thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--4 Years Later, Only 3 New Miles of 'Wall' And Not A Single Peso From Mexico

Four years after promising a 2,000-mile “Great Wall” made of reinforced concrete and paid for by Mexico, Donald Trump took a victory lap for securing three new miles of steel fence that was paid for by raiding the military budget.
“This is the most powerful and comprehensive border wall structure anywhere in the world,” Trump said Tuesday during a visit to the Mexican border at Yuma, Arizona, where he said 212 miles have been built and that close to 500 would be finished by the end of the year. “Our border has never been more secure.”
In fact, only three of those 212 miles are along parts of the border that previously had no barrier. The rest have replaced existing fencing, a process that began under President George W. Bush and continued under President Barack Obama.
Advertisement
And that fencing, between 18 and 30 feet tall, has proven vulnerable to smugglers and human traffickers using portable, battery-powered saws.
President Donald Trump tours a section of the border wall on Tuesday in San Luis, Arizona, accompanied by Arizona governor. Doug Ducey, second from right, and representative Debbie Lesko, third from right. ASSOCIATED PRESS
“As Ted Cruz said, Donald Trump is a pathological liar,” said Republican consultant Stuart Stevens, referring to the Texas GOP senator’s lengthy critique of Trump’s mental health at the end of the 2016 Republican presidential primaries.
Trump promised from the day he began his campaign in June 2015 that he would build a “great wall” to end illegal immigration from Mexico.
Advertisement
“I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively,” Trump said in his Trump Tower announcement. “I will build a great, great wall on our southern border. And I will have Mexico pay for that wall. Mark my words.”
Over the coming 17 months, Trump promised many hundreds of times that he would build the wall quickly and at no cost to US taxpayers. Trump said that his wall would be at least 30 feet tall and extend deep underground to prevent people from tunneling beneath it. At a December 2015 visit to Manassas, Virginia, Trump even went into construction details.
“It’s going to be made of hardened concrete, and it’s going to be made out of rebar. That’s steel,” Trump said to a question from a young boy in the audience. “And we’re going to set it in nice, heavy foundations.”
But upon taking office, Trump has not tried even once to get Mexico to pay for the wall ― although he has frequently lied that the revised North American Free Trade Agreement or remittances sent back to Mexico from workers here are somehow funding it.
Indeed, Trump did nothing about the wall at all for more than a year after entering the White House, and only seemed to realize it would not simply build itself after Fox News personalities began criticizing him in the spring of 2018. Trump briefly considered vetoing a $1.3 trillion spending bill because it did not contain the $25 billion he wanted for the wall, but ultimately signed it, even though it contained only $641 million for new fencing.
Advertisement
The same exercise was repeated nearly a year later, after a partial government shutdown Trump forced, but then backed away from. Instead, he declared a national emergency and raided the military construction budget ― diverting money from dozens of projects at bases all over the country and overseas ― to instead build his wall.
Trump on Tuesday blamed Democrats for doing “everything they could to block us” and claimed they supported “open borders.”
Democrats in 2017, however, offered to support $25 billion for Trump’s wall in exchange for his support for legal status for some 800,000 undocumented immigrants who entered the country as children. Trump refused that deal.
“The Republican Party has fully embraced white grievance politics,” said Stevens, who worked for George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 campaigns. “The opposite of what we aspired to under President Bush.”
Bush famously angered many in his party by stating that “family values don’t stop at the Rio Grande river,” but also won 40% of the Latino vote during his 2004 reelection. That percentage has fallen into the 20s for Republican candidates in subsequent presidential contests.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Health Leaders Say UK Must Start Preparing For Second Covid-19 Wave

HuffPost is part of Verizon Media .
Click ' I agree ' to allow Verizon Media and our partners to @ @ @ @ @ to access your device and use your data ( including location ) to understand your @ @ @ @ @ measure personalised ads .
We will also provide you with personalised ads on partner products @ @ @ @ @ we use your data in our Privacy Centre .
Once you confirm your privacy choices @ @ @ @ @ changes at any time by visiting your Privacy dashboard .
Click 'Learn more ' to @ @ @ @ @ Media and our partners collect and use data .

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Health leaders are calling for an urgent review to ensure Britain is properly prepared for the “real risk” of a second wave of coronavirus.
Ministers have been warned that urgent action is needed to prevent further loss of life and to protect the economy amid growing fears of a renewed outbreak over the winter.
Advertisement
The appeal is backed by the presidents of the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Surgeons, GPs and Nursing – as well as the chair of the British Medical Association.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced on Tuesday the biggest easing to date of the coronavirus lockdown in England.
Prime minister Boris Johnson during a coronavirus press conference in Downing Street PA Video - PA Images via Getty Images
The PM said the two-metre social-distancing rule would be replaced with a “one-metre plus” rule paving the way for pubs, restaurants, hotels and cinemas to begin reopening from July 4.
Advertisement
In an open letter to the leaders of all the UK political parties published in the British Medical Journal, the health chiefs call for a “rapid and forward-looking assessment” of the state of national preparedness in the event of a renewed flare-up.
“While the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, the available evidence indicates that local flare ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk,” they said.
“Many elements of the infrastructure needed to contain the virus are beginning to be put in place, but substantial challenges remain.
“The job now is not only to deal urgently with the wide-ranging impacts of the first phase of the pandemic, but to ensure that the country is adequately prepared to contain a second phase.”
In an open letter to the government, UK health leaders warn that while the future shape of the pandemic in the UK is hard to predict, “the available evidence indicates that local flare ups are increasingly likely and a second wave a real risk” https://t.co/zY48KQEyI5 @bmj_latest — BMJ (@bmj_company) June 23, 2020
Advertisement
They called for the creation of a cross-party commission with a “constructive, non-partisan, four nations approach,” to be established to develop practical recommendations for action based on what had been learned so far.
“We believe this will be essential if the UK is to get ahead of the curve,” they said.
“It should focus on those areas of weakness where action is needed urgently to prevent further loss of life and restore the economy as fully and as quickly as possible.
“We think there’s a strong case for an immediate assessment of national preparedness, with the first results available no later than August, and that all its work should be completed by the end of October.”
Ministers have already said that the temporary Nightingale hospitals set up in case the NHS was overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases will remain on standby over the coming months.
The letter comes as Imperial College economist Professor David Miles told BBC Radio 5 the easing of lockdown measures was overdue.
Advertisement
He said: “We probably have gone past the point some weeks ago where the benefits of keeping in place the lockdown were large enough to match the rising and enormous costs of lockdown.”
Screen grab of (left to right) Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by PA Video/PA Images via Getty Images) PA Video - PA Images via Getty Images
At the final daily No.10 briefing on Tuesday, both the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and the chief medical officer for England Professor Chris Whitty stressed it was not a “risk-free” move.
Whitty said it was “absolutely critical” that people continued to observe social distancing, taking steps to mitigate the spread of the disease when it was not possible to stay two metres apart.
He warned the virus was likely to be present in the UK until at least the spring of 2021 and that if people returned to their normal patterns of behaviour “we will get an uptick for sure”.
Advertisement
Vallance also warned that despite the falling numbers of people infected with the disease, the threat remained.
“Don’t be fooled that this means it has gone away. The disease is growing across the world. It is coming down in the UK but it hasn’t gone away,” he said.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we will continue to be guided by the latest scientific advice and will give the NHS whatever it needs, as we have done throughout this unprecedented pandemic.
“Thanks to the dedication of NHS staff, hospitals have not been overwhelmed and intensive care capacity continues to meet the needs of patients.
“Effective local management of any outbreak is the first line of protection against a second wave. In the event the local response is not sufficient to contain outbreaks, the government would reintroduce measures if necessary to contain the virus and stop it spreading to the wider population.”
Advertisement
The easing of the two-metre rule was warmly welcomed by the hospitality sector which had warned that many pubs, cafes and restaurants would be forced to close if it remained in place.
Hairdressers, barbers, cinemas, museums and art galleries in England are now also preparing to open their doors to visitors again from July 4.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Trump Threatens Ten Year Prison Penalty For Black Lives Matter Protesters Who Topple Statues

Trump’s comments came as civic officials in historic Charleston, South Carolina, voted unanimously to remove a statue of former vice president and slavery advocate John C Calhoun from a downtown square.
He has spent weeks demanding “law and order” in response to the protests sparked by Floyd’s death by police.
He promised executive action to protect monuments after some statues of Confederates and other historical figures with dodgy track records on race were angrily brought down from parks and other places of public prominence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--My Pride Anthems: Courtney Act

