thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Amazon’s Praise For Marcus Rashford Backfires Spectacularly

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Amazon, the tech giant owned by the richest person in the world, tweeted praise for man of the moment Marcus Rashford over his incredible work to stop poor children going hungry – and it not go down well.
Its Prime Video Sport sent support to the England star on Twitter, calling him a “national hero”.
But the gesture backfired somewhat, given ongoing criticism for the firm over tax avoidance and its decision to base its European operations in low-tax state Luxembourg. It also relies on wide-scale use of zero-hours contracts and accusations of workers being overstretched in warehouses.
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Marcus Rashford is a national hero ❤👏 pic.twitter.com/iU70HCigsT — Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) October 23, 2020
The tweet was greeted with a cacophony of users calling on the firm to pay more tax and for its owner Jeff Bezos – who is officially the world’s richest person – to share some of his personal £148.5 billion wealth for the causes Rashford is championing.
One user asked: “What about you ask Jeff to chip a few quid in to help the campaign, eh?”
He is. What about you ask Jeff to chip a few quid in to help the campaign, eh? — The Ragamuffins (@TheRagamuffins) October 23, 2020
I don't think a company that withholds millions in tax should be trying to comment on the good deeds of others. Huge yikes. Earn your own good karma, and PAY YOUR TAX!!! — Ryan Walker (@RyanSkyWalker) October 23, 2020
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Imagine how many kids your unpaid taxes could feed? — LewisL (@thedoublel_) October 23, 2020
Football star Rashford has vowed to continue campaigning to extend free school meals over the holidays despite MPs voting again the measure.
The Manchester United forward told politicians to “stop stigmatising, judging and pointing fingers” as he warned a “significant number” of children will go to bed hungry and “feeling like they do not matter” because of comments made during the debate.
He called on people to “unite” to protect the most vulnerable children, adding: “For as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.”
On Thursday he began sharing the details of dozens of restaurants, shops and community groups offering to feed the country’s poorest children after 322 Tories voted down a motion to extend free school meals.
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Last year it was reported that Amazon has paid less corporation tax in the UK over the last two decades than major retailers such as Marks and Spencer paid in one year alone.
An investigation by the Mirror found that Amazon UK Services had paid £61.7 million corporation tax in the UK in the last 20 years.
It also found the company had turned over £6.86 billion in the UK since 1998, but made £213 million profit – including five years of losses.
Amazon, which is valued at around 1.6 trillion US dollars (£1.24 trillion), was founded in 1994 by Bezos, a hedge fund executive.
Bezos is the world’s richest person and worth a fortune of around 193.5 billion US dollars (£148.5 billion).
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A spokesperson for Amazon pointed out that the firm delivered over one million free breakfasts to UK school children as part of a partnership with charity Magic Breakfast in May.
The added: “We are investing heavily in creating jobs and infrastructure across the UK – more than £23bn since 2010. The UK has now become one of Amazon’s largest global hubs for talent and this year we announced plans to create 10,000 new jobs in the country by the end of 2020, taking our total workforce to over 40,000.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Marcus Rashford’s Campaign Isn’t An Inspiration – It’s A Tragedy

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Marcus Rashford PA
There is no doubt that Marcus Rashford is a hero. A 22-year-old playing professional football for his country, after growing up in child poverty is an incredible story.
And, despite the ad hominem attacks by Tory MPs in Parliament – accusing Rashford of being a celebrity merely “virtue-signalling” – he has kept his head held high, expertly highlighting the humanity deficit in British politics by rising above their attempts to politicise poor children.
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Indeed, I myself grew up in child poverty on a council estate in Birmingham, and relied on free school meals at various points during my childhood to get by, so I know, first-hand, how vital they are.
That’s why the necessity of Rashford’s campaign horrifies me. That a footballer has to lead a campaign to feed hungry children because his government refuses to, that struggling businesses are stepping in to give what little they have to help our nation’s kids, is not and must not be seen as a victory for humanity – it’s a tragedy.
We are currently facing the biggest global recession in history. Businesses up and down the country are struggling to weather the storm, and millions find themselves completely left out by the government’s economic support.
And it is now these businesses that are having to step in to provide food for starving children with what little they have left.
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We’re also seeing underfunded local councils and authorities stepping forward such as Manchester and Birmingham – Rashford and I’s cities respectively – to try and help.
These are areas that have publicly, and, at times, explosively, stated that they need more financial support than the government is offering to prevent a spike in poverty during the pandemic. Because, like Covid-19, child poverty in the UK is a national crisis.
At present, 4.2 million children live in relative poverty in the UK – with 2.4 million in absolute poverty. It is becoming such an issue that the UN described it as “systemic and tragic” in 2019 – and that was before the economic crisis we’re in now.
The government was failing our nation’s children even before the pandemic hit. But now they have compounded their moral bankruptcy by choosing to continue to ignore them.
These children cannot vote, do not have a platform, and cannot speak for themselves. Indeed, it is this that led Rashford to say: “For as long as they don’t have a voice, they will have mine.”
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So, when I see Rashford tweeting constantly over the course of the last 24 hours with various places across the country that are offering to feed children, I can’t help but feel despair that this is happening in the sixth wealthiest nation in the world.
“So, while I support Rashford’s campaign, and all those sacrificing what little they have to help children, I also despair at its necessity.”
How is it that a 22-year-old footballer has more humanity than the House of Commons? And my despair is deepened by the rhetoric coming out of the government during this bleak and desperate time.
Conservatives presented arguments against feeding children in the run up to the vote on free school meals, saying they can’t “nationalise children”, “create dependencies”, “wreck” the economy, or “take responsibility from parents”.
Not only are these statements disingenuous, barefaced lies, they completely overlook the fact that 72% of children living in poverty are in working households. And have they forgotten that the state has a responsibility to ensure there is food for children, as outlined under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
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But things don’t have to be this way – despite what the government says.
Scotland this year announced its intention to enshrine the convention in Scots law, which would make it illegal for the government to stand idly by in the face of child food poverty.
Nicola Sturgeon has announced that children will continue to be fed over the holidays, as well as the policy of parents being provided with £10 food vouchers per child.
“Let’s be clear: Rashford’s campaign is an emergency measure to prevent a catastrophe of the government’s making.”
Unlike the Conservative government, the Scottish Parliament show how the rights of children should not be an ideological game or political football; these are children’s lives, and futures.
Statistics show that children in food poverty have worse outcomes; from malnutrition, to the ability to concentrate in the classroom, food insecurity has serious long-term social, economic, and health consequences. And, as Rashford says, child food poverty “is never the child’s fault”.
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So, while I support Rashford’s campaign, and all those sacrificing what little they have to help children, I also despair at its necessity.
We must make sure the government do not see the kindness of the British public as an opportunity to continue their shameless and wanton negligence of their responsibilities to the nation’s children.
Because, let’s be clear: Rashford’s campaign is an emergency measure to prevent a catastrophe of the government’s making.
The enduring, structural change we need can only come from the top – from a government that puts the lives of children before their ideologically toxic and morally bankrupt approach to child food poverty.
Nadine Batchelor Hunt is a freelance journalist.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--No.10 Keeps Refusing To Praise Businesses For Offering Free Meals To Children

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Downing Street has refused to praise dozens of businesses that have offered to feed the country’s poorest children in response to Marcus Rashford’s anti-hunger campaign.
Starting on Thursday night, the England footballer – who has spent months campaigning to stop child hunger through school holidays – shared posts from businesses and groups nationwide that are volunteering free food for children who may otherwise go hungry.
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From free sandwiches, sausages and curries to the offer of taxis to the nearest available foodbank, dozens of posts have now been shared online as millions of families face a half term of potential hardship. Some 322 Tory MPs on Wednesday voted down a motion to extend free school meals to the holidays.
Asked whether Boris Johnson would praise those firms offering food, a No.10 spokesperson dodged the question and instead told reporters: “We’ve set out our position a number of times.
“There’s no change.
“As we have set out before we’re in a different position now with schools back open to all and the vast majority of pupils back in school.
“And I believe the PM said during PMQs free school meals will continue during term time and he wants to continue to support families throughout the crisis and there is cash available to feed kids if they need to.”
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Asked whether the prime minister would applaud councils that have got involved of their own volition, he appeared to criticise them, saying: “Whilst schools continue to play an integral role in the community it’s not for schools to regularly provide food to pupils during school holidays.”
And he added, again: “As we’ve said before, we’re in a different position now with schools back open.
“But we have done a lot to make sure the most vulnerable in our society are protected and that has included extending free school meals to support those eligible when schools were partially closed during lockdown, increasing universal credit by £20 a week, and £63m funding for councils to provide emergency assistance to families with food, essentials and meals.”
Pressed a third time on whether the PM would praise or applaud those offering meals, the spokesperson responded: “The PM’s answered this question himself on Wednesday. You’ve got his words from Wednesday.”
The prime minister did not answer anything of the sort on Wednesday. Downing Street was referring to Johnson’s comments during prime minister’s questions, when he refused three times to agree to extending free meal support – as he did through a voucher scheme in the summer – over the coming holiday periods.
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“We support kids on low incomes in school and we will continue to do so,” he told MPs on Wednesday.
“What I want to do is to make sure we continue to support families through the crisis.”
When asked directly by Labour MP George Howarth whether he would support the plan to extend meals to next Easter, Johnson replied: “What we want to do is continue to support people on low incomes throughout the crisis and that’s what we are going to do.”
Responding to No.10's comments on Friday, Labour shadow minister Lucy Powell said: "Where Boris Johnson has turned his back on more than one million children and their families, it is fantastic to see businesses helping out, at a time when so many of them face significant financial challenges.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Gap Is Considering Closing All UK Stores Next Year

