thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Shops Can Reopen On Monday As Coronavirus Lockdown Eases, Business Secretary Says

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Shops can reopen on Monday as the government continues to ease the coronavirus lockdown, business secretary Alok Sharma has said.
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But the minister did not announce any relaxation of the two-metre social distancing rule, meaning many stores will struggle to open their doors and be deemed “Covid-secure”.
Repeatedly asked whether the regulation could instead be set at one metre, Sharma replied only that this remained “under review”.
The World Health Organisation, and many European countries, have set social distancing at one metre and Boris Johnson’s government is under pressure to follow suit.
Pressed about the regulation, Sharma said the two-metre rule would only only be cut to one “when it is safe to do”.
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Sharma stressed that retail businesses could reopen their doors on Monday – provided they can follow current social distancing guidelines. If they do not, they will face government enforcement measures, he added.
Hairdressers, nail salons, pubs and restaurants do not form part of the plans for Monday. These businesses are expected to open on July 4 “at the earliest”, the minister said.
Confirming that non-essential shops in England will be allowed to open their doors, Sharma said: “I can confirm today that retail outlets which have been required to be closed will be able to open their doors again from Monday, June 15, so long as they comply with the Covid-secure guidelines we published on May 25.
“Many firms will continue to struggle as the two metre rule will limit sales while retailers continue to face the same rent and other fixed costs.” - Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium
“This is the latest step in the careful restarting of our economy and will enable high streets up and down the country to spring back to life.”
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Pressed on the two-metre rule, he said: “When it is safe to do so, we will see whether you can move to a shorter distance, but ultimately we keep all of these things under review.
“There are other countries in the world that have moved from two metres to closer distances. Of course, they are further along in terms of their road map, in terms of opening up businesses.
“We are taking a cautious view on this. I completely understand why for economic reasons businesses will want to have a look at this two-metre rule.”
Speaking after the daily briefing, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said ministers must outline a support package for retail if the two-metre rule stayed in place.
She said: “Retailers who are not yet open have been working hard to install perspex screens, hygiene systems and apply social distancing measures.
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“We hope the public will take the opportunity from next week to go out and support millions of stores up and down the country.
“Nonetheless, the challenge for these stores is not over.
“Many firms will continue to struggle as the two-metre rule will limit sales while retailers continue to face the same rent and other fixed costs.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Keanu Reeves And Alex Winter Are Back As Bill & Ted In First-Look Trailer

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It’s the reunion we’ve all waited almost 30 years for, but Bill and Ted are finally back.
Fans of the film franchise have been given their first look at Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter back in action as the metalhead mates in the first trailer for Bill & Ted Face The Music.
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Bill and Ted in Face The Music YouTube
The one-minute clip begins with the duo being confronted by The Great Leader, played by Hollywood’s Holland Taylor, who tells them: “25 years ago you played a concert in front of the entire world.
“One month ago you played in Barstow, California for 40 people, most of whom were there for $2 Taco Night. Bill and Ted, what have you got to say for yourselves?”
Bill replies: “Be excellent to each other!”
Ted then adds: “And party on dudes.”
Their destiny is calling. Keanu Reeves and @Winter are BACK in the official poster for Bill & Ted Face the Music! Time to be excellent, dudes. 🎸⚡ #BillAndTed3 #FaceTheMusic #BillAndTedDay pic.twitter.com/MSZToqIOQZ — Bill & Ted 3 (@BillandTed3) June 9, 2020
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Bill & Ted Face The Music serves as the third film in the franchise, which began in 1989 with Excellent Adventure. The sequel Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey followed in 1991.
Face The Music was originally slated for release on 21 August, and new posters state the film will still debut in “Summer 2020”, suggesting it will not be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, like many other spring and summer releases have been.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Government Has Started Planning For No Trade Deal Brexit, Penny Mordaunt Confirms

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The UK has started planning for leaving the Brexit transition without a trade deal at the end of the year, Penny Mordaunt has said.
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The Cabinet Office minister said it is “prudent and wise” to prepare for trade negotiations to fail and for the UK to default to World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms for business with the EU from January.
A Whitehall source later told HuffPost UK that the government was “of course planning” through the cabinet exit operations (XO) committee chaired by Michael Gove for the UK to leave the single market and customs union, with or without a deal on new trade relations.
It came as the UK in a Changing Europe academic think-tank warned that the economic impact of failing to reach a deal could reduce UK economic growth by up to 9% over a decade, compared to a 6% hit if the Canada-style deal proposed by the government is reached.
Negotiations are currently stalled, with both sides unwilling to compromise on key demands, and fears of a no-trade-deal Brexit amid a deep coronavirus-triggered recession are growing.
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But Mordaunt confirmed that the UK would not extend the transition period beyond December 31, arguing that the government “cannot keep negotiating forever”.
In the Commons, Labour MP Rushanara Ali asked the minister: “Time is running out and there is a real risk of a cliff-edge Brexit which would come in the context of a health pandemic and the associated economic crisis, with rising unemployment towards the end of the year.
“Can the minister confirm if the government has initiated any planning in the event of a deal not being reached?”
Mordaunt replied: “It would be prudent and wise for us to prepare for every scenario, just as we have always done – just as we did last year and did not need to implement those preparations.
“But I am confident that we can not only come to an agreement but also we can do so in a timeframe that gives people the time that they need to prepare, to understand, and we are of course very aware of the other things that are going on in the world that form the backdrop to that.
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“Our approach is going to be achingly pragmatic.”
Minister Penny Mordaunt tells MPs there was "no movement on the most difficult areas" during last week's talks between the U.K. and the EU over their future relationship, urging the bloc to "fully recognize the U.K. as a sovereign equal"https://t.co/aomDQGWqTs pic.twitter.com/sfSLSyBH2C — Bloomberg Brexit (@Brexit) June 9, 2020
The Whitehall source said: “We are of course planning for life outside the single market and the customs union at the end of the year, and the opportunities and changes that will bring.
“But ‘no deal’ is an irrelevant concept and Operation Yellowhammer has been stood down.”
Mordaunt attempted to assure MPs that UK supply chains would hold up despite the prospect of significant barriers to trade at the border with the EU if a deal is not struck.
Answering an urgent question from shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves, Mordaunt said: “We have the Covid crisis going on, I know she is aware of the huge amount of work that was done last year on no-deal preparations, but also the tremendous work that civil contingencies and all government departments have been doing to ensure that supply chains remain strong, that we can quickly adapt, that we do have stocks of all sorts of goods – including medicines – that we need.”
But Reeves said warnings had emerged about the impact of Covid-19 on medicine stockpiles, adding: “We urge both sides to redouble efforts over the next few days and weeks to ensure progress is made by the end of this month so the government can honour its commitment to ensuring a good deal for Britain by the end of this year.”
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It came as UK in a Changing Europe said it was difficult to see how a comprehensive trade deal could be reached without an extension to the transition period.
It also warned there would be a “serious” economic impact if no agreement is reached and the UK defaulted to WTO terms – an outcome dubbed an “Australia-style” deal by ministers.
Professor Jonathan Portes, senior fellow, UK in a Changing Europe, said: “The Covid-19 pandemic and Brexit are major shocks for the UK economy.
“The interaction of the two is complex and unpredictable, with the potential to amplify some impacts while moderating others.
“On balance, the pandemic probably does make the economic risks of exiting transition on January 2021 without a trade deal larger, but considerable uncertainties remain.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Watch Live: Business Secretary Alok Sharma Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Watch Live: Business Secretary Alok Sharma Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing
Business secretary Alok Sharma chairs the daily coronavirus conference from Downing Street. He is expected to answer questions surrounding reopening of non-essential shops from June 15.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Statue Of Slaver Robert Milligan Is Torn Down In East London

“Now more than ever at a time when Black Lives Matter is calling for an end to public monuments honouring slave owners, we advocate for the statue of Robert Milligan to be removed on the grounds of its historical links to colonial violence and exploitation. We are currently working with a consortium to remove this statue and are aware of other legacies and landmarks within the area.”
The museum added: “The Museum of London recognises that the monument is part of the ongoing problematic regime of white-washing history, which disregards the pain of those who are still wrestling with the remnants of the crimes Milligan committed against humanity.
“At the Museum of London we stand against upholding structures that reproduce violence, and have previously engaged in interventions that critically engage with pro-slavery lobbying.
“We are committed to the processes of learning and unlearning as fostered in our ‘London, sugar and slavery’ gallery, which opened in 2007 at the Museum of London Docklands. This gallery tells the history of the transatlantic slave trade and London’s involvement as once the fourth largest slaving port in the world.
“The museum, being another physical manifestation of slavery situated in an old sugar warehouse, constantly challenges the contentious nature of this history.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Hollyoaks Admits It Needs To Do More After Rachel Adedeji Shares Experiences Of Racism At C4 Soap

