Racism In Football - Is This An Own Goal?

Sentencing Quadri, from Dartford, District Judge Louisa Cieciora said: ‘You demonstrated hostility based on the victim's race and of course it was in a public forum.

‘I have to take into account the wider context - particularly that footballers have been taking the knee in all games to demonstrate their ongoing commitment to fight racism and all forms of discrimination, and the fact that the comment is likely to be seen by a wider audience, and the harm caused by racism is of course pervasive and should never be underestimated.'

He was upset a black footballer passed the ball to a white teammate, and clearly felt not a twinge of shame about stating it so clearly no-one could deny he was racist.  

Prosecutor Frances McCormack told Westminster Magistrates' Court Quadri used the the name @quadz19 on X when he made the post. This was reported to the football association and the police began investigating it.

Mr McCormack said: 'He stated in an interview that he didn’t think the comments were offensive because he was a black male himself, so he did make partial admissions but not full admissions.

'He made the comment because in that particular match at that particular time the previous four people who had scored a goal for England had been black, and he said that if Mr Wilson had scored a goal there would have been an all black scoring sheet.'

 His brief could only fall back on his age as a possible excuse. 

James Powell, defending Quadri, said: 'This is an indication more of immaturity rather than wickedness.

'There’s been no offending before or since this one act of immaturity which may be the only act of immaturity he’s ever committed in his life.'

Should have ended that with 'so far'.  

What About The Welfare Of The Public?

'Sadly, six dogs had to be put to sleep. The remaining 16 dogs remain in police kennels while our investigation continues.

They are now illegal animals, so all 22 should have had a one-way trip to the vet.  

Chief Inspector Emma Cheney said 'We are stronger working with our communities and urge anyone who witnesses suspicious behaviour or illegal breeding or housing of banned breeds to get in touch, online, via live chat or by calling 101.

'If you suspect someone of animal neglect or cruelty, please report to the RSPCA.'

Who won't do anything because they don't support the ban. 

At Last, A Judge No Longer Prepared To Waste Public Money!

Although an exact figure has not been calculated, Hussain has cost the police, criminal justice system, and essentially the public, thousands upon thousands of pounds, by dragging her case through the courts for more than two years, hauling her dog’s victim through relentless hearings, appealing her conviction, withdrawing the appeal, then appealing the order to destroy her dangerous dog.

This is this case, which would have been avoided, as would the mauling of this victim, if police had acted the first time this dangerous dog caused trouble.

During a hearing at Preston Crown Court last week, Judge Guy Mathieson refused to accept an application to adjourn the appeal hearing. He then refused to uphold the appeal against the destruction of Ashiya Hussain’s dog Bruno, saying the time spent on the case was “not a proper use of public funds”.

Thank god for a judge with sense!  

Evidence was presented to the court by dog handling and behaviour expert Craig Richardson who said that while he believed Bruno was a danger to other dogs, and not directly to humans (unless they got between Bruno and another dog), he could be trained to lower this aggression. He suggested that the dog’s life be spared, and he be given to a new owner, with conditions for that new owner to keep the dog muzzled at all times while out in public; to be on a harness while in public; to be controlled by two points of contact at all times such as a lead attached to a collar and also a harness; and to only be allowed off a lead when in a private field.

What new owner would want to take this thing on?  

A proposed new owner, Ansar Ali, also gave evidence during the hearing, telling the court that he would take care of Bruno at his terraced home in Great Harwood, which only has a small back yard, and would take him to work with him at a car garage every day and keep him locked in that garage should he need to nip out.When asked by Judge Mathieson when Bruno would ever get chance to exercise or be allowed more space to roam around in, Mr Ali could not provide a satisfactory answer.

Come to think of it, why did the owner need such a beast? There may be a clue in the comments: 

 Very interesting...

When an adjournment for the hearing was requested, so a second dog expert report could be compiled, Judge Mathieson said: “We are not going to use any more money on this case, for a dog. I know it’s a family pet but it’s a dog.

“How many thousands of pounds is to be spent? If this was a privately paid for case would this still be going on?

“How much is it costing on a daily basis, how much to keep Bruno in kennels? No-one has the answer, so shall we just adjourn for another three months for more public money to be spent?”

Bye bye Bruno. You've lived two years longer than you should have, in any sane country. 

Do Computers Not Work For Us?

And not the other way around?

A council has provoked the wrath of residents and linguists alike after announcing it would ban apostrophes on street signs...

Why? Because illiterate council officials are confused by them? Good guess, but no... 

...to avoid problems with computer systems.

Then write better programs! Who are they written for, the machines, or us? 

North Yorkshire council is ditching the punctuation point after careful consideration, saying it can affect geographical databases. The council said all new street signs would be produced without one, regardless of whether they were used in the past.

And it's not gone down well, I'm happy to say: 

Sam, a postal worker in Harrogate, a spa town in North Yorkshire, told the BBC that signs missing an apostrophe – such as the nearby St Mary’s Walk sign that had been erected in the town without it – infuriated her.

I'm with you, Sam! Lucky they didn't ask a grocer, though... 

Though the updated St Mary’s sign had no apostrophe, someone had graffitied an apostrophe back on to the sign with a marker pen, which the former teacher said was “brilliant”.

There's a business opportunity for someone!  

North Yorkshire council said it was not the first to opt to “eliminate” the apostrophe from street signs. Cambridge city council had done the same, before it bowed to pressure and reinstated the apostrophe after complaints from campaigners.

So you didn't learn from their experience?  What happened to Yorkshire's traditional hard-headed common sense? 

A spokesperson from North Yorkshire council added: “All punctuation will be considered but avoided where possible because street names and addresses, when stored in databases, must meet the standards set out in BS7666.

“This restricts the use of punctuation marks and special characters (eg apostrophes, hyphens and ampersands) to avoid potential problems when searching the databases as these characters have specific meanings in computer systems.”

Are people in Cambridgeshire wandering around lost as a result of putting them back in? No? There's no issue then!  

Let's Have More Female Judges!

To bring their 'unique perspective' to the justice system!

A drunk businesswoman who glassed a pub drinker after he wrongly guessed her age has been spared jail after a female judge said 'one person's banter may be insulting to others'.

So assault with a potentially deadly weapon can be excused? Really?

Mother-of-one Joanne Dodd, 39, flew into a rage and attacked Carl Cooper after he suggested she was 43 in the beer garden of the Unicorn pub in Manchester city centre on September 9 last year. Mr Cooper fled to the toilet in a bid to get away from the heated situation, but when he came out Dodd ran towards him and twice shoved her wine glass in his face.

Not even in the heat of the moment, then? 

At Manchester Crown Court, Dodd, who is from Swinton in Salford, faced up to three years in jail under sentencing guidelines after she admitted inflicting grievous bodily harm. However, she was spared jail and handed a suspended sentence after Judge Elizabeth Nicholls said she was a 'dedicated, hardworking woman' who posed no risk to the public.