Clothing giant Gap says it is considering closing all of its stores in the UK next year.
The US retailer this week revealed it is “reviewing options” for its Europe business at the end of the second quarter in 2021. The move could potentially put thousands of jobs at risk.
As of July, there were 129 Gap-branded stores in Europe.
Stores in France, Ireland and Italy could also close next summer under the plan, which would leave Gap with none of its own stores, just franchises in other shops, across Europe.
On Thursday the company said it would be closing 220 stores (equivalent to one third of all branches) in north America by early 2024. It reported a £740m loss in the three months to May due to disruption caused by Covid-19.
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Gap currently has 129 stores in Europe Doug Peters/EMPICS Entertainment
Mark Breitbard, CEO of the Gap brand – which was founded in 1969 – said: “As we conduct the review, we will look at transferring elements of the business to interested third parties as part of a proposed partnership model expansion.
“Franchise partnerships are a strong and cost-effective way to amplify the brand. Through franchise, Gap brand reaches customers in 35 countries with more than 400 stores and 14 e-commerce sites.”
He added: “We’ve been overly reliant on low-productivity, high-rent stores.”
The moves come as Gap and other clothing retailers are trying to reinvent themselves during the pandemic, which forced many non-essential stores to temporarily close in the spring and early summer. The lockdown of the economy led many shoppers to shift more of their spending online, which many experts believe will be permanent.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Six Things We Learned From Ghislaine Maxwell's Previously Unseen Epstein Evidence

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Ghislaine Maxwell was dealt a legal blow this week after a court ordered the release of previously unseen evidence she gave almost five years ago.
The British socialite is awaiting trial next year for allegedly procuring teenage girls for Jeffrey Epstein to abuse – charges she denies.
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A lawyer for Maxwell had argued that the depositions – a term used in the US to refer to transcripts of interviews given as part of a court case – should not be made public, because they are evidence in the criminal case brought against her.
Ghislaine Maxwell pictured in New York in 2004 Globe / MediaPunch/MediaPunch/IPx
They were taken in April and July 2016 in a civil case brought by one of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre. The 2016 transcript is among more than 2,000 pages of documents that began to be released last year when an appeals court started unsealing papers from Giuffre’s (since settled) defamation case first brought in 2015.
Giuffre has alleged Maxwell recruited her at 17 to be sexually abused from 1999 to 2002.
Maxwel has pleaded not guilty and has been held without bail since her early July arrest. If convicted, the 58-year-old could face up to 35 years in prison.
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Epstein killed himself in a federal jail last year as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges.
Here are some of the things we learned from the unsealed documents.
1) Maxwell says she never saw Epstein engage in sexual activity with children
A deposition that British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell gave in 2016 relating to her dealings with the late Jeffrey Epstein is pictured in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., October 22, 2020. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri Carlo Allegri / Reuters
Maxwell said: “I never saw any inappropriate under-age activities with Jeffrey ever.” In the transcripts Maxwell also repeatedly denied hiring anyone under the age of 18 for Epstein.
She added: “Just for the record, I have never at any time, at any place, in any moment, ever asked Virginia Roberts, or whatever she is called now, to have sex with anybody.”
2) Prince Andrew is mentioned by name – but it’s redacted
Even though the Duke of York’s name is redacted in the documents, it is surprisingly easy to identify who she was talking about by referencing the documents alphabetical index. Slate reveals other redacted names including former US president Bill Clinton and lawyer Alan Dershowitz.
3) The infamous Prince Andrew ‘puppet’ does exist
In her book, Giuffre alleges she was groped by Prince Andrew using a Spitting Image-style puppet of himself at Epstein’s New York home. After debating the exact definition of a puppet, Maxwell concedes: “There was a puppet – not a puppet. I don’t know how would you describe it, really,
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“Not a puppet – I don’t know how you would describe it. A caricature of [name redacted] that was in Jeffrey’s home.”
She added she did not recollect anything occurring as described by the interrogators.
4) She doubts the authenticity of a photo of Prince Andrew
In the deposition, Maxwell also cast doubt on the authenticity of a photo showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, purportedly taken at Maxwell’s Mayfair home.
Maxwell said the surroundings in the photo looked “familiar”, but also said: “We can’t really establish the photograph and all that,” adding: “I don’t know if that’s true, if that’s a real picture or not.”
5) Her bath is ‘too small for sex’
“She [Giuffre] then characterised things took place in my bathroom in the bathtub itself,” she said. “The tub is too small for any type of activity whatsoever.”
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6) She may have travelled with Virginia Giuffre
Maxwell told lawyers that she never remembered being on Epstein’s private plane with Giuffre.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--The Body From The Cube Has Finally Been Unmasked – Here's Who's Behind Those Mysterious Game Demos

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If you’re a fan of Phillip Schofield’s ITV gameshow The Cube, there’s been one question that’s remained unanswered for the last 11 years – just who is The Body?
However, the anonymous figure who demonstrates each of the challenges inside the Cube has finally been unmasked as model and singer Andrianna Christofi.
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The Body on The Cube ITV
The 44 year old from Essex confirmed to The Sun that she has been behind the silver mask all these years, posing for a series of photos wearing her red and white show outfit.
And while she has gone unnoticed on The Cube, Andrianna has had a career in showbiz for more than 20 years.
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She has sung on stage with Spice Girls and Boyzone, and also sang both national anthems for the England-Greece World Cup qualifier in 2001.
On social media, she also says she is a TV presenter, and has shared her showreel on Twitter.
The Cube debuted in 2009 and ran for nine series until 2015, seeing contestants put through a series of challenges inside a four-metre-squared cube.
It returned for a revamped run earlier this month, with the top prize upped from £250,000 to a whopping £1million.
Phillip Schofield hosts The Cube ITV
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Olympian Mo Farrah is the only person to have ever beaten The Cube, taking the top prize during a 2012 charity special.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--People Will Die Because Of Home Office Plan To Deport Rough Sleepers, Outreach Teams Warn

People will die if the Home Office goes ahead with planned immigration rules allowing non-UK nationals to be deported for sleeping rough, outreach workers have warned.
The government is set to introduce new powers at the end of the Brexit transition period that would mean rough sleepers’ UK status could be cancelled or refused if they turn down offers of support or engage in “persistent anti-social behaviour”.
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According to the Home Office – which insisted the rule would be used “sparingly” – this behaviour could include “aggressive begging” and street drinking.
The proposed regulation has sparked a huge wave of anger from homelessness campaigners and charities, who say it will “dehumanise and criminalise” people for not having a home.
Jon Glackin, who runs outreach project Streets Kitchen, called it a “vile, evil proposal”.
“This will strike fear among all rough sleepers – people will be afraid to access services,” he told HuffPost UK. “People will die because of this.”
This could happen in the UK, or after they’re sent back to their home country, he said.
“We know people who have been sent back to Poland – cold countries – and have died on the streets.”
Home secretary Priti Patel looks on as Boris Johnson chairs a cabinet meeting POOL New / Reuters
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The Outside Project has also raised concerns about what the new policy could mean for LGBTQ+ people sleeping rough, who face being sent back to countries which are becoming “increasingly hostile” to people from their community.
“The Home Office is becoming increasingly hostile to migrants, but for some people a return to their country is extremely unsafe,” said outreach worker Harry Gay.
“This is a disgraceful, harsh and deeply unethical policy announcement,” added Matt Turtle, from the Museum of Homelessness.
“Not only that, but four years ago a similar move by the government was ruled unlawful by the High Court so it is very upsetting that they are trying to resurrect this flawed idea.”
He continued: “The targeting of marginalised and destitute people who already face huge problems because of the hostile environment needs to end, and we will work tirelessly to make that happen.”
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Meanwhile, Glackin said that the government’s insistence that only people who refuse support will be affected was also misleading.
“With all homelessness services, generally you are given one single offer.” Often, that offer is not suitable – or could put the person sleeping rough at risk, he said.
This could be a woman offered housing in Manchester because she has connections in the area, despite the fact she has fled to London to escape her abusive partner. Or it could be someone with a drug issue offered a bed in a shelter that’s “full of drugs”.
“If you refuse that offer, that’s you taken out of the system,” Glackin said.
The new rule – which is set to come into force on January 1 – is made even more cruel by coming at a time when the UK is facing “a tsunami of homelessness”, Glackin said. “It’s going to be a dire winter.
“We’re seeing more and more people losing their jobs, more and more people not being able to pay their rent, more and more homeless people.”
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A homeless person in central London Toby Melville / Reuters
It’s a thought that has been echoed by shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds.
“These plans would be appalling at any moment, but what makes it even worse is putting this forward as we face the deepest recession in generations and in the middle of a global pandemic,” the Labour frontbencher said in a statement.
“It’s completely unacceptable and tells you all you need to know about this morally bankrupt Tory government.”
Homelessness charity Crisis said the government must end rough sleeping in the UK by offering housing and support, “rather than threatening deportation”.
The Home Office’s new policy will push people facing homelessness “further into the fringe of society, rather than encouraging them to seek support”, chief executive Jon Sparkes said.
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“We know through our services that people who have no recourse to public funds because of their immigration status have little or no access to support in the first place, and are forced into rough sleeping if they are unable to work,” he explained.
“This is a situation that will only worsen as the economic impact of the pandemic begins to bite.”
A spokesperson for the government said ministers were “committed to transforming the lives of some of the most vulnerable in society and to ending rough sleeping for good”.
“This year alone the government is spending over £700 million in total to tackle homelessness,” they said.
“The new rules provide a discretionary basis to cancel or refuse a person’s leave where they are found to be rough sleeping and refuse offers of support or are engaged in persistent anti-social behaviour.
“The new provision will be used sparingly and only where individuals refuse to engage with the range of support available.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--8-Year-Old Invents Most 2020 Superhero Ever For Dress-Up Day

