thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Is ‘Vegan Leather’ Actually Sustainable? Here's The Truth About The Trend

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You’ve tried the meat-free meals and switched up your beauty routine, so is it time to address your wardrobe, too?
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But should you switch to this alternative material if you’ve pledged to ditch animal by-products? And it is actually a more sustainable choice if you’re dipping your toe into veganism for the sake of the planet?
As with many environmental conundrums, there isn’t one clear answer, with pros and cons to both regular leather and vegan leather. What makes this subject even stickier, is that not all vegan leather is created equal, so ultimately it’s about finding products that best align with your priorities.
It’s not easy being green, so we’ve laid out what you need to know to make the right choice for you.
What is vegan leather?
Vegan leather is essentially faux leather – a product such as a bag, trainers or jacket that’s designed to look and feel like regular leather, without the use of animal by-products.
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“There is a great variation in price and some alternatives are claimed to be much more sustainable than others,” explains Samantha Calvert, a spokesperson from the Vegan Society.
Some products listed as “vegan leather” are made from relatively new manufacturing processes that utilise natural materials. They might be made from Piñatex, for example, which is a natural textile made from pineapple leaf fibre, or Muskin, which is derived from mushrooms.
Other vegan leather products contain rubber and cork, while some are made entirely from polyurethane or polyester – two common types of plastic.
In other words, you might buy vegan leather to save the planet, only to unwittingly contribute to the mass production of more plastic.
But it’s complicated...
Zbynek Pospisil via Getty Images
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Even among companies that are rebranding plain old plastic as “vegan leather”, manufacturing processes vary. Some are using brand new plastic in these products, while others are using recycled plastic – and it’s not always easy to make this distinction from the labelling.
Climate activist and vegan Venetia La Manna believes the marketing around some vegan leather is “dubious”, adding: “If this clothing is harming the planet and therefore the animals in the long-run, I’d argue, what’s vegan about it?”
“Generally speaking, leather is more durable and will also eventually biodegrade. Plastic is going to outlive us all and could end up harming animals in the long run.”
But Calvert argues that despite the recent societal drive to ditch plastic, other materials – including regular leather – can be equally bad for the environment.
“When thinking about the environmental impact of leather, many people forget to factor in how much water and food the cows consume, how much land they take up, how much waste and methane they produce, and the amount of chemicals used in the tannery industry that harm its workers,” she says.
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According to the Higg Materials Sustainability Index, created by the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, leather from cows is nearly three times as harmful to the environment as polyurethane-based vegan leather.
“The tanning of leather has been noted as the fifth largest pollution threat in the world, directly affecting 1.8 million people,” Calvert says.
“Just because something is made of plastic doesn’t make it the least environmentally friendly option; in fact, when you consider how much it takes to stop a piece of cow skin from decomposing, animal leather is right at the bottom of the sustainable materials list.”
So, what’s an eco-conscious consumer to do?
This is where your priorities come in; if you’re following a vegan lifestyle because animal welfare is young main concern, you may decide vegan leather is still a good option for you – even if it’s made from new plastic. But if the environment is of equal concern, you might decide to find a compromise.
La Manna identifies as a vegan and follows a vegan diet, but personally chooses to buy vintage (real) leather, rather than vegan leather.
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“It’s a decision that divides the vegan community, and one that means some vegans would argue I’m no longer in a place to call myself vegan – which I totally understand,” she says. ”Ultimately, I’m vegan for planetary reasons as much as I am for ethical reasons, so my main goal when it comes to fashion and accessories is not to buy new.
“We are at peak ‘stuffocation’ and anything ‘new’ has gone through a process - be it in production, shipping, marketing, which adds to the burning of precious fossil fuels.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--These Cold Weather Hacks Will Keep You Warm When It's Absolutely Freezing

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If there’s one tip our readers all agree on, it’s to layer up. We’re talking double socks, double tights, vests under tops, tights under jeans. “A minimum of three layers,” says Neil McLaughlin, whose job meant he worked outside for years.
Hines is a fan of a good old-fashioned vest under her usual clothes, while Daria Gerasimova, 30, from London, says to look into thermals – “Uniqlo does good ones” – which are thin, great for comfort, and adaptable when you’re heading in and out of heat, as on a commute.
Chloe Gould, 28, from London also swears by Uniqlo’s Heat Tech range. “I always wear one under my jumper – and tights under jeans is a winner.”
Stay tucked in
Tuck your tops into your tights, your jumpers into your jeans, “and pyjamas into your socks so theres no breeze and your PJs can’t ride up in the night,” advises Jane Hunt, 38, from Manchester.
Heat warmers in your gloves
Emma Thompson, 32, from Wigan is a football fan – and she says putting hand warmers in her gloves have been a lifesaver when she’s standing outside on the terraces. She buys them from Amazon, and they’re single use.
But Lucy Metters, 22, from Lindfield, uses microwaveable hand-warmers – “like mini hot water bottles” – and says they’re an absolute must. “I got them as a stocking filler for Christmas a few years ago – and you can apparently get ones that you snap like glow sticks which warm up as well!”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Valentine's Day Gifts For The 'Pre I Love You' Stage

HuffPost UK Louise/HuffPost UK
Valentine’s Day can feel like tricky, uncharted waters if you’re in a new relationship or one where those magical three words are yet to be uttered. Do play the ‘I’m breezy’ card – à la Monica Geller phoning ex-boyfriend Richard in Friends – or do you grab the bull by the horns and risk it with gift-giving?
I say the latter, because, unless you don’t see it going anywhere, it’s a thoughtful indication that you care about them and an opportunity to show a side of you they haven’t yet seen. Plus, Valentine’s Day presents needn’t be all hearts and roses, you can give something tasteful that bears little relevance to the day at all.
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Whether you’re looking for a gift that nudges them that little bit closer to biting the love bullet (and by that we, of course, mean saying “I love you”) or something to diffuse the awkwardness by making them laugh, we’ve done the relationship-related homework for you and come up with eight brilliant ideas.
Let’s keep things casual... yeah?
HuffPost UK iFLY Indoor Skydiving for Two, Virgin Experience Days
This is a gift for both of you, really, because you get to go with them on an indoor skydiving experience for two (that is, if they choose to take you). Not only is it something different, it’s also a great opportunity to bond over the hilarity and adrenaline of the day.
HuffPost UK Belmont Red Velvet Dog Bowtie, Etsy
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You know what they say, get their dog to fall in love with you and they’ll soon follow. Plus, this is a brilliant way of deflecting the attention away from the two of you and something to chuckle about over some dinner.
HuffPost UK Escape London Book, Amazon
This is a great way to stock up on ideas for future dates, and it’s also a useful little book for them to explore on day trips with friends and family, too. If you’re a London-dweller then you’ll understand the need to get out of it sometimes!
HuffPost UK Amazon.co.uk Gift Card, Amazon
It might sound dry, but bear with me. My suggestion would be to put this in a card, write something like, ‘For our next movie night’, then settle down to pick a rom com that isn’t included in the Amazon Prime package. Thoughtful and straightforward, perfect!
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HuffPost UK Make Your Own Gin Kit, Not On The High Street
Like the skydiving, this is something fun and interesting to do together. Most people love gin, and this will allow them to get creative with their flavours – then you can drink the fruits of your labour and snuggle on the sofa for the rest of the evening.
HuffPost UK Fleur Jolly Ginger, Biscuiteers
These are the best biscuits you’ll ever taste (in my humble opinion), and there’s something deliciously meta about giving the gift of a gingerbread man holding a bunch of flowers. It’s both clever – if I do say so myself – and thoughtful, plus who doesn’t love a sugar high?
HuffPost UK Spa of the World™ Egyptian Milk & Honey Bath, The Body Shop
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This gorgeous bath powder will make even the dreariest of bathrooms feel like a luxury spa. It creates a scented bath in moments, is relaxing, and leaves skin feeling silky soft. Who doesn’t want to be thought of in the bath, eh?
HuffPost UK Nike AeroBill Tiger Woods Heritage86, Nike
If they like golf, they’ll love this Tiger Woods hat from Nike. Not only is it thoughtful, it’s also useful – as any avid golfer will tell you. It comes in three colours and will ensure they’re leading the fashion pack on the course.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--My Dad Coming Out Was A Bombshell. Then My Mum Did, Too

HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
You could say I had a typical suburban middle-class upbringing. I grew up in Stanmore, a commuter town in north-west London. We were financially comfortable, enjoying sun filled holidays abroad each year while I attended private school all the way up to my eighteenth birthday. My parents had a vibrant social life, often consisting of dinner parties followed by raucous games of Trivial Pursuit. Mine was a nurturing, stable, protective and above all happy childhood.
Mum assumed the duty of doting housewife and mother to a (slightly spoilt) only child – yours truly – giving up her promising career as an English teacher to look after me during my younger years. Yes, I could be a little shit at times and, like many kids, knew exactly how to press her buttons, but we invariably had a loving and close relationship, and I relied on her in those formative days, a real Mummy’s boy.
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My Dad? I idolised him. Partly because I only ever saw him when he got back from work so time with him was more precious, but also because he was funny, playful and, even at my young age, I could tell he was a successful businessman, and that made me proud. Sometimes I would wait for him to come home and stand outside the house just so I could see his car pull into our street. He and mum were a perfect double act.
As I grew up, I slowly realised not everything was perfect about their relationship – it was their arguments that began to break that illusion. They weren’t common but when they did happen, they were disturbing to watch, and I remember frequently being upset by them. It wasn’t that they were violent or even shouty; what threw me was that after the initial blow up, my Mum went mute with Dad, sometimes for as long as a week. It made me wonder whether they would break up – my worst nightmare.
“Dad was usually so confident and certainly never awkward with me. Losing patience, I asked him to reveal all...”
I expected that leaving for uni would remove unnecessary friction, and that their marriage may well flourish into a new golden era. How wrong I was. Within my first year, they had separated, after one of the worst arguments I had ever witnessed when I was back for Christmas. Suddenly, that was it – my parents were now living separate lives.
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Later, living and working in London, I got a call from the old man (that’s what I was calling him these days). He wanted to invite me for dinner as there was something he had to tell me. I didn’t like the drama but, of course, accepted. I furiously tried to work out what the news could possibly be – I decided either a terminal illness or a lovechild.
It turned out I was wrong on both counts. He played with his soup, and looked decidedly nervous through our starters, which was very strange for me to see – Dad was usually so confident and certainly never awkward with me. Losing patience, I asked him to reveal all. He looked up but avoided eye contact, and began by telling me that at school he sometimes had feelings for boys… he was gay.
I was shocked. Relieved it wasn’t an illness or a secret sibling, but completely blown away. I just never saw it coming. I always saw Dad as a ladies man – a bit camp yes, but in an inverted, macho, Mick Jagger kind of way. In that moment I suddenly felt grown up – having this mature conversation with him, saying things like “I’m happy for you”, “you’re still my Dad” and “I hope you enjoy your new life but please be safe”. Yes I know, awkward.
HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
I left the restaurant that night feeling as if my life had changed, but in a strangely positive way. This revelation altered my perspective, made me think about things differently. I never had any gay mates or even any experience of knowing gay people – now suddenly my Dad had revealed himself as a gay person. In a flash I was re-evaluating my father and how my relationship with him was going to evolve. While I was happy for him, there was also a sense of sadness that he’d had to keep this part of himself secret for such a large period of his life. Suddenly I had more questions than answers. How does one live like that and stay sane? Was he ever truly happy until now?
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Just a week or so later, Mum then invited me out for dinner to discuss the bombshell from Dad. Or so I thought. Eating at a famous Hungarian restaurant in Soho called The Gay Hussar – apt, I thought – we were having a general catch-up when Mum mentioned she had recently moved in with a lady called Susan. Before I even wondered where this was going, another bombshell. Mum was gay too, and Susan was her partner.
I felt like I was in a dream, I was amused but in bizarrely detached way where I couldn’t quite believe what was happening to me. The gravity of what was unfolding slowly dawned on me. Both my parents had been living a lie for their entire lives and keeping a key part of who they are to themselves and from each other. It was too much to take in at first. I reacted in the same way to my Mum as I did to my Dad. I was supportive, encouraging, but this time we also laughed with each other about how bizarre the situation was. It was as if I’d been transported into a Hollywood film too crazy to be true.
“In just those two moments, I became so much closer to them both – I felt I suddenly understood them more...”
And so it was that both my parents came out to me within two weeks of each other. Both seemed so much more at ease, content within themselves, and I was genuinely happy for them. Even in just those two moments, I became so much closer to them both – I felt I suddenly understood them more. Mum’s relationship with Susan continued until her untimely death from ovarian cancer eight years later, which shook me to my core. I’m still very close to Susan and we see each other regularly.
It was certainly no longer a typical father son relationship either. Within months, I found myself taking photos of him for his new Gaydar profile. He was also soon talking to me about the finer points of house and happy hardcore; he used to be an opera and classical music lover. And then he started experimenting with the drugs – something I had also done and which was now a conversation topic with my own father. So in some ways his life became more alien to mine, but in others there were new things he was discovering that I could strongly relate to
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Looking back, what happened with my parents profoundly changed how I view marriage, relationships, sexuality, even true love itself. Their relationship was so much more complex than I realised when I was growing up. I know they loved each other, perhaps even more than in a normal relationship – they stayed together and enjoyed their life despite this massive barrier to having a functional marriage.
HuffPost UK Courtesy of the author
For my part, I’ve become more acutely aware of gay rights issues across the world – something I was admittedly quite ignorant about beforehand. I find myself getting angry when I hear people argue against things like same-sex marriage – what on earth has it got to with these people, whatever their antiquated views are? When it is connected to how people you love live their lives, it makes it all the more personal.
But perhaps the most profound insight has affected how I perceive people. We are far more complex than we ever realise, and however straightforward someone may appear at first contact, there is always a story to be discovered about each and every one of us.
James Lubbock is author of Breaking Dad, published by Mirror Books, available now
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--2020-01-30--NHS Chief Takes Aim At Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop And Booming 'Wellness' Industry

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The chief executive of the NHS has taken aim at Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop brand in a speech about the potential impact of “fake news” on the public’s health.
In a speech at the Sheldonian Theatre in Oxford, Sir Simon Stevens, NHS chief executive, warned against the proliferation of “dubious ‘wellness’ products and dodgy procedures” now available on the internet.
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“Alleged health products” sold online can vary from useless to harmful, he said – calling homeopathy an “old fake” and criticising Paltrow’s Goop platform in the week that its TV tie-in, The Goop Lab, premiered on Netflix.
“Fresh from controversies over jade eggs and unusually scented candles, Goop has just popped up with a new TV series in which Gwyneth Paltrow and her team test vampire facials and back a ‘bodyworker’ who claims to cure both acute psychological trauma and side effects by simply moving his hands two inches above a customer’s body,” said Stevens.
The brand “peddles” psychic vampire repellant, and promotes colonic irrigation and DIY coffee enema machines, he continued, “despite them carrying considerable risks to health and NHS advice clearly stating there is, ’no scientific evidence to suggest there are any health benefits associated with colonic irrigation”.
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Mario Anzuoni / Reuters
The spread of inaccurate and misleading health information via the “booming wellness industry” is leading people to take risks with their health, as well as wasting money on too-good-to-be-true remedies, Stevens warned
“We all know that lies and misinformation can be round the world at the touch of a button – before the truth has reached for its socks, never mind got its boots on,” he said. “Myths and misinformation have been put on steroids by the availability of misleading claims online.”
In a speech that ranged in its references from the original snake-oil salesmen of the 19th century to the so-called ‘Wakefield Generation’ who missed out on the original MMR jab, Stevens warned that Russian bots were freshly undermining public faith in essential vaccines on social media.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Could Boris Johnson Be The Last PM Of The (Current) United Kingdom?

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Tripping the light fantastic
Twas the night before Brexmas, when all through the House
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse
The stockings were hung by the No.10 chimney with care
In hopes that St Boris soon would be there
As MPs clocked off at 5.30pm, after a not exactly action-packed day in the chamber, there was a strange calm at Westminster on Brexmas Eve. Yes, not even the mice (of which there are multitudes) could bother to stir themselves across the House of Commons. It was as if everyone, Leavers and Remainers, humans and rodents, was just taking a breather before Friday’s big party/wake/shrug (delete as appropriate).
Lots of huge Union flags were drawn up the flagpoles in Parliament Square, ready for what look like being low-key celebrations under a bongless Big Ben. A light show, rather than a fireworks display, will illuminate Downing Street and Whitehall, we’re told. It will all be deliberately modest and muted, in a bid to ‘heal’ the nation.
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But as much as the PM would love us all to move on from the acrimony and delay of the last three years, the sense of unease in one key part of this disunited kingdom is palpable. With just hours to go before the moment of exit, a new YouGov poll reported the first majority for Scottish independence in years.
Now 51% Yes to 49% No is a wafer-thin margin, though as the EU referendum proved, a win is a win. Supporters of the union will argue that the independence campaign should be miles further ahead, given all the factors in its favour: the SNP has been in power for nearly a decade in Holyrood, it just won a stunning general election result and Boris Johnson is arguably the most loathed PM north of the border in a generation.
It is just one poll, of course. Yet just imagine if support for independence climbs steadily from that 51% in coming years. The real shape of Johnson’s Brexit won’t be known for a few months, and its actual impact won’t arrive until next year. That gives the independence movement what could be the perfect storm as more Scots start to believe that quitting the UK is the best route back to the EU.
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon welcomes Prime Minister Boris Johnson outside Bute House in Edinburgh ahead of their meeting. PA Wire/PA Images
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Johnson’s refusal to allow another referendum - something that is galvanising even floating voters - will also come under huge pressure if the SNP win a fresh mandate in the Holyrood elections next year. The YouGov poll showed Scots don’t want a new referendum this year or next, but do back on in the next five years. Not for nothing is Nicola Sturgeon tomorrow set to unveil the ‘next steps’ on the road to that referendum.
And as London stages its strangely muted celebrations as the clock strikes 11pm, up in Edinburgh campaigners will be holding a candle-lit vigil for the UK’s dying membership of the EU. Some campaigners plan a ‘haunting’ light display in the ponds outside the Scottish parliament building, in honour of SNP MEP (and new MP) Alyn Smith’s Strasbourg speech that urged the EU to ‘keep a light on’ for Scotland.
It’s a reminder that while there’s been plenty of focus was on future links between London and Washington (more today, thanks to Mike Pompeo) and between London and Brussels, it’s the ‘future relationship’ between London and Edinburgh that could prove the thorniest for Boris Johnson during this parliament. Auld Lang Syne, the tune sung so forlornly by MEPs in the European parliament yesterday, is after all written in Scots.
Quote Of The Day
“An important part of this relationship is reducing the friction..we want to lower every barrier towards the free flow of information, talent, capital - all the things that promote wealth and prosperity.”
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo sounds almost like a Remainer as he backs a new UK-US trade deal
Thursday Cheat Sheet
The PM held crunch talks on HS2 with Grant Shapps and Sajid Javid, in what many expect to be the key decision-making group ahead of a possible cabinet endorsement later next week.
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Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle told the Commons Press Gallery: “The bullying is over. We are not going to tolerate it.” He also suggested he may allow MPs to breastfeed in the chamber.
Tom Tugendhat, the Tory chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, told HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast that he wanted ministers to commit to reducing to ‘zero’ Huawei’s share of the UK 5G system.
The Communication Workers Union nominated Rebecca Long-Bailey as the next Labour leader and Angela Rayner as deputy leader. But general secretary Dave Ward didn’t sound too impressed by the race so far and called on all candidates to deliver “more dynamic and innovative campaigns”.
Keir Starmer called on Boris Johnson to give the three million European nationals living in the UK the right to vote, including in general elections.
What I’m Reading
How One Policy Transformed The US Asylum System - LA Times
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Coronavirus Declared A Global Health Emergency By World Health Organisation

