thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-25--I’m A Black Police Officer. This Is What I Know About Racism And Inequality

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The death of George Floyd in May sent shockwaves across the world, and sparked fierce worldwide debate about racism and its ongoing impact on modern society. When I first saw the news, I compartmentalised Floyd’s death as just another episode in America’s ongoing problem with the use of excessive force by law enforcement. Here was a police officer, kneeling on a man gasping his last breaths, lying on hard concrete, and taking the weight of that officer’s body on his neck. Regardless of skin colour, I was appalled on a human level.
As the Black Lives Matter movement grew around the world I’ve felt a growing internal tension, and the outcry at Floyd’s death forced me to examine my own past, present and future as a Black man in Britain, and to reflect on my experiences as a Black police officer over more than two decades in the Metropolitan Police Service.
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My first encounter with police was at the age of six or seven, when my older sister and I ran from our White City estate to call for assistance for my mother during a violent episode with my late stepfather. The police arrived quickly, and quelled the altercation. Even though I had later experiences of being needlessly stopped by uniformed officers, I think this early experience framed my attitude to the police as an institution you can rely on when you seek refuge, as opposed to racist agitators.
My mother, full of pride, will tell anyone within earshot that her son is an officer of the law. I grew up in White City Estate and was there until my early twenties. Her pride armoured me to shake off taunts from some sections of the community when I first joined the Met; when kids, white and Black, shouted out “coconut!” or “Babylon!” as I made my way to work, like I was some kind of traitor for joining the ‘Feds’.
“As a new recruit I never explained my worries to my supervisor about the fact that I had joined the police two years after the Macpherson report had branded the Metropolitan Police Service as being institutionally racist.”
Who was I a traitor to? Murderers? Rapists? Robbers? Only after moving away did my younger brother reveal the countless violent altercations he used to have on the estate, defending my name. There had always been a tension between police and some sections of the Black community. But now the police have truly become a symbol of oppression to Black inner-city youth and the chants are less subtle: All cops are bastards! Defund the police! No more racist police!
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As a new recruit I never explained my worries to my supervisor about the fact that I had joined the police two years after the Macpherson report had branded the Metropolitan Police Service as being institutionally racist, or that some family members had warned me against this career for that reason. I remember laughing off an incident where a custody sergeant assumed that I was a criminal when he saw me in custody with a hoodie on, waiting to book in my prisoner. Nor did I challenge an older PC as a young probationer, as to why he suspected that myself and a black colleague were trying to break into my colleague’s car, parked in the police yard. Equally, I wish I had thanked the custody sergeant who insisted on charging the white female suspect who called me the n-word whilst being booking her into custody.
In my years as a detective, I moved from quiet acceptance into challenge mode. When a white defence barrister who jokingly asked what special golden path I had taken in life to not find myself in the dock as one of the six Black youths accused of robbery – a case in which I was the lead detective – I explained that I found her lack of social awareness worrying and questioned her suitability as the accused’s defence barrister. She apologised.
On another occasion when I was stopped three times in one week in different parts of London driving my girlfriend’s second-hand Rover, I explained to the third officer that if there was a marker on the vehicle that indicated that the driver should be stopped, this should be removed henceforth or I would be forced to submit a complaint. I don’t know whether I was racially profiled, because this was not something that myself or my colleagues practiced when I was in uniform, but I was not stopped on a fourth occasion.
“I am not writing this piece to try and paper over any cracks. Evidence suggests that there is a disproportionate amount of Black people stopped and searched compared to other ethnicities.”
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I am not writing this piece to try and paper over any cracks. Evidence suggests that there is a disproportionate amount of Black people stopped and searched compared to other ethnicities. There is currently a lack of senior leaders of colour within policing and the representation across all police ranks, of non-white officers is at least 30% short of where it should be in London.
Statistics around crime, race and social injustice make for sobering reading too. The highest percentage of victims of crime are Black. The largest proportion of homicide child homicide victims are Black. Some 40% of prisoners under 18 are Black or of mixed ethnicity. Government ethnicity data states that Black people are most likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, and the Black African ethnic group had the second lowest rate of home ownership and the highest rate of ‘statutory homelessness’ and drug dependency.
During my long career in the Met I have seen officers give life-saving resuscitation to a black boy stabbed during a gang fight, I have worked alongside colleagues who spent the best part of their shift trying to find appropriate housing for Asian victims of honour-based violence, I have led teams in the missing persons unit to trace elderly victims of colour who have found themselves wondering the streets, and I have been part of murder investigation teams where colleagues routinely sacrificed time with their own families to follow a lead or assess reams of CCTV footage in order to find vital evidence to provide justice for Black families. These examples are a microcosm of the work done by police every day to keep all Londoners safe. To focus on stop and search and use the disparity in figures to label the whole organisation as institutionally racist is, in my view, misguided. And those that seek to exploit the tensions between the police and the Black community do so at the expense of the most vulnerable within that community.
The truth is, every major social system is failing economically disadvantaged families, and Black families appear to be at the sharpest end. Our education, health, law, employment, social care and prison systems are all culpable – and all roads lead back to the successive governments, of various political persuasions, who have set the tone and provided the funding, or not in some cases. Police should, of course, be held accountable for any failings, and face scrutiny – but that must come as part of a holistic approach which does not demonise the law enforcement personnel whose sole purpose is to protect the community they serve.
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“There has never been a safe space where officers could express their views around ethnic diversity, or have uncomfortable discussions around cultural clashes in the workplace or wider community.”
Over the past few months, I’ve reflected on the fact that I had never had any in-depth discussions about racial incidents with any of my colleagues or line managers in my 19 years as a police officer. Race was always something discussed at close quarters in hushed meetings, or that resulted in disciplinary action. There has never been a safe space where officers could express their views around ethnic diversity, or have uncomfortable discussions around cultural clashes in the workplace or wider community.
But senior police leaders have made clear their ambitions to nurture an environment within the police that is inclusive, that captures all strands of diversity, and where all staff feel more supported in the workplace as well as those in minority groups. And there is extensive pressure to improve police processes that adversely affect certain groups within the community and I know that leaders are responding to this pressure in urgent fashion.
Time will tell how effective those measures will be. What is clear is that the UK economy is officially in recession and, post-coronavirus, unemployment is set to escalate. London and the rest of the UK, will need a police force that is ready and willing to take on those challenges. And to be ready, it’s important we have the backing of all its people, from all parts of the community.
Rasheed Alawiye is a detective sergeant in the Metropolitan Police Service. He began his career in Islington borough in 2001, where he started as a uniformed police constable before progressing into the Criminal Investigations Department (C.I.D). Between 2010-2015 he worked as a detective in the Homicide Command and moved to his current role based at Scotland Yard in 2018.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-24--Teachers Warn Cash-Strapped Schools Don’t Have Enough Money To Open Safely