Vicki Gamble Vicki Gamble's daughter Betsy went to school dressed as 'Coronagirl'
An eight-year-old girl went to ‘Superhero Day’ at her primary school dressed as ‘Coronagirl’ – because she wants to help end child food poverty.
Betsy Gamble, who lives in Somerset, made her own costume – including a sign reading ‘free school meals’ – and told her mum she dreamed of being a superhero with “special, virus-fighting powers” to be able to “spread free food vouchers” to kids who needed them.
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Her mum, Vicki Gamble, 39, told HuffPost UK her daughter had heard about Marcus Rashford’s campaign for free school meals to be extended over the holidays to stop children going hungry. Tory Ministers recently voted against the Labour motion, saying “it’s not for schools to regularly provide food during school holidays”.
“She knows that not all children are as lucky as she is,” Gamble said.
Today for superhero day 8 Yr old Betsy is Coronagirl fighting the virus and issuing #schoolmeals to #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY she like @MarcusRashford knows its the right thing to do, for all that voted against it #ShameOnYou pic.twitter.com/qC9U4wHbdr — Vicki Gamble (@vickismall) October 23, 2020
Betsy, who attends Elmhurst Junior School in Street, Somerset, even imagined the ‘secret weapons’ Coronagirl might have – such as hand sanitisers and masks.
“She had been worried about going back to school after such a long time at home,” Gamble said, “but since being back, it has been great to see her come out of her shell again and embrace her creative side.
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“During lockdown, I became concerned about her as she stopped being as vibrant and lost interest in many of her usual hobbies.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--5 Fibs You Were Told This Week About Herd Immunity, Free School Meals And Rudy Giuliani

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Hello and welcome once again to 5 Fibs, which this week breaks new ground by featuring Rudy Giuliani’s nether regions.
Still with us? My, you are brave.
Don’t worry too much, that doesn’t come up until the very last entry so there are plenty of fibs to get angry about before we get... there.
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And because we have your best interests at heart, here’s some eye bleach to dip into as required.
We only rate dogs. These are Sidewalk Unicorns. Incredibly rare, but please only send dogs. Thank you... 14/10 for both pic.twitter.com/nnkVMEcj2o — WeRateDogs® (@dog_rates) October 13, 2020
Lovely stuff.
Manchester
The news this week was dominated by the astounding battle between Downing Street and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham in scenes so dramatic, the government was accused of “waging war” against the region.
The saga peaked with the mayor finding out from the media on live TV that his constituency had been put in tier 3 lockdown.
Fuelling the tussle was a flurry of statistics being flung by the government as it attempted to justify imposing the strictest set of restrictions.
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On Monday it was claimed Greater Manchester hospital intensive care beds would be overwhelmed with coronavirus patients by November 12 – in a best-case scenario.
But when journalist Jennifer Williams of the Manchester Evening News tried to find evidence of this, she was met with mostly silence from the relevant authorities.
Sometimes, the lack of information is itself the story. A day of battling to get the full picture of GM's hospital situation - and failinghttps://t.co/aB5Id3dPoN — Jennifer Williams (@JenWilliamsMEN) October 19, 2020
She spent a full day on Monday trying to access trust-by-trust Covid admissions numbers as a proportion of overall capacity, compared to the April peak, as well as the same figures for intensive care and high dependency beds.
Despite contacting every hospital trust in Greater Manchester, as well as five other bodies including the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), Downing Street and the mayor’s office, not a single organisation responded with answers.
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Most of the little information regularly published on bed occupancy only breaks the figures down by region, with the north-west presented unhelpfully as one homogenous area – which does nothing to explain what is going on in Greater Manchester.
On Tuesday No.10 did send out the slides used by the PM during his press conference announcing restrictions in Greater Manchester, showing the seven-day rolling average of Covid-10 patients in hospital beds in the conurbation edging towards 600 as of October 19.
But these figures are across all hospital beds, and don’t refer specifically to ICU capacity – and also show that the number of hospitalised patients is still roughly half of what it was at the peak of the first wave in mid-April.
Dan Wootton
2020 has been a year of things that really, totally and absolutely suck. And in amongst it all there is one phenomenon that is more infuriating than most – journalists pretending to be scientists and getting things very wrong.
the number of people who get paid to loudly misunderstand things is really out of hand — Tom Chivers (@TomChivers) October 20, 2020
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5 Fibs has trodden this ground before when a number of commentators a few weeks ago spread (and continue to spread) the false claim that 93% of Covid-19 tests are false positives. Unfortunately, it has not stopped there.
The latest example is talkRADIO host Dan Wootton, who built a career in writing showbiz and gossip articles for The Sun.
Remember when Dan Wootton was just that guy who *checks notes* rated women's breasts out of ten in The Sun pic.twitter.com/W8o5J4LIVQ — Michael Baggs (@MichaelBaggs) October 20, 2020
So it was somewhat of a surprise when on Monday Wootton adamantly declared the best way out of the pandemic was to shield all the vulnerable people in the UK while the rest of us deliberately catch Covid-19 in order to reach herd immunity.
When questioned by his guest, Labour MP Chris Bryant, on how exactly the UK could protect the vulnerable amid a “herd immunity” approach, Wootton declined to give specifics, opting instead to say there is “a whole load of ways to do it”.
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Dan Wootton and Labour MP Chris Bryant have a disagreement over the effectiveness of coronavirus lockdowns.
What are your views?@danwootton | @RhonddaBryant
Watch the show in full ► https://t.co/uIRYxKthau pic.twitter.com/fdu7PAkcXw — talkRADIO (@talkRADIO) October 19, 2020
If that sounds familiar, it’s because it is exactly the proposed strategy of the Great Barrington Declaration, a document reflecting the views of a minority of the world’s scientists that oppose lockdowns and say we should all carry on largely as if nothing is happening and let herd immunity do the rest.
But there are four things you need to know about the Great Barrington Declaration:
It completely ignores the fact that herd immunity has never been achieved without a vaccine It provides no plan for how a country can effectively shield all vulnerable people It was sponsored by an organisation funded by Charles Koch – a right-wing billionaire known for promoting climate change denial and opposing regulations on business The vast majority of experts disagree with it
For his efforts, Wootton was branded a “dangerous conspiracy theorist” by a clearly furious Bryant.
Nationalising children
Yes, you read that right, “nationalising children”. Specifically, not believing in “nationalising children”.
These were the words uttered by Tory MP Brendan Clarke-Smith in what was supposed to be an attack on proposals to extend free school meals for the poorest over the holidays.
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On Wednesday, MPs voted against a measure spearheaded by England football star Marcus Rashford that called for the scheme to run until Easter 2021 – an extra six weeks or so.
For an idea of just how badly the government ls handling this issue, even Nigel Farage is coming across as compassionate by comparison.
Jesus Christ, even Farage is wading in now and making the Tories look worse than usual. 2020 is just full of surprises. https://t.co/mti2qyOQmN — Jonathan Pie (@JonathanPieNews) October 22, 2020
Technically we cannot call Clarke-Smith’s comments a fib as he may indeed not believe in nationalising children. But on the grounds that no one was calling for that, and therefore it was a totally daft made up thing to say anywhere, never mind in the Commons, it makes our list.
As for further comment, we now turn to the good folk of Twitter.
“I do not believe in nationalising children.” Oh my god you absolute fucking moron pic.twitter.com/inas9tMLQd — Hannah Jane Parkinson (@ladyhaja) October 21, 2020
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I’d also welcome clarification from @Bren4Bassetlaw on the “nationalising children” bon mot, because if the state keeping children alive is an act of socialist oppression, he’s gonna flip his lid when he learns about the NHS. — The Secret Barrister (@BarristerSecret) October 21, 2020
Tory MP "I do not believe in nationalising children"
No. But i bet you'd outsource them to Serco or Deloitte in exchange for a donation to the party — david oliver (@mancunianmedic) October 22, 2020
Kit Malthouse
While we’re on the topic of feeding children, let’s listen to what another Tory MP, Kit Malthouse, had to say on the matter.
He said he voted against the motion to extend free school meals because “the best way to help those on low incomes is to pump money into the welfare system”.
#KayBurley asks the crime and policing minister why he voted against the motion to extend free school meals for children.
Kit Malthouse says 'the best way to help those on low incomes is to pump money into the welfare system'.https://t.co/J3xvlRjTVC pic.twitter.com/XCFowoMKU0 — SkyNews (@SkyNews) October 22, 2020
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We’ll have to stop you there, Kit, because this appears to be a fib.
The Universal Credit (UC) system, which was designed and rolled out nationwide under Conservative rule to replace multiple separate benefits, has repeatedly been cited as a key factor in pulling families into poverty.
According to the UK’s biggest food poverty charity, the Trussell Trust, the huge surge in demand for foodbank use can be explicitly linked to the introduction of UC. With a five-week wait for the first payment, many households have been plunged into rent arrears and faced mounting bill payments. So no, it would seem it isn’t the best way to deal with the issue of hungry children.
Rudy Giuliani
Our customary US entry this week is a truly bizarre episode featuring New York City’s former mayor and Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani.
Turns out he is one of the victims of Sacha Baron Cohen’s latest Borat movie but it’s all OK because Giuliani, 76, thinks he got away without anything too embarrassing.
“I only later realised it must have been Sacha Baron Cohen,” he said. “I thought about all the people he previously fooled and I felt good about myself because he didn’t get me.”
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But hang on a sec, Rudy, we have questions.
The film features a scene with Giuliani touching himself in the presence of a woman pretending to be a conservative reporter, as multiple publications have reported, and how this constitutes getting away with anything remains to be see.
After holding a mock interview with Giuliani, actor Maria Bakalova, who plays Borat’s daughter in the new film, goes with the former mayor into a hotel suite rigged with hidden cameras. Giuliani sits on the bed, Bakalova appears to remove his microphone, and Giuliani then lies back and reaches into his trousers.
Soon afterwards, Baron Cohen, playing Borat, bursts into the room and says, “She’s 15 – she’s too old for you!” (Bakalova is 24 years old.)
Rudy Giuliani, an attorney for Donald Trump, with the president and members of the City of New York Police Department Benevolent Association ASSOCIATED PRESS
Giuliani told the New York Post in early July that he thought he was participating in a real interview, only to find out he was being fooled by Baron Cohen, who is notorious for pranking public figures in his films.
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“This guy comes running in, wearing a crazy what I would say was a pink transgender outfit,” Giuliani said at the time. “It was a pink bikini, with lace, underneath a translucent mesh top, it looked absurd. He had the beard, bare legs, and wasn’t what I would call distractingly attractive.”
Thinking he was the victim of a “scam or shakedown,” the former mayor called the police and Baron Cohen sprinted away.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Daisy Edgar Jones And Paul Mescal's Normal People Audition Tape Proves They Had That Chemistry From

