thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--The Biggest Question Of The Election: How Will Trump Cheat Next?

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With just six weeks to go until Election Day, US President Donald Trump’s critics have a nagging worry: How will he cheat next?
With a president accused of stiffing hundreds of contractors as a private businessman, who knowingly accepted Russian help to win in 2016, who has already begged and extorted foreign leaders for help winning in 2020, that he will try in the coming days, they say, is a foregone conclusion.
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“I think the notion of whether he will try to cheat is almost laughable. Of course, he is going to cheat,” said Daniel Goldman, the former federal prosecutor who led the House Intelligence Committee’s impeachment investigation of Trump’s attempted extortion of Ukraine.
Goldman said the possibilities range from actively encouraging foreign help again to announcing trumped-up charges against prominent Democrats in the closing days to trying to suppress the vote. “I think you’re going to see him use all the levers of government at his disposal,” he said. “That is incredibly scary.”
Mary Trump, the president’s niece who wrote in her recent book, “Too Much and Never Enough,” that Trump even cheated getting into the University of Pennsylvania by paying someone to take his SATs for him, said there is no need to speculate. “It’s already happening. He’s actively cheating already,” she said, citing the mistrust he is sowing in the use of mail ballots and his sabotage of the postal service to make it harder to deliver those ballots.
“The closer we get, the more bad polling he sees, the more desperate he will be,” she said.
Neither the White House nor Trump’s campaign responded to HuffPost queries on this topic.
Trump himself, asked specifically on Wednesday about whether he would commit to a peaceful transfer of power should he lose, would not do so. “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens,” he said, and then continued his attacks on the legitimacy of mail ballots. “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a very, we’ll have a very peaceful — there won’t be a transfer, frankly. There will be a continuation.”
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That came hours after he admitted that he expects the election to be decided by the Supreme Court, which is why he wants to fill the vacancy created by the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg last week. “This scam that the Democrats are pulling ― it’s a scam ― this scam will be before the United States Supreme Court,” he said.
Which itself came after repeated assertions that any election he does not win is, by that very fact, proof of its illegitimacy. “The only way they can win is to cheat, in my opinion,” he said last week.
“He will seek to shut down the election process as quickly as possible so that a full count becomes difficult,” said Ruth Ben-Ghiat, an authoritarianism expert at New York University.
All of Trump’s comments trying to delegitimise the coming election have come against the backdrop of Attorney General William Barr’s politically charged investigation to discredit a special counsel probe into the assistance Trump received from Russia in 2016 as well as the recent revelation that Russia is working to help Trump again. Trump, rather than publicly renouncing such assistance from Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, instead criticized his FBI director for revealing it to Congress.
One former national security official in Trump’s White House, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Americans who are not yet alarmed by Trump’s actions and statements to date are making a grave miscalculation.
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“The president absolutely in his mind is convinced that the law does not apply to him,” the former official said, adding that Trump would, if he thought he could get away with it, try to invalidate the election entirely. “I would not put it past this president at all. If he could be a Putin-esque strongman, he would love that.”
President Donald Trump, Attorney General William Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf arrive at Andrews Air Force Base after a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin ASSOCIATED PRESS/Evan Vucci
A Lifetime Of Cheating
Flouting rules and laws has been a well-documented part of Donald Trump’s life since he was a young man taking over his father’s real estate business in the early 1970s.
His first mention in the New York Times, in 1973, was when President Richard Nixon’s Department of Justice forced Trump and his father to stop violating anti-discrimination laws by refusing to rent apartments to Black people.
For years, Trump knowingly worked with organized crime in his construction projects. In 1980, he underpaid undocumented immigrant labourers to demolish a building to make way for his Trump Tower high-rise.
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And over a period of three decades, Trump has been accused by hundreds of contractors of cheating them out of promised payments for work they did on his buildings and golf courses.
He was accused of treating the charity he founded as a personal slush fund, using it for items ranging from a $12,000 football helmet signed by quarterback Tim Tebow to $7 for his son’s Boy Scout dues. He ultimately was forced by the New York State attorney general to shut it down.
That pattern of ignoring rules and conventions continued into his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump solicited help from Russia in finding damaging information against Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, and his campaign actually invited Russian representatives to its headquarters for a meeting on the topic. Later, when Russians made available material they had stolen from the Clinton campaign, Trump used it daily during the final month before the election — even though he had been told that it had been stolen by Putin’s intelligence services.
Those actions led to a two-year investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller, who detailed both the Russian assistance as well as Trump’s efforts to throttle the probe. Barr, however, misrepresented its findings to favour Trump weeks before it was finally released, and Congress took no action to hold Trump to account.
And no sooner did that investigation wrap up did Trump start a new attempt to cheat in his coming reelection, this time by trying to extort the newly elected Ukrainian president into smearing the Democratic opponent he most feared with false accusations. That attempt was exposed by a whistleblower and ultimately ended with Trump’s impeachment, making him only the third president in American history to be so censured.
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Destabilising Our Democracy
The Senate Republican majority, though, with the exception of Utah’s Mitt Romney, voted to let Trump remain in office notwithstanding.
While some senators predicted that Trump would learn his lesson from the ordeal and stop trying to abuse his powers, Trump if anything ramped up his willingness to use the authorities of his office for his own political benefit.
This spring, after weeks of downplaying the danger posed by the coronavirus that included, at one point, dismissing it as “a hoax,” Trump managed to get his own name on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention mailer that went out to every household in the United States. He used National Security Council staff and the Justice Department to try to block publication of former national security adviser John Bolton’s book, which described, among other things, how Trump begged China’s dictator to help him win reelection by buying large quantities of farm produce.
Trump insisted on having his name appear on relief checks sent to most Americans because of the pandemic. And on Thursday Trump announced he would send a $200 card to every Medicare recipient in the coming weeks to use for prescription drug co-payments, after previously trying to force pharmaceutical companies into sending them a $100 card. Exactly how that would be paid for is unclear.
And, most worrisome to critics, he got his attorney general and Department of Homeland Security to clear a public park of peaceful protesters using tear gas and beatings so that he could be photographed holding a Bible in front of a church across from the White House. Photos and video from that event quickly appeared in his campaign’s advertising.
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“Trump and Barr know they are unlikely to win in conditions of fair and free elections and will do anything necessary to stay in power,” Ben-Ghiat said. “In their minds they have just begun to consolidate their power, and the election is an annoyance to be neutralised so they can continue.”
Indeed, Trump’s ability to rely on Barr and his acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf gives him brute force authority, should he choose to use it. And the possibility that most worries his critics: that he will abuse that authority in the coming election.
“Rather than trying to cheat in the election, he’s just going to try to steal the election,” said Goldman, adding that Trump, like “a fairly ineffective mob boss,” has been open about his intentions. “You know what his motivations are, because he says them, and he tells you what they are.”
Fernand Amandi, a Democratic pollster in South Florida with expertise in the Latino vote, said he can think of an easy scenario for Trump already: Send in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, as he has already done to quell urban unrest, only this time to respond to reports of ballot “fraud.”
“What if he utilizes a battalion of ICE folks to the Miami-Dade Supervisor of Elections office and seizes custody of the mail ballots? Who’s going to stop him?” Amandi said. “What happens if he does that not only in one county in one state, but in battleground states all over the country? For the first time in American history, we need election monitors from outside the country to watch what’s going on inside the United States.”
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One Trump critic, though, said he thinks the fear of outright, third-world-dictator-style election tampering is overblown. Miles Taylor, who as chief of staff in Trump’s DHS oversaw those ICE agents, said they will follow the law, just as they followed the law when they refused Trump’s orders to turn away asylum seekers at the Mexican border.
“Most of these line agents don’t want to end up in jail. They know their authorities,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Trump’s Own Staff Urged To Walk Out Now While They Can

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Representative Adam Schiff urged Republicans working in the administration of President Donald Trump to walk away before it’s too late.
“This is a moment that I would say to any Republican of good conscience working in the administration: It is time for you to resign,” Schiff told MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow on Wednesday.
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Earlier in the day, Trump refused to commit to a peaceful transition of power if he loses the November election, then attacked the voting process.
“The ballots are a disaster,” Trump said. “Get rid of the ballots and you’ll have a peaceful ... there won’t be a transfer, frankly, there’ll be a continuation.”
Schiff, chair of the House Intelligence Committee, said it’s clear what anyone with a conscience who works or has worked for Trump must do:
“If you have been debating about whether you can continue to serve the country by serving this president, you can’t. It is time to resign. And I would say to those who have been on the sidelines maintaining a dignified silence who have served in the administration in the past, you cannot maintain your silence any longer.”
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Schiff also warned them not to wait for Trump to try to “get rid of the ballots” before they act.
“Because if you do wait, knowing what is to come, you will share some of the burden of responsibility for that chaos that comes,” he said, adding that Trump’s “autocratic intentions are as clear as the writing on the wall.”
Schiff also tweeted:
This is how democracy dies.
A president so desperate to cling to power that he won’t commit to a peaceful transition of power.
That he seeks to throw out millions of votes.
And a Republican Party too craven to say a word.
But we will fight back. America belongs to the people. https://t.co/mIVjh78Xk9 — Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) September 24, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--The Death Of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Pushed Me To Join The Satanic Temple

