thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--'No Evidence' Of Covid-19 Second Wave In UK, Says Top Oxford Scientist

Professor Carl Heneghan Professor Carl Heneghan
There is “no evidence” of a second wave of coronavirus and the government cannot afford a “harsh” second lockdown, a top scientist has said.
Professor Carl Heneghan, director for the centre of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University, called for Boris Johnson to take a “a slower, analytical approach” ahead of a “long winter” beset by Covid-19 and other flu-like infections.
Advertisement
It comes after the prime minister warned a second wave “is coming” on Friday, as he hinted further restrictions were likely to follow this week.
On Friday, the “R” rate of the virus jumped to between 1.1 and 1.4, with the number of daily infections reaching more than 4,000 on Friday.
But Heneghan told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “There’s no evidence right now of what’s called a second wave.”
Asked if Johnson was wrong to claim there was, he added it was was “complicated” science for ministers, saying: “This is a seasonal effect now, if it becomes worse and it impacts on disease, then yes, that’s the point when we have restrictive measures, but that time is not now.”
Advertisement
He went on to caution that the country must swerve “harsh measures” immediately to curb the spread of Covid-19, adding: “What we have to do now is slow down, this is a long winter.”
He said: “What we’re seeing is that the virus is operating in a seasonal way.
“As we’ve gone back to schools, actually what’s happened now is we’ve seen about a 60% increase in consultations for all the acute respiratory infections and that’s what’s driving the problems in the Test and Trace programme.
“All the young children who have coughs and colds and these infections, one is called rhinovirus.
“As we look at the data, Covid is operating in a similar seasonal way, and mirroring those respiratory infections, so what we have to do now is slow down, this is a long winter.
“We can’t afford to go now with harsh measures … the impact on the economy here is going to be significant.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock, meanwhile, said there was a danger the infection rate could “shoot through the roof” if people did not follow the new “rule of six” on social gatherings.
Advertisement
Further national lockdown is possible if people do not follow rules, says Health Secretary Matt Hancock#Marr #Covid_19 https://t.co/DhwF19ofUV pic.twitter.com/oGnMPWlUez — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) September 20, 2020
It also follows ministers announcing a new £10,000 fine for those who fail to self-isolate.
Speaking to Sky News, Hancock said: “I am very worried about this second wave. “We have seen in other countries around Europe how it can absolutely shoot through the roof.”
He also hinted a second national lockdown was possible.
“The nation faces a tipping point.”
He added: “We have a choice. Either everybody follows the rules – the rule of six and the need to self-isolate if you have a positive test or if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace – or we will have to take more measures.”
The health secretary also said it is still possible there could be a coronavirus vaccine before the end of the year.
“There is still hope that we will get one of the vaccines over the line this year. The Oxford vaccine is still at the front of the queue. More likely is next year, and probably the early part of next year,” he said.
Advertisement
“We have got the cavalry coming over the next few months – the vaccine, the mass testing and the improvements in treatments – but we have got to all follow the rules between now and then to keep people safe.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Four Seriously Injured In Plymouth Stabbing Attack

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
We and our partners will store and/or access information on your device through @ @ @ @ @ similar technologies , to display personalised ads and content , for ad and content measurement @ @ @ @ @ development .
Your personal data that may be used • Information about your device and @ @ @ @ @ IP address • Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps Find @ @ @ @ @ use your information in our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy .
To enable Verizon Media @ @ @ @ @ your personal data select ' I agree ' , or select 'Manage settings ' for @ @ @ @ @ your choices .
You can change your choices at any time by visiting Your Privacy @ @

Plymouth Stabbing Google Maps
Four people have been taken to hospital with serious injuries following a stabbing attack outside a pub in Plymouth.
Devon and Cornwall Police were called to the Railway Inn on Albert Road in Stoke at about 10pm to reports of multiple stabbings.
Advertisement
The victims sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries and were taken to Derriford Hospital for treatment.
A police spokesman confirmed they had been stabbed.
The suspect initially fled the scene but a 50-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.
Armed police initially carried out a search at a property in Breacon Park but found the suspect was not at the address, the force said.
Officers later stopped a man in a vehicle on the outskirts of Ide in Exeter, almost 40 miles away from the pub.
Advertisement
A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesman said: “The suspect had been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, but has initially been taken to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.
“Police inquires continue into this matter. Anyone with any information and who has yet to have spoken to an officer is asked to contact 101 quoting log number 1112 19th September.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Trump Can't Recall Boasting He Has 'World's Best Memory' In Awkward Deposition Video

Donald Trump pulled a hilarious self-own when he told a lawyer questioning him about accusations of fraud against Trump University that he couldn’t “remember” his boast that he had the “world’s greatest memory” — which was captured in a deposition video obtained by Mother Jones magazine.
In the 26-minute video, recorded in December 2015 in Trump Tower, Trump answers questions regarding a class-action suit against his “university.” Trump agreed to pay $25 million shortly after he moved into the White House to settle claims against the shuttered operation. Thousands of customers who paid as much as $35,000 for Trump University seminars contended that they had been lured by false promises that they would learn Trump’s investing “secrets” from his “hand-picked” instructors.
Advertisement
Trump’s lawyers battled to keep the deposition video secret as Trump campaigned for the presidency — though transcripts and hundreds of pages of court documents were released in 2016. During his campaign, Trump bashed the judge in the case, U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel, as biased because of his Mexican ancestry as Trump was attacking Mexican immigrants in his speeches.
Mother Jones is the first to publish Trump’s videotaped deposition.
In the video, Trump never admits to lying and claims nothing he has said is “false.” But he does concede statements were “innocent” exaggerations and “hyperbole.” He also claims he can’t recall several details about university operations — despite his purported world-class memory.
At one point in the video (check it out above), the attorney for the plaintiffs, Jason Forge, asks Trump if he believes he has “one of the best memories in the world.”
A bored, annoyed Trump replies: “That I can’t tell you.”
Forge then notes that Trump had stated on NBC just weeks earlier that he had the “world’s greatest memory.”
Advertisement
Trump responds: “As good as my memory is, I don’t remember that.”
There were other similarities in the deposition to Trump’s statements during his presidency. He insisted the “university” had “a lot of very good instructors” — yet was unable to name one.
He then added: “I’ve heard good things” about them.
A source provided Mother Jones with the video. Its authenticity was confirmed by Art Cohen, a lead plaintiff in one of the lawsuits against Trump University and Trump.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--£10,000 Fines For People Who Break Self-Isolation Rules, Boris Johnson Warns

LOADING ERROR LOADING
People in England who refuse an order to self-isolate will face fines of up to £10,000, the government has warned amid deepening concern at the sharp upsurge in coronavirus infections.
In a significant toughening up of the regulations, ministers will impose a new legal duty on people to self-isolate if they test positive for the disease or are told to do so by NHS Test and Trace after coming into contact with someone with the virus.
Advertisement
Those on lower incomes who face a loss of earnings as a result of going into quarantine will be eligible for a one-off support payment of £500 to help them cope financially.
With new cases of the infection doubling every week, Boris Johnson said the measures were necessary to control the spread of the virus and to protect the most vulnerable from becoming infected.
However they are likely to alarm some Conservative MPs already concerned at the wide-ranging powers being taken by ministers to curb the disease with little or no debate in Parliament.
The new regulations will come into force in England on September 28, although ministers are in discussion with the devolved administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland about extending them UK-wide.
Advertisement
Following an increase in #COVID19 cases, further restrictions will be introduced in parts of the North West, the Midlands & west Yorkshire.
These changes have been made in collaboration with local leaders & will come into effect on Tuesday.
See if the restrictions affects you — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 18, 2020
It follows a warning by Professor Neil Ferguson, of Imperial College London – whose modelling led to the original nationwide lockdown, that the authorities needed to act “sooner rather than later” if they were to avoid a return to the infection rates of last March.
Ministers are still looking at further restrictions, including a temporary two or three-week “circuit break” in an attempt to break the chain of transmission.
The move could see pubs and restaurants ordered to close or face a 10pm curfew, while socialising between households could be banned.
PA Media
Advertisement
On Friday, the prime minister acknowledged the long-feared second wave of the pandemic affecting countries such as France and Spain had reached Britain and that more cases of the disease were “inevitable”.
Announcing the new rules, Johnson said: “The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rules and self-isolating if they’re at risk of passing on coronavirus.
“And so nobody underestimates just how important this is, new regulations will mean you are legally obliged to do so if you have the virus or have been asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace.
“People who choose to ignore the rules will face significant fines. We need to do all we can to control the spread of this virus, to prevent the most vulnerable people from becoming infected, and to protect the NHS and save lives.”
Fines will initially start at £1,000 rising to £10,000 for repeat offenders and for “the most egregious breaches” including those who stop other people from self-isolating, such an employer who requires a staff member to come into work in violation of an order.
Advertisement
The penalties are in line with those for people who fail to quarantine for 14 days after returning to the UK from a country not on the list of low risk nations.
Officials said NHS Test and Trace would be in regular contact with individuals told to self-isolate and would report any suspicions that people were not complying to the police and local authorities.
Police will also check compliance in Covid-19 hotspots and among groups considered to be “high-risk” as well as following up reports from members of the public of people who have tested positive but are not self-isolating.
Prosecutions could follow in “high-profile and egregious” cases of non-compliance.
As with other coronavirus rules, there will be specific exemptions for those who need to escape from illness or harm during their isolation, and for those who require care.
Officials said just under four million people on benefits in England would be eligible for the support payments if they lose income as a result of being unable to go into work.
Advertisement
For Labour, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds welcomed the “belated” announcement of additional financial assistance.
“It shouldn’t have taken months for the penny to finally drop that people on low incomes needed more help,” she said.
The latest announcement comes just days after the “rule of six” – banning social gatherings of more than six people – came into force and will been seen as further evidence of the concern in Whitehall at the rate of spread of the disease.
You MUST NOT meet socially in groups of more than 6 people if you live in England.
Please continue to maintain social distancing with anyone you do not live with to reduce the spread of #COVID19
Latest guidance 👇🏾https://t.co/1KzJqcyOtI pic.twitter.com/fSUFMToqOb — Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) September 18, 2020
On Friday, the government announced tough new restrictions were being imposed in large parts of England’s North West, West Yorkshire and the Midlands.
Advertisement
It means by Tuesday, when the measures come into force, around 13.5 million people in the UK will be living under some form of additional coronavirus controls.
Prof Ferguson said the country was caught in a “perfect storm” following the easing of lockdown restrictions over the summer, and that swift action was needed to stop the virus spreading out of control.
“Right now we are at about the levels of infection we were seeing in this country in late February,” he told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme.
“If we leave it another two to four weeks we will be back at levels we were seeing more like mid-March. That’s clearly going to cause deaths because people will be hospitalised.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Keir Starmer: Testing Fiasco Makes Second Lockdown 'More Likely'