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The coronavirus outbreak has been declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organisation - just hours before an evacuation flight to bring British nationals back to the UK is due to leave the Chinese city of Wuhan.
It is the sixth time the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued the emergency declaration in just over a decade, following outbreaks of zika, ebola (twice), swine flu and polio.
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More than 170 people have died in China and around 7,700 have been infected, with cases detected in countries including the US, Japan and South Korea.
In response to the WHO announcement, the four chief medical officers of the UK have increased the risk level of coronavirus from low to moderate, adding they “do not think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed” but that the government should “plan for all eventualities”.
In Britain, an evacuation flight to bring UK nationals back to the UK from the Chinese city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak will leave shortly.
Speaking at a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, director general of the WHO Tedros Adhanom said: “Over the past few weeks, we have witnessed the emergence of a previously unknown pathogen, which has escalated into an unprecedented outbreak, and which has been met by an unprecedented response.
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“As I have said repeatedly since my return from Beijing, the Chinese government is to be congratulated for the extraordinary measures it has taken to contain the outbreak, despite the severe social and economic impact those measures are having on the Chinese people.
“We would have seen many more cases outside China by now – and probably deaths – if it were not for the government’s efforts, and the progress they have made to protect their own people and the people of the world.”
Last week, WHO said it was “too early” to declare an international public health emergency but on Thursday said action was needed to help countries to prepare for the possibility of it spreading further.
The new virus has now infected more people in China than fell ill during the 2002-2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) outbreak. The number of cases has jumped to 7,711, surpassing the 5,327 people diagnosed with Sars.
A letter from the chief medical officers said: “We have been working in close collaboration with international colleagues and the World Health Organisation to monitor the situation in China and around the world.
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“In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK chief medical officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak.
“For that reason, we are advising an increase of the UK risk level from low to moderate. This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities.
“As we have previously said, it is likely there will be individual cases and we are confident in the ability of the NHS and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high quality care.”
The officers are Prof Chris Whitty for England, Dr Frank Atherton for Wales, Dr Catherine Calderwood for Scotland and Dr Michael McBride for Northern Ireland.
The first declaration happened in April 2009, with H1N1, or swine flu, spreading around the world and killing more than 200,000 people.
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Britain recorded 214 deaths, while 20 people died from swine flu in Ireland.
Initially travellers returning from Mexico, where the virus originated, were met by authorities at the airport and hygiene measures were recommended by the Health Protection Agency.
Increased wild polio numbers in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria led to an emergency being declared in May 2014, a remarkable step given that the disease was thought to have been almost eradicated.
There have been no domestic cases of polio in the UK since 1982.
The deadly disease broke out in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, with an emergency declared from August 2014 to March 2016. Almost 30,000 people were infected and more than 11,000 died.
The UK made a significant contribution after the outbreak by working with the Wellcome Trust on an experimental vaccine which the European Medicines Agency approved to treat Ebola in November last year.
A vaccination programme is under way in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) North Kivu province.
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A second emergency was declared, after months of hesitation, in July after it was confirmed that Ebola had spread to Goma, the capital of North Kivu, where DRC’s international airport is located.
The government said at the time that the Britain was “providing expertise and support” to help the WHO “in a very insecure region”.
The life-threatening virus was first identified in a monkey in Uganda in 1975.
Its spread by mosquitoes in the Americas led the WHO to declare it an emergency from February to November 2016.
The first emergency from a mosquito-borne disease is thought to have been responsible for 2,000 possible cases of birth defects and 29 infant deaths in Brazil.
The UK largely escaped the virus, with just two travel-associated cases confirmed in 2018.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Boris Johnson's Huawei To Hell? (With Tom Tugendhat MP)

Boris Johnson's Huawei To Hell? (With Tom Tugendhat MP)
Tory MP and foreign affairs committee chair Tom Tugendhat joins Arj Singh and Paul Waugh to discuss why he's been so vocal in his concern about Chinese tech giant Huawei being given a role in Britain's 5G infrastructure. Also on the podcast, the trio look at the other big decisions set to define Boris Johnson’s first year in office and what happens now Brexit is happening.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Top Tory Urges Boris Johnson To Force Huawei Out Of UK

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Boris Johnson must commit to eventually eliminating Huawei from Britain’s telecoms infrastructure, a senior MP has warned, amid reports there could be a Tory rebellion.
Tom Tugendhat said the prime minister’s decision to defy the warnings of Donald Trump and several senior Tories by allowing the Chinese tech giant to play a role in building 5G infrastructure was not “safe” in the long-term.
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Johnson attempted to stem the criticism by capping Huawei’s market share at 35% but Tugendhat said he wants ministers to go further and make clear an ambition to cut it to zero within “three or four years”.
British security services insist that any risk from Huawei’s involvement can be managed, especially as it is being limited to “non-core” infrastructure.
But Tugendhat has insisted it was akin to “letting the fox into the hen house”.
Reports suggest there are up to 45 Tory rebels to defeat the government on the issue unless it beefs up protections.
The Commons foreign affairs committee chair told HuffPost UK’s Commons People podcast: “My criticism is not that the government has put itself in this situation, that is really not the government’s fault.
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“My criticism is that I haven’t yet heard that the flightpath is to zero.
“At the moment I have heard that the flightpath is to 35%, which is a hell of a descent and that’s great, that’s a really good direction of travel.
“I’ve also heard... that there are ways through diversification, through all the different ways of encouraging new entrants and so on, that the flightpath can get to 25-20-15% and so on.
“But I want to hear that the aim is zero, because there isn’t a safe number.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson welcomes members of the Chinese community at 10 Downing Street, London, in celebration of the Chinese New Year. PA Wire/PA Images
Tugendhat highlighted “how much” support there was from fellow Tories like Iain Duncan Smith, Penny Mordaunt and David Davis when he asked an urgent question on Huawei on Monday.
“This is not something that’s particularly controversial,” he said.
“One of the things that has struck me is - I have put a few things up on social media and the support for the position I have been advocating has been really pretty universal.”
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Tugendhat said he wanted ministers to be “absolutely clear” about a commitment to move to replace Huawei with competitors so telecoms companies will know that they cannot use the Chinese technology in “three or four years”.
Outlining his concerns about the firm’s involvement, he suggested that the power of 5G could leave British citizens open to blackmail or exploitation by the Chinese authoritarian government.
Tugendhat said the network will underpin the so-called “internet of things”, or interconnected objects and devices, in which people will leave a far more detailed “digital exhaust” than now.
“As that happens, as the car speaks to the traffic light, as the meter speaks to the passing checking van, you know what I mean - all these internet enabled devices that actually start communicating with each other - you are not talking about producing 1x or 2x the amount of data, you are talking about exponential levels,” Tugendhat said.
“And that real change is where you start to get security risks that are not to do with sharing what the name of the agent is or discussing an operation in Iran, you are talking about getting the kind of granular detail about individuals that sees them able to be exploited, able to be influenced, able to be manipulated by someone a long, long way away.”
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US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said on Thursday he was “confident” that Britain and the US can work through their differences on Huawei.
Boris Johnson and Mike Pompeo met in Downing Street, where the US Secretary of State reiterated Washington's concerns over Huawei's role in building Britain's 5G network https://t.co/AVLlB17yO4 pic.twitter.com/q7rNfQ1ZXz — ITV News Politics (@ITVNewsPolitics) January 30, 2020
Speaking ahead of talks in Downing Street with Johnson, Pompeo made clear that Washington still has deep reservations about the involvement of Chinese firms in Western telecoms systems.
But he indicated that the issue would not affect talks on a post-Brexit trade agreement, saying the UK is still at “the front of the line” for a deal.
Speaking alongside foreign secretary Dominic Raab at a Policy Exchange event in London, Pompeo said the US still believes that having Huawei technology within the network is “very difficult to mitigate” and “not worth the candle”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Friends' David Schwimmer Responds To Criticism After Suggesting An All-Black Reboot

