thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--These Are The Places With The Highest And Lowest Covid-19 Infection Rates In England

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Not a single part of England would be classed as “safe” from coronavirus using the government’s own threshold for quarantining overseas travellers.
Two weeks ago, five areas in the country had a seven-day average of below 20 cases per 100,000 people and a few days later this fell to just one, the Isle of Wight.
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Now the latest NHS data show cases on the Isle of Wight have risen to 24 per 100,000 people.
The national average currently stands at 159.8.
Areas with the highest levels of infection (seven-day average 12 Oct – 18 Oct)
Knowsley – 639.7 Nottingham – 586.7 Liverpool – 549.4 Blackburn – 548.4 Rochdale – 475.2 Salford – 469.8 Oldham – 448.7 Wigan – 440.0 Bolton – 427.8 Barnsley – 424.9
Areas with the lowest levels of infection (seven-day average 12 Oct – 18 Oct)
Isle of Wight – 24 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly – 24.5 Somerset – 37.7 West Sussex – 38.5 Medway – 40.2 East Sussex – 41.5 Kent – 45.0 Suffolk – 45.1 West Berkshire – 47.3 Central Bedfordshire – 49.5
Across the rest of the UK, four areas in Scotland remain under the threshold, three of which are islands – Orkney Islands (9 per 100,000 people), Shetland Islands (4.4) and Na h-Eilanan Siar (15).
Moray, on the Scottish mainland, has a rate of 14.
A man wearing a protective face mask walks past a statue of former prime minister Harold Wilson in Huyton in Liverpool. Christopher Furlong via Getty Images
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In Wales, which earlier this week announced a two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown similar to the first restrictions imposed in March, not a single area remains below the quarantine threshold.
Merthyr Tydfil has the highest rate at 217.2 and Ceredigon the lowest, at 23.4.
And in Northern Ireland the situation is the same. Derry City and Strabane has a rate of 717.5, the highest in the UK.
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has announced south Yorkshire will move into the highest level of coronavirus restriction, after an agreement was reached between local leaders and central government.
Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield will all be put under the strictest measures from Saturday.
Our Council leaders and I have secured £41m funding from Govt to support our people and businesses as we move to Tier 3. We’ve taken action to protect both lives and livelihoods as pressure increases on our #NHS.
The new rules start at 0001 on Sat 24 Oct.https://t.co/U7yv77Yx7I — Dan Jarvis (@DanJarvisMP) October 21, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Great British Bake Off Fans Had Some Very Strong Reactions To The Bakers' Definition Of A Cornish Pa

Great British Bake Off Fans Had Some Very Strong Reactions To The Bakers' Definition Of A Cornish Pasty

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Warning! This article contains spoilers about the latest episode of The Great British Bake Off.
There are some foods you just do not mess with, and it became apparent the Cornish pasty was one of them after Tuesday’s episode of The Great British Bake Off.
Fans of the Channel 4 baking competition had some pretty strong reactions to the contestants’ interpretations of the classic baked treat, as they put their own twists on it.
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This week’s Signature Challenge saw judges Prue Leith and Paul Hollywood ask the eight remaining bakers to cook up six Cornish pasties as part of Pastry Week.
It saw them produce a mixture of creations, that strayed pretty far from the traditional recipe of beef, potato, swede and onion, wrapped in a neatly D-shaped shortcrust pastry complete with crimps to make a crust.
Among the goods the bakers produced claiming to be pasties included a fish-shaped and fish-flavoured version, one with a toad-in-the-hole theme, and one that was shaped like a samosa.
There’s the tiniest possibility that Linda’s pasties designed to look very much like samosas are, in actual fact, samosas. #GBBO pic.twitter.com/08PqoEGqqF — British Bake Off (@BritishBakeOff) October 20, 2020
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Pasty purists were not happy at the deviation, with plenty of conversation about it on Twitter...
Watching all these Cornish pasty reinterpretations #GBBO pic.twitter.com/STqtOXOVyo — Alex Davis (@Alex_Loze_Davis) October 20, 2020
GBBO: Make a Cornish pasty.. but use any filling you want
Cornish people: pic.twitter.com/O4RAbJ0BiQ — Cathy💭 (@cathy_parkin) October 20, 2020
As a Cornish person I can safely tell you that not one of those is an actual fucking pasty. #gbbo — Jen Faulkner (@jfaulknerwriter) October 20, 2020
I’m a Bake Off lover but I’m also a Cornishman. A pasty is a pasty & doesn’t need any messing with! #GBBO pic.twitter.com/Suqor1RhuX — Dom Jones (@HantsPoliceChap) October 20, 2020
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People from Cornwall are going to die watching the bakers put coconut flakes in a pasty #GBBO #gbbo2020 — Sam Damerell (@SamDamerell1) October 20, 2020
When someone puts fish in a pasty #gbbo pic.twitter.com/Cj1fwo6Gw5 — Rachael (@RachaelvsWorld) October 20, 2020
The Cornish right now seeing a samosa masquerading as a pasty. #GBBO #pastygate pic.twitter.com/HIPea88k3y — Mark Binmore (@MarkBinmore) October 20, 2020
Still waiting for the bakers to produce a Cornish Pasty #GBBO pic.twitter.com/5aZRS5XxAQ — Daniel Smith (@Doctor_63) October 20, 2020
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EVEN THE CORNISH BLOKE DIDNT MAKE A CORNISH PASTY #GBBO pic.twitter.com/TIasWJu5mF — Megan Hunt (@MegHunt_) October 20, 2020
They are NOT Cornish Pasty’s.
Shocking efforts.
Now this is a Cornish Pasty by a Cornish maid feat. beef skirt, potatoes, turnip, onion, butter, salt and loads of white pepper. That’s how it’s done!! #gbbo pic.twitter.com/KvxJaPuzwj — Charlotte Hodges (@Char_Hodges_) October 20, 2020
all these bakers putting fish in a pasty should immediately be eliminated #GBBO — Amy Goodall (@amieexgoodall) October 20, 2020
Elsewhere in Pastry Week, the bakers were tasked with making eclairs for the Technical Challenge, finishing things off with a caged tart in the Showstopper.
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Laura was named Star Baker after impressing Paul and Prue in all three rounds, while it was Linda who found herself eliminated after a series of blunders.
She had produced the samosa-shaped pasties, placed last in the Technical, while her cage fell apart as she tried to make a Gypsy Tart.
Next week, the seven remaining bakers will take part in Bake Off’s first ever Japanese Week.
The Great British Bake Off continues next Tuesday at 8pm on Channel 4.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--South Yorkshire Placed Under Tier 3 Coronavirus Lockdown

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South Yorkshire will move into a tier 3 coronavirus lockdown, after an agreement was reached between local leaders and central government.
People from different households will not be allowed to mix, pubs and bars not serving food will be forced to close and residents will be told not to travel outside the area.
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Dan Jarvis, the Labour mayor of the Sheffield City Region, said due to a surge in infections “inaction was not an option”.
“While infection rates vary across South Yorkshire, collective action was the only practical choice to keep everyone in our region safe,” he said on Wednesday morning.
“If restrictions are effective, individual local authorities will be able to move to lower alert levels as soon as it is safe to do so, in consultation with fellow local leaders, myself and national government.
“However, to reach that point as quickly as possible, it’s critical people in South Yorkshire follow the new restrictions as soon as they are in place.”
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Betting shops, adult gaming centres, casinos and soft play centres must also shut.
Gyms will be allowed to remain open, but classes involving groups of people will be banned.
South Yorkshire joins the Liverpool City Region, Greater Manchester and Lancashire in tier 3.
A raft of different areas were weighing up whether they too would enter the “Very High Risk” status of the highest tier of restrictions.
No.10 sources said that talks between the government and council leaders inTeesside and Tyne and Wear had been “paused” because local infection rates appeared to have improved.
Negotiations were taking place on Wednesday at the level of officials, rather than ministers, between the government and Nottinghamshire leaders.
Although contact has been made with West Yorkshire leaders about Tier 3, no talks haveyet started.
In Greater Manchester, the government imposed tier 3 restrictions – including the closure of pubs, bars and betting shops – from Friday without the agreement of local leaders.
Talks broke down with the government unwilling to provide the £65 million asked for by mayor Andy Burnham as the “bare minimum to prevent a winter of real hardship”.
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Despite initially confirming only a £22 million package to support contact tracing and enforcement of the new rules in Greater Manchester, ministers have said the extra support is still on the table.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Hannah Witton: Ulcerative Colitis, Naked Mirror Dancing, Sex With A Stoma + Why We’re So Scared Of C

Hannah Witton: Ulcerative Colitis, Naked Mirror Dancing, Sex With A Stoma + Why We’re So Scared Of Chronic Illness
In this debut episode of Chronic, Lucy Pasha-Robinson is joined by sex educator and YouTube star Hannah Witton, who lives with ulcerative colitis. We dive head first into that enduring question that drives so many of us living with chronic illness round the bend – why are people so keen to offer up unsolicited advice on how to get better?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--DANCE OFF!: Kamala Harris And Trump Bust Out Competing Moves At Duelling Rallies

