thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--JK Rowling Says She Is A Domestic Abuse And Sexual Assault Survivor

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JK Rowling has revealed she is a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor as she has defended her right to speak about trans issues.
The Harry Potter creator has faced a backlash from trans activists who have taken issue with a series of social media posts.
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In the latest controversy, a post by Rowling criticised the use of the phrase “people who menstruate” and drew negative responses, including from Daniel Radcliffe, who played Potter in a series of films.
Rowling had taken issue with a headline on an online article discussing “people who menstruate”, and said: “I’m sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
In December, last year she voiced her support for a researcher who was sacked after tweeting that transgender people cannot change their biological sex.
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In a personal essay in which she explained the reasons for her position, Rowling, 54, detailed five reasons she felt the need to talk about the issue – including her interest in “both education and safeguarding” and “freedom of speech”.
Explaining her final reason, she wrote: “I’ve been in the public eye now for over 20 years and have never talked publicly about being a domestic abuse and sexual assault survivor.
“This isn’t because I’m ashamed those things happened to me, but because they’re traumatic to revisit and remember.
“I also feel protective of my daughter from my first marriage. I didn’t want to claim sole ownership of a story that belongs to her, too.
“However, a short while ago, I asked her how she’d feel if I were publicly honest about that part of my life and she encouraged me to go ahead.
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“I’m mentioning these things now not in an attempt to garner sympathy, but out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who’ve been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex spaces.”
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In the blog post, Rowling also said she was motivated to address transgender issues via her Twitter account because of what she sees as an increasingly misogynistic society.
“We’re living through the most misogynistic period I’ve experienced,” she continued.
“Back in the 80s, I imagined that my future daughters, should I have any, would have it far better than I ever did, but between the backlash against feminism and a porn-saturated online culture, I believe things have got significantly worse for girls.
“Never have I seen women denigrated and dehumanised to the extent they are now.
“From the leader of the free world’s long history of sexual assault accusations and his proud boast of ‘grabbing them by the pussy’, to the incel (‘involuntarily celibate’) movement that rages against women who won’t give them sex, to the trans activists who declare that TERFs need punching and re-educating, men across the political spectrum seem to agree: women are asking for trouble.
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“Everywhere, women are being told to shut up and sit down, or else.”
Rowling said she had felt “mentally sexless” as a girl growing up in Gloucestershire, which had prompted her to develop mental health issues.
She wrote: “When I read about the theory of gender identity, I remember how mentally sexless I felt in youth.”
She explained the concerns she has about how women’s rights and some young people’s lives were being impacted by some forms of trans activism.
Some of the reasons for her interest were professional, but some were rooted in personal experience.
“I’ve wondered whether, if I’d been born 30 years later, I too might have tried to transition,” she wrote. “The allure of escaping womanhood would have been huge.”
Rowling said she had been influenced by Colette and Simone de Beauvoir’s views of gender during this period.
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She added: “As I didn’t have a realistic possibility of becoming a man back in the 1980s, it had to be books and music that got me through both my mental health issues and the sexualised scrutiny and judgment that sets so many girls to war against their bodies in their teens.
“Fortunately for me, I found my own sense of otherness, and my ambivalence about being a woman, reflected in the work of female writers and musicians who reassured me that, in spite of everything a sexist world tries to throw at the female-bodied, it’s fine not to feel pink, frilly and compliant inside your own head; it’s OK to feel confused, dark, both sexual and non-sexual, unsure of what or who you are.”
Addressing the specific issue of the use of phrases like “people who menstruate” as a way of including trans women, Rowling said such language was demeaning to many women.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Sisters Found Dead In London Park After Birthday Party Were Stabbed, Police Say

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Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry PA Media
Police investigating the murder of two sisters in a north-west London park say they were stabbed to death.
Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, were found in Fryent Country Park off Slough Lane in Wembley, north-west London, shortly after 1pm on Sunday.
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They had met with friends in the park at around 7pm on Friday to celebrate Bibaa’s birthday and by midnight only the sisters remained.
A post-mortem examination was carried out on Tuesday and revealed the pair both died from multiple stab wounds.
APPEAL | Can you help? Detectives continue to appeal for information following the deaths of two sisters in Fryent Country Park https://t.co/WyJtMA3spC — Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) June 10, 2020
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding said: “Both these women were stabbed multiple times and we are working tirelessly to find who is responsible.
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“Their families have been devastated by their loss and they need and deserve answers.”
He appealed for anyone who was in the park on Friday evening through to Sunday lunchtime and saw the group or noticed anything suspicious to come forward, as well as regular park users who might have seen someone acting suspiciously in the days before.
The sisters and their friends were around a five-minute walk frrom the Valley Drive entrance to the park.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Robert Jenrick To Face Questions In Parliament Over Approval For Richard Desmond Housing Plan

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Housing secretary Robert Jenrick will face questions in parliament over approving a controversial £1bn housing scheme linked to Tory donor Richard Desmond.
In January, the cabinet minister gave the go ahead to a 1,500-home development at the former Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs, despite the scheme being rejected by the local council and then the independent Planning Inspectorate because it didn’t contain enough affordable housing.
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The nod came just a day before Tower Hamlets Council approved a new rate for its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a move that would have increased the property owner’s financial liability to the authority by between £30m and £50m. A £50m boost would pay for the council’s housing services budget for almost five years.
The building used to be the Daily Express printworks on the Millwall waterfront and sits on land owned by Northern & Shell, a company in turn owned by media mogul Desmond. Northern & Shell gave the Tory party £10,000 in 2017. It also gave £1.3m to Ukip in 2014 and 2015.
It was previously revealed Jenrick gave the go-ahead to the redevelopment project just weeks after he was lobbied by Desmond at a Conservative party fundraising dinner. The Mail on Sunday reported that Desmond sat next to Jenrick at the bash in November last year.
Jenrick’s spokesperson confirmed that Desmond and his team raised the planning application by Northern & Shell for the Westferry Printworks at the dinner but said the housing secretary immediately curtailed the conversation.
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A report by the Daily Mail on Wednesday revealed figures from the Electoral Commission showing Desmond gave the Tories £12,000 two weeks after the controversial decision was made.
Last month, Jenrick conceded his sign-off of the scheme was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias” and confirmed his approval was deliberately issued before the new CIL policy could be adopted. The move meant Jenrick was able to avoid publishing correspondence relating to the application in open court as part of a judicial review of his decision triggered by Tower Hamlets Council. His planning permission has been quashed and is to be decided by a different minister.
On Thursday, the Labour Party will question the secretary of state in the House of Commons after calling an urgent ministerial question.
It will again urge Jenrick to publish all documents and correspondence relating to his decision, disclose details of his conversation with Desmond, and reveal what discussions he had with his department over the money the developer would have been liable for.
Steve Reed, Labour’s shadow housing and local government secretary, said: “Communities must have confidence that the planning process is fair and transparent, but the unanswered questions around Robert Jenrick’s unlawful decision have weakened that trust.
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“It is unprecedented for a secretary of state to admit to bias – and there are fears he did it to avoid being forced to reveal the truth behind his decision in open court.
“It’s time for Mr Jenrick to come clean and answer these crucial questions about why he overruled his own inspector to grant planning permission for a billionaire Conservative Party donor to build a luxury development and dodge a £50m tax bill shortly after they dined together at a glitzy fundraising dinner – Mr Jenrick must prove it’s not one rule for the Conservatives and their wealthy donors but another rule for everyone else.”
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick leaving Downing Street. ASSOCIATED PRESS
At prime minister’s questions last week, Boris Johnson was quizzed over what he knew about the controversial development after it emerged the PM had waved through a version of the same scheme four years ago when he was mayor of London.
HuffPost UK reported last week that police are “assessing” an allegation about Jenrick’s decision. The Labour Party has already called for the Cabinet Office to examine the case.
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Meanwhile, the elected mayor of the London borough in which the development sits has said neighbours are “furious” over Jenrick’s decision. He, too, has written to the Cabinet Office to demand an investigation into the secretary of state’s intervention.
In his letter to the Cabinet Office, Tower Hamlets mayor John Biggs said ministers should “not use their power” to prevent developers contributing to the local community.
He wrote: “I think we need a full and independent investigation into whether by awarding planning permission Mr Jenrick may have acted unlawfully following lobbying from the developer. If this had taken place, as some reports have suggested, this would be in clear breach of the ministerial code and potentially the law.”
Biggs continued: “As elected mayor for Tower Hamlets I know residents are furious at the way this planning application has been handled. Planning decisions such as these have a huge impact on the lives of my residents – influencing how many much-needed affordable homes families in our borough can access and how much money will go into the local services they rely on.
“They change the shape and character of our communities and the Westferry decision would have been cited by applicants in setting a precedent for how high developments in this area could be, which would have had a far greater impact on the lives of residents and the Isle of Dogs for years to come.”
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He added it was “vital” that the public could have confidence in the planning system, adding: “The potential that a decision of this gravity was corrupted by illegitimate contact between the secretary of state and the developer fundamentally undermines that confidence.”
In an interview two weeks ago, Jenrick said the application was decided “on its merits” and done “without any actual bias”.
He added: “But clearly the way that the process was run gave rise to some concerns and so that’s why we’ve chosen to quash the decision.”
MHCLG said last week: “While we reject the suggestion that there was any actual bias in the decision, we have agreed that the application will be redetermined.”
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “We will respond to correspondence on this matter in due course.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Boris Johnson Refuses To Express Regret Over Timing Of Lockdown