Keir Starmer on Ridge Keir Starmer on Ridge
Keir Starmer has said a second national lockdown is not inevitable but “more likely” because the government has “lost control” of testing.
The Labour leader told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge that Boris Johnson should apologise for the lack of testing, which means ministers “do not know where the virus is”.
Advertisement
He said Labour would back a second national lockdown and supported the government’s new proposal to impose £10,000 fines for a failure to self-isolate.
Starmer said: “There are a few people that are breaking the rules and something has to be done about that, but I have to say that I think that isn’t going to be a silver bullet that will deal with the problem we’re in.
“We have rising infection rates. I think the whole country is concerned about that.
“We have a testing service just when we need it be effective is barely serviceable and it is a major problem.”
He added that Britain was not “a nation that wants to go around reporting our neighbours all the time” but added that “if someone was repeatedly flouting the rules” then “something had to be done”.
Advertisement
'I would apologise, I would make fixing testing my first priority.'@Keir_Starmer has called on Boris Johnson to apologise on testing and to reinstate the daily #coronavirus briefing.#Ridge https://t.co/GvaT6GJIXE pic.twitter.com/TBWWlYLxQz — Sophy Ridge on Sunday (@RidgeOnSunday) September 20, 2020
“I don’t think a second national lockdown is inevitable but I think it is more likely because testing is all over the place,” he said.
He added families have been unable to get tests or have results returned within 24 hours.
He said: “The testing regime is all over the place [...] because the government’s not effectively lost control of testing, it doesn’t necessarily know where the virus is.
“If I was the prime minister, I would apologise for the fact that testing is all over the place and, instead of using the summer to prepare for the autumn, which is what we said should happen we’re in this position.
“Just when we need testing to be at its very best, it’s near collapse.”
Starmer has also called for the return of the daily Covid-19 briefings and has asked the PM to convene Cobra, after the “R” rate of the virus rose to between 1.1 and 1.4 on Friday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Location Location Location’s Kirstie And Phil Reveal The Most Disastrous Advice They Ever Gave On Th

Location Location Location’s Kirstie And Phil Reveal The Most Disastrous Advice They Ever Gave On The Channel 4 Show

LOADING ERROR LOADING
It’s fair to say that after twenty years helping to find home buyers their dream abode on Location, Location, Location, presenters Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer know what they’re doing.
However, the pair haven’t always got it right on the Channel 4 show, as one set of home-seekers tragically found out.
Advertisement
Kirstie Allsopp and Phil Spencer Channel 4
“We looked after a female couple who had two cats, which they adored,” Phil tells The Times (££).
“Kirstie found a house for these women and it was at a crossroads. They said, ‘We love the house, but we are worried about the cats and the road.’ Kirstie said confidently and brusquely that the cats would learn to live with it.
“A few years later I went back for a revisit, knocked at the door and said, ‘How are you, how are the cats?’ They had both been run over.”
Phil adds: “Luckily they got over it. They had a puppy.”
Kirstie says there have been plenty of surprises over the last twenty years too.
“After one episode my friend rang me and said, ‘That guy on your show last night works in my office and he is playing away from his wife.’ Statistically, though, we have a good track record. The people who go on Location stay together. We are the opposite of Hello! magazine.”
Advertisement
Another time a man who was wanted for fraud appeared on the programme. “He was arrested after the show went out,” Phil recalls. “His wife did not know. Why on earth he went on the show I do not know.”
Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp Bebert Bruno/Sipa/Shutterstock
After two decades of working together (and filming 237 episodes), the pair - who met for the first time at the screen test for the show - say their friendship is stronger than ever.
“Kirstie and I met on camera, and people have watched us become friends,” Phil says. “Our relationship has grown. It is not just work. Our little chats are never rehearsed — that’s what keeps it fresh. ”
“We only have each other,” Kirstie adds. “We have been on this journey together. Twenty years ago we had never been on TV. Now, taxi drivers, train conductors, everyone knows our name. We share this weird thing. I can’t fall out with Phil.”
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--‘I’ve Lost 37 Friends To Coronavirus – And 36 Were Black’

On a day in late March, Hesketh Benoit received a phone call from his friend, the reggae singer Delroy Washington.
When Delroy told him he was calling from hospital, Hesketh asked him if it was possible he had coronavirus.
Advertisement
He told me: “Oh no man, don’t worry about that. It’s not that. I’m OK. I’m just not feeling right,’” recalls Hesketh, 62, a retired lecturer. “He honestly did not think it was Covid at all.”
But as the pair chatted, Hesketh noticed his friend was gasping a bit and sounded chesty. “He wasn’t coughing, but he was breathing deeper. So I told him I’d call him later when he’d got settled.
“He asked me to bring him some fruit to the hospital such as mangoes, apples and pears and I promised him I would.”
But just hours later, a shocked Hesketh received a telephone call – this time from the hospital, to say that his friend had passed away.
Advertisement
“I was probably the last person he spoke to,” says Hesketh. “That was devastating, emotional and touching to know.”
Hesketh Benoit, 62, who has lost 37 friends to coronavirus – 36 of them who were Black Hesketh Benoit
Delroy Washington died at the age of 68 after a brief illness that was confirmed to be coronavirus.
“It was a real shocker,” admits Hesketh, who lives in Haringey, London, and has an active role in the community including youth work and being head coach for Haringey Basketball.
Reggae singer Delroy Washington died of coronavirus. His friend Hesketh Benoit spoke to him only hours before his death. Hesketh Benoit
But Delroy’s death wasn’t the only coronavirus death of someone he knew. And in the early months of the crisis, he became acutely aware that the virus seemed to be disproportionately attacking Black people.
Advertisement
Just days after Delroy Washington’s death, Hesketh’s friend Douglas Williams, who was affectionately known as “Brother Dougie”, also died of coronavirus. He was in his late fifties.
Hesketh Benoit's friend Douglas Williams, who was affectionately known as “Brother Dougie”. He died of coronavirus. Hesketh Benoit
Hesketh told HuffPost UK that after losing a number of Black friends to coronavirus in quick succession early on in the pandemic, he knew something wasn’t right. So he started to keep count of the people he knew dying of coronavirus.
That death tally now stands at 37. And 36 of them were Black.
Devastatingly, Hesketh and his family have now been hit with further heartache as his brother Carlton, 67, died suddenly on Thursday evening. It is not yet known whether his death was Covid-related and a post mortem will be held next week.
“I am so shocked as my brother Carlton passed so suddenly,” said Hesketh. “He had diabetes and had lost his leg to it a while ago, but he had been quite well and hadn’t been poorly leading up to his death.
Advertisement
The figure of how many people he knows who have died of Covid is made even more shocking, Hesketh says, when you consider the number of friends and people from different diversities he knows and how involved he has been with a variety of communities over the years.
“Some of them I met up with once a month, some I saw once a week – and some I saw every day.”
Hesketh Benoit, a retired lecturer, was a former international basketball player and is head coach for Haringey Basketball Hesketh Benoit
Hesketh, a father to 28-year-old fraternal twins and a 33-year-old son, says one of the deaths that hit him hardest was a parent of one of his children’s friends.
“The dad of a friend of my twins died of coronavirus,” Hesketh explained. “He was an African doctor and his face suddenly came up on the news early on in the pandemic as one of the doctors who had died.
“I then heard the news from my children too and it hit us all hard in a big way. We used to chat at the school gates.”
Advertisement
“Thirty-seven people I know personally have died of Covid-19 – and 36 of them were Black. Some of them I met up with once a month, some I saw once a week – and some I saw every day.”” - Hesketh Benoit, 62
Hesketh, who was a college lecturer for 38 years, then began losing more friends to coronavirus – and disturbingly, he realised those that were dying weren’t just older people with pre-existing health conditions, but younger people too.
The one thing they all had in common was that they were Black – and Hesketh knew this couldn’t be a coincidence.
“There were a couple of security guards I know who died of coronavirus; then people from the community and a few ex-students.
“Around eight or nine of those who died were elders over the age of 80 who suffered from underlying health conditions,” said Hesketh. “But they should still not have died as a result of this virus. They were taken too early.
Advertisement
“The penny started to drop very early on in the pandemic for me that all the people I knew who were dying of coronavirus were Black.
“I remember thinking: ‘I don’t know any Caucasian people who’ve died of it.’ And I have lots of friends and know so many people from very diverse backgrounds. Being a lecturer for 38 years, most of the lecturing community was white and I did a lot of youth and community work with people from all backgrounds.”
“I remember thinking: ‘I don’t know any Caucasian people who’ve died of it.’ And I have lots of friends and know so many people from very diverse backgrounds."” - Hesketh Benoit
The youngest of Hesketh’s friends to die of coronavirus was 35, while the oldest were people in their 80s. Many of them were in their mid 40s to 60s. The majority of the deaths happened between March and June.
Hesketh Benoit at a Black Lives Matter protest Hesketh Benoit
Advertisement
Hesketh, who lectured sports, science and engineering and played basketball internationally, told HuffPost UK the faces of all those he has lost will stay etched in his brain. He is also angry at the lack of action from authorities.
“I know it must not be easy being in the government during such a crisis, but I feel their handling of many things around coronavirus has been a shambles.
“The Black community and people from ethnic minorities have been disproportionately affected by this virus.
“We need a full and thorough public inquiry into the reasons why and need answers. It is not enough to say people had pre-existing health conditions.
“We need to look into why these inequalities exist. Some of it will be poverty, but we need to know why that exists in a first world country and affects some communities disproportionately.”
Advertisement
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the council of the British Medical Association and a north London GP, described Hesketh’s story as “shocking and disturbing”.
He called on the government to urgently investigate the disproportionate impact coronavirus was having on the Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) population in early April after realising high numbers of people from these backgrounds were affected.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the council of the British Medical Association British Medical Association
“I became concerned after realising that the first 10 doctors that died of coronavirus were from a BAME background,” he said. “We also knew that one-third of intensive care beds at the beginning of April were occupied by people from BAME populations.
“But I also saw the impact personally as at my GP practice in north London, we began getting notification of coronavirus deaths every day – and they were all people from an Asian background.
Advertisement
“These were all patients I knew and were people who did not have illnesses which suggested they would die.
Nagpaul wanted to see the reason why BAME communities were adversely affected by coronavirus investigated – and also for them to be better protected against the virus.
“What every single BAME person in the nation wants to know is that the government has got their back and will prevent these disproportionate deaths happening again.”” - Dr Chaand Nagpaul
He told HuffPost UK that three months on, he would have expected a clear action plan from Public Health England about people from BAME backgrounds will be protected – particularly now the virus is spreading again at a rapid rate.
“What every single BAME person in the nation wants to know is that the government has got their back and will prevent these disproportionate deaths happening again,” he said.
Advertisement
“It is our duty to protect people from a BAME origin who are being harder hit by this virus.”
For Hesketh, his motivation for demanding a public inquiry into the issue is simple. “If there is another wave of coronavirus, I don’t want to see that disproportionality rearing its ugly head again and hitting Black people harder once again.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Alesha Dixon Applauded For Wearing Statement Black Lives Matter Necklace On Britain's Got Talent