Contrast this with her words to a male offender:  

“You are not a teenager, you are 35 and mature enough to understand that you should stop and face the consequences.”

No such consequences for the 'fairer sex', eh, Lizzie? You were pretty lenient with a schoolboy who stabbed his teacher in the face with sissors too, though. And came down pretty harshly on pedophile hunters rather than pedophile victims, it has to be said.

The judge told Dodd: 'It is obvious that you had been drinking heavily and there was undoubtedly some verbal exchange between you and the other group.

'You did not appreciate the comments made by Mr Cooper and one person's banter may be insulting to other people but that did not justify what you then went on to do.'

Why are you trying so hard to justify it for her, then? 

'Your conduct was incomprehensible.

'The only explanation that can really be put forward is that you were under the influence of drink, which does you no credit.

I though judges had to know Latin? Like, in vino veritas?  

'It was no doubt traumatic for Mr Cooper and it would have had an impact on him. Fortunately he seems to have made a good recovery. 'I have seen the photo where the scar is barely noticeable but to him it will be a constant reminder of your conduct on that night. There was a very unpleasant injury, it is a grave injury, but fortunately there is no permanent disfigurement.'

If he has a visible scar, that's permanent disfigurement, no matter the size or hidability.  

'There is no doubt that this offence is so serious that it crosses the custody threshold. The issue is whether the sentence is immediate or can be suspended.'

'Perhaps more importantly you are a mother of a young child. Although, no doubt, the child would be taken care of, an immediate term of imprisonment would have a devastating effect on your child. It would be disproportionate to the sentence that needs to be imposed.'

Ah. So women can be spared the consequences of their actions (by another woman, no less!) provided they've reproduced. That's not even a unique perspective, it seems to be shared by far too many of her male colleagues. 

If This Is A 'Difficult Decision' For The Court...

...they should be ashamed of themselves. It's cut and dried.

Massey was due to be sentenced at the Old Bailey last month but the hearing was adjourned for technical reasons. The prosecution is trying to decide whether he should be charged with three counts of owning a dangerous dog or just one.

He had three banned pitbulls! All three joined in the attack. If he'd killed three people would he only face one murder charge? 

It is unclear which dogs actually caused injury to Ms Reynolds but one of them has been put down.

The other two can't be returned to him - they are banned dogs and he's an unfit owner (like so many). 

That's as clear as the video:

'I was screaming, asking for help, asking him for help. 'It was just me against these three dogs. The owner himself actually started asking for help, which made me even more scared.

'I thought, if he can't control his dogs, then who can?'

No-one, so do away with them and put him behind bars where he deserves to be.  

Do The 'Mail' Headline Writers Keep A Dog And Bark Themselves?

It would appear so, if they think you hire a chauffeur and then park yourself! 

Has The Zombie Crisis Begun Down Under?

Or are Aussie cops armed with knives as well as guns, that can be fired like guns? Well. You learn something new every day.

H/T: Dave Sparrow via email

Sunday Funnies...

 And of course, cats are number 1!

Is This Why The Civil Service Has Become The Enemy Within?

Ahmar, who is of Egyptian and French dual heritage, said she raised concerns about racism and was increasingly blocked from meetings before being told that her secondment from the Treasury was ending abruptly for “poor behaviour”.

Because this is the sort of recruitment 'success' that's made them what they are today?  

An employment tribunal hearing against the Cabinet Office and senior civil servants began on Monday alleging a “hostile racist working environment” but the case was withdrawn on Wednesday. Ahmar had lodged two claims arguing she was subject to “direct discrimination and harassment on the grounds of her sex and race” as well as “victimisation”. The Cabinet Office said her claims were “completely unfounded” and noted that Ahmar had withdrawn the case with no payment made. She said she walked away because she was starting a new job on Friday and did not want to spend a month in court.

I wonder if it's a real job this time or just another civil service department appointment?  

In the interview, Ahmar said that “the whole illegal migration taskforce was really clumsy, made of people who don’t know anything about migration or really understand why people would want to come to this country”.

They understand that 'people who want to come to this country' for legitimate reasons don't do it by smuggling themselves in lorries or small boats. Why don't you?   

Ahmar said the taskforce was “looking into migration from a very narrow point of view” and that they “didn’t want to look into safe and legal routes” to bring asylum seekers to Britain. Ultimately, Ahar said, she “didn’t really feel comfortable being head of policy in a taskforce where they talk about things like [using] turnaround tactics, so they can just die, basically.” She said: “The civil servants are all white. They don’t understand how hard it is for migrants to be here.”

We aren't talking about 'migrants', we are talking about illegal immigrants.  

Ahmar first took a secondment from the Treasury to become a chief of staff before Cop26 in 2021, before being ordered to leave the climate summit early after complaining of bullying and harassment.

A serial complainer, then. Is this why nothing ever gets done?   

For Once, Rishi's Right - This Situation Isn't Fair On The Taxpayer

The country has a “sicknote culture” that needs to be tackled, the prime minister said. Britain “can’t afford” its record levels of welfare spending and it’s “not fair” on the taxpayer.

Who could argue with this? Frances Ryan, of course!

Attacking sick and disabled people is a method that has been deployed time and time again over the past 14 years of Conservative rule. It is the equivalent of the party’s in-case-of-emergency button: if in trouble, ministers can sound the alarm and the rightwing press will churn out headlines about getting the “jobless” off the “dole”.

The notion that we have a 'rightwing press' is laughable. If we did have one, would we see males being treated as females in the pages and broadcasts?  

The plan to shift responsibility for issuing fit notes away from GPs to other “work and health professionals” in order to encourage more people to get back into work is a classic piece of Conservative welfare thinking. If there are too many sick people in the country, don’t bother dealing with the causes – just get someone who is not a doctor to declare they’re not actually sick after all.

What has largely slipped under the radar, though, is a major reform: a review of personal independence payments (Pip), the flagship non-means-tested benefit designed to help cover the extra costs that come with disability. Proposals include asking for more medical evidence before awarding the benefit, looking at whether some payments should be one-off rather than ongoing, and withdrawing money from some people living with mental-health problems and replacing it with treatment.

How terrible, trying to treat someone's illness so they can live a normal, working life! Oh, the humanity! 

And asking for actual medical evidence! OK, I'll give you that one, since we didn't seem to need it for the pandemic, did we?  

The bleakest part of Sunak’s plan is that there is a genuine crisis obscured by his misleading rhetoric. Britain is a significantly sicker and poorer country than it used to be. In the coming years, addressing the growing number of long-term sick people will have to be the priority of any government. To do that though, ministers will need to forgo the fiction that hordes of workers are faking illnesses and admit the facts.

But it's a fact that some of them do. Even people who don't need to for monetary reasons. The question is, surely, how many.  

The true sickness in this country cannot be found in a benefits office or a GP surgery but in Downing Street. It is a political culture whose default setting is demonising and impoverishing people who are already suffering, and a rightwing media that for decades has parroted the lies and bigotry it is fed.

