He Who Pays The Piper, Stef...

A five-week run of A Midsummer Night's Dream at a major Manchester theatre was cancelled after the director bitterly feuded with theatre bosses over references to Palestine and trans rights. The Royal Exchange Theatre, which sits in the heart of the city, was due to run a modern version of the Shakespeare classic set in contemporary Manchester with a drum and bass soundtrack. It was directed by Stef O'Driscoll, known for her work in London's Royal Court Theatre. Theatre bosses cancelled the first few performances, which were due to start on September 6, citing a cast injury and a 'technical issue.'

But Reader, that wasn't the real reason... 

But the real reason for the cancellation was that theatre bosses objected to a song in the production which referred to trans rights and the phrase 'Free Palestine', Manchester Evening News revealed.

Whereupon it was impressed upon the director who was paying. 

A meeting between the cast, director and upper management took place last Wednesday, where disagreements were supposed to be worked through. But a source told the paper that the row could not be resolved.

And now the money tap has been turned off. 

And poor Stef has gone whinging to the Luvvie's Rag claiming that the situation left the show’s company feeling ‘devalued, invisible, problematic and unsafe’. A bit like trans activists and Palestine terrorism marchers make women and Jews feel, eh, Stef?

Good, Let's Keep Pricing Them Out!

The usual whines and complaints in the 'Guardian' about 'institutional racism' being behind the disparity in maternal deaths by race in the NHS. 

And hidden amongst the usual squealing about 'microagressions' (and the usual dodgy stats, discussed at length at Tim's place) is this gem:

I know many great women dedicated to anti-racism who want to be midwives who are quitting because they cannot afford to live on a midwife’s salary.

Frankly, that's a good thing. We need midwives dedicated to one thing, and one thing only. You can't serve two masters, Candice! 

As the cost of living continues to rise, it is becoming unaffordable to live on a public sector salary. This cannot continue. We must support Black people into these professions by encouraging equal access to education, and supporting them with a fair and decent wage when they are in the job.

What 'unequal access' does she think they have, then? And how do the white/brown/yellow folks manage? 

Getting more Black people into senior roles is fundamental, too.

So they should be promoted regardless of merit? 

...seeing more of our own faces in spaces where we are vulnerable would allow us to nip microaggressions and racist behaviours in the bud – and to influence attitudes that have been proven time and time again to harm us.

I can't remember going into a NHS hospital recently and seeing no black faces, can anyone else? 

But maybe I'm being too harsh, she's clearly a medical expert or som...

Candice Brathwaite is a journalist and author of I Am Not Your Baby Mother, Sister Sista and Cuts Both Ways.

Ah. 'Activist wants more activists in key roles' is a great subtext, eh? 

Meet The New Boss...

...every bit as craven in the face of professional agitators as the old boss: 

On Monday evening Met Police Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson said: 'This decision has been reached following careful consideration of a number of factors, including the significant impact on public confidence, and in light of the Independent Office for Police Conduct announcing a homicide investigation.

'Our thoughts and sympathies remain with Mr Kaba's family and friends.

'We understand how concerned communities are, particularly black communities, and thank those who are working closely with our local officers.'

This is presumably with the full backing of Dick's replacement, Sir Mark Rowley. So I guess once again, we have a total dick at the helm.

And Nor Should They...But The NHS Should!

Scotland Yard will face no action from the police watchdog over the disappearance of Owami Davies, despite the fact officers spoke to her the same day she was reported missing after being called to welfare concerns.

Good. They shouldn't face any. What were they supposed to do, when at the point they spoke to her they didn't know she was a missing person? 

Good to see them hitting back at the usual suspects whining about 'racism'.

Fears for Miss Davies' safety had been mounting over the past two months after she was last seen walking north along London Road in Croydon on July 7 after leaving her family home in Grays, Essex three days earlier - having told her mother she was going to the gym.

Despite the arrests of five people and numerous appeals for information, some 50 officers were struggling to locate Miss Davies as they trawled through 117 reported sightings of her and 50,000 hours of CCTV footage as they frantically worked to retrace the student nurse's steps.

All for nothing. She wasn't missing at all. She was just another flake with mental issues.   