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There’s a political dance-off unfolding on the campaign trail.
President Donald Trump’s unusual take on the “YMCA,” above, took off on social media last week. And now, Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris is sharing some moves of her own.
Harris broke into dance during a rainy campaign event in Florida on Monday:
Kamala Harris is dancing in the Florida rain. pic.twitter.com/z2lxKMJ89e — The Recount (@therecount) October 19, 2020
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Since Trump’s dance moves in Florida went viral, he’s worked his “YMCA” steps into most of his rallies.
The reviews for both are pouring in on Twitter:
Gene Kelly would be proud if my friend. pic.twitter.com/6byTnNuiuL — Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) October 20, 2020
When he dances he looks like a centaur stuck in glue pic.twitter.com/rmrDZGbltJ — Jess Dweck (@TheDweck) October 20, 2020
I am absolutely unable to get over this video of @KamalaHarris dancing in the rain in chucks. pic.twitter.com/TD38hUISN2 — Meena Harris (@meenaharris) October 19, 2020
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First he stole all of Veep. Now he’s stealing from Seinfeld. Melania deserves an Emmy for acting like she’s attracted to THIS. https://t.co/tAeQEK7LPh — Julia Louis-Dreyfus (@OfficialJLD) October 19, 2020
This video of @KamalaHarris dancing in the rain might be the best thing you’ll see on the internet today pic.twitter.com/435Jw99RUX — Mitali Modi (@mmodi93) October 19, 2020
Donald Trump dances like he governs. — Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) October 18, 2020
Singing in the Rain! https://t.co/tjd7osNAq7 — Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) October 20, 2020
And you people called ME Lurch?!? pic.twitter.com/DuDT4IRSAh — John Kerry (@JohnKerry) October 18, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Dominic Cummings 'Clearly Undermined' Lockdown, Says Ex-Civil Service Chief

“But it clearly undermined the government’s coherent narrative about people following the rules.”
Sedwill, who stood down last month as cabinet secretary, also admitted there were “legitimate” questions about Whitehall’s preparedness for the pandemic.
“Although we had exercised and prepared for pandemic threats, we didn’t have in place the exact measures, and we hadn’t rehearsed the exact measures,” he said.
“I think there is a genuine question about whether we could have been better prepared in the first place and that is obviously a very legitimate challenge.”
Sedwill, who was appointed to the post under Theresa May, stepped down after reportedly clashing with Cummings.
He was one of a number of senior officials to leave in the months after Johnson became prime pinister last year.
He rejected suggestions that their departures had been “part of a campaign” to get rid of officials ministers did not like, saying the situation was “more complex”.
“Governments want people they have confidence in, of course,” he said.
“We go through periods of this kind when there’s perceived to be an attack on the underlying values of the civil service, but actually, those values and the institutions serving governments with impartiality have always prevailed and I’m confident they will continue to do so.”
But he said that attacks in the press on senior officials over Brexit and other issues had been “unpleasant” and damaging.
“It is damaging to good governance and those responsible should recognise the damage they’re doing, even if they’re indulging themselves in some short-term tactical ploy,” he said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Hundreds Of Parents Separated From Their Children Under Trump Still Can't Be Found: ACLU

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Lawyers tasked with identifying and reuniting families separated in 2017 and 2018 under the Trump administration’s so-called “zero-tolerance” border policy say they still haven’t been able to locate the parents of at least 545 migrant children, according to a Tuesday court filing from the American Civil Liberties Union.
A majority of these parents — “approximately two-thirds,” the filing said — are believed to have been deported to Central America without their children, some of whom were “just babies” at the time of the separation, ACLU attorney Lee Gelernt told CNN this week.
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We just reported tonight to the court in #aclu case that we still cannot find parents of 545 kids separated by Trump admin - some just babies when taken years ago. We will not stop till we find EVERY one — Lee Gelernt (@leegelernt) October 21, 2020
Between 2017 and 2018, the Trump administration separated at least 4,200 children from their parents — and, according to the ACLU, US immigration officials deported hundreds of these parents without their kids, and often without retaining adequate contact information.
Thousands of separated families have since been reunited, thanks to the efforts of the ACLU and other organisations.
Gelernt said the ACLU, which is part of a court-appointed “steering committee” that’s been tracking down families separated under the Trump administration policy, is determined to help reunite every affected child with their loved ones. But the process of locating separated parents has been arduous, he said.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Most Presidents Who Lose Deal With Shame. Trump Could Have To Deal With Prison.

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If Donald Trump seems more desperate than most incumbents about the coming election, he may have good reason: Presidents do not typically have to worry about going to prison if they lose.
But Trump’s activities in recent years ― from paying hush money to a porn star to his claiming of a massive tax refund to obstructing an investigation into his campaign’s ties to Russia ― combined with a ticking statute of limitations clock potentially make Election Day far more consequential for him than it had been for his predecessors.
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If Trump wins a second term, the time limit for starting a prosecution would run out in the next four years for a number of those activities, given Justice Department guidelines not to prosecute a sitting president. If Trump loses, indictments could quickly follow.
“Winning this election for him is not an option. It’s a necessity,” said Michael Cohen, Trump’s former personal lawyer and “fixer” who was sentenced for, among other charges, arranging illegal payments to keep women he’d had affairs with from speaking out before the 2016 election.
“There’s so much criminality here.” - Nick Ackerman, former federal prosecutor
“He knows that if his tax returns are revealed that he and his children ― Don Jr., Ivanka, Eric ― and others will be charged with a host of criminal tax issues, which will not only cost him his freedom but his entire business,” Cohen said.
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Neither the White House nor the Trump campaign responded to HuffPost queries for this report.
Trump was already described as “Individual-1” in Cohen’s prosecution. With a five-year statute of limitations for many federal crimes, the clock would run out on the hush money cases in late 2021.
Daniel Goldman, a former federal prosecutor who a year ago served as the lead lawyer in the House’s impeachment of Trump, said an ex-President Trump in 2021 could also face charges of bribery for his commutation of aide Roger Stone’s prison sentence as well as extortion charges for his attempts to coerce Ukraine into smearing his political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump was impeached for that but was permitted by Republicans in the Senate to remain in office.
“There’s so much criminality here,” said Nick Ackerman, a former federal prosecutor and, prior to that, a prosecutor in the task force created to investigate President Richard Nixon for the 1972 Watergate break-in and subsequent cover-up.
Any federal tax or bank fraud Trump may have committed in the first three years of his first term would likely be beyond the reach of prosecutors if they have to wait until the end of a second term in January 2025. A similar fate could befall Trump’s work to throttle special counsel Robert Mueller’s 2017-2019 investigation into Russia’s work to help Trump win the last presidential campaign.
Michael Cohen, the former personal lawyer for President Donald Trump, leaves his Park Avenue apartment May 6, 2019, to begin a three-year prison sentence. Cohen later was allowed to serve home confinement because of the coronavirus. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images
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“Again, it would lapse in a second term,” Ackerman said.
Though there is no prohibition on state-level prosecutions against a sitting president, a New York City district attorney told the US Supreme Court in a case involving Trump’s business records that they were cognisant of the time demands on a president.
“We’re mindful that as a state actor, our office cannot investigate a president for any official acts and that we cannot prosecute a president while in office,” said Carey Dunne, general counsel for the Manhattan district attorney’s office during oral arguments in May.
The possibility of prosecution and incarceration may explain Trump’s apparent mania in recent months, with repeated use and, at times, abuse of the powers of his office to aid his reelection.
In spring, a mailing to every household in the country from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about the coronavirus prominently included Trump’s name, even though he had spent months downplaying the virus, at one point even calling it a hoax. When the Treasury Department sent out $1,200 relief checks to Americans, those also included Trump’s name.
More recently, Trump has resisted warnings from public health experts to curtail large gatherings by resuming a frantic schedule of the campaign rallies that he believes are key to winning on November 3. He has again started downplaying the virus and insisting ― against all evidence ― that the pandemic is all but over.
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And on Tuesday, he added to his baseless claims of “corruption” against Democratic opponent Biden by calling on Attorney General William Barr to open an investigation. “We’ve got to get the attorney general to act. He’s got to act, and he’s got to act fast,” Trump said during a lengthy interview with Fox News. “This is major corruption, and this has to be known about before the election.”
America has a history of treating presidential losers poorly, essentially stamping a giant capital “L” on their foreheads. Democrat Jimmy Carter was scorned, even by many Democrats, after losing in 1980 to Ronald Reagan. Republican Bob Dole, a longtime senator, was left to making self-deprecating television commercials after losing in 1996 to incumbent Bill Clinton.
But though they and others faced ignominy, they never had to worry about the possibility of years of imprisonment in the event of a loss.
The sole possible precedent in American politics is that of Republican Nixon, who resigned from office in 1974 after GOP senators made it clear they would not save him if articles of impeachment regarding his role in the Watergate scandal made it to their chamber. Gerald Ford, who had been appointed Nixon’s vice president in 1973 after the resignation of Spiro Agnew following his indictment for bribery, issued Nixon a blanket pardon just 30 days after assuming the presidency. “I cannot prolong the bad dreams that continue to reopen a chapter that is closed,” Ford said in a taped 10-minute Oval Office speech.
Similarly, just because Trump could face criminal charges does not mean he necessarily will.
Biden, who has run on the theme of bringing the country together and “healing” after Trump’s years in office, in May committed in an MSNBC interview not to pardon Trump but said he would not direct his attorney general to do anything one way or the other. “It is not something the president is entitled to do, to direct a prosecution or decide to drop a case,” Biden said.
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Others, though, including Republicans, say it is critical to bringing back a sense of normalcy that a president as openly and regularly lawless as Trump be held to account.
“The integrity of our constitutional republic depends on holding our elected leaders accountable. Trump is no exception,” said Rick Tyler, a GOP consultant who worked on Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 bid for president.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Stars Defend Chris Pratt After Brutal ‘Hollywood Chris’ Ranking Goes Viral: 'Being Mean Is So Yester

Stars Defend Chris Pratt After Brutal ‘Hollywood Chris’ Ranking Goes Viral: 'Being Mean Is So Yesterday'