And those who live alongside the sicknote brigade and wonder why they work when others don't, Frances? They can't all be 'hoodwinked' by our so-called right wing media. 

Protecting People From Themselves...

Tech that comes with weak passwords such as “admin” or “12345” will be banned in the UK under new laws dictating that all smart devices must meet minimum security standards. Measures to protect consumers from hacking and cyber-attacks come into effect on Monday, the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said.

Who doesn't change the default password? I mean...

It means manufacturers of phones, TVs and smart doorbells, among others, are now legally required to protect internet-connected devices against access by cybercriminals, with users prompted to change any common passwords. Brands have to publish contact details so that bugs and issues can be reported, and must be transparent about timings of security updates.

If this seems a strange thing for a failing government to concern itself with, well here's the culprit:  

The consumer champion Which? said it had been instrumental in pushing for the new measures and it welcomed the changes.

Couldn't you have pushed for people to use their devices smarter instead? 

Rocio Concha, a director of policy and advocacy at Which?, said: “The OPSS [Office for Product Safety and Standards] must provide industry with clear guidance and be prepared to take strong enforcement action against manufacturers if they flout the law, but we also expect smart device brands to do right by their customers from day one and ensure shoppers can easily find information on how long their devices will be supported and make informed purchases.”

I've never had any issues with finding information and making informed choices. 

"But I am undoubtedly overthinking this."

The selection process for these punters is still a mystery, but they are clearly a far cry from a random assortment. Everyone has a good story to tell or a revelatory taste in music. The Instagram-ready young blonde Brooke turns out to be a law student who loves classical music and plays Poulenc’s Novelette in E Minor, though narratively speaking she is beaten by Ellis, a boxer from a rough council estate (“high crime rate but we’ve got a Costa, so it’s all good,” he says, deadpan) whose mother saved up to buy him a keyboard from Argos when he was four. There was no money for lessons so he learned through council-funded schemes and his own hard work. He plays Chopin’s lyrical, lovely Ballade No 4 and takes everyone’s breath away. “Do you think he’s aware of how difficult this piece really is?” says Mika. Is that an odd thing to say? I feel it’s an odd thing to say – as if anyone from a council estate who can play such a piece must be a kind of idiot savant rather than a true musician.

It's a nice feelgood show about music talent so yes, you are overthinking this. But you wouldn't be a 'Guardian' columnist if you couldn't somehow manage to shoehorn your political viewpoint into absolutely anything you're given, would you?  

Look, an old man can still play! Look, a nine-year-old who seems to be on the autistic spectrum can play with emotion! There is an unspoken agreement that it is as amazing Amy has pink hair and still likes Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata as that she is self-taught, via tutorials on the internet.

*sighs* 

And It's A Pretty Good Indicator, At That...

Rap is not normally used by prosecutors as direct evidence of intention or confession, such as a lyric that suggests personal involvement in the specific facts of the crime, but rather used as indirect or “bad character” evidence to suggest violent mindset, intention to commit serious harm or gang membership, the report said.

Whew! This means if I'm ever stopped by police and they discover Will Smith's 'Summertime' on my Spotify, I'm safe (from all but embarrassment)? 

The researchers, Eithne Quinn, Erica Kane and Will Pritchard, said their research had uncovered very concerning processes which risked innocent people being convicted of the most serious crimes. “Our findings are deeply troubling, and support the view that the marshalling of rap evidence in criminal cases encourages police and prosecutors to further increase the number of people charged as secondaries under already-egregious secondary liability laws,” they said.

It's the 'Joint Enterprise' issue again, which is claimed by progressives and race hustlers to be somehow 'racist' because it results in more gang members being charged. 

Tyrone Steele, deputy legal director at Justice, the law reform and human rights charity, said: “Every child and young person deserves to have their voice heard and their creativity nourished.

“Yet the criminal justice system routinely disregards this basic standard for Black children, regarding their musical expression as criminal and suspicious. The consequences are clear, with families broken by prosecutions based on dubious evidence that is treated distinctly differently to other forms of art.

Well, Tyrone, 'other forms of art' don't cause murderous postcode rampages and murder. Not since the 1700's, anyway.  

“Rap music is one of the most popular genres of music in the UK – it’s time to end the marginalisation and punishment of its creators through its use as prosecution evidence.”

If that statement is true, then Britain really is lost.  

Only Two..?

Chief magistrate Paul Goldspring said: 'I accept that at the time of the offending you were of good character. '

*sigh* That outdated legal term again. 

'The Crown has conceded you didn't put the pictures on WhatsApp against the public at large.' Mr Goldspring added the matters are 'very serious' and said at this stage he is not persuaded he can 'rule out custody'.

What, I wonder, would persuade him?  

Two of Adil's colleagues reported to their superior officers that they had viewed images posted by Adil on his WhatsApp stories which caused them 'concern', the prosecution said.

Adil had 1,092 contacts on his WhatsApp at the time who would have been able to access the images for 24 hours, Ms Fitzpatrick said. 

If the other 1090 were also police officers, this is a huge issue.  

Adil was arrested on November 6 and had his mobile seized. He answered no comment to all questions during his interview.

Who says they don't learn anything from their job? 

They Need To Find A New Legal Term...

Whiteman, of Cae Felin Parc, Hirwaun, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and failing to provide a specimen. The court heard he was of previous good character.

It just means 'has no other offences on his record', but rarely can it be so misplaced a term as in this case: 

Following the collision, the defendant didn't stop and continued driving erratically at speed, narrowly avoiding a further collision with another car. Whiteman took the same loop and drove past the scene of the collision as Kaylan was being treated by members of the public. He was seen by a man who recognised him, but he revved his engine and sped off when the man attempted to take a picture of him. Whiteman then drove back to his home nearby and his two passengers got out of the car and returned to the scene of the collision, and he made his way there shortly after. A student nurse was performing CPR on Kaylan when the defendant tried to hinder her. He said: 'Do you think I give a f*** about this kid on the floor? Why the f*** don't you all just leave him and stop doing that.'

Bystanders tried to move Whiteman away as he became agitated and shouted at a man who asked him about his car. He responded: 'I don't know what you're talking about... I haven't got a car, I don't even drive.' The defendant also offered a man a fight as Kaylan lay dying in the road.Ms Cox said the defendant was abusive towards police and members of the public, and showed no remorse for his actions, saying: 'It was a f****** good show.'

All that being an aggravating factor, at least, that will attract a much harsher sentence?  

Whiteman was sentenced to six years and nine months detention in a young offenders' institute. He was disqualified from driving for a period of eight years and four months.

*sighs* 

But The Worst Of Them Will Be Hit By It, Surely?

Harry Potter author JK Rowling has hit out at Humza Yousaf after the First Minister confirmed trans women will be protected by a new misogyny law.

That's going to be hard to do, when so many of the high profile transgender 'women' prove to be, well, utterly misogynistic themselves. 