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David Schwimmer has responded to the criticism he has faced since suggesting there should be a reboot of Friends starring an all-Black cast.
Earlier this week, the actor referenced the much-discussed diversity issues that Friends had in a Guardian interview, revealing he had “campaigned for years to have Ross date women of colour”.
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As part of the interview, David also said: “Maybe there should be an all-Black Friends or an all-Asian Friends.”
David Schwimmer as Ross Geller in Friends NBC via Getty Images
Many people on Twitter were quick to remind him of the 90s sitcom Living Single, which followed the lives of six Black friends who lived together in Brooklyn, New York.
Ericka Alexander, who played Maxine Shaw, was one of those who tweeted about it, writing: ”[Are you] seriously telling me you’ve never heard of #LivingSingle? We invented the template! [You’re] welcome bro.”
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Hey @DavidSchwimmer @FriendsTV - r u seriously telling me you’ve never heard of #LivingSingle? We invented the template! Yr welcome bro. ;) David Schwimmer 2 The Guardian: “Maybe there should be an all-black Friends or an all-Asian Friends” https://t.co/r8W1ZHBwoy — Erika Alexander (@EAlexTheGreat) January 28, 2020
David has now responded to her tweet, insisting that he had been aware of Living Single, and that his words had been “taken out of context”.
He tweeted: “I didn’t mean to imply Living Single hadn’t existed or indeed hadn’t come before Friends, which I knew it had.
“Please remember in an interview quotes are often pieced together and taken out of context, and then these quotes are re-purposed in other articles by other people who are trying to be provocative.
“I was a fan of Living Single, and was not implying Friends was the first of its kind. To my knowledge, Friends (which came out a year later) was inspired by Marta [Kauffman] & David [Crane]’s own lives and circle of friends living in NY in their twenties. If it was based on Living Single you’d have to ask them.”
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He continued: “It’s entirely possible that Warner Brothers and NBC, encouraged by the success of Living Single, gave the Friends pilot a green light. I honestly don’t know, but seems likely! If that’s the case, we are all indebted to Living Single for paving the way.
“In any event, if my quote was taken out of context, it’s hardly in my control. I assure you I meant no disrespect.”
Friends has often been criticised for having an all-white cast Getty Images via Getty Images
During that same Guardian interview, David poured cold water on fans’ hopes of a Friends revival.
“I just don’t think it’s possible, given everyone’s different career trajectories,” he said. “I think everyone feels the same – why mess with what felt like the right way to end the series?
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“I don’t want to do anything for the money. It would have to make sense creatively and nothing I’ve heard so far, presented to us, makes sense.”
The show has recently been at the centre of reunion rumours, after Jennifer Aniston teased that she and the rest of the cast were “working on something”, but refused to offer any more information.
It had been claimed the reunion in question could be a behind-the-scenes look back at the show, which all six cast members would appear in.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Breastfeeding In Commons May Be Allowed, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle Suggests

Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle ASSOCIATED PRESS
MPs may be allowed to breastfeed babies in the House of Commons chamber, the new Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has suggested.
Hoyle said on Thursday it was not for him to “dictate” policy and said it should be “up to the woman”.
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Under current rules breastfeeding is banned in the chamber. But women have made numerous calls for the restriction to be lifted as part of attempts to modernise parliament.
Speaking to reporters in Westminster today, Hoyle, who is responsible for MPs’ conduct in the Commons, said: “My view is, it is up to the woman.
“I think it would be wrong for me as a man to dictate on that policy. If it happens, it happens. I wouldn’t be upset by it.”
Former Speaker Betty Boothroyd ruled in 2000 that breastfeeding could not take place in the chamber or committee rooms.
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Jo Swinson with her baby Gabriel in her Commons seat to listen to the closing remarks of a discussion about proxy voting. PA Archive/PA Images
Boothroyd told MPs at the time that neither breastfeeding nor bottle-feeding was allowed.
“I do not believe that the feeding of babies in either the chamber or committee is conducive to the efficient conduct of public business,” she said.
“Nor do I think that the necessary calm environment in which to feed babies can be provided in such circumstances.”
Michael Martin, who later become speaker, suggested women use a feeding room near where committee sessions take place.
But female MPs have continued to pressure the chair with a series of motions calling for change.
The Commons’ administration committee has also recommended allowing breastfeeding “wherever it is appropriate in the Palace of Westminster”.
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A report commissioned by John Bercow, who stood down as Speaker at the election in December, said in 2016 that mothers should be able to bring babies into the chamber and voting lobbies.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Ex-MPs Who Got Death Threats Are 'Abandoned By Authorities' After Losing Seats

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Former MPs who were given police protection after receiving threats while in office have been left exposed by the authorities since losing their seats in last year’s snap election, HuffPost UK understands.
Some were told before the election it was too dangerous even to use public transport – but have now been left with no parliament-funded protection or guidance, meaning they have little choice but to ask their local police forces to pick up the tab, or fork out themselves if they can afford it.
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Among them is former Labour MP John Mann, who quit the Commons to become a member of the House of Lords.
In doing so, the ex-Bassetlaw member discovered there is no system for maintaining security support for those who lose their seats, or step down.
“It is dangerous for this anomaly not to be rectified immediately,” he told HuffPost UK. “Those at risk should not face an immediate cut-off of security provided.
“It’s extremely worrying. There should be a process in place whereby security is funded, and gradually reduced, over a period of three years when an at-risk individual leaves the Commons.
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“They are at risk specifically because they have been an MP. Those threats do not just go away.”
Former Labour MP John Mann TOLGA AKMEN via Getty Images
Mann, who was nominated for a peerage by former PM Theresa May after heading a government inquiry on tackling anti-Semitism, has raised the issue with the Home Office on behalf of all former politicians worried about their safety.
He has also requested meetings with 10 Downing Street and Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
“I’m confident Boris Johnson doesn’t know the full extent of the situation and I’ll be making sure he is aware,” he added.
“I think it’s disgraceful that people who have had threats made to their lives are now facing the authorities turning their backs on the situation.”
Additional security measures are put in place for some politicians if deemed necessarily by the police and other authorities – if, for example, a threat is made towards them or their staff.
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But if those individuals go on to lose their Commons seat, their protection can no longer be legally funded by the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA), which deals with MPs’ expenses.
December’s general election has therefore left some former parliamentarians worried and exposed, unsure whether the threat to their safety remains high and who to turn to for advice.
One ex-MP, who asked not to be named for security reasons, said they had had panic buttons installed in their home during their time in office.
“I was directed to my own local force to see if I would be able to keep them,” they told HuffPost UK.
“I was told I should ‘cultivate a positive relationship’ with [the police] going forward, which was laughable really. I have been in touch with them throughout and they have been amazing.
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“But I’ve received death threats since the election, so the risk certainly hasn’t gone away.”
MPs who lose their seats also lose access to parliament-funded security. Shunrei via Getty Images
IPSA spends around £3.5m a year on MPs’ protection and its figures are published regularly. But a spokesperson said a breakdown of individual costs is never made public for security reasons.
“Unfortunately IPSA is not legally able to support those who are no longer members of parliament,” they added.
Among those who publicly reported receiving death threats in the last parliamentary term are ex-Tory and Independent Group For Change leader Anna Soubry; former Labour MPs Ruth Smeeth and Louise Ellman; Labour-MP-turned-Lib-Dem Luciana Berger and Tory defector Antoinette Sandbach.
In May last year, Jack Renshaw was jailed for life after plotting to murder Labour’s Rosie Cooper – three years on from the killing of Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox by a far-right extremist.
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Reports of attacks and threats towards politicians have also increased dramatically, with “unprecedented levels” recorded in 2019.
Another former MP said they had lost access to their portable panic alarm, but had managed to retain home-based panic buttons through local police.
“It really is extremely worrying,” they added. “I’ve had dozens of death threats and several people have been cautioned or convicted in relation to them.
“I really do feel parliament has a responsibility towards those who are at risk, rather than simply leaving them to deal with it alone, and I plan to write to the speaker’s office about it.
“In my opinion there should be a specified period, possibly undisclosed, during which former MPs continue to get support with security.”
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A photo of murdered Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox surrounded by floral tributes in Parliament Square. Former MPs who received death threats ahead of the last election have had their publicly-funded security withdrawn, sparking safety fears Associated Press
Outside Westminster, the Community Safety Trust – a charity that supports the Jewish community and high-profile individuals with personal protection – said it has “provided support for a range of people in the public eye, including sitting and former MPs, who face abuse and threats as a result of anti-Semitism”.
The charity carries out its own assessment of the individual security needs of anyone who asks for help.
In parliament, in the wake of the election, MPs who lost their seats were provided with a space to speak to experienced staff about winding up their offices, and receive “practical and emotional support”, HuffPost UK was told.
Of the 79 politicians who were not re-elected, 72 were given “support” by parliamentary security and the remaining seven were contacted by the team.
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A UK Parliament spokesperson said: “The members’ security support service provides members with personal security advice and has offered advice to former members as required.
“Responsibility for the security of members and former members away from the parliamentary estate rests with local police forces. We cannot comment on operational security matters.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Birds Of Prey: The Early Reviews Are In And They're (Surprisingly) Really Positive