Last week, the actor – who has played Lisa Loveday on the Channel 4 soap since 2016 – shared her thoughts on the show’s response to Black Lives Matter, after it was announced Hollyoaks was going to be unveiling a new podcast about racial injustice.
My thoughts on the Hollyoaks response to Black Lives Matter pic.twitter.com/jvOxzCQkl0 — Rachel Adedeji (@RachelASongs) June 5, 2020
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She wrote: “I am disappointed with Hollyoaks’ approach to showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement. Did Black Lives Matter when I was told ‘You’re all the same’ by a make-up artist you employed, and remains in employment till this day?
“Did Black Lives Matter when a number of female Black actors were forced to drastically change their hair, because if not, the viewers ‘would not be able to tell them apart’? Do Black Lives Matter when my fellow Black cast mates are deemed angry, aggressive and too vocal?
“Did Black Lives Matter when we were referred to as ‘b******s’ by a senior member of the production team? Do Black Lives really Matter to you if over the last four years at Hollyoaks, I have only worked with ONE Black director?”
Rachel Adedeji at last year's British Soap Awards Karwai Tang via Getty Images
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Rachel added “very little is being done behind the scenes”, and in response Lime Pictures – who produce Hollyoaks – has unveiled plans to tackle the issues raised.
In a statement, they said: “Hollyoaks has been deeply shocked and saddened by issues that have been brought to our attention over the weekend. Lime Pictures strives to have zero tolerance of racism or any form of discrimination across all of its shows but it is clear we have further work to do.
“We must stamp out implicit bias which means calling out racism wherever and whenever we see it. We will continue to add to our action plan as we continue and broaden our dialogue with cast and staff.”
They then outlined their plans, which include everyone employed by Lime Pictures being given training on unconscious bias, while staff, freelancers and cast members from BAME communities will be given mentorship “from Lime’s senior management”.
The cast of Hollyoaks at last year's Inside Soap Awards Mike Marsland via Getty Images
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Bosses have also committed to reviewing their schemes for BAME writers and directors, and have said they are “build[ing] on our work towards making Lime as diverse and inclusive as possible across all aspects of recruitment and talent retention, on and off screen”.
“We are very conscious that we need to do more and are committed to making changes that we need to make,” they added.
“The onus is upon our company collectively and us all as individuals within our community to tackle racism, and it is a responsibility which all of us here at Hollyoaks are taking on fully.”
Read Lime Pictures’ full statement here.
On Saturday, a short post on Hollyoaks’ Twitter account said: “Hollyoaks has zero tolerance on racism. We are taking Rachel Adedeji’s comments extremely seriously and are investigating.”
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Rachel was also applauded for speaking out by her former co-stars Jacqueline Boatswain and Karl Collins, who played her on-screen parents Simone and Louis Loveday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Why Kids Are Angrier Right Now, And What Parents Can Do About It

Dobrila Vignjevic via Getty Images Anger is just one of the not-so-subtle ways your kids are showing their coronavirus anxiety.
There’s no doubt the coronavirus pandemic has impacted our behaviours and mental health in a variety of telling ways. Kids are clearly feeling the stress of the moment; some are becoming clingier and others are regressing in various behaviours, from bed-wetting to sleep struggles. One of the more disturbing and frustrating behavioural changes might also be anger.
Some kids might have been prone to tantrums or other aggressive behaviour pre-lockdown, while others might be experiencing a newfound inability to self-regulate. So what’s “normal” among kids right now?
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“Yes, kids are angry,” said Becky Kennedy, a New York-based clinical psychologist who also has an action-backed Instagram account @drbeckyathome. “They are angry that their worlds have been turned upside down; they are angry that they can’t see their friends and attend real school; they are angry that their parents are around more than ever but are stressed and unavailable most of the time. None of this is a parent’s fault and yet, still, children have the right to be angry about all of these things.”
So how do you go about addressing it, especially when you’re so drained from your working/parenting/teacher/camp counsellor role? Kennedy and two other experts offered HuffPost insights about what’s going on and what you can do about it.
First, Understand It
The experts all reiterated that it’s important to be in touch with both your own and your child’s emotions. As Michelle Borba, an author and educational psychologist based in Palm Springs, California, told the “Today Show” in mid-May, “If you name it, it starts to reduce it.”
Instead of categorising behaviour by what’s “normal” and “abnormal,” focus on the connection with your child and what’s happening at that moment, Kennedy said. The first step to change is awareness, echoed Borba.
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After all, kids are stressed. Before the pandemic, one-third of kids suffered from stress. As Borba told HuffPost, “A crisis never improves mental health.”
Underneath the anger is usually a slew of emotions, in particular worry, hurt, fear, sadness, loss and confusion. “What’s critical to helping anyone with anger is separating angry behaviour or remarks from the underlying feelings. This, over time, helps a child differentiate feelings from behaviour and helps a child learn to pause in reaction to one of these more vulnerable feelings rather than immediately convert the energy of the feeling into anger that explodes out of us,” Kennedy said.
What To Say and Do
The good news is that we can help our children unwind their anger and understand it. While you can help your child mid-outburst, better emotion regulation skills are built while they’re not under stress, so try post-freakout.
If you’re still quarantining, Kennedy suggested creating lists with your family of “Things That Have Changed” (inability to see friends, no school, etc.) and “Things That Have Stayed The Same” (breakfast is always served at 7 a.m., for instance). Respond to your kid’s lists by explaining the emotion behind what they take note of. Say, “Yea, it makes sense you’re sad, you love your friends and can’t see them,” or “I know you want to see Mommy more than you do. I am home but I am also working and that must be so frustrating to you. I know you wish I could be with you all the time; it’s true, I can’t, but I do understand that and you’re allowed to be mad about it.”
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And if you have to deal with an explosive moment? It’s important to label the angry behaviour, use your words to limit it, and then turn your focus to the underlying feelings, Kennedy said. As you do this, you’re showing your kid that it’s possible to separate feelings and behaviour, which is what regulation is all about.
A possible script from Kennedy:
“‘I will not let you call me names. We care deeply about everyone’s wellness in our family, and name-calling is hurtful to others.’ Say this firmly but not scarily. Then take a deep breath and shift your tone to something warmer and slower. ‘Having said that, you must be really upset about lots of things to be reacting to me that way. And I care deeply about the things you’re upset about, want to know more about them, and want to understand them with you.’ You may also have to say, ‘I won’t continue to tolerate your screaming at me. I will allow all the anger, but we have to figure out another way. You can scream these words outside or you can write them down and I’ll read it later or you can show me how big the feelings are with your arms or by stomping it out.’”
One of the key components of responding well is how you look at your child while you say this. “Try to gaze at your child like he is a good kid having a hard time, not a bad kid doing bad things,” Kennedy said. “Kids will take in this look before any of your words, and kids respond to the version of themselves we reflect.”
Then, post-freak out, take time to reflect. After all, everyone ― kids and parents alike ― has bad days. Take breaths. If you lose it at your kids, you’re human. If you can, find a calm moment and simply reiterate to your child that ― no matter the words that are said and the feelings that are felt ― you love them and nothing could change that.
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Things to consider
Both Borba and Alexandra Hamlet, a New York-based clinical psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute, reiterated the importance of behaviour change ― both during uncertain times like the one we’re in and always ― as a sign that bigger issues could be at play.
You know your child and your child’s behavioural patterns best, so look for obvious shifts. Consider three factors in particular when figuring out what’s new and possibly coronavirus-related and what’s not, including the frequency, intensity and duration of the outbursts.
“It’s just thinking about the level at which the intensity, the duration, and the frequency of the behaviour that gets in the way of living, of functioning, and functioning in a way that you as a human, or as an individual really values,” Hamlet said.
Borba suggested using the “too index” to help you determine what’s what. Is your child too different from his or her typical self? Did tantrums previously last two minutes and now they last 30 minutes? Was your kid previously just irritable and now he or she is full of rage? You’ve tried too many things to help and nothing works and it’s lasted every day for two weeks?
“Any one issue can be an indicator that you need to get help,” Borba said. Be mindful of changes that happen in your child as things start opening up. If the behaviour is continuing then it could be time to get some help.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Met Police Accused Of Racial Profiling After Handcuffing Black Men But Not White Friend