Daisy Edgar Jones And Paul Mescal's Normal People Audition Tape Proves They Had That Chemistry From The Off

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Normal People fans have been gifted a special treat in the form of Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal’s first audition tape.
It seems the stars of the hit BBC Three series had that undeniable chemistry from the off, as Irish teens Marianne and Connell.
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The clip was unearthed ahead of the release of the whole series on DVD on 2 November, and shows them in character acting out a future scene from the show.
Recalling the first time they worked together, Paul said he remembered it “vividly”, adding: “I knew instantly she was going to be playing Marianne. It just felt inevitable that we would be playing these characters together.”
Daisy said: “It’s very strange watching this back, the day was a complete blur for me as I was so full of nerves. I couldn’t really remember what happened in the room, so it’s really interesting to see that the dynamic between the characters was there so early on despite my terror.
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“It’s also funny to see Paul and I when we didn’t know each other as we’re now such close friends.”
However, the casting process actually took much longer for one character than the other.
Sally Rooney – who penned the novel on which the show is based – previously revealed there was an “immediate consensus” that they had found their Connell after seeing Paul audition.
Co-executive producer Emma Norton explained they already knew of him from seeing him in The Great Gatsby at The Gate in Dublin and they thought he had “that slight reticence and real warmth and he just was right”.
However, the hunt for the series’ Marianne took a little bit longer.
Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones as Connell and Marianne BBC/Element Pictures/Hulu
“We cast the net really wide for Marianne, because we didn’t find Marianne in Ireland in the first call,” Emma said. “We put out a casting call in America and the UK. So, we saw a huge number of women.”
She explained that it was Daisy’s ability to embody the “extreme facets of Marianne’s personality” that eventually won her the role.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--How To Host A 'Big Night In' – With No Zoom Quiz In Sight

illustration via Getty Images
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As the days shorten and the nights draw in, it’s all too easy to go into hibernation mode. Add the UK’s very anti-social lockdown restrictions and you’ve got yourself a recipe for some serious alone time.
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So what’s a person to do with their evenings when the options are increasingly limited? Whether you live in a household with kids, a house-share, as a couple, or alone, here are some ideas.
And you’ll be pleased to know, there’s not a Zoom quiz in sight.
Mystery box game
Megan Douthwaite, who has more than four years experience in events planning, recommends creating a mystery box and testing your family or friends’ knowledge of their favourite festive treats in the run up to Christmas.
“Everyone knows food is the best part of the festive season,” she says. “This is a great activity for kids of all ages and really easy to set up.”
Get yourself a couple of boxes of any kind and size – an empty cereal box, shoe box or whatever you can find – and cut a small, hand-shaped hole into the top. Fill each container with a festive treat such as mince pies, Christmas cake, pigs in blankets, cranberry sauce or even Brussels sprouts.
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“The objective is that each person feels inside the box, guesses what the item is, and the winner is whoever guesses the most correctly,” says Douthwaite, who points out you could also play this game with other festive items such as pine cones, Santa hats and Christmas baubles. It’ll be worth getting a few items that may feel the same, so it’s harder to guess!
“Part of the fun could be decorating the mystery boxes with festive colours and glitter before playing the game,” she adds.
Family portrait
We said no Zoom pub quizzes – but that doesn’t mean video calls are out of the equation. Douthwaite, who now works at digital marketing agency Spike, recommends creating a family portrait with a twist. “If you can’t see your family or friends in person this year, this is a lovely, fun idea to get everyone involved in and feeling a little bit creative,” she says.
Her advice is simple: get dressed up in your best outfit, jump on a video call with your family (or friendship group) and task each person to draw a portrait of someone else on the video call.
“This could be as simple as a mini pencil sketch, or you could go full-on brightly coloured paints on A3,” she says. “Whack some tunes on in the background, get the bubbles flowing and who knows, you could end up with a lovely gift to frame – or not, depending on how many glasses of fizz are consumed.”
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Cocktail masterclass
One way to indulge in some classic Big Night In (BNI) action is to bring the party to you – enter stage right: the Waitrose Cocktails at Home experience box. (There’s also a whisky one if that’s your jam.) It’s perfect for a special occasion – such as birthdays – if you’re planning on staying in.
The two limited edition boxes include the key ingredients and kit to make either gin cocktails with a bottle of Roku gin, or whisky cocktails with Toki whisky, as well as John Lewis high ball glasses, cocktail spoon, jigger and a booklet containing two cocktail recipes and a range of garnishes.
Inside each box is also an invitation to an online masterclass with a Waitrose drinks specialist, where you can find out more about your chosen spirit and learn to mix the cocktails like a pro. Bottom’s up!
Movie night
Ok, so movie nights are a pretty standard thing in most households, but if you really want to pull the stops out, why not try something a bit different?
Recreate the cinema experience at home with homemade tickets, popcorn, pick ‘n’ mix and ice cream. Set up some seats near your TV screen (but not too close!), turn the lights and your phone off, and enjoy the showing.
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Homemade Christmas decorations If you’re flying solo and looking for something fun to do, Douthwaite recommends making your own Christmas decorations. “Lots of online craft shops sell some great, budget-friendly craft kits to make your own baubles, or you could even use what you’ve got in your cupboards at home or head outside to source your decor,” she says.
You could also make your own candles, paint pine cones silver and attach some string to hang off your tree, or glue some hazelnuts together and paint them as a snowman, she suggests. “Maybe you could give wreath-making a go – head out for a walk, pick up some twigs, dried leaves, pine cones and whatever else you can find and create a lovely table or door piece,” she adds. “This is a great way to spend a cosy night in, is really cost-effective, and could be a lovely homemade gift idea as well.” Halloween pottery For those wanting to forego the literal pumpkin guts this year, why not try sculpting clay pumpkins instead? Just as messy, but a little more long-lasting. Sculpd have created a limited edition Halloween Pottery Bundle – it has everything needed to craft and paint realistic clay pumpkins and Halloween decorations at home, including a pottery kit, eight paints, and a video tutorial detailing how to actually sculpt pumpkins.
Board game battle
If there’s a few of you at home – whether you live in a house or flat-share, or you have kids – host the ultimate games night by playing three different board games and whoever wins the most games, wins the night (and a prize that you’ve all chipped in for).
Opt for board games that won’t take up the whole evening (Monopoly, we’re looking at you). And if it does run into the small hours, a midnight feast wouldn’t go amiss – especially if you have kids.
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Get a takeaway with your mate
For that all-important feeling of connection, why not book in a virtual date night with your mate? Get set up with a video call, order your takeaways so they arrive at roughly the same time, and spend the evening catching up properly.
Have a glass of wine – or your preferred non-alcoholic alternative – then eat good food and have a proper DMC (deep and meaningful chat).
Of course, if you live with people who are up for a takeaway evening, too, then you don’t have to do it virtually.
Winter BBQ
Barbecues aren’t just for summer – especially in Covid times. If you have a garden, choose your menu (we’d opt for sausages and mash), wrap up warm, get some sparklers on the go, light some candles, and enjoy the magic of the darker nights.
If you don’t have a BBQ, cook a hearty chilli con carne inside and enjoy it outdoors wrapped in blankets, while looking at the stars.
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Learn sign language
Airbnb host a huge range of virtual experiences to help keep both adults and kids entertained throughout the pandemic. One event that might appeal is learning sign language. Matt, the host, lives with profound hearing loss and is on hand to help teach festive phrases in sign language, as well as Christmas carols. Tickets cost £20 per person.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Graham Norton Admits To 'Zoning Out' On His Chat Show: 'It’s Just Yakkety Yak'