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Robert Downey Jr, Mark Ruffalo and Katherine Schwarzenegger have all jumped to the defence of Chris Pratt after the actor lost out in a poll of the ‘best Chrises’ in Hollywood.
The famous friends and family of the Guardians Of The Galaxy star have spoken out after he lost out to Chris Hemsworth, Chris Pine and Chris Evans in the viral Twitter poll.
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It all started on Saturday when filmmaker Amy Berg posted a tweet that read “One has to go,” alongside photos of the various Chrises in question.
One has to go. pic.twitter.com/HUWnbQOA43 — Amy Berg (@bergopolis) October 17, 2020
When the overwhelming consensus was that Chris Pratt was the odd one out, he was swapped out with actor Chris O’Dowd’s in a subsequent tweet with the message: “I feel like this is harder.”
Many people cited the Jurassic World star’s rumoured political affiliation ― he sparked a backlash earlier this month for joking about voting in the upcoming presidential election ― and the claims that his church isn’t LGBTQ friendly, which he has since denied, as reasons for their ranking.
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Sharing a picture of them together, Robert Downey Jr. said those questioning the actor’s character should take a look at themselves first.
“What a world,” he wrote on Instagram. “The ‘sinless’ are casting stones at my brother, Chris Pratt… A real Christian who lives by principle, has never demonstrated anything but positivity and gratitude…
“AND he just married into a family that makes space for civil discourse and (just plain fact) INSISTS on service as the highest value. If you take issue with Chris,,, I’ve got a novel idea. Delete your social media accounts, sit with your OWN defects of character, work on THEM, then celebrate your humanness…”
Mark Ruffalo also defended the actor on Twitter, writing: “You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life.
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“He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now.”
You all, @prattprattpratt is as solid a man there is. I know him personally, and instead of casting aspersions, look at how he lives his life. He is just not overtly political as a rule. This is a distraction. Let’s keep our eyes on the prize, friends. We are so close now. — Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 20, 2020
And James Gunn, who directed Chris in 2014’s Guardians Of The Galaxy, tweeted: “Sorry. Just finding out about this nonsense. @prattprattpratt is the best dude in the world. I’ve spent hours & hours sharing my deepest truths with this man, as he has with me.
“Please stop assuming what he believes, politically or in any other way, because he’s a Christian.”
The actor’s wife, Katherine Schwarzenegger, has also jumped to his defence and called out the responses to the poll as “bullying”.
“Is this really what we need?,” she said. “There’s so much going on in the world and people are struggling in so many ways. Being mean is so yesterday. There’s enough room to love all these guys. Love is what we all need, not meanness and bullying. Let’s try that.”
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Chris and Katherine wed last year in an intimate ceremony and now have a baby daughter.
After the Marvel star poked fun at celebrities for voicing their opinions about the upcoming election, Katherine made her political allegiances clear.
Katherine Schwarzenegger and Chris Pratt Rich Polk via Getty Images
The oldest daughter of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver unleashed her anger over President Donald Trump’s recent tweet downplaying the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and endorsed Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--'No Lessons Learnt' As Intensive Care Beds Fill With BAME Covid Patients – Again

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Nearly a third of Covid patients admitted to intensive care since September are from Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds – meaning the second wave of the pandemic is hitting ethnic minorities as badly as the first.
Yet it is four months since Public Health England made a string of recommendations to the government to address the alarming rates of illness and death among minority groups from coronavirus – and more than six months since the problem became clear.
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Ministers were warned again last month that their inaction would lead to a repeat of the devastation that hit BAME communities earlier this year.
Now data from the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre reveal that, since September 1, some 31% of critically ill Covid patients have been from BAME backgrounds. That is just shy of the 34% recorded during the first wave, and more than twice the proportion of BAME people in the English and Welsh population (14%).
A leading doctor who first flagged the disproportionate impact of the virus on BAME people described the situation as “Groundhog Day” and said he felt “deeply let down” that nothing seems to have been done to protect BAME people at higher risk from Covid-19.
Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chairperson of the British Medical Association British Medical Association
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One of the factors that troubled him and led to him calling for urgent government action were figures published by the Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) that revealed a third of people admitted to intensive care due to Covid-19 by that point had been from the BAME population.
Just over a week ago, the figures for the second wave were even worse: 38.3% of Covid patients admitted to intensive care during the second wave were from BAME backgrounds.
“It is extremely upsetting and I feel deeply let down that the government has not put any visible measures in place to address the disproportionate impact coronavirus is having on BAME communities,” he said.
“These latest figures show that nothing has changed and we are still seeing high numbers of people from ethnic minorities admitted to intensive care.
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“These are people who are critically ill and fighting for their lives.”
Nagpaul initially became concerned about the disproportionate impact of coronavirus on BAME people when it emerged that the first 10 doctors who died of Covid-19 in the UK were all of a BAME origin.
As a GP, he had seen first hand a disproportionate number of BAME patients registered at his practice dying unexpectedly of Covid-19, including younger people.
He was the first public figure to push for an inquiry into the disparity and for action to be taken to protect BAME communities who seemed to be at greater risk from the virus.
Since then, numerous studies have revealed that people from certain ethnicities are indeed more susceptible to coronavirus – including a Public Health England report showing that BAME people were more likely to die of coronavirus than their white counterparts.
After an initial PHE report was criticised for simply outlining the increased risk of coronavirus to BAME communities instead of coming up with a plan to tackle it, a subsequent report was published in mid-June with several recommendations to address the disproportionality.
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These included measures such as better involving and targeting BAME communities in research, education, prevention and health promotions.
But Nagpaul says there is no evidence any of them was acted on.
“What has the government done from its own review to protect BAME people from coronavirus?” he asked. “The answer is nothing.
“What has the government done from its own review to protect BAME people from coronavirus? The answer is nothing.” - Dr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association
“There were several recommendations in the Public Health England review, but we have not seen them translated into action.
“The government commissioned this review to protect the BAME community so action could be taken. The aim wasn’t for a review that sat on a shelf.
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“Each day that goes by, we will continue to see this disproportionate impact. The government has a moral duty to act on this.”
Taechit Taechamanodom via Getty Images
Nagpaul gives examples of basic failures, such as the Covid-19 government app not being easy for English speaking people to use, let alone “culturally sensitive”, and says much more needs to be done to improve messaging so people from BAME communities understand how to protect themselves.
He points out that people from BAME backgrounds are more likely to live in deprived areas or work in self-employed roles where testing and self isolating may be difficult, and believes more resources and financial support needs to be provided by the government. BAME people are also more likely to be employed in key worker roles where they need adequate protection from exposure to the virus.
“Having patients in intensive care is extremely expensive for the NHS and government,” he said. “And ultimately, the greatest cost to the government is having to go into constant lockdowns as they paralyse communities and the economy.
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“It would be far better for the government to prevent the infection spreading, work to bring the rate down properly, and invest in preventative measures including providing more targeted support for ethnic minorities”.
He added: “My fear is that unless the government intervenes, we will see a repeat of April and May and there will be more deaths and the impact on BAME communities will be greater.”
One man who knows the devastating impact coronavirus has on BAME communities from personal experience is Hesketh Benoit, who has lost 37 friends to coronavirus – of who 36 were Black.
He has a large, diverse group of friends – but noticed those affected by Covid-19 were almost all Black.
Hesketh Benoit, who has lost 37 friends to coronavirus – of who 36 were Black. Hesketh Benoit
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Benoit told HuffPost UK of his anger at the latest intensive care data.
“It shows that lessons haven’t been learned and that the disproportionality hasn’t gone down,” he said.
“There is a lot of anger flying around in these communities that the government knows about the disproportionate impact but, in six months, nothing has really changed.
“These are people who are severely ill and dying.
“I have lost so many people I know to coronavirus. I feel a sense of anger and dread that things are going to get worse and more lives will be lost in this second wave.”
He added: “I feel the government has let the BAME community down. People have died needlessly.”
An Equality Hub spokesperson from the Government Equalities Office told HuffPost UK: “Throughout the pandemic, the measures introduced by this government have been designed to protect and support everyone, including our most vulnerable.
“The vital steps we have taken include ensuring that NHS frontline staff from ethnic minority backgrounds are best protected and making sure that public health information is easily accessible via translations and targeted messaging.
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“We have also spent £4.3m on ground-breaking research to understand the links between the virus and ethnicity.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--TikTok Outlaws Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories In Crack Down On 'Hurtful Stereotypes'

Mike Blake / Reuters
TikTok is to crack down on anti-Semitic conspiracy theories published on its platform in the latest move by tech giants to outlaw hate speech.
The video streaming app, which boasts hundreds of millions of users worldwide, said it was targetting “misinformation about notable Jewish individuals and families who are used as proxies to spread anti-Semitism”.
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It s also to stop the promotion of gay conversion therapy as it takes steps to “remove misinformation and hurtful stereotypes”.
TikTok is widely used by young LGBTQ+ people to share stories about traumatic experiences such as being forced into conversion therapy.
Earlier this week, TikTok announced it is toughening its stance against the QAnon conspiracy theory.
It comes after Facebook updated its policies to ban content that “denies or distorts the Holocaust” – more than two years after Mark Zuckerberg suggested such posts were allowed in the name of freedom of speech.
In a company blogpost, TikTok said: “As many monitoring organisations are reporting that anti-Semitic sentiment is increasing in the world, we’re proud that we have already taken steps to keep our community safe, for example, by not permitting content that denies the Holocaust and other violent tragedies.
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“We know there’s always more we can do which is why we are taking further action to remove misinformation and hurtful stereotypes about Jewish, Muslim and other communities.
“This includes misinformation about notable Jewish individuals and families who are used as proxies to spread anti-Semitism. We’re also removing content that is hurtful to the LGBTQ+ community by removing hateful ideas, including content that promotes conversion therapy and the idea that no one is born LGBTQ+.”
It added its enforcement teams are being trained to better understand “more nuanced content like cultural appropriation and slurs”.
It continued: “If a member of a disenfranchised group, such as the LGBTQ+, Black, Jewish, Roma and minority ethnic communities, uses a word as a term of empowerment, we want our enforcement teams to understand the context behind it and not mistakenly take the content down.
“On the other hand, if a slur is being used hatefully, it doesn’t belong on TikTok. Educating our enforcement teams on these crucial distinctions is ongoing work, and we strive to get this right for our community.”
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Mark Gardner, chief executive of CST, which fights anti-Semitism, said: “TikTok is a platform of growing importance and influence, especially amongst younger people, and CST is pleased to have contributed to this strengthening of their policies against antisemitism and other forms of hate speech.”
Danny Stone, chief executive of the Antisemitism Policy Trust, said: “TikTok has a large, and growing audience and an equally big responsibility that those using its platform not be served up hate materials.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--The Best Kind Of Music To Listen To While Working