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Metropolitan Police officers have been accused of racial profiling after a video emerged of two Black men receiving harsher treatment during a routine stop and search than their white companion.
The video shows four police officers conducting a stop and search on a group of three young men, having pulled them out of a queue outside a Tesco store in Enfield, north London.
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The two Black members of the group were handcuffed during the search, but the third member of the group, who is white, was not.
One of the handcuffed men complains in the video: “[I’m] just lining up and they’re coming after me.” In the background, a woman can be heard saying, in reference to the third man: “How come this guy is not in handcuffs? He’s white.”
Simeon Collins, who recorded the incident, claims the young men were stopped for no obvious reason.
“There was nothing obviously suspicious, but the way police were following them didn’t feel right,” he said. “It was aggressive. As soon as they joined the queue waiting to get into Tesco, they were pulled out and handcuffed.
“I think it was racial profiling and stereotyping, because of the way they were dressed. They handcuffed everyone but the white guy. Even down to the officer sniffing the Black boy’s water bottle – it was degrading.”
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Collins was reminded of his own experiences with stop and search. “I’m in my 30s now and I remember it was quite normal for me to be searched. I found it embarrassing, and it shouldn’t be normal for Black boys to still go through this today,” he said.
A Met police statement said the force is looking into the incident. Simeon Collins
Occurring five days after the killing of George Floyd in the United States, the incident is being regarded as an example of the relevance of the Black Lives Matter movement to the British criminal justice system.
Aliyah Hasinah, a Black Lives Matter UK activist, said: “We know that Black boys in the UK are much more likely than their white counterparts to be stopped and searched by the police. We know the Met has been described as institutionally racist.
“We know from that absolutely appalling video from Enfield that three boys got searched and the two who were handcuffed just happened to be Black. This was not a coincidence. It’s very plain to see.”
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Kate Osamor, a local MP, said the video has raised tensions in her constituency of Edmonton, which is one of the most diverse in the country.
“Many constituents have contacted me, raising concerns that this video is an example of systemic racism in the police playing out in real-time,” said Osamor. “They are angry and upset and I share their concerns.”
In a statement, the Met police acknowledged “a video on social media showing the stop and search of three males by officers near Tesco in Southbury Road, Enfield on May 30. Following concerns received about the video we are looking into the circumstances, including speaking to the officers involved, to obtain a full picture of events.”
It said that “during the stop, two of the males were handcuffed while one was not,” adding “they were all let go with no further action following the conclusion of the searches.”
A 2018 report into stop and search by the Independent Office for Police Conduct warned officers against the automatic use of handcuffs during stop and search, stating: “An must assess whether it is lawful, necessary and proportionate to apply handcuffs, rather than just convenient, easier or ‘normal practice’.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Boris Johnson Told 'Lead By Example' As 52% Of Ministerial Cars Are 'Gas Guzzlers'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gets in a car as he leaves 10 Downing Street in London. ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Boris Johnson has been told to “clean up” the government’s fleet of ministerial cars after it was revealed 52% are still petrol or diesel cars.
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The prime minister vowed to end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035 as part of a major speech in February on reaching net zero carbon emissions.
But a Freedom of Information (FOI) request has revealed the government car service - the fleet of vehicles which transport ministers and senior officials - is made up of 52% of petrol and diesel models.
The fleet is made up of around 90 cars, which means that only around 43 are electric or hybrid vehicles.
The prime minister, who has committed to moving the service towards an electric fleet of vehicles by 2030, now faces calls to speed up the replacement of “gas guzzlers” to by 2025.
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Friends of the Earth call on Johnson to “lead by example”.
Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who passed the Department for Transport FOI response to HuffPost UK, said: “If the government introduces a car scrappage scheme, they should start with their own fleet.
PA
“It can’t be right that polluting vehicles are still being used to ferry around ministers and senior civil servants to their meetings,” Moran said.
“The target to move towards a completely electric and hybrid fleet of government cars should be brought forward to 2025 at the earliest.
“This needs to be part of a broader plan to get drivers to ditch diesel and petrol and embrace electric, starting by reversing years of cuts to subsidies for electric cars.”
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HuffPost UK has contacted the government for comment.
When announcing plans to ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars - generally rather than among the government service - by 2035 in February, Johnson said “there can be no greater responsibility than protecting our planet”, adding that “2020 must be the year we turn the tide on global warming”.
Jenny Bates, campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “Getting dirty vehicles off our roads is a key part of cleaning up the air we breathe and cutting climate-wrecking transport emissions.
“It can’t be right that polluting vehicles are still being used to ferry around ministers and senior civil servants to their meetings.” - Layla Moran
“Ministers must lead by example and clean up their vehicle fleet. But clean transport is not simply a case of swapping one type of car for another, so it’s time the government takes stock of how many vehicles it actually needs out on the roads, especially as we look to a green recovery from the dreadful coronavirus pandemic.
“This means making more work journeys public transport or bicycle, or using technology such as video-conferencing to cut journeys altogether.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--'It Feels Good To Have Closure': Munroe Bergdorf Working With L'Oreal Again After Apology

David M. Benett via Getty Images Munroe Bergdorf
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Munroe Bergdorf is working with L’Oreal Paris again, almost three years after she was sacked by the makeup giant for a Facebook post about racism.
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The cosmetics company cut ties with the transgender model over her comments about “the racial violence of white people”, saying they were “at odds” with the brand’s values of “diversity and tolerance towards all people irrespective of their race, background, gender and religion”.
The company recently came under fire when it made a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, with Bergdorf tweeting: “Excuse my language but I am SO angry. F*** YOU @lorealparis.
“You dropped me from a campaign in 2017 and threw me to the wolves for speaking out about racism and white supremacy. With no duty of care, without a second thought.
“I said yesterday that it would only be a matter of time before RACIST AF brands saw a window of PR Opportunity. F*** you. F*** your ‘solidarity’. Where was my support when I spoke out? I’m disgusted and writing this in floods of tears. If you care about me or #blacklivesmatter, don’t let @lorealparis get away with this.”
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Bergdorf said the brand’s new president, Delphine Viguier, had apologised to her for the way the situation was handled and invited her to sit on the company’s UK Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Board.
In a post on Instagram, Bergdorf wrote: “As an activist, part of my work is to encourage big businesses to understand their responsibility with regards to diversity and inclusion.
“It’s imperative that in all industries, a wide range of people from different backgrounds and experiences are in the room at all levels and in decision making roles, to reduce oversight and to create a product that is built with all people in mind.”
She added: “I believe in accountability and progress, not cancellation and grudges. While what happened three years ago was extremely traumatic for me personally and professionally, sitting on a board to provide a voice and a champion for black, trans and queer voices in the beauty industry is important for me.”
“It feels good to finally have closure on this matter and I look forward to new beginnings with the L’Oreal team.”
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I have spoken with @loreal, please swipe for full statement.
Thank you everyone for having my back with this matter over the past three years, it hasn't been easy.
Looking forward to new beginnings and a new positive relationship with the L'Oreal team.
Munroe x pic.twitter.com/DxltLF8Z7j — Black Lives Matter ✊🏾 (@MunroeBergdorf) June 9, 2020
A statement by Viguier, shared on the L’Oreal Paris Instagram page, said: “I had an honest, transparent and vulnerable conversation with Munroe Bergdorf. We listened to each other and shared our feelings and perspectives on the situation with open hearts and minds. It was a powerful moment of human connection.
“Here is what I heard from her: 3 years ago, Munroe felt silenced by a brand, L’Oreal Paris, that had the power to amplify her voice.
“While we both agree today that negative labels should not be used to define all individuals in any group, I understand much better the pain and trauma that were behind Munroe’s words back then and the urgency she felt to speak in defence of the Black community against systemic racism. I regret the lack of dialogue and support the company showed Munroe around the time of the termination. We should have also done more to create a conversation for change as we are now doing.
“We support Munroe’s fight against systemic racism and as a company we are committed to work to dismantle such systems.”
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As well as forming the advisory board, she said the company will also honour Bergdorf’s advocacy for the trans and Black communities by donating to causes that support social justice and are personal to her experience, adding: “Speaking out is worth it, only if we are able to listen, learn and grow.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Donald Trump Floats Conspiracy That 75-Year-Old Protester Pushed By Police Was 'A Set Up'

US President Donald Trump dangerously suggested with no evidence whatsoever that a 75-year-old protester shoved by police in Buffalo, New York , last week could be “a set up” by “an Antifa provocateur.”
“Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment,” the president tweeted Tuesday morning. “I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--UK Records 286 More Coronavirus-Related Deaths In 24 Hours

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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 40,883 – an increase of 286 over 24 hours.
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Since the end of April, the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Monday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals across the UK, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 145 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 129 hospital patients in England, seven people in Scotland and nine hospital patients and care home residents in Wales. Northern Ireland reported no new deaths for the third day in a row.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--This Is How To Look After Your Skin When Wearing A Face Mask

