and this was on top of still dealing with the heartbreak of my relationship suddenly ending.”
Sally, who is from Hampshire, was housed in temporary accommodation for about three months. She had to be helped out by a refuge as with four children, she couldn’t be housed in a bedsit. She was found a two-bedroom flat. “It was in total disrepair and was covered in mould and had puddles on the floor.” she said. “But I was just so grateful we had somewhere and we spent Christmas there.”
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Sally and her children were then offered a council property, and now live in a top floor maisonette without a garden. She says affording rent is still a struggle due to the benefit cap.
“My rent is £109 a week and I am having to pay £91 of that because of the benefit cap.” she said. “I researched why I am being hit so much by the benefit cap and it is because I have four children rather than two.
“New rules came in in 2016 to cut the benefit to stop people having extra children. But my twins were born in 2015.
“I still get child tax credits for four children but that will change when I move on to Universal Credit in December. My biggest fear is the initial five weeks wait before the first payment.”
“We live a modest life with no luxuries. I don’t have a television package or phone contract and I don’t drink or smoke or get my nails done."” - Sally Worrall
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Sally went back to college to study accountancy but could not afford childcare to work alongside her studies.
She told HuffPost UK she lives a basic lifestyle devoid of luxuries, such as a TV or phone package, and the benefits cap means she won’t get any further help until she is working 16 hours a week.
“We don’t go on holiday, I budget for all my shopping and my children wear second hand clothes and shoes. It was my nine-year-old’s birthday a few months ago and everything I bought him was second hand.
“My children don’t have computer games. We play out all the time and they enjoy reading and playing with toy cars and the simple pleasures in life.
“For me, this is just my life and I deal with it the best I can and try to show my children that no matter what happens, you can get through it.”
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Sally Worrall with her four children, Chester, nine, Rory, seven and four-year-old twins Jenson and Molly, Sally Worrall
Sally says she cannot stretch money any further to save towards childcare. She is hoping life will get easier when her twins start school in September – but knows she will still have the hurdle of school holidays.
“I am hoping I will be able to progress with life once all my children are at school.” she said. “I really want to work, but the logistics of it seem impossible with not being able to pay for childcare or trying to find a job to fit around the children.
“My children’s school does not have an after school club. So I would either have to find a childminder to have them after school or find a job that allows you to finish at 2:30pm.
“A lot of single parents have issues with childcare. If you have not got a second parent who is willing to help or family living nearby, you have no choice but to pay for childcare.
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“But if you are hit by the benefit cap which is meant to encourage people to work, you cannot save for the advance payment so it is a vicious cycle.”
She added: “There is a lot of stigma surrounding single parents being on benefits and people give you a bad name or label you a scrounger. It’s not as simple as telling single parents to go and find a job.
“Like me, many single parents actually want to improve and progress their lives but are being held back by the benefit cap.
“Nobody sets out to be a single parent thinking: ‘That sounds a good deal.’”
Sally Worrall's four children, Chester, nine, Rory, seven and four-year-old twins Jenson and Molly Sally Worrall
Campaigners are calling on the government to lift the benefit cap to help single parents and prevent a fresh child poverty crisis.
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Victoria Benson, chief executive of Gingerbread, the charity that supports single parent families, told HuffPost UK: “Single parent families like Sally’s are being pushed deeper into poverty by unfair policies and a lack of support from this government.
“It’s not right that so many children in the UK live in poverty and experience disadvantage as a result.”
Joseph Richardson, Gingerbread policy and research officer, described the government policy as “callous” and says the most recent statistics released by the DWP showing the number of single parent households affected by the benefit cap has almost doubled during the Covid-19 crisis speak volumes.
“Maintaining the benefit cap during the crisis was a callous decision by the government that has left many households in poverty."” - Joseph Richardson, Gingerbread
“Single parents now account for 62% of those affected, including 52,000 with a child under five.” he said.
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“Maintaining the benefit cap during the crisis was a callous decision by the government that has left many households in poverty.
“There has not yet been any justification for why the benefit cap, which was originally designed to encourage job-seeking, was maintained during the pandemic when families were actively encouraged to self-isolate and look after their children not attending school.
“This has effectively locked households into the benefits cap and once again, it is single parents who have been among the hardest hit by the government’s response to the crisis.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Former Melania Trump Adviser Describes Job As 'Worst Mistake Of My Life'

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A former friend and adviser of Melania Trump says it was “the worst mistake of my life” to work for the Trump family, adding: “I wish I had never met her.”
Stephanie Winston Wolkoff was an unpaid White House adviser to the first lady until February 2018, when her contract was terminated as questions about inaugural spending arose.
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She has written a book about her experiences, lashing out at the first lady for not defending her over questions about costs for the presidential inauguration she helped produce.
In Melania And Me: The Rise And Fall of My Friendship With The First Lady, the author says: “She wasn’t really my friend. In fact, I wish I had never met her.”
Wolkoff, a New York-based event planner, said the pair first met in 2003 in the hallways of Vogue magazine, where she worked.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump stand on stage on the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention last week. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Stephanie Grisham, a spokeswoman for Trump, criticised the book as “full of mistruths and paranoia” based on an “imagined need for revenge”, PA Media reports.
Wolkoff also wrote about frostiness in the relationship between the first lady and the president’s eldest daughter Ivanka. She said she and the first lady both once “bellied over with laughter” after Trump referred to Ivanka — long seen as her father’s favourite child — as “Princess”.
The author also detailed how they launched “Operation Block Ivanka” to keep her from being too prominently featured in inauguration day photographs of her father being sworn in to office.
Ivanka Trump declined comment on Monday. A person close to her said it is traditional for a president’s children to join in such a historic occasion.
Wolkoff devoted two of the book’s 11 chapters to planning for the January 2017 inauguration, describing the committee responsible for raising money to pay for several days of events as beset with organisational and communications issues that complicated her work.
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She said she repeatedly raised questions about spending but eventually came to be viewed as the problem. Trump’s Presidential Inaugural Committee raised nearly 107 million dollars for the lavish event, an unprecedented price tag nearly twice that of Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.
“Like a broken record, I kept expressing my concerns about budgets,” Wolkoff wrote. “Also like a broken record, I became everyone’s problem.”
Some of those involved in or aware of the committee’s work told the Associated Press in September 2017 that the orchestration of the inauguration was marred by last-minute decisions, staffing turnover and little financial oversight.
Wolkoff told ABC News in an interview that she continues to co-operate with multiple criminal investigations into the committee’s operations.
In the book, she portrayed herself in a positive light and said she agreed to stay on and work in the White House for long hours, without pay and away from her husband and three children in New York, because she wanted to help the first lady set up her operation and avoid being marginalised.
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She also shed light on Trump’s desire for privacy, recounting numerous occasions when the first lady told her she would do what was right for her, or her now 14-year-old son Barron, and did not care what the public thought about her.
She continued to live in New York after the inauguration so Barron would not have to change schools in the middle of the year. They moved to the White House in June 2017.
Wolkoff said Trump delayed her arrival in Washington for another reason: she was waiting for renovations and redecorating in the White House residence to be completed, starting with a new shower and toilet in her bedroom.
The author also offered an explanation for widely viewed Inauguration Day footage of Trump smiling — then sharply frowning — after Trump turned around to smile at her on the platform. The footage led to the #FreeMelania hashtag and speculation that she was unhappy in her new role.
Wolkoff said the first lady frowned to reflect pain she felt from an accidental kick in the ankle from Barron, who was standing beside her.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Learning Gap Between Rich And Poor Students 'Grows By 46%' After Lockdown