The Scottish Government had previously came (sic) under fire for leaving out the sex characteristic from its controversial hate crime legislation after a review by Baroness Helena Kennedy found that specific misogyny offences needed their own law. Her report recommended the creation of a separate piece of legislation to tackle 'the spectrum of misogynistic conduct' rather than including it within the hate crime Act.

Quite why a seperate offence was needed is hard to fathom, unless it was a sop they intended to placate women annoyed that men in frocks could now use their toilets. If so, EPIC FAIL! on that score...

Ms Rowling responded by posting on social media: 'Once again, [Mr Yousaf] makes his absolute contempt for women and their rights clear.

'Women were excluded from his nonsensical hate crime law, now he introduces a 'misogyny law' designed to also protect men.'

Indeed. Now Humza Yousless is no more, will his successor have the courage to reverse this nonsense?  

So Open, Their Brains Have Fallen Out...

A police spokesman said they were 'keeping an open mind' as to whether the two incidents were linked.

Gosh, what are the odds? 

Derbyshire Constabulary confirmed officers had been called to reports of a burglary at the remote Peak District farmhouse at 3.30pm on Tuesday. They attended the property, on a remote country lane, in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, and launched an investigation.That was ongoing when reports came in of the second raid at the farmhouse less than ten hours later, at around 1.20am the following day.

Obviously the felon's network was working overtime... 

Yesterday the farmer arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder was named by locals as Rob Lomas, a 50-year-old divorcee. They said his alleged victim was a talented 19-year-old footballer called Marcus Smith.

He's not a 'victim' of anything. The poor sod arrested for defending his property is the only true victim here.  

Police found Mr Smith with fatal injuries inside Mosley Hall Farm and another teenager with a gunshot wound seriously hurt on the road outside. A former pupil at Chapel-en-le-Frith High School, Mr Smith played for Chapel Town FC. Yesterday his 51-year-old mother Kerry, who is understood to work as a nurse, posted a picture of herself with her son on her Facebook page. It prompted comments from friends expressing their heartbreak and sympathy. One wrote: 'We are so shocked and so heartbroken, nothing can express how deeply sorry we are.'

No sympathy for the man who is now behind bars for having no option, I note. 

The public aren't behind you on this. They are behind the real victim. 

The fundraiser has already raised more than £16,000 of £10,000 target, with more than 600 people donating.

I wonder how much a fundraiser for the dead burglar would raise? 

Given His Surname, Perhaps He Got Off Lightly....

A deaf man has blasted a NHS hospitals trust after doctors almost removed his testicle when he complained of a benign cyst without an interpreter present.

It could have been worse. 

Staff at the Kent and Canterbury Hospital had wrongly believed that Andrew Wiley, 47, was begging to have testicle surgery during his consultation where he relied on lip reading and written responses to communicate.

Yikes!  

Mr Wiley wasn't aware of the potential risks of the operation until he saw a surgeon this month with an interpreter present.

The NHS has a legal responsibility to ensure those with disabilities are catered for during appointments and procedures. KentOnline reports hospital bosses have said they are 'deeply sorry' for the distress they caused and have admitted standards were not met.

Standards in NHS hospitals are almost never met, are they?  

This Is How To Stop This Nonsense...

A West Virginia transgender athlete won her shot put competition in her first sporting event following an appeals court ruling that allowed her to participate - as other contestants refused to play against her.

Pepper-Jackson took home first place in the shot put competition with her 32-foot effort, three feet further than second place, and she placed second in discus.

Sadly, only some of the girls took this stand: 

Despite being legally allowed to compete, some athletes protested Pepper-Jackson's participation by refusing to play against her. Five girls from Lincoln Middle School stepped up to the circle for their turn, then refused to throw the ball.Scores recorded from the event on Athletic.net show the athletes received a mark of 'no distance.'

If only every girl had done this. That's what will stop this nonsense in its tracks.  

The court noted Pepper-Jackson has lived as a girl for over five years. She began identifying as female in the third grade and has participated strictly on girls' sports teams. In addition to taking puberty blockers and estrogen hormone therapy, the student has legally changed her name, and the state of West Virginia has issued her a birth certificate listing her as female.

Thirs grade? That's ages 8 to 9? How the hell is this not child abuse? 

Her mother, Heather Pepper-Jackson, said, 'She likes to do the best in everything, be it algebra or running or shot put or discus.' 'She tries to excel in everything that she does, just like any other kid... if she didn't start the fight, who's going to?'

Clearly not parents whose concern is not for their son's obvious mental health issues.  

Soft Justice For Junior Psychopaths...

Aminal slaughterers:

She said: 'You have had a taste of custody for a couple of days and it really isn't pleasant. 'If you come back into this court things will not be as pleasant as they are now. It's horrific what you've done... absolutely horrific.

'It's well you are not adults because you would have faced a significant time in custody.'

In total, the cost of compensation was £59,000 of which each boy was ordered to pay £200 each, for which their parents will be liable. 

Attempted murderers:

The defendant, then a 16-year-old boy, was arrested at the scene after the attack just after midnight on June 9 last year.

He was wearing just his boxer shorts and claimed he was sleepwalking when he attacked the two boys and the housemaster.

What we tolerate, we see more of. And tolerate it is what we seem to be intending to do well into the future. So we will probably see more scenes like the one last week in Ammanford. 

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in court earlier today after being charged with three counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article following the incident at Ysgol Dyffryn Aman (Aman Valley School).

The father of the girl charged now says it took him hours to find out his daughter was allegedly at the centre of the incident, claiming the school and police did not want to speak to him.

He says he found out she was allegedly involved online. He added that he had not been given a police liaison officer and was worried about 'reprisals from the community'.

You're not the victim here, the three people stabbed are the victims!  

District Judge Mark Layton said remanding a 13-year-old into youth justice detention was a 'difficult decision' in a hearing that lasted around 20 minutes.

What on earth was 'difficult' about it?!  

Putting The Boot In With Style...

Two absolute corkers from Matt for today. 

I genuinely couldn't choose between them! 

Is It Before Or After 'E'?

If in doubt, perhaps just leave it out altogether...

Sunday Funnies...

I had expected No 2 to be impossible, due to being between two different genus...

Oh, Edward, If Only That Were True...

Edward Skidelsky – director of the Committee for Academic Freedom, academics fighting to maintain free expression on campuses – said: 'It's extraordinary that in 21st century Britain eavesdroppers can be rewarded, and a student punished for remarks made to a friend in the privacy of his room.

If it was true, we'd not see an organisation like yours so busy, would we?

At the time of the complaint, Mr Ivinson – who had just started his first year of a philosophy degree – was alone with the door closed. Mr Ivinson, who is 6ft 5in with a deep intonation, said his voice often carried without him realising. When an officer from the university's estate patrol banged on his door to tell him his female neighbour had complained, the mature student was shaken. 'It was like the Stasi had come to my door,' he said. 'He stuck his foot in my door and said you've been saying some very offensive things.'