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Face covers are now a wardrobe staple, as we’re required to wear them on public transport, in shops, and in many indoor spaces where we’re unable to socially distance.
One consequence of wearing a face cover is that they can irritate the skin. So how can you avoid that?
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What you can do depends on the type of mask you’re wearing. Most people will be wearing cloth face covers rather than the PPE (personal protective equipment) used by healthcare workers. “Cloth-based masks should not have much impact on the skin,” says Dr Adil Sheraz, a consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson.
However if more heavy-duty masks are used – such as N95 or FFP3 – then this has been linked to different issues such as acne, rosacea flare-ups, allergic dermatitis, itchiness, ulceration and pigmentation of the skin, he adds.
The risk of what some have dubbed ‘maskne’ (mask-induced acne) is greater because such masks are tight-fitting and can, in turn, lead to blocked follicular openings and outbreaks of spots and acne. “The increased sweating doesn’t help either,” says Dr Sheraz.
Rosacea flare-ups can be triggered from the heat of wearing a mask, as it increases blood circulation in the surrounding skin. And the constant friction of the mask against the face can result in itching and redness.
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Those wearing PPE for extended periods of time might also experience skin chaffing, redness and even ulcers. Professor Karen Ousey, director of the Institute of Skin Integrity at the University of Huddersfield, said mask wearing among health workers can cause tears to the skin, which can lead to infection.
A study of medical staff treating Covid-19-infected patients found 42.8% experienced serious skin injury related to the use of PPE.
What can you do about it?
For those wearing heavy-duty masks, it’s best to only wear them for two hours at a time, allowing the skin to rest in between. For healthcare workers, ideally this would mean coming away from a patient, relieving the pressure from the mask in a safe place and cleaning the skin again.
“Make sure the skin is well hydrated,” adds Dr Sheraz. “Drink lots of water throughout the day and apply a layer of moisturiser, ideally water-based, at least 30 minutes before putting the mask on.”
Even for those wearing cloth or disposable surgical masks, the key is to wear them when you need to – in circumstances where it’s hard to properly socially distance – and then give your skin a break.
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Dressings under the mask, such as plasters, should ideally be avoided, he adds, as they may affect the seal between the mask and face. This is crucial as studies have shown properly fitted masks are key to keeping safe. If a dressing needs to be used, it should be as thin as possible and ideally silicone based.
If your mask is causing pigmentation – where the skin darkens in areas where the mask rubs – Dr Sheraz says it will generally settle itself after a few months.
“Keeping the mask on for as short a period as possible with regular breaks and making sure it fits correctly so there isn’t much friction will reduce the risk of developing post inflammatory pigmentation,” he says. “Regular emollient use will help clear pigmentation quicker if it does develop. There are also pigment-reducing creams available, however they can be an irritant so should be used under guidance.”
What about wearing makeup under masks? A thin layer shouldn’t make much of a difference, says Dr Sheraz, although a thick layer of foundation may result in increased acne breakouts when wearing a tight-fitting mask.
It’s important to wash your mask after every use (or dispose of it, if it’s a surgical mask). Not only for safety reasons, but also to keep your skin healthy and clean.
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If you find your mask is causing you to break out, there are some treatments you can use. With acne, for example, salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is fine, says Dr Sheraz. However, it’s worth noting that overuse will irritate the skin and the masks may, then, cause more issues on the now sensitive skin, he adds.
If your skin is dry as a result of mask-wearing, apply a thin, water-based moisturiser to the area.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Defund The Police: What It Means And How It Could Work

Across the United States, protests demanding an end to police brutality and systemic racism have featured a common rallying cry: “Defund the police.”
It is an argument that activists have been making for years, but it has gained new momentum following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, and in response to the violent tactics that police forces have used against protesters in cities across the country.
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Now, the idea is being considered by the leaders of major US cities, including New York and Los Angeles, and it has become an issue in the US presidential race.
What does it mean to ‘defund the police’?
Proponents of the idea argue that racism is a structural feature of America’s police forces, and that the huge amount of money spent on police each year should instead be diverted to areas like education, public health and social services, which have been chronically underfunded.
“It is important to remember that modern-day policing has its roots in slave catching. These systems were created to hunt, maim and kill Black people,” Kailee Scales, managing director of the Black Lives Matter Global Network, told HuffPost.
“As we have seen in the example of George and many others in this month alone, the police are a force of violence that profiles, harasses and inflicts harm on Black communities without accountability – and with far too many resources.”
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The amount of money spent on police is striking. Collectively, the United States spends $100bn every year on policing, or $1tn in the past decade.
By contrast, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s annual budget for dealing with infectious diseases is just $2.55bn.
The average state spending on higher education rose less than 6% between 1986 and 2013, while the average spending on policing increased by 141%, according to a 2018 analysis.
Although budgets for policing exist on the federal and state levels, the majority of funds spent on policing come from US local authorities, through tax revenue.
Mayors and city councils draft and approve local budgets that determine police funding, giving local lawmakers the authority to cut funding for police and spend it on other public services instead.
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Councillors and candidates have typically shied away from the topic of defunding the police, for fear of being labelled as soft on law and order. However, a local Washington, DC election recently proved that candidates who want to defund the police can win city council posts that give them direct power over police funding.
“We need and demand deep investment in education, employment programmes, and real, meaningful and equitable universal healthcare,” Scales said. “We need to divest from police in public schools and invest in more teachers and counsellors. We need to divest from the criminalisation of mental health and provide mental health and restorative services.”
A protester in Brooklyn, New York holds a "Defund the Police" sign at a protest march on June 2, 2020, demanding justice for George Floyd. Erik McGregor via Getty Images
What about other police reforms?
In the wake of George Floyd’s killing, lawmakers around the US have moved to initiate a number of police reforms, such as banning the use of chokeholds and neck restraints.
On Monday, Democrats in Congress introduced legislation aimed at addressing police misconduct, which offers incentives for racial bias training and places restrictions on the transfer of military-grade equipment to state and local police forces.
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Activists have argued that such changes aren’t enough, however. Miski Noor, a member of the Minneapolis-based Black Visions Collective, said the idea of defunding the police gained traction after earlier reforms, including training on de-escalating confrontations and recognising implicit racial biases, failed to produce structural change.
This week, a veto-proof majority of the Minneapolis City Council announced that it would dismantle the city’s police department.
“Decades of police reform efforts have proved that the Minneapolis Police Department cannot be reformed and will never be accountable for its action,” the city council said jointly at a rally on Sunday. “We are here today to begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department and creating a new transformative model for cultivating safety in our city.”
Other cities are following suit. In Los Angeles, city officials have proposed cutting up to $150m from the police department’s $3bn budget, as part of a broader wave of spending cuts. Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat, said the goal was to free up money “so we can invest in jobs, in health, in education and in healing”.
In New York, city council members pushed back against Democratic mayor Bill de Blasio’s plans to cut the police budget by less than 1% while slashing youth services by a third. Council members instead proposed a 5% to 7% cut for all agencies, including police.
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One city official, Scott Stringer, has proposed a more sweeping overhaul, saying the city could save more than $1bn over four years by reducing the number of police officers and cutting overtime. He proposed the savings be put towards “social workers, counsellors, community-based violence interrupters and other trained professionals”.
What would police cuts do to crime levels?
Critics argue that defunding the police could lead to a rise in crime. “There will be a backlash as you see crime go up,” Houston police chief Art Acevedo, who also serves as president of the Major Cities Chiefs Association, told the Reuters news agency.
That’s hardly a given, however. Indeed, over-policing does not actually keep communities safe, Saye Joseph, policy and advocacy manager at Black Youth Project 100, told HuffPost.
“Police, in all forms, have been a way to keep property safe, and keep a subsection of society safe, but it hasn’t kept all communities safe and healthy,” Joseph said. “We have to break that notion apart that police equals safety.”
Moreover, police have taken on responsibilities that go far beyond crime prevention, which would be better handled by trained social service providers, reformers argue.
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“We over-rely on police to handle a range of social problems that they are simply incapable of addressing,” Seth Stoughton, a former police officer and current associate law professor at the University of South Carolina, said.
“They don’t have the expertise, the training, the equipment, the organisational capacity to deal effectively with mental illness or poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, school discipline – a whole range of things that we socially have made police issues.”
The current protests also highlight the fact that, far from fulfilling their sworn duty to protect the public, police officers often represent a threat to the lives of American citizens.
What do politicians say?
US politicians are coming under increasing pressure to address the issue of defunding the police.
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey was booed at a protest on Saturday after he refused to commit to defunding the city’s police department. Demonstrators chanted: “Go home, Jacob. Go home!”
The idea has even become an issue in the presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
Biden met the family of George Floyd this week, and he has been sharply critical of Trump for stoking racial divisions and encouraging police violence against protesters.
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But he said this week that, while he acknowledges the need to address racial injustice, and supports police reform efforts, he was not in favour of defunding the police.
“No, I don’t support defunding the police,” Biden said in an interview on Monday. “I support conditioning federal aid to police based on whether or not they meet certain basic standards of decency and honourableness.”
Trump, by contrast, has sought to portray himself as a law-and-order president who will protect the country from violent extremists.
On Monday, the president met law enforcement officials at the White House and praised them as “great, great people”.
“There won’t be defunding,” Trump said. “There won’t be dismantling of our police. There’s not going to be any disbanding of our police.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Boris Johnson Dumps Plan For All Primary School Pupils To Return Before Summer

