Current Politics in the United Kingdom

[foxbat1]

Hackney.

[Devius]

George Michael coin unveiled by the Royal Mint

The Royal Mint has unveiled a new collectable coin featuring the late pop star George Michael.

Michael, who grew up in Hertfordshire, formed Wham! with fellow Bushey Meads School pupil Andrew Ridgeley.

The collectable features a headshot of Michael wearing his trademark sunglasses and an engraving of the refrain from his song Faith.

The colours black and red feature on part of the coin, as they were used prominently throughout his career.

George Michael Entertainment said it was "deeply honoured" by the tribute from the Royal Mint, Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf.

It added that the singer would have been "enormously proud and genuinely touched that a national institution should have decided to pay tribute to his memory in this way".

In December, the band's song Last Christmas reached number one in the UK singles chart, 39 years after it was first released.

Sandra Deiana, the coin's designer, explained she wanted "a detailed portrait that captured his charismatic expression. I was particularly thinking of his iconic sunglasses".

The coin will be the latest addition to the Royal Mint's Music Legends series, which has featured artists such as David Bowie, Elton John and Queen.

Michael spent his early years in Edgware, London, before he moved with his family to Radlett, Hertfordshire, in the 1970s.

He was living in Goring, Oxfordshire, when he died, in 2016.

The singer-songwriter has a blue plaque in his honour at Bushey Meads School.

Steve Stunt, of the George Michael Appreciation Society of Bushey, said he had requested a collectable coin of the singer from the Royal Mint several times over the last few years.

He said: "I think it's fantastic, something memorable for us all to keep, and the recognition from Royal Mint is awesome."

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...herts-68381264

[Devius]

Tube workers accept pay deal of up to 11% unions say

Trade unions representing transport workers on the London Underground have accepted a pay offer.

Transport for London's (TfL) director of customer operations for London Underground, Nick Dent, said the deal with the four unions, including Unite, was "good news for London".

The Unite union said it "overwhelmingly accepted" the revised pay offer which will see pay rises ranging from 5.8% to 11%, with those on the lowest pay grades seeing the biggest increases.

But it added that "significant industrial issues on London’s transport network" still remained.

A Transport for London (TfL) spokesperson said the pay offer pay rise is 5% for one year with additional funding from the mayor allowing lower paid workers to receive a bigger percentage increase.

The other unions involved in talks were the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen (Aslef) and Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA).

Finn Brennan, Aslef's full-time organiser on London Underground, said: "It's good that the 2023 pay talks have finally concluded.

"Aslef will be submitting our claim for improvements to pay and conditions for 2024 in the next few weeks," she said.

Pay disputes remain active on other parts of the TfL network, including planned strike action on the Overground, external early next month.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he was "delighted" that a pay settlement with Tube workers had been reached.

"This welcome news is a reminder of what can be achieved when you engage and talk with transport workers," he added.

Unite's regional secretary for London and Eastern Steve O'Donnell said the deal was an "important step" but added that it was "far from the end of the road".

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce9591j50qro

[Alfac]

Originally Posted by foxbat1

Hackney.

Graffiti day today? OK, here's some you seemed to miss...

Just in case paint doesn't send enough of a message to the Jewish community...

[Devius]

Originally Posted by Alfac

Graffiti day today? OK, here's some you seemed to miss...

Just in case paint doesn't send enough of a message to the Jewish community...

Stamford Hill is in Hackney and has the largest concentration of Hasidic Jews in Europe. So I'm certain "Free Palestine" graffiti will go down like a lead balloon.

Case in point...



'Offensive' Free Palestine graffiti removed in Hackney
12th October 2023

Street cleaners acted swiftly to remove graffiti that appeared on the streets of Hackney following the attacks on Israel by Hamas.

Martin Sugarman, who chairs Hackney-Haifa Twinning, reported three painted slogans saying ‘Free Palestine’ on the Cat and Mutton Bridge and on a wall near Broadway Market.

He contacted senior politicians, including Speaker Anya Sizer and Hackney South and Shoreditch MP Meg Hillier, to get “this disgraceful graffiti” removed as soon as possible.

He thought it appeared overnight between Monday, October 9 and Tuesday, October 10, following the weekend attack on Israel by Hamas.

“This stuff spreads fear and social anger unless it is stopped soon,” he said.

He spotted the slogans on the same day as the bodies of more than 100 Jewish Israeli people were found shot at border villages by Hamas, bringing the death toll to more than 1,200 Israelis.

At the time of writing, more than 1,100 Palestinians have also died in the conflict after Israel launched air strikes on Gaza this week.

Sugarman said the daubed messages are “truly barbaric and mock the death of now 1,000-plus unarmed, innocent people in their homes in south Israel”.

Hackney Speaker Anya Sizer told him she was “devastated” by what had happened.

Cllr Chris Kennedy, the cabinet member for health, adult social care and culture, contacted the community safety and traffic departments about the slogans.

Hackney’s street-cleaning teams raced to get the graffiti removed as swiftly as possible.

Sugarman praised them for painting over it rapidly.