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The early reviews for the new Harley Quinn spin-off film Birds Of Prey are in, and they’re surprisingly positive.
On Wednesday night, critics attended the premiere of Margot Robbie’s second big-screen outing as Harley Quinn, which also stars Ali Wong and Ewan McGregor.
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And while Suicide Squad – of which this film is a spin-off – was largely panned by critics, Birds Of Prey has earned itself a much better reception, with reviews like “gut-bustingly funny”, “an absolute blast” and “absolutely bananas” being thrown around in early tweets about the film.
In particular, Margot’s performance in the lead role has been singled out for praise, at least according to early reviews posted on Twitter, who have branded her (obviously) “fantabulous”…
Saw #BirdsofPrey this morning! I liked it a lot. The stuff I loved: the action, the tone and just how creative the direction is. Margot Robbie completely sells the incredibly choreographed fight sequences and their gleeful brutality, this whole scene in particular ⬇⬇ pic.twitter.com/UBb0FPAa14 — Terri Schwartz (@Terri_Schwartz) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is delightfully unassuming and unconcerned with its place in a larger context. It's a bonkers bananas crime comedy and a genuine party movie. Everyone is having a blast but Mary Elizabeth Winstead plays Huntress like a supporting character from THE TICK. It rocks. pic.twitter.com/7MRMKkZ0oi — Scott Mendelson (@ScottMendelson) January 29, 2020
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Believe this. #BirdsofPrey whips all sorts of ass. It is a hard-hitting, unapologetic origin story for the team, and a terrific, vicious vehicle for #MargotRobbie. Violent, funny with CRAZY fun action. And Ewan McGregor is on a different frequency, but wildly entertains! See it! pic.twitter.com/g66RYuwwlD — Sean O'Connell (@Sean_OConnell) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey was a rideee! The action scenes are really raw and some of the best I've seen in a comic book film. Each and every character has their moment to shine and I loved it. Just wait until you witness the power of the canary cry on the big screen!! pic.twitter.com/aLV43ZT2kG — Britany (@britany_murphs) January 29, 2020
So, #BirdsOfPrey is absolutely bananas and *so* much fun!
Some pacing problems aside, it's a neon-blood-soaked, funny, violent, anti-hero caper best enjoyed with your best friends and a margarita in hand 🍹👯
Plus, the action choreography is *chefs kiss* 😍 | @birdsofpreywb pic.twitter.com/gNvedvBJkI — Digital Spy (@digitalspy) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is a blast. Stylish, kooky, and gut-bustingly funny, it sings when it lets it’s cast just go ham, especially the gonzo Margot Robbie. Lulls a bit in the middle and is a little on the slight side, but a completely fun watch — Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) January 29, 2020
#BirdsOfPrey has terrific action, humor & some of the more memorable characters we’ve seen in a DC movie, but the biggest highlight is Margot Robbie. She is fantabulous as Harley, while also proving that sometimes our most valued relationships are the ones we have w/ good food pic.twitter.com/EDQ3sr5JtL — Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) January 29, 2020
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#BirdsofPrey is like if John Wick were run through a crazy funhouse filter and stuffed full of glitter and f-bombs. It's everything you could ever want from #HarleyQuinn and her badass girl gang. Into this movie completely. 🤘🏻 pic.twitter.com/Y2DZgPYN2Y — Alisha Grauso (@AlishaGrauso) January 29, 2020
#BirdsofPrey is an absolute blast & undeniably fun live wire jolt of adrenaline. Delightfully devilish & deliriously wicked,this irreverent, rule-breaking riot delivers a contact high. Cathy Yan is a genius. Robbie, Smollett, Winstead, Perez & Basco are perfection. @birdsofpreywb pic.twitter.com/D72F2D1apY — Courtney Howard (@Lulamaybelle) January 29, 2020
Cathy Yan’s #BIRDSOFPREY is a criminally fun celebration of sisterhood, with some of my favourite fight scenes in recent memory. I was grinning from ear to ear the entire thing; making a pub debut with my review soon! pic.twitter.com/QBEgyf6oan — Millicent Thomas (@MillicentOnFilm) January 29, 2020
#BirdsOfPrey is a violent, seedy slow-burn leading to a flock-up that’s truly something special to witness pic.twitter.com/QGO8nQvwIv — Chris Sylvia (@sylvioso) January 29, 2020
#BirdsOfPrey is a lot of fun and violent as hell. The Birds are so entertaining and distinctly different from each other. Ewan McGregor is so sinister and often hilarious. pic.twitter.com/4scxbS6GwT — BD (@BrandonDavisBD) January 29, 2020
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Birds Of Prey – or, to give it its proper title, Birds of Prey (And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn) – is the third Margot Robbie outing released in the last 12 months after Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and the Fox News biographical drama Bombshell.
The latter earned Margot nominations in the Best Supporting Actress category at both the Golden Globes and Oscars, while at this year’s Baftas, her performances in both films have landed her two nominations in the same category.
Margot’s iconic version of Harley Quinn was first seen in the 2016 film Suicide Squad, in which Jared Leto played her on-screen love interest, the Joker.
Margot Robbie leads the cast of Birds Of Prey Warner Bros
A second spin-off, imaginatively titled The Suicide Squad, is set for release next year, while Joaquin Phoenix was recently nominated for an Academy Award for his own unique portrayal of the Joker in the recent stand-alone film.
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Meanwhile, the Birds Of Prey premiere was an especially big one for Margot, not just because of the glowing reviews she received, but because she had a starstruck moment as she met the cast of Love Island on the red carpet.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Brexit Might Be Done But The Fight Against Boris Johnson's Destruction Must Continue

Boris Johnson's destructive vision must be fought, writes Rosena Allin-Khan MP Getty
When the UK leaves the EU this Friday, 31 January 2020, after 47 years of membership, it will be a sombre day for many of us. For others, it will be a day of celebration. For most people, I suspect they will simply hope we can now move on from talking about Brexit at the expense of everything else.
As someone who campaigned with all my heart to stay in the EU, and as the first person on Labour’s front bench to publicly call for a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal, I am desperately sad to see us leaving our friends and allies in Europe. But we are leaving. The disastrous result of the General Election has settled that. This is no longer an argument about Leave or Remain, it’s about what kind of future we want for our country and for our children.
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That’s where the new fight begins. Boris Johnson wants to pretend he’s now “Got Brexit Done”, and we no longer need to worry about the details. He wants us to simply trust him to sort it all out. Well, I don’t trust him. Neither should you. He talks about “Global Britain” whilst turning his back on vulnerable child refugees. He talks about “Taking Back Control” while reducing parliament’s ability to scrutinise his decisions. He talks about attracting “Global Talent” to the UK while creating huge distress and uncertainty for EU citizens, many of whom have been here for years and who have made their lives in this country.
The fight for our internationalist values starts now. It will be long, and it will be difficult, because Boris Johnson has a large majority – but that’s why it’s so important. When it feels like hope is lost, that’s when those of us who believe in progressive values and internationalism need to stand up and fight. If we don’t, no-one else is going to do it for us.
We need to stand up and fight for our hard-won workers’ rights. We need to stand up and fight for our environmental protections. Most importantly, we need to stand up and fight for the rights of EU citizens living in this country. They are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues, our family. I work side-by-side with many of them in the NHS, when I work shifts as a doctor in my local A&E department. Under the draconian new immigration laws being bandied around by this government, my own Polish mother might not have been able to move to this country and make a life for herself.
Although the Labour party is in a difficult place right now, we must make sure it is at the forefront of the fightback. That’s one of the main reasons I am running to become the next Deputy Leader. We have huge organisational strength through our membership, through our links with the trade unions and through our MPs and councillors embedded in their local communities. Now is the time to deploy those strengths to maximum effect, to hold the Government to account and ensure that we fight back against every attempt to undercut our rights and freedoms at work, every attempt to weaken our environmental safeguards, every attempt to inject privatisation into our National Health Service.
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The slogan “Get Brexit Done” might have helped win the election for Boris Johnson, but for those of us who stand against his destructive vision for the future of our country, this fight isn’t done. It’s just getting started.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Coronavirus: British Nationals To Be Evacuated From Wuhan On Friday, Foreign Secretary Confirms

