thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--J.K. Rowling Accused Of Invalidating Trans People With Controversial Tweets About Menstruation And B

J.K. Rowling Accused Of Invalidating Trans People With Controversial Tweets About Menstruation And Biological Sex

Joel C Ryan/Invision/AP
J.K. Rowling has sparked a huge online backlash after posting controversial tweets about menstruation and biological sex, which have been criticised for invalidating trans people.
On Saturday night, the Harry Potter author tweeted an online article, entitled ‘Opinion: Creating a more equal post Covid-19 world for people who menstruate’.
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Sharing it with her 14.5 million Twitter followers, she wrote: ”‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Rowling then followed this up by tweeting: “If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth.”
‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?
Opinion: Creating a more equal post-COVID-19 world for people who menstruate https://t.co/cVpZxG7gaA — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
If sex isn’t real, there’s no same-sex attraction. If sex isn’t real, the lived reality of women globally is erased. I know and love trans people, but erasing the concept of sex removes the ability of many to meaningfully discuss their lives. It isn’t hate to speak the truth. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
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Rowling was accused of erasing trans people, as thousands of people responded to her tweets.
Trans women are women. Trans Black people & trans non-Black people are discriminated against every single day. They’re dying. We’re fighting for Black people & trans people and you’re doing this? https://t.co/2l5PHDCpKD — Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) June 7, 2020
You have power and influence. Why would you do this? What does it achieve? Do you feel like more of a woman when you punch down? Are you threatened? Some trans men menstruate. Why does that affect you? Why do you want to police that? — Mary Lambert (@marylambertsing) June 6, 2020
I don’t know what I can say that’ll explain this. Trans women, trans men, trans people, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry that there is so much ignorance. I’m so sorry that cis people keep doing shit like this. You will be free from this bigotry soon, inshAllah. https://t.co/kX0xNqemr1 — Shahmir Sanni 🏳🌈 (@shahmiruk) June 7, 2020
Imagine having a following you could use to spread awareness for important things happening in the world rn but you decide to shit on trans people. Get a life lady. https://t.co/psddMqoUfA — Eddie Possehl (@edpossehl) June 7, 2020
Trans women are women. That this bears constant repeating is sad but necessary. Especially at a time when the world’s most famous author decides to throw them under a bus. — Nikesh Shukla (@nikeshshukla) June 7, 2020
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Imagine having a platform like that, in a moment like this, and using it like that. What a waste. What a disappointment. #TransWomenareWomen — Catriona Wightman (@catrionaw890) June 7, 2020
Imagine writing a generation defining series about a youth uprisal that defeats a tyrannical monster motivated by the preservation of “pure blood” and looking at THIS time in the world and going “hmm...yep. I’m gonna invalidate trans people.” — h (@halsey) June 7, 2020
Literally NO ONE said the concept of sex or womxn is erased.
The only thing erased here is YOU erasing the legitimacy of trans folks.
Please reconsider where you stand here, for trans folks and for so many who used to idolize you. — Maddy Eisenberg (@maddyeisenberg) June 6, 2020
You’re a smart person. How do you not yet understand the difference between sex and gender? The only way I can possibly explain your ignorance at this point is willfulness. It’s incredibly disappointing. — Brad Walsh (@BradWalsh) June 6, 2020
JK Rowling choosing to tweet about trans women not being real women RIGHT NOW during BLM uproar really shows her depth of thought about trans people AND black people... I am gettin flu-like symptoms trying to imagine her thoughts (or lack-there-of) on... the intersection 🧙🏼♀ — Patti Harrison (@Party_Harderson) June 7, 2020
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Rowling then added to her Twitter thread, saying: “The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women – ie, to male violence – ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences – is a nonsense.
“I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so.”
The idea that women like me, who’ve been empathetic to trans people for decades, feeling kinship because they’re vulnerable in the same way as women - ie, to male violence - ‘hate’ trans people because they think sex is real and has lived consequences - is a nonsense. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
I respect every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them. I’d march with you if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans. At the same time, my life has been shaped by being female. I do not believe it’s hateful to say so. — J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) June 6, 2020
However, many people quickly pointed out that trans people face frequent discrimination and violence, especially Black trans women, who people are currently fighting for as part of the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Hi everyone, just a quick note to say that if you'd like to donate to organisations that support black trans women – who are having an especially tough time at the moment, and facing hostility from every direction – @VICE has compiled a list. https://t.co/X5BeOPpYH9 — Paris Lees (@parislees) June 7, 2020
It's not hate if u say that YOU'RE a woman. It's HARMFUL 2 say TRANSWOMEN are men. thus not a hypothetical "If", but WHEN WE ARE DISCRIMINATED against IS CLEAR if u connect reports of VIOLENCE & removal of transfolk from: _____. In Disregarding that point u appear 2 CHOOSE HATE. — Peppermint (@Peppermint247) June 7, 2020
Hey JK as you claim to support trans rights and this is a historical moment where we are globally discussing the impact of white supremacy on Black People, please share some of your $650million mega wealth with this charity. https://t.co/3WoGduRuSE — Jameela Jamil 🌈 (@jameelajamil) June 7, 2020
BLACK TRANS LIVES MATTER — Meena Harris (@meenaharris) June 6, 2020
"IF you were discriminated against"
IF? Seriously, IF? — Tuuli Laukkanen🌍 (@LaukkanenTuuli) June 7, 2020
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Then you need to do more research. — Chris Rogers🌈 Spread Kindness and LOVE 💗 (@HseThistleRose) June 7, 2020
Here is a crowdfunder for black trans women who ARE being discriminated against for being trans if you wanted to do something useful other than....whatever this mess is https://t.co/UBv4TX7TZ5 — Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) June 6, 2020
Trans people are discriminated against on the basis of being trans literally ALL THE TIME.
Also, killed for it. https://t.co/4asWPyZgM2 — Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) June 6, 2020
Rowling keeps saying “IF” trans people are discriminated against... like they’re not one of the most targeted groups already??? https://t.co/pEKREMSn3W — Diyora Shadijanova (@thediyora) June 6, 2020
PEOPLE ARE LITERALLY MURDERED JUST FOR BEING TRANS SHUT THE FUCK UP https://t.co/7DrcSyQHyM — jodie ▯ (@jodieegrace) June 6, 2020
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"IF YOU WERE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST ON THE BASIS OF BEING TRANS" DOES SHE NOT KNOW TRANS PEOPLE ARE KILLED BECAUSE???OF???BEING???TRANS????? https://t.co/VxnLVRNCH8 — ryan semegran 🏴🏳🌈 (@RSemegran) June 7, 2020
American LGBTQ+ rights organisation GLAAD also condemned Rowling’s tweets, calling them “inaccurate and cruel”.
It posted on Twitter: “JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people.
“We stand with trans youth, especially those Harry Potter fans hurt by her inaccurate and cruel tweets.”
JK Rowling continues to align herself with an ideology which willfully distorts facts about gender identity and people who are trans. In 2020, there is no excuse for targeting trans people. — GLAAD (@glaad) June 7, 2020
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We stand with trans youth, especially those Harry Potter fans hurt by her inaccurate and cruel tweets. Our friend @jackisnotabird says it best. https://t.co/jLkchof3rn — GLAAD (@glaad) June 7, 2020
Back in 2018, the Wizarding World creator sparked a backlash when she was seen “liking” a tweet referring to transgender women as “men in dresses”.
Towards the end of last year, she was criticised when she spoke out in defence of Maya Forstater, who had been accused of using “offensive and exclusionary” language in a number of tweets relating to proposed changes to the Gender Recognition Act, which would allow self-identification.
She said she had “accidentally pasted in” a sentence, which appeared to be from an article about transgender activist Tara Wolf.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--'My New Normal': A Day In The Life Of A Key Worker

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'My New Normal': A Day In The Life Of A Key Worker
Frontline workers are continuing to put their health on the line to keep the country running despite a relaxation in lockdown laws imposed by Boris Johnson in March. Here, we spend 24 hours with three key workers who have had no choice but to leave the safety of their homes throughout the pandemic to help keep the country running. They tell us about what it has been like to work on the front line of a global health crises, the challenges they continue to face and how coronavirus has affected their personal life.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--I Won't Be Visiting My Parents As Lockdown Eases. And You Shouldn't Either