To whom? Was he on the phone or talking to himself? 

Mr Ivinson was called to a disciplinary hearing and grilled by university officials.

Why did he attend? The thing to do with kangaroo courts is to ignore them!  

He told The Mail on Sunday: 'The first thing they read out was that I had said veganism is wrong. I couldn't believe it – I thought I was mishearing them. I asked them to repeat it three or four times because I didn't believe I was sitting there for saying that veganism is wrong.' He says he made the comments about gender fluidity and veganism, but maintains other statements he was alleged to have made had been misheard, such as that President Assad of Syria was 'a good guy'. He says he stated the dictator was 'not a good guy'.He also denies saying 'people should not parade their sexuality in a gay bar'.

I suspect it's not the veganism comment that landed him before Exeter's Star Chamber, but the gender one.  

He says he apologised to the officials for the disturbance but maintained his right to speak freely in his own room. 'I was totally private apart from that someone heard me through a brick wall.' Mr Ivinson attempted to challenge the decision by Exeter – a member of the prestigious Russell Group of top universities – but says that this was batted down.

How? They must have a process, did he meet its conditions, or not? There's a lot missing from this account.  

Exeter University was approached for comment but did not respond.

Maybe they did comment, but in the privacy of their own rooms and no-one overheard?  

And ‘These People’ Isn’t Who You Might Think…

Who does she mean, Reader?

Things have changed in my local sandwich shop. Every so often, in the middle of ringing through my americano, the server will go stock still, like a savannah predator who has spotted a tiny rustling movement in the grass. Then, whiskers twitching, he will suddenly dart out from behind the counter and rush after some youth who has just made it out of the door, swipe their pilfered lunch from their hands in one practised movement, and then return with the spoils: a Coke, say, or a chicken wrap, to general applause. He doesn’t appear to have been harmed, yet, by his light-fingered customers — but I do worry about him. It seems to be getting worse.

Is it, perhaps, 'shoplifters'?

Labour has fingered a culprit: this week Yvette Cooper put the blame on what she called a “shoplifters’ charter” — a change brought in under Theresa May which made lifting an item under £200 a mere “summary offence”, intended to speed things up and take the burden off the courts: police can deal with it themselves. Cooper has argued that this cut deterrents and has therefore encouraged more crime.

Oh, so it's one of Britain's worst PMs in living memory, then? But she's only one person (thank heavens!). 

Removing the lesser “summary offence” will mean shoplifters will have to be sent through the court system, putting more strain on a service which already has a vast backlog. Ramping up deterrents for this relatively low-level crime will also send vulnerable people to jail.

Oh oh! When the new meaning of 'vulnerable' comes in, you can tell where this is heading... 

But stricter rules mean little if you can’t catch offenders in the first place. And this is hard to do, even with far more police on the case.

Your sandwich shop man managed it.  

First, shoplifting is generally done surreptitiously within the store — the steak in the coat pocket, the baby formula in the nappy bag — but shops are not public spaces, so police can’t follow suspicious people down the aisles.

That's what security guards are for!  

All they can do is patrol past the door — an obstacle the practiced shoplifter can overcome by waiting until they pass. Police can’t frisk everyone on the way out.

Here’s the problem that neither party can face up to. The real culprits behind the rise in shoplifting may also be among its victims: large chain stores. And the real solution may not in fact lie with the justice system. Let me explain.

Well, who had supermarkets on their bingo card? Certainly not me!  

While automation has generally reduced crime — new locking systems have virtually eliminated car theft — in large chain stores it has done the opposite.

Car theft is up not down! 

A rise in sensors and self-checkout, particularly during the pandemic, has saved these shops money on staff but has created losses elsewhere: it has made it much easier to steal things. Why didn’t these shops put people straight back behind the tills once they realised what was going on? Well, perhaps they were making a cost-benefit calculation — writing off stock shrinkage against savings in salaries. Fair enough, but what if it is the lawlessness generated by these policies that has now resulted in thefts in my local sandwich shop? Once theft becomes normalised, it can spread. It is unfair for large retailers to strip their shops of staff and then place the burden of resulting crimes on the state.

That's not convincing, frankly. I use these self-service tills when I have to, yet I've never waltzed into Greggs and swiped a sandwich then walked out without paying. Why do some people do it?  

Sounds Like, For Once, It Went Right!

Neighbours said the incident appeared to have been a 'burglary that went wrong.'

A woman, who lives close the farm, said: 'The farm is in a remote location, quite deep in the valley and set back from the main road.

'I suspect it was an opportunistic burglary that has gone wrong.'

One thieving scumbag dead, another (hopefully) injured severely enough to give up a life of crime. A better result for society than the justice system provides.

Chief Superintendent Dave Kirby, of Derbyshire police, said he believed the incident was a 'targeted attack' and there was no wider risk to the public.

'Residents in the area will see an increased police presence in the area for some time as investigations continue and we will provide further updates as soon as we are able.'

Perhaps if you'd had that presence beforehand this wouldn't have happened. 

Hakuna Matata, Gillian...

Using English names for African wildlife is 'jarring', a BBC Springwatch presenter has claimed. Gillian Burke said she prefers to refer to animals by their traditional Swahili names rather than those commonly used in the broadcaster's acclaimed nature programmes. The 49-year-old speculated that there is an 'inequality' in 'who gets to do the naming' and we are 'unwittingly wielding some form of power by naming wild animals'.

*sighs* Oh, well. A lifetime of reading African safari novels & non-fiction has at least stood me in good stead here! 

Writing in BBC Wildlife magazine, Burke said: 'The English names for East Africa's iconic wildlife - so heavily featured in natural history films and in this magazine - jar, at least to my ear.

'In my own writing I prefer re-introducing these familiar animals by their Swahili names: ndovu (elephant), twiga (giraffe), fisi (hyena) and my personal favourite, because I used to love how my dad said it, kongoni (hartebeest).'

Wait, what? Ndovu? It's Tembo, surely?  

 

It Really Is 'The Land Of Fruits And Nuts'...

UCLA medical school had been condemned by a renowned Harvard doctor for forcing students to take a 'fat-positivity' class.

Yes, you read that right - medical school.

All first year medical students at UCLA are required to read an essay by Marquisele Mercedes, a self-proclaimed 'fat liberationist' who claims that 'fatphobia is medicine's status quo' and that weight loss is a 'hopeless endeavor.'

Just put down the doughnuts, Marquisele! It can be done!

Jeffrey Flier, the former dean of Harvard Medical School and one of the world's foremost experts on obesity, slammed the course and said the curriculum 'promotes extensive and dangerous misinformation.'

UCLA 'has centered this required course on a socialist/Marxist ideology that is totally inappropriate,' said Flier. 'As a longstanding medical educator, I found this course truly shocking.'