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Graham Norton might appear to be the most dynamic chat show host on the box, but it seems he’s not always as enthralled by his guests’ anecdotes as he makes out.
The BBC star has admitted he often finds himself “zoning out” as some of the famous names on his couch are talking.
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Speaking to The Sun, Graham said he glazes over “all the time”, stating: “You zone back in and they’re still talking and you think: ‘I wonder if I’ve missed anything?’ But, you probably haven’t. That’s the trick.
“It’s just yakkety yak. If I’m on it, I’m listening. I’m still bored.”
Graham Norton PA
Graham’s latest admission comes after he previously said he doesn’t always like some of the stars who come on his show.
He told The Sun last month: “There are people on the show that you don’t like, that’s inevitable, but that doesn’t mean they are a bad guest. Often people I don’t like, they’re rather good guests.
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“The people who work on the show dislike a lot more guests than I do. When they get on the sofa they’re nicer.”
There have been a number of changes that have seen the usual red sofa replaced with individual chairs so guests are spaced apart, while some stars still appear virtually.
The comedian recently said he thinks the switch to US A-listers appearing via video link could last well beyond the pandemic, as he doesn’t know if celebrities will ever travel in the same way post Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Our Sh*t Has Quite Literally Revealed Covid-19 Hotspots

Lex20 via Getty Images
Analysing sewage for traces of coronavirus has helped officials spot spikes in Covid-19 cases in areas where relatively few people were being tested, according to the Environmental Department (Defra).
The programme to analyse sewage for traces of coronavirus is being used to provide an early warning for local outbreaks, officials have said.
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The government-led scheme, which was first announced in June, is successfully detecting fragments of genetic material from the virus in waste water, Defra said.
Data from this testing, which has been rolled out to more than 90 waste water treatment sites across the UK, is being shared with the Joint Biosecurity Centre as part of NHS Test and Trace.
The fragments of the coronavirus are passed out from people’s bodies when they use the toilet. The detection of the material, which is not infectious, can indicate when a local community is having a spike in cases.
Officials said the results of testing can give local health teams a clearer idea of infection rates by identifying where there are high numbers, particularly of asymptomatic carriers and people before they start showing symptoms.
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This can help them take early action to slow the spread of the virus.
Defra said the project had already worked successfully in an area of the south west of England, where sewage sampling showed a spike in coronavirus material despite relatively few people getting tested.
The information was passed on to NHS Test and Trace and the local council who were able to alert local health professionals to the increased risk and contact people in the area to warn of the rise in cases.
There are currently 44 sites in England where sampling is being done, covering 22% of the population, with plans to roll it out further.
There are also 24 sites in Wales and 28 in Scotland where sampling is being done, with the projects being led by the devolved administrations and the UK Government coordinating the findings.
“This is a significant step forward in giving us a clearer idea of infection rates both nationally and locally” - Environment Secretary George Eustice
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Environment Secretary George Eustice said: “This is a significant step forward in giving us a clearer idea of infection rates both nationally and locally, particularly in areas where there may be large numbers of people who aren’t showing any symptoms and therefore aren’t seeking tests.
“NHS Test and Trace is able to use the science to ensure local health leads are alerted and can take action.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This initiative is just one example of how we are working across government and with local partners to find innovative, new ways to track the outbreak, slow the spread of the virus and save lives.
“Monitoring and sampling wastewater offers another tool to help us identify outbreaks early on – helping NHS Test and Trace and local authorities target hotspots quickly and effectively.”
Separate work carried out by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) also identified coronavirus material in London sewage in February before cases were recorded in the area.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--No, It's Not A Good Idea To Pierce Your Ears (Or Anything Else) At Home

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An increasing number of people are considering doing their own piercings during the pandemic – because clearly, they’ve never watched that wince-inducing scene in The Parent Trap.
Searches for “home piercing kit” in the UK have increased 576% since the start of lockdown, while searches for “piercing ears at home” have increased by 244% and “how to pierce your own ear” by 133%.
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While some tattoo parlours and piercing salons are open, the work they’re able to deliver is restricted.
Tattooists and body piercers are currently “strongly advised” not to tattoo or perform a body piercing that will bring them within the “highest risk zone” of their clients, according to the government guidelines.
This means avoiding the area on the face, the throat and the front of the neck, where respiratory droplets caused by sneezing, coughing or speaking can pose a hazard from the client to the practitioner and vice versa.
EyeJoy via Getty Images
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In case you need reminding, Daena Borrowman, from Jewellerybox.co.uk who conducted the analysis of search trends, says trying to pierce yourself at home, without proper equipment and health and safety, is “extremely dangerous”.
“If you’re not careful you can shatter cartilage on impact which could leave you with irreversible lumps and increased chance of jewellery rejection,” she says. “Not only this, but your piercing can end up uneven, in the wrong place and of course, in the worst case scenario, infected.”
It’s always better to go to an experienced and qualified piercer to get the safest and best experience overall, says Borrowman, even if that means waiting until after restrictions are lifted.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Ariana Grande's Presidential New Video Has Us Wondering How We Can Vote For Her In The US Election

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Amid all the drama of the US presidential election race, Ariana Grande has offered us a look at what it would be like if she was in the White House – and it’s pretty fabulous.
The singer takes up office in the video for her new single Positions, which she debuted just hours after the latest presidential debate on Friday.
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It sees her sweeping through the corridors of the White House flanked by an all-female team of aides, while she also takes a seat inside the Oval Office to sign papers.
Ariana Grande in the video for Positions YouTube
The video also features a cameo from Ariana’s dogs, who she takes for a walk across the White House lawn.
Positions is a love song about Ariana’s willingness to please her partner and she later takes to the White House kitchen to prepare a meal.
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“Switching the positions for you, cooking in the kitchen and I’m in the bedroom, I’m in the Olympics, way I’m jumping through hoops,” she sings on the track.
Positions is believed to be the lead single from her upcoming, as-yet-untitled sixth studio album.
Ariana makes herself at home in the Oval Office YouTube
Ariana is flanked by a group of female aides YouTube
Her most recent album, Thank U, Next, arrived in February last year and topped the charts around the world, including in both the UK and US.
This year, she has released two duets – the pandemic-themed Stuck With U, a collaboration with Justin Bieber, arrived in May, while later that month Grande teamed up with Lady Gaga for the smash hit Rain On Me.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Finally, An Actual Presidential Debate

Finally, An Actual Presidential Debate

Finally, An Actual Presidential Debate
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden faced off in a much more organised, final presidential debate.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Ghislaine Maxwell Denies Prince Andrew Had Sex With Virginia Giuffre In Her Bathtub