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Alesha’s choice of jewellery comes after Ofcom announced that it will not be investigating the ITV talent show, after a performance from dance troupe Diversity led to more than 24,000 complaints to the media regulator.
Advertisement
Alesha Dixon Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
The routine included references to both the coronavirus pandemic and the killing of George Floyd, as well as the global protests in support of Black Lives Matter that followed.
Fans took to Twitter to praise Alesha for showing unity with the BGT champions...
Alesha Dixon wearing a BLM necklace is such a power move and I am HERE for it 😂🙌🏻 #BGT #BritainsGotTalent — faith ♥ (@faithbxx) September 19, 2020
I have no choice but to STAN Alesha Dixon! What a queen! ✊🏽👑 — ✨ (@xnotsurprisedmf) September 20, 2020
Advertisement
What a rare treat it has been to see so many gammon absolutely losing their shit over Alesha Dixon wearing a NECKLACE. Keep going babes #BGT #BRITAINSGOTTALENT pic.twitter.com/lu5T308wB9 — Kelly Jackson (@Kelly_Jackson88) September 19, 2020
Alesha Dixon with the #BLM necklaces 😍🙌🏻 — Ciara (@CiaraHampsey) September 19, 2020
I can’t believe that some people think that Alesha Dixon wearing a BLM necklace on BGT is more controversial than black people being murdered.. Like what the fuck is up with your morals?
People are dying and you’re more upset about a necklace that’s bringing it to attention — Jen Dickinson (@jenjdickinson) September 19, 2020
i literally loooove that alesha dixon wore a BLM necklace on bgt tonight after the ofcom complaints. yaaasss queen @AleshaOfficial @BGT #bgt pic.twitter.com/lxbxLrs96x — liam (@bocabreakup) September 19, 2020
Advertisement
I can already smell the ofcom complaints about to come in because of Alesha Dixon’s necklace 🙄. Get a grip people #BGT — Hannah (@hannahdoth) September 19, 2020
I'd just like to say: HUGE respect and support for @AshleyBanjo, Diversity and @AleshaOfficial.
Keep doing what you're doing.
✊👏👏👏 — eithne-s (@eithne_s) September 20, 2020
ITV previously announced they were standing by Diversity, saying in a statement: “Britain’s Got Talent has always been an inclusive show, which showcases diversity and supports strong storytelling in all forms and ITV stands behind the decision to broadcast Diversity’s performance on BGT.
“Ashley and the group are a great example of the talent, creativity and diversity of modern Britain and their performance was an authentic, heartfelt response to many of the issues and events which have affected society in 2020.”
Advertisement
Posting on Twitter last weekend, the former Mis-Teeq star insisted she had “never threatened to quit” the series, accusing the journalist in question of “making up this story”.
“For the record I never threatened to quit BGT, I’ve had no conversations with ITV regarding this matter,” she wrote. “I do however stand by and support @AshleyBanjo and Diversity.”
On Saturday, ITV doubled down on their support for Diversity with full-page ads in national newspapers, which Alesha shared on Instagram.
“Well done @itv for standing with Diversity! Proud of you! This image is in all of the national newspapers today, “ she wrote.
Advertisement
The ads come after Diversity’s Ashley Banjo spoke out about the racist abuse he and the rest of the dance troupe have experienced since their performance.
Addressing this in an Instagram video, Ashley told his fans he was “feeling nothing but proud and positive”, insisting that the “negativity is the minority”.
He said: “A lot of the negativity and the nastiness and the racism shows exactly why this performance was needed, and exactly why this conversation that has now risen from it is necessary.
“Racism is very real, I knew it before, and I definitely know it now. After this performance, and everything that we’ve received, it’s been overwhelming in the negative sense sometimes.”
He added: “We’re feeling positive, proud, happy, confident and we stand by every single decision that we made with that performance.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--I Was An Evangelical Christian, And I Know Why Many Of Them Resist Logic About COVID-19

An anti-mask protester holds up a sign in front of the Ohio Statehouse during a protest in July. JEFF DEAN via Getty Images
The best testimonies in church were always from addicts and ex-cons who started with, “If it weren’t for God, I might be dead by now.” In 2020, I wonder the opposite. If it weren’t for no longer believing, I could be dead by now. After all, many American Christians are sprinting toward literal mortal danger, toward Covid-19.
Years ago, after graduating from a Southern Baptist college, I set out to be an overseas missionary. I believed in a savior who died for me and I was diligent in “living for Him.” I encapsulated all the phrases we heard in church: on fire for God, filled with His love.
Advertisement
For someone like me, whose only desire in life was to have a close relationship with God and to feel this closeness, I believed God would put things in my path to bless me or test me. Both would make me stronger in my faith.
While at an international missionary base, training to spread the Gospel to people around the world, I was surrounded by people, some in their 50s and 60s, telling me how God wanted to bless me with my own prayer language. Us Southern Baptists didn’t believe speaking in tongues was real in modern times. It’s one of the beliefs that distinguish between Christian denominations.
But I wanted God. I wanted this.
People placed their hands on me to pray for me to receive this spiritual language, but nothing was coming from me. As a Baptist, reading the Bible and being good was the measure of a true Christian. Now I was surrounded by people who believed there was more. God was greater. I just wasn’t stepping out in faith and receiving God’s gift. I wasn’t letting go.
“God is perfect. Humans are not.” This was on me, and I was failing.
People at the missionary base noticed I was broken over this. Each night, they gathered around to lay hands on me and implore the Holy Spirit to wash over me and show his love to me.
Advertisement
With more praying and chatting with people late into the night, they realised what could be blocking me from receiving the gift of tongues: I’d graduated from college.
Later, a leader in the group raised his hand to the sky and commanded the “demon of intellectualism” out of me. I cried. I wanted that, too. I was thinking too much, I’d been told. I was putting God in a box by trying to figure him out with logic. And it was holding me back from him blessing me.
“Speak out in faith. Just let it come,” the leader said. I decided I needed to break through this rational thinking stifling me and so I followed their directions and emulated some of the sounds of speaking in tongues I heard coming out of the mouths of the people surrounding me. As I did, their prayers got louder with excitement. Adults, leaders, people who had put their lives on the line for God could tell I was being blessed and it roused their souls. I repeated the same odd five sounds again and again like a child starting to talk.
I’d take those few sounds with me as I became a missionary in Asia and build on them. I’d whisper them under my breath while teaching English as a guise to convert the young Buddhist monks in a temple. I’d let more sounds come out as I prayed over strangers to be miraculously healed of physical sickness.
I would pursue God and take his message to places that were dangerous. I would repeat “more of you and less of me.” I would continue to see intellectualism as counter to what God was trying to teach me. I’d surround myself only with people who knew the Holy Spirit’s miracles and spend less time with family and friends who were “lukewarm” non-miracle-believing Christians.
Advertisement
The problem with fervency is it led to in-depth Bible-reading and searching out secondary sources to support my beliefs. Both flung me into a decade of deconversion. I’m currently a skeptic.
Back then, however, there was no skepticism in me. And it was seen as a sin to entertain it. So I’m not surprised there are groups of Christians who believe Covid-19 is a hoax, or even if it’s not a hoax, God will protect them from it.
In May, a poll by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research showed 43% of evangelical Protestants, a group I’d identified as when both a Southern Baptist and charismatic believer, say they think Covid-19 is a message from God. Not that God caused it, but that he is using it to tell the world to change.
More than that, 55% of all believers feel God will protect them from the virus.
Covid-19 has made groups more vocal, more determined and emboldened to march forward with their mission. It is the same visceral imperative many of us feel with racial equality. It’s seen as life and death. Gathering together is the best way to get out the message and be heard. But accompanied by their belief that God is protecting them against a government mask mandate, these particular groups of Christians are spreading more than the Word of God.
If I hadn’t left the church, would I believe masks aren’t needed like the doctor and minister Stella Immanuel who preached in front of the Capitol while touting hydroxychloroquine as a cure? Would I be attending outside praise and worship services like the one Sean Feucht led recently, gathering upward of 11,000 unmasked believers?
Advertisement
If I hadn’t left the charismatic movement that was always requiring God to do tricks and encouraging me to “walk out in faith,” I have no doubt I would be attending a church in person. I have no doubt I’d attend purposeful “God is more powerful than Covid-19” gatherings like the young woman who died from the virus. And I am sure I would stand by any number of explanations used to explain away those who got infected. The person had a weakened immune system or they were reckless to start with, I’d probably think.
Christianity is based on one singular belief: Jesus raised from the dead. Once you believe in one miracle, the pathway is paved to believe in the next. Not all branches of faith go as far as handling snakes, but they’re all rooted in the one miracle that overrides our intellect. That’s why, as a young, idealistic Christian who only wanted to grow in my faith, I was prayed over to sever me from my intellectual and rational thinking.
This global pandemic has revealed there’s already a virus inside some American forms of belief — ones that believe God isn’t powerful enough to exist outside of gatherings or ones who believe this is in God’s plan so he can show his power.
This kind of spiritual terrorism is showing up on a national scale and, as in my own faith journey, only reason can get us out.
This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--This Mum Draws Comics For New Mothers With Postnatal Depression