Visitors to Madison Square Park in New York enjoy the lawn while social distancing on Memorial Day, Monday, May 25, 2020. (Photo by Richard B. Levine) SIPA USA/PA Images
Since lockdown rules eased my mates have already grown tired of seeing me: I’ve been liberal with my socialising, but there’s no way I’m going anywhere near my elderly parents.
I doubt this is news to other extroverts, but being stuck indoors during ultra lockdown (that’s what I’ve called the pre-seeing-friends period of lockdown), was a confronting, alienating experience.
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That’s not to say it was all bad. Some of it was good: ultra lockdown, for instance, was good for introspection, and good for learning new things about myself. For instance, I learnt that I can actually enjoy nights in! (Even if I now find them a struggle again with the welcome option of seeing friends back on the agenda.)
But what ultra lockdown wasn’t was natural or comfortable.
So along with my cohort of energised extrovert friends, I was relieved to see pals in parks for beers and snacks in what felt like a new age of socialising when rules were eased: why wasn’t innocently lying in parks something we were doing much more of in life before lockdown? Why did we have to wait for this horrid situation to do it?
Since lockdown eased, I have leapt about the East End, sometimes going into central to gabble to mates most nights, revelling in the simple freedoms of a socially distant walk – and now that guidelines say we can see six people outdoors, including our parents, surely it’s time to finally visit my 77 and 78-year-old parents and gabble at them too.
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After all, the government has told us via some complicated messages about R rates that we are allowed to visit friends and family of all ages, but given the mixed-messaging that has defined the lockdown, and the commonly-held fear that the Conservative government has economics as a priority over fundamental safety (remember herd mentality?) what makes us all so sure that visiting the weakest in society – those over 70 – is suddenly a superb idea?
In short, much like when Boris Johnson proudly declared: “I’ve been shaking hands with everybody!” and then contracted coronavirus, just because he has said we are now safe to visit our elderly relatives doesn’t mean it is safe to actually do so.
The scientific facts paint the picture of a virus still deeply embedded in Britain, and spreading fast. There are still more than 1,500 new daily cases a day in the UK as it stands; at the height of lockdown it was around 4,000.
Despite the worrying rate of new daily cases, I’ve struggled with how the people around me are conflating the government’s message of safety with the absolute truth of the situation. “I’ve learned that I’m more authoritarian than I thought,” one friend reflected to me recently of how he has awaited the government messaging to plan his social life.
But how can we be expected to believe the government has our best interests at heart when chief strategist Dominic Cummings isn’t abiding by his own rules, and the UK has the second highest coronavirus death rate in the world, despite our wealth as a country?
They are obvious points, but fundamental reasons why, unfortunately, we have to employ our own common sense, rather than abiding literally by governmental rules when it comes to seeing the weakest in society.
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I feel stressed when my parents, nearly 80, texted me a simple: “We’re allowed to see each other now!” I feel stressed about it because it makes me feel like I’m disinterested if I don’t go to see them, and I feel like I’m patronising them if I try to explain why I think it’s a worse idea than literally licking my own toilet door handle.
“For me, picnicking with the visibly vulnerable is a socially distant spread too far.”
The crux of it, as Twitter discussions have exposed, is that for some, we’ll continue to be wary. We’ll know, given the obvious stats around the situation, that visiting elderly relatives – especially if they live in the countryside and you live in an urban centre – is still objectively dangerous.
For those of us that get the danger, our biggest stresses may be communicating our fears, badly, to those who just desperately want to see us.
As Prime Minister Boris Johnson put it when he announced the easing of rules over seeing friends and family: “I know that for many this will be a long-awaited and joyful moment.”
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But my biggest fear derives from the thought that there are others who will take the government’s advice literally. Others who, in good faith, will enjoy picnics in parks with elderly relatives in the days after they have joyously shared park spaces with multiple friends in urban centres where the silent, invisible virus statistically lurks hard.
To be clear, I definitely am somewhat of a hypocrite for seeing my friends as I have, putting myself, and my friends, at risk. Even if we are young-ish. I accept that response wholeheartedly.
But for me, visiting an elderly relative is so much more destructive and needless, given the facts around mortality rates for the over-70s. (My friends with known underlying health conditions have sensibly, voluntarily bowed out from social situations these past few picnic-filled weeks.)
I fear there will be more unnecessary deaths spread by more asymptomatic young people carrying the virus to their elderly relatives because of this easing of lockdown.
We may all be putting each other more at risk now we’re picnicking more but, for me, picnicking with the visibly vulnerable is a socially distant spread too far.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--LAPD Accused Of Shooting Homeless Man In Wheelchair In The Face With Rubber Bullets

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The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating reports that officers shot a man in the eye with rubber bullets amid an anti-police-brutality and anti-racism protest in the city.
Multiple photos show the man, who uses a wheelchair and is homeless, bleeding from the eye on Tuesday. An image by photographer Kirk Tsonos went viral earlier this week, showing the man in front of a line of officers, bent forward in his wheelchair as blood pours from his face. Tsonos wrote that the man was unarmed and wasn’t involved with the protests at all, and that police shot rounds “directly at his face.”
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“We are aware of the photo and the allegations and we are still trying to understand the context and circumstances around what happened,” LAPD spokesperson Josh Rubenstein told BuzzFeed News. “A personnel investigation has been initiated.”
The LAPD also said it could not “speculate” on the man’s injury without “further investigation.”
Other photos published by BuzzFeed News and The Los Angeles Times show the man severely bleeding from above the eye.
News of the investigation comes in the wake of a lawsuit against the LAPD filed Friday by multiple organisations, including the Los Angeles chapter of the National Lawyers Guild, Black Lives Matter and the Los Angeles Community Action Network, The Los Angeles Times reports.
The suit accuses the department of using excessive force and violating protesters’ rights to assemble. It also specifically notes that the man who was shot above the eye, identified by the name Cincinnati, said police shot him with rubber bullets.
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“He pleaded with police not to use force on him before being shot in the face,” the suit states.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Around The World: Black Lives Matter

Around The World: Black Lives Matter

While mourners filed past George Floyd’s body in a Free Will Baptist church in his hometown of Raeford, North Carolina, just 12 days after he was killed under the knee of a Minneapolis police officer, tens-of-thousands of people around the world came together to protest his death.
They shut down part of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, and they shut down Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. They marched past US President Donald Trump’s hotel in Manhattan, waving Black Lives Matter signs, and they marched under the gaze of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. They gathered in the rain in Parliament Square in London, and they rallied in front of JR Shibuya Station in Tokyo.
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After many days of unrest, police beating protesters, police shoving elderly people, and police arresting journalists, for the first time in a generation — or perhaps in history — the civil rights of Black people appear to finally matter to almost everyone.
The world has reached a boiling point.
Alexanderplatz in Berlin, Germany, is seen fully crowded with people holding banners and placards as they stand in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in tribute to George Floyd. Michele Tantussi via Getty Images
In London, protesters clashed with police on horseback and sat in silence in front of prime minister Boris Johnson’s home, calling attention to the Conservative leader’s history of racist remarks. In Berlin, thousands packed Alexanderplatz in the city centre, wielding signs with English slogans: “Black Lives Matter,” “I can’t breathe” and “Germany is not innocent.” In Paris, a crowd formed outside the US embassy, despite officials banning protests over fears of the coronavirus, while another unsanctioned rally took place near the Eiffel Tower.
“I find it scandalous that all these injustices go unpunished,” one 21-year-old Senegalese Ivorian student told France24 amid a crowd of people holding up signs that read “Being black is not a crime” and “Our police are assassins.”
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A demonstrator holds up a sign that reads "Racism exists in Tokyo" at a Saturday protest in Tokyo. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
At least 100 people marched in Seoul through the city’s central district, demanding that South Koreans “form an alliance” to combat racism in one of the world’s most ethnically homogeneous nations. In Tokyo, protests also highlighted more local incidents as demonstrators condemned a May 22 incident in which Japanese police stopped and shoved a 33-year-old Kurdish man to the ground. The demonstrators also picketed outside Twitter’s Japan office to denounce the suspension of an antiracism account.
“I feel very sad,” Tomohiko Tsurumi, 43, who joined the march with his wife, told Reuters. “I always thought of this country as very safe and I realised that there is so much [police action] we cannot see.”
In Brazil, where the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro draws frequent parallels to Trump, hundreds of people marched in the northeastern city of Recife to protest the death of Miguel da Silva, a Black 5-year-old who fell Tuesday from a ninth-story high-rise where his mother, a maid, was working. Protesters cried “Vidas negras importam” — “Black lives matter” — while criticising the white employer whom da Silva’s mother had entrusted with looking after the boy.
While Saturday’s protests were mostly peaceful yet passionate, throughout the day, Trump largely ignored this reality and tweeted “LAW & ORDER!” on Saturday evening.
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Affecting Change, Albeit Lightly
Some states are taking steps to walk back some of the harsher tactics that police have used during protests. In Minneapolis, the city where George Floyd was killed by police, the state has already withdrawn its curfew and is sending state troopers and National Guard members home. The city on Friday also announced an agreement to ban police from using chokeholds and strangleholds, requiring officers who witness such uses of force to intervene and file a report.
A mural of former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and George Floyd in Miami, Florida. Johnny Louis via Getty Images
However, after Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey told protestors on Saturday that he would not commit to defunding the city’s police department, he was forced to leave a rally to resounding chants of, “Go home, Jacob. Go home,” and “Shame, shame, shame.”
In other cities, efforts are already underway to try and limit police use of rubber bullets and tear gas, after images of police officers using the weapons on often peaceful protestors elicited outrage. In Philadelphia, four council members are asking police to refrain from using rubber bullets, tear gas and pepper spray on demonstrators. In California, a group of lawmakers is set to introduce legislation outlining when officers can use rubber bullets. There, the governor has already called for police to reform how they treat protesters.
“Protesters have the right not to be harassed,” California governor Gavin Newsom said Friday. “Protesters have the right to protest peacefully. Protesters have the right to do so without being arrested, gassed or shot at by projectiles.”
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Spurring Cultural Change
Beyond police reforms, the protests also seem to be spurring some cultural changes in the US. On Friday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell apologised for the league’s past treatment of players who spoke out against racism, saying the league believes “Black lives matter.”
The apology did not name Colin Kaepernick, the former San Francisco 49ers quarterback who in 2016 started kneeling during the national anthem to peacefully protest police brutality against Black people. Kaepernick has not played since the end of that season and has accused the league of colluding to keep him from getting signed to a team in reaction to his protests.
Goodell, instead, spoke in generalities about past wrongs committed by the league.
The casket is moved at the conclusion of the George Floyd Memorial at R.L Douglas Cape Fear Conference B - United American Free Will Baptist Denomination in Raeford, N.C. POOL New / Reuters
“We, the NFL, condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black people,” Goodell said in a filmed statement. “We, the NFL, admit we were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest.”
Also on Friday, the mayor of Washington, DC, Muriel Bowser, had “Black Lives Matter” painted in giant yellow letters on 16th Street. She also renamed the street in front of the White House to Black Lives Matter Plaza. While photos and videos of this act of defiance went viral, the DC chapter of Black Lives Matter criticised Bowser on Twitter.
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“This is a performative distraction from real policy changes,” the group wrote. “This is to appease white liberals while ignoring our demands. Black Lives Matter means defund the police.”
Holding The Police Accountable
Such calls fell flat earlier on Thursday when the city council of Buffalo, New York, voted 6-3 to fully fund the police budget. That same day, two police officers in Buffalo shoved a lone 75-year-old man to the ground, leaving him ― as seen in a widely circulated video – unconscious with blood pooling under his head.
A group of people exiting a memorial for Floyd embrace each other outside the R.L. Douglas Cape Fear Center on June 6. Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images
On Saturday, the officers ― Aaron Torgalski, 39, and Robert McCabe, 32 ― pleaded not guilty to assault charges. At least 57 fellow officers resigned from an emergency response team to protest the department’s decision to discipline their colleagues.
In Minneapolis, however, lawmakers took a different tack. The city’s schools and parks on Thursday began the process of cutting ties with the police department. On Friday, the city council started rallying behind calls to “dismantle” the police department and “replace it with a transformative new model of public safety.”
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He Sparked The Fuse
While the world was using the death of George Floyd to push for change on Saturday, mourners near his hometown were gathering to pay their respects. An intimate memorial service was held for Floyd in Raeford, North Carolina, about 25 miles away from his birthplace. There, a gold casket held his remains, according to CNN.
At the memorial service, Reverend Christopher D. Stackhouse gave a eulogy remembering Floyd as a “gentle giant” and detailing how his death had already changed the world.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Matt Hancock Names Two Asians When Asked To Identify Black Cabinet Members