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Boris Johnson has refused to express regret about the timing of lockdown – despite suggestions from a leading scientist that imposing restrictions a week earlier could have halved the coronavirus death toll.
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Neil Ferguson said the number of coronavirus infections was doubling every three or four days before lockdown was introduced on March 23 and so moving a week sooner could have saved around 25,000 lives.
But the prime minister insisted he took the “right decisions at the right time” and repeatedly pointed out that Ferguson himself was a member of the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage) that advised ministers on when to introduce lockdown.
Ferguson, who was forced to resign from Sage when he broke lockdown rules by allowing a woman to visit him at his London home, told the Commons science committee on Wednesday: “The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced.
“So, had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half.”
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Ferguson added, however, that based on what was known about transmission and fatalities at the time, the measures were warranted.
Asked about the scientist’s comments at the daily Downing Street briefing, Johnson said: “All such judgments I think will need to be examined in the fullness of time. Professor Ferguson was a member of Sage at the time, which he readily accepts.”
The PM was pressed again on whether he had any regrets again by Sky News political editor Beth Rigby, who stressed as Johnson referred to the government’s scientific advice: “You make the decisions.”
"I think that the questions that are posed are still unanswered."@BorisJohnson tells @BethRigby he won't 'cast judgement' on decisions made during the #coronavirus outbreak so far, adding "there is still too much that we don't know".
Follow live: https://t.co/4sGQDLLTHi pic.twitter.com/apgzWHrqwa — SkyNews (@SkyNews) June 10, 2020
Johnson replied: “We made the decisions at the time on the guidance of Sage including professor Ferguson that we thought were right for this country.
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“The questions that are posed are still unanswered and there’s a lot of data we still frankly do not have.
“I know you want me to cast judgement now on everything that happened in the months that have gone by. I just think that of course that moment will come, of course we’ve got to learn lessons, but I just think that it is at this stage premature – there’s still too much that we don’t know.”
He added later: “All I can say is, at the moment, it is too early to judge ourselves.”
The latest figures from the government show the number of people who have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by at least 109 in 24 hours. It brings the working total to 40,992.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate is now 51,089.
And the number of excess deaths – the number of deaths above the expected number for that time of year – stands at 63,000.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--George Floyd’s Niece Delivers Emotional Speech At His Funeral

George Floyd’s Niece Delivers Emotional Speech At His Funeral
Brooke Williams, niece of George Floyd, called for change to stop future acts of police brutality at his funeral in Houston, Texas.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--London Metropolitan University To Rename Sir John Cass School Over His Links To Slave Trade

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London Metropolitan University is rebranding one of its schools which is named after Sir John Cass, a 17th century merchant with links to the slave trade.
The university’s vice chancellor announced on Wednesday that Cass’s name would be dropped from the Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design – known amongst students as “The Cass”.
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In a message to students and staff, professor Lynn Dobbs wrote: “We recognise that the use of Sir John Cass’s name contributes to the redemption of a man without acknowledging the enormous pain he caused as a major figure in the early development of the slave trade, and the legacy of this pain.
“The use of his name is incompatible with our commitment to support the black community and to actively oppose racism in all forms.”
"We have taken the decision to remove the name of Sir John Cass from our Art, Architecture and Design School."
Important update from our Vice-Chancellor:https://t.co/8s1Q9PW5E9 pic.twitter.com/11HplWKIGr — Art, Architecture and Design at LondonMet (@LdnMetArts) June 10, 2020
A new name for the school in Aldgate, east London, will be decided in consultation with students, staff and alumni, Dobbs said.
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“I apologise that we haven’t taken this step before now. We have a total commitment to oppose racism and should have addressed the name of the school sooner.”
The move comes on the same day the University of Liverpool agreed to rename one of it halls, which was a monument to former prime minister William Gladstone.
In parliament, Gladstone defended the rights of owners of slave plantations, such as his father.
The renaming follows a campaign organised by students calling on the university to to show “solidarity in the rejection of Black oppression” following the death of George Floyd in America.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the university said a new name would be chosen for the building through a “democratic process”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Why Protesters Want To Tear Down Statue Of ‘White Supremacist’ Winston Churchill

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“Winston thinks only of the colour of their skin,” said the doctor of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill, once voted the “greatest Briton of all time” in a BBC poll.
As honorary vice president of the British Eugenics Society, Churchill’s views on race were extreme even for his time. At a cabinet meeting he once suggested that “Keep England White” would make a good Conservative Party slogan in the 1955 election.
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“He was awful. He was a white supremacist,” said Professor Kehinde Andrews, professor of Black studies at Birmingham City University.
“If the Germans had won the war, Churchill would have been given a castle.
“We tend to think of the Nazis as being anti-modern, but the reality of race science is that much of it came from the UK. That’s where [the Nazis] got their inspiration from.”
The toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston has ignited calls to remove statues across the UK that symbolise or celebrate Britain’s colonialist past.
Anti-racism protesters have drawn up a map of 60 “statues and other memorials to slave owners and colonialists need to be removed so Britain can finally face the truth about its past – and how it shapes our present”.
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Monuments on the “Topple the Racists” list include statues of slave pioneers, Francis Drake, Robert Blake, and Horatio Nelson, at Goldsmiths College, the University of Oxford’s notorious likeness of imperialist Cecil Rhodes, and statues of Christopher Columbus and William Gladstone.
Winston Churchill, who in 2002 was voted “the greatest Briton of all time” in a BBC poll, is not on the list. However, a statue of his on Parliament Square in London was sprayed with the words “was a racist” and a Black Lives Matter sign taped to his stomach over the weekend.
Interview with the protestor/defacer who ‘tagged’ the Churchill statue on Parliament square. pic.twitter.com/YgceMnfeqR — Vinnie O'Dowd (@VinnieoDowd) June 7, 2020
“I tagged up ‘Churchill as a racist’ on the statue of Churchill because he is a confirmed racist. He didn’t fight the Nazis for the Commonwealth or for anything else or for any personal freedoms,” an impassioned anti-racist protester tells a BBC reporter.
“He didn’t do it for Black people or people of colour. He did it sheerly for colonialism. People will be angry but at the end of the day I’m angry that for many years we’ve been oppressed.
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“You can’t enslave people, have the largest colonial empire ever in history and then try and come like: ‘Yeah, let’s be peaceful, let’s talk.’
“It don’t work like that. We’re pissed off. Fuck that.”
So should Churchill follow in the steps of other previously celebrated figures and be toppled, too? Was he as guilty as the others?
Britain’s wartime leader was “a racist in the very literal sense of the word”, said Professor Hakim Adi, professor of the history of Africa and the African disapora at the University of Chichester.
“He believed that human beings could be divided into different categories and that some were superior to others.”
In his view, white protestant Christians were above white Catholics, who were above Indians, who were above Africans. “The Aryan stock is bound to triumph,” he said in 1909.
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Leo Amery, who was secretary of state for India and Burma at the time, once described Churchill’s attitude to India as “not quite sane” and said he did not “see much difference between [Churchill’s] outlook and Hitler’s”.
Up to three million people are believed to have died from the Bengal Famine of 1943 - and Churchill's actions, or lack thereof, have been the subject of criticism. William Vandivert via Getty Images
To this day in India, Churchill is remembered for his part in the devastating Bengal Famine of 1943. Up to three million people starved to death after he refused to direct food supplies to the region. Instead he blamed the famine on the fact that Indians were “breeding like rabbits”.
Historians have pointed to Afghanistan, Cuba, Egypt, Russia, Iraq, Kenya, South Africa, Palestine and Ireland as evidence of his racist and imperialist policies.
“Churchill had a global impact. His policies had an impact in India, in Africa, in Kenya, in Ireland, in Iraq, in Palestine,” said Professor Adi. “If you actually look at his career there isn’t much to recommend him.”
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Dr Adam Elliott-Cooper, a teaching fellow in sociology at the University of Greenwich, agrees.
“Britain feels a lot more comfortable telling itself that it was the country that saved itself from racism than the fact that it was the country that exported racial governance and apartheid,” he said.
Dr Elliott-Cooper, who was at the London protest and tweeted a photo of the Churchill statue, said we should be “unsurprised” by the protesters’ actions. “It’s vital for Britain to have a conversation about racism and its legacy.
“No matter how the British establishment tries to keep a lid on [its legacy], it always comes to the surface in one way or another.”
“A grave danger represents itself. Two-fifths of the insurgents in the field are negroes. These men…would, in the event of success, demand a predominant share in the government…the result being, after years of fighting, another black republic.”
— Churchill in 1896 on Cuba. pic.twitter.com/AR6iKf01lq — H. Sumeri (@IraqiSecurity) June 7, 2020
“We don’t really have an understanding of this country’s history,” said Dr Onyeka Nubia of Edge Hill University, who specialises in Tudor, Stuart and Georgian history – periods that are generally presented to us “devoid of colour”.
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“We may well presume that the history of England was all white, and the only people who were not white were enslaved or travelling through,” he said.
He argued this “warps” our understanding of every part of British history, creating a “romantic pastiche” of “imagined perspectives”, “so people talk of ‘going back to England when it was such and such’.”
As a child, the history lecturer was once scolded for “defaming the dead” when he put up his hand after a teacher asked who had relatives who had fought in the Second World War.
″[The teacher] wanted the class to have a perception of history – that everyone who fought was white and that the victory against Nazism was fought by people of white ethnicity.
“By raising my hand, I had set a trajectory that countered that perception.”
The whitewashing of the history of the Second World War means the contribution of 8.5m people from across the British Empire has been erased.
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For Dr Nubia, the question should not be about whether Churchill was racist, but how and why that period of history was airbrushed white.
“The story of World War Two is about the diversity of representation of the people who fought against Nazism and fascism – the men, women and children. The sacrifice of those diverse people.”
“We’re presented with a history that is completely inaccurate,” said Professor Adi. “A Eurocentric history that denies Africans and Asians played a part in it or contributed to anything worthwhile.
“That’s the legacy of empire.”
He argues that history taught today is about “the ‘great’ white men of property” which serves to reinforce the idea that “the great and the good are responsible for everything, and the rest of us should accept that they are destined to be rulers”.
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Looks like a few of the young organisers have been doing some history research outside the national curriculum #BlackLivesMatterUK pic.twitter.com/m2kZBa5rkN — NativeSon (@adamec87) June 7, 2020
This wrong version of history has a real impact on the young people of colour growing up in Britain.
“I grew up in a world that denies your existence, that says your family and ancestors are useless and never contributed to anything,” said Professor Adi. “That is an attack on you, your being, your whole identity.
“It’s the same today – young Black people are growing up and the only time they hear about Africans is about slavery. It has an effect on people’s thinking of themselves.”
In his opinion, toppling the statues of former "great men" is a positive action. “Young people have decision making into their own hands. It’s very democratic. Now everybody is talking about Colston, about Churchill. It’s brought attention to these characters.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Eddie Redmayne Responds To JK Rowling Tweets: 'Let Trans People Live Their Lives Peacefully'