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Jamina Bone has always been good with kids. She loved babysitting and being a nanny so much, she decided to get a degree in special education to continue to work with kids. When she had her first baby, she took to motherhood quickly.
But after giving birth to her second daughter, the US-based mum said that, more often than not, she felt more hopeless than happy. Sure, she was dealing with the death of her mother-in-law, but her pain felt specific to taking care of her new daughter.
Advertisement
“With my second child I would cringe when she cried, it took too long for my milk to come in, and I just didn’t want to be there,” she said. “I often felt my baby took me away from my first daughter. I envisioned myself sinking into my bed and disappearing so that nobody could need me.”
After months of feeling “exhausted and irritable” and yelling “out of rage,” Bone talked to her midwife, who suggested she may have postpartum depression (PPD).
“What makes me angry is that I made excuse after excuse for why I was struggling,” she said. “I got knocked down. Like receiving physical and occupational therapy after an injury, I had to relearn everything. I can see this now, but back then I felt like a failure. I felt ungrateful, selfish, and definitely not good enough.”
In the thick of her depression, Bone said drawing helped her feel more like herself. Now, through a series she calls “Still A Good Mum,” Bone said she hopes her artwork can inspire other new moms to hang in there, especially if they’re dealing with PPD.
Advertisement
Jamina Bone
“When I was going through PPD, I felt isolated, embarrassed and didn’t want to bring anyone down, so I never talked about it,” she said. “Drawing was a way for me to talk about it.”
As many as 50% to 75% of new mothers experience the “baby blues” after delivery, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Up to 15% of these women will develop a more severe and longer-lasting depression ― postpartum depression ― after delivery. In her series, Bone explores how much of a struggle it is for new mums with PPD to balance their expectations of motherhood with its reality.
Jamina Bone
In other drawings, Bone chides other mums and women who judge:
Jamina Bone
Advertisement
“All these drawings came from reminding myself and my community that we are doing our best and that means something,” said Bone, who also recently collaborated with writer Blake Nolan for a baby board book titled “I Love My Happy Mama.”
Bone said she hopes her work serves as a reminder that motherhood ― in all its glory and in all its hardships ― isn’t something you have to go it alone.
“Reach out to other mamas who get it ― feel free to message me! ― and know you are not alone,” she said. “If you’re struggling with PPD, know that you are enough, and you will find yourself again.”
Scroll down for more of Bone’s “Still a Good Mum” series and visit her site for more of her drawings.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--6 Months Of Working From Home Divided Us Into Lovers And Haters

LOADING ERROR LOADING
For six months, Fatima Natalya has worked, eaten dinner, watched TV and slept in the same room. Like millions across the country, the 24-year-old Leeds-based PR executive is still working from home. A kitchen table in her studio flat has become her desk.
“Having to work from the same room every day took its toll in the beginning, particularly when the UK was in full lockdown,” she tells HuffPost UK. “I had to consciously make the effort to switch my laptop off at lunch, as I found myself working through, starting early, working late.”
Advertisement
As we reach six months of remote working – something few of us would have predicted in March – much has been written about the privilege of working from home. It’s true that people in the highest paid jobs are most likely to do it – and therefore have greater protections from the virus.
But less has been said about the very different experiences among those who’ve been thrown into remote working. A senior manager with a dedicated office, for example, is likely to offer a different review compared to the entry-level employee living in a house share. So, too, is the single parent craving quiet, compared to the solo worker longing for company.
Copyright Dan Douglas / Superveillance via Getty Images
“There’s a very outdated notion that working from home is somehow an easier way of working, for many that’s not the case,” Sian Elliott, women’s policy officer at the The Trades Union Congress (TUC) tells HuffPost UK. “They’re really putting in the hours and it’s not being seen and recognised.”
Advertisement
The office was the great leveller, but the move to home working has exposed and exaggerated differences in our lives. It’s created a divide between the working from home ‘winners and losers’, where some people can’t wait to get back to the office, while others are hoping to stay put.
Fatima Fatima Natalya and her home work station.
Fatima says she is adapting to working in the flat and has found tricks – such as placing her laptop on a shoebox – that make the set-up more bearable. But she believes there would be mental health benefits in returning to work.
In contrast, Leah Walker, a 25-year-old copywriter based in Warwickshire, says six months of working from home has been beneficial for her mental health – and she’s “dreading” going back to the office.
“As an anxiety sufferer, I often found an office environment much too restrictive and stressful and since being at home my mind’s been much more at ease,” she says. “There were days in the office where I really struggled. I’m introverted, so being around a number of people day-in day-out was genuinely physically and mentally exhausting.”
Advertisement
Another big benefit for Leah is that she’s been able to spend more time with her dog – and has saved money she was previously spending on dog walkers. “It’s so peaceful and I feel more productive than ever as I can really focus without the jarring noises and interruptions of an office environment,” she adds.
Leah Walker Leah Walker and her home desk.
Despite mixed reviews for the workforce, many employers are expected to extend the work from home period, even though the government is pushing to get people back into offices and revive city centres.
More than half of workers have said they never expect to return to a five-day working week in the office, according to a survey by broadband provider TalkTalk. Meanwhile a separate survey of employers by The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) concluded the “benefits outweigh the challenges” of working from home. Law firm Slater and Gordon has already closed its London office, saying remote working will now be the norm for staff.
Advertisement
If done correctly, a move towards remote working could open up career opportunities for millions of people across the country, says TUC’s Sian Elliott.
“What we’re seeing is a very long overdue end to the very toxic culture of presenteeism, which we had with the 9-5 work from the office culture,” she says. “That culture really disadvantaged those with caring responsibilities, disabled workers and also, people who couldn’t afford to work in London and pay the extortionate rent or commute fares that we do.”
Sarah Flemming, a 21-year-old digital PR manager, is planning to move out of London after her employer gave staff the option to go fully remote.
Sarah Fleming Sarah Fleming and her home desk.
Sarah lives in a shared house in north London with three flatmates and her partner and has been working in her bedroom since March. Luckily, she has the biggest room in the house, so has been able to fit in a desk.
The move will help her save money for the future and improve her quality of life, she says, even if she later decides to come back to London. “Ultimately it means I won’t have to spend the usual chunk of my salary on extortionate rent prices in London,” she says.
Advertisement
But not all workplaces have adapted well to support their employee’s needs. Research from TUC shows women, who are most likely to take on childcare responsibilities, are burning out under the new system.
“Mums told us they were regularly working more than their usual hours now that they’re working from home, without any increase in pay,” TUC’s Sian Elliott commented. “Those mums were regularly working early in the morning before 8am and late at night post 8pm.”
In contrast, when TUC spoke to mums working outside of the home, they were unlikely to say their working hours had changed due to the pandemic and those who were working more hours were paid for them.
Children may have gone back to school in the UK, but with an ever-growing list of areas in local lockdown and Covid-19 cases increasing, parents working from home may be fearing school closures again.
Shawn Coss, co-owner of the Ohio-based clothing brand Any Means Necessary, tells HuffPost UK of his experience of working from home with two young daughters – a reminder that these challenges are being faced globally.
Advertisement
“Being an artist, they always think Daddy is playing and not working,” he says. “There’s a lot of interrupted moments throughout the day and having to drown out the noise while trying to be productive.”
But Halima Khatun, who has been working remotely full-time since 2017, says there are a lot of perks to working from home as a parent, once you hit your stride. The mum-of-two splits her time between PR consultancy and writing – she’s currently working on her lifestyle blog, alongside her debut novel The Secret Diary of an Arranged Marriage.
“The biggest perk is being able to do the same job I did in the corporate sector for a decade, around my children,” says the 36-year-old, based in Manchester. “This means I can be there for them for their key milestones and do the school run when my daughter starts nursery.”
Halima Khatun Halima Khatun and her desk at home.
When she worked in the corporate sector, Halima noticed how difficult it could be for mums returning to work. “There was always grumblings about them leaving early, or working less days. That kind of attitude makes it a lot harder for women to return,” she says. “While I don’t think my system is perfect, it allows me to do the job I love, without feeling like I’m compromising on childcare.”
Advertisement
Of course, there are some elements of work that can’t be recreated at home. Frances Spencer-Barton, 38, based in Edinburgh, says she misses getting dressed up for work and replying to WhatsApp messages from friends on the commute.
“The commute was a transition time from mum to agency owner and vice versa at the end of the day,” she says. “It was enough time to get my head in gear and the porridge out of my hair to focus on the day ahead. I miss that, working from home is just more of the same, there are no boundaries to segment work time from mum time.”
Fatima adds: “The worst thing about working from home is not being able to have that natural chatter with colleagues. There is a fast-paced environment and creativity bouncing off the walls. That’s something I really miss, and one of the main reasons I want to get back to the office.”
So, what’s next for the nation’s reluctant and ready remote workers? With many companies extending their work from home policies until the end of the year, Calli Louis co-founder of Working Wonder, says workplaces need to acknowledge employees’ differing situations.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to redesigning your workplace, it needs to be flexible and adaptable,” she says. “It’s about listening to each other’s highs and lows, and what has worked and what hasn’t worked – then working together to create a better, more inclusive working culture.”
Advertisement
Klaus Vedfelt via Getty Images
If you’re a company leader, “don’t wait for a big reveal about what the ‘new normal’ looks like,” says Louis. Instead, bosses should be proactive about making a ‘normal’ that works for their staff.
“Communicate, ask advice and update your teams on a regular basis,” she says. “And if you are an employee, be clear on what you want and use your voice to drive positive change.”
TUC would like to see employers doing health and safety risk assessments and providing a desk, laptop and internet access for employees who need it. Managers should also be trained in how to lead a remote workforce, Sian adds, to ensure hard work is recognised and working hours don’t spiral.
Prior to the pandemic, one in three requests for flexible working was turned down and she’s hopeful this extended period of home working will make applications easier for those who wish to pursue them.
Advertisement
It remains unclear when, or if, they’ll be a mass return to the office, but wherever you sit on the topic, it will have no doubt changed the way you see work forever.
“Either way,” says Fatima, “when we do finally get back to the office I can honestly say I will never take my desk for granted again.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--The Psychology Of Snitching On Neighbours In The Age Of Covid