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Matt Hancock named Rishi Sunak and Priti Patel as “Black and minority ethnic” (BAME) senior ministers when asked to name Black cabinet members.
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Following fresh Black Lives Matter protests in the UK, the health secretary was unable to name any Black cabinet members - because there are none.
Hancock went on to name Kwasi Kwarteng, who used to attend cabinet until February’s reshuffle before insisting Boris Johnson has a “very good record” on diversity.
James Cleverly, who is mixed race, also used to attend cabinet but was shifted from his role as Tory party chairman to become a junior minister for the Middle East and north Africa in the Foreign Office.
Asked how many Black people are in the cabinet, Hancock told Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News: “There’s a whole series of people from a black and minority ethnic background. The chancellor of the exchequer (Sunak), the home secretary (Patel) to name but two.”
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Sunak and Patel are from a British Indian background, as well as the business secretary Alok Sharma and attorney general Suella Braverman, who attends cabinet.
When Ridge highlighted the importance of not “lumping” together everyone from a non-white background as different groups face different prejudice, Hancock said: “The two cabinets I’ve sat in with Boris Johnson as prime minister are the two most diverse cabinets I’ve ever sat in.
“And, you know, right at the top of government, including in the great offices of state, people from black and minority ethnic backgrounds.
“Kwasi Kwarteng was sitting around the cabinet table with me.
“And so, actually I think that Boris Johnson has got a very good record on this and brings people in and listens to a diversity of views.
“And it’s diversity of thought that’s the really important thing when you’re taking those big decisions around the cabinet table.”
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"How many black people are in the current cabinet?"
"Well there's a whole series of people from a black and ethnic minority background" responds Matt Hancock. #Ridge
Follow live analysis: https://t.co/acafWfVYun pic.twitter.com/p1M7CsW2lb — Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) June 7, 2020
Hancock went on to name junior equalities minister Kemi Badenoch, who is leading fresh work on why BAME people are at higher risk of death from coronavirus than white people.
Tory former minister Caroline Nokes has told HuffPost UK the prime minister must demonstrate he believes Black lives matter by standing up to Donald Trump over his handling of protests in America following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police.
And the prime minister has been told the government “can and must do more” to address racial inequality by former chancellor Sajid Javid.
Writing in the Sunday Times, Javid said only the PM was capable of “driving real change”, adding the UK risked being “complacent” about its claims to be a tolerant society.
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Hancock said he does not feel that Britain is racist but insisted tackling racial injustice was a “core part” of the government’s levelling up agenda, particularly on improving education and job opportunities.
“I do think that there’s injustice that needs to be tackled,” he said.
“I think we’re one of the most tolerant and open societies in the world, but there’s always more that can and must be done, especially to empower people so that they can achieve that potential, that’s at the core of my political beliefs and I think that it’s incredibly important.
“So I think the substance of what’s being said and the arguments made by those who are marching, I think there’s a lot to it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--BAME People Pleaded For Help During The Coronavirus Pandemic. This Is How They Were Let Down

