BORIS TALKS WITH BIDEN
The Express reports: Boris Johnson has spoken with US President Joe Biden, Downing Street has confirmed, with the global fight against coronavirus and the vaccine rollout programme top of the agenda. A Downing Street spokeswoman said: ‘The Prime Minister spoke to President Joe Biden this afternoon. The leaders discussed the fight against coronavirus and updated each other on their countries’ vaccine rollouts. Mr Biden ruffled feathers during his first press conference as US President after indirectly referring to the Irish potato famine, and perhaps mindful of this, Mr Johnson had taken the opportunity to discuss the importance of peace in Northern Ireland.Both leaders also reiterated their shared commitment to protecting the Good Friday Agreement.
NICKS’S IN THE NICK
The Guardian reports that a senior army officer has been jailed for 21 months for falsely claiming almost £50,000 in allowances to pay for his children’s boarding school fees. Maj Gen Nick Welch, who is believed to be the most senior officer to face a court martial since 1815, was convicted of a single charge of fraud following a four-week trial at Bulford military court in Wiltshire. Judge advocate general Alan Large said the panel of senior officers sentenced Welch, on the basis the defendant behaved dishonestly throughout. As well as the custodial sentence, to be served in a civilian prison, Welch was retrospectively dismissed from the army, meaning he will not be able to benefit from the rank of retired major general. He was also ordered to pay back the fraudulently claimed money.
PROTESTS CONTINUE IN BRISTOL
From the Telegraph: Protesters launched glass bottles and eggs at police in Bristol on Friday night as more than 1,000 people came out for the third time in under a week for another ‘Kill the Bill’ demonstration. Avon and Somerset Police said arrests were made after projectiles were thrown at officers. Demonstrators had amassed in the city centre to show their opposition to the Government’s Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will see the police handed new powers to tackle demonstrations. For several hours a group of more than 1,000 protesters wended their way through the often small back streets of the city without any clear route or destination. At around 10pm police began to move in on demonstrators who had gathered outside Bridewell Police Station, which had been attacked by protesters on Sunday night.
YOUNG PEOPLE DEMAND SCHOOLS REFORM THEIR CURRICULUM
The Guardian reports that hundreds of schools across England are reforming their curriculum to reflect the achievements of black and minority ethnic people and address the harmful legacy of colonialism after a groundswell of demand from young people. In the absence of government-led change to the national curriculum, grassroots groups have offered schemes to help schools improve. More than 660 schools in England have signed up to a diverse and anti-racist curriculum developed by teachers and council staff in the London borough of Hackney, for example. Titled the Diverse Curriculum – the Black Contribution, it provides pupils aged five to 14 with nine weeks of lessons on subjects including the Windrush generation, activism, British identity, and diversity in the arts and science.
PUPILS DEFEND TEACHERS ACTIONS
The Times reports that a petition to save the job of a teacher suspended for showing a class a caricature of the Prophet Muhammad has received thousands of signatures after pupils defended his actions. The petition was set up by children at Batley Grammar School, near Bradford, which remained closed on Thursday and switched to online learning as a second day of protests took place outside. Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, criticised the demonstrations and said it was very disturbing that the teacher was now in hiding. It comes after Gavin Williamson’s education department said such protests were completely unacceptable.
PATEL PLANS TO SPEED UP DEPORTATION OF FOREGN CRIMINALS
The Times reports that Priti Patel will bring in powers to speed up the deportation of foreign criminals in prisons and the 10,000 freed inmates who are eligible for removal. The home secretary will expand the early removal scheme (ERS) to allow such prisoners to be deported up to a year before the end of their sentence. At present the limit is nine months. There are more than 9,000 foreign criminals in jails in England and Wales, more than a tenth of all inmates. When foreign offenders are released from prison before deportation arrangements have been made, it becomes harder for the authorities to keep track of them and implement removal orders. The number of freed foreign criminals eligible for deportation is 10,373 which is a record high.
POLICE WON’T STOP OR ARREST HOLIDAY BAN BREAKERS
From the Daily Mail: People leaving the country in breach of the Government’s holiday ban will not be stopped or arrested by police, a senior officer has confirmed. Under the new coronavirus regulations coming into force on Monday, people leaving England without a valid reason could face a £5,000 fine. National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) chairman Martin Hewitt said officers would hand out the penalties to anyone found flouting the rules to go on holiday. However, he said barring anyone from travelling is a matter for the UK Border Force, adding: We are not simply going to arrest people because they are trying to leave the country.’
CAMERON CLEARED BY WATCHDOG
The London Evening Standard reports that former Prime Minister David Cameron has been cleared of breaking lobbying rules following claims he tried to persuade Government figures to grant loans to a financial firm he worked for. The investigation by the lobbying watchdog concluded that Mr Cameron was an employee of Greensill Capital and so was not required to declare himself on the register of consultant lobbyists. His activities were investigated by Harry Rich, the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists – a post set up in legislation passed by Mr Cameron’s Government in 2014.
RALLY TO OUR FLAG SAYS ALEX SALMOND
The London Evening Standard reports that Scotland’s former First Minister Alex Salmond is seeking to make a dramatic return to Holyrood as the leader of the new pro-independence Alba Party. Mr Salmond confirmed he will be standing for the party on the North East regional list section in May’s Scottish Parliament election. Launching the new party in an online event, the former SNP leader said: Today Alba are hoisting a flag in the wind, planting our Saltire on a hill. In the next few weeks we will see how many will rally to our standard.”