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Teachers have warned that the “incredibly fragile” plans put in place by schools in the absence of clear government guidance could see students forced back into remote learning.
The government wants every pupil back in full-time education within days. But while it has urged schools to implement social-distancing measures and bolstered hygiene processes, it has provided very little detail – and no extra funding – to help staff and students return safely.
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Schools have been forced to come up with their own complex plans to keep “bubbles” of students as separate as possible to limit the risk of infection, with senior leadership teams spending their summer designing one-way systems and socially distanced lunch breaks.
Almost every element of the back-to-school period has been changed, with one teacher telling HuffPost UK that teachers still hadn’t received their timetables – which would normally be handed out in May and will mean “chaos” in the first weeks of term.
But even the most carefully-crafted plans could topple within days in the case of a single infection in the school.
The UK’s chief medical officers published a statement on Sunday saying children had an “exceptionally low risk of dying” of Covid-19, adding that schools did not appear to be a “common route of transmission” for the virus – but acknowledged that staff-to-staff transmission could occur and reopening could drive the R rate back up.
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Pupils have been grouped into bubbles to limit the spread of infection – but iin secondary schools, where staff specialise in one subject, teachers are forced to move between classes throughout the day.
One 37-year-old department head, who works in a large south London school, said: “It’s very, very difficult. If a pupil tests positive then their entire bubble has to self-isolate, but teachers need to stay in to teach their other students. We’re already really understaffed as it is.”
The teacher added: “If a teacher tests positive then all of their bubbles will have to self-isolate – at least that’s how we understand it at the moment. The school has had to work all of this out themselves. There’s been very little – if any – practical help from the government or local authority.
“With more than 1,000 students crammed into basically one building, and lots of them going home to families filled with siblings at other schools and parents at work, then it’s very hard to see how positive tests and self-isolation won’t become a weekly occurrence.
“We’re doing our best with what we have but it’s incredibly fragile. It really wouldn’t take much for the entire system to topple.”
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Teachers have said they feel that without a clear set of rules for how to operate in the face of an infection among pupils or teachers, schools had been “thrown to the wolves” by the government and “abandoned” to develop their own plans.
The governments exam results fiasco has also distracted many school staff from detailing the finer points of back-to-school plans, leaving them scrambling in the last days of the summer holidays to meet Department for Education guidance.
Patrick Roach, general secretary of the teacher’s union NASUWT, said: “We believe there is still considerable work for the government to do to set out how it intends to monitor and take action to ensure that all schools have in place the safety measures set out in its guidance.”
He added the government must “provide schools with clear advice on the steps which will be taken to protect staff and students and support the continued provision of education if there is a local outbreak of Covid or a second wave nationally”.
Many state schools – at every level – were struggling to cope financially before Covid-19 hit, leaving them unprepared to buy enough resources to limit the spread of the virus.
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Extra deep-cleaning, PPE for staff, and multiples of toys, books and pens all come at a price – one that can’t easily be afforded by schools already finding it hard to provide the basics, not to mention the resources needed to support the most vulnerable children and their families.
Despite advising that school staff introduce enhanced cleaning, wear PPE as much as possible and minimise contact between pupils, the latest government guidance published on August 7 makes it clear that schools can’t expect any additional funding to make their classrooms safe.
One 31-year-old Year 3 teacher at a school in Haringey told HuffPost UK that school budgets were already stretched, and while the year might start out on the right track it was unclear how long measures like enhanced cleaning could be financed by the school. The only other option left for teachers would be to buy and use extra cleaning materials themselves on top of their usual work.
She said: “When I was back in school in the summer term to work with the children of key workers we were already just using watered-down soap as ‘hand sanitiser’.
“The term might start ok but as the budget lessens I think the responsibility will fall, as usual, to teachers to start picking up the cost, or there will be more pressure on parents to provide cleaning materials.
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“All of this responsibility has been taken away from the government and put onto the individual. Somehow it’s our duty to make sure everyone’s hands are clean, and if we don’t have the right hand soap or sanitiser we have to buy it ourselves.”
Another teacher added: “The money to keep students and staff safe will have to come from somewhere and will mean that the money used will be taken from somewhere else, which could have an impact on curriculum resources or building maintenance.”
Roach said: “The latest research from NASUWT found that three in 10 teachers believe budgetary constraints will affect their schools’ ability to reopen safely.
“We have been calling on the government to provide schools with additional financial resources to meet the costs of practical requirements such as extra cleaning to ensure that schools are able to reopen fully without cutting corners on safety.”
Without a clear plan for what happens when schools are potentially forced to close due to an outbreak, teachers have no idea what to prepare for a return to distance learning.
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One teacher at a secondary in London told HuffPost UK there were multiple pupils in each year group who live with large families in tiny flats, often with only one laptop or tablet to share between five or more school-age children.
Motivation is a problem, as well as access. “It’s really tough to motivate hundreds of teenagers to study, especially when they’re not sure when or if they’ll be returning to school,” another teacher said.
“Kids that age often don’t want to look like they are engaging with their education, and their circumstances at home make it really, really hard to actually do so.
“We’ve tried hundreds of different ways to get pupils to care about learning from home, but you can’t force kids to do the work. We’re really concerned about the impact that another lockdown or even just a school-wide lockdown could have, and it’s likely it would be worse the second time around.”
Roach said the government also needed to explain how schools could minimise the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on pupils from Black, Asian and minority ethnic families.
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Boris Johnson has framed the return to school as a “moral duty”, citing the harm done to children when they’re forced to exist outside the usual supportive routine of a school day.
But the imposition of morality onto an issue as logically difficult as millions of children returning to their often-cramped classrooms has been met with anger by many teachers, who say the need for pupils to return shouldn’t come at the risk of harming teachers, staff and their families.
One Spanish teacher from the north-west, who is returning to school within days despite being pregnant, said: “Whilst I want to get students back, a ‘moral duty’ shouldn’t mean that staff should be expected to sacrifice their own health and the health of their families, which is what it feels like we are being guilt-tripped to do.
“The term ‘moral duty’ also seems to take priority over, and importance away from, the government and each school’s legal duty to keep us safe.
“One look at any union Facebook group shows post after post of teachers whose schools are not fulfilling their legal duties to keep staff safe, either by failing to produce their individual risk assessments in time or insufficient social distancing plans. It also shows how petrified many teachers are of the return to work.”
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She added: “I think it’s rich that someone who has shown absolutely no sense of morality in his time as PM should appeal to teachers’ sense of morality. If he wanted the school return to run more smoothly then more work should have been done to engage positively with school staff and unions.
“It currently feels like teachers are being constantly vilified by both government and the press which takes its toll on a profession which already struggles from low morale, and seems incredibly unfair given that most teachers are in the profession out of a genuine desire to help our young people and contribute positively to society.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “All pupils will return to school for the start of the autumn term – delivering on our national priority to get all pupils back to the classroom, which is the best place for their education, development and wellbeing.
“Throughout the pandemic, schools have continued to receive their core funding, with this year marking the first year of a three-year £14.4 billion total cash boost. Schools have also been able to claim for specific exceptional costs such as additional cleaning required due to confirmed or suspected coronavirus cases, worth up to £75,000 for large secondary schools.
“We recognise that students due to take exams next summer will have experienced disruption to their education, which is why we prioritised bringing Year 10 and Year 12 pupils back for some face-to-face support in school last term. We have also launched a £1 billion Covid catch up package to directly tackle the impact of lost teaching time over the coming year.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Museum Felt 'Extremely Compromised' By Minister's Plea To Keep Slave Trader Statue

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A senior government minister advised an east London museum not to remove the statue of a controversial slave trader – a decision it went through with despite a consultation finding that most people wanted it taken down.
The director of The Museum of the Home feared being “extremely compromised” by an intervention from culture secretary Oliver Dowden, who suggested leaving up the statue of Sir Robert Geffrye.
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Dowden wrote in a letter to the museum that “removing statues, artwork and other historical objects is not the right approach” in the wake of the renewed Black Lives Matter protests this year.
It came after director Sonia Solicari had warned that it was a “traumatic” time for the organisation because of high-profile petitions singling out the Hackney museum.
The minister’s pleas and the museum’s concerns have emerged from emails and a letter sent between The Museum of the Home and the Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) seen by HuffPost UK.
They also show how the museum had a draft public statement prepared saying that it had taken Dowden’s views into account, but a departmental staffer told them to remove the statement and refer to “relevant government agencies”.
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Email showing The Museum of the Home planned to say the "views of the Secretary of State for Digital Culture Media and Sport" had been taken into "consideration". HuffPost
Following protests, the museum’s board of trustees decided to “acknowledge the legacy of colonialism and slavery within our history” and ask the local community what should be done with the statue.
But last month, the Museum of the Home announced the statue would remain despite acknowledging that “overall, the response [of the public consultation] was in favour of removing the statue”.
Solicari raised her fears with the department before the museum received a letter from Dowden on June 25.
“This might place us in an extremely compromised position if the public consultation suggests overwhelmingly that we take the statute down,” she wrote on June 18.
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Email from the museum's Sonia Solicari stating: "This might place us in an extremely compromised position if the public consultation suggests overwhelmingly that we take the statute down." HuffPost
In the letter to the museum’s chair Samir Shah, Dowden writes: “Following the removal of the statue of Edward Colston on the June 7, the debate around the role of statues and memorials in our public spaces has been intense.
“You play a crucial role in conserving our heritage assets, caring for our national
collections, providing access to knowledge and leading efforts to offer cultural education to all.
“I am aware that the issues of contested heritage provoke strongly held views, and that right now these issues will be in the forefront of your minds. I therefore wanted to share with you the government’s position on these issues.
“The government believes that it is always legitimate to examine and debate Britain’s history, but that removing statues, artwork and other historical objects is not the right approach.
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“Confronting our past may be difficult at times but, as the prime minister has
stated, we cannot pretend to have a different history. Historical objects were created by previous generations, who often had different perspectives and different understandings of right and wrong.”
It added: “As a government-funded organisation, I would expect you to be mindful of the above approach, which has been agreed with Historic England. If you plan to make any statements or actions in relation to this issue, please contact DCMS in advance of doing so.”
The monument to Sir Robert Geffrye at the Museum of the Home honours a 17th century merchant who made his fortune trafficking Black people with the East India Company and Royal African Company.
When deciding not to remove the statute, the museum’s board added: “Feedback showed that what to do with the statue is a complex debate, full of nuance and different opinions.
“On balance the board has taken the view that the important issues raised should be addressed through ongoing structural and cultural change, along with better interpretation and conversation around the statue.”
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The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport said the government supported the museum’s decision.
A spokesperson said: “Whilst it is always legitimate to examine Britain’s history, removing statues, artwork and other historical objects is not the right approach. Instead, we should aim to use heritage to educate people about all aspects of Britain’s complex past, both good and bad.
“Publicly funded museums must not remove statues that form part of a listed building or other heritage objects in their care for political or campaigning purposes. They must be seen to be acting impartially, in line with their publicly funded status.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--NHS Test And Trace Misses Contact Tracing Target For Ninth Week In A Row