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In the early days of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Chaand Nagpaul found himself puzzled, and alarmed.
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The north London GP was noticing high numbers of patients from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds dying of Covid-19.
“At our practice, we experienced the death of BAME patients who we would have not expected to die including younger patients and it was very distressing.
“These were people who we would not have expected to die but they were succumbing to this disease.”
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, a GP and chair of the council at the British Medical Association British Medical Association
After it emerged that the first 10 doctors who died of Covid-19 in the UK were all of BAME origin, Nagpaul, who is also chairperson of the British Medical Association (BMA), called on the government in early April to urgently investigate the disproportionate impact coronavirus appeared to be having.
“We found out that the first 10 doctors that had died from coronavirus were all from a BAME background and all apart from one of them was from abroad.”
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Nagpaul’s concerns deepened when figures published by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre revealed that a third of people in the UK admitted to intensive care due to Covid-19 by that point were from a BAME background.
“We spoke out then as these statistics about BAME NHS doctors dying and about the high proportion of BAME intensive care admissions were stark, took us completely by surprise and were alarming.”
Nagpaul wrote formally to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens urging him to investigate the virus’s impact on BAME communities as well as the high number of deaths among BAME doctors specifically.
“We asked for action from the government to protect both health workers and people from BAME communities.” Nagpaul told HuffPost UK. “There wasn’t an understanding as to why this was happening. But there were things the government could have done.”
Our chair of council @CNagpaul has written to Simon Stevens @NHSEngland to reiterate our concerns about the disproportionate impact of #COVID19 on the BAME population and to seek assurances that this will be properly investigated. pic.twitter.com/4hVXTQIyGB — The BMA (@TheBMA) April 14, 2020
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Nagpaul was invited by Simon Stevens to take part in an urgent meeting the following week about the impact of Covid-19 on the BAME population. The government subsequently announced the launch of the review led by Public Health England.
Nagpaul says the BMA has repeatedly called on the government and Public Health England to make sure the review looked at real-time data and factors such as the working hours and shift patterns of the deceased doctors; the personal protective equipment (PPE) they were supplied with and their level of exposure to Covid-19 patients.
The BMA also urged NHS England to develop risk assessments to protect healthcare workers at greatest risk of coronavirus so they could be protected and redeployed to other areas.
As the weeks passed, more health workers from BAME backgrounds were dying and Nagpaul says there have now been more than 200 deaths of healthcare workers from all backgrounds who have died as a result of coronavirus.
Of the doctors who have died, 90% have been from BAME backgrounds, while 70% of deceased nurses have been of BAME origin. Overall, more than 60% of healthcare workers who have died of Covid-19 have been BAME.
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Nagpaul says NHS England finally wrote to all trusts to tell them that BAME healthcare workers should have a risk assessment – but he says they failed to explain how this should happen, prompting him to write another letter.
Then just over two weeks ago, NHS Employers published guidance tools for trusts on risk assessments. However, Nagpaul said the issue was these were not being implemented in a systematic manner, so he wrote to all doctors in the UK of a BAME origin telling them they were entitled to a risk assessment.
“I don’t think anyone was expecting a clear scientific explanation instantly as to why there were such high numbers of BAME deaths to coronavirus. But what we were expecting was some practical action to protect those that we know to be at risk.” - Dr Chaand Nagpal, British Medical Association
Nagpaul admitted to HuffPost UK that the BMA had to repeatedly push for action as they felt it was critical for people to be protected while the review took place.
He said: “The BAME community has served the nation at every level throughout the lockdown from healthcare, public transport and serving in shops and supermarkets.
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“Clearly, the BAME community and the medical profession feels they deserved more prompt action when these stark statistics came to light.
“I don’t think anyone was expecting a clear scientific explanation instantly as to why there were such high numbers of BAME deaths to coronavirus.
“But what we were expecting was some practical action to protect those that we know to be at risk.”
The awaited Public Health England report was published this week and identified a higher mortality risk among BAME people.
The research suggested that people of Bangladeshi ethnicity were twice as likely to die of coronavirus as those who are white British and that those of Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, other Asian, Caribbean and other Black ethnicities had a 10% to 50% higher risk of death than white people.
But the report has been surrounded by controversy and has been highly criticised for failing to bring any new facts to light and failing to make any recommendations.
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“It’s like going to the doctor and being told you are ill,” said Weyman Bennett, co-convener of Stand Up To Racism. “It is completely stating the obvious.
“All they have done in this report is point out that BAME people are at higher risk to coronavirus. They haven’t explained why or said what they can do to prevent it.”
Weyman Bennett, co-convener at Stand Up To Racism. Stand Up To Racism
Bennett told HuffPost UK he first became aware of the early signs that high numbers of people from BAME communities were being affected by coronavirus in early March, as he was involved in organised a demonstration for anti-racism day on the 21st, but people began pulling out.
“There were lots of BAME people who were planning to attend the demonstration, but early on, people began saying they couldn’t come as they were sick. We identified coronavirus was becoming a problem even before the government lockdown and we announced we were cancelling the demonstration.”
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“It’s like going to the doctor and being told you are ill. It is completely stating the obvious.” - Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism
But Bennett says his first real inkling of the disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on the BAME community came when a friend – a black man living in North London – told him he had lost 19 of his friends to the disease.
“I knew then that BAME people were being disproportionately impacted by this pandemic.
“My concerns grew when a friend of mine who works in ICU told me that there were high numbers of BAME people in intensive care fighting Covid.
“The warning signs were there and people were calling for action and investigations. Why didn’t the government listen?”
Bennett told HuffPost UK he believes institutionalised racism has played a role in the disproportionate numbers of BAME deaths to coronavirus as he feels many people from the community feel they cannot speak up about their concerns about being exposed to risk.
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““The warning signs were there and people were calling for action and investigations. Why didn’t the government listen?”” - Weyman Bennett, Stand Up To Racism.
He said when Stand Up To Racism tried to raise the issue about BAME people being disproportionately affected by Covid-19, he felt they were made to feel as though they were exploiting the situation when they were actually trying to save lives.
Sabby Dhalu from Stand Up To Racism added that a key issue she feels has been ignored in the PHE report is the lack of PPE for doctors and nurses and the issue of BAME health workers feeling like they were being targeted to work on Covid wards.
She told HuffPost UK research had shown that NHS staff from BAME backgrounds were less likely to be in senior positions, more likely to be bullied and felt less confident about raising concerns around health and safety.
Sabby Dhalu, co-convener for Stand Up To Racism Sabby Dhalu
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She said: “There needs to be a public inquiry looking at all the factors affecting the BAME community connected to coronavirus.
“The government has not only been slow to respond to this issue – it actually seems to have ignored certain issues.
“Now that lockdown has eased quite significantly, there are fears of a second wave – which could again disproportionately affect BAME communities.
“The government does not have a clear plan for protecting the health and safety of people and we feel people, particularly those from BAME backgrounds, are being led like lambs to the slaughter back to the workplace.”
GMB, Britain’s general union, has criticised the Public Health England report for telling people what they already know – that BAME workers have made a disproportionate sacrifice during this pandemic.
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Rehana Azam, GMB national secretary, told HuffPost UK that people from BAME communities had been “massively let down.”
“People have been dying and government ministers have been too slow to protect lives.” she said. “They keep saying this virus doesn’t discriminate but the response and the lives lost definitely shows that BAME people have experienced a discrimination that ended in their deaths.
“But I don’t think it was down to the government not listening – I think they didn’t have a clue what they were doing and have been far too slow.
“We have had a chaotic dealing of this crisis from the start and they didn’t seem to take any notice of what was happening globally.”
Rehana Azam, GMB national secretary GMB
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Azam says her biggest criticism is that Secretary of State Matt Hancock commissioned Public Health England to carry out the review into the disproportionate BAME deaths due to Covid-19.
“You can’t mark your own homework.” she said. “Someone totally independent should have done this review.
“We have lost valuable time by having a report undertaken on facts that were already in the public domain.
“All this report does is give data on BAME deaths. We need answers and solutions.”
“You can’t mark your own homework. Someone totally independent should have done this review.”
Patrick Vernon, Windrush campaigner, has been personally affected by the coronavirus pandemic as he lost his brother-in-law to the disease at the end of March.
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He told HuffPost UK he feels the government has not been listening to BAME voices, and an independent public inquiry is now needed for transparency.
Patrick Vernon
“My brother-in-law was in his early 50s and had underlying health conditions and was admitted to hospital. While he was there, he had a Covid test and was positive and died within a week.
“We suffered the grief of losing a family member and the impact on my sister. I also know other BAME people who have died as a result of Covid-19.
“The warning signs were there early on in this pandemic that BAME communities were disproportionately affected as we could see what was happening around the world.
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““We need evidence from frontline staff, families and experts to fully assess the impact of coronavirus on BAME communities and learn lessons from what went wrong.”” - Patrick Vernon
“The Public Health England review has been a complete botch job and we now need an independent public inquiry. They had a colourblind approach.
“We need evidence from frontline staff, families and experts to fully assess the impact of coronavirus on BAME communities and learn lessons from what went wrong.”
Dr Salman Waqar, general secretary of the British Islamic Medical Association, told HuffPost UK that the exact nature of the disproportionality of coronavirus deaths needs to be researched and that BAME groups must be an integral part of the conversation.
“As the first 10 doctors who died from Covid-19 were all from BAME backgrounds, it dawned on us all that this disturbing fact may not be a tragic coincidence,” he said.
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“Nearly all explanations that have been offered are not new. We have known about differential attainment, workplace discrimination, health inequalities and even excess mortality amongst BAME groups for a long time.
“The solutions are not complex but require compassionate and inclusive leadership that has the trust of BAME communities.
“The recognition that this is wrong and a problem to be fixed is only the first step and requires everyone to do their part by aligning themselves as part of the solution.
“Focus must turn towards credible and enduring actions such as improving BAME representation and visibility in NHS management and public health communications which speak to BAME communities.”
Equality watchdog the Equality and Human Rights Commission has announced it will be carrying out an inquiry into “long standing structural race inequality” which it says has been thrown into stark relief by the coronavirus pandemic.
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The EHRC says analysis and evidence based guidance is needed to tackle issues including Covid-19 death rates in minority groups.
A Public Health England spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “On Tuesday PHE published the rapid data review and this has been published in full.
“This was contributed to by Professor Kevin Fenton alongside a wide variety of PHE colleagues.
“Professor Fenton has been engaging with a significant number of individuals and organisations within the BAME community over the past couple of months, to hear their views, concerns and ideas about the impact of the virus on their communities.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--I Know The Risks Of Coronavirus. But This Is Why I’m Joining Anti-Racist Protests

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George Floyd’s public killing has broken human hearts across the world. His name will, with no shadow of a doubt, resonate throughout history as a tipping point in racial relations. And it’s my hope this movement will, like the end of apartheid or Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a dream” speech, leave an imprint on the pages of history.
In the wake of Floyd’s death, I was troubled and challenged myself on how I could use my voice, influence and platform. Initially I reflected and shared inspirational thoughts on social media, but was soon overwhelmed with Caucasian apologies, and friends asking me to help them understand. Why did it happen to him? Why does this happen in 2020? Why are people not awake to this? Why is the government reacting this way? Why? Why? Why?
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I began to feel the desire to wake up from my coronavirus slumber, and help my community. This time, it just felt different. In simpler words, I was tired of complaining about injustice and reposting human atrocities on Instagram and Twitter.
When I heard of protests here in the UK, I felt I had to be there, and urged friends to join me in peaceful protest. I have never attended a protest before and did not know what to expect: Notting Hill Carnival? A rave? A concert? But I knew I had to be prepared for huge crowds, and possibly exposure to Covid-19.
“The possibilities, the hope, the collective action will drive me out of my front door. Frankly, the prospect of going makes me feel alive.”
The days before have messed with my emotions, bouncing between anxiety, nervousness, excitement – and an underlying fear. But my desire to stand with Black communities in achieving a ‘level playing field’ and for achieving justice trample the fear of catching a deadly virus. The possibilities, the hope, the collective action will drive me out of my front door. Frankly, the prospect of going makes me feel alive.
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Reports about BAME people being more likely to die from Covid-19 have had my family on edge. Britain’s BAME population – including my mother and father – have been the frontline soldiers of this pandemic.
NHS workers like my mum have traded their lives for guaranteed weekly Thursday night patriotic claps, instead of concerns of improved remuneration and safety. And now BAME voices are the foot soldiers of this war, standing in the frontline and risking our lives, our voices, our jobs to fight this war of justice.
“Unlike Dominic Cummings, I will be breaking lockdown rules for a just cause – even if it is to make just a tiny contribution.”
We are in the belly of the beast already, with high risk of catching the virus – just like Belly Mujinga, who died from covid-19 after being spat at by a man claiming to have coronavirus, and has yet to receive any justice.
Of course, I have worries: what if it gets violent? What about my career? What about the police? What if we are arrested or fined for breaking social distancing rules? What if I get infected... or worse? At 19-years-old I face less risk, but I will wear a mask and gloves. To me, it cannot be worse than losing this opportunity to take ground in the battle for racial justice.
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And so, unlike Dominic Cummings, I will be breaking lockdown rules for a just cause – even if it is to make just a tiny contribution to the largest civil rights movement of my generation. Yes, we are fighting coronavirus, but we are fighting another pandemic in our society, one that has roamed the earth for centuries. One has ruined lives, caused divides, and killed more people than coronavirus ever could.
That pandemic is systemic racism. And I cannot miss the opportunity I have to fight it.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--‘My Happy Place’: We Love Going Camping – Here's Why You Should, Too