Roberto Westbrook via Getty Images There's research to suggest some genres of music are better for productivity than others.
As many of us continue to work from home amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we’ve seen big shifts in the way we conduct business.
Without the background noise of the traditional office setting, many people have implemented music into their work days to fill the sound void and break up the monotony. Others have turned to music to help drown out the chaos of their home lives while they work.
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Music can help stimulate the senses and get the creative juices flowing. A 2005 study linked listening to music while working with quicker and higher-quality results. But research has also shown that some kinds are better for different work contexts than others.
“Since we’ve been on lockdown, we’re all looking for productivity hacks to help us as we continue working from home,” productivity expert and author Holland Haiis told HuffPost. “If you want to boost your productivity, you’ve got to be strategic with the type of music that you choose.”
To that end, HuffPost asked Haiis and other productivity experts about the best types of music to listen to while working. Read on for their insights.
Avoid music with words...
“Research tells us that pop songs and music with lyrics can be distracting because we focus on the words and message of the songs,” Haiis noted.
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Indeed, multiple studies have indicated that pop music with vocals can impede reading comprehension and information processing skills.
“And let’s be honest, when you hear your favourite songs, you don’t want to work, you’d rather sing, hum, drum, and very possibly get up out of the chair and dance,” Haiis added. “Clearly not the best choice for productivity unless you’re designing a cool dance routine.”
...Unless you’re doing a mindless task.
“Music can help with workflow, provided it’s the right kind of music to help with the task at hand,” said Haiis.
Keeping things instrumental is best for cognitive work like writing a report. But if you’re doing a more repetitive task like data entry, upbeat music with lyrics can help you stay alert and motivated.
You can also look to non-instrumental options to shift the mood while moving from one kind of task to another.
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“Transition music works, too,” said productivity coach and author Grace Marshall. “For example, feel-good songs to get you ready for a big presentation or an interview.”
Consider the “Mozart effect.”
“Classical music can help people perform their tasks more efficiently and improve concentration,” Haiis said. “This theory is called the ‘Mozart effect,’ meaning that classical music is the catalyst to enhancing brain activity.”
The term “Mozart effect” dates back to 1991 and is most associated with a 1993 study in which scientists learned that listening to Mozart’s Sonata for Two Pianos in D major, K. 448, improved spatial reasoning skills.
“So turning on and tuning in to Bach, Beethoven, or Brahms can get you over the midday slump and back on track to finishing your project,” Haiis noted.
“Research has shown that it’s important to pick work music that is enjoyable ― but not too familiar, which can risk distracting from the task at hand.”
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Try favorite film scores.
Film scores are a fun category of instrumental music that can make the work day feel more epic (imagine typing away to the tunes from “Lord of the Rings” trilogy.)
“I always stick to a particular soundtrack when I’m book-writing,” Marshall said. “My brain gets used to it, so when I turn that music on, it helps me brain to slide into book-writing mode much quicker.”
Productivity expert Mark Struczewski told HuffPost one of his go-to work playlists is a selection of instrumental movie scores.
“The reason why I like these types of music is because they are sans words,” said Struczewski. “And they are not familiar so my mind won’t hook onto the melody. Music like these helps me to focus.”
Research has shown that it’s important to pick work music that is enjoyable ― but not too familiar, which can risk distracting from the task at hand.
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Explore other instrumental genres.
Marshall emphasised that there’s no one-size-fits-all answer when it comes to productivity-boosting music.
“Personally, I find that music without lyrics works best for me, as a lot of my work involves words,” she said. “It’s also great for setting my mood. So if I’m doing accounting for example (expenses, invoicing, etc), which I find boring and a bit repetitive, some light cafe jazz helps me to tap away happily without getting frustrated.”
She added that other people may thrive with drum and bass music or even Spotify’s “Atmospheric Calm” playlist, which she listened to while writing her upcoming book. There are countless instrumental options, from jazz and classical to lo-fi hip-hop to ambient sounds like rain.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--8 Tricks Sleep Experts Use When 2020 Anxiety Keeps Them Awake

The urge to check (and recheck) the never-ending stream of news is stronger than usual these days and our brains are constantly running overtime. Anxiety and stress dredged up the coronavirus pandemic can lead to poor sleep ― especially for those with diagnosed or suspected mental health issues.
“We’re both too connected to the outside world and constantly knowing what’s happening, but also feeling really isolated from the parts of the outside world we actually need to help with our stress, like friends and family, and have less pleasurable activities during the day to help us relax and experience joy. And this affects our sleep,” said Jade Wu, a licensed clinical psychologist and sleep researcher.
All these changes in routine and normalcy undermine our nightly zzz’s, according to Wu. Between the upending of our daily routines and the constant fretting about the future, many of us are in a stress-sleep cycle that’s hard to break.
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And that can have damaging consequences: The physical effects of poor sleep are far-reaching, from a weakened immune response to cardiovascular problems. While asleep, our brain completes functions that it only can at rest ― making room to absorb new information and skills, building creative capacity, and solidifying beneficial memories. Plus, being deprived of sleep can exacerbate anxiety and make it trickier to regulate our emotions during waking hours, further adding to the stress we may already carry from this particularly hellish year.
So, how can we reclaim our sleep when our minds are in chronic overdrive? We asked sleep experts to share their personal strategies for getting some shut-eye this year.
First, recognise that interrupted sleep is a normal response to 2020.
Sarah Silverman, a sleep psychologist, said it helps to remember that waking up during the night is a normal response to stress. So it makes sense that many of us are probably sleeping less than usual.
Acknowledge that this is the problem, Silverman said, instead of immediately getting frustrated. Reminding herself that this is a common problem right now eases her anxiety a bit so it doesn’t add to the stress already waking her up.
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Make your bedroom a location for sleep only ― not a place where you work, exercise or check news.
People are spending a lot more time either in the bedroom or someplace near it. We’re using our sleep space as a home office, gym or gathering area ― and that can have unintended effects on our brains.
Even if you aren’t bringing your laptop into bed, it can be very stimulating to have your desk in the bedroom, because your desk is where you work, socialise and scarf down a quick lunch, said Kimberly Truong, the founder of California-based Earlybird Health and a board-certified sleep physician.
“We might also be having important financial conversations with our spouses in bed, because our kids are doing online school in the next room,” Wu added, or we might be doomscrolling in bed more frequently.
What your mind once considered a resting place now becomes associated with negative news and wakeful activities such as being productive, creative and hardworking. If you can, try to do other activities outside your bedroom and keep your bedroom designated for rest.
Flashpop via Getty Images
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Wake up at the same time each day and only crawl into bed at night when you’re ready to go to sleep.
Silverman, Truong and Wu all wake up at the same time each morning to set their bodies up to be sleepy at night. On some days you may take longer to feel sleepy, Wu said, but this is normal, particularly if you didn’t do much activity during the day.
“I always keep in the back of my mind that eventually my sleep system is going to kick in and allow me to sleep,” said Silverman.
Instead of tossing and turning because you aren’t ready to sleep at your usual 10 p.m. bedtime, she recommended climbing into bed only when you feel like your body is really ready to fall asleep.
Move your body a little bit each day in a way that feels good (bonus points if you do this outside).
During the day, Silverman, Wu and Truong said they prepare for sleep by spending time in the sunlight and being physically active.
“We release endorphins when we exercise and this boosts our mood, which helps us become more able to weather the stressors we encounter, and that makes us better able to sleep,” Wu said, noting that moving your body also builds up your sleep drive, as your brain will want to rest after an active day.
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Exposing your body to as much sunlight as possible is also important, Wu said. The amount of light exposure you get during the day preps your brain for sleep when it gets dark. In the shorter, colder days of fall and winter, it can be more difficult to get sunlight, but even a short walk when the sun is out or sitting in the backyard can be helpful. And if sunlight is really scant, Truong suggested trying light box therapy in the morning to ensure your internal body clock stays healthy.
Keep to a routine of regular meals.
Truong noted that having three to four meals at set times during the day can help with getting proper rest.
This is mostly because eating regular meals keeps our circadian rhythm synchronised to the passage of the day. Your brain knows when it’s morning, afternoon and night based on what meals you’re eating. When meal patterns become haphazard, it can lessen the distinction between day (or wakeful hours) and night (or sleeping hours).
visualspace via Getty Images
Figure out the difference between your body being sleepy and your body being tired.
“The causes of sleepiness look very different from the causes of feeling tired,” Silverman said. For instance, your body might feel tired during the day due to mental fatigue from the barrage of negative information. But according to Silverman, this does not necessarily translate into being able to fall asleep. And trying to sleep could backfire.
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“If you try to force yourself to sleep when you’re tired but not sleepy, you’ll end up fighting against your own body and getting more stressed out,” Wu said.
Learning to differentiate between tiredness and sleepiness helps you give your body what it needs. “When you’re tired, you feel exhausted or depleted, and the cure for that is rest,” Wu said. This could be taking a shower, going for a walk, doing breathing exercises or enjoying a TV show or book.
“When you’re sleepy, your eyes are rolling and hard to keep open, your head is nodding, you can’t concentrate, and the cure for that is to sleep,” Wu said.
If it is already nighttime, then start your nighttime sleep. If you’re incredibly sleepy during the day, Wu is a believer in taking a 30-minute catnap, as long as you don’t start using these naps to catch up on lost nighttime sleep. “If you’re having a lot of frequent nighttime trouble, I would cut out the naps,” she said.
Get out of bed if you start to have anxious thoughts.
“As we carry on with our day, there’s a lot on our plates and we’re always on the go. It’s not usually until nighttime [that] things quiet down and you’re left with yourself and your thoughts,” Truong noted. “Having very stimulating thoughts or high anxiety thoughts leads to a stress response, such as increased heart rate and sweaty palms, that makes it difficult for one to fall asleep.”
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If you’re lying in bed when this happens, it’s easy for the bed to become associated with anxiety and stress. To break this pattern, Silverman said, “It’s better to physically get out of bed and ideally go to another room to have this thought process take place somewhere else.”
Truong suggested journalling to capture the anxious thoughts you’ve had throughout the day before you carry them with you into the bedroom. For 30 to 40 minutes after dinner, she free-writes, jotting down any thoughts that come to mind without any judgment.
Dejan_Dundjerski via Getty Images
Engage in mindless activities, like folding clothes or doing dishes, before you go to sleep.
Experiment with cutting out scrolling through messages and news feeds at night, Wu said ― especially if you’ve noticed you feel tense and start worrying when your head hits the pillow.
Having a consistent evening routine of enjoyable but mindless activities in the couple of hours before bedtime can support sleep.
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Wu likes to prepare her baby’s clothes and bottles for the next day. “Doing something rote that requires me to use my hands, such as folding clothes or preparing baby bottles, is almost mesmerising and meditative for me,” she said.
She also finds that she falls asleep within 20 minutes of starting to listen to an audiobook that she has already heard before or that isn’t otherwise difficult to put down.
Meditation and relaxation techniques are another sleep aid. Truong suggested doing gentle stretches or body scanning, which involves mentally checking in with your body from head to toe, one area at a time, while breathing in and out.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--NHS Chief Attacks 'Unacceptable' Racism Suffered By British-Chinese Junior Doctor