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Boris Johnson has ditched his plan for all English primary pupils to go back to school before the summer, the government has confirmed.
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The prime minister announced last month his “ambition” for every year group to return for at least four weeks of classroom teaching by June 21.
But education secretary Gavin Williamson told MPs on Tuesday that school sizes had posed practical difficulties in meeting the requirements to restrict classes to bubbles of around 15 pupils.
And he also refused to promise that all secondary and primary pupils would return by September.
Primary headteachers will instead be given “flexibility” to bring “the maximum amount of pupils” back to school and to decide for themselves how quickly to admit more year groups in coming weeks.
“I know that schools need time to put in place the strict protective measures we have asked,” Williamson said.
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“This cautious, phased return is the most sensible course of action to take. While we are not able to welcome all primary children back for a full month before the summer, we continue to working with the sector on the next steps.
“We would like to see schools who have the capacity to bring back more children in those smaller class sizes to do so, if they are able to before the summer holidays.”
Challenged on the problems many working parents will have with childcare, he floated the idea of a “priority list” of pupils who could be admitted by schools.
“We are working to devise a priority list so that schools are able to, where they do have extra capacity, to be able to welcome more children back into those schools so that they are able to support their learning, but also their communities and including their parents who of course do need to be going out to work as well.”
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Williamson confirmed the target had been dumped as the Department for Education (DfE) revealed that as of last week just a quarter of pupils eligible to return had done so.
Some 11% of pupils attended school, around one in four of the 42% who make up reception, Year 1 and 6.
In some cases, as with schools in the north west, some head teachers didn’t expand opening, but in other cases it appears parents kept their children home.
Williamson did say that numbers had improved since last week, with 70% of primary schools who responded to DfE saying they had opened their doors to more children, up from 52% last Thursday.
The number of children attending pre-school nursery is estimated to have more than doubled from 88,000 on May 21 to 166,000 children on June 4, days after the June 1 reopening date set by the government.
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Williamson said the figures showed that parents were increasingly reassured about sending their children back to school in safe conditions, saying it was “encouraging” to see so many pupils in the classroom again.
Under government plans, secondary schools will open from next week for Years 10 and 12, the years before GSCE and A-levels.
But Williamson left open the prospect that some pupils may not be back even after the summer break. “We will be working to bring all children back to school in September,” he said.
He dismissed calls to extend free school meal vouchers over the summer. “In terms of free school meals, we have never traditionally provided free school meals all through the summer. But what the DWP has been doing is putting an extra £6.5bn to support those families who are most vulnerable”
The education secretary said that a ‘catch-up’ programme of support would be needed over the coming year.
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“In terms of catch-up, this isn’t about something that is just over a few weeks. This has got to be an approach over a full year and more. That is what we are putting in place. That is how we are going to be supporting children into the long term.”
Teaching unions said they felt vindicated by the decision to ditch the move to reopening schools to all years before the summer
National Education Union joint general secretary Mary Bousted said: “Given the scale of the pandemic, schools were never going to be able to accommodate all their students with the current Government guidelines.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Banksy Has His Say On How To Replace Edward Colston Statue In Bristol

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Bristol artist Bansky has posted a picture suggesting what could happen to the empty plinth in the city which had housed the statue of slave trader Edward Colston.
He wrote on Instagram: “Here’s an idea that caters for both those who miss the Colston statue and those who don’t.
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“We drag him out the water, put him back on the plinth, tie cable round his neck and commission some life size bronze statues of protestors in the act of pulling him down. Everyone happy. A famous day commemorated.”
It comes days after a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Bristol saw protesters topple the statue of Colston before dragging and rolling the bronze monument into the harbour.
Police have launched an investigation into the incident.
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For many, the sight of his statue dropping to the bottom of the River Avon, at the exact spot his ships would have once left for West Africa, was a fitting end to more than a century of his presence in the city centre.
Throughout that time he was responsible for the transportation of some 84,500 enslaved men, women and children. Almost 20,000 of them did not survive the journey, and were thrown overboard.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Sitting In Limbo: BBC's Windrush Scandal Drama Praised As 'Powerful' And 'Important' Watch

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Sitting In Limbo has been widely praised for telling the important and heartbreaking story of one man’s experience during the Windrush immigration scandal.
The BBC drama aired on Monday night and was written by Stephen S Thompson, whose brother Anthony Bryan was wrongfully detained by the Home Office and threatened with deportation.
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Like thousands of other British Caribbeans, Anthony arrived in the UK as a child with his mother following the post-war call for workers in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Windrush scandal exposed that the government’s “hostile environment” policies had wrongly classed some British Caribbeans who had been in the country for decades as illegal immigrants, who were denied healthcare and benefits, and in some cases, were detained or deported.
In Sitting In Limbo, viewers saw the devastating impact this had on the lives of Anthony – played by Patrick Robinson – and his family, and their fight to keep him in the country.
BBC/Left Bank Pictures/Des Willie
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The drama was met with a huge reaction online, trending at number one on Twitter in the UK on Monday night, with viewers and commentators highlighting how important it was to tell this story.
We know the story and this is still so f**king heartbreaking to watch 😥 #SittingInLimbo — Ian Wright (@IanWright0) June 8, 2020
Imagine you’ve convinced yourself the UK isn’t racist only for the BBC to air a program saying otherwise. The timing of #SittingInLimbo is spectacular 🤝😂 — KM (@KurtisMpundu) June 8, 2020
Fully recommend watching Sitting in Limbo on BBC iPlayer, important watch. — Delphinium (@CtrlAltDelphine) June 9, 2020
Gut wrenching, emotional yet sadly true #SittingInLimbo is a must watch. So proud of the whole creative that made his masterpiece happen. https://t.co/nayz6pDbZS — June Sarpong OBE (@junesarpong) June 8, 2020
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Unbelievable. Powerful. Moving.
EVERYONE should go out their way to watch Sitting In Limbo on iPlayer.
Those in power should be ashamed. People are not statistics
The timing of this couldn’t be more perfect. #SittingInLimbo #Windrush #BlackLivesMatterUK — Andy Quildan (@AQuildan) June 8, 2020
#SittingInLimbo is more proof that Great Britain is institutionally racist. The Govt is its Chief Perpetrator
FURIOUS at the injustice of #windrushscandal & dehumanisation of Anthony Bryan & others. Yet this isn't the worst of it
This. Is. A. National Disgrace.#BlackLivesMatter — Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu (@SholaMos1) June 8, 2020
When you watch #SittingInLimbo and read and watch the real Anthony Bryan and discover just a handful of hundreds of Windrush scandal victims have yet had any compensation you might think about where else the thuggery is and where justice needs to be done. — Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) June 8, 2020
Sitting In Limbo is like some fucked up Orwellian nightmare. Except it’s worse than that, because it’s reality.
In light of the current climate, it’s timing is impeccable.
We must expose the depths of systemic racism if we want to move forward. 👊#SittingInLimbo — Will (@PixelatedPike) June 8, 2020
Very hard-hitting, very timely, very important viewing. Being from Caribbean heritage it is hard to watch this without feeling devastated. "I feel I have to beg to stay in my country", what a poignant line. https://t.co/CxumL6FJm8 — Louie Harding (@LouieHarding123) June 9, 2020
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Me with Anthony Bryan and other Windrush scandal victims the day the Review and compensation scheme was announced. We must never forget their story and never stop fighting for justice #blacklivesmatter #SittingInLimbo pic.twitter.com/0p1GtHa0eD — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 8, 2020
Wow. Sitting in Limbo was one powerful piece of television tonight. — Russ Weaver (@russweaver27) June 8, 2020
It was one of the most important and necessary TV dramas in recent years, but only 2.4m people watched. Word of mouth should really help increase the visibility of this drama as it wasn’t that well promoted. #SittingInLimbo https://t.co/DE1b0WIL2M — Elliot Gonzalez (@elliot_gonzalez) June 9, 2020
Sitting in Limbo: https://t.co/IEPhYW5o3C
A difficult but essential watch, esp if you struggle to engage with stats & news reports.
The Windrush scandal is (not was) outrageous & we need to demand our MPs take action.
Watch this. Write to your MP. Demand change. #BlackLivesMatter — Emma Lamond (@emmalamond23) June 8, 2020
Scandal is not a strong enough word for what this country did to the Windrush generation. It’s utterly shameful. A national disgrace. #SittingInLimbo — Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) June 8, 2020
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Thompson previously told how he hoped viewers would take away “the fact that this is an authentic slice of the Black British experience in the early part of the 21st century”.
He added: “The Windrush scandal has affected my perception on Black British identity quite fundamentally. For the first time in my life I had to question whether I’m British or not. It doesn’t get more fundamental than that and it’s because of what has happened to my brother. I’m still dealing with that.”
A pre-credits sequence revealed that Anthony has only received an offer of compensation for just one part of his application to the Windrush Compensation Scheme, for unlawful detention.
In May, the Home Office revealed that there had been 1,275 applications to the scheme, but only 60 had received any compensation.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-09--Coronavirus Test And Trace Scheme 'Not Fit' To Help UK Out Of Lockdown, Say Scientists

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The UK’s Test and Trace system is “not fit for purpose”, scientists critical of the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic have said.
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The group of 12 experts – led by former government chief scientific adviser Sir David King – has urged ministers to overhaul the system designed to help the UK out of the coronavirus lockdown.
King said this is the “critical moment for the government to act now or risk further spikes” and the group believe a tracing and isolating system led by local health bodies would be more effective.
The scientists say that Covid-19 will only be contained if 80% of the contacts of infected people are traced and contacted, but they think this is “impossible” under the current centralised system using 25,000 contact tracers.
In their report into Test and Trace, released today, the experts say the approach is “severely constrained by lack of co-ordination, lack of trust, lack of evidence of utility”. They believe the location – and isolation for 14 days – of contacts “is clearly not happening”.
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The group, known as Independent Sage, was set up after the official Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) faced criticism over not being transparent.
King added: “The government has placed huge emphasis on their test, track and trace system in recent weeks, even labelling it ‘world beating’.
“It is clear from our research that this simply isn’t the case. Indeed, the system as it stands is not fit for purpose.”
He continued: “We are calling on the government to urgently rethink their course to ensure that we have a system in place that will help and not hinder the country’s recovery.”
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Tony Prestedge, one of NHS Test and Trace’s senior executives, was reported by The Guardian last week to have said the scheme will not be “world class” until at least September.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Gone With The Wind Temporarily Pulled From HBO Max Due To Racist Depictions