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International travel is up in the air – pun intended. And even if it’s possible to go abroad this year, many won’t want to. Flying is likely to be expensive, and negotiating lockdown rules in foreign countries could potentially be more stressful than getting to grips with the rules at home.
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But all is not lost, as 2020 looks set to be the year camping truly has its moment. Campsites are recording “disproportionately high” levels of bookings, said Cool Camping, which received its best ever day of trade this May and a 60% bookings spike compared to this time last year. And camping retailer Go Outdoors said sales are up 460% year-on-year.
“After people have been cooped up indoors for so long, there’s likely to be a strong demand for ‘fresh-air holidays’,” says Jon Boston from the British Holiday & Home Parks Association. “Plus, a chance to reconnect with nature and enjoy the mental and physical benefits of being out in the countryside.”
Simona Pilolla / EyeEm via Getty Images Camping may be having its moment in 2020, due to restrictions on foreign holidays
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Milo Zanecchia/ Ascent Xmedia via Getty Images Camping adventures may be the most feasible holidaying option in summer 2020
Boston says parks located largely in rural and coastal areas are also ideal for social distancing. Camping pitches are generally spaced five or six metres apart, and provide spacious grounds to exercise and relax safely.
Another reason the humble holiday is set to boom? It appeals to many different personality types: those who want to stay at home, so needn’t go so far as their back garden. The family campers, the romance campers, the adventure campers. The campers who always camp – and this year are going further, for longer, because why not?
But how likely is a camping holiday this year, given that such a trip is considered “non-essential” and would require most holidaymakers to use communal toilets and showers?
“As far as a hoped-for date is concerned, we hope [to open our parks] as soon as possible this summer, but only when government gives the go-ahead and it’s safe to do so,” says Boston.
“"As far as a hoped-for date is concerned, we hope [to open our parks] as soon as possible."” - Jon Boston, the British Holiday & Home Parks Association
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“Measures taken by camping parks will vary according to their circumstances, but we are drawing up a detailed list of recommendations for parks to put in place,” Boston adds.
With our fingers firmly crossed for summer 2020 season, HuffPost UK spoke to campers to hear their stories – and words of wisdom – to inspire our future camping trips.
The Family Campers
Kiera Tuck, 42, and her son Noah, six: “We love going bug hunting and bird watching.”
HuffPost UK Kiera and Noah on one of their annual camping trips
“I’m a single mother of two boys: Luke is 23 and my youngest, Noah, is six. I’m a full-time carer for Noah, who has Type 1 diabetes, ADHD and autism. Usually, we go camping two or three times a year, visiting Wales and Yorkshire. Due to my son’s autoimmune disease, we’ve been self-isolating for more than 70 days.
“We love camping so much, we’ve set up our tent in our garden twice since lockdown – once was to watch the meteor shower! It’s important to us because being outdoors makes Noah feel happy, calm and content. He loves the the peace and quiet. We love going bug hunting and bird watching, too, and Noah photographs everything he likes.
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“When I first went camping I was very nervous because of my son’s disabilities – but everyone's caring, welcoming and friendly."”
“When I first went camping I was nervous because of Noah’s disabilities. I was unsure how other campers would find his quirky ways, but I needn’t have worried. Everyone’s so caring, welcoming and friendly. I’ve felt free, happy, safe and totally relaxed.
“The start up costs can be expensive, but well worth it. Don’t get a cheap tent – go for quality. And I’d advise new campers take duct tape, spare tent pegs (they always bend) an electric pump and the crucial tin opener!
“I’m unsure if we’ll get to go camping properly this year, which of course we’re really sad about, but saving lives by staying home is much more important. We’re already making plans for our adventures next year – we might even look for our first festival to attend!”
The Life-Long Camper
Fiona Whitten, 60: “It’ll be a different experience when we do get away, for sure, but I can’t wait to get away again.”
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HuffPost UK Fiona and a friend raising a glass on holiday
“My husband Carl and I should’ve been in North Wales in our caravan right now, but the virus put paid to that. It’ll be a different experience when we do get away, for sure, but I can’t wait to get away again. We just have to be aware of distancing!
“I first went in a caravanning at six weeks old – and 60 years on, I still love it. It’s the sense of freedom and a love of nature that keeps us entertained. We use our caravan every Bank Holiday – and all our main holidays. We’ve been members of a camping and caravanning club for nearly 40 years. My sons used to think they were gypsies as we were away every weekend whilst they were young!
“There is no routine and set times for anything. Get up when you like, sit round the BBQ under the stars."”
“Caravanning and camping is my happy place. There’s no routine and set times for anything. Get up when you like, sit around the BBQ under the stars. No having to get dressed for dinner. I love the randomness of being in the woods one day and out on surfboard the next.
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“If you’ve never camped before, try it. You can start out with a cheap caravan or tent and use equipment from home. If you’ve got children, they’ll love the freedom of making new friends – and it even gives parents a bit of free time.”
The Festival Camper
Shell Robshaw-Bryan and Mark Stuart, 40s: “We can get dressed up in festival gear, and have an at-home imagination festival instead!”
HuffPost UK Shell in her happy place: a field
“We used to go to V festival every year, and we also go to Blue Dot, so we’re totally gutted to be missing them – we’re even going to miss Glaston-Telly, which has become a tradition for us! Hopefully there’ll be some live streaming music, or re-runs of festival footage on TV we can watch. We can get dressed up in festival gear, and have an at-home imagination festival instead.
“Each year, a big group of us go down to the coast in Wales for a few days of tunes, drinking, sunshine, barbecues and fun, so we’ll be doing that again at some point – we just have to wait until restrictions have lifted, but we’ll absolutely be having our own mini festival.
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“We even do face painting and dress as though we’re at a festival, too. I think that’s as close as any of us are going to get to a real experience this year sadly.
“Remember the joy of running off into the woods for hours on end and building dens as a child? That’s the feeling of freedom that camping rekindles in me every time.”
“I run my own camping blog, Camping with Style, and traffic has been up 20% in the last week alone. It seems people are realising a UK staycation will be their only option.
“Camping makes me feel free. Remember the joy of running off into the woods for hours on end and building dens as a child? That’s the feeling of freedom that camping rekindles in me every time. I hate being cooped up indoors and am always at my happiest when I’m outdoors or sleeping under canvas – even when the weather is less than perfect.
“Being able to wake up to the sound of the sea, to unzip the tent and gaze out at a beautiful coastal landscape is a simple joy I never get tired of.”
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The First-Time Camper
Amy Cowlishaw, 39: “It sounds cliché but the experience of ‘being at one with nature’ was truly lovely.”
HuffPost UK Amy camping, for the first time, in her garden, raising money for the NHS
“It was my first time camping when I took part in the Great British Campout for the NHS. It looked exciting and I was in need of a ‘night away’. We borrowed a tent from a friend, set it up in the garden and joined in the fun.
“I loved sitting out with the fire pit with music, a few beers (Prosecco for me) and star-gazing. It really did feel like we were on holiday even though we were metres away from our house. It was a totally different experience to any holiday I’ve been on. And camping is an easy way to get away – you can load up your car with your gear and set off.
“I know it sounds cliché but the experience of ‘being at one with nature’ was lovely. Spending time outside and waking up to the sounds of the birds as the sun was rising was marvellous. We also had our own little visitor, Poppy our cat, in the morning.
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“Spending time outside and waking up to the sounds of the birds as the sun was rising was marvellous.”
“If you do it, I’d say make sure you’re prepared and test any equipment before your break. We had a blow up bed that we didn’t try out – all was fine until we woke up during the night and the bed had gone down, so we were sleeping on the floor! We found the funny side of it, luckily.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Do You Have To Go Back To The Office If Your Boss Asks You To?

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It’s been almost six months of working from home for thousands of UK employees – but you could soon be asked to return to the office.
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From September, the government will launch a campaign encouraging people to get back to the office. It’ll focus on the benefits of face-to-face contact, such as better relationships with colleagues, as well as urging employers to make workspaces Covid-safe.
It comes after the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) warned city centres were becoming “ghost towns” without employees using shops and sandwich bars.
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps commented on the plans, telling Sky News: “Usually it’s going to be okay to return, unless somebody’s in a particular vulnerable state there is no reason not to return.”
HuffPost UK has heard from office workers who say they’ve been pressured to go back, despite being able to fulfil their job requirements remotely.
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“I have gone in as my employer isn’t giving me any other option,” one employee, who works as an account manager for a food and drinks company, told us.
“When Boris eased restrictions and said some people could go back to work [on May 11], my employer expected us to return to our old working ways. I drive, so didn’t have to get on public transport, but I didn’t want to go back to the office, especially when I can do my job working from home.”
So, what are your rights if you’ve been told to go back when you don’t think it’s necessary?
The right to work from home is at the discretion of your employer, says Slater and Gordon employment lawyer Ruby Dinsmore. But that doesn’t mean you can’t argue the case for remote working.
“If an employer unreasonably refused the right to work from home in these circumstances, especially if you’re particularly at risk from the virus, it could be a breach of health and safety provisions and also the implied term of trust and confidence,” Dinsmore tells HuffPost UK.
Employers have a duty of care to protect their employees’ health and safety, so if you’re feeling pressured to return to the office, contact your HR manager (if you have one), who should take this seriously.
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“If you’re really afraid to be at work your employer could offer you flexible working, the chance to take holiday or unpaid leave, or consider other roles which do not require you to be in the office,” Dinsmore adds. “Neither side have to agree to this, but you should explore options.”
There are some circumstances where you may be protected legally if you refuse to return to work. Before refusing to follow an instruction to return, you may want to seek legal advice, as this area of law is quite complex, says Dinsmore.
Legally, you can not “unreasonably refuse” to return to work, or you could face disciplinary action, but given the seriousness of the virus, it shouldn’t get to this standoff point.
“The government has emphasised that employers should accept employees have genuine concerns and may wish to stay home in circumstances where they feel unsafe in the office,” says Dinsmore.
“Employers should be abiding, not just with government guidance, but their legal duties which are likely to go beyond government guidance.”
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For their part, employees should be given the means to raise any concerns easily and without fear of reprisals.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Exclusive: MP Plans Law To Force Employers To Reveal Ethnicity Pay Gap