Her colleagues at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust (GSST) added: 'We are delighted that our colleague Owami has been found and is safe. Thank you to everyone who helped to find her.'

Shouldn't that be 'ex-colleague'..? Surely the NHS isn't so desperate for nursing staff it's considering taking on a mentally-troubled recruit? 

It comes as it emerged that an NHS trust offered her a job then withdrew it because she did not respond to her emails while she went missing.

A spokesperson from GSTT also confirmed to MailOnline that the job offer was withdrawn due to an automated system when a response was not received. They said in a statement: 'Owami has been offered a job with our Trust but unfortunately our automated system withdrew this when a response was not received within a specific timeframe.

'As soon as this was discovered we very quickly reinstated the job offer which remains open.'

Oh. Apparently they are... 

Better Luck Next Time, Race Baiters...

I must say, I'm enjoying all the winning going on lately:

A female rugby player was today cleared of racially abusing and hitting a friend when they fell out over taking the knee in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Whoops! Oh dear, another loss for the racebaiters in the CPS. Though of course, the process is the punishment. 

Isn't it? 

Edward Mitchard, defending, told the court: 'It was a common assault and the injuries were mercifully small.

'Miss King used reasonable force based on the perceived threat she was under at the time.'

Before retiring the jury heard testimonials to King's character including the fact she was captain of an international team containing players twice her age. She was appointed captain 'in the full knowledge' that there were legal proceedings pending against her.

Heh! That's telling, isn't it? 

Guess Who's Affected Most By Heatwaves..?

Go on, guess!

Bet you got it right!

Researchers at the University of Manchester and Friends of the Earth found one in three people from minority ethnic groups lived in areas most exposed to extreme heat, compared with just one in 12 white people.

Since they mostly hail from countries much hotter, why is this an issue? 

Mike Childs, head of science, policy and research at Friends of the Earth, said: “Extreme heatwaves will be more frequent and severe as the planet warms. While the UK and Europe are suffering with 40C heat, parts of India and Pakistan faced temperatures of around 50C earlier this year.

“Our research … shows that the poorest people and people of colour are disproportionately impacted by extreme weather in England. This is true across the UK and internationally. The communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis also have the lowest carbon footprints – they have contributed the least but are being hardest hit by rising global temperatures.”

*rolls eyes* It is, of course, just the beginning of a pitch:

Awareness of the disproportionate impact of climate change must feed into policy, Childs said.

“Environmental justice must be at the centre of governments’ climate strategies,” he said.

Backed up with alarmist rhetoric, as they all are these days: 

“Unless carbon emissions are cut drastically, we will face even more health-threatening heatwaves in the UK and large parts of the planet could become unliveable.

“Action is urgently needed to adapt frontline neighbourhoods to cope with extreme weather, with more green spaces and trees for shelter, home insulation to keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer, and air-conditioned community centres for people to get some respite from the heat.”

Anything else? A pony for every Tom, Dick and Harpinder, while you're at it? 

Get Woke, Go Broke...Again

Yorkshire Cricket staff including former head coach Andrew Gale have won a case that they were wrongly sacked following the Azeem Rafiq racism scandal and are now in line to receive huge payouts.

Now the debt-ridden county faces paying out vast sums in compensation and legal fees after SportsMail reported ten days ago that the club had conceded liability in the claims.

And there's worse to come... 

An ECB inquiry into Yorkshire’s mishandling of Rafiq’s whistle-blowing on racism is yet to conclude but Lord Patel expects disrepute charges for individuals and financial penalties to follow.

 It should probably be a giant cream tea, but oh well...

When Your Race Baiting Blows Up In Your Face...

Headteacher hears the dreaded 'n' word has been deployed on social media, and explains to the culprit why it's not acceptable, even for him:

Mr Tomkins is then heard asking "And should I treat someone differently if they use the word towards you? If someone posted that and a photograph of you?".

The student tries to argue his case, telling the head "calling me it is different," to which Mr Tomkins replies: "Well, yes it is, but one should ask the question why is it different?

"Just because of your colour doesn't mean that word isn't inappropriate."