SCOTS NOT BOTHERED BY RECENT HOLYROOD ROW
The Daily Record writes that a new opinion poll has shown that Scots would only vote to be an independent country if they knew membership of the European Union was guaranteed. The survey, conducted by Survation, shows that 53 per cent of the more than 2,000 people asked would agree to separation from the UK if joining the EU was granted. If the guarantee is removed then 51 per cent of voters would answer No if the question asked was, should Scotland be an independent country? Polling guru Professor Sir John Curtice of Strathclyde University said the latest poll shows how split Scots are on the constitutional question and added, ‘all the polls are roughly around 50/50 at the moment and there is increasing evidence the whole row has not made much difference.’
TAKE CARE SAYS FORMER FIRST MINISTER – NI VIOLENCE COULD RETURN
The Independent reports that a Unionist leader is warning of violence returning to Northern Ireland, claiming Brexit is being used to force through huge political change without consent. Peter Robinson, a former First Minister at Stormont, said leaders must recognise the odour of betrayal in the air, saying: ‘We all know where that leads.’ The Northern Ireland Protocol – which has created a trade border in the Irish Sea to protect the EU single market – would lead to laws in the province being made in a Dublin-influenced EU, Unionists fear. ‘There are forces using the exigencies of Brexit to advance a programme of constitutional change through stealth and propaganda,’ Mr Robinson said in a newspaper article. ‘My advice to those who are driving this agenda forward is as short as it is restrained. Take care.’
RIFFING OFF EACH OTHER BETTER THAN WORKING FROM HOME SAYS SUNAK
From the Telegraph: Workers must be allowed to return to the office or they may vote with their feet and quit, the Chancellor has warned. Rishi Sunak has declared working from home inferior to convening with colleagues in the workplace, which fosters meetings that happen by chance and people riffing off each other. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he urged companies that have benefitted from the pandemic, collectively amassing cash reserves of more than £100 billion, to embark on an investment and hiring spree to fuel the economic recovery.
AND FINALLY
From the Telegraph: GCHQ has released its toughest ever puzzle to commemorate the launch of the new Alan Turing £50 note.The 12-part puzzle on GCHQ’s website is based on imagery and wording from the new £50 note, unveiled by the Bank of England. Printed on the image of a line of ticker tape – denoting the paper tape used by code breakers in Bletchley Park during the Second World War – are a series of ones and zeros. The binary code, once converted into ordinary decimal figures, will reveal a date held in special regard by Britain’s modern day cyber spies.
It just goes to prove how ludicrous our present government is led by an absolute buffoon of the highest order, having thrown money here there and everywhere to support the supposed crisis surrounding Covid 19, it denies financial support of Liberty Steel formerly British Steel. Doesn’t that out of touch fool realise that we need a steel industry in the is country that can be relied upon to produce the materials that we need especially in a time of war, without having to rely on foreign imports. Not a day goes past where this country is not drilled into the ground by this utterly clueless Conservative administration we’re lumbered with. Conservative my foot, they don’t know the meaning of the word and haven’t done any conserving for many a long year. Come on Conservative Party get rid of this numpty and replace him with someone who has got a bit of common sense, otherwise it is going to be goodbye from the electorate.
I truly cannot believe that Boris had a conversation with Biden. Anyone watching the Press Conference last week can see this man is clearly not well. He cannot concentrate and constantly wanders off the subject. It is cruel and indeed sinister that he has been cynically selected in order to make way for a woman who was not selected by her state and did not succeed in any primary.
Clearly something very strange is going on.
HOLYROOD ROW
“The Daily Record writes that a new opinion poll has shown that Scots would only vote to be an independent country if they knew membership of the European Union was guaranteed.”……. Whoever wrote that question for the opinion poll is an simpleton, because Scotland cannot be an independent country in the European Union.
Sorry about the “an” before “simpleton”, I changed “idiot”, but forgot to change the “an” before it to an “a”, word processing is so treacherous.
Yes Ralph that happens to me too. Just goes to show that we both had a good education before the P.C. wreckers moved in.
Opinion polls are always biased. Questions are worded in such a way that an answer is bound to fit the organiser’s purpose.
The majority in Scotland voted to remain in the EU but they voted to remain in the Union with England. I’m sure we could each of us devise a way of getting that idiotic answer out of them.
Hoe is being a member of the Fourth Reich independence in any shape or form?
A lot of the Scots must have taken leave of their senses!
Hoe Harry? Implement for breaking large lumps of earth into smaller pieces I believe.
Never mind. I think anyone who answers opinion polls takes a bit of a risk.
Years back I was asked was I British or was I English. She just did not accept my answer that I was both.
Oddly enough, the Census Form this year DID accept that both applied and were correct.
I like your naming the E.U. the Fourth Reich.
So You feel Cameron being cleared is another not proven verdict?Pauline.
On the other hand does it not only confirm his legitimacy in pressing his case for the saving of the British Steel industry, but also the failure of Dishy Rishi to look after the economic interests of the nation?
Yes I understand the point you are making Roger. Bear in mind though Cameron only called the referendum because he believed he could get the remain verdict he wanted, so I am instinctively anti Cameron. Also, I tend to be instinctively anti lawyer and anti watchdog, worried that the EU have corrupted our legal system.
Apologies, I’m wrong on that one. I suspected that British Steel had already been sold out to the EU.
We are told that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. That’s my reaction to todays news. Boris and Biden talk nonentities while Britain and may be USA, descend into chaos.
Bristol rioters throw stuff at the police for a Law that Patel pushed through to give HER more power. Meanwhile she ‘talks tough’ about deportations but actually has nowhere to deport them to.
Education Department have failed to make any reforms so others are taking control to make matters worse.
Cameron being cleared shows that our legal system is also in a mess.
Buydung has his own probs re immigrants, following his own bring ’em all in policy .
”Immigrants are queuing up to get into uSA mister president”.
”Someone must stop them . . . they’re illegal right?” says Alzheimer’s patient.
The Alzheimer’s patient being too busy talking to the Covid Derangement Syndrome patient.