This is Northumberland Calling 21.3.25

The GIGO is a saying for a reason edition

Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

An electric substation apparently ‘exploded’ at Heathrow in the early hours. Catastrophic accident. No planes going in or out. No electricity in many homes near Heathrow. The knock on effect of the travel disruption will be truly global and will most likely continue for several days. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/21/heathrow-airport-closed-latest-news-fire-power-outage/

Prof Alice Sullivan published her long awaited review into data collection. The coverage on it was remarkable in that the BBC had to admit that people can’t change sex, even if they can change gender. Wes Streeting immediately altered the practice of the NHS issuing new numbers if people wish to transition because it has resulted in compromised patient safety for those who are trans. In short there are sound medical reasons for wishing to know someone’s natal sex. He can do this because he took back control last week through the axing of MHS England. The police as per usual did not come off well as they have totally missed the point and thus various data sets have he potential to be skewed. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/20/children-barred-from-getting-new-trans-identity-nhs/ or https://archive.ph/o7VH4

To understand the problem with the police – the Surrey police have refused to describe a trans woman whom they wish to question as male. They are awaiting ‘contextual guidance’. <eyeroll> https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/20/police-refused-say-wanted-female-is-actually-male/ or https://archive.ph/QDQzs

This is the actual review and its recommendations. Sullivan clearly explains why accurate data reporting is necessary but from reading it, I also understand why it is going to be hard to eradicate: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/independent-review-of-data-statistics-and-research-on-sex-and-gender/review-of-data-statistics-and-research-on-sex-and-gender-executive-summary

This interview with Kaja Kallas who currently serves as the EU’s top diplomat is well worth reading. She is Estonian, a Russian hawk and loathes Putin. She is on a Russian hit list and has been one of the main drivers of the Rearm Europe movement which has been growing at pace (150 b euros but only to those countries with defence and security pacts – currently UK, US and Turkey are excluded) . “If we are weak, weakness invites aggression, and that is why we need to do more not to be weak.” She understands the dependency on the US and US armaments and indeed satellites can’t continue. Under the Biden administration, the use of the British Storm Shadow missiles (had some US kit on them) was curtailed in Ukraine because Biden said ‘no’. (And of course you had Biden pulling the US contractors in Afghanistan which meant the Black Hawks failed within 3 weeks. The Afghan army’s entire battleplan was based around the Black Hawk. Biden did a lot of damage to the US’s reputation) Then you had the blinding of Ukraine and Musk’s threat to pull Starlink (part paid for by Poland btw) during the mineral negotiations. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/article/kaja-kallas-weakness-invites-aggression-gff3thxk9 or https://archive.ph/Iuw53

This op ed gives the size of the US defence export industry -- $320 billion and why some of it is at risk, given the belated realization that countries don’t want other countries to have ‘kill switches’ despite long friendships. Will Merz cancel the Merkel order for F35s? Yesterday, he managed to get the debt break lifted with a far more than a 2/3 majority. It faces one more hurdle today and then Germany unlocks 1 trillion euros. I suspect Germany will rearm and that it will be a good thing for Europe (something given its past history I never thought I’d welcome) https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/03/18/no-longer-safe-buy-weapons-donald-trump-america/ or https://archive.ph/mBzxL

This explains about the ‘secret’ contract Germany has with the US and why they can’t use their F35s without American permission. Denmark which has also purchased F-35s is apparently less than happy at the situation after the remarks about Greenland. The US doesn’t need a kill switch – they simply slow down the updates and spare parts (see the Afghan experience). https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/us-fighter-jets-f35-switch-off-hvl8df2tg or https://archive.ph/2F80O

I have no idea what intelligence European leaders are seeing but Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia pulled out of the 1997 landmine treaty earlier this week. I suspect they will put the land mines on their borders with Belarus and Russia. Poland shares a long border with Russia. This should end the Northern migration route which Russia and Belarus have used to destabilize the West. The Times did an article on this route last week. One way to stop it, I suppose. https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/how-russia-uses-migrants-as-weapons-on-europes-eastern-front-kpws2082r or https://archive.ph/YulXr The countries have all been NATO countries since the 1990s and are afraid that any ‘peace deal’ between Russia and Ukraine will include their disarmament. Poland of course has previous experience with deals…

Prince William is currently visiting the British stationed in Estonia. It is the UK’s largest deployment overseas. Prince William did spend time at Sandhurst and has served as a search and rescue helicopter pilot as he was prevented from serving on the front lines in Afghanistan. The Mercian regiment have just taken over on that base. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/21/prince-william-british-troops-nato-front-line-estonia/ or https://archive.ph/LueS7

Finally because of Paddy Hemingway’s death (the last of the Few), The Times has done an article on some of the Few who did so much during the Battle of Britain including the Polish ace, Antoni Glowacki . Amazon did have a Polish WW2 film (called Squadron 303) about the exploits of the 303 squadron and how they did really help to save Britain. You can also read about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._303_Squadron_RAF (It makes the Yalta betrayal all the worse imho) https://www.thetimes.com/uk/history/article/tales-of-the-few-the-pilots-to-whom-so-much-was-owed-z9g22gpgq or https://archive.ph/3Euoh

I sent my revisions off on Sunday. My editor let me know that the Art Dept could not find an exact match for the sort of hair I wanted for the hero. This is first time in 20 years that they have apologized for not getting something right so I was very touched. I had to put in my dedication and Dear Reader note so I suspect that this book is done and dusted now. On to the next one.

Paddy spotting a friend carrying pints of ale.

It has been lovely weather in Northumberland. Paddy and I walked over to a pub in a neighbouring village on Wednesday. Paddy was very well behaved.

Hopefully everyone else’s week was a good one. See you in the comments.

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