This is Northumberland Calling 15.11.24

The Plod, the newspapers, freedom of speech, and the wasting of taxpayer’s money on NCIH edition

Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

Policeman Plod was out in force in Essex when two of Essex’s finest descended on Allison Pearson, a popular op ed columnist for the Telegraph. What then happened was Kafkaesque – she was not allow to know which offending tweet she deleted a year ago had caused the consternation,  and indeed who her accuser was. Her accuser was supposed to be referred to as  ‘the victim’ so the police had already assigned guilt. Under UK law, people are innocent until proven guilty. Pearson has merely been accused, not convicted. The Telegraph is not letting it drop and the Times has joined in. No 10 has had to admit in the wake of the Pearson affair, they are reviewing the use of Non Crime Hate Incidents or NCHI.  The mapping of NCHI came from good intentions – there was Stephen Lawerenc’s murder and then you had a woman kill herself and her disabled child because of the low-level harassment. They first started under Cameron’s government in 2014 (Tories broke many things, particularly under Teresa May’s tenure as Home Sec imho). It was thought NCHI recording would assist in being able to prevent crime. It is now out of control, according to the Times. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/nine-year-old-among-thousands-investigated-for-hate-incidents-3czwz8zsl or https://archive.ph/TCKZu

The Telegraph also agrees that the time spent on this matter by three police forces was disproportionate. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/14/three-police-forces-probe-pearson-tweet/ or https://archive.ph/5xJd4

If you require a deeper dive on the data surrounding this – this is the Free Speech Union’s latest research paper on the subject. Yes NCHI are as Orwellian as they sound.  https://freespeechunion.org/police-still-wasting-time-investigating-non-crime/

The Times’s view is that NIHC waste police and risk undermining public confidence in policing. They were first introduced in 2014 and their use has become widespread and has been used in some incidences to try and silence opposing views. It is hard to disagree with the Times’ reasoning.  https://www.thetimes.com/comment/the-times-view/article/the-times-view-on-non-crime-hate-incidents-wasting-police-time-z520r7txk or https://archive.ph/kZwHm

The Telegraph has looked at the Essex Police clear up rate of violence against women and girls, and domestic burglaries and found the force to be near the bottom in both areas. Essex Police deny this, but accept their clear up rate could be improved. The three police forces involved –Essex, Sussex and the Met have all had other major problems in the last few years. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/14/police-force-approached-allison-pearson-was-worst/ or https://archive.ph/Bu8Mc

In welcome news, the Met has suddenly released the fact that it has dropped its Kafkaesque investigation of Maya Forstator. They sat on the decision for two months and just informed her last night that they were taking no further action. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/15/police-drop-hate-crime-investigation-maya-forstater/ or Police drop ‘terrifying’ hate crime investigation into Maya Forstater

Various Jewish groups have complained about NHS wearing ‘Free Palestine’ badges and lanyards. The NHS Trust in question has promised to review uniform policy. There are good reasons why NHS staff should not be openly commenting on controversial political matters while at work imho. Among other things it would save on the reporting of NCHI from patients on the opposite side of the argument. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/nhs-staff-reported-over-free-palestine-badges-and-shirt-gk3s87jc6 or https://archive.ph/W9RCq

If you don’t think the problems with the Jewish community are exaggerated in Europe, you have not been paying attention to the news. This week, there have been the grotesquely named ‘Jew Hunt’ in the Netherlands (tram set on fire), Germany (youth football club attacked) and Belgium  (5 arrested after messages were discovered actively planning such a hunt in Antwerp). Danny Cohen has written a very good op-ed about the unwelcome rise in Europe of this.  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/15/jew-hunts-anti-semitism-racism-europe/ or https://archive.ph/oscrE

US spy planes will be permanently based in Scotland for the first time since the Cold War ended. They will be patrolling the North Atlantic searching for Russian Nuclear subs in the gap between the UK and Iceland. They joined German and British planes already patrolling. The Scottish government was not consulted about the move.  The Scottish Greens who used to be the very junior partner to the SNP until they flounced are unhappy at the situation but can do little. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/us-spy-planes-to-be-based-in-scotland-for-first-time-since-cold-war-ncz6dxg73 or https://archive.ph/mLt2k

A pub named after a MG car brand may now be renamed after an academic from Liverpool (quite the distance from Abington btw)  deemed the name of the pub referenced people, not cars. Some people may have too much time on their hands.  A counter petition to keep the original name (The Midget) has been started and has already garnered twice the number of signatures. The décor of the pub is devoted to cars and in particular to the MG. Surely one solution would be to have a painted sign with the MG Midget car proudly displayed.  The proposed new name is the Roaring Raindrop which references another MG car. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/15/pub-rename-midget-petition-abingdon-oxfordshire/ or https://archive.ph/waX06

And the woman’s boxing champion Khelif has withdrawn from a planned lecture at Oxford due to unforeseen circumstances after a prominent campaigner for female only sports with cheek swab tests to prove it suggested people attend the lecture and exercise their freedom of speech to politely ask questions of the boxer. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/boxing/2024/11/14/imane-khelif-must-be-challenged-by-oxford-union/ or https://archive.ph/0G6Wt

It was the King’s 76^th birthday yesterday. A new Balmoral tartan—Balmoral Glen Gleder was unveiled to celebrate. Staff uniforms and furnishing will now be redecorated in the tartan.  The Queen remains under the weather with a chest infection (she did not attend the Remembrance Day events or the premiere of Gladiator 2 but attend the Book Prize ceremony) https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/king-celebrates-76th-birthday-with-new-balmoral-tartan-7qztrk7tg or https://archive.ph/GVeSF

Gladiator 2 did have its world premiere in London. Apparently, it is good tosh. Gladiator also had many historic inaccuracies. Back in 2005, Harlequin/Mills and Boon bought The Gladiator’s Honor, my debut book for them (published 2006). It was the first time a major publisher had published a historical romance set in this era.  It has since been published around the world, having been translated into a number of different languages (much better  travelled than I am!). So I am looking forward to seeing the movie. I published three other Roman Republic set romances before starting to write my Viking set ones. Other authors, including some published by Harlequin have added to this period.

Paddy after his unfortunate adventure

Paddy had an unfortunate adventure when we went up to the old church. No one is usually there, but I had kept Paddy on the lead.  A woman with her Golden Retriever (off lead) were there. The Golden Retriever rushed over, intent on attacking  Paddy. Paddy won’t start anything and is well socialized, but he is no pushover. I interposed myself between the dogs. The woman ran over and got her dog, apologising profusely as she did not hear me come into the grounds and her dog has tendency to be very protective and reactive to other dogs. I had been speaking to Paddy as I went in, but as Paddy wasn’t hurt, all was good. Being alert keeps things calm.  Paddy and I have since been doing a lot of training so he and I can keep the bond we have developed.

If you want to find me during the week, I have started putting things on Celia M’s Jottings in Purple  

which is where a number of refuge FP commentators are hanging out as they dislike the current FP policy on comments. The discussion is usually lively as you might expect from former FP commentators. Depending on how firmly my Procrastination Princess tiara is attached (aka how well my actual writing is going), I may end up getting distracted.

Hopefully everyone else’s week was a good one. I look forward to seeing you in the comments.

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. If you want to ‘reward me’, why not buy one of my books? Currently a number of them are on special at $1.99.  https://www.amazon.com/stores/Michelle-Styles/author/B00288QUJM?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1&qid=1729240286&sr=8-1&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true