Police have sought to reassure the local community after the conflict broke out.

Hackney’s borough commander, James Conway, said: “We are listening and working with communities, including the Jewish and Muslim communities, and partners and charities to ensure people feel safe and protected.

“We ask that members of the public report anything concerning, such as threatening behaviour.”

Police have stepped up patrols across key areas of London and are in touch with synagogues, mosques, and businesses to give them safety advice.

Conway said: “We are clear that antisemitism, Islamophobia, and any other racial and faith-based discrimination, will not be tolerated.

“There is no place for hatred in our society and anyone who has been subjected to hate crime should not suffer in silence.”

Source:

https://www.hackneygazette.co.uk/news/23850980.offensive-free-palestine-graffiti-removed-hackney/

[Devius]

Bradford: Four arrested after pro-Palestine protest, say police

Four men were arrested after a what police described as a pro-Palestine protest in Bradford turned violent.

A West Yorkshire Police said they were called to Salah's takeaway on Leeds Road shortly after 19:00 GMT on Friday.

Four men, aged 30, 34, 46 and 50, were detained on suspicion of offences including criminal damage, assault, affray and possessing an offensive weapon.

There were no serious injuries, a West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said.

Police were called to the scene following reports of damage being caused to a window and people assaulted.

"Officers attended and established that the incident appeared to arise from a pro-Palestine protest involving a group outside the premises," the spokesperson said.

Inquiries into the incident would continue, they added, with officers "keeping key community representatives updated".

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englan...shire-68391604

[Devius]

Originally Posted by Devius

Conservatives need a bigger bazooka, Truss tells US right-wing event

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68376802

Related...

Rishi Sunak told to remove whip from Liz Truss for 'propagating conspiracy theories' on US visit
The former prime minister has been criticised for a recent media appearances in the US where she claimed her economic strategy was "sabotaged" by the left.
Monday 26 February 2024 10:56, UK

Labour has called on Rishi Sunak to consider removing the whip from Liz Truss after her appearance in the US sparked controversy.

Anneliese Dodds, the chair of the Labour Party, accused the former prime minister of "propagating conspiracy theories" and "associating with individuals who have actually praised the far right in our country".

"That's deeply disturbing, and we've not seen any action being taken," Ms Dodds told Sky News.

Ms Dodds was referring to a series of controversial appearances made by Ms Truss in recent weeks, including a speech in Washington where she accused US president Joe Biden of being "asleep at the wheel" and stating that he needed to be "kicked out" of the White House.

Ms Truss had used a talk at the Conservative Political Action Conference (Cpac) in the US to claim her efforts to slash taxes were "sabotaged" by the "administrative state and the deep state".

The former prime minister - who only lasted 49 days in office after her mini-budget spooked the economic markets - has also been criticised for taking part in an interview with Donald Trump's controversial former strategist Steve Bannon and remained silent as he praised former leader of the far-right English Defence League Tommy Robinson as a "hero".

'Liz should really know better'

Former Conservative chancellor Sir Sajid Javid was among those to criticise Ms Truss for failing to challenge Mr Bannon, writing on X: "I'd hope every MP would confront such a statement head on. Liz should really know better."

Ms Truss also claimed in her speech that Conservatives are "now operating in what is a hostile environment" and that "left-wing elites" will be "aided and abetted by our enemies in China, Iran and Russia".

The senior Tory complained about how her attempts to rule the UK were foiled by "the left" and that the West has been run by the left "for too long" - despite the fact the Conservatives have been in government since 2010.

Ms Truss claimed the left "did not accept" that they had lost at the election and "weaponised" institutions like the judicial system.

Farage partnership

In an interview with Mr Bannon after her speech, she also said she was willing to work with Nigel Farage, the former UKIP and Reform leader, to change the Conservative Party.

Labour's criticism of Ms Truss comes at the same time that the Conservatives are engulfed in a row over Lee Anderson, the outspoken MP for Ashfield and former deputy party chair who has already had the whip removed after he claimed "Islamists" had control over London mayor Sadiq Khan and the capital city.

The MP, who was a Labour councillor before defecting to the Tories, told GB News last week: "I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of Khan and they've got control of London... He's actually given our capital city away to his mates."

The comments have sparked a backlash from across the political divide. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer condemned what he called an "appalling racist and Islamophobic outburst", while Conservative peer Baroness Warsi said "anti-Muslim racism" was now used "as an electoral campaign tool".

The incidents involving Ms Truss and Mr Anderson prompted Labour to write to the prime minister demanding he take action against the pair.

Source:
https://news.sky.com/story/rishi-sun...visit-13081423

[Devius]

Originally Posted by Devius

Continued...


Oliver Dowden silent over whether Lee Anderson's comments Islamophobic

Full article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68396559


Meanwhile...


Rishi Sunak warns of hatred in politics after Lee Anderson row

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68395642

Continued...