The Baphomet statue in the conversion room at the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts, on Oct. 8, 2019. JOSEPH PREZIOSO via Getty Images
I am a forty-something attorney and mother who lives in a quiet neighbourhood with a yard and a garage full of scooters and soccer balls. I often walk with my children to get ice cream and spend weekends hiking through a national park. I am not the type of person who would normally consider becoming a Satanist, but these are not normal times.
Like so many other women in the United States, when I learned of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing, my first reaction was not grief but fear. I fear that American citizens are inching closer to living in a theocracy or dictatorship and that the checks meant to prevent this from happening are close to eroding beyond repair.
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When Justice Ginsburg died, I knew immediately that action was needed on a scale we have not seen before. Our democracy has become so fragile that the loss of one of the last guardians of common sense and decency in government less than two months before a pivotal election has put our civil and reproductive rights in danger like never before. And, so, I have turned to Satanism.
Members of the Satanic Temple do not believe in the supernatural or superstition. In the same way that some Unitarians and some Jews do not believe in God, Satanic Temple members do not worship Satan and most are atheists. They are not affiliated in any way with the Church of Satan. Instead, the Satanic Temple uses the devil as a symbol of rebellion.
Just like other faiths, the Satanic Temple has a code that their members believe in deeply and use to guide their lives. These Seven Fundamental Tenets include that “one should strive to act with compassion and empathy toward all creatures in accordance with reason,” that “the struggle for justice is an ongoing and necessary pursuit that should prevail over laws and institutions,” and that “one’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.”
Reading through the Seven Tenets, I was struck by how closely they aligned with the unwritten code I had used to try to guide my own life for several years. I realised, happily, that these were my people and that I had been a Satanist for several years without even knowing it. When Justice Ginsburg’s death suddenly made combating the threats to reproductive rights and a government free from religious interference more urgent, I knew it was time to join them and support their conceptual and legal battles.
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Even before Ginsburg’s death, the Supreme Court was unwilling to provide adequate protection for a woman’s right to choose and to control her body. The court was unwilling to keep church and state separate. Now, without her voice of reason on the court ― let alone her vote ― Roe v. Wade is in imminent danger of being overturned not based on legal arguments or scientific reasoning, but because of religious objections to what is a safe and necessary procedure for the women who seek it out after discussion with their physician. Ginsburg’s replacement is all but certain to be vehemently anti-choice, with one of the top contenders belonging to a sect that actually used the term “handmaid” to refer to some women until the popularity of the TV series “The Handmaid’s Tale” gave the term negative connotations.
“Reading through the Seven Tenets, I was struck by how closely they aligned with the unwritten code I had used to try to guide my own life for several years. I realized, happily, that these were my people and that I had been a Satanist for several years without even knowing it.”
In the hours after Justice Ginsburg’s death, I sat wondering what the future would hold for my daughters. Their ability to live in a country where the religious beliefs of others would not play a role in their right to assert autonomy over their own bodies was suddenly, starkly, in danger. Traditional means of keeping abortion safe and legal seemed woefully inadequate to protect the rights that women in the generation before me had fought so hard to secure.
Almost immediately I sought strength in the Satanic Temple’s efforts to turn religious arguments on their head by pushing for religious liberty for their members on an equal basis with believers in the dominant Christian faiths. And this is not just a theoretical push. The temple has launched campaigns and filed lawsuits to compel the government to do this in matters ranging from exemptions from legal mandates to cover birth control to the ability to display religious symbols in government buildings or allow religious clubs in public schools. By pointing out instances where the government has favoured Christian rhetoric ― and filing legal challenges to stop it ― the Satanic Temple has transformed belief into action and has demonstrated what freedom fighting truly looks like.
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The Satanic Temple hopes to appear before the Supreme Court in a case challenging a Missouri abortion law that requires those seeking to terminate their pregnancy to first receive materials asserting that their abortion would end the life of a separate, unique person. The temple argues that these materials violate the deeply held religious beliefs of one of its members regarding bodily autonomy and scientifically reasonable personal choice. The argument the Satanic Temple is using is the same one the Supreme Court effectively endorsed in the Hobby Lobby birth control case, for which Justice Ginsburg wrote the dissent ― that no one should have to follow a law that violates their deeply held religious beliefs. If a Christian should not have to do so based on their religion, a Satanist should not have to either. This is what equality under the law means on a fundamental level.
This is an organisation I want standing up for my rights and for my daughters’. While I support more mainstream groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Church and State, my research has shown that the Satanic Temple is truly in line with my beliefs about protecting our First Amendment rights and fighting laws that promote or are based on religious doctrine and that it is willing to use radical, creative and yet legally sound strategies to make its case.
I was able to become a mother when I wanted on my own terms. Throughout my pregnancy, I had access to scientifically accurate information and the ability to make informed choices with my doctor. While I never had an abortion, I want the same opportunities to choose for my own daughters. I am far from certain these rights will exist ten years from now when they may be deciding when, how or even whether to start their own families.
“We need creative, resolute thinkers who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and take concrete action to do so, and the Satanic Temple is full of those kind of people. I am proud to now count myself among their ranks.”
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There is a real chance that the Supreme Court will be lost for a generation or more to justices appointed for their religious beliefs rather than a deep understanding of the Constitution or a desire for justice to be carried out on an impartial basis. Because of this, I believe that the Satanic Temple ― and its members’ dedication to fighting for true freedom ― represents our best, last defence against anti-choice lawmakers who are seeking to assert power over women’s bodies and take away our right to choose. We need creative, resolute thinkers who are willing to stand up for what they believe in and take concrete action to do so, and the Satanic Temple is full of those kind of people. I am proud to now count myself among their ranks.
Everyone who cares about women having autonomy over their bodies should care about efforts to use religion to chip away at this right. We need to think outside the box to challenge what is coming and what is already here. The Satanic Temple is already doing that, and by becoming one of its members, I believe I have joined a community of people who will stop at nothing to safeguard my family’s rights ― and all of our rights ― when they are at their most vulnerable.
Jamie Smith is an attorney and mother who cares about civil rights. This article first appeared on HuffPost Personal.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--It’s Been A. Week. Here’s 10 Things Guaranteed To Put A Smile On Your Face | Good Vibes Only

It’s Been A. Week. Here’s 10 Things Guaranteed To Put A Smile On Your Face | Good Vibes Only
There’s no denying it, it’s been A. Week. But among all the doom and gloom, there was plenty of fun stuff to see us through thanks to the world of entertainment. We’re celebrating Schitt’s Creek storming “The Pandemmys”, Emily Maitlis’ hellish gaffe on Newsnight and Matt Lucas’ hilarious Bake Off debut. Plus, there’s new music from Kylie Minogue and find out why Roman Kemp could be the next Harry Styles.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Matt Lucas' Boris Johnson Skit On The Great British Bake Off Attracts Ofcom Complaints

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The Little Britain star’s skit – which featured at the start of his debut episode of the Channel 4 show – has been the subject of over 200 Ofcom complaints.
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It has been revealed that 202 viewers contacted the TV watchdog after Matt’s parody aired on Tuesday night, according to Metro.
The sketch saw him mimicking Johnson’s coronavirus briefings, standing at a lectern featuring the slogan: “Stay Alert, Bake Cake, Save Loaves.”
As is standard procedure, Ofcom will now assess the complaints before deciding whether or not to investigate if the programme broke the broadcasting code.
Matt Lucas as Boris Johnson on The Great British Bake Off Twitter
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Stumbling over his words, Matt began the skit by saying: “Good evening, let’s get straight to it.
“We are now approaching phase 46 which means that from Tuesday morning or Wednesday evening, depending on your height, we are saying, with regards to baking, that if you must bake in a tent, bake in a tent, but please don’t bake in a tent…”
Welcome to a new series of The Great British Bake Off - and a big hello to our new presenter Matt Lucas! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/0sa8NxTJtE — British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) September 22, 2020
He added: “We are asking people to use common sense with regards to the distribution of the hundreds and thousands.”
Matt’s co-host Noel Fielding then appeared via video link to ask a question about the correct pronunciation of “scone”.
It just so happened that Bake Off’s broadcast was delayed by 15 minutes to make space for televised coronavirus addresses from the prime minister, Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, following the announcement of new restrictions.
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Matt was brought in as the new co-host of Bake Off earlier this year, after Sandi Toksvig stood down after three years.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Second Covid Test Centre 'Shut Down Overnight' To Make Way For Brexit

He added the Department of Health has failed to communicate properly with Portsmouth City Council about other major public health changes, including an ongoing problem over guidance about where Isle of Wight residents should get tested.
“We have got people from the Isle of Wight coming to the mainland for testing, because they are being told they should do that by the DHSC,” he said.
“They shouldn’t be using public transport while they have symptoms, but what the government website is saying is that they have to.
“It’s just not good enough, and it really gives me concern about what other things we haven’t heard about with regards to the pandemic.
“If it’s happening to us, it’s happening to other places across the country too.”
Local councils, local resilience forums and some emergency services staff are responsible for co-ordinating local testing centres along with the Department of Health.
Adrian Baker, GMB workers’ union regional organiser, also blamed the government for “failing to inform the local authority” that the testing site was moving early.
Baker said: “Test and Trace has become trace the test. This dereliction of duty is quite incredible.
“What are the public and workers supposed to do if the Government doesn’t even know how long a testing site will be available for?”
A DHSC spokesperson said: “Regional testing sites were set up at great speed to provide access to tests for key workers across the UK.
“Sites were selected where there was immediate availability, as well as being secure and easily accessible.
“To make sure the regional testing site network remains available for as long as is needed, a small number of sites are being relocated.
“The Portsmouth Tipner Lorry Park site has been successfully relocated to the Long Stay Car Park at Southampton Airport to ensure that tests continue to be available in the region.”
Deloitte has also been contacted about the site move.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--James Corden Finally Addresses Those Ellen Replacement Rumours

