This is Northumberland Calling 20.09.24
The Shiner loses his shine and faces jail time edition
Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling
Phil Shiner who led the persecution of the British military over alleged human rights abuses in Iraq has admitted to fraud. He may go to prison for what he did and I hope he does (it depends on the sentencing guidelines which are independently set). In other words, in order to make money he made up and actively solicited tales of human rights abuse. He caused untold suffering to innocent members of the British Armed Forces in the 2010s. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/10/02/phil-shiner-fraud-human-rights-lawyer-iraq-abuse-claims/ or https://archive.ph/lcWIl
The Welsh Labour Government decided that meals in upmarket restaurants such as Zuzus in Manhattan were essential spends. No answer to what the hard pressed Welsh taxpayer thinks about that. It was an 81% increase on spent on corporate credit cards, coming in at just under £1.5 million. The archived version: Soho House and Manhattan restaurants: How Welsh Labour splurged £1.5m (archive.ph)
The Donor gate scandal rolls on for Labour with no sign of letting up. The Times which first broke the story has an in depth look at what is currently known. Starmer (and one or two other Labour ministers) have started to pay back certain freebies. The problem as Rosie Duffield pointed out in her resignation letter is that the public turned its back pork snout politics and Labour profited from that, partly by saying they were different. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/keir-starmer-labour-freebies-timeline-mgjw7kcnz or https://archive.ph/QgJPR
Today’s Peter Brookes cartoon ‘Should’ve gone to Specsavers’ which features Starmer with various price tags on his clothing a la the Grand Ole Opry’s Minnie Pearl. https://www.thetimes.com/comment/cartoons/article/peter-brookes-times-cartoon-october-4-2024-86kq92c2l
David Lammy continues to shoot Britain in the foot. This time, he and Starmer have given away Diego Garcia, a British possession for 200 years to a pro-China Mauritius. Apparently there are ‘guarantees’ about the military bases. It is not just the Conservatives who are upset about this. As one Labour MP said – if they wanted to give it away, they should have given it back to the displaced Chagos islanders, many of whom are in his constituency. What next? Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands? https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/03/keir-starmer-labour-chagos-mauritius-china-us/ or https://archive.ph/IS9Tz
Because who doesn’t love a heart-warming dog rescue story? After a week of being trapped on a cliff, a Jack Russell was rescued in Yorkshire. The little dog had fallen down a sheer cliff face into a 12 inch gap. Rescuers came from far and wide. Eventually after drilling into the rock, they were able to absail down and collect the dog. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/dogged-rescuers-retrieve-jack-russell-trapped-in-cliff-for-a-week-b5lp2snj6 or https://archive.ph/6FG3O
The world’s longest treasure hunt (a golden owl statue) has apparently been solved. People have wasted fortunes, marriages and apparently been driven mad over it (suspect this was the treasure hunters’ other half!) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/10/03/worlds-longest-treasure-hunt-golden-owl-solved/
JK Rowling declared her religion as a ‘believer in biology’ on the 2021 Scottish census as a protest against the SNP self-id policy which imploded last year. 3000 other Scottish residents also joined in the protest https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/jk-rowling-joined-census-protest-against-gender-reform-bill-tkhsxwjg6 or https://archive.ph/a3mJ9
Cheltenham Literature Festival in a chilling move against free speech have written to all those who are chairing events asking that if anyone dares express a Gender Critical view that the chair says the CLF does not endorse this view. Funny that they don’t seem to understand about the Forestator ruling… https://x.com/soniasodha/status/1842122518259175430/photo/1
It seems safe to say that the organizers have fallen into an Orwellian trap much like the Creative Scotland Literature Officer did over Jenny Lindsays’ new book Hounded which details what happens when people become targets of the cancel culture crowd. It is an excellent read. Suffice it to say, I doubt the organizers of the CLF would knowingly platform someone like Lindsay and thus, her cancellation continues. Shadow banning is a huge problem and difficult to prove.
Last weekend, after turning in my proposal, I went to Dublin to see my daughter and do a bit of Viking/Irish research for the book. To my delight, at the Hodges and Figges bookshop (established 1768) I found a college level text on early medieval Ireland which gives a good overview of the situation. I was also able to see the Book of Kells which was slightly spoilt by the selfishness of one person allowing their young child to scream and scream. The better part of valour in those situations is to take the child outside and distract them. The poor thing was obviously very hot, bothered and thoroughly fed up.
My daughter took us to the apply named Library Street for supper where we raised a glass of Chateau Mussar jaune to the IDF and their elimination of someone who caused much misery in this world. I see eliminations are continuing at pace. Justice has been a long time coming…While I had been dubious about the sharing menu, the food was delicious.
Paddy had a good time with my youngest and we brought home a leprechaun toy for him. My youngest received a bottle of Paddy Irish whiskey which is surprisingly good. It also always seems to be on special at the Dublin Duty Free.
If you want to find me during the week, I have started putting things on Celia M’s
Jotting 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.
Hopefully everyone else’s week was a good one. I look forward to seeing you in the comments.
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Thanks for The Telegraph link for Sean Rayment's story on Phil Shiner. Shiner really is worse than an evil rat. It is amazing how the grunts - foot soldier's - always get played for monsters by the Left whenever they actually disagree with the government's policy. And of course, policy makers always get away Scot free (and to their high end restaurants for the Welsh Labour folks), rarely if ever to face the dock for their decisions, Let's hope Shiner does to to the hoosegow and does whatever is hard time in a British prison (maybe where they used to keep the IRA guys, but don't get me started on that ... )
But also, the article reminded me of the source of the mother tongue with terms such as "vertiginous fall" and "bilious response". That is just great and descriptive writing - and in a newspaper, for god's sake!
Thanks Michelle, informative as always! I can't help but think of the herculean rescue efforts for that poor dog, while people are still trapped, suffering and dying here in the southeastern US in aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The current situation seems to be mostly due to a complete failure of government on multiple levels. Apparently a great deal of media censorship around the real situation on the ground as well. Pretty scary writing on the wall, expecially after the cluster**** with the Maui disaster. If government 'aid' is only going to make disaster situations even worse, then what good are they at all? Obviously am quite disgusted this am. Good on JK once again, who continues to be an outstanding hero in the face of insanity. About giving military installations basically back to the Chinese, all I can say is, par for the course with what has been going on in the US for sometime now. Chinese nationals have purchased huge tracts of farmland near and around US military installations. Not suspicious at all. And while I have no personal investment in the Shiner situation per se, I am very glad that to hear for once, justice may well be served to one of the toxic idiots at the top of the heap.