Lee Anderson's comments against Sadiq Khan 'weren't acceptable, they were wrong', says Rishi Sunak
The prime minister denies the Conservative Party has "Islamophobic tendencies" in his first statement addressing Mr Anderson's attack on the London mayor.
Monday 26 February 2024 11:04, UK

Rishi Sunak has broken his silence to condemn Lee Anderson's attack on Sadiq Khan as unacceptable and "wrong".

Mr Anderson, the Conservative MP for Ashfield and former deputy party chair, was suspended at the weekend after he refused to apologise for claiming "Islamists" had got "control" over London and that Mr Khan had "given our capital city away to his mates".

Speaking on BBC Radio York, the prime minister denied the Tory party has "Islamophobic tendencies" and said: "I think it's incumbent on all of us, especially those elected to parliament, not to inflame our debates in a way that's harmful to others."

Asked about Mr Anderson specifically, Mr Sunak said: "Lee's comments weren't acceptable, they were wrong. That's why he's had the whip suspended."

He added: "Words matter, especially in the current environment where tensions are running high. I think it's incumbent on all of us to choose them carefully."

Full article:
https://news.sky.com/story/lee-ander...sunak-13081370

[Devius]

Red Sea attacks delaying goods and pushing up costs, firms say

British firms say they are facing higher shipping costs and delays of up to four weeks due to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, a business group said.

More than a third of the firms surveyed by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) said they had been affected.

That figure rose to more than half among exporters responding to the survey.

The added costs could contribute to higher prices in the UK economy generally, the BCC warned.

"There has been spare capacity in the shipping-freight industry to respond to the difficulties, which has bought us some time," William Bain, BCC head of trade policy, said.

However, speaking to the BBC's Today programme he said: "The pressures are getting higher and higher and there's only so long that costs can be absorbed... [The scale of price rises] is not as high as the pandemic - but these cannot be kept away from prices for long."

Exporters, retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers were more likely than other firms to be feeling the impact, the BCC found, leaving some short of goods to sell to customers and components for production lines, or facing cashflow difficulties.

Rerouting shipments around the southern tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, was adding an extra three to four weeks to delivery times, the BCC said, with some firms citing price rises of more than 300% for container hire, it said.

Rachael Waring, managing director of Warings Furniture which imports interior decor for pubs and restaurants, said the conflict had been affecting her business since before Christmas.

"We have had to budget for extra costs, because the quotes we're getting for containers have been considerably higher," she told the BBC's Wake Up To Money.

She is also offering clients extra services to make up for delays. But she hopes to counteract some of the cost increases by negotiating lower prices with the Chinese manufacturers she sources from, and avoid further price rises for customers if she can.

The BCC, which represents more than 50,000 businesses across its network, said given the circumstances it would like to see extra government support for exporters, including the formation of an exports council to promote trade.

"The UK economy saw a drop in its total goods exports for 2023, and with global demand weak, there is a need for the government to look at providing support in the March Budget," Mr Bain said.

He said that small businesses like Rachael's would be finding things more difficult than larger companies, and suggested the government could help by reforming business rates, for example, to help them through "these difficult times in trade".

Shipping rates have increased after Houthis attacked commercial vessels traveling through the Red Sea following the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October. The Iran-backed group said it was targeting ships linked to Israel, the US and the UK in support of Hamas.

The US and the UK have responded with air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

The Red Sea is the fastest sea route between Asia and Europe. Large shipping firms, including Mediterranean Shipping Company and Maersk, have diverted vessels to the much longer route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope and then up the west side of the continent. But that has pushed up costs, including for insurance, as well as creating delays.

Earlier this month one of the UK's best known tea brands, Tetley, warned supplies were "much tighter" than it would like and rival Yorkshire Tea said it was also monitoring the situation closely.

The BCC heard from more than 1,000 firms in their annual survey, which took place between 15 January and 9 February.

Of those responding 90% were small firms, with fewer than 250 employees.

Source:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-68398413

[foxbat1]

Concern as more councils in England and Wales plan to turn off street lights

The county of Norfolk contains some of the best stargazing spots in the UK and was one of the few places where it was possible to see the spectacle of the aurora borealis this winter, thanks to its dark skies unsullied by light pollution.

But the council’s attempts to plunge Norfolk roads into further darkness are being contested by groups worried about personal safety, particularly for women out alone.

The majority of councils across England and Wales have introduced measures to dim or cut street lights altogether over the past 15 years, some saving millions of pounds a year.

Now cash-strapped local authorities have increased the cuts in an effort to plug gaping holes in budgets, with Croydon, Cornwall, Havering and Hampshire the latest to declare plans to switch off lights.

Norfolk council said the cost of running its 54,000 street lights had more than doubled in the last couple of years to about £4m a year.

It has made savings of £15m since 2008 by introducing more energy efficient LED lighting, dimming some lights and switching off nearly 20,000 others between midnight and 5am. It now intends to extend this to more streets and longer hours of darkness after consultations with police and local people.

In November, however, more than 200 students from the University of East Anglia signed a petition to stop further cuts, after 94% of students surveyed said they would feel safer if street lights were left on later.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/...-street-lights

Another Project Fear prediction coming true.