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Ghislaine Maxwell denied finding under-age sexual partners for the Duke of York and cast doubts on accounts by the royal’s accuser, including a claim that sex took place in a bath, according to newly released court documents.
Accusing Virginia Giuffre of telling a “tissue of lies”, Maxwell said the bath at her home in Mayfair was too small for any sexual activity.
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Maxwell, the former girlfriend of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, repeatedly denied any memory of the circumstances around Giuffre’s claim that Andrew slept with her when she was 17 – still a minor under US law.
Ghislane Maxwell also cast doubt on the authenticity of this photo showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, purportedly taken at her Mayfair home Shutterstock
The socialite is awaiting trial in the US after being charged with procuring teenage girls for Epstein to abuse. She denies the charges.
Giuffre, who claims she was trafficked by Epstein, alleges the duke had sex with her on three separate occasions.
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Andrew has categorically denied he has had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Giuffre.
In the deposition transcript, from a since-settled defamation case brought by Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, Maxwell accused the now mother-of-three of lying.
In the document, which had redacted the duke’s name, Maxwell was asked if she had introduced Giuffre to the royal in London and replied: “I understand her story about […] but again, her tissue of lies is extremely hard to pick apart, what is true and what isn’t.
“Actually I wouldn’t recollect her at all but for her tissue stories about this situation.”
Asked again if the pair had met thanks to her, she replied she had “no recollection”. When quizzed if she had introduced Andrew to any “girls under the age of 18”, she said he had only met her friends and their children.
Maxwell’s deposition, from seven hours of interviews with Giuffre’s lawyers, has come to light after Manhattan US district judge Loretta A Preska on Thursday ordered the transcripts to be released, rejecting arguments from Maxwell’s lawyers that the defamation interviews would jeopardise a fair criminal trial for her next July.
In the deposition, Maxwell denied all Giuffre’s sex allegations.
“What I’m representing is that her entire, ludicrous and absurd story of what took place in my house is an obvious lie,” Maxwell said. “She claimed things took place in my bathroom in London. Her characterisation is just not possible.”
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Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims Prince Andrew had sex with her on three separate occasions. He has categorically denied he had any sexual contact with her ASSOCIATED PRESS
Maxwell later added: “She [Giuffre] then characterised things took place in my bathroom in the bathtub itself. The tub is too small for any type of activity whatsoever.”
Giuffre also made her claims in a BBC Panorama interview last December, in which she said: “There was a bath and it started there and then led into the bedroom.
“It didn’t last very long, the whole entire procedure. It was disgusting. He wasn’t mean or anything but he got up and he said ‘thanks’ and walked out.
“I sat there in bed, just horrified and ashamed and felt dirty. I had to get up and have a shower.”
In the deposition, Maxwell also cast doubt on the authenticity of a photo showing Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, purportedly taken at Maxwell’s Mayfair home.
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Maxwell said the surroundings in the photo looked “familiar”, but also said: “We can’t really establish the photograph and all that,” adding: “I don’t know if that’s true, if that’s a real picture or not.”
But in the combative display she went on to say: “Just for the record, I have never at any time, at any place, in any moment, ever asked Virginia Roberts, or whatever she is called now, to have sex with anybody.”
In the transcripts the socialite repeatedly denied hiring anyone under the age of 18 for Epstein.
She also said: “I never saw any inappropriate under-age activities with Jeffrey ever.”
The transcript includes mention of an email allegedly sent to Maxwell by Andrew on January 3, 2015, saying: “Let me know when we can talk. Got some specific questions to ask you about Virginia Roberts”.
Jeffrey Epstein took his own life in prison last year ASSOCIATED PRESS
While references to Andrew were redacted from the published evidence, it is possible to spot where his name has been removed by referencing the document’s alphabetical index.
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Giuffre has alleged Maxwell recruited her at 17 to be sexually abused from 1999 to 2002.
Andrew has withdrawn from official public duties after a disastrous Newsnight interview about his relationship with Epstein, that saw him criticised for showing little sympathy with the disgraced financier’s victims.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Marcus Rashford Is Tweeting Out Every Place Offering Kids Free Meals

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Marcus Rashford has shared the details of dozens of restaurants, shops and community groups offering to feed the country’s poorest children after 322 Tories voted down a motion to extend free school meals.
Starting on Thursday night, the England footballer who has spent months campaigning to stop child hunger through school holidays, has shared posts from businesses and groups nationwide who are volunteering free food for children who may otherwise go hungry.
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From free sandwiches, sausages and curries to taxis to the nearest available foodbank, dozens of posts have now been shared online as millions of families face a half term of hardship.
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Rashford, who successfully campaigned for an extension to food vouchers for children on free school meals through the summer holidays, has urged the government to extend the scheme through to April 2021 as families nationwide struggle with the financial impact of Covid-19 lockdowns.
There are more than 1.4m children currently eligible for free school meals, with it emerging in early October that some 900,000 more children had recently signed up for the scheme.
New research published on Friday reveals that one in seven parents of children not on free school meals are also struggling to cover the cost of food – equivalent to around 850,000 families.
The report by The Children’s Society also reveals 40% of respondents said they had cut down on food they bought for themselves in order to pay for school meals, while a fifth had borrowed money from friends and family.
In a bid to cover costs 17% said they had delayed making gas and electricity payments, while 5% said they had used a foodbank and 5% said they had borrowed from a commercial lender.
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Rashford’s direct approach has earned widespread praise, with one Twitter user describing the offers of help from businesses, councils and community groups as “life-affirming”, adding that the footballer’s social media feed “has got me in tears.”
That man @MarcusRashford ;s Twitter feed right now has got me in tears - seeing all the pubs, restaurants and cafes who are financially on their knees right now doing the job the government refused to and offering kids free meals to stop them going hungry is life-affirming — Alexandra Topping (@LexyTopping) October 23, 2020
Has someone been chopping onions near @MarcusRashford’s twitter feed or have I just got something in my eye? — Liam Thorp (@LiamThorpECHO) October 23, 2020
Marcus Rashford appears to have set up an alternative government pic.twitter.com/cuJd9t20tK — Jack Blanchard (@Jack_Blanchard_) October 23, 2020
I've just been directed towards @MarcusRashford's twitter feed - pretty amazing what's happening on there — Rachel Burden (@rachelburden) October 23, 2020
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Rashford and his mother visited food charity FareShare in Greater Manchester on Thursday, a day after the Tories voted down the motion, to meet staff and volunteers to see how the charity will be responding to soaring demand this Christmas.
The footballer has spoken about his own experience of using a food voucher scheme as a child.
In a letter to MPs a few weeks ago, Rashford reflected on his own experience, writing: “I remember the sound of my mum crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet.”
FareShare is naming a new warehouse after Rashford’s mother, and has launched a campaign to raise £300,000 to refurbish the huge new space.
In Greater Manchester alone, FareShare is now distributing more than 80 tonnes of food each week, equivalent to more than 200,000 meals.
Speaking during the visit Rashford said: “The real superstars in this country can be found in the heart of most cities, towns and villages, working tirelessly to support our most vulnerable across the UK.
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“As FareShare and other food-related charities approach one of the toughest Winters on record, with demand higher than ever before, it is important that I stay connected and lend my support wherever it is needed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Wear And Care: Taste Don’t Waste With This Delicious Smoothie Idea

Wear And Care: Taste, Don’t Waste With This Delicious Smoothie Idea
Low waste advocate Kate Bamber makes a healthy smoothie with strawberries, bananas and avocado whilst trying to avoid waste. To reduce and reuse, the green stems of the strawberries are left on, the banana peels are turned into a fertiliser and the avocado is grown into a beautiful house plant.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Adele Is Back (With An American Accent) In Saturday Night Live Clip

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Adele’s thick Laandaan accent could soon be a thing of the past if this clip of her promoting her upcoming stint on Saturday Night Live is anything to go by.
We jest of course (we think), but the British singer – who has a home in LA – did give an American accent her very best stab in the clip ahead of her hosting this weekend’s show.
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Masked up and standing on stage alongside musical guest H.E.R.,regular cast member Kate McKinnon attempts to mimic Adele’s accent, saying: “So tune in, it’s fit to be wicked,” before adding: “I’m sorry, bad idea, that was a bad idea, fail.”
Adele then replies in an American accent: “Oh my god, no worries girlfriend.”
Adele announced her appearance on the US sketch show on Sunday and said she is “so excited” but also admitted to being “absolutely terrified”.
A 2008 appearance on SNL helped boost Adele’s career in the US. She described her hosting debut, 12 years after first appearing as a musical guest, as a “full circle” moment.
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Adele’s latest hosting stint sparked speculation she is ready to release new music.
It has been five years since the release of the Grammy-winning 25 and had been highly anticipated that the follow up would be released in 2020.
However, earlier this year Adele’s manager confirmed it had been pushed back, owing to the pandemic.
Jonathan Dickins told Music Week: “It isn’t coming in September, it’ll be ready when it’s ready.
“We’re all in the same boat, you’re doing stuff and then all of a sudden, the world stops. It’ll come when it’s ready. I can’t put a date on that yet. We have music, but we’re still working.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Tories Voted Against Free School Meals In Revenge For 'Scum' Comment, Nicky Morgan Suggests