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Kevin and Lisa at number 39 always smile and wave when they see you pass. But tonight, they have 15 friends over for an end-of-summer dinner party in the garden. Your silent resentment has been bubbling up for a few hours, as you watch them mingling and hugging with others from your bedroom window.
Thoughts flood through your head: how could they be so careless? Why do they get to have all the fun while others sticks to the rules? What if they catch Covid and pass it to me? And... should I snitch on them?
Advertisement
If you were Priti Patel, maybe you would dob them in. Discussing the “rule of six” on Sky News, the home secretary said if she saw something inappropriate in her neighbourhood, “then quite frankly I would effectively call the police”. “It’s not about dobbing in neighbours,” she said. “I think it’s all about us taking personal responsibility.”
Whichever way you look at it, reporting your neighbours to the police for flouting Covid-19 rules is dobbing them in. The very definition is “to tell someone in authority about something bad that another person has done”.
In a conflicting statement, the prime minister has since said he doesn’t condone calling the police – unless they’re having “Animal House” parties with “hot tubs and so forth”. Boris Johnson told The Sun he’s “never much been in favour of sneak culture” and said people should raise issues with neighbours first.
The police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley, Anthony Stansfeld, agreed, urging people not to tell on their neighbours. He didn’t think snitching to the police was necessary “except in the most extreme circumstances”, the BBC reported.
Advertisement
Deagreez via Getty Images
If the thought of reporting your neighbours makes your stomach turn, you’re not alone. Humans don’t feel comfortable with dobbing in others because of trust, which is really important to the relationships we build. We want to feel part of a community and trust is a key part of that. And we want to try, at all costs, to not break that trust.
“People are social beings,” says Professor Helen Haste, professor at the University of Bath, whose research interests span civic and moral responsibility. “One thing we learn from a very early age is how to get along with people and how to give and take between ourselves and the people close to us – the exchange of things like: ‘I do things for you, you do things for me.’”
Psychologists heavily suspect where people have strong direct links with their neighbours, such as interacting positively, they won’t report them. “If you betray that trust you harm the relationship,” says Haste. “The very idea of reporting somebody for what might be seen as a minor deviation from the rules breaks the whole code of loyalty and community.”
So, if you want to maintain a friendly relationship with Kevin and Lisa at number 39, you’re probably not going to snitch. “If you do, it’s not going to do a lot for your social life or for how much they trust you,” says Prof Haste.
Advertisement
Prof Haste adds that there might be more of a reluctance to call the police right now anyway, because of the pressure from the government to conform to rules. “People are feeling there’s a lot of rather arbitrary rules being made and it’s not always obvious why they’re being made – so I think there might be a certain reaction against that,” she says.
But on the flip side, there’s another moral pressure at play – “that we’re living in a time of considerable danger to health and we have a public responsibility to avoid spreading the disease,” says Prof Haste.
“People do feel there is this public responsibility, we should help to maintain the form of controls on spreading the contagion,” she says. “So I think people are torn – for many people it would be a real moral dilemma.”
So, why would a person snitch? There are many factors at play, here.
The first would be what it is the neighbour is actually doing to warrant attention – a dinner party is quite different to a full-blown rave in a nearby field. The second is whether the person knows their neighbour well or not. They might be quite happy to report an unknown person a few streets away who’s been having a house party until 4am. But if Lisa and Kevin have 15 mates around, and their kids regularly play together, they’ll be less likely to snitch.
Adults are a lot more willing to report on those with which we have impersonal relationships, adds Professor Dominic Abrams, an expert in social psychology at the University of Kent, offering the examples of temporary rental occupants or neighbours who we already have conflictual relationships with. “Then, the chances that someone would report them will inevitably increase,” he adds.
Advertisement
“A lot depends on your own community’s feel as part of a larger community.” - Professor Helen Haste, professor at the University of Bath
Might there be personality differences that affect people’s willingness to report? “Perhaps so,” says Prof Abrams, “but the underlying reason is likely to be because the person feels uncertain about risks and wants to establish a greater sense of control over the threat to themselves and others,” he says.
“It might be that more authoritarian people feel such risks more keenly or that they have a greater need for control, but it could be other factors that trigger these motivations such as a desire to be a ‘good citizen’ or a sense that others in the neighbourhood would appreciate this action.”
On the other hand, a person may be less likely to snitch on their neighbours if they’re from a marginalised community, suggests Prof Haste. “A lot depends on your own community’s feel as part of a larger community,” she says. Some people may be more likely to believe their patterns of behaviour are in line with what the rest of the country is doing, so have no issue thinking if they tell the police what’s going on, they’re still doing the kind of things that their community would consider okay.
“But if I was in a marginalised community, I would probably feel the authorities are against us, they are our enemy, and I wouldn’t want to go and tell them about anything that was going on inside my community because that would be breaking a big trust,” she adds.
Advertisement
Prof Abrams says there are four courses of action people can take if they’re concerned about a neighbour – or even a friend, family member, spouse – flouting the rules.
“People can do nothing, they can discuss with other people to share their concern, they can directly appeal to their neighbour, or they can report their neighbour,” he says. “I don’t think there’s a single morally correct thing to do, because each alternative has its practical and social, as well as moral, merits.”
Prof Haste recommends approaching the neighbour directly if you have any kind of relationship you want to maintain. You could say: ‘this is not acceptable, you can’t do this’ or ‘I’m worried you’re passing the virus on to me and my family’. It’s something she would do herself if in the same position.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-20--Us Is The BBC's New 'Rom-Com In Reverse' From The Writer Of One Day – Here's What You Need To Know

