But Stella, What About J K Rowling's 'Independence Of Mind'..?

Oh, really, Stella? Do tell us more...

I think MPs must all have some sort of Altzheimers, because they seem to be incapable of proving themselves utter hypocrites every time they speak...or maybe they are just thick?

Are You Sure You Mean That, Two-Tier?

People-smugglers should be treated like terrorists, Keir Starmer will say on Monday, as he hosts an international summit on organised migration crime in London.

Does he mean we should be employing them to advise the government? Or letting them intern in our spy HQ? 

The summit is the latest initiative in the government’s attempts to cut irregular migration by targeting organised crime.

Ah, a new euphemism. Just what we need!  

Ministers will mark the opening of the summit with a range of new policy measures, including £30m to tackle global trafficking routes and the flows of illicit money which fund them.

Until you do something to reverse the perverse pull factor that keeps them coming, you're just pissing taxpayers' money down the drain. Stop putting them up in hotels and supplying them with free food and medical treatment.  

Instead Of Questioning What Went Wrong With The Finances, Why Not Question What’s Going Wrong With Biology?

The financial threat hanging over English councils, as a result of the last government’s decision to mask special needs overspending with an accounting ruse, is made plain in a Guardian investigation that used freedom of information requests to dig into their accounts. How ministers plan to deal with the £5.2bn debt that will reappear on balance sheets in a year – having been temporarily hidden by the Conservatives – is unknown. But doing nothing is not an option.

Clearly, trying to find out the cause of this increased spending is also not an option. Since no-one appears to be asking the question.  

The alarming mismatch between the steeply rising need for special education and the budgets allocated to pay for it is one of the biggest challenges facing the government – with at least 18 councils at risk of insolvency.

They've known the bill will come due for seven years. Maybe if they'd cut back on DEI nonsense and activist pandering, they'd have a few more pennies in the kitty to pay for it? 

There is no short answer to the question of what went wrong.

As this is the 'Guardian', I'm sure the blame can be laid at the feet of the previous government, can't it? 

But reforms brought in under David Cameron are responsible for pitting families against councils in the struggle for additional support – while central government sits on the sidelines.

Thought so!  

Between 2015-16 and 2024-25, high‑needs funding in England rose by 59% or £4bn to nearly £11bn.

Why? For the love of god, doesn't anyone ask WHY?! 

But Maybe It Isn't, Maybe You Actually Are..?

A poster spotted on Upminster Station. What do you notice about it? 

No, not that, that's only to be expected in modern advertising these days. No, I meant the automatic assumption that there's a hidden reality behind the claim, and that it's always a lie. But is it? And does it help to try to persuade people of that, when it might simply be accurate, and the person is overqualified? 

It's being pushed by a Lottery Money-funded fakecharity, of course, so you'll see it popping up everywhere, no doubt.

Cover Me! 'She'

The immediately recognisable vocals of Elvis Costello breathing new life into this Gallic classic by Charles Aznavour.

It’s Never Been About ‘Representation’…

...it's been about rubbing everyone's nose in it.

Criticisms that Doctor Who has become too “woke” prove the series is doing the right thing by being inclusive, its new star Varada Sethu has said. Sethu plays the Doctor’s latest travelling companion, Belinda Chandra, in new episodes airing this month. With Ncuti Gatwa returning as the Doctor, the pairing marks the first time a Tardis team will comprise solely people of colour.

And as Tim points out, this is something people not having to face market pressures can say with impunity. Those facing commercial pressures learn the hard way.  

Speaking about the milestone, Sethu told the Radio Times: “Ncuti was like, ‘Look at us. We get to be in the Tardis. We’re going to piss off so many people.’”

“Woke just means inclusive, progressive and that you care about people. And, as far as I know, the core of Doctor Who is kindness, love and doing the right thing.”

And nothing says 'kindness' more than gloating that your presence will upset and annoy people you don't like, I'm sure we can all agree. 

But this is a trend in entertainment now - it's no longer sufficient to make a classic, beloved book or story if you aren't also using it to stick your thumb in the eye of the people you despise. 

I suppose we should be greatful for small mercies, and that the sex of Lewis's main character is the only thing they are changing...

Meet the new Aslan! 

 

If It Took You A Decade To Realise What Was Going On…

...then your general intelligence level should be of more concern than your sexuality.