If you're only just now shocked by how far prestigious universities have fallen down the DEI rabbit hole, you need to read more. 

The essay by Mercedes details how weight has come to be 'pathologized and medicalized in racialized terms.'

She offers guidance on 'resisting entrenched fat oppression,' according to the course syllabus. Mercedes claims that 'ob*sity' is a slur 'used to exact violence on fat people' - particularly 'Black, disabled, trans, poor fat people.'

Oh, of course! The Alphabet Mob shows up. 

She uses her social media account to voice more of her 'fat-positivity' activism. 'It's so f***ing isolating to be a disabled Black fat person working towards individual and collective liberation,' she wrote in an Instagram post - adding that being fat is a disability.

She has also led presentations on how does 'anti-fatness show up in the work you do' - which she says includes using 'fear-mongering language in order to encourage healthy eating and physical activity.' Mercedes also taught students in a public health seminar that 'fat people are forced to contend with anti-fatness every day in every domain across the lifespan.'

Which lifespan is going to be pretty short, so every cloud, eh, Marquisele? 

She can't even carry the other lunatics in Cali:

Nicholas Christakis is a sociologist who has spent decades providing medical care to underserved communities - including in the South Side of Chicago. He has called the curriculum 'nonsensical' and says that the course is 'embarrassing to UCLA.'

I think it's immune, Nicholas. 

This Is A Good Thing...

...not a mark of disaster.

The YouGov survey for the Department of Politics at Royal Holloway University of London found 24 per cent of Londoners aged 18 to 24 were not aware of this legal requirement for local and regional elections in England and at the general election.

Because frankly, if they are so incurious as to have ignored all the adverts, the posters (one went up in my Tube station last week) and the mailshots, not to mention all the MSM and social media campaigns, then they are people who shouldn't deserve a vote, and if they are turned away, it can only improve society. 

This compares to four per cent of Londoners aged 65 and over having this lack of awareness about the need for photo ID, seven per cent for 50 to 64-year-olds, and 13 per cent for the 25-49 age group.

And these will have been people voting without it for most of their lives. They've managed. Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  

Streaming TV: Moon Knight (Disney+)

Disney+ has been an absolute powerhouse for Marvel, and clearly the back catalogue is vast, so I was a bit surprised they went with this particular character. 

I did at least know the character and some of the backstory this time, though it was never a series I read, as he turned up in lots of other comics I was reading at the time. But I was surprised at the choice. And the very first trailer - introducing us to Oscar Isaac's rather strange interpretation of an English accent - didn't really make me say 'Wow! Got to catch this one!'.

But of course, I did, and was hooked! The main protagonists worked well, and F Murray Abraham's Khonshu was a delight! And there were some inspired musical choices. I see a second season isn't on the cards, and that's a real pity.

It's Why Everyone Else Joined, Surely?

A new bill in the state, known as SB 375, was being pored over on Monday by legislators, LGBTQ groups and educators before the state Education Committee. It is one of two bills in the state that would ban transgender girls from competing on sports teams aligning with their gender identity.

Just the 'girls'? Is that because no 'men' try this trick, perchance? That should tell you someing in and of itself, shouldn't it?

Trans teen Maelle Jacques, who was born a male and previously won a girl's high jump state championship, insisted she didn't join female sports to win outright.

I think that's similar to 'saying the quiet part out loud, 'Michelle'... 

Jacques told the hearing: 'I'm here to testify in opposition of SB375. Throughout my entire life, sports have been an integral part to my belonging.

Her testimony continued: 'Playing soccer since the age of three, when I began my transition in the sixth grade my school welcomed me onto the girls team.

'This act of being part of the team allowed me to skip through the phase of social ostracization. The other girls accepted me as who I was.

'Being part of the team allowed me to be seen as normal, where everywhere else I could be perceived as a pariah.

'I didn't join sports with the goal of dominating competition or being better than anyone else.

Did you ever ask the real girls if that was true for them?  

'No one would go through the bullying and self hatred of transition purely to win a sport, especially woman's sports, which are under appreciated in our nation.

'I joined because it is something I am passionate about and enjoy. If banned from sports teams and locker rooms, joining male teams wouldn't be a choice for me.'

Why The Kid Glove Treatment?

Yesterday, as the horrific events unfolded in Hainault, I spent a fair amount of time on social media, correcting idiots who demanded the police should shoot the attacker dead 'like they would if it was a dog on the rampage' and not worry about taking him alive. 

Not how justice is done here, I informed them, do we really want the police to act like a Third World Police Force or something out of a dystopian movie? Let justice be done properly, I said.

Boy, do I feel like an idiot now! 

He has since been arrested on suspicion of murder, although police are yet to question the suspect as he remains in hospital being treated for injuries sustained in the van crash.

Yes, you read that right. A man who rampaged around the streets attacking and murdering random people, jumping over fences and climbing on top of garages for 20 minutes after crashing the van, is apparently too frail to be questioned. 

'He was running around, still after the police officers came, with the sword in his hand.'

You couldn't make it up, could you? 

Tweet Of The Month

Post Title Of The Month

Longrider on what may be a cunning publicity stunt:

Quote Of The Month

David Thompson feels the same way I do about a once but no longer 'must-visit' website ruined by progressives:

"I’ve said before, regarding the pop-culture site io9, the more insufferably woke the site has become, the more generic and unwritten its content feels. By which I mean, it was once possible to stumble across lengthy articles on niche pop-culture subjects, often written with an affectionate expertise. Now, however, it’s difficult to differentiate one contributor from another. The content doesn’t read as if anyone in particular wrote it. It’s flavourless, uniform in its politics and ideological assumptions, both pointedly announced, and uniform in its tone. It might as well be generated by an algorithm."

Post Of The Month

Head Rambles struggles with relacitrant technology and as someone who recently upgraded to a new fibre-broadband router and still hasn't placated all her gadgets sufficiently, I feel his pain! 

He Can't 'Arf Pick 'Em!

West Lancashire MP Ms Dalton, who entered the Commons in a 2023 by-election, was promoted by Sir Keir Starmer in November to Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities.

But yesterday she was derided for her Twitter postings on trans issues and self-identification. In 2016, she was asked by somebody in one Twitter exchange if a person decided they were a llama, should other people take them seriously. Ms Dalton replied: 'Yes. And treat you with dignity and respect.'

So, no asking them to tote your luggage in that case, then?  

Might as well make yourself useful, Jocasta.... 

Labour sources hit back last night, stressing that her comments dated from before she was an MP and that the party had no plans to introduce self-identification of gender.

Which, given they are saying it before they are in power, means nothing.  

Ooh, That Time Has Come Round Again!

It's my blogiversary, so consider this, in the immortal words of David Thompson, an 'open thread'. 

Your landlady is taking the day off!

Do Local News Editors Count On Their Fingers?

"In the early hours of Tuesday morning, October 13, 1914, a train of fifty trucks, filled with goods destined for the London shops and markets, and pulled by the latest pattern engine from the Eastleigh works, crashed headlong into a stationary line of trucks on the same line near Andover Junction."