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The government’s flagship NHS Test and Trace system has for the ninth week running missed a key target needed to make the entire service viable, new figures have shown.
Boris Johnson’s independent scientific advisers have repeatedly warned that stopping the spread of the disease requires more than 80% of “close contacts” of people with Covid reached by the system to be identified and then told to self-isolate.
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But figures for the latest weekly update show that just 75.5% of those “close contacts” – defined as being within two metres of a Covid carrier for more than 15 minutes – are being reached.
Some 24,197 people were identified as coming into close contact with someone who has tested positive between August 13 and August 19.
That was up on the 71.6% of the previous week but it still means that the crucial 80% mark has not been reached since mid-June.
The continued failure came as the UK recorded the highest number of new coronavirus cases since 12 June, with government figures reporting 1,522 positive cases.
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Health secretary Matt Hancock conceded the system was “not quite there” in hitting the target but stressed that it had made big strides since being launched from scratch in May.
“One of the challenges is we want to get NHS Test and Trace up to over 80% of contacts, getting them to self-isolate. We’re at just over 75%, so we’re nearly there, but not quite there,” he told LBC Radio.
Unease at the continued problems with the system appeared to be underlined when Hancock unveiled new cash help for people on low incomes in lockdown areas who lose money from quarantining themselves at home for a fortnight.
The figures are particularly low in cases that are handled either online or by call centres, where just 61.6% of close contacts have been reached and asked to self-isolate on average.
The call centres are outsourced to private sector firms Serco and Sitel, at a cost of roughly £200m.
In some areas, the figures are even lower. Just 43% of contacts have been reached for Test and Trace cases in Bradford handled online or by call centres.
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By contrast, in cases handled by public sector-run local health protection teams, 95.6% of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate in the week to August 19.
Part of the explanation for the disparity is that public protection teams deal with “complex” cases where outbreaks occur in settings like schools, prisons and care homes, and where it can be easier to identify staff and others.
Online and call centre teams deal instead with “non-complex” cases in the wider community where it is more difficult to swiftly identify those involved. But some experts say the numbers contacted are still far too low even given that qualification.
Separately, the proportion of people who tested positive and were reached by NHS Test and Trace has fallen again to just 72.6% – down from 79% the previous week.
The 75.5% figure for the “close contacts” is itself a percentage of this 72.6%, leading critics to ramp up calls for dramatic improvements to the tracing service.
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Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Munira Wilson said the continued failure meant an independent inquiry was needed more than ever.
“With students going back to school and autumn arriving, the priority must be keeping people safe as lockdown is eased,” she said.
“Despite it being months since we went into lockdown, 1 in 4 close contacts are consistently not being contacted. The Government must take a serious look at its efforts to deliver the comprehensive strategy to test, trace and isolate every case of coronavirus that is needed to keep people safe.”
The department of health and social care pointed out that the three month average identifying and reaching “close contacts” was 80.6%, because the numbers were higher earlier in the year.
It added that the three months average was even higher at 88.3% “for those we had contact information for”.
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Sage, the independent scientific advisory group, warned since early in the pandemic that without 80% of close contacts reached swiftly, the virus can spread again.
Last week, the NHS Confederation which represents hospitals trusts, expressed its dismay, saying “we are still a long way from having a fully effective test and trace system”.
The latest statistics also revealed the first decrease in people testing positive for Covid in England since the start of July, when the summer spike began.
Some 6,115 new people tested positive between 13 August and 19 August, a decrease of 8% in positive cases compared to the previous week.
But later figures from NHS England showed that the number of new cases, which cover the 24 hours to 9am on 27 August, were up 474 on the previous day and now stood at 1,522.
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The average number of cases confirmed in the past seven days stood at 1,155, the highest rolling average recorded since 22 June.
Both the daily case number and the seven-day rolling average are both higher than on 23 March, when national lockdowns were announced.
Dido Harding, interim executive chair of the new National Institute for Health Protection, said that this week had been a “milestone” for NHS Test and Trace since it was launched from scratch three months ago.
Harding stressed that the service was consistently reaching “the majority of people testing positive and their contacts”.
“[In total] we have now reached almost 300,000 people who may have unknowingly passed the virus on. This country now has the capacity to test for coronavirus and trace contacts on an unprecedented scale to stop the spread of the virus.
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“I urge everyone to use NHS Test and Trace to help everyone get back to a more normal way of life. If you have symptoms, book a test immediately, and if you are contacted by the service, follow the advice you receive.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Katie Price Announces Break From Spotlight To Focus On Recovery After Breaking Both Feet

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Katie Price has announced she’s taking a break from the spotlight so she can focus on her recovery, after undergoing surgery on her broken feet.
The reality star and former glamour model suffered a serious injury while on holiday in Turkey last month, and since then has shared multiple candid updates about her condition on social media and her YouTube channel.
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However, in a statement posted to Twitter on Thursday afternoon, Katie revealed that she would be keeping a low profile for the foreseeable future, so she can concentrate on healing.
Katie Price pictured in 2017 Ian West - PA Images via Getty Images
“Katie is taking some time out of the media spotlight,” the statement read. “Her family and [doctors] have told Katie that she must rest in order to heal.
“Katie wants to thank everyone for their ongoing support and will be back when she feels ready.”
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Although doctors in Turkey said they wanted to operate on Katie’s feet when she first injured them, she said at the time she would prefer to wait until her holiday was over and she was back in the UK.
She eventually underwent surgery earlier this month, and later revealed doctors had warned her she will need to learn to walk again, and that it could be up to two years until she’s “back on her feet” properly.
Katie also said she’d been told that she would experience arthritis and pain in her feet for the rest of her life.
A representative for Katie also confirmed that she’d been rushed back to hospital over the weekend, with a suspected infection.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Switzerland, Jamaica and Czech Republic Added To Quarantine List

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Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic have been removed from the Government’s quarantine exemption list due to a rise in coronavirus cases.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced that travellers arriving in England from those countries after 4am on Saturday will need to self-isolate for 14 days.
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The Department for Transport (DfT) said equivalent measures are being put in place in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
Scotland took Switzerland off its list last week.
Reductions in coronavirus cases mean Cuba has been added to the destinations from which people can arrive in England or Wales without entering quarantine, while Wales has also removed the quarantine requirement for arrivals from Singapore.
Katarina Hobbs, director of tourism authority CzechTourism UK and Ireland, insisted that the Czech Republic “remains a safe country to travel to”.
She said: “This is a British Government decision that we deeply regret and hope that the UK Government will reconsider their decision very soon.
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“We continue to provide important information to tourists who are visiting – which includes avoiding crowded areas and following the strict rules that have been implemented by the Czech Republic government.”
A seven-day rate of 20 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people is the threshold above which the UK Government considers triggering quarantine conditions.
The DfT said there has been a “consistent increase” in the rate in Switzerland over the past four weeks, reaching 22.0 on Thursday.
It added that Jamaica’s rate rose from 4.3 on August 20 to 20.8 on Thursday, while the Czech Republic has seen “a consistent increase in newly reported cases” over the past three weeks, with a 25% spike from 1,723 between August 14-20 to 2,153 during the following seven days.
British travellers in Switzerland, Jamaica and the Czech Republic are advised to “follow the local rules and check the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) travel advice pages”.
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People hoping to return to the UK before the quarantine requirement is introduced face a struggle.
All direct flights from Prague to London on Friday appear to be sold out.
Swiss International Air Lines was selling seats on a flight from Geneva to Heathrow departing on Friday afternoon for £493, while flights from Zurich cost £377.
Rory Boland, editor of magazine Which? Travel, said the Government’s decision to review its quarantine policy each week is leading to holidaymakers being “held to ransom by airlines to purchase new flights at extortionate fares”.
He went on: “The Government should be transparent with its data and decision making on travel corridors so holidaymakers have the information they need in advance to decide whether it is safe to travel.”
The DfT said in a statement: “Infections from Covid-19 are on the rise across Europe.
“The Government has made consistently clear it will take decisive action if necessary to contain the virus, which includes removing countries from the travel corridors list rapidly, if the public health risk of people returning from a particular country without self-isolating becomes too high.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Pret A Manger Axes 2,800 Roles After Completing Shake-Up

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Coffee and sandwich chain Pret a Manger has axed 2,800 roles from its shops after completing a restructuring of its UK business.
The cuts come after the high street chain said last month that it was planning a shake-up which would result in the closure of 30 sites.
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Pret said that although there have been “clear signs of recovery” in footfall since the lockdown was eased, trade across its shops is still around 60% down year-on-year.
Chief executive officer Pano Christou said: “I’m gutted that we’ve had to lose so many colleagues.
“Although we’re now starting to see a steady but slow recovery, the pandemic has taken away almost a decade of growth at Pret.
“We’ve managed to protect many jobs by making changes to the way we run our shops and the hours we ask team members to work.
“I’m hopeful we’ll be able to review all these changes now that trade is improving again, and I’m encouraged by the improvements we’re seeing every week.
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“We’ll soon be announcing a number of big changes to help bring Pret to more people.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--James Corden Calls Out Incredibly Awkward Eric Trump Moment

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Uh, Eric. You good, dude?
James Corden continued recapping this week’s Republican National Convention on Wednesday night, and the Late, Late Show host couldn’t help but notice something seems to be going on with Eric Trump.
During his recent RNC speech, Eric took some time to speak “directly” to his father Donald Trump, repeatedly expressing how proud he is of his dad and saying: “I miss working alongside you every single day.′
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“Doesn’t that sound suspiciously like the words of someone who’s had his phone number blocked?” James joked. ”‘I’d like to talk directly to my father.’ Well, tell him then... Do we need to be part of this?”
James Corden on The Late, Late Show CBS
James compared the awkward moment to telling someone you love them and then getting this reply: “I know. Thank you.”
(Hey, we’ve all been there, Eric.)
Elsewhere at the RNC, Tiffany Trump, who James was surprised was even on the list of speakers, said that as a recent graduate of Georgetown University Law Center she could relate to people looking for a job.
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James didn’t quite agree, though.
“What are you talking about? Your dad owns a gold toilet,” he joked.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Amanda Holden Actually Guessed Katy Perry's Baby Name In An Interview With The Singer Months Ago