Gone With The Wind has been temporarily pulled from the new streaming service HBO Max due to its racist depictions.
The film’s removal comes after Oscar-winning filmmaker John Ridley called for the movie to be taken off the platform.
The 12 Years A Slave screenwriter wrote in The Los Angeles Times that the film, “when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of colour”.
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He said the film “continues to give cover to those who falsely claim that clinging to the iconography of the plantation era is a matter of ‘heritage, not hate’”.
Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel in Gone With The Wind Selznick/Mgm/Kobal/Shutterstock
The 1939 film has long been considered racist because a lot of it takes place on a plantation and paints a glorified picture of slavery.
HBO Max has now confirmed that the film has been taken down, just two weeks after the streaming platform’s US launch – but will eventually return accompanied by a “discussion of its historical context” and a “denouncement of its racist depictions”.
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An HBO Max spokesperson says "Gone With the Wind" will eventually return, but it will feature a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of its racist depictions https://t.co/V2pWZfH3Q7 — Variety (@Variety) June 10, 2020
A spokesperson for the service told Variety: “Gone With The Wind is a product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society.
“These racist depictions were wrong then and are wrong today, and we felt that to keep this title up without an explanation and a denouncement of those depictions would be irresponsible.
“When we return the film to HBO Max, it will return with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions, but will be presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed.”
They added: “If we are to create a more just, equitable and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”
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On social media, the move was met with a mixed reaction. Some were happy that a film with unchallenged racial stereotypes was being taken down, albeit not permanently.
Others pointed out that Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar-winning performance was an important moment in Black history, and said films like Gone With The Wind could be helpful in showing changing attitudes towards race.
Award-winning actor Jeffrey Wright said: “Not for nothing but I like to watch movies like Gone With The Wind to rememberer how stupid their politics were/are.”
Not for nothing but I like to watch movies like 'Gone with the Wind' to rememberer how stupid their politics were/are. — Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) June 10, 2020
So we can’t acknowledge the triumph that is Hattie McDaniel now? Gone with the Wind is still a part of our history. We cannot erase what was, but viewing a film like this with OPEN eyes- we can certainly learn and help change future story telling. https://t.co/k9dSZDPIQI — Ariana DeBose (@ArianaDeBose) June 10, 2020
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BBC News - Gone with the Wind removed from HBO Max https://t.co/PibGoc8Cfq A case of throwing the baby out with the bath water? Maybe let's start with fixing what's currently wrong with the system. — Mel Nwanguma (@omelihu) June 10, 2020
Instead of @hbomax pulling 'Gone With The Wind' from their platform, I would much prefer that they display a disclaimer similar to the one that Warner Bros uses.
We shouldn't look away from history, no matter how shameful. We bear witness, we call it out, and we learn from it. https://t.co/kVD1ff6fCm — diggableme ツ (@diggableme) June 10, 2020
If @hbomax really wants to do something about Gone With the Wind, they should take a look at @gmgeiko's script Selznick's Folly, a Hattie McDaniel biopic centered on the making of the film. (She's also an alumna of the @WomenInFilm/@theblcklst Episodic lab for a different script) — Franklin Leonard (@franklinleonard) June 10, 2020
White people are showing their asses when they invoke Hattie McDaniel’s Oscar win as a reason to keep around Gone with the Wind. Black people have a complicated relationship with a Hollywood and America that forced black actors into demeaning roles. — Stephen Robinson (@SER1897) June 10, 2020
The Oscar itself has a racist history. There are certain films it would honor and certain roles by minorities they would honor.
Denzel Washington’s work in Malcolm X or Mo’ Betta Blues is not less than his Oscar winning work in Glory or Training Day. — Stephen Robinson (@SER1897) June 10, 2020
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My only opinion on Gone with the Wind right now is I find it hilarious so many racists are pretending they want it on HBO Max because it made Hattie McDaniel the first black person to win an Oscar — Ira Madison III (@ira) June 10, 2020
For those who are citing Hattie McDaniel's win for Gone With The Wind, please also share she wasn't allowed to sit at table with her film's white colleagues and fellow nominees. They put her at a small, isolated table far away. — Wajahat "Social Distance Yourself" Ali (@WajahatAli) June 10, 2020
You don’t give a shit about Hattie McDaniel so don’t use her legacy to spew propaganda about gone with the wind this wasn’t the only movie she was in 😒
She later in life tried to shed the “mammy” image which won her the Oscar in the first place so please stop ✋🏾 https://t.co/qSSas1XHI1 — Reggie 🌸 (@rreggiehart) June 10, 2020
Gone With The Wind won eight Oscars following its release, including one for Hattie McDaniel, who was the first Black actress or actor to ever win an Academy Award.
However, the actor was forbidden from sitting with her white co-stars during the Oscars ceremony, and was similarly not allowed to attend an after-party with her fellow stars.
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Hattie McDaniel posing with her Academy Award Bettmann via Getty Images


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Keir Starmer Tells Boris Johnson There's No Pride In 40,000 Coronavirus Deaths

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

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Boris Johnson has warned pubs and beer gardens will not be reopened yet as “roiling” punters risk further spread of coronavirus.
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Speaking in the Commons, the prime minister rubbished reports in recent days that pubs might open their doors sooner than the July 4 target date set out in the government lockdown roadmap.
He told MPs: “What we don’t want to see is a roiling, Bacchanalian mass of people that can spread the disease.”
It comes after Tory MP for Waveney Peter Aldous had pressed Johnson to allow beer gardens, following news that zoos, outdoor cinemas and safari parks will be allowed to open from June 15.
Johnson said the government wanted to “reopen hospitality as quickly as we can” but poured cold water on beer garden hopes.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during Prime Minister's Questions in the House of Commons ASSOCIATED PRESS
He said: “The house will remember that according to the roadmap we were going to reopen outdoor hospitality no earlier than July 4 – that is still the plan.
“We are sticking to our plan.”
The PM said new guidance was being developed for landlords, but added: “It is very important that people understand the continuing risks that this country faces.”
Aldous had asked the PM to consider allowing beer gardens to reopen from June 15, adding “the feedback I’m receiving is that many pubs are now facing the unpalatable and unwanted prospect of having to make staff redundant”.
It comes after the PM was reportedly told the country faced 3.2m job losses in the hospitality sector should lockdown continue throughout the summer.
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Johnson is also under increasing pressure to cut the two-metre social distancing rule to one metre – the space recommended by the World Health Organisation and followed by some other European countries.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Poorer Pupils Taking Exams Face ‘Tsunami’ Of Anxiety And Inequality, MPs Told

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Disadvantaged pupils taking exams next year face a “tsunami” of anxiety and inequality unless urgent action is taken to provide summer schools or other support, MPs have been told.
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Lee Elliot Major, professor of social mobility at the University of Exeter, told the Commons education select committee that the “Covid generation” of pupils could miss out on jobs, apprenticeships or university places without adequate catch-up provision.
His remarks came before Boris Johnson later announced there would be a “big summer of catch-up” for pupils held back by the lack of classroom time.
The committee also heard that both white working class boys and Black, Asian and minority ethnic students of all classes were most at risk of suffering discrimination this year, thanks to exams being replaced by teacher assessment and predicted grades.
Elliot Major, a former chief executive of the Sutton Trust charity that tackles educational inequality, said school closures meant vital classroom time was lost for those who lacked computers or other technology to receive online lessons at home.
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“The thing that worries me is that if you miss out on those threshold grades, if you don’t get that 4 in your English or maths GCSE, you are unlikely to get employed at the moment. If you don’t get into that sixth form or university, that can have a lifelong impact,” he said.
“I know we’re concerned with the current assessment of current cohorts doing GCSEs and A-levels but I really worry about [next year]. It’s like a tsunami of anxiety hitting schools, the million children who are going to be taking GCSEs and A-levels next year.”
Education secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed on Tuesday that schools would not reopen to all pupils before the summer, but failed to give details of plans for what he called “long term” catch-up provision for those left behind by the digital divide.
Elliot Major, who said a combination of teacher assessment and core exams would probably be needed next year, was one of several experts who told the MPs that a national summer school programme would be essential to help children catch up learning lost in the lockdown.
He called for a new “National Tutoring Service”, with university students and others providing “one to one support for disadvantaged pupils”, to help combat the fact some schools were getting pupils to consolidate what they had already learned before lockdown, while others were teaching new material.
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The academic stressed that the two working-class groups most at risk of being penalised were those trying to just get minimum grades, and the top 10% brightest pupils who aimed for the best universities.
“I think the worry is that unintentionally teachers will underestimate, sometimes, the academic potential of poorer pupils, potentially those from black backgrounds, and potentially boys as well.”
Zubaida Haque, interim director at the Runnymede Trust, told the MPs it was time to rapidly provide more staff and extra teaching space schools needed to cope with social distancing requirements such as class sizes of 15 pupils.
“Whether that’s football stadiums, private schools, [playing] fields and so on, this is a good time to be thinking about can we be using those venues and expanding the school workforce,” she said.
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Haque also said that Ofqual and schools should meet their public sector duties under equalities legislation to check their assessment systems tackle the bias previously found against working-class students including white, Black Caribbean boys, and Traveller communities.
“I think this generation, the ‘Covid generation’, are really committed to social justice, and we’ve seen that over over recent weeks. I believe that we have to have a system that stands up to the fairness test,” Elliott Major added.
National education union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said “passive racism and subconscious biases” would affect teacher assessments, but warned that teachers were themselves worried about an unprecedented move to ask them to “rank” pupils according to their ability.
“Ofqual needs to relax the grade boundaries – there need to be more children getting all of the higher grades,” he said.
“Where there is doubt, someone should move up a grade rather than down a grade.”
He said some would see that as reducing rigour in the exam system but it would reflect the exceptional circumstance of the Covid crisis.
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Michelle Meadows, executive director for strategy, risk and research at Ofqual, conceded that there was evidence of bias against minority ethnic pupils in assessments, with some high achievers being underscored.
But she said the evidence was “mixed” with some in the lower ability range being overscored.
Earlier, the former chief inspector of schools in England, Sir Michael Wilshaw, said the Government’s approach to education has been an “absolute tragedy”.
At his No.10 press conference later, the prime minister responded to claims he had not given education the priority it deserved in the pandemic, revealing Williamson would next week set out a new strategy of remedial help.
“We’re going to get all schools back in September if we possibly can .. but it’s going to be a big summer of catch up,” he said.
“We’re going to keep making sure that kids get the remedial help that they need for the stuff that they’ve missed for months and months to come so that they genuinely make up for lost time.”
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He told Good Morning Britain that many “need school, need the structure of school, need the routine of school, need teachers who will be working with them” because of their lack of support at home.
“I just don’t know how we’ve made such a mess of it, because headteachers, and I know lots of headteachers, will have been saying to the Department for Education: ‘You’ve got this wrong.’


