This is Northumberland 30.7.23

A Sunday edition

Because the banking scandal continues to dominate UK news.

This is the explainer from the Sunday Times about how we arrived in this position: How Nigel Farage brought down the NatWest bosses (thetimes.co.uk) or https://archive.is/hNMye

Kemi Badenoch has written an op-ed about where she thinks British corporations (in particularly banks) have got it wrong and what she is going to do to ensure the law is adhered to. “It is perfectly reasonable for banks to be arbiters of legality in financial transactions; however, they cannot become arbiters of morality, withdrawing essential services from people they think are problematic.” And ‘Many companies’ diversity and inclusion activities are falling foul of the law; for example by confusing legal positive action and positive discrimination, which is illegal — except when selecting political candidates (a handy get-out-clause Labour devised to use all-women shortlists). Encouraging people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply for a job or go for a promotion is positive action, and legal. Restricting applications for a position to a certain group is positive discrimination and most certainly isn’t.’ There are reasons I am so thankful that Kemi is the Minister for Equality and Women. Kemi Badenoch: Diversity obsession has led to Kafkaesque madness (thetimes.co.uk) or https://archive.is/gI9dH

There is also a profile in the Telegraph of one of my great heroines in politics the Baroness Emma Nicholson. She has long taken a principled stand towards protecting the rights of women and children. Her influence has been profound, not the least because she was born severely deaf and blind in one eye due to her mother having measles in pregnancy. Baroness Nicholson: "This movement isn’t for trans people – it is for liars who don't need science" (telegraph.co.uk) or https://archive.is/lztq5

And finally Labour MPWes Streetling (shadow Secretary of Health) explains why he is apologizing to fellow MP Rosie Duffield who happens to be Gender Critical. Wes Streeting MP on Twitter: "Here’s the full clip of my reflections on where we are as the Labour Party and as a country on trans equality 👇🏻" / X