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The learning gap between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off peers has increased by 46%, a new survey has found.
The poll of nearly 3,000 school leaders and teachers added the figure likely to be an “under-estimate”.
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Teachers estimated on average that their pupils were three months behind in their studies, the survey said.
However, more than half (53%) of those teaching in the poorest schools in England reported their students were “four months or more” behind in their learning, compared to 15% of teachers in wealthier settings, PA Media reports.
The National Foundation for Educational Research’s (NFER) survey comes as many students return to classrooms this week for the first time since lockdown.
The majority of pupils had been expected to learn at home throughout the 2019/20 summer term, but teachers reported that only 38% returned their last piece of set work in July, compared to 42% in May.
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School leaders said that just over half (56%) of students who were eligible to return did so, with those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds having lower attendance at 49%.
Dr Angela Donkin, chief social scientist at NFER, said: “Whilst it is crucial that children catch up, we should not assume that teachers will immediately be able to deliver the same quality of teaching, at the same speed, as before the pandemic.
“There remains a range of barriers for teachers and schools, which means catch-up should be seen as part of the ongoing process of learning recovery, for most pupils, rather than as a quick-turnaround solution.”
She said it was “clear” that additional support needed to be targeted at disadvantaged pupils and schools in the poorest areas.
The survey also found the majority of pupils will be three months behind in their studies when they return to classrooms in England this week 98% of teachers felt students were not as far along with their learning as would normally be expected at the end of the 2019/20 school year.
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Almost a quarter (21%) of teachers from across more than 2,200 mainstream primary and secondary schools also believed boys had fallen further behind than girls.
Its study found that as of July, teachers had on average covered 66% of the curriculum during the 2019/20 academic year.
Almost a third (32%) of school leaders said safety concerns from parents were a common reason for their children not attending.
Almost three quarters of teachers (74%) did not feel able to teach to their usual standard while the coronavirus regulations were in force, the survey found.
Students at St Columba's High School, Gourock, wear protective face masks as they head to lessons on Monday. Jane Barlow - PA Images via Getty Images
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In an open response question, 49% of 1,034 teachers whose teaching was affected said distancing requirements had a negative impact on areas such as group work and their ability to interact with pupils properly.
More than half of school leaders (51%) also reported that they were using teaching assistants to lead classes.
Teachers estimated that 44% of their pupils will need “intensive catch-up support”, the survey said, with the percentage increasing to 57% in the most deprived schools.
NFER’s list of recommendations included the need for schools to receive further support to manage pupil non-attendance and more money to help with managing coronavirus safety measures.
The Department for Education said its £1 billion “Covid catch-up package” will tackle the impact of lost teaching time and include “targeted funding” for the most disadvantaged students.
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Shadow education Secretary Kate Green said: “The learning that children have lost in recent months shows that keeping schools safely open to all must be a national priority in the months ahead.
“When schools are closed, we see deep inequalities become more entrenched, and those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds lose out most.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, which represents leaders in the majority of schools, said: “This is another alarm bell that the Government needs to pay attention to.
“The Covid-19 pandemic has interrupted education for the majority of children, and schools were already struggling to provide everything children needed before this crisis, damaged as they and other social services have been by a decade of austerity.”
Whiteman said schools will “absolutely require” additional support to “play their part in healing the scars” left by the pandemic.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--End The Shouting, Jeering And Heckling In Parliament, Most People Say

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Politicians shouting, jeering and heckling in the UK parliament is “alienating” the public and the majority want the coarse behaviour to stop, a new survey has shown.
More than half (51%) of people would like to see an end to the chaos that accompanies parliamentary debates, most notably during prime minister’s questions, polling reveals. Just one in five (20%) think that it is an important tradition that should be allowed to continue.
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The adversarial tone is often cited by politicians as a reason why the public are put off politics. Dormer prime minister David Cameron said that he thought voters were tired of what he described as “Punch and Judy politics”.
But since the Covid-19 outbreak, a more sober tone has been struck in the House of Commons as a result of social distancing.
The polling, conducted by Opinium in partnership with Compassion in Politics, comes as MPs return to parliament on Tuesday following the summer recess.
It also showed that almost seven in 10 (69%) think MPs should be allowed to continue joining debates online rather than in person after Covid.
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This includes 39% who believe they should always be able to dial-in to debates and 30% who think the option to join digitally should remain in place after Covid but debates in person should continue to be the norm. Only 20% said that debates should always be in person post-pandemic.
The polling was conducted for Compassion in Politics, which is working cross-party to reform parliamentary processes so that they are more inclusive. It is currently working with the All Party Group for Compassionate Politics on a “Compassion Pledge” which they will be asking MPs to commit to behaving with respect, kindness and compassion.
Members of parliament during a pre-Covid prime minister's questions. PA
Debbie Abrahams, co-chair of the All Party Group for Compassionate Politics, said: “The gradual coarsening of parliamentary debate is having a seriously detrimental effect on our politics.
“Not only has it limited the potential for considered, detailed, and constructive discussion, it is alienating to the public and disrespectful to members. It does not have to be like this.
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“A mature democracy such as the UK should exhibit a more mature and respectful form of debate, as parliaments from many other countries already do. It is time we caught up.”
Jennifer Nadel, co-director of Compassion in Politics, said: “Parliament is out of step with the public. It’s arcane debating traditions have created a combative and hostile environment in which bullying and misogyny are rife.
“A mature democracy needs a process of decision making that promotes discussion, collaboration, and inclusive outcomes not one that resembles a playground.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Marcus Rashford Leads New Campaign To Tackle 'Devastating' Child Food Poverty

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Footballer Marcus Rashford has urged MPs to back his new campaign to tackle child poverty in the UK, as he warned a lack of access to food will have “devastating effects on the stability of our country”.
The England and Manchester United star was credited as playing a key part in forcing the government to U-turn in June on its decision not to extend the children’s food voucher scheme into the summer holidays.
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Rashford, 22, has now teamed up with the food industry to shed light on the issue of child food poverty in the UK.
Along with Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Deliveroo, FareShare, Food Foundation, Iceland, Kellogg’s, Lidl, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose, he has formed the Child Food Poverty Task Force.
In a letter to all MPs, the sportsman explains how extending the food voucher scheme impacted millions of children’s lives, and how parents “cried with sheer relief that putting food on their children’s plates was one less thing to worry about this summer”. But he warned this was only a short-term fix and school closures, redundancies and furloughs have added to the crisis.
Rashford said the task force is endorsing three national food strategy policy recommendations and said the objective is to “see sufficient funds from the Chancellor’s Budget and Spending Review allocated to implementing these without delay”.
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The first one is the expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 1.5million seven-16-year-olds.
The second one is the expansion of holiday provision (food and activities) to support all children on free school meals, reaching an additional 1.1million children.
And the third one is increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers to £4.25 per week (from £3.10) and expanding into all those on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 290,000 pregnant women and children under the age of four.
“I spoke to a mother recently who, along with her two young sons, is currently living off three slices of bread a day – soaking them in hot water and adding sugar, hoping that the porridge consistency might better sustain
the hunger of her one-year old child,” Rashford writes.
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford has launched a new campaign to tackle child poverty in the UK. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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He also recounts meeting a nine-year-old boy who felt as if he “has to step up to protect his family” as his mother sobbed alongside him.
“I know that feeling,” Rashford said. “I remember the sound of my mum crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet.
“That was my reality and thankfully I had the talent to kick a ball around to pull us all out of that situation.
“Many can’t find that way out and aren’t being offered a helping hand to do so.”
In his letter, Rashford also writes: “When we pause, listen and reflect on what the future of our next generation could potentially look like, it’s easy to see that if we don’t take action quickly, the issue of child food poverty will have devastating effects on the stability of our country.
“These children are the future – our next generation of NHS workers, police officers, footballers and politicians.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--I'm One Of Thousands Of A-Level Students Who Still Have No Grades – And No Hope

The author, Cléo-Isabela Lopéz Courtesy of the author
The A-Level crisis this summer has left every student with a stress on their minds that could never have been anticipated at the beginning of this academic year. Most A-Level students in schools and colleges have received grades. But thousands of external candidates, which include the likes of resit students, home-schooled students or people like me who find school difficult due to health issues, are still with no grades and no hope.
This year, I had been studying at home after signing up with a school to be my centre to sit my exams in the summer. Sixth form had been difficult for me due to my health issues – my polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis cause so much chronic pain it hinder my mobility. I felt like studying instead an external candidate would really allow me to delve into my studies on a personal level and grow as a person with a new sense of independence. A Hispanic girl from a working class family, I should have been excited to have obtained offers to study law and politics. But after the April announcement that exams had been cancelled across the country, my centre contacted me to let me know that they were unsure what this would mean for me as an external candidate.
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The government’s solution to how external candidates would receive grades was to allow centres like my school to decide if they had ‘sufficient surety’ of the predicted grades we had already obtained, and then decide whether to grade them with their other students. My registered tutors had awarded me AAA predicted grades, the same predicted grades I had in my previous sixth form. I had sufficient evidence to prove my ability, but I was still rejected by five different centres across the country, including my own and two other schools I had attended. The government advised centres to be considerate of the situations external candidates were in, but this didn’t happen.
“The government placed the responsibility of external candidates’ futures in the hands of every educational body but their own.”
Worse, information for external candidates wasn’t being released at the same rate as that of other A-Level candidates. When I contacted Ofqual about my situation, they advised me that I would need to sit my exams at another time. This left external candidates with the prospect of losing our offers, and receiving no grades on results day. Instead, we would be robbed of the experience of other A-Level candidates, celebrating grades earned on results day. After that, we would have to put ourselves through the emotional difficulty of the UCAS application process once again.
To make matters worse, I was suffering with coronavirus at the time and the added stress was unbearable. The extreme pain in my lungs was so physically strenuous, the stress of having to desperately contact different institutions in hope of being saved from the consequences of receiving no grades made me feel like I was getting worse, not better. I felt like the government simply didn’t understand the pressure they were putting us under and, ultimately, it felt as though the government placed the responsibility of external candidates’ futures in the hands of every educational body but their own. We were failed by every layer of the system.
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All this meant that on results day, most external candidates were given no grades – and no way to appeal this. The government quickly decided not to charge A-Level students to appeal their grades, yet external candidates are still being expected to pay to sit our exams at another time – even though we had no other choice. And when the government made their infamous u-turn and allowed A-Level candidates to use their predicted grades instead of algorithm-awarded grades, in an attempt to regain lost university offers, external candidates were never been given this opportunity.
I was left feeling discriminated against. Throughout this process the government have not treated our hard work with the same care as other students, and our registered tutors have not been given the same trust as teachers. It’s completely unjust.
External candidates like me have been living in a nightmare since results day. For many of us, we have been forced to sit our exams in autumn or the new year, and reapply for university. For financial reasons, I will have to wait until next year to sit my exams because I am supporting myself financially through my studies. I am constantly nervous about how I will have to work hard enough to pay for my studies again, and the government has still not made any provision in case the same situation arises in 2021. It terrifies me that this could happen again.
“I have no idea what this all means for my future, and I feel like my has put my life on hold.”
On top of this, through no fault of our own, external candidates like me could face waiting an extra year on top of that, as university places become too competitive due to the huge amount of students likely taking gap years due to this crisis. I have no idea what this all means for my future, and I feel like my has put my life on hold.
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The worst part is we have a simple answer to what we need from the Government. All we want is to be allowed to use our UCAS predicted grades, so that we might have the same opportunities as other A-Level students to attend uni this year. We may be a minority of A-Level students but there are still thousands of us, each with our own dreams and hard work being forgotten.
We do not want to be left behind. We do not want this government to let our futures become yet another casualty of this pandemic.
Cléo-Isabela López is an external candidate A-Level student from Liverpool, studying history, geography and politics while running a small business from home.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--How To Force A September Reset During This Chaotic Year