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Eddie Redmayne has spoken out in support of the transgender community, saying he disagrees with a series of controversial tweets JK Rowling posted over the weekend.
The Oscar-winning star plays the lead in the Fantastic Beasts film series – a spin-off of Harry Potter – which is also written by the author.
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On Saturday, Rowling sparked a backlash when she commented on an article titled Creating a More Equal Post-Covid-19 World for People Who Menstruate, pushing back against the headline for not referring to those who have periods as just ‘women’.
‘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
Many reminded the author that transgender people, non-binary people and gender-nonconforming people can also menstruate.
JK Rowling Taylor Hill via Getty Images
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In a statement issued to Variety following the controversy, Eddie said: “Respect for transgender people remains a cultural imperative, and over the years I have been trying to constantly educate myself. This is an ongoing process. As someone who has worked with both JK Rowling and members of the trans community, I wanted to make it absolutely clear where I stand. I disagree with Jo’s comments.
“Trans women are women, trans men are men and non-binary identities are valid. I would never want to speak on behalf of the community but I do know that my dear transgender friends and colleagues are tired of this constant questioning of their identities, which all too often results in violence and abuse. They simply want to live their lives peacefully, and it’s time to let them do so.”
Eddie Redmayne ANGELA WEISS via Getty Images
Following the backlash, Rowling stood by her comments, arguing “it isn’t hate to speak the truth”.
She tweeted: “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.”
Eddie previously faced a backlash of his own for his portrayal of trans woman Lili Elbe in the biopic The Danish Girl, with many suggesting the role should have gone to a trans actor.
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He told IndieWire around the film’s release: “I think it’s an incredibly important discussion. And I think it’s also representative of a lot of discrimination against trans people in the workplace generally.
“I think there has been years of cisgender success on the back of trans stories. But I know that Tom [Hooper, the director] when he was making this film – many trans people worked on the film...
“For me, I hope there’s a day when there are more trans actors and trans actresses playing trans parts, but also cisgender parts. And I hope – as an actor one hopes – that one should be able to play any sort of part if one plays it with a sense of integrity and responsibility.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Coronavirus ‘Sex Ban’ Will End For Some Couples From This Weekend

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England’s coronavirus “sex ban” is set to end for some couples from this weekend, under new rules announced by Boris Johnson.
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From just after midnight on Saturday, people who live alone will be able to stay overnight with their partner for the first time since the lockdown began more than 11 weeks ago.
The new system of “support bubbles” will also allow single parents and isolated grandparents to visit and stay with family members as if they are in the same household, without any two-metre social distancing.
The rules – aimed at ending social isolation for all age groups – mean that, as well as couples or friends separated by the virus being able to freely visit each other, some children and grandchildren will be able to hug their parents and grandparents for the first time in weeks.
“Single adult households,” defined as either people living alone or lone parents living with children under 18, will be able to freely visit one other household under the revised rules.
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The rules – which will kick in at one minute past midnight on Saturday morning – won’t however apply to couples who each live in shared households, or to children who want to visit parents who live in a couple.
If any member of the new “support bubble” shows symptoms of coronavirus, everyone in both households will have to self-isolate for 14 days.
And to avoid new chains of transmission of the virus, support bubbles have to be exclusive, and cannot be switched with different or multiple households.
Speaking at the daily No.10 press conference, Johnson said: “On social contact, I know how difficult the past months have been for people cut off from their friends and family.
“I’m making this change to help those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures. It’s a targeted intevention to limit the most harmful effects of the current social restrictions.
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“It is emphatically not designed for people who don’t qualify to start meeting inside other people’s homes because that remains against the law.”
Some 11 million people live alone in England, with 8 million individuals living alone and 3 million single parents.
Government sources said the plan was aimed at helping the many lonely or isolated people who have had to endure the pandemic on their own, with only outdoor socially distanced contact allowed in recent weeks.
Asked explicitly whether the new rules meant the “sex ban” was over, a No.10 source said: “It is a fact that if you form a bubble with another household you won’t have to follow the two-metre rule.”
Lawyers and campaigners had urged the government to change the rules after new regulations introduced on June 1 made it illegal for couples who live in different homes to have sex indoors and stay overnight.
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The Health Protection Regulations had previously banned people from leaving home without “reasonable excuse”, but were replaced with strict new legal curbs on where people could sleep and gather together.
Police can arrest or fine people for breaking the law, with a default penalty of £100 in England, although they do not have the power to check for violations inside properties.
Laws on public decency and indecent exposure already mean people who have sex outside can be punished.
The rules only apply to those living alone and will not mean a lifting of restrictions for multi-member households.
Government insiders accept that the “targeted intervention” will leave some others unable to benefit from the change, but stressed that gradual reforms were needed to avoid throwing away the progress made in getting the pandemic under control.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Watch Live: Boris Johnson Leads Coronavirus Press Briefing

Watch Live: Boris Johnson Leads Coronavirus Press Briefing
Boris Johnson leads Downing Street press conference alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and chief scientific advisor Sir Patrick Vallance. The prime minister is expected to announce further easing of lockdown measures as zoos, safari parks and outdoor cinemas can reopen from Monday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Lockdown A Week Earlier Would Have Halved UK Coronavirus Death Toll, Says Neil Ferguson

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Boris Johnson could have cut the coronavirus death toll by half if lockdown measures were brought in just one week earlier, leading scientist Neil Ferguson has said.
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The professor of mathematical biology, who works at Imperial College London, said in March the epidemic was doubling every three to four days.
The prime minister announced lockdown on March 23 but Ferguson - who was himself forced to resign as a scientific adviser when he broke lockdown rules by allowing a woman to visit him at his London home - said restrictions seven days earlier would have halved the number of deaths.
Speaking to the Commons science and technology committee on Wednesday, he said: “The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced.
“So, had we introduced lockdown measures a week earlier, we would have reduced the final death toll by at least a half.”
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Epidemiologist Neil Ferguson speaks at a news conference in London, Britain January 22, 2020, in this still image taken from video. REUTERS TV via REUTERS REUTERS . / Reuters
Ferguson added, however, that based on what was known about transmission and fatalities at the time, the measures were warranted.
Speaking on March 16, a week before imposing restrictions such as school closures and business shutdowns, the PM said the government’s actions were “based scrupulously on the best scientific advice”.
Johnson asked people to avoid all unnecessary contact and said those with symptoms should isolate for two weeks.
He also told the public the government was choosing the “right moment” for fresh measures, saying: “And if you ask, why are we doing this now, why now, why not earlier, or later? Why bring in this very draconian measure?
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“The answer is that we are asking people to do something that is difficult and disruptive of their lives.
“And the right moment, as we’ve always said, is to do it when it is most effective, when we think it can make the biggest difference to slowing the spread of the disease, reducing the number of victims, reducing the number of fatalities.”
Tuesday, March 17, 2020, chancellor Rishi Sunak, left, and Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
An Imperial College London study modelling the potential progress of the virus, which predicted 260,000 deaths without lockdown and was published on March 30 by Ferguson, is thought to have strongly influenced the PM’s view.
The latest figures from the government show the number of people who have died across the UK after contracting coronavirus has risen by at least 109 in 24 hours. It brings the working total to 40,992.
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According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate is now 51,089.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Lizzo Has An Important Message For Body-Shamers In Iconic Work-Out Video