While there’s been a reduced amount of new dramas airing in the last few months thanks to the pandemic throwing the TV industry into turmoil, the arrival of autumn has brought with it the shows bosses have been saving up.
One of the first to debut during this new season of telly is Us, which arrives on BBC One at the weekend.
Advertisement
Described as a “rom-com in reverse”, it is perfect for those looking for something a little less intense than cop shows or physiological thrillers, but still want something that packs an emotional punch.
Here’s everything we can tell you about it...
BBC Studios/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton/Ignition Creative
Us is based on David Nicholls’ novel
To many people, David Nicholls is best known as the author behind, One Day –the smash hit novel that spawned a film of the same name starring Anne Hathaway.
Us served as his follow-up novel, coming five years later in 2014. Like its predecessor, it proved to be hugely popular with readers and critics alike, with one review in the Independent describing it as “a perfect book”.
Advertisement
It was also long-listed for the 2014 Man Booker Prize and David won the Specsavers UK Author of the Year award.
So what is it about?
Well, as David put it in a press introduction for the series, if One Day “was about the beginnings of a relationship – will they, won’t they get together? – Us asked’ ‘what comes next?’”.
It follows the story of the Petersen family, who are rocked when wife Connie tells husband Douglas that she’s not sure she wants to be married to him any more.
As he vows to prove to his wife that he is still the man she fell in love with and to repair his troubled relationship, Douglas insists that they go ahead with a planned family tour of Europe – originally intended as a holiday to mark their son Albie’s last summer before university.
But will the pair be able to reconcile their relationship, or will the family have to come to terms with a life apart?
Advertisement
BBC/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton
The action is also intercut with flashbacks of Douglas and Connie’s love story and the early days of their relationship, revealing how they fell in love and how things have changed in the years that followed.
Describing the emotion of the series, David says: “It’s about regret and loss and the spectre of loneliness but I hope we’ve made something funny and uplifting too, something emotional and affecting that will have viewers recognising themselves and those around them, as one of ‘Us’.”
It is set in some incredible locations
Much like how the stunning European locations became an important part of fellow BBC drama Killing Eve, Us will also showcase the beauty of the continent.
The crew filmed last year in London, Amsterdam, Venice, Barcelona and Paris and David says the series is supposed to be a “love letter to Europe”.
Advertisement
“I hope we’ve captured that on screen,” he adds.
Tom Hollander and Saskia Reeves head up the cast
Tom Hollander (The Night Manager, Baptiste, Gosford Park) plays Douglas, who is a scientist. Tom describes his character as “quite a grumpy dad” to son Albie, who gets on better with his mother, and Douglas lives with the idea that his wife Connie prefers their son to him.
He is devastated when Connie tells him she is falling out of love with him, as he is a man who “doesn’t want to be left”, according to Tom.
Tom Hollander plays Douglas BBC/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton
Saskia Reeves (Wallander, The Child In Time, Luther) plays Connie, who is preemptively experiencing empty nest syndrome, terrified of the gaping hole that only child Albie is going to leave when he heads to university.
Saskia Reeves plays Connie BBC/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton
Advertisement
Saskia describes Connie as having “completely settled for a life that she never ultimately wanted” as she gave up her dreams of becoming an artist and “took refuge in Douglas’ absolute undying love for her” – a situation she begins to reassess when their family’s dynamic is about to change.
Tom Taylor – best known for playing Gemma and Simon Foster’s son Tom in Doctor Foster – plays Albie, an artistic, musical, creative and complicated teenager, who is about to set out on the next chapter of his life.
Tom Taylor plays Albie BBC/Drama Republic/Hal Shinnie
“He doesn’t particularly want to go on holiday with his parents and feels he has been dragged into it – so tries to ditch them,” Tom says. But Albie will go on a journey of his own as he deals with the situation between his mother and father.
Gina Bramhill (Being Human, Black Mirror) and Iain De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Lip Service) appear as a young Connie and Douglas in flashback scenes, while Thaddea Graham (Curfew, The Letter For The King) appears as a character called Kat, and Sofie Gråbøl (The Killing, Gentleman Jack) plays Freja.
Advertisement
Iain De Caestecker and Gina Bramhill as young Douglas and young Connie BBC/Drama Republic/Colin Hutton
Thaddea Graham plays Kat BBC/Drama Republic/Hal Shinnie
Why should I watch it?
While the premise of the story might initially seem quite downbeat, Tom Hollander promises it has a “particular humour to it, which is in David’s writing”, with Tom Taylor adding there is plenty of “light hearted comedy” in what he describes as “a really fun drama”.
“It’s not a story without hope, it is a story about hope,” Tom Hollander adds.
He also says the story will likely “speak to parents of a certain age, those who have children who might be about to fly the nest or go to college”.
Gina also says it will likely make you feel “terribly nostalgic for a different time, pre-covid!”
She noted: “All of those wonderful locations and the freedom we had – I hope an audience can be uplifted and transported; not only back to the 90s, but also to the not-so-distant past, to be able to escape and enjoy this story of two people’s love and loss and growth.”
Advertisement
Watch the trailer
When is it on?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--You Can Get Covid-19 And Flu At The Same Time – And It Can Be Deadly

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Health experts have warned that people can get both flu and Covid-19 at the same time, and the consequences can be deadly.
Speaking at a media briefing on this year’s flu vaccine, Public Health England’s medical director Professor Yvonne Doyle warned that those at high risk of flu are most at risk of Covid-19, too.
Advertisement
A new study funded by PHE found people infected with flu and Covid-19 at the same time are almost twice as likely to die as those with Covid-19 alone.
With flu and Covid-19 likely to circulate at the same time this winter, experts worry the viruses could have a significant impact on health service demand, as well as rates of illness and death.
They are urging people eligible for a free flu vaccine to get one.
Malte Mueller via Getty Images Hand of nurse swabbing mouth of male patient
The research, looking at cases between January and April this year, also found those with co-infection of the two viruses were more at risk of severe illness. Most cases of co-infection were in older people and just under half of them died.
Advertisement
That said, the likelihood of a person getting both flu and Covid-19 seems low. Of 19,256 individuals tested for both influenza and coronavirus, 58 people were found to have co-infection.
Overall, 43% of cases with both Covid-19 and flu died, compared to 27% of those who tested positive for coronavirus alone.
One caveat of the study is that it used data from people who tested positive for flu and Covid-19 from January to April this year. Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, the deputy chief medical officer for the Department of Health and Social Care, said at that point, the vast majority of Covid-19 tests were not being done in the community, only in hospitalised patients.
“There are multiple, plausible reasons why it’s a bad idea to have Covid-19 and flu at the same time,” he said. People who have both need to stay in hospital for longer, have a greater risk of dying, and studies in mice have also shown “poor outcomes”.
Advertisement
Prof Doyle and Prof Van-Tam urged those eligible for the free flu jab to get one. Letters will be sent out to people this week encouraging them to book an appointment, with extra measures in place to keep people safe.
Dr Nikita Kanani, a London GP and NHS Medical director for primary care, said flu vaccines may also be offered in outdoor settings, such as car parks, alongside drive-through vaccine services.
The UK has one of the highest rates of uptake for the flu vaccine and, last year, two thirds of those eligible for it received one.
Its effectiveness was 42.7% last season, said Prof Doyle, noting that while it might not prevent all infections, it does “take the edge off” if you’ve had the vaccine and then come down with flu.
In England, influenza kills an average of 11,000 people each year. Last year’s flu season was considered “medium impact”, with low levels circulating in the community early on in the season, yet an estimated 8,000 people still died from it.
Advertisement
Prof Doyle said there is some evidence to suggest flu and Covid-19 might compete with each other, meaning those who test positive for flu are less likely to test positive for Covid-19. The PHE study found risk of testing positive for coronavirus was 68% lower among influenza positive cases.
Some people might take this as a sign that you could hold out hope of getting flu and, fingers crossed, you won’t become ill with Covid-19 if you come into contact with someone who’s infected. But this heeds a strong warning from Prof Doyle, who said: “If you get both, you are in serious trouble.”
This year’s flu vaccine will be offered to 30m people in total. The children’s flu programme has been extended to cover kids in the first year of secondary school, and the vaccine will also be offered to household contacts of those on the shielded patient list.
Later in the season, people aged 50-64 years old will be offered one.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Coronavirus Curfew: Pubs And Restaurants In England To Shut At 10pm

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Pubs, bars and restaurants in England will be subject to a 10pm curfew as part of the government’s latest restrictions to tackle the surge of coronavirus.
From Thursday evening, all pubs, bars, restaurants and other hospitality venues in England must close by 10pm, while food and drink outlets are restricted to table service only.
Advertisement
It is hoped that the 10pm curfew – already rolled out across parts of the nation’s hospitality industry – will help prevent alcohol-fuelled breaches of social distancing rules and stem the spread of the virus while allowing the economy to recover.
On Tuesday morning, the prime minister held a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee with the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
At 8pm, he will appear in a televised address to outline the government’s latest measures and set out further ways the country can confront coronavirus in line with the scientific advice.
It comes after Britain’s coronavirus alert level was ramped up from level three to four – last seen during the height of the pandemic – meaning transmission is “high or rising exponentially”.
Advertisement
The alert level upgrade was on the recommendation of the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which was agreed by the chief medical officers of the UK nations.
Earlier on Monday, England’s chief medical officers Chris Whitty and Patrick Vallance warned there could be 50,000 daily cases of Covid-19 by mid-October and 200 deaths a day by mid-November if the current rate of infection is not halted.
In a joint statement, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said: “After a period of lower Covid cases and deaths, the number of cases are now rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all four nations.
“If we are to avoid significant excess deaths and exceptional pressure in the NHS and other health services over the autumn and winter everyone has to follow the social distancing guidance, wear face coverings correctly and wash their hands regularly.
“We know this will be a concerning news for many people; please follow the rules, look after each other and together we will get through this.”
Advertisement
The UK recorded a further 4,368 coronavirus cases on Monday – the second highest daily total since early May. A further 11 people have also died within 28 days of getting a positive test, however the real figure is likely higher because of reporting delays over the weekend.
Restaurants, pubs and bars in parts of England’s north-east are already under a 10pm curfew and from Tuesday venues in the north-west will join them.
A spokesperson for No 10 said: “No-one underestimates the challenges the new measures will pose to many individuals and businesses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Starmer Pledges To ‘Put Family First’ In Plea To Voters To Take Another Look At Labour

PA
Keir Starmer will pledge to put patriotism and family policy at the heart of his “new leadership” as he pleads with former Labour voters to return to the party.
In his first big speech since taking over from Jeremy Corbyn, he will repeatedly contrast his own style and vision with that of his predecessor, stressing he will head “a credible opposition” that will “take the job seriously” to regain the electorate’s trust.
Advertisement
Wrapping up Labour’s online ‘Connect’ event that replaced its annual conference, Starmer will emphasise his record on protecting national security during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions.
With a vow to create a Britain that is “the best country to grow up in and the best country to grow old in”, he will emphasise both childcare and social care as central to the party’s mission to create sustainable change.
Starmer will unveil a new plan for a national strategy to close the education gap between rich and poor pupils, as highlighted through the coronavirus pandemic, enforced through an independent body like the Children’s Commissioner.
The central message will be that Labour has changed under his leadership by offering a competent alternative to Boris Johnson’s Tories, particularly to all those voters in ‘Red Wall’ seats who abandoned the party and ensured its worst electoral defeat since 1935.
Advertisement
“I ask you: take another look at Labour. We’re under new leadership. We love this country as you do,” he will say as he makes the speech in Doncaster, south Yorkshire, where Labour lost a heartland seat to the Tories in December.
“Trust takes time. It starts with being a credible Opposition. With taking the job seriously. That’s what we will do.
“So, to those people in Doncaster and Deeside, in Glasgow and Grimsby, in Stoke and in Stevenage to those who have turned away from Labour, I say this: we hear you.
“My vision for Britain is simple: I want this to be the best country to grow up in and the best country to grow old in. A country in which we put family first.
“A country that embodies the values I hold dear. Decency, fairness, opportunity, compassion and security. Security for our nation, our families and all of our communities.”
Advertisement
That vision will include “properly-funded public services” and a “world-class education which unleashes everyone’s potential”.
Starmer allies told HuffPost UK that the aim was to draw a line under the last decade of Labour under both Ed Miliband and Corbyn, shifting away from “niche” issues that obsessed party members but had no resonance with the mainstream British public.
Climate change will dominate the speech, with the Labour leader calling for “a greener, cleaner and fairer society”, in which policies are judged by what they do “for the planet tomorrow”.
He will also stress a rebalancing of the UK economy away from London and big cities, towards smaller towns like those which voted Brexit.
Starmer will call for “an economy that doesn’t force people to move hundreds of miles from family and friends just to find a decent job..one that truly works for all regions and nations of this United Kingdom, with opportunity and security in every part of the country and at every stage of our lives.”
Advertisement
On industrial policy and jobs, he will argue the way forward is “working hand-in-hand with businesses and trade unions” to create high-quality jobs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Did Boris Johnson’s Summer Policies Hasten A Second Wave?

Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons, London. (Photo by House of Commons/PA Images via Getty Images) House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Deja flu, all over again?
“There’s no question that we are now seeing a second wave coming in...It’s been inevitable we’d see it in this country.” Boris Johnson’s words on Friday, made almost in passing during a visit to Oxfordshire, were clearly a kind of pitch-rolling for fresh national Covid restrictions this week.
Advertisement
The PM’s remarks stood in stark contrast to his own optimism just a few weeks ago in July, when he made no mention whatsoever of the “inevitability” of another coronavirus surge and in fact blithely raised hopes of a return to “normality” by November or Christmas. Restrictions could be tightened but only at a local level, not nationwide, he had told us.
Although Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty were not allowed to stand next to Johnson during that “road map to recovery” speech in the summer, within hours Vallance told the Lords that actually it was “highly likely” the virus would return this year. The small print of the roadmap even had a line about being “as ready as possible for the risk of a resurgence in the virus between November and March”.
Well, it was confirmed today that the second wave hasn’t waited for November. In fact, Vallance made clear today that’s the month when we could be looking at 200 deaths a day in the UK if action isn’t taken now. All this, as one senior Tory backbencher, Sir Edward Leigh, said his “authoritarian” government was “increasingly incompetent”.
Of course, the whole concept of a second wave stems from the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, when a repeat outbreak claimed more lives than the first. Some experts query whether ‘second wave’ is the right term, and obviously Covid is very different from flu. And second waves are spreading across Europe, suggesting lots of governments relaxed their restrictions too early or ineptly.
Advertisement
It’s worth pointing out we have also learned lessons from the Covid first wave. There is more PPE, more testing, drug treatments mean mortality rates are lower, and as of Friday it’s now government policy that there will be no admission from anywhere (not just hospital) into any care home without a test. Schools and more workplaces should be ‘Covid-secure’. New childcare exemptions have been announced. All of which should prevent us from feeling like it’s deja vu all over again.
But what hasn’t changed is a sense of a government feeling like it’s being caught out by events, rather than planning properly for them. Some will wonder whether government policy actually inflated the sombrero rather than flattened it. Yet when the PM’s spokesman was asked today if there had been any assessment of the EatOutToHelpOut scheme’s impact on the social spread of Covid, he could only reply: “I haven’t seen anything specific on that.”
Britain's Chief Medical Officer for England Chris Whitty (L) and Britain's Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance leave from 11 Downing Street. BEN STANSALL via Getty Images
Whitty hinted that all this extra socialisation was to blame when he said today “we have to break unnecessary links between households”. “We have, in a bad sense, literally turned a corner, although only relatively recently.” What happened ‘recently’ then? Was it the cumulative effect of lax quarantine from abroad in July, discounted meals in August, schools returning in September without sufficient testing?
The fact that just 20% of the public with symptoms are fully self-isolating for two weeks is clearly a big worry. Individual super-spreaders failing to quarantine after holidays abroad is another. In both cases we now have new carrots and sticks that critics have called for for months. And the failure to build an even bigger testing capacity for the return of the schools in England this month is also down to ministers, not the public.
Advertisement
The new Rule of Six could possibly have made things worse too, even for just a week. Why? Because, as I’ve written before, it actually involved a relaxation of the rules: individuals from six different households could get together in pubs and restaurants for the first time in months. The lengthening delays for ‘satellite’ test kits for care homes is yet another huge concern. Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth put it well today: “We don’t want a second wave of ministerial mistakes.”
The sense of a government lurching from one line to another may well be confirmed if the planned ‘office return’ PR campaign is abandoned too. In August, the PM changed the advice to ‘go to the office if you can’, a shift from the previous ‘work from home if you can’ guidance. There was even a government target to get 80% of civil servants back at their desks by the end of the month, but it may now be that the numbers go into reverse.
Will Boris Johnson eat some humble pie when he announces the new restrictions on Tuesday? Will he in any way admit he got things wrong or show a shamelessness that his enemies think is his defining political credo? There is some good news in the shape of the tracing app finally arriving this Thursday and more testing labs opening. Crucially, during the first wave, many voters were willing to give Johnson the benefit of the doubt.
However, if that second wave crashes over our shores and leaves many more dead, they may be very unforgiving indeed. As the old saying goes: “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.” The next election is four long years away, but if the British public feel they’ve been made fools of in entrusting Johnson with their lives and livelihoods, the shockwaves could last for quite some time.
Quote Of The Day
“If the potential consequences of the Withdrawal Agreement were so bad, why did the Government sign it?”
Advertisement
Theresa May announces she can’t support the Internal Market Bill’s tearing up of international law
Monday Cheat Sheet
The UK’s coronavirus alert level has been upgraded from 3 to 4, meaning transmission is “high or rising exponentially”, all its chief medical officers declared.
Sir Patrick Vallance warned that country’s Covid cases were doubling ‘roughly every seven days’ and could see 50,000 new cases every day by mid-October.
Dido Harding suggested at a CBI meeting that “moonshot” instant Covid tests may not be available on the NHS and would have to be paid for by businesses, the ‘i’ newspaper reported.
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused Rishi Sunak of being “cavalier” with taxpayers’ money as she fleshed out Labour’s plans to replace furlough with part-time working, expand retraining and offer new business loans.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps announced the end of rail franchising, the 25-year-old system brought in by John Major . Emergency support will be given to firms but after that a flat-fee concession system will be introduced.
Perugia Airport retracted its claim that Boris Johnson flew into Italy earlier this month - and said staff had him muddled up with Tony Blair.
What I’m Reading


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Here’s The Thinking Behind A 10pm Coronavirus Curfew