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Amanda ‘Mystic Mandy’ Holden has revealed she correctly predicted Katy Perry’s baby name during an interview earlier in the summer – and if you don’t believe her, she’s got the video to prove it.
Back in June, the Britain’s Got Talent judge interviewed Katy on the Heart breakfast show, during which they discussed potential baby names.
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While co-presenter Jamie Theakston offered up a string of deliberately mundane names for the chart-topping star to name her baby, Amanda unknowingly guessed exactly right.
“I like Daisy Bloom,” Amanda said. “Because I think the surname of Bloom and daisies and flowers [goes together].”
Sharing footage of the interview on her Instagram following the news that Katy has, indeed, named her daughter Daisy, Mandy wrote: “I love @katyperry’s face when I correctly predict her baby’s name back in June.”
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And as you can see, this does look an awful lot like the face of a woman who’s been rumbled…
Katy Perry after the name "Daisy" was suggested to her Gloobal
Katy announced on Thursday morning that she and Orlando Bloom had welcomed their first child, a daughter named Daisy Dove Bloom.
“We are floating with love and wonder from the safe and healthy arrival of our daughter,” the couple said in statement, alongside a black and white picture of them holding Daisy’s tiny hand, with Katy’s nail decorated with the image of a daisy.
The couple also used the moment to raise awareness of causes related to pregnancy and childbirth around the world that have been made worse by the coronavirus crisis.
Orlando – who has been engaged to Katy since 2019 – is also the father to a nine-year-old son, Flynn, whose mother is the Australian model Miranda Kerr.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Boris Johnson Focusing On Obesity Over Women And BAME People Because He's Obese, Says Labour MP

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Boris Johnson has made tackling obesity his main lesson from the coronavirus crisis instead of helping women or Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people because that is “the thing that he is”, a Labour MP has said.
Jess Phillips criticised the prime minister for focusing on an issue close to home rather than looking at health interventions for BAME people, who suffer worse Covid-19 death rates, or helping women, who appear to have been impacted more than men by the crisis.
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The shadow domestic violence minister said Johnson, who has recently hired celebrity personal trainer Harry Jameson to help him shed weight, was not paying attention to the plight of women in the pandemic “at all”.
Johnson has acknowledged he was “too fat” when he caught coronavirus and went into intensive care in April.
In July, he said he was not keen on “nannying or bossying” but urged the country to “lose weight” to protect lives if there is a second wave of coronavirus.
Speaking to What Were You Thinking?, a podcast by the Big Tent Ideas festival shared in advance with HuffPost UK, Phillips said: “I don’t disagree as somebody who has recently lost a stone and a half after Covid binging that Boris Johnson has gone out on the television to talk about obesity and the effects of corona (and) obesity and how it’s more dangerous.
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“The disproportionate number of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people who have died during the Covid-19 crisis and the vast majority of the economic and social impacts being on women, and the thing that he went for is the thing that he is – and that was obesity.
EXCLUSIVE: Now Boris enlists celebrity personal trainer in fitness battle https://t.co/W7fz66wEcr — Evening Standard (@standardnews) August 27, 2020
“If you’re going to make Covid make you wake up about something, it’s just not a surprise that it’s a thing that he has experienced that is the thing we are now all talking about – losing a few pounds so we’re not victims of Covid.
“Nothing has been done to look at health interventions of Black, Asian and minority ethnic staff and people.
“My constituency has the second highest death rate in the country from Covid-19, it’s not because they’re not all on their bloody bike.”
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The Birmingham Yardley MP identified the PM, his aide Dominic Cummings, chancellor Rishi Sunak and senior minister Michael Gove as “the people with power”, and criticised them for doing “nothing” about childcare and being “slow” to react to the heightened risk of domestic abuse.
She said: “The fact that care homes are largely staffed by women, it’s no surprise that they were also completely and utterly forgotten in the planning, let alone the slow reaction to the obvious risk of victims of domestic violence – just madness,” she said.
“It’s been really, really, really, really bad and they don’t care and it won’t necessarily hurt them.
“They think it’s identity politics, but for some of us it’s our lives.”
Phillips went on: “We need women at the top of power structures, making decisions, and speaking up.
“It’s understandable that Boris Johnson understands what obesity and coronavirus (means) because he’s experienced it.
“He’s never suffered period poverty, he’s never had to arrange childcare because he has to go to work.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Police Launch Urgent Appeal To Find Three Boys Abducted By Their Father

Abduction Met Police
Scotland Yard has issued an urgent appeal to find three boys who it says were abducted from their foster home in south London by their father last week.
Bilal Safi, Mohammed Ebrar Safi, and Mohammed Yaseen Safi – aged six, five and three – were allegedly taken by Imran Safi, 26, from their foster home in Coulsdon Road, Coulsdon on August 20.
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They have not been seen since.
The foster carer, who told officers that Safi threatened her with a knife, did not suffer any serious physical injuries in the incident but is “understandably distressed”, police said.
Detectives are appealing for information on a red Nissan Qashqai, registration PK13 WFO, being driven through the Croydon area on Thursday last week.
An all-ports alert has been issued for Safi, an Afghani national who has links to Pakistan.
Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the abduction of the three boys. All have been bailed to a later date.
A 25-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man were arrested in Kenley, south London, on Friday. Three men – two aged 20 and one aged 17 – were arrested in Croydon on Sunday.
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A 25-year-old woman and a 37-year-old man were arrested in Kenley on Tuesday. A 33-year-old man was arrested in Croydon, also on Tuesday.
Chief superintendent Dave Stringer, commander of the South Area Basic Command Unit, said: “The abduction of these children will understandably send a shock to our communities.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Mercy Baguma's Death Must Be A Catalyst For Radical Change To Our Asylum System