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Lizzo has truly lifted our spirits with an empowering video about self-love and her “ideal body type” being “none of our f***ing business”.
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The Truth Hurts singer posted a compilation of herself working out at home on TikTok on Tuesday night, along with the message: “If you’re not a fat shamer… keep scrolling… OK now that all the fat shamers are here.”
@lizzo if you’re not a fat shamer... keep scrolling... ok now that all the fat shamers are here 🧚🏾♀✨ ♬ Buttercup - Jack Stauber
Narrating the video, she continued: “Hey, so I’ve been working out consistently for the last five years and it may come as a surprise to some of y’all that I’m not working out to have your ideal body type. I’m working out to have my ideal body type, and you know what type that is? None of your fucking business. Because I am beautiful, I am strong, I do my job, and I stay on my job.
“So next time you want to come to somebody and judge them, whether they drink kale smoothies or eat McDonald’s or workout or not workout, how about you look at your own fucking self and worry about your own goddamn body.
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“Because health is not just determined on what you look like on the outside, health is also what happens on the inside. And a lot of y’all need to do a fucking cleanse for your insides.”
Lizzo on the Grammys red carpet, where she was this year's most nominated artist David Crotty via Getty Images
“Namaste, have a great day,” she ended the clip, which has already won her a legion of applause on social media:
DID SHE FUCKIN STUTTER??? put some respeck on lizzo pic.twitter.com/1OyMDPvB1l — Taylor Rivera 🥶 (@TaylorRivera99) June 9, 2020
@lizzo is one real true badass. People would be happier if they would take a page, work out and better themselves FOR themselves, Not others. https://t.co/4NzTc6BZyk — The Big Kurkowski (@BigKurkowski) June 10, 2020
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cuando Lizzo dijo "I'm working out to have my ideal body type, and you know what type that is? none of your fucking business" i felt that.😔😤 — pizza gyal (@AnitaKenobi) June 10, 2020
Worry about your own body 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾 https://t.co/RuIRtPht7R — mumbi (@pasrealiste) June 10, 2020
Everything she said! Not that it matters but I been said lizzo in better shape than 90% of the people that hate on her weight. Have you seen that woman twerk... WHILE PLAYING THE FLUTE. I mean come on. https://t.co/iC43GtZzNY — Rice Girl 🍚 (@Adriibungalow) June 10, 2020
You know what Lizzo, you’re fucking right. Thank you for this. This is something I needed to hear myself. https://t.co/jXZzFMrQnh — B.winn (@briannnguyenn) June 10, 2020
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LIZZO IS SUPERIOR IDC WHAT ANYONE SAYS !!!!!! She gave me so much confidence just now that I didn’t know I needed https://t.co/8mZuFZA5VG — Maddy Luna (@MaddyLuna1) June 10, 2020
I adore @lizzo with all my heart.
This is dead on.
pic.twitter.com/CMt5K16vzY — Marthe de Ferrer (@MarthedeFerrer) June 10, 2020
TELL 👏 THEM 👏, QUEEN!!! 👏🔥 https://t.co/ftF2wpVXYu — Astor Igwe George (@grandpabbychuck) June 10, 2020
Lizzo previously sang about her relationship with exercise on her 2018 single Fitness, celebrating a range of different body types in the track’s accompanying music video.
Describing Fitness at that time, Lizzo said: ”[Fitness] is my Declaration of Independence from the bullshit! I hope to inspire women all over to put themselves first. And next time someone has a critique about you or your body, say ‘I don’t do this for you’!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Netflix Axes The League Of Gentlemen And Other Comedy Shows Featuring Blackface

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Netflix has pulled The League Of Gentlemen and a number of other shows featuring blackface.
Last week, the streaming service took down Little Britain and Come Fly With Me, with the BBC iPlayer and BritBox following suit in recent days.
It’s now been revealed that Netflix has removed a number of other shows from its catalogue, both here in the UK and worldwide.
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The League Of Gentlemen – in which Reece Shearsmith uses blackface make-up to play the character Papa Lazarou – has been pulled in the UK, a week before its intended expiry date of June 19.
The League Of Gentlemen BBC
Canadian series The Drunk And On Drugs Happy Funtime Hour, which features two characters in blackface as well as an Asian character portrayed by a white actor, has also been pulled.
'The Drunk and on Drugs Happy Funtime Hour' has been removed from Netflix UK after about 22 months. #TooLate — NewOnNetflixUK -fan- (@NewOnNetflixUK) June 10, 2020
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In Australia and New Zealand, comedian Chris Lilley’s shows including Summer Heights High, Jonah From Tonga and Angry Boys have also been removed from the platform.
All of these shows see Chris in dark make-up playing characters including Tongan schoolboy Jonah, while in We Can Be Heroes – another show which has been pulled by Netflix in Australia and New Zealand – he plays an Asian student.
His most recent comedy series, the Netflix original Lunatics, is still available to stream, despite controversy over one of the characters, Jana Melhoopen-Jonks.
Lilley has been accused of using blackface for the role – but a producer for the show has insisted that the character is “not a woman of colour”.
Netflix provided no further comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Australian comedian Chris Lilley Don Arnold via Getty Images
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While the BBC followed suit when it came to the removal of Little Britain, The League Of Gentlemen and many of Chris Lilley’s shows are still available to watch on BBC iPlayer at the time of writing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--This Is How Trans Harry Potter Fans Feel About JK Rowling's Recent Tweets