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James Corden is finally spilling his guts ― so he doesn’t have to eat something disgusting.
Over the summer, amid stories of workplace toxicity and misconduct at Ellen DeGeneres’ show, James’ name emerged as a potential replacement for the longtime daytime host.
After a long silence on the topic, and possible reference to the stories on his own show, The Late Late Show host addressed the rumours on his show.
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While playing Spill Your Guts Or Fill Your Guts with Alicia Keys — a game that allows players to get out of answering tough questions by eating questionable “food” — Alicia asked James if there was any truth to talk that he’s taking over on Ellen, or whether he’d ever consider it.
James Corden on The Late Late Show CBS
James said he’d answer “happily,” adding that he “genuinely” has no idea where the rumours came from.
“There is absolutely no truth in that story at all. Zero. And, as far as considering it, I think it would be a really crazy thing to take over from someone who I think has done the job so outrageously well for 18 years,” James said.
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He added: “It’s not true. And I think when the day comes to end this show, will be the day to probably stop hosting a show every day.”
Ellen kicked off a new season of her show this week, addressing the employee accusations in her opening monologue.
Ellen DeGeneres' chat show returned this week Warner Bros
In addition to James’ answer, you can watch Alicia do her best to refrain from eating the Spill Your Guts food, even answering a question ranking her fellow Voice judges’ singing from best to worst. Though, in this game, you can’t avoid taking a bite forever.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Anti-Abortion Protesters 'Breaking Social-Distancing Rules' As 40-Day Vigils Begin

40 Days for Life protesters, pictured here in 2019. Dr Pam Lowe
Anti-abortion campaigners have begun 40-day round-the-clock “vigils” outside a dozen UK clinics, despite increasingly restrictive Covid-19 rules.
According to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service (BPAS), staff at facilities in London, Birmingham and Swindon already had been forced to call the police to report groups for breaking social distancing rules throughout the summer.
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Campaigners associated with the US group 40 Days for Life also assembled outside nine other clinics on Wednesday – their second 40-day protest in 2020 after staging vigils over Lent.
On Tuesday – the second day of protests – police were called to BPAS clinics in Birmingham and Merseyside.
The service told HuffPost UK that a client’s partner became involved in a “heated debate” with campaigners on the way into a Birmingham clinic, while in Merseyside a protester breached a long-standing agreement that meant activists stood on the opposite side of the road. A protester stood directly at the gate of the clinic and refused to move, leaving the clinic staff with no option but to call the police.
“It does raise questions around if they’re so concerned with preserving life, why are they then taking part in a non-socially distanced activity at a time when we all shouldn’t necessarily be meeting up with strangers as much as possible?” said Dr Pam Lowe, a senior lecturer in sociology at Aston University and researcher on anti-abortion activism at clinics.
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40 Days for Life protesters, pictured here in Nottingham in 2018. Dr Pam Lowe
Rachael Clarke, public affairs and advocacy manager at BPAS, explained that during the summer clinics had been forced to call the police to move protesters away from the gates of facilities in south Birmingham and Swindon in order to ensure patients could remain socially distanced as they arrived for appointments.
She said staff were reluctant to call the police every time campaigners infringed the rules, but noted that some clinics had seen groups gathered outside that were not observing social distancing. Clarke added: “This activity since [the start of] lockdown has been distressing for clients who see people with seemingly no respect for the guidelines to prevent transmission, who then attempt to hand them leaflets.”
Remote access to abortion medication was offered in February to help meet the challenges associated with Covid-19, but BPAS estimates that around half of women ending a pregnancy still have to attend a clinic at some point during their treatment.
These women are disproportionately likely to be classed as vulnerable, and include younger women where safeguarding concerns may be involved, women at later gestations – including those who may be ending a much-wanted pregnancy due to a diagnosis of foetal anomaly – and women attending in the wake of a miscarriage.
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The process of arriving to a clinic, potentially having to pass protesters along the way, can be even more daunting for women during Covid-19, explained Shelley Doherty, a front of house assistant for the Marie Stopes clinic in Manchester.
She said: “I’m really concerned because at the moment, because of Covid, nobody is coming into the clinic aside from the clients themselves.
“Prior to the pandemic people would often come in with somebody. Although that person wouldn’t follow them through having the treatment they would be able to sit in a dedicated waiting area, but now they have to sit in their cars or go home and come back to pick them up later.
“The treatments can go on for any sort of time really – we have ladies that come in before 8am and won’t go home until 3pm. If the person who’s brought them has come from far away they are going to be sat in the car all day and having to look at the protesters. I fear that might lead to people antagonising each other in some kind of way.”
Meanwhile BPAS are allowing clients to be accompanied in cases where there is enough space for social distancing inside the clinics. Clarke said there had been report issues outside the south Birmingham clinic on Thursday due to the growing group of protesters engaging with people accompanying clients.
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Doherty explained that no protesters had arrived outside the Manchester clinic as of Wednesday afternoon, but said staff were prepared for the vigils to start in the coming days. She explained that she had met with city council officials who had informed her that the 40 Days for Life campaigners had said they would remain socially distanced, but had heard of other clinics already witnessing groups forming.
As the first point of contact for many clients entering the Manchester clinic, Doherty has spent more than four years witnessing the harm protesters can do and is passionate about a change in the law to introduce buffer zones around clinics.
She said: “When I first came here I was absolutely horrified by all these people stood there with banners. I couldn’t believe it, it’s something you hear about but couldn’t believe I was seeing it with my own eyes.
“I sit and look out the window at them doing what they’re doing and I see the effect that it’s having on these poor ladies and our staff.
“It’s not very nice coming into work, where we’re trying to help women access healthcare, and have to face them waiting outside. It’s very frustrating and upsetting.
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Protesters outside a central London clinic in March 2019. Marie Stopes
“You have to have a strong stomach, in a way, to do the work I’m doing. I would never say: ‘Oh they’re just a protester’, because you’re aware of the impact on every single woman coming through the door.”
In September 2018, then-Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, declined to introduce new laws that could have addressed issues raised by women and healthcare providers following a Home Office review of anti-abortion clinics.
BPAS have said that 42 hospitals and clinics – which collectively treat more than 100,000 women a year – have since witnessed anti-abortion activism. Only two places, Ealing and Richmond, now have a buffer zone in place after being introduced by their respective councils.
In June, Rupa Huq, MP for Ealing Central, tabled a cross-party bill to establish buffer zones across the country. MPs voted 213-47 in favour of the bill, which is due to receive its second reading on Friday.
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Protests and vigils have become an increasing issue over the past few years. Groups of activists often move around between locations and do not have a set structure – instead relying on the attendance of volunteers who often arrive on an ad hoc basis.
Dr Lowe explained that groups like 40 Days for Life, which operate a model similar to a franchising business, are difficult to pin down due to their decentralised model. The character of each group can hard to predict, making it almost impossible for clinics and their patients to know what to expect, and difficult to identify a pattern of behaviour.
At protests in Spring 2020, activists held posters, tried to hand out leaflets and left baby clothes near the entrances of clinics.
Clarke said: “Anti-abortion groups stand outside clinics not to change the law but to pressure and harass individual women who are trying to access the healthcare they’re guaranteed under the law.
“These women deserve to access this care without being followed, lied to, and frightened by groups of people who place their own beliefs above compassion and care for women in the most difficult of circumstances.”
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But working with a team of researchers at Aston University, analysing 30 different sites, Dr Lowe found that even the mere presence of protesters such as 40 Days for Life was enough to intimidate women trying to access clinics – regardless of how aggressive their tactics are.
She said: “What we’ve shown with our research is that they [protesters] don’t necessarily have to do very much for it to be intimidating, they just have to be there.
“The reason that their presence is a problem is particularly due to the way in which public space is gendered. We live in a world where women have to be much more wary about strangers in public places and we raise girls to be much more wary.
“It’s not surprising that if you are approaching an abortion clinic and see a bunch of strangers watching you and you don’t know what their intentions are then that is going to cause distress in and of itself.
“It’s important not to focus on what they’re actually doing, which is what the Home Office did in their last review. They said ‘well they’re not really doing much’, but we would argue that being there in and of itself is actually causing the distress.”
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Richard Bentley, managing director of Marie Stopes UK said: “During the pandemic, our team members have been working round the clock to keep services open for everyone who needs them and it is disgraceful that this is being undermined by radical minority groups determined to deny women the legal healthcare they need.
“These groups are always a concern for our teams, who witness the cruel tactics they use to turn women away from clinics, and during a global pandemic their behaviour is quite simply putting lives at risk. Women are subjected to graphic imagery, told they are going to hell and handed plastic foetuses and insidious leaflets that address them as ‘Mum’.
“These groups should not have a free pass to harass women they don’t know, invade their space and block their right to healthcare. While we respect and support the right to free speech, we are adamant that protests should never be at the expense of a woman’s right to legal health services.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Stress-Related Absence Soared Among NHS Staff After Pandemic Peak