Dr Alex Lee HuffPost UK
A British Chinese junior doctor has received support from senior NHS chiefs, MPs and the public after a patient refused to be treated by him because of his race.
Dr Alex Lee revealed on Twitter that he had personally experienced the anti-Chinese racism that has surfaced during the coronavirus pandemic.
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“Had my first patient refuse to see me because I’m Chinese. Insisted on a White team. Seniors were amazing and stood up for me; the zero tolerance was made clear. Still a really bitter pill to swallow...” he said.
Had my first patient refuse to see me because I’m Chinese. Insisted on a White team.
Seniors were amazing and stood up for me; the zero tolerance was made clear.
Still a really bitter pill to swallow...#MedTwitter #FY1 — Dr Alex (@Aleexxies) October 16, 2020
Dr Lee, who trained at King’s College London, received an outpouring of support on the social media platform after revealing how he’d been treated.
Professor Stephen Powis, NHS England’s medical director and its most senior clinician, praised the junior doctor and his colleagues for their reaction to the incident.
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Prof Powis told HuffPost UK: “Racism in any form is completely unacceptable and NHS leaders and frontline staff are right to challenge and report such incidents so that a zero tolerance approach is taken.
“The new NHS Race and Health Observatory has been established to identify and help tackle the specific challenges facing people from BAME backgrounds.”
Stephen Powis, National Medical Director of NHS England PA
Care minister Helen Whately said: “It’s awful to hear about Dr Alex’s experience – racist behaviour has no place in our NHS.
“Anyone who suffers or witnesses discrimination should report it and NHS organisations must take action. I am glad to hear that colleagues supported Dr Alex in the face of the unacceptable discrimination he experienced.
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“During the greatest public health crisis in a generation, our NHS and social care staff – doctors, nurses, cleaners, porters, mental health teams, ambulance crews, care workers, all the diverse parts of this incredible system – have been at the heart of our national effort.
“We must stamp out racism and make the NHS a truly great place to work irrespective of who you are or where you’re from. Our People Plan sets out our strategy for doing exactly that and I’m determined to see it put into practice across the country”
The most recent figures show that 2,757 doctors of Chinese heritage work in the NHS at all grades and are part of the racially diverse workforce on why the servicer relies.
Sarah Owen, a British Chinese Labour MP whose mother is an NHS nurse, told HuffPost UK: “The pandemic has lifted the lid on racism against Chinese, East and South East Asian people in the UK which has existed for far too long.
“We’ve seen racism and conspiracy theories spread unchecked on Twitter and Facebook, East and South East Asians have been subjected to increased attacks, been the butt of senior politician’s jokes and the media have used us as the face of Covid 19 - this has serious consequences and enough is enough.”
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Owen, who led an urgent Commons debate last week on the topic of racism suffered by people from south east Asia, added: “There is no excuse for Covid related racism. The Government need to now do more than condemn it, we need to see action.
“Ministers should be working with our communities and supporting anti racist organisations, they should get tougher with social media companies and news outlets which spread racism and when we rightly criticise the Chinese state for their human rights atrocities, we must do so in a way which does not make communities here feel more vulnerable or fair game for racists.”
Politicians have a duty to lead by example. There should be no place for racism in our society. @Chinese4Labour @besea_n @EndRacismVirus and @IBVprev are instrumental to ending racism against Chinese, East and South East Asians. Please support their work #HateCrimeAwarenessWeek pic.twitter.com/YaNN6zmm9x — Sarah Owen MP (@SarahOwen_) October 14, 2020
Tory MP Alan Mak, the first British MP of British-Chinese heritage of any party when he was elected in 2015, said: “Our NHS staff like Dr Lee are working very hard, and attacks against them is abhorrent.
“The zero-tolerance approach to racism shown by Dr Lee’s senior NHS colleague is welcome, and sends a strong message that we all have a duty to stand up to discrimination.”
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Dominic Pimenta, a hospital doctor and chairman of the Healthcare Workers Foundation, said: “Racism has been a long-term issue within the NHS on many levels – between staff and patients, between staff and at a management level as well.
“While the trend has historically been mercifully in the right direction as an organisational culture, we continue to see incidents, especially around significant events in the general public, Brexit for example and now more recently Covid.
“We continue to maintain a zero tolerance policy but it is incredibly disheartening that in a time of such stress on healthcare workers, especially those of BAME background who are particularly at risk, racist incidents such as these persist.
“Although thankfully very much the minority, we should all be doing our utmost to stamp out attacks on NHS workers, and challenging these attitudes wherever we find them.”
The public and fellow health professionals rallied round Dr Lee on Twitter, with 54,000 people sharing his story.
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Racism is alive and ugly. I’m so sorry you were targeted like this.
This types of aggressions can be traumatic but just remember you’re strength and know that the world of medicine needs you. — Monica Maalouf, MD (@MaaloufMD) October 17, 2020
Really sorry to hear that this happened @Aleexxies it’s disgraceful and I’m very pleased the senior team stood up for you to show how it’s not acceptable from anybody. Keep going, you do an amazing job. — Prof Adam Layland (@agclayland) October 17, 2020
I am sorry that happened to you, but so glad your team took a stand. Good for them. — Dr. Nancy Glass (@DrNancyGlass1) October 17, 2020
Stay strong. I wish I could say things have been improving, but they haven’t. Many insulting experiences later, I still feel great about taking the high road and providing compassionate care for such patients. Calmly conveying that bigotry is not acceptable is essential. — Michael Repplinger, MD, PhD, FACEP (@RepplingerMD) October 17, 2020
Sorry to hear this Alex. Happened to me in 1989 as a young female doing GP Home Visit and was in no uncertain terms asked to leave the doorstep. Very shaming. This will change for you as it did for me. — Cath Humphrys (@CathHumphrys) October 17, 2020
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--My Ex’s Economic Abuse Left Me Paying His Debts For A Decade

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Content warning: this article contains description of domestic violence and abuse
I’ll never forget the familiar, chilling way that my husband, Rakesh*, would fix me with his eyes. That look was a warning. If I dared to question a decision he’d made, there was no telling what the consequences might be.
Looking back, it’s frightening how easily my abuser found ways to destroy my financial independence. I didn’t realise I was experiencing economic abuse, and a decade later, I’m still dealing with the devastating impact.
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I met Rakesh at university. We worked in a bar together and he was so confident. On nights out, he’d order bottles of expensive champagne for everyone then a few days later he’d be asking those same friends if he could borrow money.
After university, I found work as a children’s support worker, while Rakesh drifted between different jobs. Rakesh proposed, but he’d brought the engagement ring on credit in my name. He pushed me to get a new sofa on credit and also insisted I ask my parents for money. Then, every now and again, Rakesh would swoop in with a large wad of cash. There was no explanation for where the money had come from, but he’d make it seem like he was my ‘saving grace’ – meanwhile stacks of loan statements and credit card bills would regularly land on the door mat.
He made me feel worthless. If I displeased him, he’d stay out all night with other women and withhold affection. Sometimes, I’d wake up in the night to find he’d started to have sex with me without my consent.
Degraded and ashamed, I didn’t know what to do. Rakesh would slap me during arguments, and he continued to force me into spending money because the fear of saying ‘no’ was so intense. When I fell pregnant, I was scared for my unborn child, too.
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“Snowed under with debt and when my son was six months old, Rakesh attacked me because I hadn’t made his dinner. That was it – I knew I had to get away.”
One day, Rakesh insisted we buy a new family car. Showing off, he chose an expensive BMW and put my name on the paperwork. Reading the agreement, I froze with panic. But as I glanced at Rakesh, he gave me that same ‘warning’ look. Either I complied, or there was no telling what he might do.
We were snowed under with debt and when my son was six months old, Rakesh attacked me because I hadn’t made his dinner. That was it – I knew I had to get away. I contacted the police and received support from a local domestic abuse charity. My self-esteem was shattered and with debts totalling £40,000, I had no idea how I’d provide for my son.
All I wanted was to give my son the life he deserved, but no-one could help me. I’d phone loan providers and credit card companies, telling them how my ex had used manipulation and abuse to strip away my financial choices and economic stability, but it fell on deaf ears. I didn’t know what to do. Hanging up the phone, it took all my strength not to burst into tears.
For ten years, I was still paying my ex’s debts. Creditors expected me to justify every incoming and outgoing transaction in my bank account, but I didn’t give up. I worked overtime and I was promoted to a managerial position. My parents helped with childcare and I gave them cash savings to put in a separate account for holidays and special occasions.
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It was incredibly hard. I wondered if I’d ever escape the impact of my ex’s abuse, but now, I finally have financial independence. My debts are cleared, and I’ve bought a new home.
I transformed those terrible experiences into a wonderful, new life, but I cannot emphasise enough how much easier this would’ve been if banks, financial service institutions and credit reference agencies had offered support to survivors like me. They need to understand the crippling reality of economic abuse and ensure that survivors stop paying the price.
Without this, fewer women will be able to safely escape their abusers and rebuild their lives.
“My ex can never use money to control me again and I want every woman reading this to know that support exists.”
Refuge’s landmark ‘Know Economic Abuse’ campaign with the Co-operative Bank, which shows just how prevalent and destructive this kind of abuse is – their findings show that 16% of adults in the UK self-identify as being a survivor of economic abuse, and there are several recommendations financial services can take on to support survivors. It highlights how economic abuse rarely occurs in isolation, and that many women are also experiencing other forms of domestic abuse – just like I was.
The report also shows that for many women, the Covid-19 crisis is likely to reinforce the power their partner has over their finances. The financial repercussions of Covid-19 have given abusers more opportunities to control and exploit their partners’ economic resources, with statistics from Refuge demonstrating that 1.6million people experienced economic abuse for the first time during lockdown. Any woman experiencing abuse must know that they are not alone. No woman should be forced to stay with an abuser because of economic instability and support is available
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I know that my ex can never use money to control me again and I want every woman reading this to know that support exists. You can find the future you deserve.
Jenny* is an economic abuse survivor, writing under a pseudonym. *Names have been changed.
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com
If you, or someone you know, is in immediate danger, call 999 and ask for the police. If you are not in immediate danger, you can contact:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Percymas Pies Are Here For Christmas. Here's Our Review