My Pride Anthems: Courtney Act

The coronavirus pandemic has changed everything, and that includes how we’re all celebrating Pride in 2020.
With huge public gatherings out of the question, we’re asking a range of LGBTQ celebrities and allies for their personal Pride anthems, to help us all get into the Pride spirit from lockdown.
Advertisement
Today we’re speaking to drag superstar Courtney Act, who first rose to fame in her native Australia on the talent show Australian Idol, before landing a spot in the sixth series of RuPaul’s Drag Race, where she made it all the way to the final.
Joseph Sinclair
In more recent years, you may have seen Courtney in the Celebrity Big Brother house, winning the reality show’s penultimate show, which helped raise her profile here in the UK.
Fresh from announcing her 2021 tour of the UK and Ireland, Courtney shared her personal Pride playlist with HuffPost UK for our My Pride Anthems series, and narrowing her songs down was clearly not a decision she took lightly.
Advertisement
Speaking to us from her flat in London, Courtney compared picking her Pride anthems to “Sophie’s choice”, literally deleting and adding songs to her list as the conversation went on. After much deliberation, here are the tunes she eventually settled on...
Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande – Rain On Me
″[I picked this] just because she is the woman of the hour. I wish I could just say Chromatica the album, from beginning to end. But Rain On Me is the pop banger that we got the music video for, with Ariana Grande, that we get to dance around to.
“I had all of these LED lights and a smoke machine in my flat, and on the day Chromatica came out, I was like ‘I am going to do this properly’. I’ve always been a Lady Gaga fan, but it actually brings me joy to get to love Lady Gaga every day again, so I put on the lights, I put on the smoke machine, I put the album on really loud and literally danced around the apartment in my undies to it, all night long. I think the moment everybody appreciates is the drop from Chromatica II into 911. To me, that is gay rights.
“I played that transition about 12 times, and then I thought ‘my poor neighbours’, so I put on my headphones... and then I continued to dance around to it all night.”
Advertisement
Lizzo – Juice
“I had a playlist of pre-show music for my last tour, and I just decided that I was only going to play queer artists. And Lizzo was the only exception that I made. But I just feel that she embodies the spirit of the queer identity.
“I feel like her ownership over her identity, her body and how she expresses her sexuality... like, some of the stuff she posts on Instagram of herself in lingerie, or her bum, unapologetically – and rightfully so, unapologetically – but which so often has been consistently apologised for by everybody. She’s just like ‘this is my bum, it’s big, it’s round, it’s beautiful’, and I just think it’s queering our public perception of the body beautiful. I just think it’s so powerful.
“If you love the skin you’re in, then regardless of where you go from there, you’re in a place of acceptance, and I think it’s so important that everybody – men and women – love and accept who they are. And there’s something about that which is so parallel or adjacent to the queer movement, it’s about learning to love and accept ourselves in a world that tells us we should be something else.”
Little Mix – Power
Advertisement
“I had the privilege of being in this music video, with Jade and her girl squad. It’s such a great song of empowerment for women. And I love Little Mix, the UK loves Little Mix and here we all are together loving Little Mix.”
Troye Sivan – My My My!
“Troye Sivan is Aussie, he’s queer, I love his music. And the cool thing about Troye is that because he was a YouTuber first, and he was out, he entered the pop world and was allowed to be himself from the beginning, because he was already publicly known, and there’s something very powerful about that.
“And I actually I met him! He came to one of my gigs in Washington DC… well, hang on. Let me say, he was at the club that I performed at, and I met him afterwards. The self-deprecating part of me is like ‘he just happened to be there’. He may have been there to see me perform, but I think maybe he was just there. But I did meet him and he is very, very sweet.”
Mila Jam – Eye On You
Advertisement
“Mila Jam is an artist that I just discovered, I saw a video of her giving a speech at a rally. I heard her speak, and she had great heart, and she was doing this thing with a large crowd of people – in a seemingly impromptu setting, it wasn’t like she was on stage – where she was getting them to repeat after her. And she was repeating these affirmations about identity, and everyone was saying it along with her in a call and response sort of thing. And I was like ‘who is she?’.
“So, I clicked on her profile, I didn’t even know she was queer, and saw that she had music, and started listening to her songs. I just put them all on and listened to them, but I’ve gone for her latest release, just because it’s her latest release, and it’s fun pop music.”
MNEK and Hailee Steinfeld – Colour
“This is just a really good jam, and it was actually also the theme song for The Bi Life, the UK’s first bisexual dating show, which I hosted, so that was cool.
“MNEK is a really cool artist, I saw him perform at a Pride In London dinner. It was like a sit-down dinner. It was a Pride dinner, so it wasn’t super stuffy, but everybody was giving speeches, and then he came on, with his dancers, and everyone sat there for the first bit being a bit of a passive audience, and by the end, everybody was on the dance floor. Someone even got naked, in a hotel ballroom. Everybody was dancing, and living their best life, and this girl started taking off her clothes, there were people dancing on the furniture, and I’ve never seen a room go from black tie, formal to… I was like ‘I need to get this jacket off, I need to to unbutton this top’, and obviously this girl was feeling the same, but to the next level. And she got naked.
Advertisement
“And more than his music, knowing that he as an artist has that ability when performing live to create that vibe in what was a formal environment, I found so inspiring as a fellow artist. I’ve performed at those gigs, I know what it’s like. But he fucking turned it out.”
Courtney Act – One Tonight
Eivind Hansen
“This is an anthemic song, it’s got key changes, it’s got vocal slides, and it’s about ‘if the one thing you see is the different in me, then you’re looking at the wrong thing’. It’s about acknowledging the common thread of humanity that binds us all, and celebrating that. And it’s a big anthemic song,.
“I actually wrote this song as a submission for Eurovision, and my other song Fight For Love ended up being the one that we chose. I always knew that this song, One Tonight, was going to one day be the song that could have got me to Eurovision. But at the time it wasn’t right, and I couldn’t work out what was missing. And then it dawned on me – there’s a moment in one of Kylie’s tours where she sings The Crying Game and there’s a key change and flower petals fall from the ceiling, and I sent that to the producer, and I said ‘this is what needs to happen in One Tonight’. And he did it so beautifully, I think it’s my favourite song that I’ve ever written or performed.
“I’m performing it for Global Pride, and it will be on Spotify and iTunes and all of those platforms at the beginning of July. It’s weird, because it wasn’t written in lockdown, but it feels extremely pertinent now.”
Advertisement
Courtney Act will be bringing her Fluid tour to the UK and Ireland in April 2021. For more information visit her website here.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Trump Spends Rally Downplaying Coronavirus And Making Racist Jokes

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Speaking in a state where coronavirus cases are surging enough to repeatedly set new daily infection records, Donald Trump told a crowd of young Arizona supporters that everything was under control.
“Someday it’ll be recognised by history,” he said of his pandemic response while speaking at a campaign-style event at Dream City Church, hosted by the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA.
Advertisement
This is “hopefully the end of the pandemic,” Trump told an audience of about 3,000 college students, most of whom did not wear masks.
There’s little to indicate that. Arizona is one of several states that, with Trump’s urging, followed an aggressive reopening schedule. Now it’s averaging about 2,500 new cases daily, a 94% increase from last Monday. Infections are rising in more than half of the US states, with other alarming surges in Texas and Florida.
Hours before Trump made that prediction, Dr Anthony Fauci, the infectious diseases expert leading the country’s response to Covid-19, warned that “the next couple of weeks are going to be critical” in addressing surges in the worst-hit states.
But Trump didn’t acknowledge the surges during his Arizona rally and repeated his claims that ramped-up testing protocols are making the pandemic look worse than it is in the US. He then boasted of the low mortality rate, despite the US currently having the fourth-highest coronavirus death rate in the world, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Advertisement
Trump also returned to the same racist jokes he’s made since the beginning of the pandemic, which has since claimed more than 120,000 lives in the US so far.
“Covid-19, I said that’s an odd name,” Trump said after calling the virus “Wuhan,” the name of the province where the virus was first reported, and “kung flu,” sending the young supporters into cheers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Parliament Staff Are No Longer Powerless Against Bullying By Our Most Powerful

The Palace of Westminster and Westminster Bridge in London, UNESCO world heritage in England Leonid Andronov via Getty Images
When House of Commons staff first presented serious allegations of bullying and sexual harassment to Newsnight back in late 2017, they had little faith that the culture in their workplace – and the behaviour of a minority of problematic MPs – would ever change.
They recalled horror stories of sexual harassment and bullying endured by themselves and their colleagues by Members of Parliament. They consistently highlighted how, without a truly independent complaints procedure, they were the ones doomed to suffer further – both emotionally and professionally – if they raised their concerns around their experiences.
Advertisement
Tuesday night marked an historic turning point in the quest of those staff to restore trust in the institution they loved working for, changing the culture of the House for generations to come. Two years on from our initial investigation, MPs finally voted to implement a truly independent process for handling allegations of bullying and sexual harassment. This new system, whereby an independent panel of experts will investigate complaints and determine sanctions, finally prevents MPs from exploiting their power and their parliamentary privilege to influence HR outcomes. It drags Parliament, as a workplace, into the 21st century.
It’s been an emotionally exhausting, sometimes traumatic, and often demoralising journey for the apolitical staff who bravely came forward to achieve this outcome, and their efforts must now be commended – not questioned – by the MPs who pushed back against them for so long.
The culture of “deference, subservience, acquiescence and silence”, outlined by former High Court judge Dame Laura Cox in the wake of our reporting, will not change overnight. A mere five votes determined the outcome of Tuesday’s vote, signalling how both MPs and House management must continue to learn from the lessons of the past.
Despite Dame Laura’s very clear assertions that a fully independent complaints procedure, free from the influence of MPs, was wholly necessary to protect the interests of staff, the past two years have seen many MPs either choosing to remain silent or throwing their energy into casting public doubt over the validity of certain allegations, rather than sorting out the rotten working culture to which a significant number of them contributed.
Advertisement
“In the very worst cases, we found that the inadequate response to the staff who raised issues led to emotional breakdowns and departures from Parliament.”
While some MPs were rightly outraged by our extensive reports of harassment and bullying that had, in some cases, ended the careers of talented staff, many made it clear that they were outraged on the contrary – that Members should face a “trial by media” for their alleged inappropriate behaviour. What those adopting this argument failed to grasp, however, was the extent to which the people who worked so diligently for them had lost all faith that their concerns would ever be taken seriously – and dealt with effectively – through internal processes. They came to Newsnight not for any limelight, but as a last resort.
While lacklustre HR processes lie at the heart of this story, so too do people. In the very worst cases, we found that the inadequate response to the staff who raised issues led to emotional breakdowns and departures from Parliament. The “best case” scenarios saw people moved from jobs they loved after complaints were made, as though they were the problem as opposed to the perpetrators. This not only undermined the morale of victims and staff, but the integrity of the institution and public trust in our parliamentarians more widely.
During Tuesday’s vote, many feared their best efforts to ignite change would be fruitless, due to the inclusion of a government clause whereby MPs could debate cases of bullying and harassment in the House after the independent expert panel had investigated allegations and recommended sanctions. This, yet again, risked undermining the implementation of the independent process that Dame Laura cited as essential.
An amendment put forward by Labour’s Chris Bryant enabled MPs to vote in favour of a truly independent process that rejected the spectacle of MPs debating on cases. At last, Members of Parliament rightly judged that this would have humiliating consequences, and act as a deterrent for complainants, if it were adopted.
Advertisement
While the collateral damage caused to staff – past and present – along this laborious journey may never be fully repaired, MPs have now reclaimed their integrity by voting in favour of an independent complaints and grievances policy that is free from political interference, for all parliamentary staff.
More importantly, those who have spoken out, time and again, both internally and externally, both publicly and from behind the scenes, can finally feel satisfied that future generations of parliamentary staff will not be powerless to prevent abuse by the powerful.
That is something worth celebrating.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Mel Gibson Says Renewed Anti-Semitic And Homophobic Allegations Made By Winona Ryder Are '100% Untru