Mercy Baguma Positive Action in Housing
The responsibility a mother shoulders to raise and protect her child is one of the greatest stresses a woman faces.
Now, add onto that the fact she has fled her home country, is seeking asylum, battling poverty, and unsure of the future.
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This was the situation Mercy Baguma was facing, the Ugandan asylum seeker who was found dead in her Glasgow flat with her screaming one-year-old right beside her.
Baguma had been given limited leave to remain in the UK. She was able to work with her granted status, but when her leave to remain came to an end, she was forced to stop working, since asylum seekers are not permitted to work while claiming asylum.
Not long after, she was found dead, leaving her malnourished baby without a mother.
The case has highlighted the fact that asylum seeking mothers are particularly vulnerable and in desperate need of extra practical and mental health support.
When a person begins to seek asylum in the UK, they are provided with the bare minimum for survival. They are put in temporary housing and given £37.75 per person in the household per week.
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Some may think that those are generous offers to a non-British citizen that has yet contributed to the economy. But asylum seekers are just as much human beings as any British citizen and deserve an equal standard of care as someone born within the UK. They may be fleeing trauma, poverty, abuse, or slavery – making them even more deserving of our hospitality, empathy, and support.
The asylum process is meant to take six months, from start of the application to a final decision being made. However, this process often takes much longer – with figures up to March showing that 31,516 people have been waiting longer than six months. The wait can be even longer as appeals can be made if the asylum claim comes back with a negative decision.
An asylum seeking mother that is placed in temporary housing with her children, awaits her asylum decision while living in a neighbourhood that she doesn’t know, in a house or room with limited necessities, and with no idea when she will be told she needs to move to other accommodation.
Her children are often home with her all day, every day – awaiting the decision of whether or not they will be given the right to remain in the UK. During this time, children often do not attend school as they may be moved to another location at any point during the asylum process.
“One way to minimise stress of asylum seeking mothers would be to allow them the right to work and provide childcare to enable them to do so.”
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For those of us that have mothered children during lockdown, we can relate to the slow breakdown of our mental fortitude as we try to entertain, feed, and parent children without any break. We felt lonely, irritable, and anxious. These mental struggles are the norm for asylum seeking mothers, with the added worry of not knowing whether they will be allowed to keep themselves and their children inside the safety of UK borders.
A mother claiming asylum is given £37.75 per week per person, money that needs to cover all costs, apart from housing and utility bills. Summer clothes, transportation costs, phone bills, course fees, winter coats, shoes, sanitary products, washing up liquid, nappies, food, and formula is just the start of the list of necessary items that must be purchased with the money. If you have a family, you know that money goes as quickly as it comes. Asylum seeking mothers live in constant fear that they will not be able to provide for the needs of themselves or their children.
“If asylum seekers were allowed to work, it would give mothers the chance to take control of their finances, have a mental break from children, and integrate into their community”
The human brain can only handle a limited amount of stress. Mothers that are claiming asylum are carrying the stress of their past (usually involving trauma due to poverty, war, or death), their present (feeding and clothing their children, awaiting an asylum decision, loneliness from lack of adult contact), and their future (whether they will be able to stay in the UK).
We need to recognise the unique pressure they are under and provide them with additional practical support and mental health services. Not only for the benefit of the mother, but for the well-being of her children. Children rely on the strength of their parents, and a mother needs to be supported so that she can continue to provide stability and safety for her children.
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One way to minimise stress of asylum seeking mothers would be to allow them the right to work and provide childcare to enable them to do so.
At the moment, the UK does not allow people seeking asylum to be employed. BEAM, a charity that crowd funds to get people into work, told me: “Many asylum seekers have brought over incredible skills from their home countries. Without their right to work, it can be difficult for these women to rebuild their lives and care for their children.”
If asylum seekers were allowed to work, it would give mothers the chance to take control of their finances, have a mental break from children, and integrate into their community – all of which contribute to the physical and mental well-being of the mother and her children.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--No, A School Librarian Didn't Arrange Those Books To Troll Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson addressing Year 7 students during his visit to Castle Rock School in Leicestershire on Wednesday. Downing Street
Betrayed, Crisis Point, Glass Houses, The Twits. For anyone studying the shelf behind Boris Johnson as he addressed a group of Year 7s, the message – however covert – seemed clear.
It wasn’t long after the prime minister, who was visiting Castle Rock School in Leicestershire on Wednesday ahead of the start of the autumn term, finished his speech that eagle-eyed viewers started to comment on the apparently aptly-chosen book display.
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Can anyone identify the fifth book along on the top shelf? Because apart from that one, top shelf from left to right goes: The Subtle Knife, Fahrenheit 451, Betrayed, The Resistance, The Toll, Crisis Point, Glass Houses, and The Twits. Supreme trolling from the school librarian. pic.twitter.com/z0I2vJValB — Nicholas Pegg (@NicholasPegg) August 26, 2020
The tweet very quickly went viral, and as of Thursday morning had garnered more than 21,000 retweets and 72,000 likes.
The display was also picked up by a number of both specialist and mainstream news outlets. “Boris Johnson and the revenge of the school librarian,” TES headlined their take after a reporter noticed the arrangement, while The Guardian led with “Books seen behind Boris Johnson tell their own story”.
The tweets and stories pretty much all pointed in one direction: the display was likely a passive aggressive message to the prime minister from the school’s librarian themselves.
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But while the shelf had been carefully curated by the school’s librarian, it wasn’t ever intended, or even imagined, that it could one day provide a backdrop for the prime minister.
In fact, HuffPost UK can reveal, the display has been in place – apparently unnoticed – for more than six months, and was left by the outgoing librarian as a message to the school’s senior leadership team.
“It’s so bizarre, I actually feel a little bit sorry for the prime minister because it wasn’t ever intended for him – I did it as a message for the school management before I left in February,” the 48-year-old former librarian, who asked not to be named, told HuffPost UK.
“It just became untenable to carry on working there because of the lack of support I had and I was left with no choice but to resign.
“That’s why I decided to leave them a big message during my last week. They obviously never actually noticed, and it went untouched for six months.”
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She described the past 24 hours as “a bit weird”, and only realised the books she had put up were still there when her son showed her the picture of the prime minister that had begun to circulate.
She said: “It was a covert message that was plain for all to see, but it turned out that the people I originally did it for didn’t see it – but I think they’ve seen it now.
“The reality is actually a bit of a sadder story. If someone had done it for Boris Johnson that would have been amazing but it’s just a weird twist of fate.
“It was a message for senior management, so I suppose it’s nice that they’ve not finally got it, and if it helps any of the other staff that are still stuck there then all the better.
“Whatever happens, they’ll probably take more notice of the background next time the prime minister does a speech.”
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Julia Patrick, CEO of the Apollo Partnership Trust, which took over Castle Rock School as an academy in 2017 said: “The Castle Rock School library has not been used for five months. The senior management there were unaware of any ‘covert message’ left through the arrangement of books.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--I'm A Celebrity's Location For This Year's UK Castle-Based Series Has Been Announced

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ITV has announced the location for this year’s UK-based series of I’m A Celebrity.
It’s now been confirmed that the upcoming series will be filmed at Gwrych Castle, Abergele in North Wales later this year.
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Dr Mark Baker, the Chair of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said he was “absolutely delighted” that the site would be the home of I’m A Celebrity in 2020.
Celebrities will be setting up camp in Gwrych Castle this autumn Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
“Gwrych Castle is a beautiful grade I listed 19th county house and a must-see destination for tourists visiting Wales,” he explained. “I’m A Celebrity being here will really help support Gwrych Castle and its ongoing restoration as well as giving the region a much-needed economic boost.”
Gwrych Castle has been rumoured to be the location of this year’s I’m A Celebrity for the last two weeks, with the BBC pointing out recently that the site is said to be haunted by the Countess of Dundonald, with some visitors claiming to have seen an “angry woman in white”.
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Richard Cowles, the Director of Entertainment at ITV Studios said: “The Australian jungle is such an integral part of the show it was a big challenge to find a UK location where we could continue to deliver what viewers love about I’m A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!
“But Gwrych will definitely do that; the Castle sits in an amazing and atmospheric setting on a hillside overlooking the Irish Sea.”
I'm A Celebrity hosts Ant and Dec in the Australian jungle last year ITV/Shutterstock
He continued: “While there will be plenty of changes required as we move from New South Wales in Australia to North Wales in the UK, we are really excited to see how we can adapt the format and make the Castle our new home for a very special 20th series of I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! this autumn.”
ITV previously teased that the celebrities taking part will still be undergoing “gruelling trials and fun-filled challenges to win food and treats”, with one of them crowned King or Queen of the Castle, rather than taking on the usual title of King or Queen of the Jungle.
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There’s been no confirmation yet as to which stars will be taking part, although rumoured contestants include former footballer John Barnes, TV presenter Vernon Kay and soap legend Beverley Callard.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Sir Ed Davey Elected Liberal Democrat Leader

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Sir Ed Davey has been elected as the fifth Liberal Democrat leader in as many years.
Davey overwhelmingly beat the challenge of Layla Moran to succeed Jo Swinson as party leader after Swinson dramatically lost her East Dunbartonshire seat in last December’s election.
The result was announced at a virtual event in central London due to ongoing coronavirus restrictions.
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Davey, who was already acting leader, won 42,756 votes, comfortably beating Moran, who garnered 24,564 on a turnout of 57.6%.
The Liberal Democrats won just 11 seats last year. An internal inquiry into the party’s poor performance likened the campaign to a “high-speed car crash”, and the new leader will be aiming to turn the party’s fortunes around.
Speaking at the result declaration, Davey said: “I’m determined our party backs a Britain that works with other countries across the world for peace and prosperity.
“But it is my love of our party that makes me recognise that we have to change.
“We have to wake up and smell the coffee. Nationally, our party has lost touch with too many voters.
“Yes, we are powerful advocates locally. Our campaigners listen to local people, work hard for communities and deliver results.
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“But at the national level, we have to face the facts of three disappointing general election results.
“Nationally, voters have been sending us a message. But we have not been listening.
“It is time for us to start listening. As leader I am telling you: I have got that message. I am listening now.”
At a Lib Dem hustings chaired by HuffPost UK’s Ned Simons on Friday, Davey promised he would promote Moran if he was crowned leader.
The Kingston and Surbiton MP is an experienced politician and former cabinet minister who entered the Commons in 1997.
He was a business minister under former Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg during the coalition years, and then moved to the job of energy secretary in 2012.
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Davey has temporarily co-led the party with Lib Dem peer Baroness Sal Brinton since Swinson stepped down in 2019.
As the months-long contest drew to a close, with voting finishing at 1pm on Wednesday, Davey said: “The next leader faces a huge job to rebuild the party, take on the Conservatives and get the party winning nationally again.
“This contest has put both candidates through our paces and made sure that the victor is battle-tested for this tough job ahead.”
He beat the challenge of Oxford West and Abingdon MP Moran, who entered the Commons in 2017.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--'Up To One Million' Will Have Long-Term After-Effects Of Covid-19

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The after-effects of Covid-19 are not to be underestimated – and healthcare systems need to sit up and take note.
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That’s the message from a rehabilitation consultant based in the UK, who estimates that for up to a million people, the after-effects of the virus could last for a very long time.
Dr Manoj Sivan, associate clinical professor at the University of Leeds and a consultant in rehabilitation medicine in NHS Trusts, said: “Most [infected by the virus] will have experienced a mild illness but a sizeable minority, up to one million, will have after-effects that will last for many months and possibly years.”
Previous outbreaks of Spanish flu, SARS and Ebola have shown up to a third of survivors can suffer from long-term problems, particularly chronic fatigue, which has implications on family life, work and health economy.
“With Covid-19, there is an opportunity to intervene early, provide timely specialist rehabilitation, and ensure people have the best functional recovery and return to their vocation as early as possible,” said Dr Sivan.
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Healthcare systems around the world now need to develop ways of supporting people recovering from Covid-19, he said. If they don’t, there’s a risk people experiencing long-term symptoms – a phenomenon dubbed long Covid – will get worse and put additional strain on already-stretched health resources.
Although Covid-19 starts as an acute infection of the lungs, it can develop into a “multi-system illness” leaving people with symptoms including breathlessness, fatigue, weakness, cardiac problems, as well as cognitive and psychological problems.
Dr Sivan has helped develop a rehab programme for people recovering from Covid-19 in the community in Leeds, alongside the University of Leeds, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds Community Healthcare NHS Trust and NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group.
This acts as a complement to NHS England’s ‘Your COVID Recovery’ website, which offers guidance for people struggling with a longer tail of symptoms.
Leeds Covid-19 rehabilitation teams have created a telephone screening and referral service, where people who have been severely ill with Covid-19 are contacted either by their GP or a specialist member of the hospital’s team, six and 12 weeks after recovering from the acute phase of the illness.
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They’re asked a series of questions about – and scored on – persistent symptoms and how well they’re functioning. The screening identifies symptoms that need to be urgently assessed by relevant healthcare professionals. Services include respiratory medicine, pulmonary rehabilitation, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychology or combined multidisciplinary clinics.
The hope is that this screening could be rolled out nationally – even globally – to help support those who are still suffering.
Research by Dr Sivan and colleagues earlier in the summer identified the common longer-term symptoms experienced by Covid-19 survivors who were severely ill in hospital with the disease. The top three were fatigue, breathlessness and psychological distress.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Matt Hancock Defends Working From Home – Despite No.10 Concerns About 'Ghost Towns'