HuffPost UK M&S
We thought we’d seen it all – then M&S came along and made a festive, Percy Pig-themed pie. Yep, you heard that right.
The supermarket announced the arrival of the “Percymas Pies” in early October – pastry with a layer of fruity filling, Percy Pig flavour sponge and pink fondant icing. And of course, hand finished with a Percy Pig sweet.
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If anything, we’re shocked it’s taken them until 2020 to invent such a thing.
Move over, mince pies: Percy Pig Pies are here! Crisp pastry with a fruity filling, Percy-flavour sponge and pink fondant icing, topped with... Percy, of course. In store now. pic.twitter.com/35GS9Xs5Cz — M&S (@marksandspencer) October 8, 2020
Curious about the festive pies, we enlisted the help of three, keen HuffPost UK staffers to test them out.
Four pies are delivered in an extremely festive box. Are they deliciously sweet – or a Christmas combo to be avoided?
’A reject pink milkshake pick’n’mix
5/10
Angela Hui, Life reporter
“I love that you get two for the price of one with this pie. A glorious Percy Pig perched on top smiling up at you saying, ‘Please eat me, I’m a good piggy mince pie boy and you deserve a sweet pick-me-up treat after such a terrible, terrible year.’ On first bite, I get a mouthful of excellent buttery shortcrust pastry, but it’s let down by the overly sweet grape jelly and berry flavour sponge.
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“I’d say these treats are more like a Bakewell tart than a festive pie and incredibly sweet, so sweet in fact, there’s 23g of sugar per pie. Twenty three whole grams! I can feel my teeth rotting with each bite I take, yet weirdly I still want more (probably, it’s the sugar talking). Pig, you taste like a reject pink milkshake bottle pick’n’mix sweet, but I’d still eat you.”
HuffPost UK HuffPOST
‘It’s like a Percy Pig has shacked up with a Fondant Fancy and Cherry Bakewell’
6/10
Natasha Hinde, Life reporter
“I’m expecting a mince pie with a Percy Pig on top and am not feeling great about the prospect (should’ve read the packaging properly first). When I bite into the incredibly pink pie, I realise there is no ‘mince’ in sight. It’s like a Percy Pig has shacked up with a Fondant Fancy and Cherry Bakewell to make what is quite possibly the most sugary treat known to the planet. There’s a sweet jammy centre (grape jelly and berry, apparently, but all I get is the berry) surrounded by sponge – so far, so birthday cake.
“Let’s not beat around the bush here, I have a sweet tooth. But even this piggy pie is too sickly sweet for me. I eat it obligingly with a cuppa but I wouldn’t say I enjoy it. My boyfriend on the other hand eats three (!!!) with no qualms whatsoever. Would I buy them again? No. But I could see them going down a storm with children over the festive period.”
HuffPost UK HuffPost
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‘Take off the sweet, and it’ll go down a treat’
6/10
Amy Packham, Life editor
“I’m always up for trying unusual foodie flavour combinations, but even this is a strange one for me. The pies don’t look the most appetising – bright pink fondant icing with a Percy Pig on top – but I love cherry Bakewells so I take my first bite.
“The pie is sugary and sweet, as the others say, yes, but it’s also delicious. The one thing that puts me off is, ironically, the pie’s USP, ie. Percy. The texture of the chewy sweet, alongside a pastry-filled pie, just doesn’t do it for me. I eat the pie around the sweet, and give the rest to my partner (who loves it).


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-20--'I Will Struggle To Pay My Bills' – How People In Manchester Feel About Getting 67% Of Their Wages

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In late July, weeks after the first coronavirus lockdown was lifted, Manchester was thrust back into fresh restrictions – and there it has remained for the last three months.
As university students returned to cities and punters were encouraged to drink in pubs, Greater Manchester and the wider north-west saw a sharp rise in coronavirus cases, finding itself one of the UK’s coronavirus hotspots.
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Lockdown misery was compounded when, on Tuesday, the region was forced by the government to move into the tier 3 category, a move that would see bars and pubs that don’t serve food close, along with casinos.
There’s other Whitehall decisions that are leaving people fearful. The national furlough scheme is set to be replaced with the new job retention scheme at the end of this month – which would mean those out of work due to the virus would be paid only 67% of their wages compared with the 80% they were afforded when the country first went into lockdown.
Many residents are worried this will only lead to more pain and suffering in the region, a point acknowledged by Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham during a press conference as news of tier 3 broke. “Most people, myself included, on more middle income jobs, could live on two-thirds of their income,” he said, but the lower paid could not.
For one 20-year-old hospitality worker, who preferred not to be named, having access to two-thirds of her wages means she won’t be able to pay her bills.
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“I’ve been on furlough for six months,” she told HuffPost UK. “I’ve gone from earning £1,250 a month to £800 on the 80% furlough scheme. That’s a huge difference for me, it’s just enough to cover my bills, which come in at just under £790 every month.”
One of her main concerns is that the tier 3 lockdown will last for an extended amount of time, mainly because of a turbulent home life.
Her mother is suffering with mental health problems and can’t work, so she is the main breadwinner and is responsible for paying the bills. Being stuck at home, unable to work, and with no disposable income to see friends, her mental health has also suffered. “Living here is like hell. It’s draining for both my pocket and my mental health,” she says. “And during lockdown it’s been worse.”
She is also aware that she can’t get a second job to make ends meet, because if she makes up enough hours to cover her bills, she would lose furlough at her current job, leaving her with even less.
David, a Spanish chef working in Salford, says that, although he’d rather live under the restrictions in England than in his home country, he is worried about having to be put on the job retention scheme. He says: “I am worried what is going to happen with my job. A lot of businesses can’t keep going with this, and a lot are going to close.”
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David: "I will struggle to pay my bills." HuffPost UK
David is worried that the restaurant he works in will close if things go on for much longer. “I would obviously rather have the 80% that we got in the first lockdown, because with 67%, I will struggle to pay my bills,” he says, but adds that he does understand if that isn’t possible.
The hospitality industry has undeniably suffered nationwide due to the pandemic. Despite venues doing much to remain safe for customers and to control the spread of the virus, these businesses will be disproportionately affected, with most of the industry’s low-paid workers paying the price.
As well as low-paid workers, Burnham was hoping to negotiate a deal with the government that would protect self-employed people, who slipped through the cracks of the last government furlough scheme.
Kate Whapples, a personal trainer in Manchester city centre, feels extremely let down by the government.
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“Throughout lockdown it’s been quite clear that people who work multiple jobs haven’t been as well looked after or even considered as people in ‘typical’ jobs, which is concerning as I earn my income through three jobs,” she said.
Kate is paid half of her wages by her employer and makes up the rest with her self-employed income generated by clients.
“While I am aware how lucky I have been firstly to work for a gym that puts the well-being of their staff before profits and secondly because I have amazing clients that have supported me throughout the pandemic, the fear of the virus has resulted in lots of people cancelling their sessions,” Kate tells HuffPost UK.
“This combined with only receiving a potential 67% of my wages on furlough is quite a scary thought.”
Kate Whapples: "It seems clear that very little of what we are doing is founded in science." HuffPost UK
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Greater Manchester’s main frustration with being forced into a tier 3 lockdown is that the tier system proposed by Downing Street isn’t backed by science, the region’s leaders say.
Burnham has suggested that the government is using Greater Manchester as the “guinea pig” or a “sacrificial lamb” and doesn’t feel the economic suffering that tier 3 would cause is worth the risk.
Kate agrees: “It seems clear that very little of what we are doing is founded in science, which I find really worrying. In my opinion, the government needs to listen to the concerns of the people in Greater Manchester and hear from the bars and pubs that will simply have to close their doors forever if the right support is not attained.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-22--Obama: Trump Can't Even Protect Himself From The Coronavirus