And we're off to the Offence Races! But wait... 

“The recording of what was intended as a private conversation was subsequently shared by the boy and posted more widely by other parties.

“The matter has been discussed with Kent Police who have confirmed that the headmaster has committed no offence.

"However, it is an offence to make recorded conversations public or share them online without the participant’s consent and we understand the police will be taking appropriate action in that regard.”

Sucks to be you, unnamed junior race baiter! But wait! Riding to the rescue comes...one of the usual suspects. And step aside, he's a professional:

Gurvinder Sandher, chief executive of the Kent Equality Cohesion Council, said: "From my perspective no one should in this day and age be using the n-word​ due to its problematic historical and modern-day negative connotations.

"Obviously I was not there and have not see (sic) the footage of the incident but I would hope that if this was to happen again, teachers should use the opportunity to explain fully why the use of that word/slur is completely unacceptable rather than using the word itself to make a point as it rightly causes offence."

You're a fool. That's totally not the take from this incident. Maybe look up what the words in your title actually mean... 

Is It 'Cos I Is White?

Yesterday while sitting down to a nice curry at teatime, I nearly choked on a poppadum when Dal Babu was asked on BBC News to comment on the case of a man wrongly Tasered by police who'd smashed down the door of the wrong house:

A pensioner who was tasered by armed officers after they allegedly raided the wrong home has said he feared being shot and killed in his dining room by “police thugs full of testosterone”. Roy Morton, an 80-year-old former ballet dancer, was woken by the sound of police “smashing down” his front door in Cricklewood, northwest London, at about 7am on Tuesday last week.

Surprisingly, instead of thundering about "the cultural aspects that might be misinterpreted as being aggression within a particular community" or wondering if police 'would have dealt with this differently', he was quite non-committal, declaring that there was an ongoing investigation and everyone should wait for the outcome of that. It was such a bland statement I wondered why they bothered to get him on the line for a quote at all.  

The interview isn't available on the BBC to link to. In fact, you won't find this case mentioned at all this morning.

I wonder why?

Gosh. It's a mystery, isn't it?

Wait, Where Are All The Protests And Vigils..?

A woman was killed after suffering “blunt force trauma”, police said on Tuesday as a man was set to appear in court charged with her Boxing Day murder.

Oh, no! More violence against women and girls? 

Kirsty Louise Ashley, 29, was found dead by officers at a property Earlham Grove, in Newham, after concerns were raised for the welfare of a resident at midday on Sunday.

Gosh, I haven't heard anything from Jess Phillips about this latest case! 

Andrea Simon hasn't been in the news demanding the government do more. Patsy Stevenson hasn't proposed a vigil. 

No one's proposed running a marathon. 

What gives?

Yahya Aboukar, 26, of Earlham Grove, Forest Gate, was set to appear in custody at Thames Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday charged with her murder.

Ah... 

What Happened To 'You Love Who You Love'..?

For many, it was a brave and long-overdue airing of an important and distressing subject: a painstaking investigation into claims that predatory trans women have been pressuring lesbians for sex, published on the BBC News website.

But a leaked email shows that the influential trans lobby group Stonewall attempted to suppress the investigation before it had even been published – and made the extraordinary claim that debating the issues was equivalent to ‘sexual racism’.

Sadly for Stonewall, this doesn't hold the 'third rail' keep off cachet it once did, given how racism claims are unravelling left, right and centre. 

...she (Stonewall’s chief executive Nancy Kelley) acknowledged that in sexual relationships ‘consent is paramount and we all want who we want’, she added that ‘structural oppression can influence who we want’.

I'm pretty sure that's not true. After all, isn't conversion therapy now being banned because you cannot influence desire, and it's wrong to try? 

Corporation executive Rhodri Talfan Davies refused to confirm whether Stonewall had ever successfully swayed its journalistic output.

Oooh, I think we can guess, boyo! 

But speaking to Radio 4’s Women’s Hour last week, Kelley was open about her group’s intentions. ‘I want Stonewall to have more influence on the editorial policy of the BBC,’ she said.

Clearly, the Beeb thought long and hard about that, and said 'Nope!' 