Mel Gibson Says Renewed Anti-Semitic And Homophobic Allegations Made By Winona Ryder Are '100% Untrue'

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Mel Gibson has said the renewed allegations that he made homophobic and anti-semitic comments to Winona Ryder at a party are “100% untrue”.
In a recent interview with the Sunday Times, the Stranger Things star claimed that the Braveheart actor had asked her if she was an “oven dodger” at a party around 25 years ago, in an apparent reference to her Jewish background.
Advertisement
She told the publication: “We were at a crowded party with one of my good friends, and Mel Gibson was smoking a cigar, and we’re all talking and he said to my friend, who’s gay, ‘Oh wait, am I gonna get Aids?’
“And then something came up about Jews, and he said, ‘You’re not an oven dodger, are you?’”
Mel Gibson and Winona Ryder Rex
The Stranger Things star, 48, also said Gibson, 64, had tried to apologise to her at a later date.
A representative for Gibson has now responded to Ryder’s comments via Variety, accusing her of “lying”.
“This is 100% untrue,” the rep said. “She lied about it over a decade ago, when she talked to the press, and she’s lying about it now.
Advertisement
“Also, she lied about him trying to apologise to her back then. He did reach out to her, many years ago, to confront her about her lies and she refused to address it with him.”
In her subsequent response to Gibson’s denial, Ryder named the friend she was with at the time of the alleged incident as the late makeup artist Kevyn Aucoin, and said the altercation remains a “painful and vivid memory”.
Winona Ryder SIPA USA/PA Images
She said: “I believe in redemption and forgiveness and hope that Mr Gibson has found a healthy way to deal with his demons, but I am not one of them.
“Around 1996, my friend Kevyn Aucoin and I were on the receiving end of his hateful words. It is a painful and vivid memory for me. Only by accepting responsibility for our behaviour in this life, can we make amends and truly respect each other, and I wish him well on this lifelong journey.”
Advertisement
Ryder first accused Gibson in an interview with GQ magazine in 2010, suggesting the actor was referencing the gas chambers used by the Nazis during the Holocaust.
In 2006, Gibson was recorded delivering a controversial anti-Semitic rant after a drink-driving arrest.
He returned to directing for the first time in 10 years with 2016’s Hacksaw Ridge.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--The Lib Dems Must Be A Radical Centre-Left Party. Our Future Depends On It

Sir Ed Davey receives applause following his speech during the Liberal Democrats autumn conference at the Bournemouth International Centre in Bournemouth. PA
The Liberal Democrats stand at a critical juncture. After the disappointment of the last election, the future of the party is again up for discussion in the leadership contest that opens today.
Whether it was how we rebuilt post-coalition or whether Brexit was the issue to catapult us back to pre-2015 levels of support, members and supporters not surprisingly have strong views about the future direction of the party.
Advertisement
As nominations open for our leadership contest today, we must return to this debate.
There are some in the party who want the Liberal Democrats to take major strides to the left in order to present ourselves as radical. The challenge is we don’t yet know what policies Starmer’s Labour Party will adopt between now and the next election, so defining ourselves entirely in relation to him is painting ourselves into a corner, four years out from the next election.
We should also question whether that approach is the best way to win seats, which should always be at the forefront of our mind. I am unconvinced a large swing to the left is the correct path to win over the voters we need in the 91 seats where we finished second under a year ago.
Moreover, as a centre-left, progressive politician all my life, I firmly believe it’s possible to be radical without going to the political extremes.
“Our party’s greatest achievements have always been delivered from the radical centre-left.”
Advertisement
When I helped develop the policy of 1p on income tax to pay for education under Paddy Ashdown, it was incredibly radical. When I moved the amendment in Parliament to abolish the homophobic Section 28, that was a vital progressive step. When I fought the Tories over climate change and won, more than trebling renewable power with a new subsidy policy combining state intervention with competitive market forces, it was world-beatingly radical.
And in the future, I want the party to adopt similarly radical positions on education, equalities, the environment and so much more.
Such radicalism inspires my plan to invest £150billion over three years for a green economic recovery, to deliver green jobs and businesses, whilst saving our planet at the same time. And my approach to a caring revolution, starting with my new deal for the millions of unpaid and poorly paid carers that would see them finally properly rewarded for the work they do.
Our party’s greatest achievements have always been delivered from the radical centre-left. That’s why I want to be crystal clear about where a party led by me would stand in relation to other parties. Like Paddy Ashdown in his Chard speech of 1992, I reject so-called equidistance: we must not be in some mushy middle between the Conservatives and Labour.
Our election review spelt out clearly that the necessity of equidistance in the 2019 election, created by the appalling choice between Corbyn and Johnson, meant we found ourselves squeezed both ways, with little public understanding of what we stood for.
Advertisement
We cannot ever allow that to happen again.
“It’s not enough just to be anti-Conservative. To beat the Tories at the next election, we must first grow much stronger as a party ourselves”
I am an anti-Conservative politician, and that’s how I would lead our party. We are a million miles from the Tories. While we promote international co-operation and human rights abroad, they pull up the drawbridge. While we want world-leading plans for a Green Revolution, their climate plans are timid at best. While we would root out poverty and inequality, the Conservatives have no commitment to social justice and have failed to take any action in response to the Black Lives Matter protests.
Yet it’s not enough just to be anti-Conservative.
To beat the Tories at the next election, we must first grow much stronger as a party ourselves, so we have something others need when we look to work with other progressive forces in British politics.
While it’s early days, I’m already convinced it will be much easier to find common ground with Keir Starmer than it was with Jeremy Corbyn.
And my lodestar in approaching that relationship is my experience working with Paddy Ashdown in the 1990s, as he took the progressive opportunities presented by Tony Blair. Yet in dealing with any other party, it’s vital to be realistic. We can’t just forget the record of the last Labour Government. On Iraq, on ID cards, on keeping the DNA of innocent people on police databases and keeping children in detention centres.
Advertisement
There are no quick fixes in politics. What I’m offering is the vision and experience to help rebuild the Liberal Democrats.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--I Get It, You Want To Restart Your Life. But Doing So Could Kill My Child