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“Trans women are women,” wrote Daniel Radcliffe in an unprecedented public response to a series of controversial tweets by Harry Potter author JK Rowling in recent weeks about biological sex and transgender people. “Any statement to the contrary erases the identity and dignity of transgender people and goes against all advice given by professional health care associations who have far more expertise on this subject matter than either Jo or I.”
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Many trans people have built parts of their identities around the characters and the universe that Rowling created with Harry Potter – a fantastical alternative to their real life ‘muggle’ world when it felt harsher and less inclusive than Harry’s. Now, following a week of unease and shock, trans Harry Potter fans have shared with HuffPost how they feel about the author’s recent comments, with responses ranging from anger and disappointment to a sense of alienation. It is not the first time Rowling has attracted criticism for her comments on trans issues, but this recent upset was prompted when she shared a link to an article citing “people who menstruate” in its headline that, by not specifically referring to women, implied that some trans men menstruate, too. ″‘People who menstruate.’ I’m sure there used to be a word for those people,” wrote Rowling above the link. “Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?”
Following the backlash, Rowling asserted that she “respects every trans person’s right to live any way that feels authentic and comfortable to them” in a follow-up tweet. “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,” she wrote. Additional tweets to her critics included: “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.” The Potter fans who have spoken to HuffPost UK have all shared their names, but some were not comfortable sharing photos for publication. Trans lives are at threat – as statistics from the Human Rights Campaign show, the rate of trans murders worldwide is still shockingly disproportionate to cisgender people. Black trans people are even more disproportionately targeted across the world. In light of the Black Lives Matter movement, trans people of colour, including some who spoke to HuffPost UK, have called out Rowling’s insensitive timing.
‘I encourage JK Rowling to listen to her characters’
Teddy Lamb Teddy Lamb
Teddy Lamb, 30, UK: “JK Rowling created my childhood. That’s a big statement, but it’s true. I remember the nights I queued up outside bookshops in fancy dress, I remember the plays I put on for my parents in the living room, I remember desperately waiting for my Hogwarts acceptance letter when I turned 11.
“She created a world where maybe I could fit it, a world where Hagrid said: ‘I am what I am, an’ I’m not ashamed. “Never be ashamed,” my ol’ dad used to say, “there’s some who’ll hold it against you, but they’re not worth botherin’ with.”’
“As far as I’m concerned, that world still exists, but JK does not. That world is owned by the readers, the fans, the millions of queer fanfic stories, the cast of The Cursed Child, and the queer friendships I made by deciding we would be Hufflepoofs.
“JK Rowling created a magical world, but morally it was rather simple, with the core message being ‘Nazi’s are Bad’, which while obviously true, isn’t exactly rocket science. In her world, you are either ‘Mudblood’ or a ‘Pureblood’ – which she [now] seems to be equating to gender, where there is no black and white.
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“As a non-binary trans femme, I exist in the grey area and I encourage JK Rowling to listen to her characters and explore the grey.”
‘I’ve been a huge Harry Potter fan since grade school’
Niko, 16, US: “I’m honestly really disappointed in JK Rowling, I’ve been a huge fan of Harry Potter since I was in grade school – and I’m a transgender boy. Her actions are really disheartening to her transgender fans. I’ve always seen her as a huge role model since I’m a writer myself.
“If she believes that it is menstruation that makes a person a woman does that mean that people biologically female that no longer menstruate aren’t considered women to her? My extended family has reproductive issues and some of them don’t menstruate because of issues like Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Does that make them men, then?”
“If someone is attracted to me they are attracted to me because of my personality and not what my genitals are and they should be able to see around that. Men who are only attracted to men and me are gay. End of story.”
‘I have divorced the author from the books’
Karla Beauty Marx Karla Beauty Marx
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Karla Beauty Marx, 24, South Africa: “As a child and young adult, Harry Potter empowered me to be myself and never accept racism, discrimination or the oppression of anyone. I, like so many other trans people, found a home at Hogwarts. Rowling is now making this home a hostile one. I refuse to have my love Harry Potter taken away.
“Harry Potter taught me about accepting myself, standing up against discrimination and resisting oppression and oppressive systems. Yet Rowling’s tweets show the opposite of this: they actively discriminate against and contribute to the oppression of trans people. As a transgender non-binary person, they have been incredibly upsetting, damaging and invalidating, not only to me but to the entire trans community.
“JK Rowling has aligned herself with Dolores Umbridge. But Minerva McGonagall, Hermione Granger, Luna Lovegood, the Weasleys, Harry and all the characters who fought against Voldemort would stand against her.”
“I have, for a long time, divorced the author from the books. The fanbase is a huge element of why I love Harry Potter. Fans make this world one in which trans and non-binary witches and wizards would be validated and celebrated. Rowling cannot strip me of my humanity and the validity of my gender, nor can she take away a defining factor of my childhood and adult life.”
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‘Please, Ms Rowling, march with us’
Alex Combs, 30s, US: “When I first heard JK Rowling had made another trans-related tweet, I didn’t want to read it. I feel very sad to see the author of the books I and many others found meaning in, using her platform to amplify anti-trans voices and agendas. I finally did read her tweets in order to write this response. In her recent statements, JK said she would march with trans people ‘if you were discriminated against on the basis of being trans.’
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“Then please, Ms Rowling, march with us! Trans, nonbinary, and gender non-conforming people experience abuse and discrimination at disproportionate rates at every level of our lives. Systems that are backed by a history of anti-trans laws affect our ability to maintain employment, access health care, and to even exist in public. And we continue to be bombarded with an endless stream of legislation that will further marginalise us.
“Right now, people are marching to bring attention to anti-Black racism. Black trans people are murdered at shockingly high rates with little to no effort directed towards bringing them justice. Black trans people are disproportionately targets of state violence and incarceration, where they face the torture of solitary confinement or else suffer violent sexual abuse by guards and other inmates.
“I hope the author will take the time to reflect on the realities of how transphobia is affecting the lives of trans people she knows and loves as well as those outside of her social sphere. I, for instance, edited a Harry Potter fanzine called Trans-Affirming Magical Care, which is sold out but still available as a PDF.”
‘No one’s trying to take away anything from her’
Bella Snowden Bella Snowden
Bella Snowden, 31, US: “I will start by saying I never really got in to the Harry Potter books, I’ve always been a visual person. But when I first saw the Harry Potter and The Philosopher’s Stone movie trailer I couldn’t believe my little eyes. I was 11. Now I am 31, a pansexual Black non-binary trans woman who has bipolar disorder.
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“Black trans women are being killed all over the world. It’s getting worse every year so I had to really think hard about living my truth. I loved Harry Potter movies so much that me and my mom would watch them on DVD. It was our mother and son bonding time. Of course, she really didn’t know it was really mother and daughter bonding.
“No one is trying to take away anything from [JK Rowling] or any other cis women. I get that you’ve lived being perceived as a girl and a women your whole life and all the sexism and danger that comes with that, but trans women are women. That shouldn’t be determined by your ability to have kids.
“We have always been here but cis people have silenced us and killed us for daring to live as freely as they do. But now we have a voice and we’re going to bring this transphobic, homophobic, sexist, classiest and racist system down and burn it to the ground and build a better and more peaceful loving world around us that’s willing to listen as well as talk.”
‘She has failed her readers’
Lark Malakai Lark Malakai (left) with co-host Jessie.
Lark Malakai, 33, host of The Gayly Prophet: ”For me, JK Rowling’s trans antagonism isn’t just personally painful – it’s an attack on the community.
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“I’m the transgender host of a queer-focused Harry Potter podcast. My co-host, Jessie, and I work so hard to create a safe space – our work isn’t just making episodes of the show, it’s helping folks find a safe way to hold on to these books that meant so much to so many of us in our formative years.
“A big part of that is figuring out ways to engage in the fandom without contributing financially to JK Rowling in any way. It also includes reading ourselves into the text through fan works, and using it as a jumping off point to connect to and support other queer and trans people.
“The worst part of JK Rowling’s most recent attack on the trans community is that it came in the midst of a global uprising in defence of Black lives. By using her platform to spread hate instead of speaking out against racism is a profound act of violence on so many levels that to say that she should be ashamed of herself is completely inadequate.
“She has failed her readers, and the only way we can hold on to the piece of our identities that belongs to Harry Potter is to claim it for ourselves, fully apart from anything to do with the author.”
‘Most of us are just trying to live normal lives’
Zoé, 27, South Africa: “In honesty I doubt I will make an active effort to read JK Rowling’s future work. If there is however a movie and my friends wish to see it I might go with them. But I don’t really see a reason to support her work anymore. With regards to other trans people supporting her, well I feel this to be a very personal matter.
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“Some may wish to give her another chance, others may not. Really who am I to judge. I can’t really vouch for her being ignorant or knowledgeable. But I’m fairly sure she would have looked into this after disappointing her fans the first time.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--The Edward Colston Statue Has A New Home – Once It's Been Retrieved From Bristol Harbour

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The statue of Edward Colston that was torn down and dumped into Bristol Harbour by Black Lives Matter protesters at the weekend is to be retrieved and displayed in a museum, the city’s council has confirmed.
The monument will be displayed alongside placards from the demonstration that culminated in a moment that made headlines around the world.
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Protesters transporting the statue of Colston towards the river Avon. NurPhoto via Getty Images
Announcing the move, Bristol City Council said it was being taken so “the 300 year story of slavery through to today’s fight for racial equality can be learnt about”.
Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees, added: “The events over the last few days have really highlighted that as a city we all have very different understandings of our past.
“The only way we can work together on our future is by learning the truth of our beginnings, embracing the facts, and sharing those stories with others. This is why this commission is so important.”
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The statue of Edward Colston will be retrieved from the harbour and exhibited, with #BlackLivesMatter placards, in one of our museums.
A decision on how the plinth will be used will be decided democratically through consultation. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/yqPpEy2RiY — Bristol City Council (@BristolCouncil) June 10, 2020
What to do with the stone plinth upon which it stood has yet to be decided but the council promised to make a decision “democratically through consultation”.
The memorial to Colston, who made his fortune in the slave trade in the 1600s, had stood in the city since 1895 but in recent years was the subject of a number of petitions – the most recent of which garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
On Sunday protesters took matters into their own hands, tying a rope around the head of the statue 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.
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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
The episode has led to debates in the UK over statues of historical figures who made fortunes and reputations on the exploitation of others.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--UK Records 245 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours As Latest Care Home Data Released

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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 41,128 – an increase of 245 over 24 hours.
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Since the end of April, the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Tuesday June 9.
As of 9am 10 June, there have been 6,042,622 tests, with 170,379 tests on 9 June.
290,143 people have tested positive.
As of 5pm on 9 June, of those tested positive for coronavirus, across all settings, 41,128 have sadly died.
More info:
▶ https://t.co/xXnL3FU15k pic.twitter.com/EvblnHtcEl — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) June 10, 2020
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals across the UK, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 109 in 24 hours.
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That increase consisted consists of 88 hospital patients in England, 12 people in Scotland and nine hospital patients and care home residents in Wales. Northern Ireland has reported no new deaths for the fourth day running.
Meanwhile, as of 9am on June 10, 6,042,622 tests have been carried out, with 290,143 coming back positive.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Boris Johnson Claims US Is A 'Bastion Of Peace' Despite Donald Trump's Response To Black Lives Matte

Boris Johnson Claims US Is A 'Bastion Of Peace' Despite Donald Trump's Response To Black Lives Matter Protests

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Boris Johnson has defended the US as a “bastion of peace and freedom” amid growing protests following the death of George Floyd.
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The prime minister said the US was the UK’s “most important ally in the world today” after he was pressed on president Donald Trump’s response to the demonstrations.
It comes after widespread outrage and demands for change from campaigns such as Black Lives Matter, both in the US and across the globe, following Floyd’s killing in Minneapolis.
The 46-year-old Black man died after white police officer Derek Chauvin held him under his knee for almost nine minutes.
Floyd could be heard to say “I can’t breathe” during his last moments.
In response to the protests, Trump said he was the “president of law and order” threatened to deploy the military.
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Speaking in the Commons during prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, SNP MP Kirsty Blackman called Trump’s response “horrendous” and pressed the PM whether he still believed his American counterpart still had “many, many good qualities”, adding “if so, what are they?”.
Johnson said he believed Floyd’s death was “absolutely appalling” and reiterated his own view that “Black lives matter”.
Gesturing to the opposition benches, he went on to say: “And as for the qualities of Mr Trump, let me say: he amongst many other things he is president of the United States, which is our most important ally in the world today.
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“And whatever people say about it, whatever people on the left say about it, the United States is a bastion of peace and freedom and has been for most of my lifetime.”
The impact of Floyd’s death is still being felt in the UK, with protestors pulling the Bristol statue of 17th Century slave trader Edward Coulson into the River Avon on Sunday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Boris Johnson's Pledge Of £63m For Vulnerable Families Not Enough, Says Labour