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Stress and anxiety-related absence among NHS staff soared after the peak of the coronavirus pandemic, new analysis shows.
More than half a million (510,281) days were lost to absence due to anxiety, stress, depression or other psychiatric illnesses in May 2020, the month that followed the worst of the pandemic so far in terms of death rates.
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Those issues accounted for more than a quarter (28.3%) of all absences, and represented a 37% increase on the days lost in the previous year, when 371,242 full-time equivalent days were lost.
The Liberal Democrats said official figures showed thousands had “endured life-altering trauma and immeasurable excess stress” while working under strict Covid protocols and watching many patients die.
The party, which analysed the figures, urged the government to respond with proposals to provide “world class” mental support for health and care staff.
Lib Dem members are expected to pass a motion at the party’s conference on Friday pushing to strengthen services for “under pressure and overstretched” staff, including ancillary workers such as porters and cleaners.
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They will demand that the Covid-19 support hotline is available 24/7, to scrap HR practices which encourage staff to work when they are not feeling up to it, and to introduce an “occupational health passport” so workers do not have to relive mental health traumas when they change jobs.
Lib Dem health spokesperson Munira Wilson said: “This dreadful pandemic has taken more than just a physical toll.
“It has had hugely negative consequences for people’s mental health too.
“As these figures make clear, this has been especially true for health and care workers, who have been on the front line of the crisis.
“Thousands have endured life-altering trauma and immeasurable excess stress.
“Even before the pandemic, hundreds of thousands of days were lost each year due to absence related to mental health conditions.
“To ensure our health and care service is resilient going forward, we need to expand the support available.
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“These dedicated staff keep our healthcare system running 24/7 and we need to make sure they have 24/7 support too.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--45 Hilarious Tweets That Sum Up Pregnancy

A very humbling moment in my life was when I was pregnant and feeling very busty, so I went to a lingerie store and was like “yeah, I don’t even KNOW what cup size I am, because PREGNANCY has made my chest HUGE,” so they measured me and they were like “ma’am you are a 34A”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--7 Habits Of Lifelong Friends

7 Habits Of Lifelong Friends

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Lifelong friendships are rare — and that’s part of what makes them so special.
We’re not meant to have the same set of friends throughout our entire lives. We move to different places, we change, we drift apart. Sometimes we outgrow each other — and that’s perfectly normal. But the friendships that last for decades are truly something to cherish.
So what do lifelong pals do differently that keeps their bond so strong over time? Read on to find out.
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1. They show up for each other when it matters most.
When you’re friends with someone for many years, you’ll inevitably see each other through some of life’s biggest challenges: the death of loved ones, breakups, divorces, layoffs and health issues. Fair weather friends may fall off the map when the going gets tough. But lifelong friends know they can count on each other to be there through it all with a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on or just a welcome distraction from the heartache.
Thomas Barwick via Getty Images You can count on your longtime friends to show up when you really need them.
“When we do show up for one another in these moments, it solidifies our bond,” psychologist and friendship expert Marisa G. Franco told HuffPost. “People get to experience how much others truly love them by witnessing how much they show up for them in times of need.”
2. They plan for transitions — and keep talking once they happen.
Lifelong friends are proactive about figuring out how they’ll continue to fit into each other’s lives, even as circumstances change — whether it’s a cross-country move, a baby, a new career or a romantic relationship.
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“They plan a visit before their friend sets off to a new city, low-key hang out in-person or virtually while their friend takes care of their infant, or schedule regular ‘friend nights’ so that a new romantic partner doesn’t crowd out time for their friendship,” said Rhaina Cohen, who covers human behaviour as a producer for the NPR podcast ”Hidden Brain.”
“When we do show up for one another in these moments, it solidifies our bond.” - Marisa G. Franco, psychologist and friendship expert
Of course, no amount of planning will makes these transitions seamless — there will be growing pains along the way. It’s the willingness to adapt and put effort into maintaining the friendship that counts.
“If you’ve already made it clear to each other that you expect to work through challenges created by the transition, you’ve created a runway to articulate how you feel and make adjustments,” Cohen added.
3. They remember things happening in each other’s lives, big and small.
Friends might text you on your birthday, but your nearest and dearest pals go a step further. For instance, they never forget to reach out on the anniversary of your mum’s death or send you flowers or your favourite dessert. They also remember to check in on things you may have only mentioned in passing, like an upcoming job interview or a doctor’s appointment you were nervous about.
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“Remembering each other should really be more about remembering the less obvious things,” said Kurt Smith, a therapist who specialises in counselling men. ”Some examples could be that their mum is getting chemo treatment, their daughter is applying to college or they’re remodelling the kitchen.”
4. They’re able to discuss issues in their relationship honestly and maturely.
zoranm via Getty Images When issues arise, longtime friends are willing to work through them together.
Lesser friends might sweep their frustrations or hurt feelings under the rug, too scared to tackle these problems, hoping they just disappear. Lifelong friends, however, are committed to addressing whatever issues come up. They’re confident their friendship can withstand uncomfortable conversations, and know that having them will only strengthen — not destroy — their bond.
“Research finds that we tend to distance ourselves from friends when problems go unaddressed for too long,” Franco said. “Other studies find that open, empathic communication around conflict strengthens relationships. Bringing up issues is a way to honour the relationship, and lifelong friends know how to do it in a way that doesn’t involve blame, but instead involves working together to heal from issues.”
5. They’re vulnerable with each other.
Unlike casual friendships that tend to only scratch the surface, lifelong friends know they can let their guards down with each other. They can talk about their fears, their flaws, their mistakes and insecurities and know they won’t be judged or rejected.
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“Lifelong friends tell each other what’s really going wrong,” Franco said. “The strength of a relationship is revealed by the degree to which we are willing to express our truest and deepest selves within it. This willingness to be vulnerable conveys trust and strengthens the relationship.”
6. They make time for quick catch-ups and longer get-togethers.
FG Trade via Getty Images Spending quality time together IRL (even if it's only once a year for long-distance BFFs) is essential.
To maintain the long-term friendships in her life, Cohen said she aims for a mix of brief check-ins and extended hangouts.
“For me, exchanging voice memos or having a standing monthly call ensures that a friend and I have an up-to-date sense of each other’s lives,” she said. “These discussions mean we don’t have to dedicate our longer hangouts to ‘catching up’ — i.e. recounting our lives’ basic plot lines without moving the relationship forward.”
Those regular check-ins keep the friendship humming along. But without longer hangouts (when you can ideally spend a day or more together) in the mix, it’s difficult to have those unexpected conversations that take the friendship to the next level. Lifelong friends know how nourishing this extended time together can be and prioritise it when they can.
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“I find friendships strengthen when we have occasions to spend more than an hour or two together — even if that’s only every year or so for my long-distance close friends,” Cohen said. “Hikes create an excuse to spend the better part of a day together, as do vacations or visits.”
7. But they also give each other grace if they go a while without talking.
In an ideal world, we’d keep in touch with our pals regularly, but sometimes life gets in the way. Long-term friends understand these ebbs and flows and try not to take them personally. In time, they come back together and pick up where they left off.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--This Is The Sheer Chaos Unleashed By Last-Minute Local Lockdowns