The Corporation’s decision to abandon ties with Stonewall – and publish the article – suggests the BBC is taking a much more robust approach.

Good, long may Stonewall's influence continue to shrink.  

Whoops, Eh, Hugh..?

Perennial race-baiter Hugh Muir, in the 'Guardian':

Days after Azeem Rafiq revealed the torment he faced as an Asian player, the situation at Yorkshire cricket club looks no better.

It's OK, Hugh, that's certainly not all we're thinking about now:

We're thinking about anti-semitism too! 

Oh, that wasn't what you meant?

Three Little Pigs Huff And Puff, For A Change...

Three former police chiefs have said errors made in the search for two missing sisters was the result of bias, as the murdered women’s mother dismissed as “hollow” an apology for the blunders.

Oh? And who are the three? 

Sue Fish, the former chief constable of Nottinghamshire, said on Tuesday that bias had been a factor: “I see plenty of bias. The IOPC report gives licence to continue to fail people of colour, and women of colour, into the future.”

“It does not have a finding of racism, it addresses things in performance terms and misses this everyday casual unconscious bias against people of colour and women.”

Ah, a long-serving ACPO mouthpiece  

Former Met chief superintendent Dal Babu said the mother of the murdered sisters was right in insisting bias was a factor: “If this had been a white, middle class social worker, would police have dealt with it differently. I’m convinced they would have.”

Oh, a typical uniformed race-hustler  

Former Met chief superintendent Victor Olisa, a former head of diversity at the force, said: “I think there is bias, I know the investigation of missing persons is not as professional as it ought to be.

“There is bias, the IOPC can’t find it.”

Oh, a former cop tasked with finding bias, who can find it anywhere it seems, even when he's no longer being paid to do so.  

Racism - It's Not Just Something Done To Black People, Afua...

A few days ago, approximately one hour before I was due to give a keynote speech to a large public sector organisation, I received some last-minute instructions. Please refrain from using controversial or politicised language, the network of black staff who had invited me in asked. They were genuinely scared that I would get them into trouble and draw “unwanted negative attention to the detriment of our members”. The offending phrases they feared I might use included “white privilege”, “critical race theory” and – the absolute killer – “Black Lives Matter”.

Good. They clearly showed more sense than you. To Afua, of course, this was another excuse for OUTRAGE! 

As the level of consciousness about how racism can be inflicted upon black people grows – and I think in the past year it has – I find myself noticing more and more that we have internalised a system of racism in our anticipation of how white people will respond to our blackness.

Yes, in Afua's mind, racism is never something black people do to other ra...

Oh. 

Whoops!

This week, for example, a black art curator I follow on Instagram posted that, in all instances where she is the only black person at the table, she must be paid more than her counterparts.

“I consider this to be a tax for the violence of isolation, and the additional educational labour that I have to do,” she explained.

So you follow only chippy racists and grifters, Afua? 

This month I was targeted in the rightwing press for having the audacity to accept an invitation to speak with the Home Office. Since this government department has by its own admission failed monumentally in its treatment of black British people, I thought speaking about anti-racism might be helpful. Apparently it was in fact “a hostile tirade”.

Gosh, just imagine... 

The Immediacy Of Twitter...

Sometimes, it's best to wait a few minutes...

No Longer 'One Of Us'...

So, a new therapy for autisic children. Good thing, yes?  

What’s exciting about the findings of this study is that the therapy does successfully boost the social development of the children who receive it.

...

What makes this complicated, however, is that social communication skills are one of the main things measured when someone is assessed for an autism diagnosis. The fact that this therapy boosted those skills meant that children scored lower on those parts of autism assessments, which in turn meant they didn’t meet the criteria for an autism diagnosis. In fact, the study shows that this therapy reduced autism diagnosis by two-thirds.

Or, another way to look at this, 'these children are no longer held back by their affliction'. Why would that not be a positive thing? 

The main concern for us in the UK is that support only follows diagnosis. Even if the therapy allows autistic people to have a better start in life, the system will need to change to ensure support is there if and when it is needed.

Ah. As always, follow the money. And the activist's hopes of a guaranteed milk herd... 