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A former minister has suggested more Tories would have supported a motion to extend free school meals if Labour’s Angela Rayner hadn’t called Conservative MP Chris Clarkson “scum” during a debate.
Former culture secretary Nicky Morgan made the controversial comment during an appearance on BBC Question Time on Thursday evening.
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Asked by host Fiona Bruce if the vote against free school meals for the UK’s poorest children was “a good look for the government”, Morgan replied: “Well I think the Labour Party might have found they got more supporters yesterday if the deputy leader hadn’t called one of the Conservative MPs ‘scum’ in the course of debate”.
Challenged by Bruce over whether or not her retort was besides the point, Morgan continued: “The point is, if you want to build a coalition – we’ve heard comments saying it’s ‘unconscionable that the government didn’t support this’.
“If the Labour Party had really wanted, and I think Marcus Rashford complained about it becoming politicised, if the Labour Party had really wanted support they wouldn’t have made it what’s called an opposition day debate. There would be other ways to build a coalition in parliament.”
After swerving a question from Bruce about whether or not the Tories voted down the motion for political reasons, Morgan offered a lengthy description of the money the government had already put into free school meals – which Labour MP Bridget Phillipson interrupted by asking: “So kids are going hungry this Christmas because you don’t like the parliamentary process?”
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Morgan doubled down on her comments, replying: “If the Labour Party really want to get people supporting this debate then labelling Conservative MPs with unconscionable, unparliamentary words, and then the way it was dealt with absolutely not.”
Morgan is not the first Tory to offer justification for her vote on free school meals, with both Kit Malthouse and Jeremy Hunt met with derision for their defensive comments in the wake of the debate.
The former culture secretary has faced fierce criticism for her comments online, with anti-Brexit campaigner Femi Oluwole writing: “I hope everyone can see the irony of a Tory Nicky Morgan saying she was happy to watch poor kids starve as revenge for being called scum.”
I hope everyone can see the irony of a Tory Nicky Morgan saying she was happy to watch poor kids starve as revenge for being called scum.#BBCqt https://t.co/fAx71wcdBd — Femi (@Femi_Sorry) October 22, 2020
Labour MP Lisa Nandy also shared the clip, adding: “Thank goodness for MPs like Bridget Phillipson.”
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“So kids go hungry this Christmas because you don’t like the Parliamentary process?” Thank goodness for MPs like @bphillipsonMP #bbcqt https://t.co/3a68RbySZO — Lisa Nandy (@lisanandy) October 22, 2020
So, let me get this right. Nicky Morgan said that the Tories may have decided not to vote for free school meals because one of them was called ‘scum’?
They reacted to being called scum by behaving like, err, scum?
Well.... — Paul Bernal (@PaulbernalUK) October 23, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Blake Lively Delightfully Rips Husband Ryan Reynolds After He Votes In His First US Election

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It was Ryan’s first time. He was understandably scared. It all happened so fast. Like, REALLY fast. He wept. I pretended to weep. Then he called all his friend. #voteearly


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--10 Joyful Showbiz Moments That Put A Smile On Our Faces This Week | Good Vibes Only

10 Joyful Showbiz Moments That Put A Smile On Our Faces This Week | Good Vibes Only
Strictly Come Dancing is finally back to bring some sparkle into our lives, but it wasn’t the only thing that brought us joy this week. There was an exciting RuPaul’s Drag Race UK announcement and Gemma Collins was up to her usual (ridiculous) tricks. Elsewhere in this week’s GVO, there’s also a chance for you to own the Big Breakfast house (if you have a spare £5.7m), and find out why BBC iPlayer’s Love Life is the perfect show to binge right now.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--Matthew McConaughey Reveals What Led To Estrangement From His Mom

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Matthew McConaughey opened up about painful moments from his past in his new memoir, Greenlights.
The Oscar-winning actor was estranged from his mother, Kay, for nearly a decade after she began leaking their personal conversations to the press and betraying his trust in other ways, he revealed in the book that came out Tuesday.
“I was calling my mom at that time, after I’d gotten famous, needing to talk to my mom,” he told The Howard Stern Show. “And my mom was not the only one on the phone. The woman that was on the phone was a fan ― of my fame.”
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He added: “I would have conversations, and then all of a sudden — whoop — what we’d talked about would end up in the paper three days later. I was, like, ‘Mom, that was between us!’”
Matthew McConaughey with his mother, Kay. Gregg DeGuire via Getty Images
He said he would have to tell his mother not to share things, but she didn’t listen. The final straw was a TV interview she gave from his childhood home in which she pointed to the bed where he lost his virginity and revealed other extremely personal details.
When McConaughey called her during the TV special, she initially denied doing anything, then said that she “didn’t think” he’d find out about the interview.
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“We went through a time where I didn’t really share much with her,” he said. “She became a different person.”
“It was a strenuous relationship for eight years. We’re back completely now,” the actor added, saying that he’s since “forgiven her” and had to “make some boundaries.”
“There’s always forgiveness. I just tried to bide my time,” he said. “It was a sad time. I remember talking to my brothers, going, ‘I have these five-minute conversations with mom on Sunday when I’ll call her, and I just really listen and barely say anything.’
“And I don’t feel like she’s getting to know me or I’m getting to know her any better,” McConaughey added. “It was tough for eight years, but we went through it, and we’re on the other side of it. It’s good.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--UK Justice System Is Collapsing Under Strain Of Covid, Say Top Lawyers