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Matt Hancock has defended working from home as long as people are doing their jobs “effectively” – despite concerns from No.10 and businesses about city centre “ghost towns”.
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The health secretary said he had “no idea” how many of his department’s staff were coming to the office, adding: “What I care about is how effectively people work.”
But Hancock insisted that he did not disagree with Boris Johnson, who earlier this month stressed that people “should be going back to work” in England as the government lifted its advice to “work from home if you can”, issued as coronavirus took hold in the UK.
It came as CBI boss Carolyn Fairbairn urged the government to do more to get people back into city centre offices, warning jobs at firms like sandwich bars and dry cleaners are at stake if city centres continue resembling “ghost towns”.
Hancock said “of course” he would work with the CBI to try and encourage more people back into work.
But he stressed his primary concern for Department of Health and Social Care staff was performance.
He told Times Radio: “Obviously people should come back to the office if that is what they need to do their job and also obviously employers need to make sure the offices are Covid-secure, as we have obviously at the Department of Health [sic] as you would fully expect us to.
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“What I care about is that people perform.
“And so the people I work with, some of them have been working from home, some come in sometimes, some are in full time.
“And what matters to me is that they deliver.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock in Downing Street EMPICS Entertainment
The health secretary also praised civil servants’ work ethic amid a row over the sacking of Department for Education permanent secretary Jonathan Slater over the exams debacle.
Dave Penman, leader of the FDA union which represents senior public servants, has accused No.10 of throwing civil service leaders “under a bus” to “shield” ministers like education secretary Gavin Williamson, who has come under fire over exams and face masks in school.
Hancock said of the officials in his department: “Frankly, they’ve been delivering at an unbelievable rate.
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“There’s sometimes this caricature that the people who work in the civil service work nine to five days. It’s just completely untrue in my experience and people are working incredibly hard because ultimately it’s a mission-driven job.”
Asked if he disagreed with Johnson urging people to come back to the office where possible, Hancock said: “No, exactly as you put it – where you can.
“This has got to be done across the board, if you think about the nation as a whole, it’s got to be done in a Covid-secure way but employers are doing that and the rules are clear about that.
“We’ve reverted the employment rules back to their normal position.
“I’ve seen the CBI put out a statement yesterday saying people need to get back to the office and I have been talking to the chief of the CBI about what more we can do in addition to saying that the rules are this is a matter for employers as long as the place of employment is Covid-secure.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Face Coverings In Schools Risk Isolation For Deaf Young People Like Me

Girl with hearing aid studying and use mobile phone Sladic via Getty Images
We are at risk of creating a devastating postcode lottery in education for Britain’s deaf children.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, prompted by Scotland taking a similar approach, has u-turned on his decision not to introduce face coverings in England’s schools.
Students in areas of concern must wear them in corridors and communal areas. Elsewhere, it’s at the headteacher’s discretion.
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Many members of the public are, of course, aware of the communication barriers opaque face masks can create for deaf people.
In covering up a person’s mouth, lipreading is rendered impossible. Yet, a lot of hearing people aren’t aware of the crisis unfolding in deaf education.
Just last week, students were opening up envelopes containing their GCSE results – grades obtained in the most extraordinary and unexpected circumstances. For deaf pupils, the work is likely to have been even harder.
“In the current pandemic, pupils are facing incredible challenges no one could have anticipated. The government must do more to ensure deaf students do not face another unnecessary barrier on top of that.”
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Analysis of last year’s figures by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) has found that on average, deaf children have fallen a whole grade behind their hearing peers - for the past five years, at least.
The new rules don’t apply in classrooms at the moment, but the change is still significant, with communal areas being the place where deaf students can chat with peers. These pupils now face a preventable barrier to everyday conversation, one can be devastating to their emotional and mental wellbeing.
It’s an impact which I have felt as a deaf young person myself, when face coverings were introduced in shops. When I visited the chemist recently, a fellow customer tried to speak through her mask, leaving me confused. It was only when she gestured that I realised that she was making a joke.
It shouldn’t, but misunderstandings often come with a sense of embarrassment when you’re deaf. The awkwardness, although brief, is draining. It’s probably why the visit to the chemist was my first overdue trip outside after lockdown restrictions were lifted. The anxiety around a potential communication breakdown led to me avoiding public conversations.
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It’s a feeling backed up by research. 69% of deaf people surveyed by the not-for-profit Ideas For Ears said the growing use of face coverings makes them worried they’ll mishear or misunderstand conversations more regularly.
Almost half (45%) worried that it will make them more isolated, and a third feared their usage will reduce their independence.
If this is the case for deaf people in public, imagine the isolation and disconnect deaf students will experience. Many will be withdrawn in social environments, or avoid them completely. One deaf student has said they want to refuse to return to school on Monday, when new rules come into place in Scotland.
My concerns are echoed by Ian Noon, Chief Policy Advisor at NDCS, who says that face masks in education would have “serious consequences” for the UK’s 50,000 deaf children.
“For many, there may be little benefit in even attending school or college because they won’t understand their teachers and classmates, with loneliness and isolation a tragic result,” he said.
“Public health must always be the priority, so if face masks are introduced, schools and colleges must be ready to meet deaf pupils’ needs by investing in clear face masks, making every reasonable adjustment possible and urgently discussing the best way forward with specialist teachers, parents and deaf pupils themselves.”
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As Noon mentions, clear masks offer a solution to the communication barriers deaf people like me face with opaque masks, as they contain a plastic window for lipreading.
They are also a much safer alternative to current government guidance, which allows for the removal of face coverings to communicate with someone relying on lipreading.
Even though this still requires people to social distance while doing so, it’s likely many people will contaminate the inside of their masks by lowering it to their chin or neck, or potentially spread droplets by raising their voice. In a pre-Covid situation, shouting isn’t helpful in terms of deaf awareness, but right now, without a mask, it can be highly dangerous.
On top of this, the investment into clear masks which NDCS calls for is moving at too slow a pace from the UK government. Health minister Jo Churchill said a transparent mask has been approved for use in the NHS supply chain, but that the availability of this equipment in health and care settings will be announced “as soon as possible”.
We are still waiting.
This, of course, relates to medical and clinical environments. The government is yet to detail the situation regarding clear masks in UK schools, and what they’re doing to support deaf students negatively impacted by their latest decision.
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In the current pandemic, pupils are facing incredible challenges no one could have anticipated. The government must do more to ensure deaf students do not face another unnecessary barrier on top of that.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Insect Spray Could Help Tackle Coronavirus. Here's How.

Photoboyko via Getty Images
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
An insect repellent usually used to ward off mosquitoes could help tackle coronavirus, a new study suggests, after scientists found an ingredient in the spray may have anti-viral properties against Covid-19.
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Scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), which works under the Ministry of Defence, tested the compound Citriodiol, which is found in the insect spray Mosi-guard Natural.
Citriodiol is derived from the oil of the plant Eucalyptus citriodora – also known as lemon eucalyptus or lemon-scented gum. It’s often marketed as a natural alternative to DEET.
Laboratory results indicate Citriodiol could “reduce the amount of virus detectable in a sample”.
In May, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed insect repellent was being given to the Armed Forces to offer potential protection against coronavirus.
For the latest study, the scientists assessed the spray’s anti-viral activity when applied directly to the virus as a liquid drop, and also assessed the product following its application to latex synthetic skin, when the material is exposed to the virus.
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Although the spray appeared to decrease the amount of the virus detectable, it did not eradicate it altogether. However, the study found that at a higher concentration (90%), Mosi-guard Natural gave a “significant decrease of the virus”.
It’s early days for the research, though, and the scientists pointed out that a study conducted on synthetic skin will not necessarily translate to human skin.
DSTL is hopeful the results can be used as a springboard for other organisations to expand and develop the research, as well as to confirm the findings in this publication.
Defence minister Jeremy Quin said: “We are sharing our preliminary findings today so others can take forward additional research to confirm and expand on our findings.”
He said a Citriodiol-based spray had been given to army personnel in light of the Surgeon General’s advice that it would “do no harm” and should be used on a precautionary basis as an “additional layer of protection” against exposure to the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Bette Midler Speaks Out Amid Backlash For Tweeting Melania Trump 'Still Can't Speak English'