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To say it’s been a chaotic year would be an understatement. But does that mean the last quarter of 2020 will be equally as tumultuous?
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When September hits each year there’s often a natural ‘reset’, as people return from their summer holidays and children head back to school. We collectively stop, inhale and take a breath.
The new pencil case and uniform vibe doesn’t just apply to kids. We’ll often ring in the season with a new wardrobe, and take stock of our goals for the rest of the year. Heck, some people even crack on with their Christmas shopping.
But this year is different. “Because of everything we’ve been going through over the past six months or so, it doesn’t necessarily feel like a natural time to do a reset like we might’ve done,” explains life and career coach Chris Cooper.
“The structure that we take for granted – all the different milestones and landmarks that we have throughout the year – have all been completely disrupted for the vast majority of people across the country.”
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iprogressman via Getty Images
If a reset doesn’t come naturally – which it might for some, especially parents readying their kids for the start of term or those heavily aware of the shifting season – is it possible, then, to force your own reset?
Yes, says Jessica Chivers, a psychologist and CEO of The Talent Keeper Specialists, who believes it’s a good idea, as the pandemic has left us with a prolonged feeling of lethargy, and a sense of ‘how much longer can I hang on?’.
The past few months may have been dampened by uncertainty – whether related to health, finances, jobs, or holidays. But there’s only so long you can ride that wave before you crave stability. “We all crave structure and certainty – it’s part of the human condition, it makes us feel safe,” says Chivers. “It’s really important people create their own bits of certainty.”
Enforcing your own reset can help get this back into your life. So, how can you manually hit that reboot button?
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Reflect and set goals
One way to think about a reset is to mentally wind the clock forward to the end of the year, advises Cooper, who runs Life Complete Coaching. Picture yourself looking back over the last few months (September to December) and ask: in order to feel satisfied with the last part of 2020, what will I need to have done?
For some people, this may simply be: “I’m okay with just surviving”. For others, it might mean taking a moment to reflect and consider what they want to do in the next four months. Now, set some goals around achieving that.
With the stamp duty holiday, for example, that might be buying a house. But don’t set a goal that says “buy a house”. Break it down into manageable chunks. What do you actually need to do to buy a house? Research an area to live, figure out your budget, and speak to a mortgage advisor, for example.
Now’s also a good time to take stock of what’s happened in the past six months, says Chivers. You might not want to reflect on lockdown, but she urges you to look back on it in a positive light. What have been the wins? What have been the behaviours and habits that benefitted you, that you want to keep?
It’s good to assess the positives so you can keep them in place going forward. And if there haven’t been many, don’t worry too much. Cooper recommends reflecting back to this time last year and considering what was happening then to make you happy, compared to now. Or simply ask yourself: when life is as good as I want it to be, what am I doing? Now, make space to do those things.
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“The most important thing is to pay attention to your own wellbeing,” says Cooper. “As a result of doing that, you’re going to put yourself in the best place mentally and emotionally to make decisions.”
Take time off
Another way to force a reset is to take a few days off – this is particularly advised for those who haven’t been able to have a decent holiday since the pandemic hit. Yes, you can still burnout if you’re working from home.
Chivers fiercely advocates having a change of scenery – either going away or planning days out. A good way of identifying what’s going to help you is to write on a piece of paper: if i had a magic wand, what would I do? Where would I go?
“Write it down so you get a sense of what is cathartic for you, what’s going to restore you,” she says. Some people might say: I’d really love a day to tidy my house, or a day to have a nice lunch and long walk with a friend.
If you’re unable to take a few days off, consider a work staycation: where you book accommodation somewhere other than your home for a few days and work from there, spending the evenings and weekends enjoying the local area.
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Dr Gary Wood, a social psychologist and author of The Psychology of Wellbeing (out in October) says a well-earned break is crucial for us to reflect and plan.
“When we relax, we access the full range of higher-level functions such as problem-solving and planning,” he says. “But over the pandemic, we might have not had the time out to stock-take and plan.”
If you can’t take lots of time off, Wood recommends creating a mini-break or spa day at home. “Focus on what small things you can regain control of or change. And be creative and make-do rather than go for ultimate changes.”
Create structure in your life
There are small, manageable things you can do to take back control and certainty in your life. As Dr Wood explains: “What’s most important is focusing on things that create structure. We often tread that fine line between familiarity and novelty, and during the pandemic, there’s been too much novelty and not enough structure. But it’s helped us focus on the small stuff and how little things can restore our sense of control.”
Chivers recommends some “quick, soothing wins” you can do in your mission to reset. Write down what’s in your head to help de-stress. Meditate. Focus on your breathing. Go for a walk. Eat a wholesome breakfast. Focus on getting a good night’s sleep. Cook healthy meals. Spend time with friends and family. Exercise. These are all forms of self-care that can help build resilience.
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To cope with an uncertain future, Wood urges people to reframe problems as creative challenges. “Maintain an attitude of curiosity about the world and practise gratitude, even for the small stuff,” he adds. “At the end of each day, write down three things you’re grateful for, and at the start of each day write down three things you’re looking forward to.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Incontinence Pants Are Finally Getting A Rebrand – And It Couldn't Be More Needed