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Criminal trials over Microsoft Teams, innocent defendants pleading guilty and victims’ families forced to wait years for closure. Coronavirus could deliver the knockout blow to a justice system brought to its knees by chronic underfunding.
A decade of austerity was already taking its toll, but the shutdown at the start of the pandemic had resulted in a backlog of nearly half a million criminal cases as of June, according to the Ministry of Justice. That’s a 44% increase year-on-year and the highest number since 2012, when records began.
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The Secret Barrister – arguably Britain’s most famous lawyer – says the system is on the verge of a major crisis. Speaking exclusively to HuffPost UK, he said the human cost of the delays was “monumental”.
“I have had clients whose trials have been adjourned multiple times, while they languish in custody awaiting their day in court,” he said. “I’ve had a teenage client remanded into youth detention, experiencing custody for the very first time, who because of Covid was held for nine months without visits from family, confined to his cell for up to 23 hours a day.
“I’ve had clients who admitted their guilt at the time of the offence back in 2018, but who have had to wait two years for the police and Crown Prosecution Service to bring the case to court, and who, despite pleading guilty, have had to wait yet further time – six months in some cases – to be sentenced, during which time their lives are put on hold. Some have children and other caring responsibilities, and the strain of not knowing impacts upon the blameless family members as well as the defendant.”
In a stark warning, the lawyer added: “The system is without doubt close to collapse. We are listing trials in 2022 for alleged offences that occurred in 2018, sometimes earlier. The criminal courts run on oral evidence – a witness speaking live about the things they have seen and heard.
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“Memory is the currency of criminal justice, and these delays are devaluing it beyond rescue. It is not fair on defendants, who may find themselves tripping up over details and wrongly giving a jury the impression that they are being untruthful, nor is it fair on complainants and prosecution witnesses, who likewise may find their honest account disbelieved because they can’t recall in vivid technicolour the fast-moving events of four years ago.
The Secret Barrister and two masked associates take to the streets of London to spread the word about the new book release, 'Fake Law: The Truth About Justice in an Age of Lies' Pan Macmillan/PinPep/Shutterstock
“The pressures that the delays put on those involved are often overlooked; the practical consequences of having to wait years for justice are that many complainants and witnesses will simply give up, resulting in potentially guilty people walking free.
“Or those accused, especially those remanded in custody waiting indefinitely for a trial, will feel pressured into pleading guilty, recognising – as we see in too many cases – that by the time of their trial they will have served longer on remand than they would have been sentenced to if convicted. Nothing about this is consistent with functioning justice.”
The Secret Barrister says the “grim irony” of the government cuts to the justice system since 2010 is that nobody benefits.
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“It would cost the government next to nothing, relatively speaking, to give the system what it needs to start working again,” he said. “But justice is right at the bottom of the list of priorities for a government which knows that, as long as it throws red meat to the tabloids about ‘tough sentencing’ every few weeks, few voters are going to give the justice system a second thought.”
A recent survey by the Law Society echoes those points made by The Secret Barrister and how coronavirus, coupled with an already overstretched system, is severely impacting both access to justice and vulnerable people involved within.
One criminal law solicitor responding to the survey said: “My 14-year-old defendant’s trial [has been] moved from June 2020 to February 2021. He is currently detained in a secure detention centre and he will have been held on remand for over 14 months of his life by the time his trial has concluded.”
Further findings of the survey include individuals being unable to see family and legal advisers for prolonged periods and solicitors reporting waits of up to eight weeks to talk to their clients, with hearing dates sometimes being offered before they have been able to take instructions.
This has left defendants living in limbo and some locked up in isolation for 23 hours of the day because work and education facilities were withdrawn in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.
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General view of a Nightingale Court on Petty France street in London Peter Summers via Getty Images
What’s more, temporary legislation was introduced by the government last month as part of the recovery from the pandemic that extended the Custody Time Limit (CTL) for those awaiting trial for serious crimes from 182 days to 238 days.
The measures will apply to anyone arrested and held in custody for alleged offences serious enough to be heard at the Crown Court.
Stuart Nolan, chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee, says face-to-face consultations between solicitors and clients in prisons are virtually impossible in the current climate, with family visits even less so, so it’s all being done remotely with people isolated in their cells.
He said: “People lose their minds in prison. People are stressed in prison. They are away from their families, they are away from comfort. It could be the first time they’re there. It’s a threatening place at the best of times. A lot of people in prison are vulnerable anyway. There’s less people there to look after them. You name a situation, it’s made worse by isolation or by Covid.
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“If somebody’s on bail and wants to apply for a job or change jobs or even remain in their existing job, they may be dismissed while the outcome is being resolved.
“If you wanted to apply to change jobs – whilst this matter is hanging over you, you can’t get clearance. It affects every aspect of your life, particularly domestic violence situations. Having an unresolved allegation can mean you can’t go home to where you live. You may have prohibitions on how long or if you see your kids at all. Allegations against people are just that until they’re adjudicated on.”
There is also growing evidence that the increased waiting times are causing some defendants to plead guilty to crime they haven’t committed, simply to exit the system more quickly than they would if they pleaded guilty and awaited trial.
Criminal barrister Joanna Hardy told HuffPost UK she fears people will be taking “mathematical” decisions to plead guilty or say they will do so to lesser offences increasingly in the coming months so they spend less time in custody.
The next available legal visit at HMP Thameside is 22nd December 2020. Whole system is collapsing. — Karen Todner (@karentodner) October 5, 2020
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She said: “Some people might say: ‘I’d fight to my dying breath, it doesn’t matter if I have to wait years to serve my two month sentence.’ But some people don’t make those assessments and can you blame a human being who is away from their children or their wife, perhaps they’ve got vulnerabilities in custody and the conditions in custody at the moment are appalling?
“Some people don’t weigh up what will this conviction mean for job opportunities, what will this conviction mean for travel overseas. What will this conviction mean for me in 25 years if I want to be a teacher or a police officer?”
This is not a new tactic being abused in the legal system, but one that is being exacerbated.
Hardy added: “We are seeing an increasing position where human beings are thinking to themselves: ‘This is just getting longer and more intolerable in terms of conditions, and there’s an escape route’. And some people will take that escape route.”
I’m glad everyone is looking at CTLs (custody time limits). For me, the real story is not yet being seen. The real story are those people pleading guilty to things they *didn’t do* because waiting for trial will mean spending longer in custody than their sentence would ever be 👇🏼 — Joanna Hardy (@Joanna__Hardy) September 6, 2020
In March, almost half of all courts were shut and trials involving juries were suspended amid the coronavirus lockdown, while some virtual hearings continued. While the Coronavirus Act 2020 permitted the expanded use of video and audio hearings, in practice these have been found to be particularly challenging for children and people with mental health issues, learning disabilities, language barriers or other factors affecting their ability to understand proceedings, as well as for litigants in person.
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Penelope Gibbs, director of charity Transform Justice, is particularly concerned about the use of remote hearings, which create a “disconnect” between people involved,
She told HuffPost UK: “My observation is that if defendants and other people involved in the court process are on the equivalent of a Microsoft Teams call then defendants find their ability to participate in their hearing to be damaged because often the technology is bad, and or just the disconnect you get between people via a video screen.”
Gibbs has published her observations of remote magistrates hearings online, revealing poor sound quality, defendants unable to access representation due to connection problems and a judge complaining of “gremlins in the system.”
Hooray. Have accessed a magistrates' court remotely to observe. 1st time. Will reveal name later. All except magistrates & legal adviser appearing remotely. Sound from court poor, v. distant. Not sure defendant would be able to hear. He's unrepresented yet accused domestic abuse — Penelope Gibbs (@PenelopeGibbs2) June 17, 2020
Visits to mags' courts today. Just arrived at Stratford to be told that tho court is technically open there is no public access. Asked to see the security guard's manager & was told the same story. No access. They said they only had one court running & there was no list available — Penelope Gibbs (@PenelopeGibbs2) June 8, 2020
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The defendant is not here in his own trial. Has I think refused to leave cells. Prosecutor has come up to me in public gallery & asked why I'm here. Not sure it's his role. — Penelope Gibbs (@PenelopeGibbs2) May 26, 2020
Left Thames at lunchtime. Still no court lists displayed anywhere. No hand sanitiser I could see either. Reflecting back on the hearings, it was incredibly difficult to work out who was who on the video screens. & when the defendant appeared no-one told them who was in the court — Penelope Gibbs (@PenelopeGibbs2) May 18, 2020
A former magistrate herself, Gibbs believes that in order to clear some of the backlog, minor offences should be diverted from prosecution in the courts – offences such as shoplifting, criminal damage or possession of cannabis.
She said: “That level of crime, it’s not very effective to prosecute it because those people normally just get a court fine if they’re convicted and they struggle to pay it and so on.
“There are quite reasonable routes to divert people from prosecution so they could receive a caution, or a community resolution or be diverted to services or whatever. At least 20% of magistrates court cases I think could be more effectively diverted. I’d say that in Covid or not, but the fact is we have a massive backlog now, so the opportunity is there to take some of these cases and divert them.”
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As well as taking a toll on defendants and victims of crime, the buckling system is also impacting on legal practitioners.
“We are on our knees,” says Stephen Davies, a legal aid lawyer. “There’s a lot of spin from central government about the criminal justice system, they’re doing all these wonderful things, but the reality, at the coalface they’re not.
“I don’t believe justice is really being done. I think there’s a real face-off here between the cost and quality and they are clearly not intent on spending money, they want to cut the system and I don’t really see how you can cut it anymore without significantly jeopardising the quality.
“We are having to have online conversations explaining to people why they’re in custody for so long or why their trial is taking years and people are losing out on employment and university places, breakdown of relationships, mental health… it’s going to have an impact on those services. There’s a real false economy about all of this.”
Attempts to stem the spread of coronavirus have seen some defendants held in their cells for up to 23 hours a day (file picture) Bartle_Halpin via Getty Images
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A Law Society Criminal Legal Aid review published in June revealed that publicly funded criminal defence lawyers have not had a fee increase since the 1990s. The same report also noted there were 21,000 fewer police officers, 600 less police stations and that over 50 per cent of magistrates courts have closed since 2010.
Davies worries about the future of legal aid, as many lawyers look for more sustainable jobs.
“The scales of justice are imbalanced and I think that Covid-19 is going to be the straw that breaks the camel’s back,” he said.
“It was bad before Covid-19 but if the doomsday clock was ticking, I’d think we’re heading close to the final stretch. I don’t know what collapse looks like but it’s certainly not great and I would conclude by saying there’s a real human impact.”
The broad answer according to all parties, is more investment and a streamlining of existing services.
In July, the government set up several temporary Nightingale courts to hear non-custodial cases and try to help tackle the backlog.
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On top of that, many courts have reopened and are holding trials, though not at full capacity.
Davies said: “It’s about investing smartly in technology and seeing how it will impact across the board. It’s about how do we intercept cases and deal with the administrative side of them more efficiently rather than wasting time on matters that could otherwise be more streamlined. It’s about maximising lawyers’ time to really devote to preparing these cases and of course giving them access to their clients in a privileged way and in a manner that is good for overall progression of cases.
“The other way you can increase capacity would be if you reduced the number of jurors. There is evidence on the part of Ministry of Justice that reducing jurors, which assists with social distancing, will provide some capacity increase.”
Between April and June this year there were just 124 crown court trials, compared with 4,911 in the first quarter. This is also the lowest number since records began in 2014.
Whether this streamlining and investment will materialise remains to be seen, with justice minister Chris Philips being roundly criticised for claiming the court systems were being run “more effectively” during the pandemic than they were before.
In July, the government pledged:
£102 million to modernise courts in England and Wales including; £55 million for essential court maintenance, £37 million for technology, and £10 million for regeneration projects outside London and the South East which will support employment and economic growth.
£40 million to improve the environmental sustainability of courts and tribunal buildings, looking at ways of reducing energy and water usage.
£143 million to improve the prison and probation buildings including; £20 million to speed up the digitalisation of prisons, £60 million for 1,000 temporary prison units to expand the capacity of the estate, and £63 million on maintenance.
Steven Littlewood, the FDA civil service managers’ union for the CPS, described the pledge as a “good start”, but warned that more investment was needed.
“We are pleased the government is listening to our concerns about the proper funding of justice.
“However, although this is a good start it will take more than a lick of paint to clear the backlog of 40,000 cases.”
As the Secret Barrister sums up: “The primary solution, simplistic as it sounds, is money.
“The system has lost 25% of its budget. Crime is simply not being prosecuted – 7% is the current prosecution rate, with the conviction rate even smaller.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-23--35 Funny Tweets About Kids Busting Their Parents

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