Phones ringing off the hook, councillors scrambling for details and anxious families worrying about how their jobs and children will be affected – these are the scenes local leaders have described in the wake of strict local lockdown restrictions being announced by the government.
A series of Labour councillors and politicians have told HuffPost UK how, by unveiling sweeping new restrictions late at night on social media, without details of the rules and without giving councils times to prepare, the government is undermining public confidence and sparking widespread anxiety.
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“They need to think more about the real world – real families in their homes hearing that kind of announcement,” Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham told HuffPost UK.
“I don’t think they think enough about those things.”
In Newcastle – where a sharp uptick in Covid-19 infections has seen the coronavirus rate reach 108 cases per 100,000 people in recent days – local leaders asked the government for a series of additional restrictions to help curb the spread of the potentially deadly virus.
But when health secretary Matt Hancock announced in the Commons on Thursday that large swathes of the north-east would be under new, stricter coronavirus directives, local politicians – including Newcastle City Council leader Nick Forbes – were in the dark about the exact regulations.
A woman wearing a protective face mask walks along the quayside, on the banks of the River Tyne, backdropped by the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle. OLI SCARFF via Getty Images
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Yes, there would be a 10pm curfew for bars and restaurants and a ban on people socialising outside of their households – but what did the announcement mean for public transport? For weddings? For organised sports?
“The secretary of state made an announcement in the Commons at 11.30am, but we didn’t actually get the final version of the regulations until 6pm,” Forbes said.
“So we had maybe seven hours of people speculating wildly about what was going to be announced and we didn’t know because we hadn’t seen the final list of restrictions.”
The council knew what it had asked for, “but we didn’t know exactly what we were going to be given”.
The delay led to some people “frankly making rubbish up”, Forbes said.
“That did nothing to ensure we had clarity and consistency in messaging. In fact, it undermined what we were trying to achieve.”
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The hold-up followed leaks and speculation in the local press about what would be announced by ministers, Forbes said.
“It caused a great deal of anxiety – for about a 48 hour period, the phone rang more or less non-stop, with worried people – and in some cases very angry people – either demanding answers or shouting.”
The Government announced restrictions for the North East at 11.30am this morning, effective from Midnight, but the regulations have still not been published. The longer this goes on the greater the info vaccuum and the more alarmed people are getting. We need clarity, now. — Nick Forbes (@nick_forbes) September 17, 2020
The three main things people were calling about? Visiting family members, the rules around going to pubs and restaurants and people’s upcoming nuptials.
“I think we had about eight calls from people asking if their wedding was going to be cancelled,” Forbes said.
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“Of course, we hadn’t asked for any changes around weddings, but we didn’t know what the government was going to say, so we couldn’t give them a clear answer. That was deeply frustrating.”
But it’s not just in the north-east where councillors have been left reeling by the government’s handling of local lockdown restrictions.
Andrew Western, the Labour leader of Trafford Council, described how he and other leaders in Greater Manchester were given just hours to prepare for drastic changes to social distancing rules at the end of July following a spike in coronavirus cases.
They only found out about the new restrictions after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham received a call from Matt Hancock around 4.30pm on July 30 saying he was “minded to act and put in place some restrictions”.
By “pure chance”, Burnham – who was himself health secretary between 2009 and 2010 – had a meeting scheduled with local Labour leaders that evening.
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Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham PA
“The difficult thing is, I only got engaged late on Thursday and the health secretary was about to go into a meeting,” the mayor told HuffPost UK.
“I said to him that I would have to consult the leaders – I can’t say on their behalf that something is fine.
“I’ve said throughout this, they have the primary and statutory responsibility for their borough with regard to public safety. So I have to coordinate their voice, but their voice really matters here.”
If there hadn’t already been a meeting in the diary, most leaders would not have been able to attend a last-minute gathering, he said.
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“I think that isn’t understood enough in Whitehall. If there’s a big change coming that’s going to affect millions of people’s lives, you have to really get on board the people who are going to front up that change.”
The government “haven’t thought enough about all that”, Burnham added.
Just hours after Burnham, Western and other local leaders were first informed about the new restrictions, Hancock announced the new rules – which came into force at midnight – on Twitter.
3/4 The spread is largely due to households meeting and not abiding to social distancing. So from midnight tonight, people from different households will not be allowed to meet each other indoors in these areas. pic.twitter.com/Yy7wLbdh9V — Matt Hancock (@MattHancock) July 30, 2020
“It’s ridiculous,” Western – who has led Trafford Council since 2018 – said, branding it a “comms disaster”. “Who announces something late at night on Twitter that’s going to come in at midnight?”
By the time the mayor was informed of the changes, it was already the end of the working day, Western said.
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“By that time, my staff had finished for the day. We’re responsible for enforcing this – we need to get relevant public health messages out and there’s a void basically, because nobody is around.
“You can’t expect people to be scrambling at that time of night to get messages together.”
It’s a thought that is echoed by Burnham. “Councils are used as a trusted source of information by residents,” he said. “They will turn to the council quite a lot.”
When government changes are coming, councils need time to create a messaging campaign for local people to make sure the rules are clear and easy to understand.
“But they’re not allowing time for all of that to take place,” Burnham said. “It isn’t working.”
He continued: “We are the ones who have to deal with these messages on the ground and the consequences of them.
“I don’t think the government is thinking enough of the reality of what we have to do – the inquiries we get, the public’s reaction etc. The government makes an announcement and goes on to something else and we’re left.
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“If they involved us, worked with us, consulted us, their messages may even land better for them. So it’s not like us asking for something from them – we could actually give them something by helping them land their messages better.”
But Western has been blindsided more than once by new restrictions during the pandemic.
A person cycles past Trafford Town Hall in Greater Manchester Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
At the start of September, the government ignored appeals from Trafford Council to keep local lockdown restrictions in place in the areas and lifted the rules – only to reimpose them hours later.
“At 12.30pm in the afternoon– 12-and-a-half hours after the restrictions had been lifted, they reimposed them, having sent us a copy of the press release about 20 minutes before they did so,” Western said. “And that was the notification that we got.”
Alyson Barnes, leader of Rossendale Borough Council, said it was clear that the government “likes big announcements”.
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“We’re all left trying to work out what that means,” she said.
Rossendale, a borough in Lancashire, was among the areas where even stricter lockdown measures came into force on Tuesday, replacing previous rules.
Under the new guidelines, residents are banned from mixing with anyone outside their household or bubble in a bid to halt the spread of Covid-19.
“This latest announcement has not been any different,” Barnes said. “We have got hospitality venues contacting us about the 10pm curfew – ‘Is that 10pm sharp, doors shut? Or is it last orders at 10pm?’”
She added: “You just get people contacting you all the time about different aspects of this… It just comes at you from all sorts of directions, because the announcement is made so quickly, you just don’t have time to get any of the detail in place. So we’re always playing catch up with it.”
None of this can be easy for ministers, Barnes said. “It’s a new territory for UK government – they haven’t had to deal with a pandemic since the early 1900s.
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“So I’m quite sympathetic in a way to that fact, I get that. But I do think if they gave themselves just a little bit longer on some things, to think the detail through, that would help them in the long run.
“They seem to be a bit of a hair trigger – they have got to be saying it now, not waiting till they have worked it through for a day or so. It’s got to be done now.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care told HuffPost UK that ministers and experts were “constantly” reviewing evidence about the spread of Covid-19.
“The government, working alongside scientific and public health experts and local leaders constantly review the epidemiological evidence and we are prepared to take swift and decisive action to cut the transmission of the virus and protect communities,” they said.
“Everyone has a part to play - you can protect yourself, loved ones and the public by washing your hands, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces, practice social distancing and, if you may have come into contact with this virus, self-isolating.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Kiss Less, Face Away: Your Guide To Covid-Safe Sex

Charlene Douglas, sex coach, therapist, and founder of The Intimacy Coach tells HuffPost UK you could “potentially be giving yourself a death sentence” by sleeping with somebody you don’t really know.
But, some say if people are out having casual sex anyway, they might as well learn to do it safely. “It’s unrealistic to ask everyone to abstain from sex indefinitely, whether in ‘established’ relationships or not,” said a spokesperson from the charity, The Terrence Higgins Trust.
So how’s best to do it safely?
Choose solo sex. The safest option, of course, is to opt for solo sex – a.k.a masturbation. (No, it’s not the same, we know). Take this time to (re)discover parts of your body. “Your best sexual partner during the Covid-19 pandemic is yourself,” the Terrence Higgins Trust advised.
Douglas adds: “Do what works for you. It’s not for everyone, but explore your own body, as well as a range of toys available. Have fun creating different sensations, use the time to try out different toys, and learn about what you like sexually.”
Do it with someone you trust.
“To add to the guidelines, trust is the biggest thing,” says Douglas. “Ideally, have sex with a partner you live with, or someone that you know. If not, really know what you’re getting yourself into. Be sure to have that conversation whether they have symptoms or if they live with vulnerable people.”
Matt Valentine-Chase, sex coach and therapist, says to be extra safe, you could take temperatures prior to any encounter.
Avoid kissing and wear a face covering.
Last month, charity The Terrence Higgins Trust published a guide on how to have sex safely – and their advice still stands: people should avoid kissing, wear a face covering and choose positions that are safer. And Valentine-Chase, adds to be extra safe, you could wear gloves, too.
Of course, adds Douglas, “the issue is without kissing, touching or massaging it takes away from the intimacy, the build-up sex that leads up penetrative sex and different positions”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--8 Funny Tweets You Need To See After A Pretty Stressful Week

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The anxiety set in, as did fears of a second, full-on lockdown. And that sense of dread we felt several months ago seemed to return.
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So what we really need is some joy – a break from the doom and gloom of the news, and the chance to have a proper belly laugh.
Here are some tweets from this week that have done that for us. Happy Friday!
We’re here for camouflaged cats.
Hello, peeping eyes.
Me: *stares into the abyss*
The abyss: pic.twitter.com/3Lpu8Y7aH3 — Nerd Girl Says (@Rachael_Conrad) September 18, 2020
Never has a Gemma Collins moment felt so relevant.
*sound on*.
Never has a @missgemcollins moment been so relevant. pic.twitter.com/wHSM5HKPkN — Kirsty McCormack (@kirstymccormack) September 22, 2020
Dog plays a blinder.
Seriously, the speed of that.
Howling at that😭😭😭😭😭😭 dugs done him a beauty https://t.co/onSPXUWVIl — aodhan (@aodhanmate) September 10, 2020
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Emily Matilis’ slip-up summed up our year.
From Hull, HULL, not hell.
Lights on palm trees will never not be funny.
Yes, we’re children, okay?
GBBO’s Sura gave us the distraction we needed.
Nothing to see here, just a woman walking a cat.
just thinking about Queen Sura walking her cat #GBBO pic.twitter.com/3C5P1KMLYl — Michael Chakraverty (@mschakraverty) September 23, 2020
And a Boris Johnson x GBBO tweet went down well.
He’s a... cake? This opening sketch prediction was almost as good as the real thing.
8pm. Fade in on Boris Johnson. He stares at the camera without speaking. The nation holds its breath. Suddenly, a knife is plunged into his back. The attacker? Noel Fielding. He licks jam from the knife. The PM was a cake all along. 'Welcome to the fucking Bake Off' Noel screams. — Ross Sayers (@Sayers33) September 22, 2020
Deliveries in a pandemic are quite something.
Sorry, leave it where?
Conversation I just had through front door:
Who is it?
Delivery.
Please leave it on the doorstep.
Leave it here?
Yes please
Just here?
Yes.
Leave it here?
Yes.
PAUSE
On the doorstep?
I don’t understand what’s happening?
Nor do I.
JUST LEAVE IT THERE!!
PAUSE
Weird — Miranda Hart (@mermhart) September 22, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--‘I Can’t Help It’ – 5 People Reveal Why They’re Still Stockpiling