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Larger employers should be forced to publish their ethnicity pay gaps to tackle inequality in the workplace, an MP has said.
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Layla Moran said the Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd at the hands of American police provide an opportunity to tackle “ingrained issues” in society.
She has asked business lobby groups the CBI and British Retail Consortium (BRC), as well as the Trades Union Congress (TUC) for help in writing legislation to make companies with 250 or more employees publish their ethnicity pay gap.
The Liberal Democrat leadership candidate’s proposed bill would build on laws which already make firms of this size publish their gender pay gaps.
The Tory party pledged in its 2017 election manifesto to “ask” large employers to publish information on their ethnicity pay gap, but the government has not introduced any proposals following a consultation which ended in January 2019.
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After Boris Johnson replaced Theresa May as Tory leader and prime minister, the commitment was not included in the party’s 2019 election manifesto.
Official data shows employees in the Black African, Caribbean or Black British, other and white other ethnic groups on average earned 5% to 10% less than their white British counterparts between 2012 and 2018.
In 2018, employees from the Bangladeshi ethnic group on average earned 20.2% less than White British employees, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
The percentage difference in median hourly pay between people of a white ethnicity and all those who belong to an ethnic minority group is largest in London at 21.7%.
According to the CBI, closing the ethnicity pay gap would give the UK economy a £24bn boost (1.3% of UK GDP).
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Moran told HuffPost UK: “We are all grappling to come to terms with the death of George Floyd we have to make sure Black Lives Matter.
“Critically we need to take this time to tackle some of the ingrained issues in society and use this moment to deal with the root causes once and for all.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
“One of the big issues is economic inequality and that feeds into social injustice.
People gathered in Cambridge to hold a peaceful demonstration as part of a worldwide Black Lives Matter solidarity march on Sunday SIPA USA/PA Images
“A big step towards dealing with this issue is mandatory pay reporting – we can shine a light on the injustice and make sure pay and working practices are improved.
“To make this happen I want to get bosses, employers and employees around the table and craft a law supported by all of them to bring about change.
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“The time is now. We have to act and the time is always right to do what is right.”
Labour peer Baroness Prosser is currently guiding a similar bill through the House of Lords but a source close to Moran said her proposals had better chance of becoming law by involving the CBI, TUC and BRC.
“Layla’s approach of bringing employers and employees together to craft a bill that works for everyone has a significantly higher prospect of being legislation than a backbench lord’s effort,” the source said.
“This is the first real chance we have to bring in Black and minority ethnic (BAME) reporting in years. It’s a real chance for a breakthrough.”
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “TUC research has shown that far too many black and minority ethnic workers are stuck in insecure and temporary work, which has a huge impact on their life chances and pay.
“This problem isn’t going to disappear without action. Ministers must confront inequality and racism in the labour market. The TUC has long called for government to introduce mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting without delay.”
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The CBI has urged companies to voluntarily publish their ethnicity pay gap data but stopped short of backing mandatory reporting.
Chief UK policy director Matthew Fell said: “Closing the UK’s ethnicity pay gap will help to make our society fairer and overcome inequality at work.
“Not only is it the right thing to do: the business case is watertight – diverse companies are better companies.
“Firms that are already reporting their ethnicity pay gap understand what long-term, meaningful action they need to take to tackle race inequality at work. They are leading from the front - improving how they attract, hire and promote employees from ethnic minority backgrounds.
“But there is much more to do until UK business is truly representative of the society it serves. Firms have to get better at speaking about race at work; developing campaigns to encourage employees to share their ethnicity; and creating strategies to improve BAME representation all the way up to the boardroom.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Black Lives Matter Protesters Tear Down Slave Trader Statue In Bristol And Dump In Harbour

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Black Lives Matter protesters in Bristol have torn down the controversial statue of a slave trader and rolled it into the River Avon, as thousands of people marched through the city in protest against police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
The memorial to Edward Colston, who made his fortune in the slave trade in the 1600s, has stood in the city since 1895 but in recent years has been the subject of a number of petitions – the most recent of which has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
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HuffPost UK
Demonstrators took matters into their own hands, tying a rope around the head of the statue – which had previously been covered in a black shroud for the march – and pulling it to the ground.
It was then rolled from the city centre and dumped unceremoniously into Bristol’s harbour – almost exactly at the point where Edward Colston’s ships would have once left for West Africa.
Avon and Somerset Police superintendent Andy Bennett has since announced that the force has launched an investigation to identify a small group of people “who clearly committed an act of criminal damage”.
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Home secretary Priti Patel said the toppling of the statue was “utterly disgraceful”.
Edward Colston's statue has already been relocated on Google Maps pic.twitter.com/vugzV9nVhn — Alister Wedderburn (@ali_wedderburn) June 7, 2020
Bristol’s history is tightly interwoven with the slave trade, and in the 18th century the city was one of the UK’s largest slave ports.
The point at which the statue was tipped into the water is directly next to Pero’s Bridge, which was was named in honour of Pero Jones who came to live in Bristol as a slave.
One of the men who helped roll the statue into the water told HuffPost UK: “It’s what he deserved. I’ve been waiting my whole life for this moment.
“It’s an amazing feeling, it feels like the end of a chapter. It’s what we all needed.”
The moment a statue of slave trader Edward Colston toppled into Bristol’s harbour. ‘It’s what he deserves. I’ve been waiting all my life for this moment’ someone told me in the moments after. pic.twitter.com/6juqVrsJ6V — Sarah Turnnidge (@sarah_turnnidge) June 7, 2020
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Asked about what this moment meant to him, the man – who asked to remain anonymous – said: “I don’t think racism will ever be dead, but I think what we need in the future is more consequence for bad actions and for more people to stand up and help each other.
“If we see inequality for any race, any sexuality, any religion, we have to come together.”
Well that put an end to the debate (unless someone tries to put it back up) slave trader Edward Colston statue taken down in #Bristol #BlackLivesMattters pic.twitter.com/NYiln6gz65 — Alon Aviram (@AlAviram) June 7, 2020
Edward Colston statue pulled down by BLM protesters in Bristol. Colston was a 17th century slave trader who has numerous landmarks named after him in Bristol. #BlackLivesMattters #blmbristol #ukprotests pic.twitter.com/JEwk3qKJx2 — Jack Grey (@_jackgrey) June 7, 2020
Edward Colston
Colston’s legacy has proved hugely divisive as while his money was derived largely from the slave trade, who used much of it to set up charitable foundations some of which survive to this day.
Born into a prosperous Bristol merchant’s family, Colston was educated in London and joined the Mercers’ Company in 1673, where he traded in woollen textiles and wine, PA Media reports.
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He became a member of the London-based Royal African Company – which at the time had the monopoly of Britain’s slave trade – in 1680, and between 1689-1690 took on the role of deputy governor.
Other members of the Colston family also had connections with the company: his brother Thomas supplied beads that were used to buy slaves, and his father William owned shares.
The statue of Edward Colston before today. Lynda Morris Photography via Getty Images
By 1689, the company had transported around 100,000 enslaved Africans in chains to the Americas, who were branded with the firm’s initials RAC on their chests.
Unhygienic and cramped conditions meant many of those enslaved died while being shipped, with their bodies said to be thrown overboard.
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Colston donated money to causes in and around Bristol before his death in 1721 – including to the city’s churches, founded almshouses, Queen Elizabeth’s Hospital School, and founding a religious school for boys.
According to Historic England, his involvement in the slave trade was the source of much of the money which he bestowed in the city.
Due to his philanthropy, Colston’s legacy has been honoured by the city he once called home, where streets, memorials and buildings bear his name.
A number of Labour MPs tweeted in solidarity with protesters who pulled down the statue.
✊🏾
This caused me to exhale..... https://t.co/oWQ8jpBna3 — I Can't Breathe...Dawn Butler MP (@DawnButlerBrent) June 7, 2020
Earlier, protestor John McAllister, 71, tore down black bin bags used to hide the statue to denounce it in front of fellow protesters.
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He told the PA news agency: “It says ‘erected by the citizens of Bristol, as a memorial to one of the most virtuous and wise sons of this city’.
“The man was a slave trader. He was generous to Bristol but it was off the back of slavery and it’s absolutely despicable. It’s an insult to the people of Bristol.”
Police said 10,000 people had attended the Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bristol and the majority did so “peacefully”.
The toppled statue before it was thrown into the River Avon. HuffPost UK
Many protesters wore masks and gloves, but the sheer number of attendees meant that social distancing was impossible at points.
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Speaking from the plinth upon which Colston’s statues used to stand, one protester told the crowd: “It’s all well and good every two or three years shouting ‘Black Lives Matter’ but how are you actually going to change what’s going on on this earth”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--No New Coronavirus Deaths Reported In Scotland But Death Toll In England Rises By 72