Ben says his ordeal started in his early 20s, after he was invited to attend Bible studies with an elder from his church. These started off as innocuous religious seminars, but Ben says things quickly changed and the elder started exerting control over what clothes he wore and how he styled his hair - encouraging him to wear what was seen as traditional masculine styles. He says he stopped the sessions after the elder started forcing him to make himself sick by tasting a bitter liquid whenever he had sexual thoughts or urges about other men. Ben told BBC News it took more than a decade to realise he'd been subjected to conversion practices, despite living with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as he struggled to confront what had happened to him.

This is a result of a Stonewall survey aiming to throw light on conversion tactics. Because, of course,  you-know-who are kicking up a fuss about them:

Both surveys suggested that trans and non-binary respondents were more likely to say they had experienced some form of conversion therapy. Results from Stonewall's research suggest that 38% of trans and non-binary respondents had experienced physical assault in an attempt to alter their gender identity.

Makes a nice change from them receiving fawning acceptance and encouragement from the medical and psychological professions... 

In February, the then-women and equalities minister, Anneliese Dodds, told the Women and Equalities Committee that draft legislation outlawing conversion practices would be brought forward before the end of the parliamentary session this summer. Some campaigners and politicians have shared concerns that a ban could criminalise parents, therapists or teachers for questioning a young person's gender identity.

Does anyone ever do that these days? Certainly doesn't appear they are allowed to already!  

The Piper Always Has To Be Paid Eventually…

The staggering cost of England’s special educational needs and disability (Send) crisis shows no sign of easing. A Guardian investigation has revealed councils will overspend on Send services by nearly £2bn over the next year, pushing their accumulated deficits to at least £5.2bn by 31 March 2026. The date is crucial because that is when the £5.2bn debt, hidden away off local authority books using an accounting fix for seven years, is due to come back on to the balance sheets, threatening to instantly bankrupt scores of town halls.

They've had seven years of knowing this axe was going to fall, and what have they done, except spend like drunken sailors on DEI nonsense and pandering to every crazy activist in the area? 

The government faces a massive headache: not just what to do about the rapidly increasing billions of historic Send debt, but how to keep a lid on future Send spending, which shows no sign of abating.

And is anyone asking why this is? Why are a growing number of children requiring SEND assistance? Wouldn't that be a sensible thing to do?  

City of York council, the only authority surveyed by the Guardian that is projecting its accumulated Send budget deficit to move into surplus next year, was sceptical about keeping its head above water in future. “Unless the system is changed, we will go back into deficit quite quickly,” said Bob Webb, York council’s executive member for children, young people and education.

Bob doesn't seem too surprised or even concerned at anything about this, except the bottom line for his funding. He's not the only one. 

Mike Cox, the deputy leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole council, whose forecast deficit will hit £168m by 31 March 2026, up £60m in a year, predicts: “[Government] is going to keep kicking the can down the road. The only thing that will change is that the can will get bigger and harder to kick.”

Maybe you should be shouting about where the can came from in the first place instead? 

The Weather Might Be, But The Population Is Starting To Resemble Them More

Although we are trying to replicate Uganda and Kenya we are actually in Cheshire so the weather is slightly different,” admits Chester zoo boss, Jamie Christon, on a fresh and very grey Monday morning.

This is what they were building when I visited Chester for a long weekend last year. It's a breathtaking undertaking, huge in scope, and the zoo itself was already massive. Also absolutely the best zoo in the UK. 

But ignore the chilliness and screw your eyes and you could well be transported to a sweeping African savannah where, one day, there will be giraffes, zebras, antelopes and ostriches roaming majestically side by side. Christon is speaking at the launch of the UK’s biggest ever such zoo development – a £28m facility called Heart of Africa. It covers just over 9 hectares (22.5 acres) and is home to 57 African species including vultures, rhinos, a colony of naked mole rats and 15,000 locusts.

Chester was a lovely town, but already beginning to show signs that the diversity is heading its way... 

Defence Barristers Don't Have Qualifications In Psychiatry Now Do They?

He suggested the only logical conclusion jurors should draw was that “something has gone seriously wrong in his mind”.

Surely the normal way of trying to get your immigrant sex pest off on insanity is to get an actual qualified expert to testify that he's nuts? Well, whatever, it certainly worked: 

Jurors found Frexit innocent of all charges by reason of insanity.

Perhaps someone should be looking to see how sane they are?

However he remains in custody until a hearing next month, when the judge must decide whether to impose a hospital order, a supervision order or an absolute discharge.