Mathematicians (no, not you Diane, sit down!) will be quick to spot the glaring error there. Where have 10 years disappeared to? 

Aha! Found them and updated the website.

Whew! I'm sure no-one noticed, Andover Advertiser... 

H/T: Ian J via email

Them's The Brakes, I Guess!

*sigh*

H/T: Stephen Brown via email

Sunday Funnies...

 It's not 'just a game' everywhere...

We Can't Persuade The Buyers....

...so we'll go to the source:

Healthier ready-to-eat meals could cut EU emissions by 48m tonnes annually and save customers €2.8bn (£2.4bn) each year, as well as reducing disease, a report has found. Fast food and ready meals provide more than a sixth of the EU’s calories but contain far more salt and meat than doctors recommend, according to an analysis from the consultancy Systemiq commissioned by environmental nonprofit organisations Fern and Madre Brava.

So much for the labelling systems - given a choice, customers buy what they like, not what government says they should buy. Are you listening, electric car manufacturers? 

“Making ready meals healthier and more sustainable is a no-regrets policy,” said Eduardo Montero Mansilla from the Spanish Consumers and Users’ Federation, one of 10 non-governmental organisations that co-authored the report. “We can improve the health of people and the planet at affordable prices.”

The report explored the effects of making big food companies comply with diets from the World Health Organization, which aims to avoid malnutrition and non-communicable disease, and the EAT-Lancet Commission, which tries to reduce environmental as well as human harm. In both cases, they found that ready-to-eat meals would need to contain about half as many refined grains and two-thirds less meat, on average, as well as “significantly” more legumes.

So at least this will have one good effect if it's ever implimented - people will go back to cooking for themselves, so they can have food with meat and flavour.  

“We are currently living in a diet-related health crisis,” said Alba Gil from the European Public Health Alliance, which co-authored the report. “Our dietary habits shape our health, and therefore our future. It makes only sense that policymakers regulate the environments where we consume food to make it healthy and affordable by design.”

It only makes sense to people with a powerful urge to make others conform by crushing their free will. I thought we had a name for people like that?  

The NGOs called on the EU to require big food companies to comply with health and sustainability guidelines for ready-made meals sold in the EU. The report did not analyse how consumers would respond to such a proposal.

Because it already knows. It can see how they react in other markets!  

And Let's All Hope It's Not The Last...

Marcus is a German citizen with pre-settled status in the UK, where he lives with his family: his partner, Holly Cullen-Davies, and his two stepchildren. Any non-citizen who has been sentenced to at least 12 months in prison is, unless they successfully appeal, automatically deported to their country of origin. According to the immigration charity Settled, this appears to be “the first time in the UK that the power of deportation has been used after a criminal conviction flowing from a protest.”

Good. Living in the country isn't a right, it's a privilege. Abuse it, and get sent back where you came from.

Holly, a concert pianist and choir leader, cannot move to Germany: her children need to be close to their dad, and she’s committed to looking after her parents. I met them for the first time last week, and I’ve seldom come across such a devoted couple. But unless Marcus can successfully appeal, their right to family life will be cruelly snatched away.

Actions have consequences, George, boo hoo!  

Holly told me: “It’s impossibly sad to face the possibility that we’ll be separated for life. It feels like an intolerable punishment for the whole family.”

This is just one example of the vindictiveness of a flailing political class seeking to snuff out democratic challenge.

He didn't decide to 'offer a democratic challenge' though, did he? He didn't stand for office, or organise a petition - he climbed an important piece of infrastructure and inconvenienced thousands, to try to force his own viewpoint on others. That's the very opposite of democratic, 

Climate campaigners have recently been deprived of their right to explain their motives to a jury, so now they are tried as if they were mindless vandals. Those who have sought to explain nonetheless have been imprisoned for contempt of court. The 69-year-old Trudi Warner is being prosecuted at the government’s behest for holding a placard stating an accepted fact of British law: that juries have a right to act according to their conscience.

And it hasn't stopped her, because she was at the side entrance to Snaresbrook Crown Court when I arrived for jury service on Wednesday morning the week before last.  

The home secretary could cancel Marcus’s deportation with one stroke. So far, 157,000 people have signed a petition urging him to do so. As injustice is piled upon injustice, a great cruelty is being done. We need our Robin Hoods.

Robin Hood (allegedly) robbed from the rich to give to the poor - he didn't stop the poor earning an honest living.  

It Should Have Been A Cull, Not A Ban...

“I think people assume that there are really few of these dogs around. I think people think this is generally confined to poorer neighbourhoods but it can happen anywhere.

“I felt sorry for the man. These may be loving pets but he was completely powerless. These dogs are so strong. “It was awful. The smaller dog looked like a rag on the floor not a dog. “Even if these dogs have to wear muzzles in public, they can still escape from their homes. We will see more of these attacks.”

I don'r feel sorry for the man, I reserve that for the small dog owner who - through no fault of her own - has lost her own pet and suffered injury vainly trying to save it.  

The two XL bullies were seized by Sussex Police. The force said they are holding them in a secure kennel while an order for their destruction is sought “to ensure the safety of the public”.

The only good thing the ban has done is ensured the police cannot (as they would have done before) fob off victims with 'it's just dog on dog' and they will now put down the doughnuts and turn out. But then they will take the mutts alive and let them soak up taxpayer cash in kennels, instead of shooting them on the spot. 

I Don't Think That's What's Meant By 'Traditional'...

The owner of an Indian restaurant which has been given a zero-star rating by council inspectors said the venue "deserves at least a four."

Sounds more like it deserves a closure order! What's the point of a rating like this if you can still carry on serving up platefuls of  Delhi belly..? 

Spice City in Liverpool city centre has been popular with generations of diners, with the Stanley Street restaurant promising on its website to "tantalise your taste buds in both our classic dishes and our exclusive Spice City Specials."

Council inspectors, though, were less than impressed when they visited last month. They slapped the venue with the lowest possible rating, with the results published on the Food Standards Authority website reflecting the need for "major" and "urgent" improvements in a number of areas.In the most recent inspection, on March 6, inspectors raised concerns over hygienic food handling, the cleanliness and condition of the facilities and building and management of food safety.

Yikes!  

When contacted by the ECHO for a response, boss Niz Islam said he did not accept the rating was fair. He said: "I've been here for 18 years. I feel like I'm being unfairly marked. Last time they made me pay 900 quid just to replace a broken fridge."

Why did you have a broken fridge? You should have had a working one. 

Speaking to the ECHO in 2019, Mr Islam said: "We find the older generation still love a good, proper curry. We have a lot of loyal regulars who say no matter what, they will always favour a traditional Indian curry."

With traditional Indian food poisoning?  

I'm So Glad I Never Clapped For Them...