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Barack Obama delivered a powerful speech on Tuesday that blasted President Donald Trump’s coronavirus response, saying he has given Americans plenty of evidence that he’ll never take the pandemic seriously.
“Donald Trump isn’t suddenly going to protect all of us. He can’t even take the basic steps to protect himself,” the former president said, referencing Trump’s recent bout with Covid-19 that required a three-night hospital stay.
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It was one of several scathing lines Obama delivered about his successor at a drive-in rally for Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in Philadelphia. Trump has called concerns about the coronavirus a “hoax” and said it would disappear on its own, dismissed the need for protective measures, refused to order federal safeguards and pushed unproven treatments while more than 220,000 Americans died from Covid-19.
“We literally left the White House a pandemic playbook,” Obama said of a simulation exercise that his administration held for Trump’s team days before they took office. “They probably used it to, I don’t know, prop up a wobbly table somewhere,” Obama chided.
“Joe’s not going to screw up testing,” he said of his former vice president. “He’s not going to call scientists idiots. He’s not going to hold a superspreader event at the White House.”
The outbreak that affected Trump and dozens of others in his orbit has been linked to a gathering the president held in the White House Rose Garden to celebrate his nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the US Supreme Court.
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A day before the Biden rally, Trump was at the other end of Pennsylvania pushing the state to open up more of its economy despite the rise in cases there over the past two months.
“It’s a choice between our plan to kill the virus or Biden’s plan to kill the American dream,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Erie. “That’s what he’d be doing. Biden will delay therapies, postpone the vaccine, prolong the pandemic, close your schools, shut down our country. By the way, Pennsylvania’s been shut down long enough. Get your governor to open up Pennsylvania.”
Obama balked at Trump’s version of events on Wednesday.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Prince William Got Trolled By KFC And It's Finger-Lickin' Funny

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Prince William, also known as the Duke of Cambridge, has picked up yet another title: “His Royal Thighness.”
The duke earned the unique label from none other than Kentucky Fried Chicken after the royal was spotted peering into the windows of the fast food joint during an engagement on Tuesday.
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Will and Kate Middleton stepped out to meet participants in the duchess’s Hold Still photography project, which she launched back in May to document the coronavirus pandemic.
But the photos of the visit attracted more attention after KFC’s Twitter account tweeted out pictures of William – whom we’re dubbing Lord of the Fried – alongside funny comments.
“William whispered quietly to himself; ‘Oh, I just can’t wait to be wing,’” the account tweeted, borrowing a line from The Lion King song I Just Can’t Wait To Be King.
William whispered quietly to himself;
“Oh, I just can’t wait to be wing” pic.twitter.com/oKlQPiV3YJ — KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) October 20, 2020
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The KFC account followed up with another tweet: “I’m sad I didn’t call him His Royal Thighness in the main tweet tbh.”
Other people on Twitter had fun with the photos:
Chicken a la King?? Lol — Alien 88 (@GraceEl55125293) October 20, 2020
Probably fed up of family buckets though — Ricky ‘Moretti’🧔🏻 (@FormallyRicky) October 20, 2020
"Can I have a takeaway whilst I look at Kate's #HoldStill2020 project? Knighthood in it for yah!" pic.twitter.com/ySYPsin8Pj — Toria (@toricambridge) October 20, 2020
"I brake for chicken wings"
"My kingdom for a bucket of chicken" — Dane Hall 😷WEAR A MASK😷 (@DaneHall798) October 20, 2020
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He’s keeping a breast of what the local citizens carry out & eat! Lol (See what I did there? 😉) — Alien 88 (@GraceEl55125293) October 20, 2020
William recently made it clear that his fast-food chicken loyalties lie with Nando’s.
The prince was asked in the BBC One documentary Football, Prince William and Our Mental Health if he liked the fast food restaurant, and his answer was enthusiastic, though he admitted been a while since he had last eaten there.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Boris Johnson Begins To Say No, Apart From When He Says Yes

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Just say no. From Nancy Reagan’s famous war-on-drugs slogan (I’m old enough to remember the Grange Hill single) to Margaret Thatcher’s refusal to bail out manufacturing industry, saying ‘no’ was all the rage in the 1980s.
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By contrast, Boris Johnson has often seemed like the man who likes to say ‘Yes’. His love of being loved (politically and personally) is well documented, and his modus operandi is to give the impression that he hates disappointing anyone. Allies say his reluctance to sack people stems in part from him being uncomfortable with difficult conversations (though that doesn’t seem to be the explanation for Dominic Cummings and Gavin Williamson being retained).
And early in the Covid pandemic, Johnson said ‘yes’ to plenty of demands that came his way. On the TUC’s furlough plan to pay 80% of the wages of workers, Sage’s advice on swift lockdowns, campaigners’ calls to ditch an NHS staff visa charge, parents’ demands to ditch A-level algorithms, the PM was acquiescent. He let borrowing rip to fund the billions needed to keep the country going.
When Marcus Rashford caught the public’s imagination in the summer to demand the extension of free school meals to cover the summer holidays, Johnson again (after some pushing) said ‘Yes’. The financial cost was relatively tiny, the political cost relatively big and the PM made a calculation that taking action was worth it.
On Wednesday, he said ‘No’. Despite all the arguments used by him and ministers about alternative means of support for poor children, the fact is that the decision to extend meals through the summer holidays is not materially different from the decision to extend them through the winter holidays. He felt emergency help for deprived families was needed then, but he clearly thinks it’s not needed now.
Part of this may be what hard-nosed charity staff used to call “compassion fatigue”. But it feels more like it’s spending fatigue, egged on by a Treasury which is rediscovering its own historic reputation of being the one part of government that likes to say ‘No’. The decision to end furlough arbitrarily at the end of this month was the early evidence of that change of heart.
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More broadly, No.10 appears of late to be simply trying to reassert its authority to call the shots whenever demands are sent its way. That sense of wanting to draw a line in the sand is part of the reason for Johnson’s patience snapping with Andy Burnham this week. “There comes a point when enough is enough,” said one ally of the PM.
On both free school meals and on Greater Manchester’s business support, the sums involved are tiny compared to the billions already spent in tackling the virus. Yet it seems as if on both issues the PM just wanted to, to coin a phrase, take back control of the narrative.
And most Tory MPs welcome the switch from ad hoc bailouts to what they see as a more sustainable approach. Saying no is seen by many of them as the same thing as their core political belief in personal reliance and responsibility.
The real difficulty is the resurgent spread of the virus. A new emphasis on fiscal efficiency may well be appropriate once the pandemic is past its worst, but as we head into a worrying second wave this winter (Wednesday’s huge jump in Covid cases was dramatic) it seems too soon to shift away from emergency measures.
On Thursday, Rishi Sunak is set to make yet another amendment to his Winter Economic Plan, with some expecting him to finally give more support to firms forced into tier 2 restrictions. At present they are in the limbo of not being ordered to close but not being able to make much money either. With the furlough scheme’s end now looking premature, any new help will be desperately needed.
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The problem, as ever with this prime minister, is one of consistency. On Brexit, having sounded a Thatcherite ‘no, no, no’ to Brussels last week, the talks are back on and we could see a ‘yes, yes, yes’ trade deal that smuggles UK concessions under the bravado of brinkmanship.
On spending on the pandemic, the PM may yet prove similarly unpredictable. While the PM says ‘No’ to cash for more free school meals, he simultaneously says ‘Yes’ to cash for continued private sector roles in test-and-trace.
“Winging it” has served Johnson well throughout his political career and he may not yet be ready to give it up. The fact is that he may now be more ready to say ‘No’ than ever before - but he’s still capable of saying ‘Yes’.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--A Tory MP Declares He Doesn't Believe In 'Nationalising Children' And People Are Very Confused

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A Conservative MP has made clear he doesn’t believe in “nationalising children” in an apparent attack on proposals to extend free school meals for the poorest over the holidays.
On Wednesday, MPs voted against a measure spearheaded by England football star Marcus Rashford which called for the scheme to be extended over school holidays until Easter 2021.
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The Manchester United player told politicians to “stop stigmatising, judging and pointing fingers” after Labour’s motion was defeated by 261 votes to 322, a majority of 61.
The debate preceding the vote was marked by Conservative MPs criticising the Rashford-led campaign because of its association with “celebrities”. Perhaps the stand-out comment came from Bassetlaw MP Brendan Clarke-Smith, who said he did not believe in “nationalising children”.
He told the Commons: “Where is the slick PR campaign encouraging absent parents to take some responsibility for their children?
“I do not believe in nationalising children.
“Instead, we need to get back to the idea of taking responsibility, and this means less celebrity virtue-signalling on Twitter by proxy and more action to tackle the real causes of child poverty.”
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The comment, to put it charitably, raised eyebrows.
“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
Imagine thinking that giving out free school meals is “nationalising children”. Imagine having that level of analysis and being an actual elected representative. https://t.co/dzJXbIELW0 — Tom Hamilton (@thhamilton) October 21, 2020
Fair play to him - he doesn't believe in nationalising children https://t.co/QGTDUsl9jJ — robert shrimsley (@robertshrimsley) October 21, 2020
2019: Nationalising sausages
2020: Nationalising children https://t.co/QPSCR77tWE — Ross McCafferty (@RossMcCaff) October 21, 2020
“We need to get back to the idea of taking responsibility.” Imagine supporting this government and saying that with a straight face. https://t.co/BD2wKdznXo — Chris Addison (@mrchrisaddison) October 21, 2020
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As a House of Commons briefing paper points out, the private sector has owned and run the majority of industries and utilities in the UK since the late 1980s.
Other Tory MPs adopted a similar line of attack.
Keiren Mullan, who represents Crewe and Nantwich, called on “millionaire celebrities” to do more to help voluntary sector, and David Simmonds said Labour was “currying favour with wealth and power and celebrity status”/
Simmonds, who represents Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner, said: “What does it say about the Opposition’s priorities that all of their interests are simply swept aside in favour of currying favour with wealth and power and celebrity status, spending taxpayers’ money to curry favour with celebrity status, wealth and power.
“Now I have no doubt that Mr Rashford is an expert in his own experience, but we should not forget that the experiences he so movingly described took place under a Labour government then supposedly at the peak of its powers in tackling child poverty in this country.”
Time we worked together. pic.twitter.com/xFPsgBiPQC — Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) October 21, 2020
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But not all their Conservative colleagues agreed.
Five Tory MPs rebelled to support the motion, including education select committee chairman Robert Halfon.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Rudy Giuliani Caught On Camera Touching Genitals During ‘Borat’ Prank