How about a one-way ticket back to Romania? 

H/T: IanJ via email

I’m Shocked, Shocked..!

And I know you will be too, Reader:

Recruitment agents who scam foreign nationals applying to work in the UK care sector have been exposed by BBC secret filming. One of the rogue agents is a Nigerian doctor who has worked for the NHS in the field of psychiatry.

At least the BBC are doing something worthwhile with the licence fee, you may think. But of course, as I read on, it becomes apparents that they are doing it not to sympathise with the ripped off Brits, but the Third Worlders cruelly deprived of a ticket to the UK gravy train. 

Reports of immigration scams have increased since a government visa scheme - originally designed to let foreign medical professionals work in the UK - was broadened in 2022 to include care workers.

Because no-one wants to work for the low wages the care companies pay, of course. 

The BBC began investigating him following a series of online complaints about his relocation services.

Complaints from people with relatives in care homes? No. Don't be silly.  

Praise - from south-east Nigeria and in his mid 30s - was one of those who complained, claiming he paid Dr Alaneme more than £10,000 ($13,000) for a job in the UK. He says he was told he was going to be working with a care company called Efficiency for Care, based in Clacton-on-Sea. It was only when he arrived that he realised the job didn't exist.

"If I had known there was no job, I would have not come here," he says. "At least back home in Nigeria, if you go broke, I can find my sister or my parents and go and eat free food. It's not the same here. You will go hungry."

Or you'll shoplift from Greggs, which seems far more likely.  

Efficiency for Care's sponsorship licence was revoked in July 2023. The care company can no longer recruit from abroad, but continues to operate. It told the BBC it strongly refutes the allegation it colluded with Dr Alaneme. It said it believed it lawfully recruited staff from Nigeria and other countries. It has challenged the Home Office's revocation of its sponsorship licence, it said, and the matter is now in court.

Costing us - the taxpayer - yet more money.  

Potential Consequences, Donald...

Ouch! Nice one, Matt....

Sunday Funnies...

Unaccountably, they appear to have missed off 'socialism'...

Police Shouldn't Need To Explain By Now....

...we should all be only too sadly aware why they need to deal with these wretched things this way: 

But, if you're wondering why they'd need to explain, it's because it was apparently 'an incident which sparked anger in parts of the community.'. Let's hear what 'the community' is saying, shall we?

One man on social media claimed: "Little men with big guns just shot a dog by Bluebells Wood, I nearly had it on lead until they turned up."

Another contributor asked why: "Don't the police just use tranquiliser guns instead of killing these poor dogs. Breaks my heart."

And finally: "It’s disgusting… shooting two innocent dogs for escaping and having a run round makes my blood boil."

The owner of these mutts is of course raging on Facebook that his dogs 'dindu nuffin' to deserve shooting, but there are clues in his diatribe:

A police spokesperson said they had responded after complaints that horses had been chased and then attacked.

"At 1.25pm today (Monday 31 March), we responded to reports of two dogs, believed to be an XL Bully and a large mixed breed, being dangerously out of control on woodland near Cramfit Road, with no owner at the scene.

"We received reports that the dogs were chasing two horses and one of the horses had been bitten.

"A number of members of the public were in the immediate area, including children who were playing nearby.

"Due to the ongoing risk posed by the dogs to the public, other animals, and our officers, it was necessary to shoot the dogs."

No doubt the owners of those horses will concur, as will anyone who has seen what these things can do when their blood is up - just ask the neighbours of the late Ian Price. Or the people of Basildon who watched two of them fight to the death, while police scrambled to get children to safety in their cars. Or the owners in Newtonards who had their bully dog turn on them, prompting PSNI to turn up and shoot it. Or closer to Rotherham, even, where cops responding to reports of an illegal firearm were confronted by one of these living weapons, resulting in a wounded one escaping. 

And, reader, those last three incidents were all just yesterday's reports!  

The spokesperson said they had launched an investigation into "how the dogs became loose. Anyone with information is asked to get in touch online or by calling 101, quoting incident number 429 of 31 March 2025."

Well, get onto Facebook then, since the idiot's identified himself for you.  

And Now I Want A Tattoo…

Is there anything that doesn't offend Muslims?

Some people on social media criticized Hegseth for getting a tattoo that could be considered offensive to Muslims, especially as the US military seeks to represent a diverse pool of faiths.