Passengers on board will then be taken to an NHS facility in the north west to be quarantined for 14 days, sources told news agency PA.
In a statement, Dominic Raab said: “We are pleased to have confirmation from the Chinese authorities that the evacuation flight from Wuhan airport to the UK can depart at 5am local time on Friday, January 31.”
Speaking earlier on Thursday, the foreign secretary said his department had been working “flat out” with the Department of Health to identify British nationals in Wuhan and organise an evacuation.
The city of 11m people has been on lockdown for a week in a bid to contain the spread of the virus, which is now believed to have infected more than 7,000 people and killed 170.
Now 6,000 people have been stranded on a cruise ship off the shore of Italy at Civitavecchia, about 53 miles north of Rome, after a Chinese couple on board came down with a fever and started experiencing breathing difficulties.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Rebecca Long-Bailey Accused Of Telling 'Self-Serving' And 'Inaccurate' Story About Ex-Labour MP

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Rebecca Long-Bailey has been accused by a former Labour MP of telling a “self-serving” and “inaccurate” story about his resignation forcing her to work late.
The Labour leadership candidate has accused Rob Marris, who served as a shadow Treasury minister alongside Long-Bailey in 2016, of leaving her in the lurch by quitting the frontbench and deleting files needed to hold the government to account the next day.
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Marris quit the Labour frontbench on June 30, 2019 – as MPs sought to oust Jeremy Corbyn as party leader.
But writing for HuffPost UK on Thursday, Marris said he had “deliberately” tried to give Long-Bailey “ample time” to prepare for a parliamentary debate on finance bill once he was gone.
“Her account of what happened is very inaccurate. It is self-serving, and demonstrably not true,” he said. “Does this careless aspirant leader not do any basic research?”
He added: “She has not done the basics to check the accuracy of her faulty memory.”
Long-Bailey told a private dinner last week that Marris’s resignation meant she had to work through the night to be ready for the finance bill the next day. “I was pretty good if I’m honest,” she joked to the audience in Blyth.
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But in reality the crucial legislation was not actually examined in the Commons until five days later.
A spokesperson for Long-Bailey said: “Rebecca recalls her and her staff having to work all through the weekend including during the night until 3am each day until the next sitting day, which commenced on Tuesday at 9am.
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“The shadow Treasury team divided up the clauses of the finance bill, produced briefings and put them all on a shared drive.
“The finance bill was 191 clauses and each clause had to be researched, stakeholders engaged, and a speech in response needed to be drafted, amounting to months of work.
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“But towards the end of the first day of the committee Rob Marris resigned during a point of order at about 3.20pm, 49 clauses in.
“Following the session, Rebecca went up to her office to speak to Jeremy Corbyn, and when it transpired that the bulk of the files for the other clauses on the shared drive had been deleted, it became apparent that Rebecca alone would have to respond to the remainder of the bill.”
Marris admitted he had removed research from the shadow Treasury’ team’s shared drive. But he said he did so as he was no longer a member of the team – and still retained a copy.
“Neither Ms Long-Bailey nor anyone else ever bothered to ask me for a copy of that material,” he said. “It was her own choice not to ask.”
He added: “Ms Long-Bailey is not telling the truth about me, no doubt inadvertently.
“She ought to apologise forthwith. It is worrying that her memory is once again so faulty, and this raises doubts about her suitability to be Labour leader, let alone prime minister.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Government Sued For Giving Europe's Biggest Gas Power Station The Go Ahead

Drax already operates the country's largest power station, situation near the town of Selby in north Yorkshire. Photofusion via Getty Images
A High Court challenge has been launched against the UK government after it granted permission for Europe’s largest gas power station to be built in North Yorkshire.
Environmental law charity ClientEarth have opposed business secretary Andrea Leadsom’s decision to green-light the controversial plant in October, arguing that the government’s own planning authority said the plans should have been blocked on the basis of environmental concerns.
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Drax Power, which already operates the country’s largest power station near the town of Selby, wants to install four new gas turbines at the plant – a move that could render the plant responsible for as much as 75% of the entire UK power sector’s emissions once fully operational.
Although often seen as a cleaner alternative to other finite fossil fuels such as coal, commonly-used gases such as methane can still cause significant environmental damage if they leak into the atmosphere.
ClientEarth lawyer Sam Hunter Jones said: “Only this month David Attenborough warned governments to take more action to tackle global heating, pointing to the Australian bushfires as proof humanity’s moment of crisis has come.
“With scientists also ringing the alarm bells for decades, we shouldn’t need to take the government to court over its decision to allow what would be Europe’s biggest gas plant.
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“The secretary of state has ignored the recommendations of her own planning authority, and her decision is at odds with the government’s own climate change plans to decarbonise in a cost-effective manner.”
ClientEarth objected to the plant during the planning hearing stage in 2019, to which the government’s own Planning Inspectorate responded by recommending the proposals were blocked because of its carbon emissions and significant risk of locking in those emissions for years to come.
It was the first time the authority had recommended a project of this scale to be refused on the basis of its future climate impact.
An assessment of the environmental cost – collated by Client Earth and climate thinktank Sandbag – projected that over the course its lifetime, the project could create 400% more greenhouse gas emissions than if the plant was not built at all.
The government’s latest forecasts estimate that the UK will need 6GW of new gas generation through to 2035 – but the UK has already approved more than 15GW worth of large-scale gas plants, ClientEarth said.
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Approving Drax’s project would take this to 18GW – three times the government’s estimates.
The planning application for site stated that the four combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) were warranted in order to replace its two existing coal-fired units, which will be phased out under government legislation by 2025. However, ClientEarth warned that the combination of the project’s scale, emissions intensity and operating life made it a significant threat to the UK’s carbon targets.
Hunter Jones added: “In its planning application, Drax failed to explain how this emissions-intensive gas project squares with the UK’s carbon targets and its strategy for clean growth. And the government’s own energy forecasts show that the UK does not need a major roll out of new large-scale gas generation capacity.
“As the Planning Inspectorate found, if this plant goes ahead the public risks a carbon budget blowout, or a huge stranded asset that would require propping up by the taxpayer, or a combination of the two.
“Drax’s own figures show that installing gas capacity will not deliver more long-term jobs at Selby, in fact the company expects operational employment to decrease, after the construction phase. And in the longer term a stranded asset of this size would be a significant drain on the local and national economies.
“Globally, scientists have detailed the drastic carbon emission reductions needed to ensure the planet keeps global warming below 1.5C. The recent devastation and loss of life in Australia are a stark warning of the price of inaction.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--As Per My Last Email, Can We Just Not Use That Phrase Anymore?

Marje via Getty Images / HuffPost UK As per my last email
You’re scrolling through your emails and one of the first line previews stops you dead. “As per my last email,” it reads. You shudder ever-so-slightly, brace yourself and click.
The phrase is considered one of the most annoying email cliches there is, with a survey by employee platform Perkbox finding 33% of people just really can’t be doing with it . To be honest, we’re quite surprised it’s not more.
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The phrase is basically writhing with passive aggressiveness and, to a certain degree, smugness. It screams, “YOU DIDN’T PROPERLY READ MY OTHER EMAIL YOU DINGBAT. CAN’T YOU READ?!” It’s also, let’s face it, a massive power play.
Just hit someone with an “as per my last email”. Feeling powerful. — Mikey D (@DichaelMiLello) January 24, 2020
Admittedly, it is annoying when someone doesn’t read your email properly (or at all), but perhaps it’s time to take a step back and remember we’re all super busy these days, and to cut each other a little slack.
There’s no need to be smug or shirty in your response to a colleague or client – we’re only human, email sucks, we all make mistakes, and sometimes we skim-read a message instead of absorbing every last word like it’s poetry.
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Lucy Hume, associate director of Debrett’s, the etiquette experts, warns that people should think carefully before hitting ‘send’ on an email with loaded language – especially if we’ve written in haste or emotions are running high.
So how can you tell someone they need to read your previous email properly without using a snarky “as per my last email” in the mix?
Hume says there are a few that work, such as ‘please see below’ or ‘as I mentioned before’.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-01-30--Stripping Northern Rail's Franchise Is A Win For Passengers – But It’s Only The Start