Angie Klaus Photography.
Quarantine is long and boring.
My five-year-old repeatedly asks to go to an amusement park because he is sure he is now tall enough to go on thrill rides with his older siblings. My 9-year-old regularly checks in about whether I think she will be able to have a birthday party in August. My 12-year-old asks nearly every day when he can go to the skate park or bike riding with friends, already at the stage where he finds the company of his family decidedly uncool. My nonverbal 13-year-old hands me my car keys daily then walks to the front door to let me know she is ready to go somewhere, anywhere, that is not home.
The answer to all of them is always the same: We can’t because of Covid-19.
Lately, these conversations have become more difficult. My children are aware that life is starting to reopen around us. They want to know if they can have play dates, walk to the corner store for ice cream or go to the playground. They want their lives to resume, as we all do.
Advertisement
I, too, miss haircuts, meeting my friends for coffee, going to the gym or for pizza. But the answer is still the same: We can’t because of Covid-19.
Even as I watch our friends, and most of America, leave fears of Covid-19 behind, I know that I cannot do the same. My 13-year-old daughter, Claire — the one who asks to go somewhere in the car daily — fits squarely into several high-risk categories for Covid-19 because of multiple preexisting conditions stemming from a chromosomal duplication.
She is immunocompromised. She has asthma and epilepsy. She has a history of heart and kidney disease and has had pneumonia so many times I’ve lost count. She also loves people-watching, being in the water, looking through books and magazines and watching movies. She is a joy to be around, and those who love her want her to be around for a long time and make it through this pandemic.
“I am worried and confused that so many are acting as though Covid-19 is a problem that we have already beaten, even as deaths and cases continue to rise.”
Advertisement
No one would like to stop socially distancing and rejoin the world more than Claire. But Claire – who normally becomes very sick from a common cold that leaves her siblings with just a runny nose – does not have the luxury of ignoring the still-real risks of Covid-19 because she is fed up with quarantine. In addition to all of Claire’s other risk factors, there is evidence that those with intellectual and developmental disabilities such as Claire are at a much higher risk of dying from Covid-19. To protect Claire, my entire family is continuing to self-isolate, but that alone is not enough to protect her.
As those in our community venture outside and into gyms, movie theatres, museums, retail stores, offices and restaurants, their risk of contracting Covid-19 grows with each and every interaction. That means with each trip someone in my family takes out of the house out of necessity, the risk to Claire’s life grows that much greater.
As much as I would like to stay in a bubble where we do not have contact with the outside world until a vaccine or a cure is found, that is just not realistic. Claire and her siblings need medications that include controlled substances and refrigerated liquids that must be picked up in person.
Last week, Claire’s younger sister had to be seen by a doctor to treat a case of strep throat. Occasionally we cannot order one of the limited number of foods Claire will eat, and we must go to a store. Claire’s brother has a toothache, and, although I have been hoping the pain will go away, he will very likely have to go to the dentist soon. We also still need to go through our mail and have groceries, cleaning supplies and books delivered. None of this is risk-free. None of it can be avoided.
Before Covid-19 restrictions were eased, these interactions were scary enough, but I made them knowing that nearly everyone with whom I came into contact was likely socially isolating to the best of their ability, which kept the risk of outside contact low.
Advertisement
Now, even though Covid-19 is not going away, the risk is much higher. Everyone around me is having more interactions with those outside of their household than they were just a couple of weeks ago. Neighbours are having dinner parties. The packs of kids I see roaming the neighbourhood together are growing larger and more frequent. Friends and family are taking road trips and going to the beach. I understand the desire to do these things. I want to do them, too — when I can do them without putting myself or others at risk.
But I am worried and confused that so many are acting as though Covid-19 is a problem that we have already beaten, even as deaths and cases continue to rise. Even knowing that Covid-19 is going to continue to spread and kill until about 80% of the population has been infected or we have a vaccine. And even knowing that up to 50% of Covid-19 carriers may be asymptomatic but still spread the virus to others who may become very sick or die.
Although it is impossible to determine exactly how many Americans are immune, public health experts agree that the number is in the single digits and likely no more than 5%. Hundreds of thousands more deaths will occur between now and when we no longer need to worry about becoming infected with Covid-19. A disproportionate number of those deaths will be among people with disabilities such as my daughter. Many of those deaths will be directly caused by those who rushed to reopen too soon. In Washington, where I live with Claire, the mayor twice moved forward with phased openings, despite not meeting her own metrics for safely doing so.
Even among those taking these risks, many are unwilling to take even the simple step of wearing a mask that could reduce the chance of contracting Covid-19 by up to 85% and dramatically flatten the curve.
“Being responsible in the midst of a public health crisis that is nowhere near being over is not a political statement. It is a statement about who you are as a human being.”
Advertisement
My local pharmacy requires masks to enter, but there is little enforcement or sense of responsibility from other customers, such as the man behind me at the pharmacy who wore his mask dangling from one ear while he talked on the phone or the woman who removed her mask to sneeze just as I passed by her in the parking lot.
I can be as careful as humanly possible, but I cannot control for the selfish and thoughtless people who would rather risk someone else’s death than wear a mask or stay six feet behind me during what may for them be a completely optional trip out.
Even sitting in our front yard has become hazardous as more and more people in our densely populated neighbourhood head outside to socialise, not bothering to stay 6 feet away from where Claire sometimes sits on the steps with her siblings to get fresh air and feel the sunshine.
This carelessness and complete disregard for the health and well-being of the most vulnerable is a major failing of our society. These actions speak louder than any words about how the disabled are viewed. If you do not view my daughter and others with disabilities as an afterthought or disposable, you can continue to take steps to minimise your own exposure to Covid-19 and to protect them when you do go out by wearing a mask, staying six feet apart and washing your hands frequently. Her right to live outweighs your right to watch a movie without a mask.
Even if Claire were not my daughter, I would like to think I would do the same in order to protect both others and myself, since Covid-19 also claims the lives of those who had previously been robust and healthy.
Advertisement
Being responsible in the midst of a public health crisis that is nowhere near being over is not a political statement. It is a statement about who you are as a human being. Do the right thing for Claire and for all of us.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--What Your Post-Lockdown Pub Trip Might Look Like from July

LOADING ERROR LOADING
We’re here to guide you through the coronavirus pandemic. Sign up to the Life newsletter for daily tips, advice, how-tos and escapism.
Fancy a quick pint after a hard day’s work – or a long day furloughed? Well, hold your horses (and a bottle of hand sanitiser).
Advertisement
Boris Johnson has finally made the announcement at least half the nation was waiting for – that pubs will be allowed to pull socially-distanced pints again from July 4 after a three-month hiatus to tackle the spread of coronavirus.
But thirsty punters hoping for a swifty should expect queues, longer wait times to meet the new health and hygiene guidelines. There will be limits on the number of punters allowed into pubs for starters, The Times has reported.
Tables will be more spaced out, meaning smaller overall capacities and landlords will be implementing extra hygiene and safety measures, too.
Glasses will be collected by bar staff – with bar tops and door handles cleaned at least hourly. Some pubs may introduced perspex protection screens at the tills and between tables, plus hand sanitiser points, gloves, masks, and goggles for staff may all be the new normal. Sounds more like a trip to the supermarket.
Advertisement
Pubs with beer gardens will be among the first to reopen, but what will the future of our boozers look like as we start to come out of our long hibernation?
2m or not 2m?
Amid Tuesday’s easing announcement for the hospitality industry, Boris Johnson announced the two-metre rule will be relaxed to “one-metre plus” – with people advised to take extra precautions such as wearing face coverings.
“We can change the two metre ruling – it prevents all but a fraction of our hospitality industry from operating,” Johnson said. “Where it is possible to keep 2m apart we should, but they should remain at least 1m plus apart.”
Please RSVP
Signing a guest book at a wedding is a traditional thing to do, it might be mandatory at pubs too.
Drinkers at pubs and bars will be required to leave their names and contact details at the door so that customers can be swiftly traced if they contract coronavirus. “By collecting contact details from customers we will work with sectors to make this manageable.”
How pubs will account for drunken sign-ins from “Mickey Mouse” and co has yet to be worked out.
Table service
Say goodbye to hanging around at the bar to be served. Johnson said: “All hospitality will be limited to table service, while customers will have to provide contact details to enable the tracing and isolating of people if there is an outbreak linked to the venue.”
Advertisement
Many pubs like The Dove on Broadway Market in London, which has already been rolling out takeaway pints, have been prepping to introduce table service to welcome customers, show them to their seats and manage queues.
“During the lockdown period, we’ve completely transformed the inside of our pub. We’ve knocked through the bar to open up into the next room to allow more room,” explains owner Elizabeth Grogan.
“We’ve spread out the tables and you won’t be able to order drinks at the bar. You’ll have to order from a member of staff and we’ll bring the drinks to you.”
avdeev007 via Getty Images
Phoned-in pints
Cash payments are still be avoided so prepare to use contactless at the bar where possible.
Bigger chains will also be encouraging you to use an app to order and pay. Wetherspoons fans may already be familiar with its table service app. Now, Greene King will be rolling out an Order and Pay app to all its managed pubs, too.
Advertisement
No loo queues
Standing in the long queue for the loos might be a thing of the past. Many pubs will be introducing a one-in-one-out system, alongside extra cleaning procedures.
Across the 1,700 Greene King pubs nationwide there will red and green indicators at the entrances to the toilets so customers can flip the light with their elbow as they enter and exit. There’ll also be additional marshalling to manage queues and ensure customers adhere to social distancing guidelines.
“We know people are eager to return to their local,” says the chain’s chief executive Nick Mackenzie,” who adds that staff and patron safety is the number one priority. ”Of course, customers will notice some differences when they return but it’s important that alongside implementing the changes, we maintain the very essence of the great British pub.”
Playing ketchup
Pubs will provide one-time use menus that customers can take away or pop in the recycling bin. Wrapped cutlery will be brought to customers, rather than left on tables and condiments will come in individually wrapped disposable sachets or in fresh ramekins rather than reusable containers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Pride Can Be Lonely For Rural Queers Like Me. Coronavirus Means This Year Might Be Different