“This isn’t just a personal choice; it’s a clear symbol of Islamophobia from the man overseeing U.S. wars,” posted Nerdeen Kiswani, a pro-Palestinian activist in New York.

She added: “‘Kafir’ has been weaponized by far-right Islamophobes to mock and vilify Muslims.”

You mean, a slur that Muslims use to indicate disdain for other cultures and races is being used against them? You'll pardon me if I feel no sympathy at all.... 

“It’s not about his personal beliefs. It’s about how these beliefs translate into policy – how they shape military decisions, surveillance programs, and foreign interventions targeting Muslim countries.”

I suspect they translate into policy very well, and very usefully.  

And So They Should

This would lead, seven months later, to her suspension from medical school for a year, after she was found to have violated the medical school’s standard of “professional conduct”.

And hopeefully, under the new Trump regime, her expulsion from the country too. 

Back at Emory, Brown, Mohammad’s doctoral adviser, said she was proud of her student. “She’s doing what she’s supposed to do – holding her field accountable to its stated ideals,” Brown said, adding: “She will be Dr Mohammad, one way or the other.”

So she can continue her chosen policy of advocating for terrorist movements? Well, if ICE do boot her out, I suppose there's always Australia.  

Responsible Dog Ownership? Don't Make Me Laugh!

Samantha Leigh (Ed: Ugh...), said as she passed her judgement: 'We agree that the activation of the suspended sentence was not just. We will replace that with a three months extension to your suspended sentence. It would not be appropriate to change other sentence that was imposed.'

She added: 'Mr Fincham you need to be very careful now. It is never the fault of the dog, it is always the owners fault.'

No surprise that Leigh is dumb enough to have swallowed the bloodsport dog Kool Aid to the point where she cheerfully repeats their nonsense soundbites...but surely even she knows a recidivist waste of oxygen when she sees one? 

In March, Jack was spared jail after speeding his £50,000 car during a cocaine binge. He was behind the wheel of his BMW 520D driving down the hard shoulder of the A2 in Kent when he was stopped by police.

Jack later admitted drug driving and driving without due care and attention.

And when his vicious mutt bit two people and he was found guilty, obviously that sentence should have been activated. But in swoops Samantha, who never met a jailbird family she couldn't sympathise with: 

Jack's estranged father Mark Gard has also previously spent time behind bars after he was convicted for distributing cocaine around the country.

What a great family. Their choice of 'pet' makes more sense now. 

Despite past controversies, Jack has continued to defend his pet. He previously faced a backlash for importing Elvis from Russia in 2021, as the dog had cropped ears - a practice illegal in the UK.

A practise that makes them look more menacing - and what sort of person wants that? Exactly! 

More Foreign-Origin Magistrates 'Improving' Our Justice System...

Like a lot of people, the magistrate's remarks on the RAF vandals who ruined the Paddington Bear statue drew a snort of derision from me due to their virtue signalling sentimentality.

"Paddington Bear is a beloved cultural icon with children and adults alike. He represents kindness, tolerance and promotes integration and acceptance in our society.

"His famous label attached to his duffel coat says, 'Please look after this bear' but on the night of 2nd March, your actions were the antithesis of everything Paddington stands for.

"Your actions lacked respect and integrity, two values you should uphold as members of the armed forces."

What I hadn't appreciated was that the magistrate, Sam Goozee, has already featured here - he's the magistrate who let off infamous scofflaw Max Coopey

H/T: Peter Wells via email

Nothing To Worry About, Just Go About Your Lives!

Police were called to a property on the A259 Marina in St Leonards on Thursday (March 20) following concerns over suspected chemicals found at the address. A section of the road was closed, and nearby homes were evacuated. More than 500 cannisters of chemicals were found inside the property, which have now been desensitised and disposed of safely. This included an additional 30 vessels of unidentified substances which are currently being tested.

So, terrorism? *laughs* Of course not! 

A 28-year-old man was arrested and has been detained under the Mental Health Act.

And the police do their best to reassure the population they are on top of things: 

Detective Superintendent Steve May said: “This has been a challenging few days for all involved, particularly those residents evacuated from their homes, and I would like to thank the public for their patience and support during this operation.

“We are doing all we can, with our partners, to bring this incident to a safe resolution and return the area to normality. I am confident the end is now well within sight.

“We are aware of speculation among the public around the full circumstances of this incident, and I would like to reiterate that, at this time, there is nothing to suggest any sinister motivation from the individual who has been detained, nor any ongoing risk to the public.