We also have to ask what else a child may miss out on if they go on to be diagnosed with autism at a later date. For many autistic people, autism is part of their identity.

This is beginning to sound a lot like those wretched 'deaf culture' proclaimers, isn't it? 

Medical research studies such as this, for all their methodological rigour, do rub uncomfortably against the experience of being autistic. Autism is not a “preventable” condition that we can treat like other areas of medical research.

How fortunate for you, then, to have a 'cause' that will never be met..? 

Did We Expect Anything Else..?

Conditions in hotels used by the Home Office to accommodate asylum seekers during the pandemic are akin to detention centres, according to a report that also says accommodation is often sub-standard and sometimes unsafe.

Oh? And who exactly produced this report..? 

It was conducted by academics at Edinburgh Napier University in partnership with grassroots organisation Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment.

Well, what a shocker! 

And what have asylum seekers (assuming they are genuine) to do with this organisation? Don't they realise that migrants and asylum seekers aren't supposed to be the same things? 

A Home Office spokesperson said: “The report in question contains a number of factual inaccuracies, is based on a limited sample size and the Home Office has not been asked to provide any evidence or direct input into the report. During the height of an unprecedented health pandemic, to ensure asylum seekers were not left destitute, additional accommodation was required at extremely short notice.”

It's OK, no need to explain yourselves. I wouldn't bother to read this either. Into the round file with it!

Strange Headline...

Should Uber Eats people not be subject to arrest when working if it's warranted? Black or otherwise?

Levi Scott, 25, from Sydenham, was setting off from Morleys, on Deptford High Street, to complete the final job of his 12-hour shift on Saturday, June 19, when he was approached by two officers who said they had seen him cycling on the pavement.

So, apologise and you'll be on your way, won't you? 

After he began filming the interaction, Levi claims his phone was slapped out of his hand, before he was wrestled to the ground, pinned, and handcuffed by four officers.

Levi, who works full-time for Uber Eats, believes he was targeted because of his race.

Sure he was, thet's the only conclusion to draw, isn't it? 

Levi is lodging an official complaint with the Met, alleging officers profiled him.

As a black man, or a cyclist? 

The Met's Directorate of Professional Standards, which reviewed officers' body-cam footage, did not identify any concerns with their conduct.

I can't be bothered to watch the video, so what do those who have say about it? 

Oh...

 

Well, Of Course They Did...

The children’s commissioners of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland have written to the UK government calling on it to scrap the controversial two-child limit restricting the amount that larger families can receive in social security benefits.

They want to ensure their jobs. So of course, they need to increase child misery, and what better way to do it than by fighting government plans to decrease it?

While the administrations in Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast have put tackling child poverty at the top of their agenda, the control of benefits such as universal credit and child tax credit is not devolved, which limits their power to make changes that could help youngsters experiencing deprivation.

Sensible decision not to devolve it; the government clearly saw what would happen. 

The limit, which was introduced as way of cutting £1bn a year from the welfare bill, bars parents from claiming the child element in tax credits or universal credit for third or subsequent children born after 6 April 2017.

The loss of benefits is worth £2,900 per child per year. The open letter to Coffey claims the limit breaches children’s rights to an adequate standard of living and is contributing to a rising gap in poverty levels between families with three or more children and smaller households.

If anyone's 'breaching children's rights to an adequate standard of living', it's their parents first and foremost. And then the advocates for indiscriminate and irresponsible breeding.  

It also noted that the policy also has disproportionate impacts on social groups where larger families are more common, such as some minority faith and ethnic groups and in Northern Ireland, where families are larger than the rest of the UK.

Ah, if all else fails, proffer the Race Card.  

Strange How You Have To Go Back Decades Though...

Dr Nadira Mirza, who is also the deputy chair of Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, says that last year's events - in which Floyd, a black man, was killed by white police officer Derek Chauvin - highlighted how "racism still seems to be ingrained in society".

Dr Mirza says that racism is not a new issue, adding that she faced her own struggles when she first moved to Bradford as an academic in the late 1970s - at a time when South Asian women like herself were "rarely seen" in higher education settings.

Surely if it's so prevalent in society you should have an anecdote or two from last month? 

Even last year?