EmilyNorton via Getty Images Beautiful rainbow over a Vancouver Island farm.
Queerness doesn’t really happen in the countryside. Where I come from, it’s conservative, lacking in ecstatic colours and fragrance of community.
There are queer people here, of course, but the same sense of community is lacklustre. Same goes for the tolerance – if I threw a knife at a map of my local area, wherever it hit I would have been hurled abuse from a van window, or given glares by passersby simply for being outwardly expressive in my queerness and identity.
Advertisement
One experience most engrained was when I was 16. I wasn’t even dressed as ‘openly queer’ back then – I remember simply wearing a pair of denim jeggings and an acid-trip top with some pretty vulgar but ironic wording of ‘piece’ with a peace symbol. Stopping to tie my misbegotten shoelace, a rock was thrown at me from a moving truck as cries of “f*****g faggot” drenched the air.
I can’t remember how I responded, aside from a cascade of tears due to the humiliation and pain of being hit, not just by the rock, but the words themselves. I was used to the snide comments and overt homophobia, however that was the first time that my pride in being recognised as queer stuck stronger than their hate.
“Pride just doesn’t exist in the countryside. The scene in the countryside is, for a lack of other words, empty.”
Though it did for me that day, Pride just doesn’t exist in the countryside. The scene in the countryside is, for a lack of other words, empty. Growing up was difficult in the countryside where the only access to a nightlife locale was dominated by high school bullies and heteronormative performances – far from the colour and flavour of the city many people think of when you mention Pride. Far from the parades and protest; adorned colours of reds and yellows, blues and purples dotting the landscaped streets while green trees sway and dance to the drumming of samba musicales competing for who can drum the loudest.
Advertisement
So Pride was always the time I’d traverse to new places and experience what the community did outside of the sheltered life of the countryside. But it never felt inclusive, or easily accessible – even if the faces and smiles were welcoming, I always felt like I was an outsider. It wasn’t home. It wasn’t my Pride, it was theirs.
Rural queers like me don’t ever really see themselves often in the big city Prides. Sure, people will be laissez faire and say they love visiting big cities to experience the community – and there is a genuine truth to that. But it’s not our home, our place of pride. The most representation we ever got was the “only gay in the village” sketch in Little Britain, and even then it was dipped and fried in heinous stereotypes that gay people are all tight-up gimps.
In the countryside queer people as a singularity; only ever one. Never as a community. But with the pandemic causing a disruption to the celebrations and cancelling physical Prides, the parades will mean something different now: we’re all truly on an even playing field. The resources that are for Pride are all on a singular parade row in the biggest grouping of people since Stonewall. This year, online, maybe we’ll experience our first ever moment of global pride.
“This year, online, maybe we’ll experience our first ever moment of global pride.”
Global pride has in this year become a commonplace of meeting with friends, new and old without the restriction of locale; the necessity of a physical place removed and more of one of open accessibility and true equality amongst its communities that are flung far and vast. It helps rural LGBTQ+ people especially bring pride into their homes, their conversations and much more than that. It gives them a place of acceptance and tolerance to escape from the daring homophobia of the overt locals without having to venture off to a place far from home. It truly makes Pride a free movement – one for everyone regardless of where you’re from.
Advertisement
Going forward, Pride should reflect and remember that it should be a celebratory moment; a remembrance of our history. But our history isn’t just in the place, it’s in the name. The name of Pride in ourselves as queer, gay, lesbian, trans, bisexual, asexual, intersex, pansexual and many more.
We’re not defined by the place, but by ourselves and our journey. Pride should be for all and my hope is that, after this pandemic, our community continues on with not only our physical pride, our parades, our parties and our protests, but our digital ones as well.
Making pride truly accessible to anyone, and removing the restrictions and limitations of the locale, is our best hope as a community.
Mattie Osborne is a freelance journalist and activist. Follow them on Twitter @mattiexoxxx
Have a compelling personal story you want to tell? Find out what we’re looking for here, and pitch us on ukpersonal@huffpost.com


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-23--Government Announces £85m To Help Rough Sleepers Through Coronavirus Pandemic

LOADING ERROR LOADING
The government has announced more funding to help around 15,000 people in emergency accommodation and avoid a fresh homelessness crisis.
When the coronavirus outbreak hit Britain in March, ministers asked local authorities in England to house all rough sleepers and those in hostels and night shelters, with hundreds of people being put up in hotels in a bid to isolate them from infection.
Advertisement
But, as HuffPost UK reported, councils warned the initial £3.2m provided by central government fell well short of the actual cost they incurred.
Now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has said rough sleepers and those at risk of becoming homeless will be helped to secure their own tenancies through £105 million, £85 million of which is new funding,
The Treasury money will also help them put down deposits for accommodation and secure thousands of rooms already available, such as student accommodation, while they wait for a permanent home.
Currently almost 15,000 people are in emergency accommodation, such as hotels, to keep them safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Advertisement
Approximately 5,000–7,000 of these had been sleeping rough, and 2,000 were in communal night shelters.
The charity Crisis previously warned thousands could return to the streets at the end of June, with contracts between local authorities in England and hotels expected to terminate due to current government money running out.
READ MORE: Rough Sleepers Living In Hotels Amid Coronavirus Are Terrified Of Returning To The Streets
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick said: “In recent months, I have seen a huge effort across the country to keep almost 15,000 vulnerable people off the streets. This has been vital to ensure their safety during the peak of the pandemic and has changed the lives of thousands for the better.
“The additional funding announced today will allow us to continue to support these individuals – giving them access to the accommodation and support they need now while we continue with plans to deliver thousands of long-term homes in the coming months.”
Advertisement
Chairwoman of the Covid-19 rough sleeping task force, Dame Louise Casey, thanked hotels and other providers for providing “safe haven” for some of society’s most vulnerable members.
She added: “We now have an extraordinary opportunity to help keep them in and turn their lives around if we get the next steps right.
“I am clear that there can now be no going back to the streets as people begin to move on from the emergency accommodation that has been put in place.”
The housing, communities and local government committee previously warned that the “golden opportunity” to solve rough sleeping would be lost without at least £100 million a year.
The government allocated £3.2 million in March specifically to help homeless people self-isolate during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Advertisement
It has also promised £433 million to create 6,000 supported housing units – 3,300 of which will be made available in the next 12 months.
A larger pot of emergency funding – £3.2 billion – has been made available to help local authorities respond to the pandemic, but they are facing competing claims on their resources.
It is not clear whether homeless people whose immigration status is not finalised, and have no recourse to public funds (NRPF), can be helped by the new money.
Homeless people sleeping rough on the pavement near the Houses of Parliament in March. ASSOCIATED PRESS
London Councils, which represents local authorities in the capital, previously said that at least 900 of the almost 5,000 rough sleepers in London’s emergency accommodation are subject to NRPF restrictions.
Advertisement
Anecdotal evidence heard by Crisis suggests up to 60% of people in some hotels could be in this category.
Jon Sparkes, Crisis chief executive, said: “This funding is a real step forward towards tackling homelessness across England, but money alone will not provide a guarantee of safe and secure accommodation during and after this public health crisis.
“We need emergency legal measures to ensure that every local council can provide housing support to everyone experiencing homelessness, regardless of their immigration status.
“Across the country, we know that support is patchy and inconsistent, with councils often uncertain who they should be helping, and in need of clarity and direction from Government.
“In addition to this very welcome extra funding we need to see additional legislation that gives everyone at risk somewhere safe to stay.”
Advertisement
A further £16 million to address substance misuse, which has previously been announced, has been brought forward due to the coronavirus pandemic, the government said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-23--Lawyers Slam Scheme To Scrap Juries Under Plan To Tackle Backlog Of 500,000 Cases