Listen to our weekly podcast Am I Making You Uncomfortable? about women’s health, bodies and private lives. Available on Spotify, Apple, Audioboom and wherever you listen to your podcasts.
“I’d really like to not get adult nappy rash,” says Luce Brett, 43, who’s been using incontinence pants for over a decade. “You have to use Sudocrem. And Sudocrem does not go with black opaque tights in the winter. You can end up with a real mess down there.”
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Brett has experienced incontinence since she gave birth to her first son at the age of 30 and has reluctantly used continence pads and pants ever since.
The products are “undeniably very useful” and have “saved many women’s lives”, says Brett, author of PMSL: Or How I Literally Pissed Myself Laughing and Survived the Last Taboo to Tell the Tale.
But they rarely feel comfortable or sexy.
Incontinence is common, impacting an estimated one in three women in the UK, yet stigma surrounding the problem is rife. It’s why we tackled the topic on Am I Making You Uncomfortable?, HuffPost UK’s weekly podcast on women’s health, bodies and private lives.
Incontinence’s image isn’t helped by the dominate pads and pants on the market, which are typically large, white and made of material that rustles. Elaine Miller, a pelvic physiotherapist-turned-comic, thinks the products need a rebrand – and a possible redesign.
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“My problem with pads is that the glue they use is rubbish,” she says in her stand-up show, Gusset Grippers, which is all about breaking incontinence taboos. “It’s either like fast setting cement, which sticks solidly to your pants, or it’s so ineffective that the pad unfurls as you walk – and sticks itself on to you. Only, you don’t realise that until you try to sit down and it tugs on your pubes. This is why women with incontinence wriggle when they sit.”
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Miller says she doesn’t want to demonise continence pads, because they do help a lot of people and allow women to move in society without as much worry.
“Not everyone will be dry with treatment. People with incontinence already feel shame and embarrassment – pads should not be seen as a sign of failure to do pelvic floor exercises or failure to fix a problem. They are a very effective solution for people for whom all other measures have been exhausted,” she says. “The problem with continence pads is that they are so stigmatised that many women won’t purchase them.”
Around 50% of maxi pads sold are bought for bladder and not menstrual leaking, says Miller, despite the fact that they’re designed for periods, not incontinence.
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“Urine is not viscous like periods are, so urine can temporarily pool on the top of a menstrual pad and cause vulval irritation,” she says. “Equally, using a pad which is too absorbent can dry the vulval tissue, again that also causes irritation.”
Another problem with traditional, one-use continence pads is their environmental impact. “They are made of plastic and each one takes 500 years to decompose, which with an ageing population is an imminent and massive problem for landfill,” says Miller. “There are effective washable and compostable options out there, but it is the plastic ones which are most readily available for sale in supermarkets.”
Unsatisfied with the options dominating the market, one mum from Croydon, home-made some reusable continence pants for herself – and turned them into a business after some encouragement from friends.
Kelly Newton, 49, began experiencing incontinence after the birth of her second son 18 years ago. Newton, who’s also a foster carer, remembers feeling something wasn’t right just hours after giving birth.
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“I was still in hospital, it was about four o’clock in the morning and he’d woken up for a feed. I was trying to quietly change him and a nurse came through the door. She startled me and I completely wet myself,” she recalls. “I remember sneaking out and trying to get to the bathroom to get some tissue to clean it up, but leaving a trail of wee behind me. It was absolutely mortifying.”
For almost two decades, Newton tried physio and had surgery to try to cure her incontinence, but nothing worked. She tried continence pads and pants from her local supermarket, as well as various “period pants”, some of which can also be used for bladder leaks. But she didn’t find anything that worked for her.
“I might be 49, but I still like to look after myself. I still want to wear nice clothes and I don’t want a big bulge in my knickers,” she says. “You get that with the Tena pads, but also will some of the washable knickers that are on the market.”
Kelly Newton Kelly Newton and the BP3 Underwear she designed.
Many designs for larger leaks are also audible, says Newton, who describes the pants as feeling like “paper”. “They’re crinkly when you walk, you can hear it crackling and I don’t want everyone to know my business,” she says.
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Her frustration came to a head after she’d joined a new hockey team and scored a goal, while wearing a thin liner.
“I jumped up and celebrated and just wet myself,” she says. “I didn’t know any of the women. A couple of people looked down their noses at me, but one lady was really sweet and said: ‘Oh don’t worry, I do that all the time when I’m running.’”
Newton bought some absorbent material and made her own pants at home. Once she was more established in the team, her friends at hockey used to joke: “Have you got your special knickers on today, Kelly?” One of them suggested she market the knickers for other women in her situation.
It took a couple of years of research, a long search for a manufacturer, the sourcing of sustainable material and £1,500 to get a sample made, but last June her start-up, BP3 Underwear, was born. The company specialises in no-VPL knickers for sporty women facing incontinence. The knickers also work for periods, but unlike most duel-use period pants on the market, incontinence is front and centre of BP3′s marketing. The brand has already picked up the 2020 Editor’s Choice award from Women’s Running Magazine.
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The biggest brands in the business are starting to evolve, too, with alternatives to the stereotypical big, white knicker slowly hitting shelves. Last year, Tena launched a new range of black incontinence pants called Silhouette Noir, after research from the company found women want products that closely replicate regular underwear.
Lisa Myers, the marketing manager at Tena, tells HuffPost UK, this is all part of the brand’s mission to help “women to feel sexy, confident and able to wear what they like without being restricted by the colour or shape of their underwear, something we believe is an important step towards normalising incontinence”.
But Miller is concerned that “normalising” incontinence is problematic in itself. A mantra repeated by physios working in this field is “incontinence is common, but it is not normal”. The idea is to encourage women to seek help, rather than simply “dealing with it” as if incontinence is to be expected.
“I take a very dim view of any advertising which implies that incontinence is a minor issue and I’d like to see action taken against adverts which state that incontinence is normal or that pads are the solution,” says Miller.
“Incontinence is a dreadful intrusion into a person’s life, I loathe the gas-lighting adverts which make light of the misery that bladder problems cause.”
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Still, it’s progress to see more options being created for women and Tena tells HuffPost it is investing in ways to make its products more environmentally-friendly, to meet demand from customers.
Prices for Newton’s absorbent knickers start at £18 and she acknowledges that for some, cost may be a barrier to access. She’d like to see continence pads and pants subsidised for those who need them.
“I would like to bring my prices down definitely and do some kind of charity once my company is established more,” she says. “It’s not all about the money for me, it really isn’t. I’m doing it because it’s something that’s helped me and it’s been helping other women. It’s such a massive issue and yet there isn’t any government help or anything like that.”
For the market to evolve, Newton believes stigma around incontinence must be challenged further, so companies invest in better solutions – and women feel empowered to demand them.
“With period knickers, you didn’t hear about those until very recently. They weren’t particularly popular and everyone was a bit grossed out by them,” she says. “But they’re becoming more and more popular and I think the same will happen with incontinence. As embarrassing as it is, people need to be open about it.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--What We Know (And Still Don't Know) About Asymptomatic Covid-19

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Since the start of the pandemic, health experts have explored the potentially major role of asymptomatic carriers in Covid-19 outbreaks. It’s been one of the great mysteries about the coronavirus, as it’s something that hasn’t been tracked thoroughly with other respiratory illnesses.
Evidence suggests nearly half of all Covid-19 cases may be without symptoms. Plus, those who never get symptoms, especially kids, may have the potential to spread it just as readily as infected people with symptoms. This highlights the need to track, test and isolate everyone who’s been exposed to the disease early and often.
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Health experts say it’ll be a huge challenge to get a handle on Covid-19 if we don’t even know who has it. Even people without symptoms can (and will) greatly influence the future of the pandemic.
Though many of our questions regarding asymptomatic transmission remain unanswered, scientists have collected a number of new insights in the last couple of months that have helped paint a clearer picture of what’s going on with infected people who never develop any symptoms.
Here are a few things we now know about asymptomatic carriers:
Asymptomatic cases are probably everywhere — but we don’t have exact figures yet
A study came out in June showing that about 40% of infected people who were tested for Covid-19 in a small Italian town had zero symptoms. In Boston, clinicians tested a group of people who were homeless and living in an inn and found that all 146 individuals who tested positive didn’t have symptoms.
Furthermore, contract-tracing efforts in Washington, US, recently revealed that about half of patients diagnosed with Covid-19 had not come in contact with someone diagnosed, suggesting there’s a good chance most people are getting sick from others without symptoms.
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But while it’s clear there are many asymptomatic cases out there, doctors aren’t sure just how prevalent they are. “We don’t really know yet how many people end up being asymptomatic from this disease,” said Manisha Juthani, a Yale Medicine infectious disease specialist.
Scientists can estimate the number via studies, but these statistics hardly capture the reality of a whole population.
Silent carriers include people of all ages
Data from the start of the pandemic suggested asymptomatic cases skewed younger and mostly involved people in their 20s, 30s and 40s.
Kids also seem to play a much bigger role in the silent spread of Covid-19 than originally thought. The main reason for this, according to researchers, is because kids typically don’t experience severe symptoms of Covid-19; they tend to have no symptoms or such mild symptoms that they go unnoticed or ignored. This makes them prime candidates to carry and spread the infection unknowingly.
More recent data has found that many older people are asymptomatic, too. One study published in JAMA in mid-August found that 88% of older adults who tested positive for Covid-19 in Connecticut nursing homes were asymptomatic. In a nursing home in Chicago, 37% of the senior residents who tested positive for Covid-19 never developed symptoms.
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They carry a lot of the virus in their bodies, but it’s unclear whether it’s infectious
A recent study from South Korea found that asymptomatic and symptomatic people carry a similar viral load in their bodies, which is the amount of virus located in people’s throats and noses.
This indicates that asymptomatic people could potentially (keyword: potentially) spread the coronavirus just as readily as those with symptoms.
But scientists aren’t entirely convinced that’s the case. Alternatively, that viral material detected in asymptomatic carriers may not be infectious — it could be dead viral pieces that haven’t yet been cleared out of the body, according to Juthani.
mathisworks via Getty Images Many health experts say we need to be tracking and isolating people with COVID-19 who have no symptoms.
They may not spread the virus quite as much
Coughing and sneezing are thought to be the main way coronavirus particles get out and infect new people. Theoretically, if an infected person has symptoms, there’s a good chance they’re coughing and sneezing more and expelling more respiratory droplets into the environment.
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“This allows for viral particles to spread more than in the asymptomatic patient,” Juthani said.
Other experts say talking could transmit the virus super easily, too. “Coughing can potentially release larger and more numerous clouds of droplets, but we now know that simply talking produces thousands of droplets,” added Benjamin Neuman, a virologist and the head of the biology department at Texas A&M University-Texarkana.
Also concerning is the fact that asymptomatic carriers may not take the same precautions (think: staying home, wearing a mask) as people who are obviously sick.
Experts have several theories as to why some infected people don’t develop symptoms
One theory, supported by research conducted by the Mayo Clinic, suggests that childhood vaccinations, like pneumonia and polio vaccines, may boost the immune system’s ability to knock out Covid-19 before symptoms appear.
Another belief is that people may have a degree of immunity from previously being infected with a coronavirus. There are at least four other coronaviruses that cause the common cold, Juthani said, and our bodies don’t easily forget about them.
“This memory seems to provide some protection to the novel coronavirus as well,” Juthani said.
Asymptomatic infection can cause lasting damage
Even if a person infected with the coronavirus has no obvious symptoms, the infection could lead to long-term heart damage and internal inflammation in certain individuals. That underlying inflammation can later trigger complications like heart arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiac arrest — just look at the football players who contracted Covid-19 and have developed heart problems.
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According to Neuman, past studies on infected animals suggest that, even when there are no symptoms from a disease, there’s still cell damage that’s later identified in biopsies.
“In other words, it probably makes more sense to think of people with mild symptoms that may be difficult to notice, but not truly asymptomatic people,” Neuman said.
We need more surveillance on asymptomatic cases
Many health experts say we really need to be tracking and isolating infected people with no symptoms and that we can’t only focus on testing and isolating people who are clearly sick.
“Public policy decisions that recommend lower precautions for people perceived to be less vulnerable will lead to more, rather than less, spread of Covid-19,” Neuman said.
Asymptomatic spread is likely happening all around us. If a person doesn’t have symptoms, they wouldn’t think to get tested or isolate — hence the continued importance of wearing masks, Juthani said.
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“Although people who are asymptomatic may not transmit the virus as easily as symptomatic people, they can still ‘pass the baton’ to the next person,” Juthani said. As long as asymptomatic transmission is taking place, the “relay race of the virus” is able to continue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--10 'Endangered' Baby Names At Risk Of Becoming Extinct