“There is currently no evidence to suggest any links to terror, extremist ideology or large-scale drug production.

Not really sure what that leaves, DS May.... 

A Fringe Benefit Of Cashless Payments?

After all, we can't say it's because the standard of parenting has got better, can we?

Society's move to cashless payments may have had an unintended positive side effect, surgeons say - fewer children needing operations or procedures to remove swallowed coins. The Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) experts looked back over hospital records in England since the Millennium. Procedures to remove foreign objects, including coins, from children's throats, airways and noses saw a "significant decline", of almost 700 cases by 2022.

I know, correlation is not causation, but... 

But other factors - such as child-proof packaging and safety campaigns - probably also helped reduce cases, especially of objects stuck up the nose.

Yet curiously, these 'other factors' seem to not work with other items! 

But concern is shifting towards other potentially dangerous shiny objects, such as button batteries and magnets, which are now sometimes swallowed by children.

So much for the saviour being technology.  

It’s Only Taxpayers Money Pt 83290122

The family of Sheku Bayoh have reached an out-of-court settlement with Police Scotland after moving to sue the force following his death. Mr Bayoh, 31, died in Kirkcaldy, Fife on May 3, 2015, after he was restrained on the ground by six police officers. His family raised a civil action against Police Scotland three years later.

And the cops have thrown in the towel and are paying them to go away.  

A public inquiry has also been examining the circumstances leading to Mr Bayoh’s death, the investigation into his death and whether or not race was a factor. Police Scotland Chief Constable Jo Farrell met with Mr Bayoh’s family last month and offered an apology to them for their ordeal.A joint statement from Police Scotland and solicitor Aamer Anwar, who has been representing the family, said on Monday a settlement has now been agreed without any admission of liability by the force.

How much? We don't know, it's our money, and we aren't allowed to know. 

The statement said that to “respect the privacy of the family, the details of the agreement will remain confidential”.

The actual rank and file police aren't happy, either. 

A spokesperson for the Scottish Police Federation said the organisation, which represents rank-and-file officers, was “surprised to find that the chief constable has decided to settle this claim”.

The spokesperson said: “As the inquiry continues, it would be inappropriate to say any more at this stage, other than to remind the public that the clear position of the officers involved in the apprehension of Mr Bayoh is that they acted reasonably, in the public interest in the circumstances, given the danger that he presented.”

But with the state of the justice system they don't want to take a chance, and there's always more taxpayer cash where that came from, isn't there? 

'Can Present As A Female'

 ...but not very well!

Police are searching for a wanted person who has been recalled to prison. North Yorkshire Police are searching for Jason Whiteoak, from Selby, who has convictions for serious sexual assault and robbery.

Whiteoak, who can present as female under the name Karla, has also been known by a number of other names. 

Can he? Well, Reader, you be the judge:

I suppose at least Thames Valley Police aren't trying to gaslight us all that he IS a woman called Karla, unlike Surrey Police....

H/T: IanJ via email

The Diversity Doesn't Always Stay In The Inner City...

It has been reported that more than 50 youths armed with knives and machetes ran into Elm Park Primary School's hall, in Havering, Essex, at around 9pm on Saturday.

Yes, Elm Park. I'm very familiar with it. It's my end of the District Line, after all. Not the place you'd expect the inner city diversity to be in great numbers, until you realise this was a birthday party. For diverse youth. The sort of thing that tends to blow up into just this sort of disorder. 

The fighting allegedly lasted until 11pm before three teenagers were arrested on suspicion of assaulting emergency workers.

 Only three?

Footage from the scene shows dozens of children fleeing the hall screaming, as individuals at the back of the room can be seen raising weapons above their heads.

 'Individuals'...

One local resident told the Havering Daily: 'It was total chaos. We saw between 40-50 youths, running through the streets.

'We think they had knives as they were seen dropping weapons in people's drive ways and running away. They were attacking the police and there were so many of them that the police had to just disperse them. We couldn't believe what we saw. They were all aged 16 and over and they were not from here.

'Not from here' in more than one sense, of course.  

'Our road is normally so quiet, things like this don't happen here. This is why we are all so shocked at what has happened.

'We saw the police running after the youths, but due to the large number of them, the only choice they had was to disperse them.

'Our road was closed off for ages due to this and we were told that a serious incident had happened.'

And it'll keep happening, thanks to the transport system that allows the diversity to reach the nicer places..