A retired nurse died after hospital staff mixed her up with a patient on a 'Do Not Resuscitate' notice. Pat Dawson, 73, was fit and healthy and had had no medical treatment in 30 years before suffering a suspected bowel obstruction, her family told an inquest. The widow and grandmother was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital by ambulance but died after she collapsed and staff stopped attempts to resuscitate her following a look at 'her' notes.

 And 'her' is in inverted comments there because the person to whom the DNR was relevant was a man.

By the time medics realised that a mix-up had left them reading a DNR report relating to a 90-year-old man, it was too late to save her. The inquest heard that staff failed to check the NHS number on Mrs Dawson's wristband or even the gender and age on the notes.

The NHS - the place where you can ignore all safeguards and get away with it by pleading 'overwork'.  

Emergency consultant Ahmad Alabood called the tragedy an 'honest mistake because [staff] were rushing' when the unit was 'over-stretched and over-crowded'.

Oh, they were rushing? Well, forget the fact someone's dead, eh? 

The inquest also heard details from an internal report by the hospital trust, which warned: 'Given the relentless pressure on A&E departments, the investigation is concerned that a similar event could occur in the future.'

Utterly shameless. And why shouldn't they be? In any other industry, say, building or engineering, someone would be going to prison or facing a huge fine at the very least. In the NHS, however... 

Mrs Dawson's son, John, told the inquest in Accrington: 'I know that our mum would have been horrified by how the system she gave her life to failed her.

'It is beyond belief the catastrophic way in which she was failed, not only by one individual but by doctors who have sworn the Hippocratic oath to do no harm, and our mum paid the ultimate price.'

Unfortunately, it's not 'beyond belief' at all, and it'll continue not to be until NHS staff face proper  consequences. 

Maybe Kier Starmer Isn't As Bad As I Thought...

Sir Keir Starmer has been accused of not listening to the Labour party’s adviser on race relations.

Baroness Lawrence of Clarendon, who is the mother of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence, is reported to have told a private meeting of Labour’s ethnic minority MPs and peers on Tuesday: “I wish Keir listened to me.”

It's to his credit that he doesn't, Frankly, we've all heard rather too much from you. And we've certainly spent far too much taxpayer money on you, yet I see we are about to waste even more. 

It is alleged Baroness Lawrence complained of “gatekeepers” around the Labour leader who had prevented her work,The Times reported, and said she no longer knew how to respond to complaints about the party from black and minority ethnic voters.

The way she always responds, I assume - excuse them anything if they are black. 

Her remarks — at a behind-closed-doors meeting of the black, Asian and minority ethnic section of the parliamentary Labour Party — come amidmounting disquiet about the treatment of Black and Asian Labour MPs and voters including long-standing investigation into Diane Abbott, Britain’s first black female MP.

She's not being investigated for the colour of her skin, but for the content of her character. A wise man once had something pithy to say about that. 

Why Are We Importing Trouble?

A Muslim teaching assistant who claimed that being given the Christmas Grinch prize at a staff award ceremony amounted to religious discrimination has lost his employment tribunal case. Salah Toughfar said he was 'upset and distressed' to have been compared to the Dr Seuss character - despite not know (sic) anything about the mean-tempered creature until a colleague showed him a Wikipedia description.

You have to wonder how someone in a school environment could possibly claim that... 

Mr Toughfar, a practising Muslim from Morocco, began working at The Grove School in north London in April 2020, an employment tribunal was told.

Ah. Why on earth did they need to import stroppy muslims from another country? It's not like we are short of them here, is it?  

The Search Education Trust-run school is a specialist free school for students aged five to 19 with a primary diagnosis of autism, and is 'diverse', with pupils and staff from all backgrounds, the Watford tribunal heard.

Wonderful.  

The learning support assistant, who still works at the school, told the tribunal he got involved in school Christmas activities such as putting up decorations in class as part of his role, but would not have a Christmas dinner.

He can't have been that upset if he still works there!  

Mr Toughfar, who was represented by his wife at the hearing, had previously received the Prankster Award, which he did not raise an issue about at the time, the tribunal was told.

Is his wife a lawyer, then?  

Judge Dilbaag Bansal said Mr Toughfar had 'not put forward any evidence whatsoever that his being awarded the Christmas Grinch award was either because of or related to his religion. 'The tribunal was satisfied that the reason why he received the Christmas Grinch award was because he had received the highest number of votes at the point the voting had closed.'

When even the other diversity hires won't support you, it's a lost cause.  

But It's Not A Person...

...so it's nothing of the sort. Any more than winding up a company is 'murder'. Good grief, it's like saying if my auntie had balls she'd be my uncle (if that's even a saying that's still valid these days).

It is a global company with more than two centuries of managing money but for Abrdn jokes in the media about the lack of vowels in its name is no laughing matter. After changing its name three years ago, an executive at the fund manager formerly known as Standard Life Aberdeen has accused the media of “corporate bullying” that would not be acceptable if the business was a person.

Good grief! 

“Would you do that with an individual? How would you look at a person who makes fun of your name day-in day-out? It’s probably not ethical to do it. But apparently with companies it is different,” he added.

Has he forgotten the artist formerly known as Prince then? He got tons of stick! As did Snoop Dog when he requested a name change to Snoop Lion. 

...it settled on Abrdn in the spring of 2021, prompting scorn from City analysts, linguists and the press, who joked the company was experiencing “irritable vowel syndrome”, and was trying to be “too cool for schl”, and that the decision was “rlly stpd”.

All very amusing.  

Doesn't Cambridgeshire Nick Have Access To A Dictionary?

If they do have one, they might find it useful to look up the word 'deterrant':

Campaigners have accused police of 'caring more about protecting a predator than women' after they refused to name or picture a depraved pervert who they fear is a 'risk to women'.

Cambridgeshire Police said a man in his 30s, from Peterborough, has been slapped with a Sexual Risk Order after displaying 'very concerning and escalating' behaviour over a number of years. This includes paying sex workers to pander to his fetishes such as licking his boots while he performs sexual acts on himself. During one incident, a woman was forced to assault the predator to escape.

I'm only surprised they didn't charge her with something... 

While the order now bans him from entering a specific area of Peterborough city centre between 7pm and 7am for the next two years, police have refused to identify him to the public.

Can't be expected to do any work if no-one can tell you he's breached it, eh? Well played, lazy cops, well played... 

When MailOnline quizzed the police force about how anyone would recognise the pervert, they said: 'While no court order was made to prohibit the naming of the man, we have chosen not to release this information as we do not believe it is proportionate given he has not been convicted of any criminal offences and the [Sexual Risk Order] was intended as a deterrent.'

It's no such thing if no-one knows who to watch out for, is it? 

 Here, look it up! 

People might wonder why you put out a press release at all, if it's worse than useless...

The force said the purpose of their press release about the man was 'for public information and to highlight the action taken by the local Neighbourhood Policing Team'.

Ah, I see. You wanted the kudos of having 'done something' without realising it made you look like a partisan laughing stock.