Rail passengers commute on a Northern train OLI SCARFF via Getty Images
The announcement that Northern will be stripped of its franchise is a victory for rail passengers across the North who have had to endure years of misery and mayhem.
But, as welcome as the Transport Secretary’s decision is, it is only the first step towards fixing our railways.
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The government should now commit to working with leaders across the North to deliver the vision and funding needed for the transport network we deserve.
So today we offer Ministers five steps to truly fix the North’s railways:
The first step must be a plan to restore public confidence. Passengers need to have confidence that the basic things will happen – their trains running seven days a week, turning up when advertised and with enough carriages to ensure passengers aren’t left behind on the platform. Here in the North West we have not had a full Sunday service for almost two years and restoring that must be an urgent priority. A new operator is a fresh start to get the basics right. People need to be able to trust the trains again.
Second, we need to serve notice to Transpennine Express (TPE). While Northern’s sustained poor performance has rightly hit the headlines, for the past few months TPE’s has been even worse. They are letting down passengers from Newcastle to Manchester, Liverpool to Hull, and it is not good enough.
TPE should be set a deadline for improvement and if this deadline isn’t met then they should be the next to have their franchise removed.
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Thirdly, the government needs to deliver the infrastructure improvements it promised.
It will come as no surprise to passengers in our part of the country that central Manchester is one of the most congested parts of the UK’s rail network. In the short-term some difficult decisions may need to be made in order to reduce the number of services that pass through.
But in the longer-term, Government needs to deliver on the infrastructure improvements we were first promised back in 2014.
Most crucial is building two new platforms at Manchester Piccadilly – which will benefit passengers all across the North.
“Government must devolve more control and funding of local rail services and stations.”
Fourthly, we need an unequivocal commitment from ministers to deliver the West-East Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) and HS2 to the North.
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Delay and uncertainty to these projects is holding up much-needed investment and risks the huge economic benefits that together they would provide to people right across the North.
No government can truly claim to be committed to ‘levelling up’ the country if one its first acts is to provide high speed rail only for London and Birmingham and then downgrade proposals for the North’s connectivity.
Ministers should accept the North’s shared demand that NPR should include a new twin track line from Liverpool to Manchester, a through-station at Manchester Piccadilly and a new line from Manchester to Leeds via Bradford.
And they should work with TfN to fast track delivery of the whole NPR network – which would significantly reduce costs and create jobs and economic benefits earlier. If this means NPR gets built before HS2 then we are prepared to have that conversation with Government – but we need new West-East and North-South rail infrastructure and we are not going to be forced to pick between one or the other. London has never had to choose so why should we?
And finally, Government must devolve more control and funding of local rail services and stations.
The services we control locally – Merseyrail and Metrolink – are some of the best performing in the country. With more powers and funding from Whitehall we can do even more.
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The Transport Secretary should accelerate the devolution of rail services and infrastructure on the Merseyrail network and create new locally-controlled services like the proposed ‘GM Rail’.
Taken together these five next steps provide the basis of a blueprint to renew and restore the North’s railways.
We urge Ministers to work with us and other leaders across the North to deliver on these five things and ensure that a failure like Northern never ever happens again.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-05--Gender Pay Gap Activists Launch Campaign To End Secrecy Over Deals

Harriet Harman pictured as female members of the shadow cabinet and Labour politicians launch a campaign celebrating 100 years of women's suffrage, outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Empics Entertainment
Just a third of women know nobody can stop them asking male colleagues about salary if they suspect their employer is guilty of gender pay discrimination, new data reveals.
Research by campaigning women’s rights charity the Fawcett Society, who will today launch a ‘right to know’ bill in parliament to modernise equal pay laws, also underlines how wages are still mired in secrecy at most workplaces.
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Only 24% reported that pay is talked about openly at work and just four in ten people knew that women’s right to equal pay for work of equal value - something enshrined in law in 1970.
Labour MP Harriet Harman and the BBC’s Carrie Gracie, who won a landmark pay discrimination case against her employer, will be among those gathering in Westminster to launch new proposals they hope the government will take up.
As it stands, an employer cannot prohibit an employee from asking a colleague what they earn if they suspect pay discrimination, but they have no legal right to demand to know the answer. The Society will place in the House of Lords a new equal pay bill that will hand women the right to know.
The bill would give women who suspect they are not getting equal pay a legal right to know from their employer what any male comparator is paid.
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The charity, whose 2019 report found six in ten women either know they are paid less or are being kept in the dark, says taking such a step would give women the chance to resolve equal pay issues without having to go to court.
Sam Smethers, Fawcett Society chief executive, said across workplaces as diverse as supermarkets, broadcasters and councils pay discrimination is still widespread.
The Fawcett Society’s data also reveals: 46% of men said they would probably tell a female colleague how much they earned if she asked.
34% of men said they would be more likely to share their salary with a female colleague who suspected she was being paid unequally; 52% of men said this would make no difference to them.
·Only 8% strongly agree that people at their workplace talk openly about pay.
52% of women would be embarrassed to ask their male colleagues how much they earn
“Fifty years on from the Equal Pay Act the law designed to address pay discrimination is still poorly understood and too often ignored,” Smethers said. “Not only are many women still paid less than men for the same job, four in ten don’t even realise they have a right to equal pay for work of equal value.
“The culture of secrecy that discourages women from talking about salaries has allowed pay discrimination to persist. Women do not have the information they need to challenge this injustice.
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“Our new ‘equal pay bill’ would give women who are not being paid equally a route to get the information they need. Our research shows that 8 in 10 men and women support women being able to find out if they are paid less than a man for equal work. It’s time we gave all women the right to know.”
Baroness Margaret Prosser, who has laid the bill in the House of Lords, who was among those who campaigned for equal pay in the past, said: “Having seen the working women’s campaign for equal pay lead to victory with the Equal Pay Act 1970, I wouldn’t have dreamt that, in 2020, women would still be facing pay discrimination. But that is indeed what is still happening across the country, including at major institutions like the BBC, our councils and supermarkets.
“This new bill is vital for stopping pay discrimination – so that we are not still talking about this in another fifty years. Current rights just don’t work without transparency. I call on parliamentarians in both houses to support the proposals in this bill – it’s time to make the right to equal pay a reality for all women.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-05--'Overly-Sexualised' Pretty Little Thing Ad Banned For Objectifying Women

Supplied by ASA A screenshot of the Pretty Little Thing advert which has been banned.
A Pretty Little Thing advert has been banned by the UK’s advertising watchdog over concerns it objectified women.
The pre-roll YouTube advert for the online clothing company opened with a model looking over her shoulder in a seductive manner while wearing black vinyl chaps-style knickers with her buttocks on show.
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A later scene depicted a model wearing a transparent mesh bodysuit while lying on her side with her knee bent up and a neon bar in between her legs.
Supplied by ASA A screenshot of the Pretty Little Thing advert which has been banned.
The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) looked into the ad, which aired back in October, after someone complained it was overly sexualised and objectified women – and challenged whether the ad was offensive and irresponsible.
Another scene from the ad featured a woman in a bikini top, holding a neon bar behind her shoulders in a “highly sexualised pose which accentuated her breasts”, the ASA said. The woman was then shown crouching down with her legs apart, wearing chaps-style trousers to reveal string bikini bottoms.
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In defence of the ad, PLT said it highlighted how it “supported and promoted diversity through bold and distinctive fashion of all shapes and sizes which focused on different trends”.
Provided by ASA A screenshot of the Pretty Little Thing advert which has been banned.
Pretty Little Thing – founded in 2012 and owned by the Manchester-based Boohoo group – started out as an accessories-only line but is now a fashion brand that prides itself on being “all about the right here, right now”.
“We don’t just anticipate trends; we create them,” the brand’s website boasts, “as we deliver our girl product inspired from the catwalk, celebs, and coolest influencers of the moment.” It has close connections to TV culture, especially ITV2′s Love Island, whose islanders often go on to sign sponsored contracts to promote Pretty Little Thing lines – or design their own.
Responding to the ASA complaint, the brand said that it had not intended to create an ad that was seen to be offensive and irresponsible, and that it worked hard to promote a positive and healthy body image that was inclusive and empowered women.
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It even provided a mood board to demonstrate the creative theory behind the advert, explaining it was inspired by customers seeking the latest “rave-style” clothing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Buttigieg And Sanders Lead Pack In Early Results Of 2020 Iowa Democratic Caucuses

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Limited results released Tuesday by the Iowa Democratic Party show Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders leading the Iowa caucuses, with former vice president Joe Biden in a surprising fourth place. Senator Elizabeth Warren appears to be in third place.
The results are difficult to parse: Only 62% of precincts have been counted, and it is impossible to discern whether they are representative of the full state. Sanders led by one metric (the final popular vote) while Buttigieg led by another (state delegate equivalents).
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The inconclusive returns came on the heels of a chaotic caucus night in which the Iowa Democratic Party failed to reveal any results. Party officials said “coding error” caused an app designed for transmitting caucus results to report only “partial data”.
Although there is insufficient data to determine the winner of the caucuses, they appear to have been damaging for Biden ― long considered the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. He trailed Sanders, Buttigieg and Warren in the popular vote by a distant margin.
Whoever receives the highest state delegate equivalent (SDE) count wins the Iowa Democratic caucuses.
The initial results showed Buttigieg, the former South Bend, Indiana, mayor, with 363 SDEs. Sanders was in second with 338 SDEs. Warren had 246 and Biden had 210. Senator Amy Klobuchar had 170, businessman Andrew Yang had 14 and former hedge fund manager Tom Steyer had 4.
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The popular vote shows Sanders, the independent senator from Vermont, in the lead with 28,220 supporters, ahead of Buttigieg with 27,030 supporters, Warren with 22,254 and Biden with 14,716.
Here’s the popular vote with 62 percent reporting, per CNN pic.twitter.com/d9g1Z09rez — Chris Johnson (@chrisjohnson82) February 4, 2020
During a news conference in Des Moines ahead of the partial results being released, Iowa Democratic Party chair Troy Price said the party would release results from 62% of precincts in all 99 counties in Iowa.
“The reporting of the results and circumstances surrounding the 2020 Iowa Democratic Party caucuses were unacceptable,” Price said. “As chair of the party, I apologise deeply for this.”
Price did not say when the rest of the results would be released.
Troy Price takes the stage. Says what happened “was unacceptable.” He adds: “I apologize deeply for this.” #iacaucus pic.twitter.com/mGpeEUp6WR — Barbara Rodriguez (@bcrodriguez) February 4, 2020
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Chaos erupted Monday night as the country awaited the results of the 2020 Democratic caucuses, only to find out that the Iowa Democrats were conducting a “quality control” check and couldn’t say when the numbers would be released.
Since 1972, Iowa has been the first state to hold electoral contests during the presidential primary season. The caucuses have historically been a strong predictor of who will go on to win a party’s nomination.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--Can Boris Johnson Persuade Trump To Save The Planet?