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Boris Johnson has promised £63m of welfare assistance for local authorities to help the most vulnerable families through the coronavirus crisis.
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The prime minister has refused to extend school meal vouchers into the summer holidays despite charities and teaching unions calling for him to continue the £15-a-week food subsidy for 1.3m pupils after English schools officially break up in July.
But he insisted the government has “put its arms around the people of this country” as he announced the fresh funding, which councils will be able to use at their discretion to help those in need.
Labour sources however said that £63m only goes half way in covering the loss of free school meals, which would cost £115m.
At prime minister’s questions, Labour leader Keir Starmer urged Johnson to extend the national voucher scheme to ensure free meals over the summer for vulnerable children or risk “further inequality” in England.
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Johnson replied: “We don’t normally continue with free school meals over the summer holidays but we’re also aware of the particular difficulties faced by vulnerable families.
“That’s why we’re announcing a further £63m of local welfare assistance to be used by local authorities at their discretion to help the most vulnerable families.”
Downing Street later said the funding would add to existing support mechanisms available to local authorities.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said: “It’s an additional £63m and it’s for local authorities to spend it will allow them to step in to provide discretionary financial help to those families who are facing hardship to allow them to pay for food or other necessities.
“Local authorities already have existing mechanisms in place to provide this support to those who need it and they’ve set up those systems in a way that best suits their local communities.
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“We believe they’ll be best placed to know how to use this money.
“For example some of things could include food vouchers or cash payments.
“It’s an approach to build on existing infrastructure and can be specifically targeted at a local level, for those who are in need.”
Ministers have dropped plans for all primary schools to return before summer and refused to promise that all secondary and primary pupils would return by September, leading to warnings that disadvantaged pupils face a “tsunami” of anxiety and inequality unless urgent action is taken to provide summer schools or other support.
Starmer said the UK was now an “outlier” compared to other countries in returning children to school, telling the Commons: “It’s no good the prime minister flailing around trying to blame others.”
Labour leader Keir Starmer says the current arrangements for getting pupils in England back to school "lie in tatters" and "inequality will now go up" as he calls for a national taskforce
PM Boris Johnson says "we are following the plan we set out"#PMQs https://t.co/DfM1G7UexD pic.twitter.com/Xj8OulMhRX — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) June 10, 2020
He said the PM did not consult relevant parties or have scientific backing when he made his announcement on reopening schools in May, also saying: “It’s time he took responsibility for his own failings. This mess was completely avoidable. The consequences are stark.”
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Starmer also called on Johnson to back his plans for a national taskforce to look at the return of pupils to schools.
But the PM seized on the fact that many Labour councils and teaching unions had refused to open schools on safety grounds.
“Last week he (Starmer) was telling the House that it was not yet safe for kids to go back to school, this week he’s saying that not enough kids are going back to school,” Johnson said.
“I really think he needs to make up his mind.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Keir Starmer Shames A ‘Proud’ Boris Johnson Over 40,000 Coronavirus Deaths

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Boris Johnson has been told he should not take “pride” in his response to the coronavirus pandemic given more than 40,000 people have died.
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Speaking during PMQs on Wednesday, the prime minister praised the “astonishing” way in which the country has dealt with the outbreak.
Johnson has also said he was “very proud” of how his government reacted.
The government’s latest figures on those who have died after testing positive for coronavirus stand at 40,883.
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) the number of people who have died with coronavirus mentioned on their death certificate is now 51,089.
And the number of excess deaths – the number of deaths above the expected number for that time of year – stands at 63,000.
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Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, told Johnson during PMQs: “These are amongst the highest numbers anywhere in the world.
“Last week, the prime minister said he was proud of the government’s record, but there’s no pride in those figures is there?”
Johnson said he would “mourn every one” of the deaths and “grieve for them and for their relatives and their friends”.
PA
But he said the country had to “wait until the epidemic has been through its whole cycle” before it was fair to compare the death toll to other countries.
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“As for what this country did to fight the epidemic, I must say I strongly disagree with the way he characterises it,” the prime minister told Starmer.
“I think it was an astonishing achievement by the NHS to build the Nightingale hospitals, I think it was an astonishing thing this country came together to drive down, to follow the social distancing rules in spite of all the doubt that was cast on the advice.”
The exchanges came as Johnson prepared to announce children will soon be able to visit zoos in the latest easing of lockdown measures – although their wait to go back to school could last months.
Johnson will face the nation at the Downing Street briefing on Wednesday and is expected to confirm zoos, safari parks and drive-in cinemas can reopen in England from June 15.
It comes a day after Business Secretary Alok Sharma confirmed shops would also be able to reopen on the same day.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--My Pride Anthems: Dr Ranj Singh

My Pride Anthems: Dr Ranj Singh

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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The latest star to take us on a musical trip down memory lane is Dr Ranj Singh.
Tim P. Whitby via Getty Images
Best known as the expert on all things medical on This Morning, Dr Ranj showed off a different skillset altogether in 2018, when he competed on Strictly Come Dancing.
In the latest instalment in our My Pride Anthems series, he reveals the song that takes him back to his very first Pride, and shares a poignant memory from his time on Strictly...
Calvin Harris and Rihanna – This Is What You Came For
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“The reason I picked this song is because I remember it being played at my very first Pride, and it was amazing. I was in the parade on the ITV Pride bus, and I remember the exact moment, I was standing next to the comedian David Morgan, and we were all waving at the Tesco float that was just over from us, and their float played this song, and we just went absolutely crazy, just having such a great time.
“And that song reminds me of Pride every single time I hear it. And the lyrics kind of fit in, don’t they? ‘This is what you came for’, and it absolutely was.”
Kylie Minogue – All The Lovers
“You can’t do Pride without Kylie. I’m a massive Kylie fan, and I remember not long after I came out, I was dating a guy and he was working with Kylie – he was a hair and makeup artist – and I got to go know Kylie a little bit through him. And I got to hear this song before it had even been released!
“What a tune, what a Pride anthem. This song reminds me of Pride, reminds me of Kylie and it reminds me of that first love. It’s got a very special place in my heart.”
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Pussycat Dolls – React
“There are certain pieces of music from around the time I came out that I think are important and influential on me, and I remember listening to a lot of Pussycat Dolls at that time. So I’m a massive Pussycat Dolls fan. And Ashley [Roberts] has actually become a mate, because of Strictly Come Dancing, and I adore her, and I adore the girls.
“I actually went to see them at G-A-Y recently, and they played React and everyone went absolutely mental. It was bonkers, and they look incredible – they look exactly like they used to, they dance and sing exactly as they used to, and their songs just get better and better.
“And React is one of their best songs ever. I’m actually going for a walk with Ashley next week, because we live not too far from each other. I’ll tell her ‘you’re on my Pride playlist!’.”
Whitney Houston – How Will I Know
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“I’m a massive fan of divas, and one of the greatest divas of all time has got to be Whitney Houston. This is just one of the most perfect songs ever. And everyone has felt that feeling of ‘how will I know that person fancies me as much as I fancy him or her?’. So it’s got to be that.
“And that song actually reminds me of Janette Manrara, who was my partner on Strictly, who is one of the biggest LGBTQ+ allies I know. We danced to this song on my very first week on the show. It reminds me of that feeling and that crazy new best friend/sister from another mister, who is honestly just as gay as I am.
“How Will I Know just makes me gush, it’s one of Whitney’s best songs, and it’s one that’s guaranteed to get everyone singing and dancing.”
Todrick Hall – Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels
“I’m a massive Todrick Hall fan, and Nails, Hair, Hips, Heels is already a classic, even though it’s relatively recent. And he did a remix for coronavirus [Mask, Gloves, Soap, Scrub] recently, didn’t he? I love this song, it’s just such a tune.
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“It’s the one that gets everyone stomping up and down the dance floor, everybody in a bar or a club goes crazy when that song comes on. You can guarantee that.”
Billy Porter, Mj Rodriguez and Our Lady J – Home
"I only wanted five songs, because I like nice, round numbers, but I thought ‘hang on’. This is a slow song, actually. It’s not a party anthem, but it reminds me of why Pride is important, and it reminds me of why the community and the LGBTQ+ family is important.
"There’s a moment in Pose where they sing Home, from a musical called The Wiz. And it’s so powerful, and so pertinent to what a lot of people in the community feel – like the community is their new home – because they may not have their own families or be in touch with their own family or their own home.
"Right now, we’re at a time when we’re all feeling a little bit lost because our lives have been turned upside down. And some of us are stuck in places where we can’t be ourselves, even though we may be 'at home', we don’t really feel at home. And I think this song is really powerful. It's kind of like the song you listen to, and sing badly to and cry to, at the end of the night out after you’ve been partying to the other five songs."
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-11--Harry Enfield Condemned For Defending Past Blackface Performances