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In a move that feels like we’re going back in time, toilet rolls are being stockpiled, along with dried goods and pasta. Yep, we’re back to panic-buying.
While supermarket bosses have urged shoppers not to panic-buy – reiterating that it’s “unnecessary” – some people can’t resist.
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Aldi reminded customers the stores will be open daily, with deliveries multiple times a day, so stockpiling isn’t needed. “There is no need to buy more than you usually would,” said Giles Hurley, the head of Aldi UK. “I would like to reassure you our stores remain fully stocked and ask that you continue to shop considerately.”
In March, Hansa Pankhania, a therapist and member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, said anxiety is likely to be what fuels stockpiling – as well as helplessness, fear and loss of control.
When people panic-buy it’s a “gesture”, she explains – they’re doing something to help themselves in an otherwise helpless situation. When we have no control over the bigger picture, we crave control in our “micro world” – our home and daily routines. And in this case, people are doing it by buying up supplies.
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Anxiety about Covid-19 and another lockdown is normal and the impulse to stockpile may seem a reasonable reaction. But panic-buying makes a bad situation worse. Ratula Chakraborty, professor of business management at the University of East Anglia, told HuffPost UK earlier this year, before the impending March lockdown, that stocking up on supplies might be wise for elderly people or families with members who have underlying health conditions.
But, she said: “In this country, people are... just taking whatever they can lay their hands on – that’s not a very sensible reaction at all. In the process, they’re making other people anxious that they won’t find their stuff, so it leads to a domino effect.”
So why are people doing it? Here, they tell us.
‘I want to have the security of knowing I have enough food’
Anonymous, 26, researcher, Bristol
“In March when shops first moved to a one-in-one-out system, the queues for our local supermarket ran out the door and up past several neighbouring streets. It became easier to shop over summer with students away, but with 60,000+ students set to descend on the city, bringing with them the greater probability of local lockdown, I’m building up a small stock of essentials. In a normal September it’s hard enough to get essentials as the shops take a while to readjust to heightened demand. This year that really worries me. I worry about my Covid risk, and want to have the security of knowing I have enough food in the house if I have to self isolate tomorrow.”
Chesnot via Getty Images
‘I’ve been doing it since early 2019’
Sarah Hurst, 47, freelance journalist and trade consultant, Oxfordshire
“I’ve been stockpiling since early 2019 when a possible no-deal Brexit was first imminent. Even with a deal the end of the transition period in January will cause immense disruption to supply chains and inevitably result in higher prices for many products. Like many people I don’t have the income or savings to be able to cope easily with that. I’ve bought non-perishable foods, bathroom supplies and even a camping stove and water purification tablets. There’s no downside as most things are used anyway.”
‘It feels reassuring that I have the freedom to fill my cupboards to the brim’
Anonymous, 28, writer, West Sussex
“I’ve always been one to buy a few extras in the supermarket when an item is on offer, but my stockpiling game reached a whole new level in 2020 after it took me a fortnight to find a pack of four toilet rolls. Who could’ve predicted the humble loo roll would become such a precious commodity? In a year where I’ve had little control over what I can and can’t do, it feels reassuring that I at least have the freedom to fill my cupboards to the brim and share my stock with loved ones should full lockdown return.”
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‘I see other people doing it, and I can’t help it’
Anonymous, 27, HR executive, Huddersfield
“I don’t ever think it’ll get to the point where I have no in food in the house and can’t go out and get some, but I see toilet rolls go down and I can’t help but stockpile when I can. It’s more for convenience, I guess. I wouldn’t tell others I’m doing it, but it makes me feel like I have some sort of control over this situation. And, if we’re told to stay home as much as possible again, I won’t have to go out to get toilet paper.”
‘The last lockdown was an absolute disaster’
Rebecca Tidy, 33, research associate, Cornwall


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Lockdown Never Ended For Disabled People

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It’s day 200 of lockdown and I log in to Instagram. I scroll and see pictures of friends’ lives, their holidays to Luxembourg, Tenerife or Vietnam. I see pictures of people enjoying a meal in the sunshine.
I want to be with them, living the lives they’re leading more than I thought it possible to want anything. But as a disabled person with cerebral palsy and asthmatic lungs, I’m at a high-risk for Covid-19.
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Since late February, I’ve been shielding, becoming so intimate with the walls of my bedroom that I could forensically recite all the objects in the room with my eyes closed.
While everyone else was being encouraged to go about their lives again, to “eat out to help out” and return to the office or the classroom, disabled people like me stayed put.
The risk to our lives had not evaporated. We knew that it would be a long time before we could enjoy the pleasures of fresh air and the feeling of sunlight on our skin again.
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Many of my non-disabled peers are distraught at the news of new lockdown measures being introduced. The fact that these measures could be in place for six months mortifies them. I want to reply that disabled people like me never left lockdown. I want to say that we’ve been inside for far longer than six months, but I hold my tongue.
Before the pandemic, there was always a gap between the experiences of disabled people and non-disabled people. Before, it was as though each party stood on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon, trying to shout over to each other. But now? It feels like we’ve slipped into alternate universes entirely.
The pandemic has intensified many already existing inequalities, and many of disabled people’s worst fears have come to pass.
An ever-present fear that many disabled people like me have is that we’ll be denied medical care in an emergency, simply because of the way our bodies and minds are seen by doctors and government officials.
Last month, a report found that one in ten care homes had been ordered by the NHS to impose blanket DNR orders on all care home residents, without their consultation or consent.
Here was the grim evidence that disabled people’s fears are not simply a paranoid fantasy, but a lived, horrifying, and justified fear.
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The fact that disabled people are seen as less than has never been clearer. Even Boris Johnson’s direct address to the nation, announcing the implementation of new lockdown measures, lacked a BSL interpreter.
From the beginning of the pandemic, disabled people have suffered from mixed and muddy messaging from the government. If they were on the government list of vulnerable people to begin with, many disabled people struggled to get PPE for themselves and their carers.
Shielding was paused in August, as the government announced that it was safe for the vulnerable to return to the workplace. Just over a month later, coronavirus cases have unsurprisingly soared.
Over and over again, in addresses to the nation, in speeches to parliament, disabled people are not mentioned, despite ONS statistics showing that two thirds of people who have died from Covid-19 were disabled.
Many of those that have survived the virus have become disabled as a result of their infection.
Before the pandemic, a disabled person was more than twice as likely to be unemployed than their non-disabled peers. A poll by Scope found that a quarter of people surveyed feared losing their job due to the pandemic.
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Each day, disabled people are being asked to risk their lives. If working from home is not possible, we’re being encouraged to hop on the bus, the tube or the tram, and put our lives at risk in order to work.
“Don’t let the impact this pandemic has had on disabled people be forgotten.Don’t forget about us.”
I receive a Google Alert for the word “disabled”. Every day, new stories of the ways disabled people have been ignored and let down emerge.
To be disabled in this pandemic feels like being trapped in a Stephen King novel, forever waiting to see what the next line of narration has in store for us.
We’re at a crucial point in the pandemic’s progress, and disabled people have never been in more danger of being erased and forgotten entirely.
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Now more than ever, disabled people need not only allies but co-conspirators. People like me can’t take to the streets and protest the government’s appalling handling of the Covid-19 pandemic. We cannot be there to challenge when we aren’t mentioned again in Parliament.
I’m roughly more than eleven times more likely to die from Covid-19 than my peers. I’ve told my friends that if I do die from the virus, they’re to dump my body at the doorstep of parliament.
I’m doing my best to keep myself healthy, by continuing to shield.
To my peers, I’d say, listen to disabled people. Pay attention to our concerns and, with our permission, advocate for us.
For the thousands of people like me all over the country, lockdown never ended.
Check in on the disabled people in your life, text the carers that you know. Don’t let the impact this pandemic has had on disabled people be forgotten.
Don’t forget about us.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Met Officer Killed At Croydon Police Station Is Named As Sgt Matt Ratana

A police officer who died after being shot at Croydon station by a man who was being detained has been named as Sgt Matiu Ratana.
The 54-year-old was known as Matt, Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said on Friday night.
He was “big in stature, big in heart, friendly, capable, a lovely man and highly respected by his colleagues,” and leaves behind a partner and adult son, Dick said.
Having joined to force in 1991, Ratana worked in Charring Cross, Hillingdon and Hackney.
BREAKING: The police officer who was shot dead in south London early on Friday morning has been named as Matt Ratana.
Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick is giving an update following his death.
Read more here: https://t.co/OEItCl8MeD pic.twitter.com/cjoRchuFBj — SkyNews (@SkyNews) September 25, 2020
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Dick said: “He was very well known locally and he will be remembered so fondly in Croydon and missed there, as well as in the Met and in the rugby world.”
She added: “The important thing to say is that he had a fantastic career, he gave 29 years of his life to the public of London, he has now tragically been killed on duty.
“His service will never be forgotten and we are deeply grateful for it and it is a really distinguished service from a lovely, lovely, much respected police officer.”
The commissioner said the long-serving sergeant died in hospital after being shot by the man at the custody centre in south London during the early hours of Friday.
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A bouquet of flowers is left at the scene where the office was shot Press Association
A 23-year-old man was detained by officers at the scene. He was also taken to hospital with what is believed to be a a self-inflicted gunshot wound and remains in a critical condition.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Coronavirus Lockdown: New Restrictions Announced For Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds

People visit City Hall in Leeds, UK tupungato via Getty Images
The government has announced new local lockdown restrictions for Wigan, Stockport, Blackpool and Leeds amid a surge in Covid-19 cases.
From midnight on Friday, people in these areas will be banned from mixing with people from outside their household or bubble in their homes or gardens.
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They are also advised against meeting up with people in bars, restaurants and shops.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said: “We continue to see an acceleration of COVID-19 cases across the country, especially in the North West and the North East.”
The government is prepared to take “swift and decisive action” to curb the spread of the virus, he said.
“I recognise the burden and impact these additional measures have on our daily lives but we must act collectively and quickly to bring down infections.”
There are some exceptions to the new rules. Following an announcement by the government earlier this week, people will still be able to meet up to offer childcare.
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The UK is facing a second wave of Covid-19, with new national regulations brought in in England this week in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.
Doctor in protective gloves & workwear holding Testing Kit for the coronavirus test. Images By Tang Ming Tung via Getty Images
On Friday, the UK recorded 6,874 new cases of coronavirus – the highest on record.
However, this does not mean that the UK has surpassed the point of the first peak.
During the first wave of infections in March and April, the country’s limited testing capacity meant only a very small proportion of people with the disease were being tested.
On Friday, Public Health England (PHE) made every borough in London an area of “concern” amid rising coronavirus infections.
Professor Kevin Fenton, London regional director for PHE, said: “We are currently seeing much more widespread transmission in the city and being recognised as an area of concern is an important step in our efforts to control the virus.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--First Covid, Now Brexit - Are Ministers Shifting Blame Again?