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A Fair COP?
Another day, another Boris Johnson event, another huge issue of public policy. When the PM launched the UK’s presidency of the COP26 climate change conference today, his personal style of politics was on show once more. And so were the question marks.
Just like his big announcement on EU-UK trade yesterday, there was lots of big picture stuff, not much detail and, yes, another needless row over media scrutiny (environment correspondents were invited to sit, record and listen but not ask any questions).
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At least in Greenwich on Monday, Johnson looked like he had put some work in. Today at the Science Museum, he sounded like he was addressing one of the many Tory conference fringe events that made him the darling of its activists over the years.
His speech was dominated by an anecdotal riff (a frequent ploy as London Mayor) about a Victorian electric taxi carriage. I like a cheery anecdote as much as the next man, but his story about Walter Bersey made up a full 34% of his entire speech. Yes, 34% of an address that was meant to set out a big, serious vision for saving the planet.
Claire O’Neill, the former minister unceremoniously fired from the post of President of the COP26 Glasgow talks, let rip this morning at what she saw as the PM’s lack of seriousness on both the event and the science itself. It’s not totally clear what she meant when she said he “doesn’t get climate change”, but few were surprised.
Yet Johnson was right when he said that the UK has been a world leader on the issue, not least as the first large economy with a legal commitment to net zero by 2050 (the EU hasn’t managed that yet). He was right too that our energy from coal has plunged from 70% in 1990 to just 3% today, and he had a little-noticed but important new target of getting coal energy to zero by 2024 (a year earlier than planned).
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The accelerated target of banning all sales of petrol, diesel and even hybrid cars by 2035 is also ambitious enough to have sparked criticism from manufacturers and motoring groups. As with Huawei (and maybe HS2), that sounded like a PM using his big mandate to push for changes that will upset some of his own supporters.
And although Claire O’Neill was sacked under the convenient cover of Brexit Day last Friday, Johnson’s idea of a post-EU, global-focused Britain ought to fit with bold measures on saving the planet. Many of his family and friends are ‘green Tories’ and if he can somehow host a game-changing summit at the end of the year, many of his critics would have to eat their words.
Of course, few people are optimistic about the chances of success, given the chequered history of climate change talks and it would be unfair to blame another breakdown on the PM personally. But COP26 could be a real test of Johnson’s claims to be a ‘bridge’ between Europe and the Donald Trump White House, as well as his chumminess with Australian PM Scott Morrison (whose nickname ‘ScoMo’ he used yesterday).
I understand Johnson privately tried to persuade Trump (at the G7 in Biarritz) that there is a direct electoral benefit from being green. Could he persuade Morrison too, not least given the devastating bushfires that have wrecked huge swaths of his country, to try and secure his place in history?
After all their own hot air, could they see the merits of cutting the world’s hot air? Johnson at least today put his finger on the only test of the Glasgow gathering: “for every county to announce credible targets” to stop the globe overheating.
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It’s the US that matters most, however. Washington and Beijing jointly hold the fate of the planet in their hands. And the COP26 conference starts on November 9, ending on November 19. That’s just days after Trump faces the American voters on November 3.
Even if he’s replaced by a President-elect Biden or President-elect Sanders, they won’t be in power until after the Glasgow conference. So, not for the first time, Trump matters to Boris Johnson. And, like it or not, they both matter to the planet.
Britain's prime minister Boris Johnson talks with David Attenborough during the launch of the upcoming UK-hosted COP26 UN climate summit. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Quote Of The Day
“It would be sensible for the Government to consider talking to the senior political editors who walked out, to see whether there is a way of getting over this problem and resolving it”
Father of the House, Sir Peter Bottomley, urges No.10 to end the row over selective briefing of journalists
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Cheat Sheet
Lord Carlile, the former independent reviewer of terror legislation, warned that ministers “may be in breach of the law” and face legal challenge if they go ahead with moves to stop current terrorist offenders serve longer in prison.
SNP MPs walked through the voting lobbies in the Commons in defiance of an ‘English only’ vote on the NHS funding bill. A ‘hear no EVEL’ poster was plastered over the voting sign but deputy speaker Eleanor Laing ruled the Scottish votes would not be counted.
Sinn Fein president Mary-Lou McDonald told Newsnight that she was looking at fast-tracking a border poll in Northern Ireland if there was no trade deal with the EU by the end of this year.
Keir Starmer set out plans for sweeping changes in the party’s disciplinary procedures, an end to the NEC imposing parliamentary candidates and for all-BAME shortlists.
Labour MPs lined up to condemn No.10 for seeking to pick and choose which journalists would be allowed into extra briefings on issues such as Huawei and EU policy.
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The Jewish Labour Movement called for the Tory whip to be removed from MP Daniel Kawczynski, after it emerged he was sharing a platform with far-right parties at a special conference.
What I’m Reading
I Didn’t Know It Was Abuse Until The Day I Nearly Died - BBC Online
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-02-04--John Bercow Brands Bullying Allegations 'Utter Rubbish'

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Former House of Commons speaker John Bercow has called claims he “brutalised” parliamentary staff and politicians “total and utter rubbish”.
The public figure, who stepped down from the role before the December general election, also called ex-Black Rod David Leakey, who made the accusations last month, “completely and utterly ignorant”.
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In an interview with Sky News, Bercow also took aim at business secretary Andrea Leadsom, who was leader of the Commons during his period in the chair, calling her “untrustworthy” and a “poor leader of the House”.
Leakey, who left his role as a parliamentary official in February 2018, has accused Bercow of bullying him in the past and said several highly-ranked parliamentary staff and politicians told him privately they were also bullied.
But Bercow has called the allegations “total and utter rubbish from start to finish”.
He said: “First point is that David Leakey didn’t work for me, he wasn’t employed by me, he wasn’t employed by the House of Commons.
“He worked in and was protocol officer of the House of Lords. He is in absolutely no position whatsoever to comment on my relations with my parliamentary colleagues, of which he is completely and utterly ignorant.
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“He doesn’t know what my relationship was with my clerks. He has absolutely no intelligence on those matters whatsoever.
“What we have here is a person who had left the house, is thrashing about, desperate to remain relevant, popping up at every turn, trying to make himself seem very important, centre stage, at the heart of things in the way I went about my work.”
Lord Lisvane, the former clerk of the Commons, submitted a dossier of allegations against Bercow to the Parliamentary Standards Authority just days before Leakey broke his silence.
John Bercow, left, and former Black Rod David Leakey. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bercow said he only saw Leakey “three or four times a year over a period of years, mainly in relation to or preparation for ceremonial events.”
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He said the two men are “very different people from very different backgrounds with very different mindsets” and admitted they had an argument in 2011 and 2012 but “got along perfectly adequately after 2012″.
“Absurdly, preposterously he’s turning up years later, a couple of years after he left the house, commenting on events he can’t possibly know about because he’d already left,” he added.
“He said something about my relations with Andrea Leadsom in May 2018, something I allegedly said to her and made her cry - he wouldn’t know, he’d left three months before.
“The guy is a know-nothing, he wouldn’t have the foggiest idea what he’s talking about.
“He was deeply hostile towards me. He’s entitled to his views but on the matter of bullying he suffers from the disadvantage of being 100% wrong. Amen.”
Leakey has previously called for other complainants to come forward and has said that Bercow brought one former leader of the Commons to tears.
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It is thought Leakey is reluctant to comment on Bercow’s reaction now a formal complaint has been submitted.
Former House of Commons speaker, John Bercow ASSOCIATED PRESS
When asked about his relationship with Leadsom, who was Commons leader from 2017 to 2019, Bercow said she could not be trusted.
“There was no trust between us and I was advised at one point, by a senior person in government, that she was very hostile, that she was looking to ferment trouble for me,” he told Sky News.
“There had been other relationships with colleagues where there was some distrust of her by people and possibly by others. I just thought the prudent thing to do was protect myself.
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“In my view, she was a poor leader of the house, she was both driven and weak and it’s quite a bad combination.”