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Bette Midler has spoken out over the backlash she faced after tweeting that US first lady Melania Trump “still can’t speak English”.
Earlier this week, the Oscar-nominated star offered her commentary on the Republican National Convention on Twitter, but came under fire when she tweeted during Melania’s speech: “#BeBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage!”
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Referring to Melania – who was born and raised in Slovenia – Bette continued: “Oh, God. She still can’t speak English.”
#beBest is back! A UGE bore! She can speak several words in a few languages. Get that illegal alien off the stage! — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Oh, God. She still can’t speak English. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Bette’s comments quickly faced criticism on social media, with many pointing out she could criticise Melania and the Trump administration without referencing her heritage.
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Initially the Beaches actor suggested she was just “giving them a taste of their own immigrant bashing medicine”, adding: “I guess they’re not keen.”
Bette Midler and Melania Trump Erik Pendzich/Shutterstock/KEVIN DIETSCH/POOL/EPA-EFE
However, after commenting that “all hell had broken loose”, she eventually posted a second tweet, conceding: “I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always.”
Why not? Just giving them a taste of their own immigrant bashing medicine. I guess they’re not keen. https://t.co/yAuMjgxqiH — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
Well, all hell has broken loose because I said Melania “still can’t speak English” last night. I was wrong to make fun of her accent. America is made up people who speak with all kinds of accents, and they are all welcomed always. — bettemidler (@BetteMidler) August 26, 2020
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Bette previously made headlines with her takedowns of both Donald Trump Jr and his girlfriend, Trump campaign official Kimberly Guilfoyle, whose own *ahem* enthusiastic speech at the RNC raised eyebrows.
Noticing the president’s son was looking a little glassy-eyed, she tweeted: “Donald Trump Jr. looks like he’s been crying. Did Kimberly G. yell at him?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Lockdown Left Poorer Children Behind. Now They Face Weekend Classes To Catch Up

Schools may be forced to introduce weekend lessons, drop non-core subjects, return to a pre-lockdown curriculum and overspend their budgets to hire extra staff in order to help pupils who have struggled academically throughout lockdown, headteachers have warned.
The attainment gap between socio-economically disadvantaged pupils and their more affluent peers has widened considerably as a result of school closures due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to education charities.
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The government has announced a £1bn “catch-up plan” to help these pupils who have fallen behind, including a £350m National Tutoring Programme to subsidise tutoring by up to 75%.
But early years providers and colleges for 16- to 19-year-olds are not included in the plans, and the programme is not expected to offer tutoring to pupils until November – giving disadvantaged pupils two extra months where they could potentially fall even further behind their classmates.
For the first time in her 22-year career in education, Katrina Morley, CEO of Tees Valley Education, has overspent on all of her budgets to hire additional staff to prepare for next week’s reopening.
As the head of a multi-academy trust made up of five primary academies across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland, Morley works with some of the most impoverished communities in the UK; one of her schools is in the bottom 1% in terms of deprivation.
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Her children have not only faced digital poverty – she estimates about 80% of them do not have access to a laptop or computer – but some have not had food on the table, or electricity and gas. “We have needed to provide pencils and pens, things most of us would have in our homes. My pupils have suffered – and not just academically,” she told HuffPost UK.
She describes her schools as a “motorway” made up of three tiers: the general day-to-day learning in any school, a second tier of “profound disadvantage” where deprived children are denied access through genuine poverty; and now the catch-up from Covid-19. And she estimates it could take up to two years for students just to catch up on the last six months.
“My pupils have suffered – and not just academically”
In order to cope with this additional tier, she has hired extra teachers on two-year contracts, trained specialists in special education needs, as well as psychologists and a trauma counsellor. Her schools will be offering after-school lessons, breakfast clubs, as well as smaller group work to ensure a smaller pupil-to-adult ratio.
“My staff are amazing and they’re used to working hard to try and level the playing field for children who are significantly disadvantaged, but they can’t give much more than they already have so we’ve got additional staffing.
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“I’ve overspent on all of my budgets and explained to the Department of Education that as far as I’m concerned, these are about my children’s life chances and I’m not going to be the one that says no to them. How dare any one of us not give them what they’re absolutely entitled to in 2020 when they’ve already got enough barriers in their lives?”
In addition to hiring extra staff, her academies may choose to reset their curriculum back to pre-lockdown days. “We can’t just suddenly move everyone up to a Year 6 if they didn’t finish the whole of Year 5,” she continued.
“We need to assess where our children are now in comparison to where they were in March, so we can understand the gaps to find out who has seen some regression or whose progression has stood still. That way we can decide if we need to go back a little in order to reactivate some prior knowledge, in order to come forward again.”
Sarah Holmes-Carne, principal at Kenton School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, said her academy was also planning to introduce weekend and after-school sessions for her new Year 11 students due to take their GCSEs next summer.
“We’re recalibrating our plans for the coming year, but it’s important to get the balance right,” she told HuffPost UK. “We don’t want to inundate our children with too much because everyone will just be exhausted and stressed.
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“We need to make sure we’ve identified the gaps and work on those deficits, so the extra lessons would be personalised to individual learners or groups and not a one-size-fits-all situation.”
Her school has tried to keep a close eye on its pupils in an attempt to keep everyone up to speed. “We had weekly phone calls and structured home visits and were able to monitor who was accessing home learning and who wasn’t. Not every child has access to the internet and a laptop at home, so we made sure to have paper copies of everything.”
“We don’t want to inundate our children with too much because everyone will just be exhausted and stressed.”
When her pupils return to school next week, they will find their timetable has been changed so they will start each day with their tutor. “Nobody knows how children are going to be like after Covid-19, but by making sure they spend the first 30 minutes each day with a person that knows them well, we can make sure their emotional well-being is identified and supported.”
But Holmes-Carne is reluctant to change her school’s curriculum for now. “It’s still too early to know – we need guidance from a national level because we don’t want to be in a position where we’ve changed something too hastily that could put our children at a disadvantage compared to their peers.”
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While the government’s £350m National Tutoring Programme has been positively received by heads of schools, education charity The Access Project is calling for the plan to be extended to Year 12 and 13 pupils.
“There is no obvious reason the government has chosen to exclude them,” said the charity’s CEO, Nathan Sansom. “In fact, it’s even more important that A-level students are given access to this programme because there’s a really big step up from GCSEs to A-levels.”
The exams fiasco has also led to universities deferring some of this year’s places. “Sadly that means it’s going to be even more difficult for disadvantaged students to get into university next year because they are effectively fighting over a smaller number of places. It’s therefore even more important the support goes in for disadvantaged students who will be sitting their A-levels in 2021,” he added.
Although his Year 10 to 13 students were able to attend some classes in person in June and July and as such are “in a reasonably good position”, UTC South Durham’s principal Tom Dower said he was still concerned about the potential attainment gap in his classrooms next week.
“It would be a really foolish mistake for students to have a full-on exam season.”
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“We’ve had lots of communication with families,” he told HuffPost UK. “Some students have not been making much progress in their development generally, and others have because of the opportunities available to them.
“Some students have had real problems with a lack of technology. We have one boy who is one of eight children in the family, so finding space to be able to work and think is really difficult – there are plenty of examples of those.”
As the head of a college for 14- to 19-year-olds, Dower is particularly concerned about how this gap will affect pupils due to take their GCSEs or A-levels next summer. He believes the government’s plan to run exams as normal is “really foolish mistake” that could have a “detrimental” impact on pupils’ development and “put unfair pressure on students as well as staff”.
In order to cope with a full-on exam season, his pupils will “sadly” drop poetry from their English syllabus and many are expected to reduce the number of GCSEs from the usual nine or 10. “Poetry absolutely needs to be part of a child’s education, but we’re trying to just remove part of the content.” He said many other schools would also be forced to drop subjects such as art and revert to only a few subjects as a result.
“We need to take a deep breath and move intelligently towards a system that is actually fair to everybody. Exams can be important for some knowledge-based testing, but all students should produce some coursework elements and teacher assessment has a really important place as well.”
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Although his teachers will most likely work have to work overtime, because his pupils already study for 31 hours a week (compared with the average 25 hours in most schools), no extra after-school tutoring has been planned.
And while the school heads and education experts who spoke to HuffPost UK were divided over the methods they plan to carry out to rescue disadvantaged pupils from the attainment gap, they were unanimous in saying it was crucial for these students to safely return to their classroom as soon as possible.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Macaulay Culkin Has Turned 40 And, We’re Sorry, WHAT?