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The mood of the Brexit negotiations appears to be improving, with chatter about a path to a deal growing in Westminster.
For what it’s worth, a well-placed source tells me that James Forsyth’s excellent Times column declaring a Brexit trade deal “within touching distance” was a “bit too positive” and that the “difficult stuff is still difficult” - namely state aid and fish.
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But Forsyth is extremely well connected and things do appear to be shifting, with “some progress” being made and better “atmospherics” around the talks, according to my source.
As we revealed earlier this week, the EU has also backed away from its hardline stance on granting the UK the automatic right to export food into the continent.
And I am told the UK will be willing to drop its law-breaking clauses from the controversial Internal Market Bill if a deal can be reached on Northern Ireland between Michael Gove and Maros Sefcovic on the so-called joint committee, which meets again on Monday.
That said, a breakthrough is not imminent, and there are still huge changes to come for Covid-hit businesses and the economy from January, highlighted this week by the revelation that Gove plans to draw a de factor border around Kent for lorries.
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As well as warning of the potential for queues of 7,000 lorries in the county under a “reasonable worst case scenario” no deal situation, Gove also revealed that a government survey suggests just a quarter of companies are ready for changes.
“The industry says that it is being ‘fitted up’ to take the blame”
It sparked concerns among Labour MPs that businesses, like the public on coronavirus, are being set up to get the blame if things go belly up when the transition period finishes on December 31.
Firms argue that they cannot possibly be ready when the government is behind on so many fronts.
They point out that key IT systems like the smart freight service that will oversee the so-called “Kent access permit” are not ready, that physical infrastructure is not in place, that customs officials have not been hired, and that there is uncertainty over the rules given the unresolved statuses of Northern Ireland and the trade deal.
Businesses struggling with the impact of Covid-19 might also reasonably have expected an extension to the transition period, even if only for a few months.
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“The industry says that it is being ‘fitted up’ to take the blame for the government’s failure to grasp, in the words of one logistics expert involved in the talks, ‘real-world complexities’, as Commons Brexit committee chair Hilary Benn said earlier this week.
A Whitehall official described the claims as “total rubbish” and point out that everyone has a responsibility to prepare for Brexit, while recognising the government has “more to do”.
They also highlight the fact that the government has delayed import controls by six months and that it is the EU proposing to impose checks from January 1.
And in any case whether there is a deal or not, they insist many business preparations are “no regrets” actions that would apply in either scenario.
But given Boris Johnson’s refusal to acknowledge failings in test and trace, and the government’s willingness to blame the public for the surge in coronavirus infections while failing to acknowledge the potential impact of Eat Out To Help Out or telling people to go back to work, it is difficult to avoid a sense of blame shifting.
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And there is the chance that firms could already be in the public’s bad books with furlough ending and bosses being forced to choose between keeping staff on part-time or making them redundant under chancellor Rishi Sunak’s furlough replacement plan.
Anand Menon, director of the UK In A Changing Europe think-tank (which published an excellent report on no deal this week), thinks such an approach might even work.
He told me earlier: “When it comes to the politics of this, what I think would be really damaging for the government is if loads of businesses said ‘they are talking rubbish, they weren’t ready, they didn’t have the systems in place, all this stuff about giving us notice is rubbish because we didn’t know what we were preparing for and they could have delayed it but they chose not to’.
“ButI think we’re not not going to get many business leaders doing that and it’s partly down to the fact that business leaders are also engaged in begging the government to help them out.”
The question for those Labour MPs like Benn and Keir Starmer is whether they can make the charge of incompetence stick to this government.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Here's Who Could Be Prioritised For A Covid-19 Vaccine

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The coronavirus vaccine made by Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech has been approved for use in the UK, with rollouts due to start as early as next week.
It’s the news we’ve all been waiting for. Studies have shown the jab to be 95% effective and that it works in all age groups. No safety concerns arose from clinical trials.
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Other vaccine trials – such as the much-reported Oxford and AstraZeneca vaccine – are still ongoing. But in the meantime, the government has secured 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab, with 10 million due in the UK by the end of the year.
Patients will need two doses of the vaccine, meaning there won’t currently be enough for the entire population. So, who will get the vaccine first?
The health secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) will be setting out its finalised priority list later on Wednesday.
Interim guidance published in September suggested these groups would be prioritised to receive the vaccine:
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older adults resident in a care home and care home workers all those 80 years of age and over and health and social care workers all those 75 years of age and over all those 70 years of age and over all those 65 years of age and over high-risk adults under 65 years of age moderate-risk adults under 65 years of age all those 60 years of age and over all those 55 years of age and over all those 50 years of age and over rest of the population (priority to be determined)
The list was developed based on a review of UK epidemiological data on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic to date, and mathematical modelling on the potential impact of different vaccination programmes.
The advice publish by the JCVI reads that any vaccine programme will need to ensure every effort is made to get good coverage in Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) groups, in areas of higher socio-economic deprivation, and in areas with outbreaks or high levels of community transmission.
The roll-out advice remains under review.
Javier Zayas Photography via Getty Images
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Data from the UK indicates that those at greatest risk of severe illness and mortality from Covid-19 are adults over the age of 50 years, with the risk increasing markedly over the age of 70 years.
The Pfizer/BioNTech news makes the UK the first country in the world to have a “clinically authorised vaccine” to roll out. Russia has approved a vaccine but there are concerns about its safety and efficacy.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Amanda Holden Speaks Out Over Ofcom Complaints About Alesha Dixon’s BLM Necklace On Britain's Got Ta

Amanda Holden Speaks Out Over Ofcom Complaints About Alesha Dixon’s BLM Necklace On Britain's Got Talent

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While some Britain’s Got Talent viewers felt the need to complain to Ofcom about Alesha Dixon’s necklace on last week’s show, her choice of jewellery initially flew under the radar for her fellow judge Amanda Holden.
In an exclusive interview with HuffPost UK, Amanda admitted that despite being sat next to Alesha on the judging panel, she failed to spot the statement ‘BLM’ (Black Lives Matter) necklace that the former Mis-Teeq star was wearing until she had it pointed out to her.
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“I didn’t even realise she was wearing it!” Amanda told us. “I was sat right next to her and was like ‘oh, that’s lovely! And she went ‘look at it babe’ and I went ‘oh, yes’. It took me ages… it’s me eyes you see – I’m sat a couple of metres away!”
Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden Rex
Following last Saturday’s semi-final, Alesha received widespread praise for her choice of jewellery, but it also led to a small number of viewers contacting Ofcom to complain.
“I feel enormously protective towards Alesha and all my friends who experience this kind of thing,” Amanda says.
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“And it’s not just in Black communities, it’s in gay communities and just communities where it’s not comfortable for everybody. I’ve always been a fierce defender of any issue like that, where people want to make change that doesn’t always sit comfortably with other people.”
Amanda adds: “Alesha, believe me, is tough and can fight her own corner. She doesn’t need me but she’s got me right there if she needs me… I’ve got a mouthguard and a hot towel ready.”
Alesha wore the BLM necklace after Diversity’s powerful performance on the ITV talent show led to more than 20,000 complaints to the broadcasting regulator, which have since been dismissed.
Britain's Got Talent champions Diversity returned to the ITV show earlier this month to perform a powerful routine inspired by the events of 2020, including the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests that followed. Dymond/Thames/Syco/Shutterstock
Reflecting on Diversity’s performance, Amanda says: “We mustn’t forget that it was a performance that reflected the entire year, not just the tragedy in America of George Floyd. It was celebrating the NHS and our sense of community, which is ironic after we received those complaints.
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“So it annoyed me that so much focus was on the negativity when we were overwhelmed by amazing, positive responses.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--UK Coronavirus R Rate Rises Again To Between 1.2 and 1.5

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The reproduction number, or R value, of coronavirus transmission across the UK still remains above 1 and is continuing to rise.
Data released on Friday by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) shows the estimate for R for the whole of the UK is between 1.2 and 1.5.
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Last week, the R number was between 1.1 to 1.4. All regions of England have an R that is higher than 1, according the government’s scientific advisers.
R represents the average number of people each Covid-19 positive person goes on to infect. When the figure is above 1, an outbreak can grow exponentially.
Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) published today suggested in England there were 9,600 cases per day in the week until 19 September - an increase on the the 6,000 a day the previous week.
It comes as London was placed on the government’s watchlist of areas of concern. It means stricter restrictions could be imposed in the capital if cases continue to rise.
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Today it was also shown that no local area in England is considered a low risk coronavirus zone within the nation’s new contact tracing app.
The NHS Covid-19 app was rolled out across England and Wales on Thursday after months of delay, designed to automatically alert people of anyone who tests positive that they have been close to.
One element within the app is a localised risk level based on the first part of a person’s postcode.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-25--Christian Concern Loses Legal Challenge Against ‘At Home’ Abortions During Pandemic