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Labour Demands Robert Jenrick 'Comes Clean' Over Richard Desmond Donations

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Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has been told to “come clean” after it was revealed billionaire Richard Desmond donated thousands of pounds to the Conservative Party shortly after the government approved one of his housing developments.
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Jenrick has admitted “unlawfully” giving the go-ahead the 1,500-home development at the former Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs in January.
As first reported by the Daily Mail on Wednesday, new figures from the Electoral Commission have revealed Desmond gave the Tories £12,000 two weeks after that decision was made.
Desmond is the former owner of the Daily Express and Daily Star newspapers.
Mike Amesbury, Labour’s shadow housing minister, has demanded Jenrick publish all correspondence with Desmond related to the development.
“Otherwise the public will be entitled to think it’s one rule for the Conservatives and their wealthy friends, and another rule for everyone else,” he said.
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Jenrick handed Desmond’s £1bn project a last-minute reprieve after the local council and the independent Planning Inspectorate both decided it should be refused. They had said it lacked enough affordable housing and conflicted with local conservation policy.
The housing secretary’s green light came the day before Tower Hamlets Council approved a new rate for its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – a move that would have increased the property owner’s financial liability to the authority by between £30m and £50m.
Amesbury alleged the donation was “another indication” Jenrick’s decision “was done to benefit Richard Desmond, a wealthy Tory donor, to the tune of millions of pounds”.
“This latest revelation comes hours after Jenrick announced new plans to remove planning decisions from locally elected councillors, enabling ministers to take more decisions over the heads of local communities for the benefit of their wealthy friends,” he said.
“Robert Jenrick should come clean and publish all correspondence with Richard Desmond about this case.”
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A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Government policy is in no way influenced by party donations – they are entirely separate.
“Donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.”
In March Tower Hamlets council began legal action alleging that the timing of the decision appeared to show bias.
Jenrick accepted his decision letter was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias” and confirmed it was deliberately issued before the new CIL policy could be adopted.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--This Is How Parents Feel About Their Kids Not Going Back To School

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As the news came out that the government is dropping plans to reopen primary schools before the end of term, parents up and down the country were divided.
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Education Secretary Gavin Williamson confirmed to MPs that primary schools in England won’t be able to welcome all pupils back for a month before the summer holidays, as previously planned.
The announcement came after health secretary Matt Hancock said secondary schools in England may not fully reopen until after September – potentially even in January.
Some parents are pleased they might not be sending their children back to school until the autumn term at the earliest, while others are worried about the lack of contact time with teachers – and friends. Here, they tell us why.
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‘My son, an only child, has really missed socialising’
Rachel Beech, 39, London
“I’m slightly disappointed, but not surprised children aren’t going back before summer. It was always going to be a stretch to find ways of getting them all back in the classroom. My disappointment stems from the fact that my son – an only child – has really missed socialising with his friends. At 9-years-old, in Year 4, he can respect the social distancing guidelines, but would far rather be running around with his friends and playing.
“He has enjoyed being at home in some respects. He’s sad about not seeing his friends but tells me he’s got used to it now, and there are certain elements of school life (particularly art, apparently) that he will not be hurrying back for.
“I don’t feel too bad about homeschooling. I read a great article about a woman who used a kanban board to manage home schooling and once we adopted this, things went a lot more smoothly.”
‘I don’t want my six-year-old to have a negative school experience’
Natalie Duvall, 37, Croydon, from Black Dope Mums
“I have two daughters – Olivia is six and in Year 1, and Sophia is nine and in Year 4. I welcome the news that school openings have been delayed. At this point, sending one child back for four weeks, isn’t productive.
“Just as she will be settling in, the summer holidays will be upon us. I don’t want my six-year-old to have a negative school experience with half her friends not being there, all the social distancing, and a bit of a sterile environment.
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“It took us about a month to find our flow with home-schooling – I was personally completely overwhelmed with all the resources being sent – but my kids are living their best lives! I worry about what damage I may be causing with my teaching style – but then I think, before the lockdown, my kids couldn’t tell the time, count money, had difficulty with handwriting and only knew who Rosa Parks was in terms of Black history.
“Now, they’re learning so much more and I’m grateful and not doing a bad job. But don’t be fooled – come September they will be the first at the school gate!”
‘My children have all had Covid, I’m terrified about it ending back in our home’
Lucille Whiting, 38, Suffolk
“My children are in Year 1, Year 4, Year 7, and Year 9. My youngest is only three. He’s due to start school in September, but he’ll be permanently homeschooled anyway because he has anaphylactic allergies.
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“My children have all had Covid-19, but some much worse than others. The WHO won’t commit to saying Covid antibodies will definitely protect from reinfection. Personally, I’m terrified that we could possibly end up with it back in our home. I don’t think I’ve ever been that sick in my life!
“I didn’t intend on sending my children back until September, so in a way, this gives us more permission to keep them at home which is a relief. It has been tough fitting homeschooling in with my actual work. The schoolwork itself is absolutely fine and the schools have been more than helpful. The teachers are so lovely, but I have cut back on my work a lot.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--There Are Loads Of Cheap Travel Deals. Should You Book A Holiday?

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After weeks of lockdown and restrictions slowly being eased, it’s no surprise many of us are looking longingly at holiday destinations, wondering when we’ll next be able to jet off.
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And it doesn’t help that, ahead of travel restrictions being lifted, companies are advertising cheap deals, in what seems like an attempt to lure us into booking.
As summer kicks off, travel plans undoubtedly look very different this year. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office still advises Brits against all but essential international travel. “This advice is being kept under constant review,” the website states.
So when will we be able to travel again – and should we resist those cheap deals?
What travel restrictions are in place right now?
The government issued a Covid-19 “exceptional travel advisory notice” back in March, which means only essential travel is permitted.
New travel measures also came into force on June 8. To limit the amount of contact with international travellers – and to avoid a second peak of the virus – the government imposed a 14-day quarantine period for all travellers arriving to the UK except for passengers flying from Ireland, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, and France. There are a few exemptions for certain professions, including lorry drivers, police officers, pilots, and healthcare professionals.
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Failure to comply could mean a £1,000 fine in England, and police will be allowed to use “reasonable force” to make sure rules are being followed.
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Are airlines still grounded, then?
Many airlines have been grounded since the start of lockdown, but they seem to be gearing up for flights to resume again. Some have shared dates they plan to restart flights – although people will still only be able to travel for leisure if the FCO says it’s safe to do so.
Virgin Atlantic is set to kickstart a handful of routes from July 20, with more to follow in August. Jet2 will apparently reopen its flight and holiday packages from July 1. EasyJet is said to be returning with a limited number of flights from 22 airports across the UK and Europe from June 15.
Ryanair plans to reintroduce 40% of its flights from July 1, subject to travel restrictions and safety measures being brought in at airports. And British Airways will review its plans to run at a 50% capacity from July.
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Can I go on holiday in the UK?
Not yet. Lockdown restrictions might be easing across the UK, but the tourism industry doesn’t have a green light to reopen. At the moment, hotels remain closed to all guests, except for a small number of specific groups.
Other holiday accommodation – such as campsites, caravan parks and short-term lets – are closed for leisure-related trips, the government states. So staying overnight away from home for a holiday or similar purpose is prohibited.
“I’m keen to get the tourism sector going as rapidly as possible,” said Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden. The government is sticking to what it describes as an “ambitious target” to get England’s tourism sector back by July 4 – “as long as it is safe to do so”.
Even when we transition back into a wider, socially-distanced world, many of us may still choose to have staycations anyway – to minimise the amount of time we spend in crowded airports and cramped planes and to avoid the 14-day quarantine for all arrivals to the UK.
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So, should I resist those cheap travel deals?
You might have the travel bug, itching to get away for some sun, sea and sand – but be cautious of booking something right now, as travel restrictions are still in place.
“There are more people searching for a holiday now for this summer than there were at the beginning of May,” says Emma Coulthurst, travel commentator from TravelSupermarket. “Holiday prices have also been creeping down in the last fortnight and there are some good prices on offer.
“However, the reality is that we don’t yet know when Brits will be able to travel again.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Alison Hammond Shares Her Sadness As She's Unable To Attend Her Father's Funeral