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Harry Enfield has been criticised after giving an interview on Radio 4 in which he defended having performed in blackface.
In the last few weeks, shows like Little Britain, The League Of Gentlemen and Summer Heights High, which have all featured blackface, have been removed from BBC iPlayer and Netflix.
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“I’ve done it, several times in the past, I’ve played Nelson Mandela in one thing for laughs,” he said on Thursday’s edition of the Today programme. “And I did it because this thing had sort of come round from the BBC that we couldn’t do it anymore.
“And so I thought, ‘well, who is my hero?’ – Nelson Mandela, who I had the pleasure of meeting once – and ‘what’s the stereotype of Black people?’. Well, at the time there was a lot of things in the papers about drugs and stuff, so I made him a drug dealer or a pedaller of alcopops to children and things like that, which I thought was so wrong that it was alright.”
He added: “You know, I wouldn’t do it now, but I don’t think I regret it... but I definitely think there should still be a conversation about it, really.”
Harry Enfield interviewed on Lorraine in 2015 Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
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The actor and comedian went on to use a racial slur when discussing the historical use of blackface.
“Let me tell you, obviously, Al Johnson or G H Elliot, who played the Chocolate Coloured C**n in the 30s — they perpetuated the myth of the 'happy negro' who was just very happy to sing under the crack of the whip, the American whip or the British imperial bayonet, and obviously that’s deeply offensive and always will be,” he said.
At that point, presenter Nick Robinson interjected, stating: “Just to be clear, Harry, because there will be people offended by that term you just used. You’re using it in inverted commas. Let’s not repeat it, but it’s a term that was used at the time.”
“Well that was his name on stage,” Harry responded.
The Kevin And Perry star then stated that having played four former prime ministers in the past, he “would find it difficult” that he “would not be allowed to play [Rishi Sunak] “because of the colour of his skin”, should he go on to become PM.
Comedian and writer Ava Vidal, who was also appearing on the segment, suggested: “I’m sure you can take the mickey out of the prime minister without blacking up, if there was a Black prime minister.”
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Ava also questioned why Harry didn’t choose to “subvert” stereotypes rather than play up to them, saying: “If you’re going to do comedy, why wouldn’t you subvert the stereotype, why wouldn’t you challenge it, why would you reinforce it? ’Did he play Margaret Thatcher as a hooker? Why did he denigrate the Black one?”
She also spoke about blackface in general, telling listeners at the beginning of the show: “You have to look at the origins of blackface. It was distorting Black people’s features, it was done for the entertainment of white people and it was done promoting negative stereotypes, and it normalises dehumanisation.”
“Comedy is about being funny, and punching down and picking on oppressed people is not funny,” she later added.
The interview was immediately met with a backlash on social media, not just for Harry’s comments, but also from those pointing out that Ava was given less time to talk than the comedian, and that her name was repeatedly mispronounced.
Many also questioned why there was even a debate asking why blackface was bad in the first place.
This morning on #r4today I heard @thetwerkinggirl having to explain why blackface comedy is wrong. She was amazing!
In the debate, Harry Enfield used the word c**n & wouldn't understand why blackface is wrong. 2020 you're just too much! Plus they couldn't pronounce her name! — Tracey Gyateng (@TGyateng) June 11, 2020
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Soooooo Harry Enfield on Radio 4 whining about restricting his creative license to be racist .
And a good morning to you all ! — Sandra Harper (@SarnieHarper) June 11, 2020
Can't believe that Harry Enfield was trying to justify the portrayal of Nelson Mandela as a drug dealer — OP4C (@OP4C) June 11, 2020
did someone put mushrooms in their tea? why did a whole team of journalists at the country's news programme of record collectively decide it was a good idea to have a segment questioning why blackface is bad? @BBCr4today — Golnar Motevalli (@golnarM) June 11, 2020
Harry Enfield's racist slurs aside, blacking up is a white disorder. if you want to discuss it, discuss it in terms of a disorder. Don't put the onus on @thetwerkinggirl to explain why it's bad and force her to answer absurd questions like "is it any worse than paying ginger?" — Golnar Motevalli (@golnarM) June 11, 2020
Harry Enfield was always trash and he showed his full colours in that interview! https://t.co/3dbyFUqsw3 — DJ Yardman 🇯🇲 (@DJ_Yardman) June 11, 2020
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That Harry Enfield was even asked on to ‘defend’ black face on BBC R4 at the same time the *same* BBC is removing shows that feature it shows something is broken imo. — Mollie Goodfellow (@hansmollman) June 11, 2020
Holy fuck, what????????? I cannot BELIEVE that they even got someone on to defend blackface, let alone so VEHEMENTLY! — Rhianna Dhillon (@RhiannaDhillon) June 11, 2020
harry enfield Y A W N, entertainers have the single most tedious arguments about racism bc they all just boil down to "why am i not allowed to do something wahhhhhh" and it's like "why do u want to"??? — G (@oneofthosefaces) June 11, 2020
Absolute disgrace that @BBCr4today gave way more time to Harry Enfield to waffle on rather than hear the views of Ava Vidal.
And Nick Robinson had the gall to refer to the interview as a “conversation”.
Travesty. #r4today — Ian Barnes (@Ianbarnes2001) June 11, 2020
If you were trying to construct a segment to show how wildly out-of-touch @BBCr4today has become, you couldn't come up with anything more damning than that Harry Enfield slot and the positioning of him 'versus' the sole voice of reason on it, @thetwerkinggirl. — Paul Trueman (@paulwtrueman) June 11, 2020
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Just listened to @BBCr4today, a conversation about blackface. It pretty much missed every single note!
-Harry Enfield defending his right to play Nelson Mandela as a drug dealer because he is his ‘hero’
-Presenter mispronouncing the name of the woman he was interviewing 3 times! https://t.co/hjJ8eBfjoz — Sacha Coward (@sacha_coward) June 11, 2020
-The presenter telling his one black interviewee to ‘hurry it up’ after giving Enfield loads of airtime.
-Enfield defending his right to play Indian characters because he ‘read a book’.
-The comparison of blackface to ‘posh accents’ and ‘ginger jokes’ — Sacha Coward (@sacha_coward) June 11, 2020
This whole Harry Enfield thing is another example of the stupid idea that some ideas need a balancing view. Blackface is racism, and racism has no need for a counterpoint - this is not some huge moral conundrum. https://t.co/pu6N9VSsQL — Anton Emmanuel (@AntonEmmanuel2) June 11, 2020
Ava has also since tweeted on the matter, commenting: “C**n. Before 9 in the morning. I haven’t even eaten yet. I can’t stop laughing. WTAF? I’m in shock.”
She also told Metro: “It proves how deeply ingrained these attitudes are that he could utter that word without so much as a by your leave. This is why Black and POC have to lead the conversation on racism because many White people don’t even notice it.
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“I would have liked more time cause I had more points to make and I feel I wasn’t given the chance to do so.”
After the show, Nick Robinson apologised for Harry’s use of the slur during the programme, tweeting: “I’m really sorry a racial slur was used on air. I pointed out that it was offensive and asked Harry not to repeat it. As I have said in the past – in a totally different context – ‘Normal service from the BBC means you will hear people you disagree with say things you don’t like’ but you should not hear racially offensive language and I’m sorry you did.”
The discussion on @bbcr4today about comedy & the portrayal of black people between Harry Enfield & Ava Vidal has provoked a lot of comment. I’m really sorry a racial slur was used on air. I pointed out that it was offensive & asked Harry not to repeat it 1/2 — Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) June 11, 2020
As I have said in the past - in a totally different context – “Normal service from the BBC means you will hear people you disagree with say things you don't like” but you should not hear racially offensive language & I’m sorry you did. 2/2 — Nick Robinson (@bbcnickrobinson) June 11, 2020
The BBC had no further comment when contacted by HuffPost UK.
Earlier this week, it was revealed that the BBC and BritBox had followed Netflix’s lead and removed Little Britain and Come Fly With Me – which frequently saw comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams performing in blackface – from their platforms.
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Since then, Netflix has also removed a number of other comedy shows worldwide, including The League Of Gentlemen and much of Chris Lilley’s back catalogue.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-11--NHS Test And Trace Reveals 26,985 People Have Been Told To Self-Isolate

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The head of the NHS Test and Trace programme in England has admitted the scheme is not yet “gold standard” as figures revealed thousands of people who tested positive for coronavirus did not provide details of their recent contacts.
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According to data published on Thursday, some 5,407 out of 8,117 people who tested positive for Covid-19 between May 28 and June 3 provided details of recent contacts.
And the figures showed of 31,794 contacts who were identified over the period, 26,985 were reached and advised to self-isolate.
Baroness Harding, who leads the scheme, said it was not yet at the “gold standard” but said it was now a “functioning service”.
“I have repeatedly said this is the cherry on the cake not the cake itself. And what you’re seeing today is the baking of the cake is going reasonably well,” she added.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). PA
Boris Johnson had promised the UK would have a “world-beating” test and trace programme by the start of June.
The scheme, rolled out last month, is seen as an essential tool suppressing coronavirus and returning the UK to something approaching normal life.
People who test positive for coronavirus are contacted and asked about their recent interactions – people they have been in direct contact with or been within two metres of for more than 15 minutes.
Those identified as having been in close contact with someone who has had a positive test must then stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.
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The NHS data showed of those people who were reached and asked to provide information about their contacts, just over three-quarters (79%) were contacted within 24 hours of their case being transferred to the Test and Trace system.
Some 14% were contacted between 24 and 48 hours, 3% between 48 and 72 hours, and 4% were contacted after 72 hours.
Harding said: “Just as the infection rate is coming down in the country, so is our capability to test and trace growing.
“We have got real scale – this is a national-level service that has stood up in extraordinary time.
“Is it completely perfect? No, of course it isn’t. Is there stuff that we all need to do better? Yes there is.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-11--J.K. Rowling Doesn't Speak For Abuse Survivors