The Court of Appeal has ruled against a challenge over government changes to abortion rules made during the coronavirus pandemic.
Christian Concern pursued action against the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) over its change to the regulations, allowing women to have medical abortions at home following a phone or video consultation.
The group took its case to the Court of Appeal after losing a High Court bid in May to bring a claim over the government’s decision.
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Christian Concern argues that the government’s decision went beyond the powers available to it under the 1967 Abortion Act and claims that allowing women to have terminations at home goes against the purpose of the Act, which was to prevent “backstreet” abortions.
At a hearing in July, Michael Phillips, representing Christian Concern, told three senior judges that the change in rules “is one of the most significant amendments in the last 50 years of abortion law”.
He added that it has “serious and life-changing consequences for the women involved” as well as for medical professionals and staff working at abortion clinics.
The government opposed the challenge and said the decision to change the rules fell within its “scope and power”.
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The case centred on a decision by the government in March to allow women to take both drugs needed for an early medical abortion at home.
Under previous rules, only the second drug could be taken at home, with the first administered at a hospital or clinic following an appointment with a doctor.
Christian Concern announced plans to pursue legal action in April, after a double U-turn by the DHSC over abortion rules during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Ministers initially said women and girls would be allowed to take abortion pills at home, and doctors to prescribe from their homes during the pandemic.
Hours later, the statement was removed from the department’s website, with officials saying it was “published in error”.
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Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs that abortion rules would not be changed as part of the response to the Covid-19 outbreak.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--1,700 Manchester Students Ordered To Self-Isolate

Around 1,700 students in Manchester have been ordered to self-isolate after 127 of them tested positive for coronavirus.
Hundreds of students at the Birley campus and Cambridge Halls at Manchester Metropolitan University have been told to stay in their rooms for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms.
The rate of Covid-19 spread in Manchester was 185.6 per 100,000 people in the week up to September 22, when 1,026 positive tests were recorded, figures show.
This was almost twice the rate of the previous week when the infection rate was 93.2 per 100,000, with 515 cases.
The news comes after all students in Scotland were told to avoid pubs as part of efforts to prevent outbreaks in university campuses from spreading into the wider population.
Hundreds of students are self-isolating after outbreaks of the virus at Glasgow, Edinburgh Napier and other universities.
Manchester Met first-year student Joe Barnes told BBC Breakfast: “It’s left morale at my flat pretty low to be fair because to put it into perspective we have just had what should have been our freshers’ week.
“We should have been going out making the most of it and now we are stuck inside for another two weeks after isolating for a week already because a couple of people in our flat have caught the virus. So we don’t see the end of it.
“For this two-week period we have had the announcement all our lessons will be online, so theoretically I could go home and study but for me that sort of defeats the point of coming to uni at all. I have not only just come for my studies, I have come to meet new people and enjoy the experience.”
The University and College Union has described the Manchester incident as “the latest catastrophe in a week where wholly predictable – and predicted – Covid outbreaks have caused havoc on campuses across the UK”.
General secretary Jo Grady said: “We warned last month of the problems with moving thousands of students across the country and the time has come for urgent action from ministers and universities to protect staff and students.
“Manchester Metropolitan University shifting teaching online only for foundation and first year students exposes the total absurdity of the current position of trying to continue with blended learning.”
In an interview with The Guardian, Grady urged university leaders to drop face-to-face classes until the government improves its test-and-trace system.
She told the paper: “If [vice-chancellors] don’t do something now, all their efforts will be undone in a few weeks because the number of infections will be so high, or there is an urgency about this that didn’t exist a month ago, because we are seeing infection rates rising and there is the danger that students are just becoming incubators.
“But until there is an effective, UK-wide test-and-trace programme, there are going to be cases everywhere.”
Councillor Bev Craig, executive member for adult health and wellbeing for Manchester City Council, said: “This is obviously very difficult for all of the young people involved and we will be working with the university and other public services to make sure that any of the students affected get the support they need.
“Students are a vital part of our city, and as part of our plans we expected that numbers could rise as they returned to the city.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Trump Tells Rally 'We're Not Going To Stand For It' If He Loses Election

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The only presidential election Donald Trump will accept as legitimate is the one he wins, he told a crowd of supporters Friday night at a rally in Virginia. If he loses in November, Trump declared, ”We’re not going to stand for it.”
Trump’s speech in Newport News was the latest ominous sign that he may refuse to leave office if he’s voted out. Asked at a press conference Wednesday if he would “commit to a peaceful transferal of power” if he lost the November election, Trump said ominously: “Well, we’re going to have to see what happens.”
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Trump declared Friday that the only way he’ll lose the election is if the Democrats cheat.
“We’re not going to lose this except if they cheat,” Trump told the crowd. “Our country is at stake.”
“We do want a very friendly transition,” he said. “But we don’t want to be cheated, and be stupid, and say, ‘Oh, let’s transit.’ We’ll go and we’ll do a transition, and we’ll know that there were thousands and thousands of ballots that made the difference through cheating. We’re not going to stand for it.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Victoria Beckham Recreates Iconic Leg Pose With Daughter Harper

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Victoria Beckham has treated fans to a recreation of one of her most iconic poses, with a bit of help from her daughter, Harper.
Fans of the fashion designer and former Spice Girl will know that she has a penchant for showing off her flexibility in social media posts, repeatedly striking the same impressive pose in pictures.
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For example, here she is checking her messages…
Here she is hanging out with BFF Eva Longoria…
Here she is passing the time while her hair dries…
And here she is having a very leisurely chat with Ellen Degeneres...
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Well, in a new Instagram upload, Victoria has revealed she’s passing the pose onto the next generation of Beckhams, and is getting her nine-year-old daughter Harper in on the fun.
Posting a photo of herself and her youngest child in a hammock on Friday night, VB joked: “Friday night mood.”
She also tagged her son Brooklyn’s fiancé Nicola Pentz in the caption, who commented: “Beautiful girls.”
Last month, Victoria made headlines when she resurrected her Posh Spice persona for an impromptu photo-shoot with Harper, which saw them striking a fabulous 90s pose.
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Meanwhile, Emma Bunton recently teased that all five Spice Girls – yes, including Victoria – had been for a socially-distanced walk, although it turned out to be a less-than-glamorous stroll through the woods in the pouring rain.
“This time last year we were performing at Wembley all glammed up – well this year we were in wellies, walking in the rain,” she joked. “Yes, there’s something you don’t see every day – five Spice Girls in their wellies.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-09-26--Croydon Police Shooting Suspect Had Hands Cuffed Behind His Back

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The man who shot dead a Met Police sergeant inside a custody suite in Croydon had his hands cuffed behind his back at the time of the incident, the police watchdog has confirmed.
Sgt Matiu Ratana – known as Matt to his family and friends – died in hospital on Friday after a 23-year-old gunman opened fire at Croydon Custody Centre in south London in the early hours of the morning.
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Originally from New Zealand, Sgt Ratana joined the force in 1991 and was just weeks away from his retirement when he was killed.
A Metropolitan Police officer looks at floral tributes inside Croydon Custody Centre on September 25. Hollie Adams via Getty Images
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, a friend described Sgt Ratana as “the most nicest, generous man you could meet”, adding that he had moved into working in custody as he felt it was safer ahead of his retirement.
In the wake of the incident a former senior Met Police official has also called for better protection for officers, arguing that longer sentences are not enough to improve safety for emergency services.
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The suspect, who had been arrested for possession of Class B drugs with intent to supply and possession of ammunition, also shot himself during the incident at about 2.15am and is in a critical but stable condition in hospital.
No police firearms were fired and the case is not being treated as terror-related, but it is understood that the suspect may have been known to the government’s anti-extremism programme Prevent.
A murder probe has been launched and investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) watchdog attended the scene.
The IOPC have obtained CCTV from the custody centre as well as body-worn video footage from the officers present. These will be reviewed in the coming days, and initial accounts from the officers present will also be taken.
Floral tributes are placed outside the Croydon Custody Centre in south London on September 25, 2020. DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS via Getty Images
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The suspect was arrested by regular officers following a stop and search, then handcuffed behind his back before being taken to the station in a police vehicle.
The IOPC said he was taken into the building and sat in a holding area in the custody suite, then opened fire while still in handcuffs as officers prepared to search him with a metal detector.
IOPC regional director Sal Naseem said: “It is at that point that shots were fired resulting in the fatal injuries to the officer and critical injuries to the man.
“A non-police issue firearm, which appears to be a revolver, has been recovered from the scene. Further ballistic work will be required.”
Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick, who with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, led police officers across the capital in a minute’s silence on Friday, described Sgt Ratana as a “talented police officer”.
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He was “big in stature, big in heart, friendly, capable, a lovely man and highly respected by his colleagues”, and leaves behind a partner and adult son, Dame Cressida said.
Forensic officers in white suits were seen entering the police station on Friday morning, while floral tributes were left throughout the day.
Forces across the country flew flags at half-mast as a mark of respect and tributes poured in for Sgt Ratana, who Dame Cressida Dick described as a “lovely, lovely, much-respected police officer”.
Andy Trotter, former deputy assistant commissioner of the Met and also a former chief constable of British Transport Police, said increasing sentence lengths was not enough to prevent crime against emergency workers.
He told Times Radio: “The challenges the police face, the violence they face, is much wider than this and it won’t be solved by pushing up a sentence by 10 years. It’s got to be much more around the numbers of police officers … the protective equipment they’ve got and not just the police.
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“Fire, ambulance they’re all facing lots of attacks. We see attacks on shop workers, we see attacks on hospital staff. We are increasingly becoming a very difficult society to police.