Justice secretary Robert Buckland speaking in the House of Commons PA
Get the latest on coronavirus. Sign up to the Daily Brief for news, explainers, how-tos, opinion and more.
Juries could be scrapped in some trials as the government attempts to tackle a backlog of court cases topping 500,000 while adhering to social-distancing measures.
Advertisement
Justice secretary Robert Buckland told MPs he was reviewing whether some “either way cases” – which can be heard in magistrates’ or crown courts – should be tried by a judge and two magistrates to help manage the reduced capacity in courts due to coronavirus.
But lawyers say the right to trial by jury is “sacrosanct” and have criticised the plans. So too has shadow lord chancellor David Lammy, who suggested the backlog could be eased by using lecture halls and leisure centres as temporary courts.
As it stands, defendants in either way cases who plead not guilty can request a jury trial in a crown court, and magistrates can also decide to send them for trial in the crown court if the offence is serious enough.
Changes to the either way cases could be limited to certain offences, or offences that carry a jail term of less than two years, Buckland told parliament’s justice committee on Tuesday.
Advertisement
The lord chancellor also said he was considering cutting the size of juries from 12 to seven members in some cases in a bid to tackle the “unprecedented challenge” of social distancing in courts.
According to the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), by the end of May there was a backlog of more than 480,000 magistrates cases and 40,500 cases in the crown court.
Coronavirus is likely to further impact on the criminal justice system, with the Courts and Tribunals Service estimating that the need to uphold social distancing of even one metre in courtrooms would reduce capacity to two-thirds.
General view of Southwark Crown Court, in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
Buckland told the committee: “For some months now, I have spoken about the experience we had in the war, where we reduced juries in the vast majority of cases to a minimum of seven.
Advertisement
“I’m still very attracted to the proposition. I think it has a lot of merit, because it preserves the principle while managing the number.”
While a move to smaller juries with two metres social distancing would increase capacity by up to 10%, the either way option, while a “last resort”, could boost capacity by as much as 40%, he said.
If legislation was brought in to change trials, it would have to be enforced by September in order to be effective, Buckland said.
But any changes would have to be “sunsetted in an absolute way”, he added, saying the alterations would not be permanent.
Susan Acland-Hood, chief executive of HM Courts and Tribunals Service, said that while the backlog of cases in the system was not the biggest it had ever been, reduced capacity due to coronavirus meant the pile-up of cases was likely to continue to grow without some kind of action.
Advertisement
To deal with the cases by expanding provision, the service would need to find 200 additional venues, she said, with some alternative venues having already been signed off.
Buckland has also suggested extended court hours – or even for courts to sit on additional days of the week – to help deal with the logjam.
But shadow justice secretary David Lammy said Buckland was “wrong to consider proposals to limit jury trials for certain offences”.
Robert Buckland is wrong to consider proposals to limit jury trials for certain offences.
The right to trial by your fellow citizens is fundamental to our democracy.
It would be wrong of the government to abandon this valuable tradition for short-term benefit. — David Lammy (@DavidLammy) June 23, 2020
“The right to trial by your fellow citizens is fundamental to our democracy,” he wrote on Twitter.
“It would be wrong of the government to abandon this valuable tradition for short-term benefit.”
He added: “Instead, the government should co-opt empty public buildings, such as university lecture halls and leisure centres, to be used as temporary courts.
Advertisement
“Using large spaces, socially distanced jury trials can continue in a way that is safe. ”
The CBA has also previously slammed potential plans to change the jury system, saying the principle of trial by jury is “sacrosanct”.
In a post on Monday, chair Caroline Goodwin QC said: “The practice of jury trial is at the heart of our criminal justice system. There can be no erosion of this. We stand by that. We cannot support the suspension of the right to trial by jury. Justice would be diminished.
“The use of a judge and two magistrates dealing with triable either way offences would be a change for the worse, it would utterly transform the face of “Justice” and not in a good way. A temporary solution of this nature is just frankly shocking.”
Goodwin also said the move would not be “reflective of a diverse and vibrant society”, pointing out that just 12% of magistrates “have declared themselves as BAME”.
Meanwhile, Goodwin also said the backlog was the result of “penny pinching” and mismanagement, not the closure of courts between March and May.
Advertisement
A CBA spokesperson added: “The crown court backlog was growing at an exponential rate going into 2020 – months before Covid-19 was even known of. It stood by December 31 2019 at 37,434, up from 33,113 at December 31 2018, a 13% year on year rise.
“By March 22 2020, the day before trials were suspended in crown courts in England and Wales, the backlog had grown further again – nothing to do with Covid-19.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Will Guidance And British Common Sense Be Enough To Avoid A Covid Second Wave?

LOADING ERROR LOADING
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.
Not waving but drowning
Possibly the best line in the Pirates of the Caribbean films comes when Captain Barbossa explains why he’s gone back on his word and kidnapped a fair maiden. Explaining that the Pirate Code only applies to pirates, he then adds that anyway: “The code is more what you’d call ‘guidelines’ than actual rules...”
Advertisement
For a buccaneering Brexit government like Boris Johnson’s, those words now seem more apt than ever. Aside from the ‘1m plus’ distancing, the pubs and the hair salons, one of the most important features of the PM’s July 4 relaxation of the coronavirus lockdown was this: the rules won’t be legal rules any more. Guidance and common sense interpretation of it are the new norms.
Of course, No.10’s own Barbossa - Dominic Cummings - was the one who famously said that he followed his own ‘instincts’ rather than the strict laws of the land. His three separate breaches of the guidance (returning to work the day he suspected his wife had covid, driving to a second home, driving to test his eyesight) prompted that damning charge of ‘one law for them, one law for us’.
But the latest lockdown moves have now formalised and embedded that Cummings philosophy into government policy on Covid-19. “As we give people back more control over their lives [note the ‘Take Back Control’ subtext], we will be asking them to follow guidance on limiting their social contact, rather than forcing them to do so through legislation,” is how Johnson put it last night. Neither the police nor the public “want virtually every aspect of our behaviour to be subject to the criminal law”, he added. Durham constabulary, take that.
Today, the PM’s spokesman (whose lobby briefings are now our main arena for scrutiny, post press conference demise) confirmed that many of the rules of the past three months will lapse from the statute book and “become guidance rather than law”. One exception was mass gatherings of more than 30 people for suspected raves in gardens or other premises, which will remain subject to police action.
Advertisement
The difficulty with the shift to guidance however is that it does indeed rely on common sense. Judging by today’s photos of Bournemouth beach, the lure of the hot weather was too tempting for those who ‘followed their instincts’ for a bit of suntan time. Camera angles can sometimes be deceptive, but the Press Association videos and stills didn’t lie. The phrase ‘mass gathering’ somehow appeared inadequate as roads had to be closed and trains were rammed with sunseekers.
EMPICS Entertainment
It was deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam who memorably answered questions about Cummings’ approach to the rules with this frank assessment: “In my opinion they are for the benefit of all. In my opinion they apply to all.” But he also had a wider warning to the public: “Follow the guidance. Don’t tear the pants out of it and don’t go further than the guidance actually says.” That’s obviously much harder to respect when the PM’s own special adviser rips the Rs out of the guidance on travelling when sick.
Housing secretary Robert Jenrick’s conduct of late seems like another example of ‘one law for them, one for us’. First was his lockdown-breaking trips to his parents and his second home. But more damaging is his role in the Westferry planning application of tycoon Richard Desmond. Anyone who’s had a garden extension knocked back by local planners will be wondering just how much cash they have to donate, and Tory dinners to attend, to get a cabinet minister to intervene on their behalf. Tonight’s raft of memos didn’t look good either.
But back to covid. It’s clear that in many ways national lockdown will actually end on July 4, even though the PM hasn’t formally announced that. Gyms and swimming pools look like opening in mid-July and even theatres appear to be in line for more support to get them through the winter. A series of local lockdowns, rather than some national crackdown, is what Johnson envisages.
Advertisement
Today, he used PMQs to roadtest his latest soundbite on this strategy, saying “we have a very effective cluster-busting operation” and that “local councils understand how to do it, with the local resilience forums backed up by the joint biosecurity centre”. All of which served to show he hadn’t listened to a word that Keir Starmer had said, when he quoted the Tory leader of Oxfordshire county council demanding “clear guidance” on what was expected in the event of a ‘local lockdown’.
And it will be councils, not the cops, who will be expected to police the rules governing everything from pubs to schools to workplaces and, yes, beaches. After a decade of austerity has seen the slashing of environmental health and public health officers, that’s a tall order. Councils still complain they haven’t received their share of the £3bn emergency funding for local government too.
That’s why perhaps the most telling bit of today’s lobby briefing was when the PM’s spokesman said that Nightingale Hospitals will remain on ‘standby’ for months to come. This was part of the government “working closely with the NHS to prepare for the winter months”, itself an apparent acknowledgment of Chris Whitty’s warning that this virus will be with us into next year. If the council frontline fails, at least the field hospitals will be on hand. Which somehow didn’t seem that reassuring.
We learned today that pirate captain Cummings has warned special advisers that “a hard rain is coming”, thanks to his Whitehall revolution. The buccaneering spirit is alive and well at the heart of this government. But as today’s beach activity shows, the real stormy weather may be in the shape of that second covid wave.
Quote Of The Day
“I do not recall exactly what happened, but he did bring out his iPhone and show me some images of the development.”
Advertisement
Robert Jenrick on sitting next to millionaire Richard Desmond at a Tory fundraising dinner
Wednesday Cheat Sheet
The government is not certain that the coronavirus R rate is below 1 in England, meaning the disease may not be under control even as lockdown restrictions are being lifted, HuffPost UK revealed.
The good news for Matt Hancock was that 232,086 covid tests were conducted yesterday, the highest for some time. Mike Ryan, head of the World Health Organisation (WHO) emergencies programme, also said the NHS Test and Trace system was now ‘capable’.
Keir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of repeatedly giving “dodgy answers” after the prime minister was found to have for made “false” claims about child poverty.
As Dame Judi Dench told Channel 4 News she fears theatres may not reopen in her lifetime No.10 confirmed extra help could be on its way. “We are talking to the arts sector and considering ways in which we might be able to support them in addition to the unprecedented financial assistance we have already given,” the PM’s spokesman said.
Trade secretary Liz Truss refused four times to say Boris Johnson would not scrap the Department for International Trade (DIT).
Advertisement
Donald Trump used a rally to repeat racist tropes about coronavirus, calling it “kung flu”. His former aide Kellyanne Conway, whose husband and children are of Asian-American heritage, said earlier this year such terms are “highly offensive”.
What I’m Reading
Women Across Europe Denied Abortions Because Of Covid - BBC
Got A Tip?
Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com.
Subscribe To Commons People


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Al Fresco Dining To Be Encouraged By New Laws To Help England Out Of Lockdown