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What goes out of fashion usually comes back in again – but some names are in danger of being completely forgotten.
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Recent analysis of ONS data has shown if you’re thinking of choosing something stand-out for your little one, you’ll need to act fast. So, why not take the opportunity to breathe new life into Kirsty or Kieran?
We have a wealth of baby name inspiration on HuffPost UK Parents, but here are 10 monikers you should snap up before they become extinct.
leungchopan via Getty Images
Kirsty
A pet name for Christine, Kirsty also comes from the Latin, meaning ‘follower of Christ’.
Jordan
Meaning ‘to descend’ or to ‘flow down’, the name stems from the River Jordan in Israel.
Shauna
A feminine form of the name Sean, this pretty version means ‘a gift from God’.
Shannon
Shannon is the ‘possessor of wisdom’ and can also translate to the Irish words for ‘old river’.
Courtney
Courtney has two meanings: one is from the French for ‘from the court’, the other means ‘short nose’.
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Lauren Bates via Getty Images
Mitchell
It means ‘who is like God’ in Old English, but can also mean ‘big’. Also written as Michel.
Kieran
This name can also be spelled Ciaran. It comes from the Irish and means, ‘little dark-haired one’.
Ross
Once a popular first name in Scotland, Ross is now synonymous with the character in TV show Friends. It comes from the Gaelic for a ‘promontory’ or ‘headland’.
Brandon
From the English, this name means, ‘from the broom hill’.
Craig


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Pregnant Women With Covid-19 'Less Likely To Have Symptoms'

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Pregnant women with Covid-19 are less likely to have symptoms, and may be more likely to give birth early, new research shows.
Compared with non-pregnant women of a similar age, researchers found pregnant and recently pregnant women with Covid-19 were less likely to report symptoms of fever and muscle pain (myalgia), but were more likely to need admission to an intensive care unit and need ventilation.
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The study, published in the BMJ, found a quarter of all babies born to mothers with Covid-19 were admitted to a neonatal unit and were at increased risk of admission than those born to mothers without the disease. However, stillbirth and newborn death rates were low.
The odds of giving birth prematurely was also higher in pregnant and recently pregnant women with Covid-19, compared to those without the disease.
Dario Sintoni via Getty Images
Pregnant women are thought to be a high-risk group for Covid-19, but reviews on Covid-19 in pregnancy quickly become outdated as new evidence emerges. So, a team of researchers began a review to compare the outcomes of Covid-19 in pregnant and recently pregnant women, with non-pregnant women of a similar age.
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Their findings are based on 77 studies and outcomes for 11,432 pregnant and recently pregnant women admitted to hospital and diagnosed as having suspected or confirmed Covid-19.
Maternal risk factors associated with severe Covid-19 were found to be increasing age, high body mass index, chronic high blood pressure, and pre-existing diabetes.
The researchers point to some study limitations that may have affected their results, but say healthcare professionals should be aware pregnant women with Covid-19 might need access to intensive care and specialist baby care facilities.
Mothers with pre-existing conditions will also need to be considered a high risk group for Covid-19, along with those who are obese and of older age, they add.
Dr Edward Norris, president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, calls the study a “welcome and comprehensive synthesis of the available research on Covid-19 in pregnancy”.
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“This study highlights a possible increase in the need for intensive care among pregnant women with coronavirus,” he tells HuffPost UK. “This is also true for pregnant women should they contract flu. This year, it’s particularly important pregnant women take up the offer of the free flu vaccine, which is safe in all trimesters of pregnancy, to protect them from becoming seriously unwell.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--What The First Day Back At School Told Us About Johnson V Starmer

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Huge, if true
“This is a war against an invisible enemy, in which we are all on the same side”. In his first Covid update for MPs since the long summer break, Matt Hancock’s political gameplan was clear: seize the moral high ground and depict the hardest edged Labour attacks as mere carping during a national emergency.
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But health shadow Jonathan Ashworth’s list of critical questions - on continued Test and Trace failings, on Tory MPs having more say over local lockdowns than public health chiefs - underlined that Labour is very much Boris Johnson’s all-too visible enemy in many senses, and certainly not on the same side of key dividing lines. While Starmer’s party is trying to be a ‘constructive’ Opposition, it never forgets it is the Opposition.
And although Hancock said “what people want to see is people working together, instead of divisive tactics”, and he largely had Tory backbench backing, there was an undercurrent of unease on his own side.
Bernard Jenkin asked whether “political appointee” Dido Harding would be replaced as the head of PHE’s replacement by “a properly appointed public appointments-approved person”. Ex-public health minister Steve Brine had “concerns” about PHE’s expertise on obesity and inequality being lost. Jeremy Hunt pressed on the bruise of a lack of routine testing of NHS, social care staff and teachers.
Hancock (who did suggest mass testing could be possible soon) faced more critical questions from his own side than Gavin Williamson did when he rose for his own statement minutes later. There was clearly a whips operation to circle the wagons round the education secretary, as evidenced by the regular heckling of his new opposite number Kate Green.
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Williamson was more punchy than Hancock, yet palpably less sure-footed. He jibed at Green that it was the government itself which had invited Ofqual in July to look at delaying next year’s exams, even suggesting that the postponement was “our position”. That will come as a surprise to Tory MPs who saw a period of confusion this weekend when Labour led the airwaves with its call for a delay, met by initial government scepticism, followed by the line that a delay should be (and was already being) “looked at”.
Williamson said Green showed “a refreshing change from her predecessor [Rebecca Long-Bailey]” in wanting children back in school, a line that must have pleased her boss Keir Starmer. Indeed Green often sounded more like Williamson’s senior as she admonished him for failing to provide her with sufficient advance notice of his statement.
Like Keir Starmer, Green prefers the quietly forensic approach and it worked. The education secretary simply had no answer to her killer question - could he tell the House when he first knew of the potential problems with the exams algorithm? Given that he was warned internally upto a fortnight before the A level results emerged, yet still went ahead, this is the issue that could still see him toppled. Never forget the sheer anger and panic among Tory MPs when it looked like bright poor students would be robbed of their life chances by a computer model.
Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer. PA
But while we got an early assessment of Hancock and Williamson’s record on the first day of autumn term at SW1’s Hogwarts, it was the PM himself who displayed both his strongest and weakest subjects. His strong suit, still liked by many voters, is in putting a positive gloss on things. Recent U-turns were not reverses, he said, but more like a yacht “tacking” in response to a change in the wind while still not being blown off course overall.
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As he tortured the ship of state analogy to death, the question is how many Tory MPs are left seasick by the chopping and changing. Making a virtue of occasional U-turns is smart politics (David Cameron was pretty adept at it), making a habit of them is something else entirely. Boris Johnson’s breezy optimism also seemed to transmogrify into actually making things up, as he told the Cabinet that “people are going back to the office in huge numbers across our country”. It all sounded like Trump (“it’s gonna be yuge!”), as even No.10 admitted there were, er, no statistics to back up that claim.
When Starmer addressed the PLP [Parliamentary Labour Party] on Tuesday night for its own first day of term event, there were jokes about who could correctly guess the total number of government U-turns in the pandemic. Starmer told the Zoom call that the shadow team had had a “really strong summer”. The contrast was a “professional, credible and responsible Opposition – in the national interest, versus an utterly incompetent government that’s holding Britain back”, he said.
Labour backbencher Tonia Antoniazzi told me the contrast with PLPs under Corbyn was tangible. “I used to avoid them [PLP meetings] like the plague,” she said but now the atmosphere was “buzzing”. Having taken the seat off the Tories in 2017 in a seat with a strong Brexit voting record, she said voters could live with her argument for a second referendum but “what they couldn’t live with was Jeremy”.
The main worry on the PLP call was the state of the party in Scotland ahead of next year’s Holyrood elections (or “the Hollywood elections” as Angela Rayner accidentally called them, winning what one veteran MP described to me as “the John Prescott deputy leader prize for malapropisms”).
As it happens, however, Rayner is growing into the invaluable Prescott role of firing up the party’s rank and file, its trade union allies (with a surge in members particularly among women in health and care sectors) and its traditional northern supporters.
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“They used to say about Prescott, nobody understood what he said but everybody understood what he meant - which is much better than the other way around,” a PLP member told me. Today, it was Rayner who pounced on the PM’s ‘office workers’ claim, saying they “don’t seem to be backed up by any actual figures”.
The line at the PLP however that struck a chord with most Labour MPs came from Kevin Brennan (the party’s best PMQs heckler these days). “Congratulations to you Keir for getting us from the carousel at Katmandu airport to base camp at Everest, in good shape for the long climb ahead,” he said. The contrast with Corbyn was underscored but so too was the mountain that remained.
Labour has finally drawn level in the opinion polls this weekend. Yet perhaps what should worry Tory MPs most is that Starmer and his troops know how long and huge their task really is.
Quote Of The Day
“We seem to have had a few heads roll who are civil servants and in charge in quangos but so far there has been no ministerial accountability.”
Tory MP (and ex education minister) Tim Loughton on the exams fiasco
Tuesday Cheat Sheet
Boris Johnson claimed “huge numbers” of people had gone back to the office today. No.10 could not supply any evidence for the statement, and it emerged later that in greater London bus use rose by just 6% and Tube rose by 8% week-on-week.
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Downing Street confirmed that Simon Case will take over as cabinet secretary and head of the civil service next week from Sir Mark Sedwill. The PM’s spokesman didn’t deny he had had to seek permission of Prince William (Case was his private secretary on secondment to No.10) to secure his services.
Former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott suggested some elderly covid patients should be made “as comfortable as possible while nature takes its course.” He hit out at coronavirus “hysteria” and suggested governments have “let fear of falling sick stop us from being fully alive”.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle warned MPs not to “name” in the chamber a Conservative member accused of rape. An MP was arrested on 1 August on suspicion of four separate incidents, involving allegations of sexual offences and assault
Nicola Sturgeon has announced a draft bill will be drawn up setting out the timing, terms and question for a new Scottish independence referendum.
What I’m Reading
How Trump Has Rewritten The Rules Of Rhetoric - Phillip Collins, CapX
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--DJ Erick Morillo Found Dead In Miami

