This is Northumberland Calling 05.04.24
The scandals, slurs and possibility of hate crime in Scotland edition
Hello American (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling
A thorough explanation about what the Scottish Hate Crime Act kerfuffle has been about(note the SNP Communities Minister tasked with implementing the Act revealed her ignorance of its implications) and why women have special cause to be thankful to JK Rowling for taking the stance she has. Rowling has singlehandedly managed to defang the Act with regards to correctly sexing someone (not a crime or even a non crime hate incident which are still collected by Police Scotland despite it being ruled illegal in England and Wales) https://thecritic.co.uk/what-does-the-scottish-hate-crime-and-public-order-act-really-say/
In most recent developments, the police have admitted that the new Act is costing hundreds of thousands of pounds in overtime and that they have had over 6,000 complaints (and the Old Firm derby between Celtic and Rangers is happening on Saturday – there is always a lot of unpleasant sectarian chanting). They are currently mostly using backroom staff and are mainly weeding out the trivial and petty from those which are much more serious. The Free Speech Union has started a free helpline for its Scottish members if they are accused under this Act. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scotland-jk-rowling-trans-humza-yousaf-hate-crime-law-hotline-xdrkn2gv6 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/scotland-jk-rowling-trans-humza-yousaf-hate-crime-law-hotline-xdrkn2gv6
The Scottish ferry scandal claimed another scalp this week – the head of Cal-Mac, the company which runs the ailing service. Unfortunately, there is no clear time for when the much delayed ferries will arrive and in meantime, the other ferries get older…The US put a man on the moon in less time than it has taken to deliver these ferries. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ministers-did-not-sack-ferry-bosses-says-yousaf-zwst2lzc6 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ministers-did-not-sack-ferry-bosses-says-yousaf-zwst2lzc6
Because for a long time, people did not know if Puberty Blockers were reversible or not. This pre-print study from the Mayo Clinic appears to show that they are not reversible and can cause mild to severe atrophy to the testicles in boys. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2024.03.23.586441v1.abstract
The Dutch have released a study based on analysis from TRAILS, a 15 year study of adolescence that 96% of gender non-contentedness (includes gender incongruence and gender dysphoria) settles by 25. And as long time readers may know – no reliable and objective test exists which differentiates the 96% whose gender non-contentedness will settle from the 4% who go on to develop full blown adult gender dysphoria. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-024-02817-5
Schools in England and Wales have been ignoring Government guidance and transitioning schoolchildren without informing parents. A survey shows 73% of schools in Cornwall got the Equality Act wrong. One ray of hope is the long awaited Cass final report should be available in the next few days. Apparently parents intend to ask questions during the upcoming local elections so that voters know what the candidates’ views are. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/04/primary-schools-equality-trans-policies-government-guidance/ or https://archive.is/VYZh0
This is a report on one parent’s experience: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/04/parent-daughter-changed-gender-name-pronouns-west-country/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/04/parent-daughter-changed-gender-name-pronouns-west-country/
Despite the Government warning that teachers must be politically impartial, the largest teaching union which has a largely far left bias managed to pass a motion in support Gaza during its latest AGM and members heckled the retired Jewish teacher who spoke against the motion. The far-left leader said that it was unfortunate as he was a free speech absolutist and felt the way forward was through debate. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/04/teaching-union-is-hostile-environment-for-jews-claims-retir/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/04/teaching-union-is-hostile-environment-for-jews-claims-retir/
The teaching union also said that their championing of prolonged school closures saved lives (in spite of mounting evidence of the harm done)… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/03/teachers-brag-lives-saved-by-forcing-covid-school-closures/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/04/03/teachers-brag-lives-saved-by-forcing-covid-school-closures/
The Boat Race happened last Saturday and Cambridge won both the men’s and women’s. The real problem is the state of the sewage in the Thames. Several of the Oxford crew (and possibly at least one of the Cambridge, the stroke certainly faded and looked green) were suffering from ecoli. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boat-race-2024-results-oxford-cambridge-gtbn8pg58 or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boat-race-2024-results-oxford-cambridge-gtbn8pg58 Thames Water is about to go bankrupt, having been asset stripped by an Australian company. It is obvious that the regulator has failed to due their job and ensure that Thames Water is actually providing the service that it was supposed to be while the asset stripping was going on. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/thames-water-crisis-likely-to-lead-to-default-says-fitch-fp93rj90n or https://archive.is/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/thames-water-crisis-likely-to-lead-to-default-says-fitch-fp93rj90n
The King has decided to open Balmoral for private tours. This year’s tours are all sold out. You could visit Balmoral before (as I have done) but the only part of the house which was open was the ballroom. He is also going to open more of Buckingham Palace. I suspect those tours will be sold out as well. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/02/king-charles-open-balmoral-public-tours-first-time/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/02/king-charles-open-balmoral-public-tours-first-time/
The story about Buckingham Palace: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/03/room-behind-buckingham-palace-balcony-opened-to-the-public/ or https://archive.is/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/04/03/room-behind-buckingham-palace-balcony-opened-to-the-public/
And drum roll... the cover for my book which is out in October arrived in my inbox this week. I happen to like it and think the Art Dept did a wonderful job.
If you like what you read on here, why not subscribe? It’s free and I don’t have any plans to put in a paywall.
OK, the notion that Chinese lenders (State lenders? Is there any other in China?) have equity rights in a critical utility - Thames Water - is madness. It sounds like something that could happen here, but the US has CFIUS - the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US - that looks at critical infrastructure investments and can bar them under US federal law. We are certainly capable of screwing up utilities ourselves - Flint, MI and Montgomery (?) AL come to mind, but at least when fixed we don't need to pay China lenders! {we pay enough in T-Bill interest to them, but that is another issue.
Hello Northumberland!
TY, as always Michelle, for the wonderful line-up of articles. I wish I could say I was shocked.
Scotland is truly a mess. And I'm very sorry to "hear" about the result of Puberty Blockers.
And schools? Of course, it's down to the teachers and their unions. Of course schools play a large part in the increase in gender confusion. Perhaps they can correct their policies. I agree that it's a national scandal.
Sorry to hear about the Thames. That was interesting about the King.
TY again, and here's to wishing You best o' luck on Your writing. That's a great cover. Congrats.