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Al fresco dining will be on the menu in England this summer as part of Boris Johnson’s plan to significantly ease the coronavirus lockdown from July 4.
Advertisement
Planning laws will be relaxed so pubs, restaurants and cafes can serve customers outside.
They will also be able to use car parks and terraces as dining and drinking areas as part of measures in new legislation introduced today.
Licensing laws will also be relaxed to allow pubs and restaurants to sell drinks that can be enjoyed away from the establishment, in a move Downing Street hopes will make social distancing easier.
The business and planning bill is also designed to cut planning regulations to boost outdoor street trading and markets, and the government working with councils to pedestrianise areas of towns and cities.
Hyde Park in London - before lockdown Jeff Greenberg via Getty Images
Advertisement
No.10 hopes the new laws will give a boost to food and drink firms that have been forced to close during the three-month lockdown.
The government also wants the moves to encourage the safe return to work of hospitality staff and provide a boost to the high streets.
The new laws come amid unease in certain quarters about the prime minister’s decision to ease the lockdown in England on July 4.
HuffPost UK revealed on Wednesday that the government is not certain that the coronavirus R rate is below 1 in England, meaning the disease may not be under control even as lockdown restrictions are being lifted.
Health leaders have meanwhile called for an urgent review to ensure Britain is properly prepared for the “real risk” of a second wave of coronavirus.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Strictly Come Dancing Confirmed For 2020 With Shorter Series, Following Pandemic Doubts

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Make the most of your time indoors with a daily dose of celebrity news and guides to the best shows. Sign up to the entertainment newsletter.
Strictly Come Dancing bosses have confirmed the show will go ahead this year, but with a shorter series than usual.
Advertisement
There has been much speculation in recent months over how the hit BBC ballroom show would proceed given social distancing measures, and even if it could go ahead at all.
However, the BBC has now confirmed its future – although it is looking like its usual September launch date will be slightly delayed.
Strictly Come Dancing hosts Claudia Winkleman and Tess Daly BBC / Guy Levy
A statement said: “The Strictly Come Dancing team are doing everything they can to bring the nation plenty of Strictly magic later this year.
Advertisement
“To ensure we deliver the high standards audiences know and love, and in light of the ongoing considerations around Covid-19, this year’s series of Strictly will have a slightly shorter run than usual.
“The safety of our cast and crew is of the utmost importance to us and further updates will be made in due course.”
It was previously confirmed that bosses are considering isolating the cast of professional dancers and key production staff in a hotel together, so they can film the usual group routines.
It has also been reported that the show will not be adding any new pros to the line up after the departures of Kevin Clifton and AJ Pritchard.
Advertisement
Strictly judges Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, Shirley Ballas and Bruno Tonioli BBC/Guy Levy
It also remains unclear exactly what Strictly will look like when it does return to our screens, with a question mark over the live studio audience.
The BBC’s director of content Charlotte Moore also recently told The Times (£) that bosses were considering installing glass divides inside the studio “so that people feel even more protected”.
Advertisement


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Tory Donor Pressured Robert Jenrick To Approve Housing Plan With Swipe At 'Marxist' Council

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick. PA
Media mogul Richard Desmond sent a series of texts to Robert Jenrick making clear the minister’s approval for a controversial housing scheme would save Desmond paying millions to a “Marxist” council.
Jenrick, the housing secretary, has been under fire for waving through the development at the former Westferry Printworks site on London’s Isle of Dogs in January, despite the scheme being rejected by the local council and planning inspector over concerns about the lack of affordable housing.
Advertisement
His decision, now quashed, was deliberately taken in time for Desmond, a Tory party donor, and his Northern & Shell company to avoid being liable for a new Tower Hamlets Council levy that could have cost between £30m and £50m.
After weeks of pressure, Jenrick’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on Wednesday night released all “relevant information” connected to the decision.
They include a number of revealing texts between Desmond and the under-fire secretary of state, as well as documents stating Jenrick was “insistent” a controversial development scheme was pushed through before the new levy came into force.
The texts appear to have been initiated by Jenrick in November last year shortly after the pair discussed the proposal at a Tory party fundraising dinner.
Advertisement
On the night of the event, November 18, Jenrick texted the media mogul saying it was “good to spend time with him” and looked forward to seeing him again.
In another exchange two days later, ex-Daily Express owner Desmond tried to arrange a meeting with the housing secretary on December 19 as well as a site visit to the Westferry Printworks.
He complained about dealing with “Marxists” and apparently referenced the so-called Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which would pay for vital public services in one of London’s poorest boroughs, as well as the “speed” at which the decisions needed to be made.
He wrote: “Good news finally the inspectors reports have gone to you today, we appreciate the speed as we don’t want to give Marxists loads of doe [sic] for nothing!
“We all want to go with the scheme and the social housing we have proposed and spent a month at the Marxist town hall debating, thanks again, all my best, Richard.”
Advertisement
MHCLG
Tower Hamlets has the highest rate of child poverty in Great Britain and is the tenth most deprived local authority in England.
Jenrick replied declining a meeting until after a decision had been made due to his position.
He said: “As Secretary of State it is important not to give any appearance of being influenced by applicants of cases that I may have a role in or to have predetermined them and so I think it is best that we don’t meet until after the matter has been decided, one way of [sic] another – and I can’t provide any advice to you on that, other than to say that I will receive advice from my officials after the general election assuming I remain in office and will consider it carefully in accordance with the rules and guidance.”
Further text message exchanges followed in December, beginning on December 13 when Desmond congratulated the housing secretary on the Conservative election win.
He said: “Robert, fantastic day today! So happy and relieved as the whole country is. Well done for keeping calm.”
Advertisement
Another message from Desmond followed on December 23, saying: “Morning Robert How does the advice look? We have to get the approval before January 15 otherwise payment of 45 million pounds to tower hamlets (sic) meaning we have to stop and reduce social housing.”
According to the documents released by the government, Jenrick did not reply and it was not until January 22 that he got back in touch, after he approved the development, overruling both Tower Hamlets Council and a planning inspector.
Jenrick has already conceded his decision was “unlawful by reason of apparent bias” and confirmed his approval was deliberately issued before the new CIL policy could be adopted.
But in the cache of documents, which run to 129 pages, correspondence between the civil servants suggest for the first time that the “viability” of the scheme, if the levy came into effect, had an influence on Jenrick’s decision. Viability refers to the amount of profit the developer could reasonably expect to make in return for the risk it accepted by building.
MHCLG
Advertisement
In a January 9 email between staff at the MHCLG, one notes: “On timing, my understanding is that the SoS [secretary of state, Jenrick] is/was insistent that decision was issued this week ie tomorrow (Friday) – as next week the viability of the scheme is impacted by a change in the London CIL regime.”
Another email from the following day added: “LB [London Borough of] Tower Hamlets is adopting a new local plan and CIL regime next week. The appellant [Desmond] believes that the proposal would not be viable if it was liable to CIL charges.”
A judicial review of his decision triggered by Tower Hamlets Council has meant Jenrick was able to avoid publishing correspondence relating to the application in open court. Planning permission is now to be decided by a different minister.
Richard Desmond. PA
Jenrick has been facing accusations of “cash for favours” and accusations of making a “morally wrong” decision, and the release follows Labour pressure in the House of Commons.
Advertisement
Late on Wednesday night, Labour’s shadow communities secretary Steve Reed raised a point of order in the Commons chamber, claiming there were “significant discrepancies between what [Jenrick] told the House and what is revealed in the documents”.
He added: “Specifically that he did not immediately notify officials following his dinner with the applicant Richard Desmond, that rather than closing discussion down with the developer, as [Jenrick] implied, he instead initiated contact with him the next day via text.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Government Considering Cash Help For Workers Who Self-Isolate Under NHS Test And Trace

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Workers forced to self-isolate under the NHS Test and Trace programme could get extra cash help under plans being considered by the government.
Advertisement
HuffPost UK has been told that a new form of support is being “actively” considered by civil servants to ensure no one is deterred from the 14-day home quarantine by the fear of losing their wages.
One source even suggested that an announcement could be made in coming days, as part of a big PR blitz to persuade the British public that the Test and Trace programme was vital to the country avoiding a second wave of the virus.
Chief medical officer Chris Whitty warned on Tuesday that “the biggest thing I worry about” is the public failing to report Covid-19 symptoms and failing to engage with NHS Test and Trace once contacted.
Under the system, anyone who tests positive for the virus is advised to cooperate with a tracing team and then inform them of any “close contacts”, defined as someone who they spent more than 15 minutes with at a distance of less than two metres away.
Advertisement
Current figures show that a quarter of people who test positive are not reached by NHS Test and Trace, prompting fears that fresh local outbreaks may be hard to monitor fully and that a second peak of coronavirus could hit the UK this winter.
Health secretary Matt Hancock has pledged to drive up the numbers, stating that he is keeping open the option of making it compulsory rather than voluntary to comply with the system.
But a rival “carrot not stick” option is emerging, with MPs pushing for specialist wage support for those who are forced to stay at home for a fortnight instead of going into work.
Hopes of fresh help rose after Boris Johnson appeared to hint in the House of Commons that he was not against the idea of new forms of support.
With hundreds of meat factory workers in Wales and in Germany testing positive for the virus, Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader Liz Savile Roberts pointed out that German employees get statutory sick pay worth 100% of their salary but Brits get roughly 20%.
Advertisement
Asked if he would commit to localised furlough-like schemes for self-isolating workers, the PM replied: “If we have to move back – obviously we do not want to – to local lockdowns, or indeed a national lockdown, nobody should be penalised for doing the right thing.”
The PM’s press spokesperson later said he was simply “reflecting language which he has used in the past” and said that some bosses would have their own alternatives to statutory sick pay.
PA
Statutory sick pay in the UK is just £94 a week, much lower than other European countries. Hancock has himself admitted he could not live on the sum and has encouraged employers to pay more.
But some in government suggest that rather than sick pay rates changing, other forms of support could be offered.
Advertisement
Chancellor Rishi Sunak will not cover such worker schemes in his summer statement due next month, focusing instead on wider macroeconomic measures to help the country cope with the covid crisis and to set a path towards balancing the books.
However, some in government believe that the issue is so acute that an announcement will be made this month.
Savile Roberts said: “People should not be forced to choose between putting food on the table and the need to self-isolate, but – under the current system – that will be the reality for many.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--The Pandemic May Be Causing Children PTSD