DJ Erick Morillo Found Dead In Miami

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DJ Erick Morillo has been found dead in Florida, police have said.
The world-renowned musician, known for his 1993 hit I Like To Move It, was discovered at a property in Miami Beach on Tuesday morning, according to police. He was 49.
Officer Ernesto Rodriguez of the Miami Beach Police Department told the PA news agency: “We received a 911 call this morning at 10.42am to 5660 La Gorce Drive. Detectives are currently on scene and in the preliminary stages of the investigation.”
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The veteran DJ’s death comes a month after he was reportedly arrested and charged with sexual battery on a woman.
The alleged incident is said to have happened at Morillo’s home in Miami Beach in December 2019.
American DJ Erick Morillo. PA
Following his death, Jersey Shore star DJ Pauly D was among those paying tribute on social media.
He tweeted: “Sad News 🙁 A True Legend. Erick Morillo RIP.”
Musician Yousef said: “Can’t believe it. Only spoke to him last week …. he was troubled, less than perfect but was always amazing to me and helped us get circus going in the early days, and we had many amazing times over the 20 years we we’re friends. Genuinely gutted. RIP @ErickMorillo.”
Morillo was born in New York and spent part of his childhood in Colombia before returning to the US, where he began his career.
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I Like To Move It, which Morillo released under the pseudonym Reel 2 Real, was an international hit and has appeared in other media, most notably the Madagascar animated film franchise.
Morillo was a three-time winner of the best house DJ prize at the DJ Awards and also won best international DJ in 2002, 2006 and 2009.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--England Resists Adding Greece To Quarantine Travel List As Scotland And Wales Act

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England is continuing to allow travellers to arrive from Greece without quarantining despite Scotland and Wales acting over concerns of rising coronavirus cases.
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Travellers returning to Scotland from Greece must quarantine for 14 days from Thursday amid a surge in coronavirus cases, the Scottish government has announced.
Wales also began asking arrivals from the Greek island of Zante to begin the period of quarantine, with health minister Vaughan Gething pressing for a meeting with the UK government to reconsider the rules for Greece.
The Department for Transport said no change to its rules for England had been made on Tuesday, a move likely to spark confusion for thousands of holidaymakers.
In 2019, Brits made more than three million visits to Greece, making it one of the UK’s most popular holiday destinations.
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The move in Scotland and Wales follows an uptick in Covid-19 cases in Greece.
On Sunday, data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control revealed there had been 21.2 coronavirus cases per 100,000 people in Greece over the past 14 days.
In comparison, the rate in the UK was 18.6 cases per 100,000 people.
The decision to make travellers from Greece self-isolate comes just days after France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba were added to the UK’s quarantine list amid surging levels of Covid-19.
Since the end of July, the government has also advised against “all but essential” travel to Spain, one of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations.
Anyone returning from the country must quarantine for 14 days after arriving home to avoid spreading coronavirus.
A beach in Zakynthos, Greece Matteo Colombo via Getty Images
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Scottish justice secretary Humza Yousaf, announcing the restriction, said the “importations of new cases from Greece is a significant risk to public health”.
He said “regular discussions continue” with the other three UK governments over restrictions.
In Wales, Gething said six clusters amounting to more than 30 cases of Covid-19 in the last week had come from four flights, two of which landed in England.
“There are concerns from our public health teams that the current advice and control measures for returning travellers are insufficient,” he said.
He said that all passengers on a flight from Zante to Cardiff will be told to quarantine and would be given two Covid-19 tests, one within 48 hours and another after eight days from their return.
“In addition, I have pressed for an early meeting with the UK Government and devolved nations tomorrow to consider the latest assessment of risk by the Joint Biosecurity Centre,” he said.
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“There is an obvious need for us to consider the potential for changes to the regulations in Wales which would require travellers arriving in the UK from Greece and possibly elsewhere to self-isolate on their return.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Caroline Quentin, Jason Bell And Max George Confirmed For Strictly Come Dancing 2020

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The first three celebrities taking part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing have officially been revealed.
During an appearance on The One Show on Tuesday evening, Caroline Quentin was the first star confirmed to be taking part in the forthcoming series.
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The Life Begins and Men Behaving Badly star said she was “a bit scared but quite excited” at the prospect of appearing on Strictly, revealing that she had struggled to keep the news secret “because I like to chat”.
Caroline Quentin BBC
Right off the bat, she also admitted that as a child she had training in ballet in modern dance, but pointed out her “knees were 50 years older than when I last tried it”.
Following this, American football player Jason Bell was unveiled as contestant number two, telling presenter Alex Jones: “I’m a huge fan of the show, and it’s time for me to do something cool to impress my daughter now that she can watch me perform.
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“She’s six years old but she’s the boss.”
Jason Bell on The One Show BBC
In an interview with the BBC, Jason – who has a six-year-old daughter with former Girls Aloud star Nadine Coyle – said: “Strictly is the epitome of British television and this year, more than ever, I’m so proud and humbled to be participating.
“Strictly was the first show I ever watched when I moved to the UK and I’m a massive fan. My six year-old daughter never got the chance to see me run out on the field at an NFL game but she is very excited about me taking to the dance floor. I hope I can do her proud.”
Finally, former The Wanted star Max George was announced as the third star on the line-up.
Max was the only of the contestants to appear in the actual studio. BBC
Max is the second member of the boyband to take part in Strictly, following in the footsteps of former bandmate Jay McGuiness, who won the show in 2015.
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“I spoke to Jay earlier, he left me a couple of voice notes,” Max told Alex Jones. “There’s no chance, no. There’s no comparison. But he might be able to mentor me maybe. Through Zoom or something. He did say already he could imagine me to be like a little schoolboy, all nervous.”
Alex then revealed that Jay had recorded a video message for the occasion, in which he urged Max to take “deep breaths”, and the public to be kind to him.
Jay McGuiness BBC
Made In Chelsea star Jamie Laing has also been tipped to make a return, after having to bow out early in the run last year due to an injury.
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Although the coronavirus pandemic has hugely impacted the TV industry, it was confirmed in June that the forthcoming series of Strictly would still be going ahead, albeit with a few tweaks.
Strictly Come Dancing will be back in 2020, but not as we know it BBC
This includes the series running for a shorter time than usual – launching in October, with fewer couples than previous years – as well as the absence of Bruno Tonioli from the judging panel.
Bruno is based in LA, and while he usually flies between the UK and US while he judges both Strictly and the American show Dancing With The Stars, travel limitations mean he will not be able to fulfill his duties on the BBC series.
However, he will still be involved in the show, making weekly appearances in the Sunday night results show to offer his critiques on the night’s routines.
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It has also been teased that he could make a return to the panel later in the series.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Matt Hancock Signals Weekly Covid Tests For NHS And Social Care Staff