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Anyone with enquiries about the secret of eternal youth should probably give Macaulay Culkin a call.
The Home Alone actor, who will forever be prefixed with “former child star”, has just celebrated a milestone birthday.
And no, it wasn’t his 30th.
Unbelievably, former child star (told you) Macaulay has just hit the big 4-0.
Macaulay Culkin 20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
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And Macaulay is only too aware just how ridiculous that sounds.
To mark his birthday on Wednesday, the actor tweeted: “Hey guys, wanna feel old? I’m 40. You’re welcome.”
He added: “It’s my gift to the world: I make people feel old. I’m no longer a kid, that’s my job.”
Hey guys, wanna feel old?
I'm 40.
You're welcome. — Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) August 26, 2020
It's my gift to the world: I make people feel old.
I'm no longer a kid, that's my job. — Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) August 26, 2020
The ever youthful Macaulay also joked he was about to enter a midlife crisis, saying: “I’m thinking of picking up surfing. Do you all have any suggestions?
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“Do any of you have photoshop skill? Can you put my head on a surfer so I can get an idea of how cool I’d look?”
Macaulay is best-known for his breakout part in the 1990 classic Christmas movie Home Alone, in which he played enterprising youngster Kevin McCallister, pitting his wits against two bumbling intruders.
He reprised the role in 1992 sequel Home Alone 2: Lost In New York.
Macaulay Culkin arrives at the 2018 American Music Awards. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP
After the success of Home Alone made him world famous, Macaulay starred in a string of films including Getting Even With Dad, The Pagemaster and Richie Rich, before embarking on a career break from 1994.
He returned to acting with a stage role in the play Madame Melville in 2000.
More recently he starred in the 2019 comedy-drama Changeland and earlier this year it was announced he had joined the cast of American Horror Story for its 10th season.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Fox News Host Slammed For Trying To Justify Fatal Shootings At Anti-Racism Protest

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Fox News host Tucker Carlson ignited widespread condemnation on Wednesday after he attempted to justify the actions of Kyle Rittenhouse, the 17-year-old accused of fatally shooting two protesters during demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Tuesday night.
“So are we really surprised that looting and arson accelerated to murder?” he asked on Tucker Carlson Tonight. “How shocked are we that 17-year-olds with rifles decided they had to maintain order when no one else would?”
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Rittenhouse was reportedly arrested in his hometown of Antioch, Illinois, and charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday. He’s accused of crossing the state border with a semiautomatic rifle and joining a group of heavily armed white vigilantes who sought to “protect” public property in Kenosha, where he shot three people, killing two.
Kenosha has been rocked by protests since Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man, was shot seven times in the back by police on Sunday while his children were nearby. Attorneys for Blake’s family have said he was trying to de-escalate a domestic situation when he walked away from police and back to his car.
“An innocent black guy is killed by police and Tucker Carlson calls him a thug. A guilty white guy murders two people and Tucker Carlson calls him a patriot.” - Keith Boykin, CNN commentator
Carlson began the broadcast by showing footage of chaotic scenes in Kenosha, claiming major media organisations have been trying to “downplay and ignore” the violence before he then showed footage of a victim dying from a gunshot wound.
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“The 17-year-old who has now been charged tried to run from the mob. He tripped and fell in the middle of the street. A man ran up and smashed him in the head with a skateboard,” Carlson said. “The 17-year-old then fired his gun.”
“So what does that amount to?” Carlson asked. He then said a court will decide if it “qualifies as self-defence” and blamed the entire incident on Wisconsin governor Tony Evers, a Democrat, and city authorities.
“We do know why it all happened, though. Kenosha has devolved into anarchy, the authorities in charge of the city abandoned it. People in charge, from the governor of Wisconsin on down, refused to enforce the law,” he said.
Carlson has often spewed vitriol about the Black Lives Matter movement and, in the months since George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police, has persistently defaulted to fear-mongering about the anti-racism protests gripping the nation. He’s described Minneapolis demonstrations over the Black man’s death as a “threat to every American,” called the Black Lives Matter movement “poison” and repeatedly sought to frame protesters as violent thugs.
He’s remained on Fox News airwaves despite routinely giving a platform to white supremacist conspiracy theories and talking points on his show. (Carlson, notably, has said he thinks white supremacy is a “hoax.”)
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On Wednesday, he drew a storm of criticism for his latest comments. Former labour secretary Robert Reich said that if Fox News doesn’t take action after this, every one of the network’s “executives, directors and advertisers is complicit in Tucker Carlson’s racist, murderous rants.”
“An innocent black guy is killed by police and Tucker Carlson calls him a thug. A guilty white guy murders two people and Tucker Carlson calls him a patriot,” tweeted CNN commentator Keith Boykin.
And conservative commentator Bill Kristol shared the names of Fox News’ top executives in a “reminder that Tucker Carlson is employed and compensated by a corporation whose board of directors could insist that its employees, e.g., not excuse racial violence.”
Earlier in the evening, Fox News’ Jesse Watters similarly blamed the governor and the protest movement for Tuesday’s deaths. “Sadly, you’re going to have vigilante justice,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--The Government Has Published A 5G Guide To Debunk Conspiracy Theorists

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Ministers have published a guide on 5G masts in a bid to dispel “quack” theories that the new technology could harm people’s health.
Conspiracy theories have emerged claiming that the burgeoning 5G network, which will provide super-fast internet speeds while on the move once fully rolled out, was behind the coronavirus outbreak and that they could damage public health by emitting dangerous levels of radiation.
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The misinformation campaign has resulted in some communication masts being vandalised – an act the government warned could cost lives as damaging them could prevent calls to the emergency services from being made.
Digital infrastructure minister Matt Warman and local government minister Simon Clarke have written to councils to promote a new guide which can be handed out to worried constituents in an effort to dispel the misleading theories taking hold on social media.
The information pamphlet, 5G Mobile Technology: A Guide, explains how 5G works and states that watchdog Ofcom found the wave emission readings taken from the masts are “a small fraction” of the amount permitted by the International Commission for Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
The guide, published on Thursday, says: “Companies have been rolling out 5G in the UK since 2019.
“However, some people have raised concerns that the introduction of 5G could affect people’s health and have even linked it to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“These claims are completely unfounded and should not be used as a basis to block or delay 5G rollout.”
A woman holds up a placard at a coronavirus anti-lockdown, anti-vaccine, anti-5G and pro-freedom protest near Scotland Yard in London on May 2 2020. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Warman and Clarke, in their letter to local authorities, also called for more to be done to help find sites for masts and the installation of full fibre broadband.
Telecoms companies need to secure rights to install their infrastructure on public sector land and buildings but there are concerns some deals are not progressing quickly enough.
Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party manifesto vowed to “bring full fibre and gigabit-capable broadband to every home and business across the UK by 2025”.
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The government is encouraging councils, which are obliged to get “best value” when agreeing land access agreements, to take into account “non-monetary benefits” such as enhanced connectivity.
Warman said: “Councils have a vital role to play in the roll-out of digital infrastructure and while there is good work going on up and down the country, there is more we can do.
“Today I’m writing to local authorities with new guidance and advice to help them break down some of the barriers to roll-out and give them the tools they need to quell quack theories about 5G.”
Philip Marnick, spectrum group director at Ofcom, said: “The UK has a great opportunity to be a world leader in 5G – making the most of the benefits this new technology offers people and businesses.
“So it’s important that public bodies work together to address some of the myths and misinformation around 5G, and that decisions are based on sound evidence.”
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Labour shadow digital minister Chi Onwurah said legislation needed strengthening to properly protect against 5G misinformation.
He said: “We welcome the government’s moves to tackle the dangerous misinformation about 5G and the coronavirus which is putting lives at risk.
“But sadly, this guidance will not solve the problem without the government doing what is needed on the online harms bill to tackle misinformation on social media.”
In their correspondence with councils, Warman and Clarke pointed to Cambridgeshire and Kent as examples of where local authorities have worked effectively to encourage next-generation gigabit broadband networks.
The West Midlands 5G project, part of the Government’s £200 million 5G testbed and trials programme, was cited as having successfully addressed some of the challenges councils face when deploying 5G technology.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-08-27--Kellyanne Conway's Republican Convention Speech Praises Trump As Champion Of Women

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Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, used her time in the spotlight at the Republican National Convention to paint the president as a supposedly kindhearted champion of women.
“A woman in a leadership role still can seem novel,” Conway said. In 2016, she became the first woman to run a successful US presidential campaign.
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Later, she claimed to have “seen firsthand many times the president comforting and encouraging a child who has lost a parent, a parent who has lost a child, a worker who lost his job, an adolescent who has lost her way to drugs.”
“There always will be people who have far more than us,” she continued. “Our responsibility is to focus on those who have far less than us.”
Contrary to Conway’s depiction of Republican leadership, the RNC featured a speaker the night before who has argued that only the “head” of a household should have voting power because “in a Godly household, the husband would get the final say.”
Conway delivered her speech three days after announcing she would resign from her position at the White House at the end of August, citing the need to spend more time with her family.
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Her husband, George Conway, will take a step back from The Lincoln Project, an anti-Trump group he co-founded with fellow Republicans. He is also taking a hiatus from Twitter, where he frequently posts searing criticisms of the president, who once called him “Moonface” in retort.
The Conways’ marriage ― between a strident Trump supporter and an unrelenting Trump detractor ― has been regarded as a microcosm of the state of America’s right-wing, divided by Trumpism.
“We disagree about plenty, but we are united on what matters most: the kids,” Kellyanne Conway wrote in a statement released Sunday. “Our four children are teens and ‘tweens starting a new academic year, in middle school and high school, remotely from home for at least a few months. As millions of parents nationwide know, kids ‘doing school from home’ requires a level of attention and vigilance that is as unusual as these times.”
She concluded: “For now, and for my beloved children, it will be less drama, more mama.”
Conway did not mention her 15-year-old daughter by name, but Claudia Conway announced publicly over the weekend that she would seek emancipation from her parents, claiming unspecified abuses. For months, she has attracted attention by posting fierce criticisms of her mother and Trump to TikTok, and by publicly goading both her parents on Twitter. The teen said on Twitter that she was “devastated” to learn her mother would be speaking at the RNC, and she is now on a break from social media.
Conway appeared to include a nod to her children as she concluded her remarks Wednesday night.
“In honour of the women who empowered me and for the future of the children we all cherish, thank you and God bless you,” she said.