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Like most of Twitter, I’ve been watching J.K. Rowling attempting to dig herself out of the very deep hole she created for herself with her views on transgender rights and their threat to real women.
Over the last couple of years, J.K. Rowling hasn’t hesitated to share her opinions of transgender people and their rights all over Twitter, despite her never being asked.
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This came to a head this weekend when she tweeted her outrage at the term, “people who menstruate”, insinuating it was an attack on real women. By J.K. Rowling’s standards, this rules me out, as I had a hysterectomy three years ago so probably I’m probably not even allowed to identify as a demi-woman, which I do.
After celebrities such as her film star darlings Daniel Radcliffe, Evanna Lynch and Emma Watson condemned her comments, Rowling felt compelled to explain herself.
While nobody was expecting an apology from the author, who regularly quote tweets those who disagree with her to her 14.5 million followers, nobody was prepared for the over 3,600 word-long, excuse-riddled diatribe, which, in turn, conflated trans rights with autism, abuse, rape, child abuse and, bizarrely, delays in MS diagnosis.
Within the essay, she spoke publicly for the first time about being a domestic abuse and assault survivor, which I agree is very brave of her. As a survivor myself, I know how hard it can be to speak up about abuse and assault and I believe it should be a lot more normalised.
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JK Rowling PA
However, I don’t agree with how she used this as a reason for not wanting transwomen to inhabit women-only spaces.
Understandably, after something so traumatic, many female abuse survivors are very wary of men and don’t want them in spaces which are supposed to be women only. But, of course, trans women aren’t men and they have as much right to be in these spaces as cis women.
Rowling cites the age-old cliché of men pretending to be women to sneak into our toilets and perve on women and children. Again, trans women aren’t disgusting men in a dress, and, besides, when has telling predatory men they can’t do something ever stopped them
“I resent how JK Rowling and others like her are weaponizing the stories of abused women and putting words in our mouths.”
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I’m thankfully married to a wonderful man now, but I have been in emotionally, mentally, physically and sexually abusive relationships in the past. I know how hard it can be to recover from, in some ways you never do. I was, rightly so, wary and even terrified of men for a long time after my experiences. Despite this, I remain a decent person and would never dream of blaming innocent people who just want to live their lives peacefully.
Rowling claimed to be sharing her survivor story, not for sympathy, but “out of solidarity with the huge numbers of women who have histories like mine, who’ve been slurred as bigots for having concerns around single-sex space”.
As just one of those women, I resent how J.K. Rowling and others like her are weaponizing the stories of abused women and putting words in our mouths. When we share our fears of having men in a supposed single-sex space, that’s what we mean. Cis men who, however well intentioned, speak over us and attempt to minimise our experiences because they just want to share how they have also experienced this.
She insists that she does care about trans women and she knows how much they are victims of domestic violence, but it comes across like she just cares about men in women’s bathrooms more.
When we speak about feeling unsafe in single-sex bathrooms, we should be talking about the men who insist on using female loos in a drunken nightclub, staring too long at the women at the sinks.
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When we speak about keeping our children safe in single-sex spaces we should be talking about the male teachers in positions of power who patrol girls’ changing rooms during PE, something I’m sure many of us have heard of from friends if we haven’t experienced it ourselves.
What we shouldn’t be speaking about is trans women, who just want to pee in peace, and maybe top up their lipstick, the same as we do.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-11--These Are The Dos And Don'ts of Socialising In The UK Right Now

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Governments in the UK are gradually easing lockdown measures on socialising, working, shopping and schooling – but unless you’re keeping on top of all the briefings, it can be pretty hard to keep up.
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Socialising is top of lots of people’s agendas because – we get it – you miss your family, friends and partners. Some of you probably miss colleagues, too. So what are the dos and don’ts of socialising right now? Here’s a quick recap.
In England
DO meet outdoors in groups of up to six people, however you must stay 2 metres apart at all times to reduce the risk of spreading the virus. If you have picnics, make your own food and avoid sharing. Take hand sanitiser with you to keep hands clean. A different rule applies for those who are shielding.
DO form a support bubble with another household if you live alone – this comes into effect from June 13. This means you can basically act like you live together and don’t have to socially distance – so yes, hugging and kissing is allowed. You can also stay overnight. People who are shielding are not yet allowed to form support bubbles.
DO keep your support bubble exclusive. This means you should not switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households.
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DO think about whether it’s safe to form a support bubble with older or vulnerable relatives – especially if you’re meeting friends regularly, or going into work. Household transmission is one of the key ways coronavirus spreads.
DO meet up with one person from outside of your household if you’re shielding, as long as you stay 2 metres apart.
DON’T form a support bubble with another household if you live with other people. If you live with housemates and your partner lives with housemates too, you can’t form a support bubble. Nor can one couple form a support bubble with another couple. But you can see them outside at a 2 metre distance.
Nuthawut Somsuk via Getty Images
In Wales
DO meet up with one other household outside if you want to, making sure you stay local and maintain social distancing. You don’t need to meet up with the same people from the same household every time. There is no restriction on the number of people who can meet outdoors at any one time as long as it’s only two households meeting.
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DON’T leave your local area to meet up with other households, unless you are providing care for, or helping, someone who needs it – like a child or elderly relative.
DON’T meet up with other people indoors. You can only mix with people you live with indoors.
In Northern Ireland
DO meet up with groups of six people outside, as long as you remain 2m apart from each other and maintain hand and respiratory hygiene practices. People who are over 70 and pregnant women are considered to be more vulnerable and therefore should be careful in adhering to social distancing and hand hygiene, but they can still meet with others. This rule does not apply to those who are shielding.
DO meet up with one person from another household if you are shielding, but you should strictly observe social distancing and hygiene practices to stay safe.
DON’T meet up with other people indoors. You can only mix with people you live with indoors.
In Scotland
DO meet up with friends and family outdoors. You can meet one other household outdoors in a maximum group of eight people – this includes meeting in parks or gardens – but social distancing is required. This advice doesn’t apply to those who are shielding, who have been told they can go outdoors to exercise from 18 June but can’t meet up with other households.
DON’T meet up with other people indoors. It’s been suggested that from June 18, people in Scotland may be able to meet people from other households indoors if they socially distance and follow hygiene measures, however for now it’s business as usual.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-11--Robert Jenrick Dodges Questions Over Tory Donor Richard Desmond's £1bn Property Scheme

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Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has dodged questions from MPs over his decision to “unlawfully” approve a £1bn housing scheme linked to Tory donor Richard Desmond.
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Jenrick gave the go-ahead for the 1,500-home development at the former Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs in January.
As first reported by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, figures from the Electoral Commission revealed Desmond gave the Tories £12,000 two weeks after Jenrick approved the scheme.
But an attempt to force Jenrick to explain his actions to parliament today failed when he avoided Labour’s demand that he answer questions in the Commons.
Jenrick instead sent Chris Pincher, a junior minister in the ministry of housing, communities and local government, to face MPs.
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Steve Reed, Labour’s shadow communities secretary, demanded ” full transparency” from Jenrick and asked why he had avoided the grilling.
Why isn’t @RobertJenrick in the chamber to answer questions about his behaviour? He’s sent a junior minister to do battle for him but apparently he’s on the estate and has been spotted in the tea room... — Steve Reed (@SteveReedMP) June 11, 2020
It was previously revealed Jenrick gave the green lightto the project just weeks after he was lobbied by Desmond at a Conservative Party fundraising dinner.
The Mail on Sunday reported that Desmond sat next to Jenrick at the bash in November last year.
Pincher told MPs today Jenrick had “no relationship” with Desmond. “We have no knowledge of those political donations when we are making planning decisions,” he said.
Jenrick handed Desmond’s £1bn project a last-minute reprieve after the local council and the independent planning inspectorate both decided it should be refused.
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They had said it lacked enough affordable housing and conflicted with local conservation policy.
Desmond is the former owner of the Daily Express and Daily Star newspapers.
The housing secretary’s green light came the day before Tower Hamlets Council approved a new rate for its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a move that would have increased the property owner’s financial liability to the authority by between £30m and £50m.
In March Tower Hamlets council began legal action alleging that the timing of the decision appeared to show bias.
Jenrick accepted his decision letter was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias” and confirmed it was deliberately issued before the new CIL policy could be adopted.
He agreed planning permission should be quashed and decided by a different minister.
HuffPost UK reported last week that police are “assessing” an allegation about Jenrick’s decision. The Labour Party has already called for the Cabinet Office to examine the case.
Asked about the donation Desmond made in January, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Government policy is in no way influenced by party donations – they are entirely separate.
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