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Health secretary Matt Hancock has given his strongest signal yet that weekly mass testing of NHS, social care and school staff could start this autumn thanks to new 90-minute Covid tests.
In his first update to the Commons since its summer break, Hancock told MPs that he wanted to roll out “as widely as possible” new rapid swab tests as well as tests that used saliva and “pooled” several cases at once for speed.
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At the moment, a third of tests take longer than 24 hours to process and the delays are hindering the government’s NHS Test and Trace service.
But when pressed by Labour, and Tory health select committee chairman Jeremy Hunt, Hancock made clear he wanted the “on the spot” tests to be used as soon as they were approved by regulators and by testing experts at Public Health England’s Porton Down laboratory.
“It’s my intention to deploy as much testing as possible using the new testing innovations that are coming on-stream and to deploy it as widely as possible following clinical advice,” he told Hunt.
“We’ve set out the process that we propose to use on the current generation of testing capability but if a new, easier type of test gets over the line then, of course, we’ll always keep that under clinical review and guided by the clinicians.”
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Hancock said a major breakthrough could be the “rapid test for coronavirus and other winter viruses that’ll help provide on-the-spot results in under 90 minutes helping us to break chains of transmission quickly”.
“These tests do not require a trained health professional to operate them, so they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings,” he said.
Hunt had asked whether the government intended to introduce regular weekly testing for NHS staff, teachers and others in regular contact with the public who could transmit the virus.
“Surely that is the best way to reassure patients that their hospital is safe and parents that their kids’ school is safe as well,” the former health secretary said.
Asked by Tory MP for Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith if he wanted “the two new groundbreaking tests that can protect coronavirus in as little as 90 minutes” to be “rolled out as quickly as possible, but particularly in care settings”, Hancock replied: “Yes I do.”
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He added: “I’ve put everything I’ve possibly got into driving it as fast as possible, subject to it working effectively.”
Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth had called for the adoption of saliva tests, which are used in Hong Kong for rapid results and avoid the more invasive approach of taking swabs from the back of the throat and nose.
He also called for ministers to look at “pooled” testing, which allows several individuals in low prevalence areas to be tested in the same batch to confirm negative results.
Hancock replied: “It’s important that we use the world class facilities that we have at Porton Down [laboratory] to make sure that tests are validated before we use them in public. But saliva testing and blood testing are both options that we’re working on.”
The health secretary said that he would “shortly” be launching a new public information campaign reminding people of the “Hands. Face. Space” slogan to stop the spread of coronavirus, as well as the need to get a free test if showing symptoms.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Dorset Secondary School Says Pupils Must Wear Face Masks In Class

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A secondary school in Dorset has told parents that pupils will have to wear a face mask during lessons when they return to school next week.
In a move that has divided parents at Twynham School in Christchurch, headteacher Jy Taylor said “all students will be required to wear a face mask when they are inside any building” at the school – including the classroom.
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Children with medical conditions that mean they should not wear face coverings will be exempt from the rule.
The latest government advice says that secondary schools and colleges have the power to decide whether face coverings should be worn by students in communal areas.
Meanwhile, in areas where there are local restrictions due to a surge in coronavirus cases, ministers have said pupils and staff “should” wear face masks in corridors and indoor areas where social distancing is hard.
But last week prime minister Boris Johnson branded the idea of using face coverings in the classroom “nonsensical”, saying “you can’t teach with face coverings, you can’t expect people to learn with face coverings”.
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undefined undefined via Getty Images
In a letter to parents seen by HuffPost UK, headteacher Taylor said the decision had been made to protect students, staff and families and to prevent the possibility of large numbers of pupils having to self-isolate if someone in the school tested positive for Covid-19.
“Face coverings have become an everyday part of society and many of our students will be reassured by this decision,” he wrote.
“It seems very unlikely that children, if they do catch Covid-19, will become very ill. My concern is for parents, grandparents and our staff who are in daily contact with our children.”
While he admitted there were “some concerns” about children’s ability to communicate in the classroom, he said it was important to try and stem the rate of coronavirus transmission.
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On social media, the reaction to the news – which was first reported by the Bournemouth Echo – was mixed.
Some parents welcomed the decision to make face coverings compulsory in the classroom, with one writing: “I am so relieved about this. My daughter and I both feel safer and reassured that the school are doing everything they can to protect us.”
Twynham School in Dorset has said students will be expected to wear face coverings in classrooms to avoid the spread of coronavirus Google Street View
However, another mum – who asked to remain anonymous – told HuffPost UK she was worried her 12-year-old son’s concentration in lessons would be “horrendous”.
He already hates wearing face coverings in shops, she said. “In the classroom he will be constantly touching it, lifting it away from his face to take a breath etc.
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“I’m not anti masks at all, I wear one in the shops etc. But I just don’t want my son to wear one in a classroom.
“The fact it goes against government guidelines is crazy. My son is a very healthy kid and I’m weighing up his risk of illness with his education.”
Last week Oasis Academy chain founder Steve Chalke said pupils at its 52 schools will wear face coverings in communal areas when they return, while teachers will also have to wear face masks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--128 Days Later: What It's Like To Live With Long Covid

128 Days Later: What It's Like To Live With Long Covid
Long Covid is a term used to describe an illness in people who have recovered from Covid-19 but continue to suffer symptoms many weeks and often months later. It is thought to affect around one in 10 people who develop Covid-19. The lasting effects can be debilitating and include symptoms such as fatigue, breathing problems and hair loss. Here, we follow 'long hauler' Sophie Wilson as she tries to adjust to a life with long Covid and searches for solutions that she feels the medical profession has so far been unable to give her.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Nicola Sturgeon Announces Second Scottish Independence Referendum Draft Legislation

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Nicola Sturgeon has announced a draft bill will be drawn up setting out the timing, terms and question for a new Scottish independence referendum.
The first minister said that Brexit strengthened the case for Scotland to become an independent country.
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Unveiling the Programme for government, Sturgeon said that a similar announcement in an independent Scotland would outline plans for an extension to the furlough scheme, more money in borrowing, a more progressive immigration system and a universal basic income.
She told MSPs that a new draft Bill will be drawn up setting out the timing and terms for a new independence referendum, as well as the question to be asked to voters if it is given the green light by Westminster.
The first minister added: “Then, at next year’s election, we will make the case for Scotland to become an independent country and seek a clear endorsement of Scotland’s right to choose our own future.”
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross tweeted: “The first minister just doesn’t get it. We need to take Scotland forward and recover from this crisis together, not go back to the divisions of the past.”
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Earlier this month a poll suggested support for Scottish independence has reached a record high of 55%.
The research by Panelbase found the results of the 2014 independence referendum – when 55% of Scots voted to stay in the United Kingdom – were reversed.
Pro-independence organisation Business for Scotland commissioned the poll, with chief executive Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp hailing the results as a “huge landmark” showing the “writing is very definitely on the wall for the union”.
Panelbase questioned a total of 1,011 people across Scotland between August 12 and 18 for the research.
Overall, 51% of those questioned said they support independence, 42% said they would vote to stay in the UK and 7% of voters were undecided.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Tory MP Accused Of Rape Agrees Not To Attend Commons While On Bail