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Rudy Giuliani, New York City’s former mayor and US president Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, was caught on camera touching his genitals in front of a woman he believed was a journalist, but was actually an actor involved in the sequel to Sacha Baron Cohen’s movie “Borat”.
Baron Cohen’s follow-up to his 2006 hit comedy, to be released Friday, features a scene with Giuliani touching himself in the presence of a woman pretending to be a conservative reporter, as multiple publications have reported.
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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 pants.
Soon afterward, Baron Cohen, playing Borat, bursts into the room and says, “She’s 15, she’s too old for you!” (Bakalova is 24 years old).
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.
“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.”
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Thinking he was the victim of a “scam or shakedown,” the former mayor called the police and Baron Cohen sprinted away. Police did not pursue charges.
In Giuliani’s estimation at the time, the actor failed to truly prank him.
“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.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Black Lives Matter Accuses Tory Minister Of 'Denying Racism' After Dismissing White Privilege

Kemi Badenoch told MPs: "We do not want to see teachers teaching their pupils about white privilege and their inherited racial guilt." UK Parliament
Black Lives Matter has hit back at a Conservative minister after she branded the movement as “anti-capitalist” and “political”, and claimed teachers who present the idea of white privilege as a fact to their students are breaking the law.
Kemi Badenoch, the women and equalities minister, told MPs on Tuesday: “We do not want to see teachers teaching their pupils about white privilege and their inherited racial guilt.
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“And let me be clear, any school which teaches these elements of political race theory as fact, or which promotes partisan political views such as defunding the police without offering a balanced treatment of opposing views, is breaking the law.
“But why does this issue mean so much to me? It is not just because I’m a first generation immigrant, it is because my daughter came home from school this month and said ‘we’re learning Black History Month because every other month is about white history’.
“This is wrong and this is not what our children should be picking up. These are not the values I have taught her.”
Badenoch also told MPs that a White Black Lives Matter protester called a Black armed police officer guarding Downing Street during this summer’s protests a “pet n*****”.
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She added that examples such as this are why the Conservatives “do not endorse that movement”.
Responding to the general debate on Black History Month in the Commons, Badenoch said: “Some schools have decided to openly support the anti-capitalist Black Lives Matter group – often fully aware that they have the statutory duty to be politically impartial.
“Black lives do matter, of course they do, but we know that the Black Lives Matter movement – capital B, L, M – is political.”
Alex Kelbert, a spokesperson for Black Lives Matter UK, told HuffPost UK: “Whether or not it is taught in schools, white privilege is real because racism is real.
“Racism is real in our healthcare system, where black mothers are five times more likely to die during pregnancy.
“Racism is real in our schools, where Black Caribbean pupils are nearly twice as likely to be excluded as white pupils.
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“Racism is real when we apply for a job, or try to rent a house or take home on average 21.7% less pay than our white counterparts.
“BLM is proud to be political, but it is the Conservative party that is playing politics. They try to deny the racism we can see with our own eyes.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--People Are Setting Donald Trump’s Rally Dances To The Funniest Songs

Donald Trump ’s bizarre little dances at his campaign rallies have captured the imaginations of late night comedians and have even become a TikTok challenge .
People on Twitter, too, are joining the act, setting the president’s moves to the funniest songs.
Check out the president — who has been criticised for dancing on stage in front of packed crowds of mostly maskless fans during the coronavirus pandemic ― appearing to dance to the “Thomas The Tank Engine” theme tune and more here:


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Government Suffers Fourth Defeat On Post-Brexit Child Refugees' Rights – But Still Won't Budge

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The government has suffered a fourth defeat on protecting the rights of child refugees after Brexit.
The Lords, by a majority of 78, once again backed an amendment proposed by Lord Dubs to ensure lone child refugees in Europe maintain their right to be reunited with family in the UK once the Brexit transition ends on December 31.
It was the fourth attempt by Dubs, who came to the UK as a child fleeing the Nazis on a kindertransport, to ensure the continuation of children’s family reunion rights after Brexit.
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As prime minister, Theresa May had accepted his demands and promised to maintain these rights.
But after taking office Boris Johnson deleted the protections from the flagship Withdrawal Agreement Act 2020, which enacted his Brexit deal.
Since then, Dubs has won three votes on the issue, only to see MPs throw out his amendments.
Last week, a small Tory rebellion of six MPs, including ex-ministers David Davis and Tim Loughton, was not enough to change the law.
But in a sign the government was feeling pressure, Home Office minister Baroness Williams promised to carry out a review of “safe and legal routes” for asylum seekers, including lone child refugees’ right to reunite with family in the UK, before legislating next year.
Campaigners, however, said the move would be “too late” with hundreds of children standing to lose the right to reunite with family after December 31.
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.@AlfDubs "We only have ten weeks to go (until family reunion ends). The proposals aren't under discussion. The only chance we have before January 1st next year is to pass this amendment." — Safe Passage (@safepassageuk) October 21, 2020
Following the vote on his amendment, Dubs told HuffPost UK: “The only winners if we remove legal routes to safety for refugee children trying to reach family here are the criminals – the traffickers and people smugglers who prey on refugees.
“Closing legal routes will not mean fewer refugees making a perilous journey to safety, but it will make those journeys even more dangerous.
“There is also a profound question of human principle at stake.
“We all have a duty to play our part in this global refugee crisis at least by helping reunite children with their families.
“I have visited Calais and the refugee camps in Greece. The conditions were appalling. They are no place for children.
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“We should take our fair share, just as other European countries have.
“This is the fourth time the government has been told to support the right of family reunion for child refugees.
“It’s time they listened.”
Ministers have maintained that the government is seeking to negotiate with the EU new arrangements for lone child refugees to be reunited with family in the UK.
But peers fear that the EU is refusing to discuss the issue during the stalled talks on a post-Brexit relationship, and question why Johnson stripped the rights from his own legislation if he wants to maintain them.
It also comes after Patel warned of a crackdown on people seeking refugee status in the UK, including by floating ideas such as sending them 4,000 miles away to Ascension Island, or repelling dinghies crossing the Channel by somehow creating waves.
Addressing Baroness Williams’ promise of a review and fresh legislation next year, Beth Gardiner-Smith, CEO of Safe Passage International, said: “The government know they are increasingly being backed into a corner on this issue and I hope they see today’s result not as a defeat, but as an opportunity to fulfil its promise of ensuring that child refugees in Europe have a safe and legal route to the UK from January.
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“The minister today announced a review into safe and legal routes including for unaccompanied children and have promised legislation next year, but next year will be too late.
“Hundreds of refugee children stand to lose access come January 1 and will instead look to smugglers and traffickers to reunite with family.
“There is growing support for the measure because ultimately MPs, UK faith leaders, council leaders and the Lords know that ensuring a safe path for vulnerable children to being reuniting with family in the UK is not a political issue but a humanitarian one.”
MSF UK’s executive director Vickie Hawkins said: “Time is running out for the government to act.
“Without safe routes, children are either driven into the hands of smugglers - forced onto the backs of lorries or into flimsy dinghies – or remain stuck in squalid, unhygienic conditions, in camps or on the streets.
“MSF’s mental health specialists on the Greek islands regularly see children suffering from depression and anxiety, and others who are self-harming or attempting suicide. They urgently need to be moved to a place of safety.
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“We sincerely hope that now the UK government will choose to fulfil its responsibilities to child refugees and accept the amendment. It would be a step in the right direction, towards an immigration policy that seeks to protect vulnerable people, rather than deter them from arriving at all costs.”
The defeat sets up a battle in the Commons but the Dubs amendment is likely to be thrown out again by MPs unless the government changes its position, given Johnson has a Commons majority of 80.
Meanwhile, Labour did win a concession from the government, which promised to provide an assessment of how the end of free movement of EU citizens into the UK affects social care.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-10-21--Brexit Talks Back On Days After Boris Johnson Told UK To Prepare For No Deal

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Brexit negotiations are back on – less than a week after Boris Johnson dramatically told the nation to prepare for no deal.
Downing Street said it was “ready to welcome the EU team to London to resume negotiations later this week” after Brussels chief negotiator Michel Barnier signalled concessions.
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HuffPost UK understands that No.10 believes the negotiations will only take two to three weeks before an outcome is clear.
Earlier this week, Barnier agreed to discuss a legal text for a trade deal for the first time, and on Wednesday morning he told the European Parliament that EU negotiators would “seek the necessary compromises” and promised to treat the UK as a sovereign country.
The news is likely to be cheered by British businesses who are worried about the likely economic damage of failing to reach a deal and reverting to World Trade Organisation terms for trading with the EU from December 31, when the standstill Brexit transition period ends.
The prime minister delivered his assessment of the talks to business leaders on Wednesday, remarking in French: “Rien ne vas plus,” which means “no more bets” in roulette.
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He has now opened the door to more negotiations after Barnier told MEPs: “We will seek the necessary compromises on both sides in order to do our utmost to reach an agreement.”
UK chief negotiator Lord David Frost, left, and Barnier, right, will be reunited for negotiations ASSOCIATED PRESS
Downing Street was cheered by the fact that Barnier also accepted that the UK would be an “independent and sovereign country” after the transition and that “any agreement would need to be consistent with that status”.
A No.10 spokesperson said: “As he made clear, ‘any future agreement will be made in respect of the decision-making autonomy of the European Union and with respect for British sovereignty.’”
UK chief negotiator Lord David Frost held talks with Barnier after his speech.
“On the basis of that conversation we are ready to welcome the EU team to London to resume negotiations later this week,” the spokesperson said.
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“We have jointly agreed a set of principles for handling this intensified phase of talks.
“As to the substance, we note that Barnier set out the principles that the EU has brought to this negotiation, and that he also acknowledged the UK’s established red lines.
“It is clear that significant gaps remain between our positions in the most difficult areas, but we are ready, with the EU, to see if it is possible to bridge them in intensive talks.”
Johnson is likely to hail the development as a vindication of his tough negotiating stance.