The Pandemic May Be Causing Children PTSD
A report by the Childhood Trust has shown that children may be suffering PTSD from the coronavirus pandemic, with the situation far worse for vulnerable children. Chief Executive Laurence Guinness explains what lockdown and the pandemic have done and what to look out for in your children. Find out more: https://championsforchildren.childhoodtrust.org.uk/kt5


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--'Don't Tear The Pants Out Of It!' These Are The Absolute Best Bits From The Coronavirus Briefings

LOADING ERROR LOADING
“DON’T TEAR THE PANTS OUT OF IT!”
And so it was that the most important scientist in the UK eloquently cautioned the nation against rushing outside and breaking lockdown measures as they were being eased in May.
While the daily Downing Street press briefings were essentially a frequent reminder that the coronavirus pandemic was (and remains) terrible, there were at least a few moments that brought some much-needed light relief to the overwhelmingly horrible content.
Advertisement
Who could forget Dominic Raab inventing the word “preak”? Or Priti Patel going one further and creating the entirely new number of “three hundred thousand, and thirty four, nine hundred and seventy four thousand”?
Remarkable. And these are the designated adults in charge, don’t forget.
But an honourable mention also goes to the journalists posing the tough questions, many of whom couldn’t work a mute button and at least one who thought “oh, shit” was an acceptable way to greet the chancellor.
Alas, on Tuesday No.10 announced ministers would continue to hold briefings only when “significant announcements” are made.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced from July 4 a widespread easing of the Covid-19 lockdown that has been in place for three months.
Advertisement
Earlier this month, Downing Street cancelled weekend press conferences due to their low TV ratings.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--How Helping Others Can Help You

How Helping Others Can Help You

How Helping Others Can Help You
The coronavirus pandemic has left many feeling helpless and isolated, having a detrimental effect on their health. One of the best ways to combat these feelings is by helping others. We speak with Dr Rachel Allan about why helping others can ultimately help you.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--We Lib Dems Won’t Win Trust, And Votes, Until We Shed Our Coalition Baggage

Liberal Democrats Shadow Education Secretary Layla Moran addresses supporters during Rally for the Future at Battersea Arts Centre on 09 November, 2019 in London, England. The Liberal Democrats set out vision to stop Brexit and announce plans to introduce free childcare from 9 months old as the party campaigns for the General Election 2019. (Photo by WIktor Szymanowicz/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images
I am delighted to have made it onto the ballot paper to be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats.
On Tuesday, my colleague Wera Hobhouse MP withdrew from the contest and gave me her support. Wera, Jamie Stone MP and hundreds of more members from local parties up and down the country are backing my campaign to move us forward, together.
Advertisement
Our party has struggled over the last five years, attempting yet failing to rid ourselves of Coalition baggage. Elected to Parliament in 2017, I wasn’t part of the Coalition government – and I want to move us forward, once and for all. Not to diminish the achievements we succeeded in, but to throw off the cloak which makes us inaccessible to many voters.
In the post-coronavirus United Kingdom, we will have the opportunity to change things for good. To rebuild our society and economy in a way that gives people more flexibility and more dignity in the care they receive. We have shown that as a nation, we are caring and compassionate, and that there is a demand for politicians at the frontline, who not only understand but exhibit those qualities that we have all sought solidarity in.
“We don’t have to be in power to see progress – as an effective opposition party, we can push this Conservative government every step of the way. Here’s how.”
The Liberal Democrats are the natural home for those who want to see things work differently, who don’t want to accept things the way that they are, or have always been. We know that change comes from people, driving it through to government. And we don’t have to be in power to see progress – as an effective opposition party, we can push this Conservative government every step of the way. Here’s how.
Advertisement
A teacher before I went into politics, I know the difference that a world-class education can make. I know how we’re currently falling short, and I know we need to reimagine how education works, giving children from all backgrounds the chance to enter schooling on a level playing field. We must empower our teachers to design a world-leading curriculum with a greater emphasis on allowing our children to be ready to take on the world – not just their next exam.
On our climate crisis, we must be braver. Britain shouldn’t just be carbon-neutral; it should be carbon-negative. We can achieve this by investing in green and affordable public transport, by using market forces to incentivise the purchasing of electric cars and the scrapping of polluting diesels and by guaranteeing that every single spending decision is taken with the environment in mind. We must champion biodiversity and green spaces – make it clear that everyone has the right to breathe clean air. And we will transform former industrial heartlands across the UK into world-leading hubs of green technology.
“My plan for the economy will put people first – whether that’s ensuring everyone can live in dignity by introducing a Universal Basic Income, or by stopping the emphasis on unsustainable growth.”
In all, my plan for the economy will put people first – whether that’s ensuring everyone can live in dignity by introducing a Universal Basic Income, or by stopping the emphasis on unsustainable growth, instead focusing on putting people’s wellbeing first. We must properly invest in our key public services, and fight so that the heroes who deliver them are never let down again.
That is what sits at the heart of my vision for our country and every one of its people. And to deliver on this vision, the Lib Dems need to move forward too, so that we can build trust and start winning again. Only then can we deliver for the communities we represent up and down the country.
Advertisement
If you, like Wera, Jamie and all the members who have nominated me in this race, want to move forward as a country and party, join us. Let’s move forward, together.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--Liz Truss Refuses Four Times To Say Boris Johnson Won't Scrap Trade Department

LOADING ERROR LOADING
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Trade secretary Liz Truss refused four times to say Boris Johnson would not scrap the Department for International Trade (DIT).
Advertisement
Appearing before the Commons’ international trade committee, the cabinet minister was pressed on reports that the prime minister plans to get rid of the department, set up in 2016 by Theresa May in the wake of the Brexit vote.
It comes after the PM was accused of using the Covid-19 crisis to rush through sweeping reforms to Whitehall when he announced the Department for International Development (DFID) was to merge with the Foreign Office by September.
Asked three times by the committee’s chair, SNP MP Angus MacNeil, if she had been given reassurances that DIT would not be abolished, she was unable to answer.
Liz Truss appearing via video before the Commons' international trade committee Liz Truss at trade committee
Advertisement
“The prime minister is very clear that the Department for International Trade remains and has a lot of important work to do,” she said.
“We know it remains, but how long for? This is what is not clear,” MacNeil replied.
“What is also clear is that we have to speak with one voice internationally, which is why I’m working very closely with the foreign secretary, which is why our trade commissioners are working closely with local ambassadors and high commissioners. And I am focused on getting this job done and realising those opportunities.”
Truss was asked similar questions by former minister Mark Garnier, who said there had been rumours DIT’s top civil servant Antonia Romeo could be moved to another department.
“The rumours that are circulating about changes in the machinery of Whitehall are inevitably going to have an effect on members of staff and staff morale within any department,” the Tory MP said, asking her to address the point and say she will be “standing up for the department and making sure it isn’t rolled into another department or split up”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson departs 10 Downing Street, in Westminster. PA
Advertisement
Truss said her staff were “doing a fantastic job” and that turnover had dropped from 17% in October to 14% in March.
She added the DfID and Foreign Office merger was “a long time coming” and “makes sense”, while hers was a new area of policy for the UK, adding: “I think the best thing to do with speculation in the press, frankly, is to ignore it rather than winding people up about it.”
The trade secretary also used her appearance to step up her rhetoric on US-UK negotiations for a new trade deal, amid claims Britain could be forced to compromise on food standards.
She said: “We’re not going to rush into a deal and there is no deadline.
“We will be tough in pressing our interests. The US talks a good game about free trade and low tariffs but the reality is that many UK products are being kept unfairly out of their market.
“UK steel has been hit by 25% tariffs due to claims of security issues and our cars have also been threatened, despite the fact we are a close security ally.”
Advertisement
The cabinet minister also said trade restrictions, including a “buy American” procurement policy and “onerous testing regimes”, meant British companies could not access two-thirds of the US market.
“Let me be clear – I am not going to strike a trade deal with the US unless all these points are dealt with,” she said.
Truss said a ban on importing chlorinating chicken was “already in UK law”.
She told MPs: “I want to reiterate that when it comes to food, we will never lower our standards in order to sign a trade deal.
“Contrary to claims in the press, these standards – the ban on chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef – are already in UK law through the Withdrawal Act.
“Not only that but we will not sign a trade deal that leaves our farming industry, with its high animal welfare standards, worse off.
Advertisement
“In fact, the opposite is true. My officials and I are working round the clock to ensure any trade deal we strike has British farmers at its heart and [is] one that British shoppers have confidence in.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-06-24--A Minute Of Kindness: The Hotel For Homeless People During The Pandemic

A Minute Of Kindness: The Hotel For Homeless People During The Pandemic
A hotel near St. Mungo’s Hospital in London became the centre for homeless people to sleep, eat and try to re-establish themselves after the pandemic. We spoke to Laurie Charlesworth, who worked at the hotel, about her experience.