Exteriors of the Houses of Parliament in London, UK Brian Bumby via Getty Images
A Conservative MP arrested on suspicion of rape has “voluntarily agreed not to attend the House of Commons for the period of the bail”, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has said.
In a statement to the Commons, Hoyle also discouraged MPs from using parliamentary privilege to the name the person arrested last month.
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Sir Lindsay said: “The house will know that a member has been arrested in connection with an investigation into an allegation of a very serious criminal offence.
“I have received assurances from the member and the government chief whip that the member has voluntarily agreed not to attend the House of Commons for the period of the bail.
“I, the House of Commons Commission and the house service take the safety of our staff and the parliamentary community as a whole very seriously, and ensuring any necessary measures are taken in respect of MPs and employers and staff.”
A spokesperson for the Conservative whips office told Sky News at the time of the arrest: “These are serious allegations and it is right that they are investigated fully. The whip has not been suspended.
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“This decision will be reviewed once the police investigation has been concluded.”
Shadow safeguarding minister Jess Phillips criticised the Tories for failing to suspend the whip from the Tory MP in question, a move that would effectively eject him from the party.
Speaking to Times Radio, the Labour MP said: “It is very difficult to comment on the case itself, because it is quite rightly in front of the criminal justice system.
“But what I would say in this matter, is in any organisation – especially one like members of parliament who every day work with vulnerable people, young activists, members of staff – in any other organisation, were this police investigation to be going on, somebody would be suspended while the investigation was taking place.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-01--Boris Johnson Acknowledges String Of U-Turns But Insists Government Is 'On Course'

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Boris Johnson has acknowledged a damaging summer of U-turns by the government but insisted it is still “on course”.
The prime minister told his cabinet that “sometimes it is necessary to tack here and there in response to the facts as they change”.
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It follows damaging about-turns on awarding exam results using an algorithm which unfairly downgraded many pupils, and on whether children need to wear face masks in schools, which are returning today.
The government also extended the ban on evictions following severe pressure over the summer recess, which followed a string of prior policy U-turns during the coronavirus pandemic.
The PM addressed the issue for the first time amid growing Tory disquiet about a lack of grip at the top of the government.
Prime minister Boris Johnson chairs a Cabinet meeting at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office PA
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At Tuesday morning’s cabinet meeting, he told his top ministers: “I am no great nautical expert but sometimes it is necessary to tack here and there in response to the facts as they change, in response to the wind’s change but we have been going steadily in the direction, in the course we set out and we have not been blown off that course.
“And that is thanks to you, to the government but it is overwhelming with thanks to the British people and the way they have come together, the way the whole country has come together to defeat the virus so thank you all for everything that you have done,


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-02--Parrot Belts Out Soaring Rendition Of Beyoncé, Gets His Own Fan Base

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People are falling crazy in love with Chico the parrot and his soulful Beyoncé renditions.
The 9-year-old yellow-crowned Amazon parrot lives at the Lincolnshire Wildlife Park in the east Midlands, and he’s winning hearts there and online with his impressive cover of the pop queen’s 2008 hit “If I Were a Boy.”
I mean, listen to him!
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A park spokesperson told the Boston Standard that Chico has been at the park a little over 18 months and gets on with his bird and human pals alike.
“Only being nine-years-old means he has many years of entertaining in front of him and, who knows, Simon Cowell may have started X Factor for animals by then!” the spokesperson said.
And Chico’s no one-hit bird. According to his former owner Julie Gregory, he can also belt out “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga, “Crazy” by Gnarls Barkley and “Firework” by Katy Perry.
Videos of his Beyoncé cover won him headlines at home and abroad, and his fan base (Birdhive?) can’t get enough.
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“I’m in love with him saw him yesterday,” one fan wrote on Facebook. “He told me he was a good boy then started singing I stood there in amazement.”
“Chico saves 2020. Officially,” a commenter said on Chico’s Instagram.
“Such talent, I am amazed,” wrote another.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-02--Paul Mescal Admits To Feeling 'Objectified' After Normal People's Debut

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Paul Mescal has admitted that a lot of the attention he received after the debut of Normal People made him rather uncomfortable.
The Irish star’s portrayal of Connell in the hit BBC series based on Sally Rooney’s novel of the same name won him a legion of new fans, and an Emmy nomination.
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However, much was also made of the show’s more sexual scenes, with Paul admitting in a new interview with Elle that he felt “objectified” in the fall-out from the show.
“I felt objectified after Normal People,” he said. “It’s to be expected, given the intimacy of my scenes, but it doesn’t make it easier. I daren’t read some of the intense DMs I receive.”
Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones in one of Normal People's many bedroom scenes BBC/Element Pictures
Fortunately, he added that it wasn’t “enough to put him off the industry”, with Paul recently signing on to appear in The Lost Daughter, opposite Olivia Colman, Jessie Buckley and Dakota Johnson.
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The actor is currently awaiting news on whether his performance in Normal People has landed him his first Emmy, although many were surprised to see his co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones was not nominated.
Paul at the socially-distanced TV Baftas last month David M. Benett via Getty Images
Among those disappointed by the snub was Paul himself, who said at the time: “If it was me I would have given her all the love in that category. I can’t speak highly enough of the work she did on the show.
“I know there are extraordinary actresses nominated in that category, but I think Daisy’s work is just phenomenal in this.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-02--Government U-Turns Again By Reversing Plans To Ease Local Lockdowns In Manchester

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The government has performed another U-turn and reversed plans to ease local lockdowns in Greater Manchester.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said following a “significant change” in the level of coronavirus infection rates in the last few days, Bolton and Trafford would remain under existing restrictions.
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It came after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said easing the guidance restricting social gatherings in people’s homes would be “completely illogical”.
And it came after the government overruled Trafford Council to lift the lockdown there, and was accused of pandering to Tory MPs with the plans to ease restrictions in certain areas.
It marks the government’s 12th policy U-turn since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic and will only increase the pressure on Boris Johnson, who has been warned by his own MPs to “get a grip” and faces a crunch meeting of the 1922 committee of backbench Tories later on Wednesday.
The meeting will be hosted by 1922 chair Sir Graham Brady, who had backed the decision to ease the restrictions in his Altrincham and Sale West constituency in Trafford.
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Tory MP for Bolton West Chris Green meanwhile said he was “disappointed” by the move.
Despite what I and local press understood, Bolton is being kept in local lockdown. I'm disappointed at how this important decision has been communicated because of the impact this will have on people's lives. — Chris Green (@CGreenUK) September 2, 2020
Earlier, work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey was forced to defend the government’s decision to lift restrictions in the two boroughs, and the swift reversal will increase anxiety among Tory MPs who are forced to defend policy only for it to be scrapped later.
At prime minister’s questions, Labour leader Keir Starmer said even Tory MPs have “run out of patience”.
He said: “It’s mess after mess, his own MPs, U-turn after U-turn, it’s a fundamental issue of competence, God knows what’s going on, there’s no grip. His own MPs are right aren’t they?”
Johnson responded by branding Starmer “captain hindsight”. On Tuesday, the PM acknowledged the string of U-turns but insisted the government was “on course”.
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Hancock said the decision to reverse the planned easing of restrictions was made in collaboration with local leaders.
Health secretary Matt Hancock reacts as he leaves from 10 Downing Street in central London on Wednesday DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
In a statement, he said: “Following a significant change in the level of infection rates over the last few days, a decision has been taken that Bolton and Trafford will now remain under existing restrictions.
“This decision has been made in collaboration with local leaders after reviewing the latest data. We continually monitor outbreaks across the country, and have seen infection rates increase more than three times in Bolton in under a week, and double in Trafford since the last review.
“We have always been clear we will take swift and decisive action where needed to contain outbreaks. We can bring the rates down if we continue to work together and I urge everyone to continue to play their part by following the rules – get tested if you have symptoms, self-isolate and practice social distancing.”
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The government had decided social gatherings between two homes can resume for the first time in weeks from Wednesday in the two boroughs as well as Stockport, Burnley, Hyndburn and parts of Bradford, Calderdale and Kirklees.
But a sharp increase in the local infection rate in Bolton and Trafford led to council leaders pleading with the government for a delay just hours before restrictions were lifted.
The rate of new coronavirus cases in Bolton has jumped from 18.9 per 100,000 people in the seven days to August 20 to 66.6 in the seven days to August 31.
Similarly, the rate in Trafford has also risen, from 17.8 to 36.8.
A government source said: “So there’s been a huge increase - when the data changes, we act decisively.”
But a spokesperson for Starmer described Hancock’s handling of the local lockdowns as “utterly chaotic”.
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They said: “The government does need to get a grip because, going into what is undoubtedly going to be a difficult period, if the government wants to give confidence to people to go back to work then, the government needs to have a much more competent approach to how it handles local restrictions.”
“At a time when the prime minister is saying we need an ounce of confidence to get the economy growing, when you see chaos like this it gives people no confidence in the Government’s approach.”
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner was also swift to attack the “shambolic” decision making.
U-turning on decision made overnight on lockdown restrictions in GM is no way to run a country. This is too important to be handled so incompetently,lives are at risk. Govt approach to managing&communicating lockdown restrictions in GM has been shambolic. https://t.co/pvQNkC7Zo5 — 🌈 Angela Rayner 🌈 (@AngelaRayner) September 2, 2020
The decision to lift restrictions were last week backed by Brady, who told the Manchester Evening News last week that he found it “odd” for Trafford Council to object.
The MP for Altrincham and Sale West said he was left “unpersuaded” by the council for the need of an extension and asked for more data on hospital admissions and positive test rates.
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