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No new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland for the first time since lockdown began, Scottish government figures released on Sunday show.
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But officials urged caution over the figures with the country’s health secretary, Jeane Freeman, saying “it is still very likely that further Covid-19 deaths will be reported in the days ahead”.
She added: “I would offer our note of caution about reading too much into today’s figure. We know that fewer deaths tend to be registered at the weekend than on other days of the week.”
Across the UK as a whole a further 77 deaths were reported – 72 in England and five in Wales. There were no daily deaths recorded in Northern Ireland for the second time.
So far, no UK-wide figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have been released, so the total is taken from each nation’s individual reporting.
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It brings the working total to 40,542.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-07--Thousands Gather Across The UK As Anti-Racism Demonstrations Continue

Thousands of protesters have joined an anti-racism rally outside the US embassy in London as Black Lives Matter demonstrations take place in cities across the UK.
Crowds of demonstrators wore face coverings and held placards outside the embassy in Battersea, south-west London, on Sunday, in protest against police brutality following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The Metropolitan Police warned drivers of disruption on Nine Elms Lane, while video footage showed protesters flooding the roads outside the embassy.
Protesters then marched on Parliament Square, where rapper Stormzy joined demonstrators and listened as the crowd, many of whom were black, spoke about the struggle for equality and the need for solidarity.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--This Is What You Can Do This Week To Support Black People

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The last couple of weeks have been tumultuous for anyone who is Black. In the middle of a pandemic, a moment where people all over the world are fighting a deadly virus, we have had the additional burden of seeing Black lives snuffed out by the threat of white supremacy and racism.
Overwhelmed and exhausted are the two words that I have used to describe how I am feeling as a Black person right now, and social media has played a complicated role in how I’ve experienced this. On the one hand, it’s been a place where I’ve gone to connect with my community and find the resources to assuage feelings of helplessness. On the other, it’s also been a place where I’ve seen the Black body desensitised in triggering content, and come to confront the rise of pseudo-solidarity.
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Performative allyship from brands and individuals using their voices to reject racism as a quick or instant fix, or a disclaimer of association, is rising to the feeling of this moment, and showing very little investment in the next.
Last week, my Instagram feed was inundated with black squares. Compared with the days that had preceded it, on Blackout Tuesday, white and non-black allies, who had been largely silent within their own feeds, were noticeably taking this moment as an opportunity to participate. The intention may have been to show solidarity to Black Lives Matter, and for some maybe this was the conduit that they needed to speak, but for newcomers, if you have gone so far as to share a black square, now is the time to make yourself accountable to act outside of social platforms.
“To end things at a post would be an egregious disrespect to the Black Lives Matter movement that has worked tirelessly to found itself upon radical activism and direct action.”
A protester holds a BLM placard during London protests SIPA USA/PA Images
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When I hesitate to speak on social media, it’s because I am sceptical of the ways it lures us into feeling that to post is to do. And to end things at a post would be an egregious disrespect to the Black Lives Matter movement that has worked tirelessly to found itself upon radical activism and direct action.
As an ally you should understand the pain that is being felt in this moment is a nuanced but global and political one. You may have woken up to it now, but for Black people, racism is an old, shared reality of existence that comes in many forms. Confronting it is about dismantling institutional structures that disempower us from protection and justice.
So how can we do that?
You can use forms of political protest to support work in dismantling those structures. If you are in position to safely protest, take part in the protests happening throughout the UK being organised by Black Lives Matter UK groups in cities from London to Cardiff. To help mount pressure for policy change in the US, signing the petitions for Ahmaud Aubery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Nina Pop, and Tony McDade will help, but also consider writing a letter to your MP highlighting this and the issues that exist here. The UK is not innocent – justice is needed for key worker Belly Mujinga; an increase in police powers to stop and search is aiding racial profiling; and deaths at the hands of police of Rashan Charles, Mark Duggan and Edson Da Costa, just to name a few, are our issues. If you are lost for words or where to start, there are searchable templates online; one by Zainab Asunramu has been constructed specifically to help with this.
As an ally, address issues of finance and wealth distribution. Understand that the road to justice is not only a long one, but an expensive one. Some bigger organisations have paused on accepting donations, but donations to lesser known protester bail funds, legal aids and support networks through organisations such as the Know Your Rights Freedom Camp, Covid Bail Out NYC and Black Lives Matter are active. In the UK, The Stephen Lawrence Fund, Black Lives Matter UK and Black Minds Matter UK are just a few grassroots organisations providing essential support.
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If you think your company or institution you work for can financially support an organisation, be proactive about starting the conversations that lead to these outcomes. Don’t just rely on the voice of your Black colleagues to do the emotional labour and risk reprimands.
“This moment feels urgent, intense and petrifying, but in truth, it shakes up a lot of the common negative experiences, emotions and anxieties that black people have had because of the colour of our skin.”
You should think about where your money goes in general. With brands rushing to opt-in and post about a movement they have made no utterances about before, it begs the question was this support or absolution? The Pull Up or Shut Up movement started by Sharon Chuter, the founder of Uoma beauty, has challenged brands to share the stats on the number of Black employees, emphasising that in not hiring representatively you are essentially sustaining a wealth gap that perpetuates Black marginalisation. The transparency – and the lack of transparency – has been telling. Aiming to consciously buy from Black-owned businesses and businesses that are supporting BAME advancement is a way of aligning your money with this call-to-action.
Self-education is also necessary for any well meaning ally. Get comfortable and informed on what is meant by white privilege, unconscious bias and the UK’s of implementing and sustaining structural and institutional racism. It is commendable the way feeds are spilling out with recommendations of books, podcasts, documentaries and films that provide a gateway to this, but once you are informed, use your privilege to call out and pull others up. The conversations really need to start from now and they can be with the people who are closest to you, the ones who have the opinions you are now in a position to address and challenge.
This moment feels urgent, intense and petrifying, but in truth, it shakes up a lot of the common negative experiences, emotions and anxieties that black people have had because of the colour of our skin. It’s shining a spotlight on the myriad of ways racism and anti-blackness takes shape. In this year alone, we have not only mourned the deaths of Black people at the hands of the police, but we are mourning Black bodies abused in the streets of China. We are mourning those BAME people at disproportionately high risk of dying from Covid-19 in the UK. But for Black people, challenging racism does not end when the news on it stops.
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We all have different roles to play demanding justice, and the roles of allies are just as important as any. If there is any connecting thread behind all these suggestions of constructive allyship it is that it is long term, introspective and hard. Yes you may make mistakes, and when you do evaluate them. Don’t let that be the reason for why you never start. Doing this work is what enables the dismantling and not the perpetuation of racism.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--My Pride Anthems: Shangela

My Pride Anthems: Shangela

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we’re all celebrating Pride in 2020.
With huge public gatherings out of the question, we’re asking a range of LGBTQ celebrities and allies for their personal Pride anthems, to help us all get into the Pride spirit from lockdown.
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RuPaul’s Drag Race’s very own Shangela is the latest star to share her musical picks in our My Pride Anthems series.
Shangela Christopher Smith/HBO
Although she’s best known for her stints on series three of Drag Race and All Stars 3 (not to mention that brief appearance in season two), Shangela more recently appeared opposite Lady Gaga in the film A Star Is Born, and joined fellow queens Bob The Drag Queen and Eureka in the HBO series We’re Here.
Here, she tells us about her love of “legendary divas”, and even manages to squeeze a bit of name-dropping in there. Well, she is a Professional...
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Aretha Franklin – A Deeper Love
“I didn’t even have to think about this one, honey. This was the first song that came to mind. Yes, ma’am, Miss Aretha. This song screams Pride, it is about the love that you have for yourself.
“My favourite part is when she says ’I get up out of bed, I put on my clothes, ‘cause I’ve got bills to pay’. Yes ma’am. I love Aretha Franklin, she’s one of the greatest singers, and big powerhouse divas like that, I always love.”
Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande – Rain On Me
“We’re in a rough time in our society right now, but we still need to have moments to celebrate, and listening to this album [Lady Gaga’s Chromatica], I feel able to celebrate with one of my new favourite anthems, which is Rain On me.
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“It brought together two of my favourite divas – who I’ve worked with, both of them, how amazing is that to say? And throughout this Pride season I’m gonna need love, I’m gonna need equality, I’m gonna need all the good things to rain on me, honey.
“And this song acknowledges that there are challenges in this life. ‘I’d rather be dry, but at least I’m alive,’ she’s saying ‘I’d rather not have the pain on the rain fall on me, the adversity and the challenges – but at least I’m able, and I’m able to push forward, and have hope’.”
Megan Thee Stallion and Beyoncé – Savage
“In these days, we’ve got to have the confidence like Savage. And come on, it’s Beyoncé. And I like Meghan – I liked that Hot Girl Summer Track too, you know?
“I just think that she’s a fun girl that I’d wanna hang with. We’d have a good time.”
Barbra Streisand – Don’t Rain On My Parade
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“I don’t want nothing to rain on my parade. And you know what, a lot of things our trying to rain on our parades right now. We’ve got the pandemic, we’ve got oppression, we’ve got police brutality, we have a lot more problems in our society, but don’t let that rain on your parade. You still have to find a way to have joy in your life... and I say ‘don’t rain on my parade’.”
Diana Ross – I’m Coming Out
“I know you thought I was going to choose It’s Raining Men. So, as much as I love my pop songs, I also love the legendary classics of legendary divas. And one of those is Diana Ross.
“And trust me, as soon as it is safe to do so, I am coming out, I am coming out of this house, I’m coming out of these pyjamas, I am coming out.”
Shangela – Werqin’ Girl (Professional)
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“You know, I wrote that song straight from my heart – during that time in 2012 I had just left Drag Race… I had to grow up in drag, and I wanted to get better in all the skills that I had, and I wanted to be a professional! I wanted people to know that I came to work.
“I never won the crown at RuPaul’s Drag Race but that didn’t mean that I wasn’t going to go out there and work for it, for my moment. I came to work! I am a professional.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--Davina And Rylan's Big Brother Highlights Show Just Got Some Nostalgic Additions