This Morning favourite Alison Hammond has paid tribute to her father, Clifford, who died last week in Jamaica.
In an Instagram post shared on Wednesday morning, Alison expressed her sadness at not being able to attend his funeral, and lamented that they weren’t as close “as I would have liked”.
“This is my real Dad Clifford Hammond who passed away last week in Jamaica,” she wrote, alongside a photograph of her late father. “I’m saddened that I won’t be able to make his funeral and saddened that he wasn’t part of my life as much as I would have liked but I still have a sense of loss and emptiness.
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“Sleep well Daddy, love leaves a memory no one can steal. RIP.”
Ruth wrote: “Sad to hear that darling… sending you love & a huge hug.”
Holly said she was “sending you so much love”, while the Mysterious Girl singer wrote: “All our love.”
Alison Hammond appearing on Loose Women last year Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
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Sadly, earlier this year, Alison also lost her mother, Maria, who died after being diagnosed with lung and liver cancer.
In a Valentine’s Day post, Alison wrote: “Today I dedicate Valentine’s Day to my beautiful, wonderful Mother Maria who passed away from liver and lung cancer.”
Alison added at the time: “Yesterday my family and I celebrated her amazing life and laid her to rest in a beautiful ceremony she would have been proud of. Thank you mummy for giving me the strength to move forward in the knowledge that your ok and with God in Heaven now.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Oxford Uni Chancellor Raises Eyebrows By Defending Cecil Rhodes – Using Nelson Mandela

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Oxford University’s chancellor has attempted to dismiss the renewed controversy over a scholarship programme that bears the name of a 19th century imperialist by saying: “If it was alright for Mandela, then I have to say it’s pretty well alright with me.”
Speaking to the Today programme, Lord Chris Patten there should be a “proper and engaged argument” over the legacy of Cecil Rhodes, who also has a statue in his honour at Oriel College.
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The Black Lives Matter protests held in the wake of the death of George Floyd have once again shone a spotlight on historical British figures who made their fortunes from slavery and imperialist and colonialist expansion.
Lord Patten told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It should be taken seriously and there should be a proper and engaged argument.
“I hope it isn’t an argument about symbols and so on, which doesn’t avoid an argument about far more fundamental issues which touch on Black Lives Matter, like education, like public housing, like public health.”
Lord Patten, who was the last British governor of Hong Kong, said the fate of the statue was a matter for Oriel College, and claimed there was “hypocrisy” among its critics who had also benefited from Rhodes scholarships.
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“For me there is a bit of hypocrisy […] in Oxford taking money for 100 scholars a year, about a fifth of them from Africa, to come to Oxford, and then saying we want to throw the Rhodes statue […] in the Thames.
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“I stood along Nelson Mandela at a conference in Westminster Hall with Tony Blair and Bill Clinton in 2003 at which he said how strongly he supported the trust.
“He set up [...] something called the Mandela-Rhodes Trust to help heal the divisions.
“For all the problems associated with Cecil Rhodes’ history, if it was alright for Mandela, then I have to say it’s pretty well alright with me.”
Lord Patten’s use of Mandela’s name raised a few eyebrows on social media.
Chris Patten doing a quite extraordinary bit of “I’m not racist, I’ve got a black friend” patter on @BBCr4today by invoking a time he once stood next to Nelson Mandela. — Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley (@lottelydia) June 10, 2020
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Chris Patten just tried to defend the Cecil Rhodes statue by basically saying ‘Some of my best friends are Nelson Mandela’ — David Madden (@davidjmadden) June 10, 2020
Imperialism is the worst, and truly shameful, chapter in the modern history of the University of Oxford. This is why Rhodes’s statue must go and Rhodes House be renamed
Chris Patten is good on Chinese imperialism. He needs to follow through on the legacy of British imperialism — Andrew Adonis (@Andrew_Adonis) June 10, 2020
There has long been a campaign to remove the Rhodes statue, and this weekend’s toppling of a likeness of Edward Colston in Bristol has led to a rethink of similar monuments around the UK.
A council leader has invited Oxford University’s Oriel College to make a planning request to remove the statue of Rhodes. Susan Brown, leader of Oxford City Council, has expressed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement, stating she has a “great deal of sympathy” for the newly-revived Rhodes Must Fall campaign.
A protest last night in the city saw students and neighbours chant “take it down” while there were speeches and an eight-minute-46-second silence in memory of George Floyd.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Boris Johnson Warned Of 'Appalling' Record On Social Mobility - Even Before Covid-19 Crisis

Overall, on a third of recommendations (31%), the SMC said there was no or very little action. On almost half (46%) there was some but insufficient progress and on only a quarter (23%) had there been good progress.
While the SMC found some evidence of improvement for disadvantaged groups, it identified several areas of “major concern”
Poverty – there are 600,000 more children are now living in relative poverty than in 2012, with this figure likely to increase further due to coronavirus and benefit changes. The report also found children from black and minority ethnic groups were more likely to be in poverty: 45% compared with 26% of children in white British families.
Early years – 45% of the early years workforce are on tax credits or benefits. The SMC says the government should expand eligibility for the 30-hour childcare offer.
Schools – At 16, only 24.7% of disadvantaged students get a good pass in English and Maths GSCE, compared with 49.9% of all other pupils.
Post-16 education – The SMC says the government should offer extra help to disadvantaged pupils aged 16 –19 through a student premium.
Employment – Half of all adults from the poorest backgrounds receive no training at all after leaving school.
Health – Life expectancy is falling for women in the most deprived 10% of areas. The report also highlights how BAME people are disproportionately hit by Covid-19.
Place and Regions – The SMC said devolution to regions and metro mayors has so far failed to adequately tackle long-standing regional inequality.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-10--Rapper Wretch 32 Posts Video Of London Police Tasering His Father

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Rapper Wretch 32 has shared a video of his father, Millard Scott, being Tasered by police at his home in Tottenham, north London.
The artist posted the footage on Twitter on Tuesday, accompanied with the caption: “This is how the police think they can treat a 62 year old black man in Tottenham but this 1 happens to be my dad.”
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Speaking to ITV News, Scott said he believed he would not have had the same treatment had he been white.
The Metropolitan Police said a review found “no indication of misconduct”.
The video, which has been viewed more than a million times, shows police officers entering the front door of a house as a women tells them: “I’m not resisting, don’t touch me, social distancing, please don’t touch me.”
The footage shows Scott falling down a flight of stairs after after an officer is recorded saying: “Police officer with a Taser. Stay where you are.”
As officers ask if he is OK and tell Scott to keep still, a distressed woman can be heard saying: “They’ve Tasered him.”
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This is how the police think they can treat a 62 year old black man in Tottenham but this 1 happens to be my dad #Nojusticenopeace pic.twitter.com/17bGizKwem — Rapthology (@Wretch32) June 9, 2020
“I’m lucky to be alive,” Scott told the broadcaster.
“The only people who have invaded our space are the Metropolitan Police. The only people who seem to ignore the guidelines put out there are the Metropolitan Police.
“It seems at this moment in time we are being singled out and targeted.”
His son, Wretch 32, said there has been “no progression” on police brutality.
The artist, whose real name is Jermaine Scott, said he now warns his own children to be wary of the police.
“I’ve grown up in a household with a dad and uncle and I’ve watched them fight against police brutality,” he said.
“I’m 35 now and I have to have the same conversation with my children that my father and grandfather had with me. That means there’s no progression.”
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The Met said officers went into the property as part of “a long-running operation to tackle drugs supply linked to serious violence”.
They said a 22-year-old man found in the house was arrested and charged with encouraging another to commit an offence under the Serious Crime Act 2007, while a 52-year-old woman was charged with obstructing police after being interviewed under caution at a later date.
Wretch 32 said he now warns his own children to be wary of the police. Joseph Okpako via Getty Images
A statement said: “As officers entered the premises, a man came downstairs and started moving towards an officer suddenly.
“He was ordered to remain where he was but continued towards officers who, after several warnings, deployed a Taser.
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“The man was not arrested, but was assessed by the London Ambulance Service at the scene. He did not require further medical treatment.
“Officers from the North Area Command Unit have liaised with the family to discuss any concerns they have about the incident.
“The incident, including body worn footage, has been reviewed by the Met’s Directorate of Professional Standards and no indication of misconduct has been identified.”
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has called for an urgent investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
“I have asked the Metropolitan Police for an urgent explanation of this distressing incident which is understandably causing considerable concern,” he said.
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“It is imperative that the incident is properly investigated by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).