LOADING ERROR LOADING
10pm curfews have been imposed across the nation’s hospitality industry to try to stop the spread of the virus while allowing the economy to recover.
Britain was warned last month it could be facing 50,000 new Covid-19 cases a day by mid-October, leading to 200 deaths a day in November if the current rate of infection is not halted.
Advertisement
So what does it achieve?
Linda Bauld, professor of public health at Edinburgh University, told HuffPost UK the move to impose curfews is an “intermediate” step in the fight against the virus.
A 10pm curfew is already seeing pub revenues reduced by up to 60% EMPICS Entertainment
She said: “Many countries have taken this approach. The principle is, we know that night time economy generally is risky. There have been outbreaks linked to nightclubs – which are obviously closed here – and to bars and restaurants. We’ve known this for months.
“The longer people are in these venues, the more they probably let their guard down and the mix of social distancing and alcohol is not a good one despite the best efforts of publicans and venue owners.”
Advertisement
Behavioural expert Professor Susan Michie, who is a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told HuffPost UK she was not aware of any scientific evidence for the specific time of 10pm.
But anecdotally, late nights out drinking alcohol increase the risk of the virus spreading.
A returning holidaymaker who went on a pub crawl instead of self-isolating was partly responsible for Bolton’s “extreme spike” in coronavirus cases, the town’s council leader said. And in Seoul, South Korea, an outbreak was traced to the reopening of the city’s nightclubs, which have since been closed down again.
Professor Bauld added: “I imagine someone has looked at this from an economic perspective and thought, well, 10pm will allow restaurants to keep open to get some tables booked. The earlier the curfew, potentially the more effective it is, so I think that’s a balance.”
She continued: “Curfews are less restrictive than telling places to close and that’s what all governments around the world are grappling with. You’ve just opened up your economy as you release lockdown, businesses start to get back on their feet and then to turn around to them and say: ‘We’re totally shutting you down again, without a substantial bail-out package’ is pretty unpalatable.”
Speaking on the subject to Canada news channel Global News, Timothy Sly, an epidemiologist and professor emeritus at Ryerson University, said curfews can be useful in that they can restrict mixing between the possibly asymptomatic and healthy in enclosed spaces – where the virus thrives.
Advertisement
Professor Sly also implied that countries where face masks were not normalised in the community before the virus – unlike, say, east Asia where they have been worn as guards against pollution and general hygiene – would benefit from curfews.
He said: “If (the government) can’t trust you to wear a face mask to protect other people, then you’d better be home and off the street by the clock.”
Imposing curfews as an alternative to shutting the country’s hospitality industry for a second time would have economical benefits, but the move would still have far reaching consequences.
Curfews mean the premises must be closed and all customers must have left by 10pm.
“Which effectively means last orders are at 9pm,” said Kate Nicholls, CEO of UK Hospitality.
“And so for restaurants and pubs that are fully seated, that halves revenues because you can only get one sitting, as opposed to two, potentially three, depending on what your normal trading hours would be.
“We saw over the weekend at those places in the north-east, drops in revenue of between 40% to 60% depending on the type of business.”
Advertisement
Nicholls wants the government to be flexible in its approach to curfews, including making last orders 10pm and allowing a gradual dispersal of customers thereafter.
She said: “That would minimise the economic impact and the loss of jobs that would result from it. It would be something we would want to discuss with the government – how we would frame that. That’s what’s happened in Europe where curfews have been introduced, though those curfews have been midnight and 1am and therefore have had less impact on economic activity.”
Nicholls also says its vital that any such measures are announced in tandem with bail-out measures to sustain businesses.
“If the government is going to close parts of the economy, we’ve still got 900,000 jobs in hospitality that are fully supported in furlough. So, unless we get an extension for some of those support measures through that lockdown period, we are going to see significant job losses.”
With Boris Johnson warning that the new restrictions, including curfews, could last six months, Nicholls said the government needs to announce support for businesses.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--UK Coronavirus Alert Level Raised From Three To Four – Last Seen During Height Of Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Britain’s coronavirus alert level has been ramped up to level four – last seen during the height of the pandemic.
The Joint Biosecurity Centre’s recommendation was agreed by the chief medical officers of the UK nations. It comes amid a surge in infections and with Boris Johnson expected to announce new nationwide restrictions on Tuesday.
Advertisement
Earlier on Monday, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance warned there could be 50,000 daily cases of Covid-19 by mid-October and 200 deaths a day by mid-November if the current rate of infection is not halted.
It means the UK moves up from level three, which states that a Covid-19 epidemic is in general circulation, to level four, when transmission of the virus is high or rising at an ever increasing rate.
Such a high alert level was last seen during the height of lockdown. The UK has been at level three since mid-June.
UK coronavirus alert levels UK government
Advertisement
In a joint statement, the chief medical officers for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland said: “After a period of lower Covid cases and deaths, the number of cases are now rising rapidly and probably exponentially in significant parts of all four nations.
“If we are to avoid significant excess deaths and exceptional pressure in the NHS and other health services over the autumn and winter everyone has to follow the social distancing guidance, wear face coverings correctly and wash their hands regularly.
“We know this will be a concerning news for many people; please follow the rules, look after each other and together we will get through this.”
Responding, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed she will be introducing measures to bring the virus “back under control” in Scotland on Tuesday.
4 UK CMOs - inc @DrGregorSmith - agree raising of #Covid_19 alert level to 4. I’ll participate in COBR meeting tomorrow am, after which @scotgov Cabinet will agree measures to bring virus back under control in Scotland. I’ll then offer statement to @ScotParl tomorrow pm. — Nicola Sturgeon (@NicolaSturgeon) September 21, 2020
Advertisement
Northern Ireland first minister Arlene Foster meanwhile announced extra restrictions on social gatherings.
There will be no mixing of two households indoors, except for single-person bubbles and certain other exemptions, from 6pm on Tuesday.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “The raising of the alert level announced by the UK CMOs reflects the significant shift in the current threat posed by coronavirus.
“This country now faces a tipping point in its response and it is vital everybody plays their part now to stop the spread of the virus and protect lives.
“The first line of defence has always been all of us playing our part, remembering hands, face and space, the rule of six and self-isolation of those who risk passing on the virus.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--How It Feels To Be A Brit In America Right Now. Listen To Running Mate, Our US Election Podcast

Running Mate is a US election podcast – just for Brits. In our fifth episode, we get a view of American life from Brits on the front line.
Host Graeme Demianyk speaks to Cordelia Lynch, US correspondent for Sky News, and Tess Owen, senior correspondent at Vice News – three British journalists who have been in America for the four years of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Advertisement
America can seem very strange from the other side of the Atlantic, from armed militia roaming the streets to Apocalyptic orange skies as the west coat is ravaged by wildfires. That’s not to mention the chaos left in the wake of the Trump administration.
Our guests reflect on how while breathless US TV news coverage and brushing shoulders with gun-toting protesters becomes more normal, they still retain a perspective on how wildly different it is to life in the UK.
We also speak to John Scardino, a spokesperson for Democrats Abroad, a branch of the Democratic Party that represents voters living overseas, to get the opposite viewpoint – what it’s like to be an American watching events unfold from the UK.
Listen to the fifth episode of Running Mate above. There’ll be a new episode to download every Monday – find it by searching for Running Mate on any good podcast platform, and get involved in the conversation on social media by using our hashtag #HPRunningMate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Ellen DeGeneres Says She 'Takes Responsibility' As She Makes On-Air Address About Toxic Workplace Cl

Ellen DeGeneres Says She 'Takes Responsibility' As She Makes On-Air Address About Toxic Workplace Claims On Chat Show

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Ellen DeGeneres said she “takes responsibility for what happens at my show” as she addressed the reports of a toxic work environment on her US talk show live on air.
The presenter discussed the claims with viewers as The Ellen DeGeneres Show returned for a new series on Monday, vowing to “start a new chapter”.
Advertisement
She has previously apologised to staff after an internal review found “deficiencies related to the show’s day-to-day management”.
Addressing a virtual audience in the studio and those watching at home, Ellen said in her opening monologue: “If you’re watching because you love me, thank you. If you’re watching because you don’t love me, welcome.”
The Ellen DeGeneres Show returned to air on Monday Warner Bros
After joking she had had a “great, super terrific” summer, Ellen continued: “I learned that things happened here that never should have happened. I take that very seriously and I want to say I am so sorry to the people that were affected.
Advertisement
“I know that I’m in a position of privilege and power, and I realise that with that comes responsibility. I take responsibility for what happens at my show.
“We have had a lot of conversations over the last few weeks about the show, our workplace and what we want for the future, we have made the necessary changes and today we are starting a new chapter.”
Of the claims she is not who she appears to be on TV, Ellen went on: “I am that person that you see on TV. I am also a lot of other things...
“Being known as the ‘be kind lady’ is a tricky position to be in,” she said, describing herself as a “work in progress”.
Advertisement
Claims of an alleged toxic work culture on the daytime talk show were made in a Buzzfeed News investigation earlier this year.
The outlet spoke to former employees who made allegations of racism, unfair dismissal, intimidation and an overall toxic environment, perpetuated by the show’s senior producers.
Ellen added: “My intention is always to be the best person I can be and if I’ve ever let someone down, if I’ve ever hurt their feelings, I am so sorry for that.
“If that is ever the case I have let myself down and I’ve hurt myself as well because I always try to grow as a person.”
Three of the show’s producers, Ed Glavin, Kevin Leman and Jonathan Norman, “parted ways” with the show last month, according to CNN.
Advertisement
Ellen also apologised to staff in an email, saying: “As we’ve grown exponentially, I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Grandparents Will Be Allowed To Look After Children In Local Lockdown Areas, Matt Hancock Says

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Grandparents will now be allowed to look after children in areas that have a local lockdown, Matt Hancock has announced.
Millions of people across the UK are under restrictions that ban them from socialising with people outside of their own households.
Advertisement
But concerns had been raised this prevented parents from going to work as they needed to stay home to look after their young children.
Speaking in the Commons on Monday, Hancock said: “I have heard the concerns about the impact local action on childcare arrangements.
“For many, informal child care arrangements are a lifeline without which they could not do their job.
“Today I am able to announce a new exemption for looking after children under the age of 14 or vulnerable adults, where that is necessary for caring purposes. This covers both formal and informal arrangements.
Advertisement
The health secretary added: “It does not allow for playdates or parties, but it does mean a constant child-care relationship that is vital for someone get to work is allowed.”
Boris Johnson will tomorrow convene a meeting of the government’s emergency Cobra committee before making a statement in the Commons.
The prime minister is expected to announce new measures designed to halt the recent surge in coronavirus infections.
Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, warned on Monday there could be 50,000 daily cases of Covid-19 in the UK by mid-October.
He said this could lead to 200 deaths a day by mid-November if the current rate of infection is not halted.
Advertisement
Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, suggested curbs to social lives were needed to prevent the virus spiralling out of control,
He said there was a need to “break unnecessary links” between households and a need to “change course”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--‘I’ve Lost 37 Friends To Coronavirus – And 36 Were Black'

‘I’ve Lost 37 Friends To Coronavirus – And 36 Were Black'
The BAME community has been disproportionately affected by coronavirus. This is something Hesketh Benoit experienced first hand. He has lost 37 friends to coronavirus since March. Nearly all were Black. He is now calling on the government to respond to the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on the BAME community.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-21--Boris Johnson To Hold Emergency Coronavirus Cobra Meeting On Tuesday

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Boris Johnson will hold a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee on Tuesday, before an expected announcement of new coronavirus restrictions.
The prime minister will on Monday hold talks with leaders in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as cabinet colleagues ahead of a full meeting of top ministers tomorrow.
Advertisement
He will then make a statement to the Commons in which he is expected to set out any new lockdown measures.
The PM has already suggested that a second wave of infections is coming, while chief medical officer Chris Whitty and chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance have warned that infections could reach 50,000 cases a day by mid-October without action.
The government has been working on a response to the recent uptick in infections all weekend, Downing Street said.
On Saturday, the cabinet including Johnson were briefed on the potential impact of the pandemic and potential restrictions by Whitty, Vallance and Treasury chief economic adviser Claire Lombardelli.
Advertisement
The PM will on Monday look to secure UK-wide agreement from devolved nations on the “next steps”, to be discussed at the government's emergency Cobra meeting.
His official spokesperson told reporters: “You can see what’s been happening over the course of the previous 72 or 96 hours.
“The PM spoke on Friday about his concerns about a second wave, there was an update to the cabinet on Saturday.
“The PM held more meetings with scientific advisers and with colleagues yesterday.
“Today he will be engaging with the devolved administrations.
“Let’s see where we get to, and tomorrow morning will be an opportunity for Cobra to discuss what next steps may be required in the coronavirus response.”
Whitty has stressed the need to “break unnecessary links between households” while health secretary Matt Hancock was unable to say whether pubs would be shut this weekend.