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Big Brother fans are in for a double dose of nostalgia on Davina McCall and Rylan Clark-Neal’s new highlights series, as Channel 4 has just announced some surprise new additions.
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Fellow BB presenters Emma Willis and Dermot O’Leary will be joining the reality series’ 20th anniversary celebrations, making TV history in the process.
It will be the first time both sets of presenting duos will come together (albeit virtually), as they discuss the juiciest and most memorable episodes of Big Brother ever.
BB hosts from across its 18 series will come together for Big Brother: Best Shows Ever Channel 4
Dermot and Emma will join Davina and Rylan in the first episode on Sunday, as well as contributing to episodes across the series.
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Emma, who hosted Big Brother on Channel 5 from 2013 to 2018, said: “It’s no secret that I’m a mega fan of the show so it was so fun to reminisce about all of the incredible moments from BB over the years.”
Former Big Brother’s Little Brother host Dermot, who fronted the spin-off from 2001 to 2008, said: “Just under 20 years ago I started working on a show named Big Brother. 20 years on, it’s still one of the most talked about reality shows of all time, and I’m so excited to take a walk down memory lane and come together with Davina, Rylan and Emma to reminisce.”
Davina McCall and Dermot O'Leary during the Big Brother final in 2005 PA
Big Brother: Best Shows Ever will mark the return of the franchise to its original broadcaster Channel 4 – airing on its digital station E4 – following Channel 5′s decision to axe it in 2018.
Davina hosted Big Brother and its celebrity spin-off from its inception in 2000 until the show was picked up by Channel 5 after the 2010 series.
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Rylan Clark-Neal and Emma Willis worked together on Channel 5's version of Big Brother PA
While former winner Brian Dowling succeed her as the main presenter, he was replaced by Emma in 2013, after she had spent two years fronting spin-off Bit On The Side.
Rylan took over at the helm of BBBOTS after winning the 11th celebrity series in February 2013.
Big Brother: Best Shows Ever starts Sunday 14 June at 9pm on E4 and will air from Sunday to Thursday for two weeks.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--Bristol Slavery Statue Toppled In Weekend Of Black Lives Matter Protests

Bristol Slavery Statue Toppled In Weekend Of Black Lives Matter Protests
A statue of 17th century slave-trader Edward Colston was torn down in Bristol as part of an anti-racism demonstration. Protests have been held around the world after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died in police custody.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--Susanna Reid Shares Touching Message For Kate Garraway After Heatbreaking Good Morning Britain Inter

Susanna Reid Shares Touching Message For Kate Garraway After Heatbreaking Good Morning Britain Interview

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Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan had an emotional moment at the beginning of Monday’s Good Morning Britain, as they sent out a message to their colleague Kate Garraway.
On Friday, both Susanna and Piers tweeted their support for Kate, after her first interview about her husband Derek Draper’s fight against coronavirus live on GMB.
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During the interview with Ben Shephard, Kate said that while Derek was now “Covid-free”, the virus had done so much damage to his body it wasn’t clear whether he would recover.
Kate Garraway interviewed during Friday's Good Morning Britain ITV/Shutterstock
Susanna and Piers were both off on Friday, but during the most recent instalment of the ITV daytime show, they took a moment to reach out to their friend.
“We both watched her interview on Good Morning Britain on Friday,” an emotional Susanna said. “Millions of you watched as well as she told you and us all about the situation about Derek.
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“Absolutely heartbreaking for the family and then she did an interview in The Sun over the weekend, and more details came out. So huge, huge love to Kate. You know, she’s going through hell, the family’s going through hell.”
She added: “There is hope still, of course. And she said they were hoping for ‘that miracle’ – and we’re all hoping with her. So huge love to Kate.”
Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid ITV
Kate’s husband Derek has been in hospital since the end of March, and is currently in a coma.
She said last week: “Let’s look at some of the positives. He is now Covid-free. So he’s testing negative for the Covid virus. So the fight with the virus has been won and he’s still here.
“But it’s wreaked extraordinary damage on his body and we don’t know if he can recover from that, basically.”
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Derek Draper and Kate Garraway pictured in Australia last year James Gourley/ITV/Shutterstock
The couple, who are both 52, married in 2005 and have a 14-year-old daughter and an 11-year-old son, Darcey and William.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--Summer Free School Meals Axe ‘Lacks Compassion’, Child Watchdog Warns

Dear Chancellor,
I am writing about the Treasury’s decision not to fund free school meals over the summer holidays. As Chancellor, you have announced measures in response to Covid-19 which are, by your own admission, exceptionally generous. However, it seems this generosity does not extend to children.
This week we learnt that Covid-19 has already seen 300,000 children descend into poverty, during a Parliament that was already predicted to see the highest rates of child poverty on record. In the same week, the Government announced that children will not get free school meals over the summer holidays. Even before Covid-19 there were nearly 2 million children in families in England classed as ‘food insecure’. The summer holidays are a particularly difficult period for these families, but Covid-19 has exacerbated a range of issue they are facing, not just financial but in terms of the networks of support they can access either formally or informally.
A free school meal is the last line of defence against poverty and hunger for children. When everything else fails, when there are problems accessing universal credit, or families are verging on the edge of crisis, a school meal is the most basic level of subsistence we provide to our children.
At a time when more families are facing pressures than ever before, and so many other sources of support are behind closed doors, the decision not to continue free school meals over the summer holidays appears uncaring and lacking in compassion.
It is particularly unfortunate that the announcement of your decision coincides with figures from the Office of Budget Responsibility showing that the overall package of support you have announced extends to £132bn.
It reflects very poorly on the importance the Government places on children that within £132bn of spending you cannot find a few million pounds to keep children fed.
I also believe that your decision is exceptionally short-sighted. Financial pressures are one of many issues families are facing at the moment. Poor finances are often the trigger for families to move from coping to crisis. Thus, your decision is likely to compound the level of instability some children are experiencing at home and place more pressure on social care in the midst of their response to Covid-19.
It is well established that poverty is one of the main drivers for children ending up in care, which is incredibly expensive for the Government. A Government committed to families, to fairness and to intelligent, preventative spending would not be denying children free school meals over the summer holidays.
I hope you will reconsider.
Yours sincerely,
Anne Longfield OBE Children’s Commissioner for England


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--27 Funny Tweets That Sum Up 'Alone Time' For Parents Right Now

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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-08--BAME Women Hardest Hit By Financial Impact Of Coronavirus

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We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Black, Asian and minority ethnic women are experiencing a “crisis of support” during the coronavirus pandemic, new research suggests, with BAME women disproportionately affected by financial loss and psychological distress.
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BAME women are more likely to worry their debt will increase as a result of the pandemic, according to the survey of more than 3,200 people.
More than four in 10 (42.9%) BAME women said they believed they would be in more debt than before the pandemic, compared to 37.1% of white women and 34.2% of white men. A similar proportion of BAME women, 42.9%, said they would struggle to make ends meet over the next three months.
Nearly a quarter (23.7%) of BAME mothers reported that they were struggling to feed their children during the pandemic, compared to 19% of white mothers.
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David-Prado via Getty Images
The analysis from the women’s Budget Group, Fawcett Society, Queen Mary University London and London School of Economics doesn’t show a breakdown of the impact of coronavirus by ethnicity. The researchers acknowledge the limitations of the study due to the “artificial grouping” of people, noting that “the experiences of women within it will vary greatly”.
“The funding for this survey was not enough to cover the larger sample size that would have been needed to report separately on women and men by ethnicity,” they said. “We felt it was important to carry out this research rather than not look at how gender and ethnicity intersect.”
Still, the research shows health is just one of the many disproportionate impacts the pandemic is having on BAME people.
Work-related anxiety was highest among BAME people, with 65.1% BAME women and 73.8% of BAME men working outside the home reporting anxiety as a result of having to go to work during the pandemic.
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Meanwhile, 43% of disabled or retired BAME women surveyed and 48% BAME men said they’d lost government support, compared with 13% of white women and 21% white men in the same group.
Over half (51%) of disabled or retired BAME women also said they weren’t sure where to turn to for help, compared with one in five white women.
Unequal pressures are also being felt at home. Around three quarters of women reported doing the majority of the housework or of the childcare during lockdown. This was similar for BAME and white women.
Women in general – and BAME women in particular – expressed more concern about access to NHS treatment and medicine over the coming months. Around two in five said they were finding social isolation difficult to cope with, but this was lowest among white men. Life satisfaction and happiness were lowest for BAME women, and anxiety was highest for all women compared to men.
“The unequal impact of this crisis is driven by existing structural inequalities and discrimination in our society.” - Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society
Commenting on the findings, Sam Smethers, chief executive of the Fawcett Society said: “As the government relaxes the lockdown, it must consider the impacts on different ethnic groups and also adopt a gendered approach. The unequal impact of this crisis is driven by existing structural inequalities and discrimination in our society.
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“Addressing that must be the focus of any plan going forward.”
Professor Sophie Harman, Professor of International Politics at Queen Mary University of London, said questions of race, ethnicity, and health have “long been too easily dismissed” as a problem of class or socio-economic status.