This is Northumberland Calling 22.11.24

The Scandals end but others begin, thus is the way of the world edition

Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

Yesterday evening, after much adverse publicity, Essex police graciously announced they were taking no further action in regards to Allison Pearson’s Tweet. The Crown Prosecution Service had looked at it and said that there was no case to answer. The amount of time and money wasted on this is incredible.  https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/allison-pearson-police-tweet-no-action/ or https://archive.ph/ZqsXQ

The Head of the College of Policing expressed frustration that police forces are not following the guidance and opting instead  for a ‘when in doubt record approach’. He says NCHI are undermining public trust in police officers. I wonder why he reached that conclusion. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/non-crime-hate-incidents-undermining-trust-in-officers/ or https://archive.ph/6Xhg7

Meanwhile, the Met police are looking again at the imam’s sermon where he suggested ‘destroying Jews’ homes’ was a good idea. Previously they had dismissed complaints about it as not being  ‘hate speech’ and permissible under freedom of expression and religion. Compare and contrast with the Pearson experience.  Of course there is no such thing as two-tier policing in the UK…https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/met-police-claimed-imams-sermon-saying-destroy-jewish-homes/ or https://archive.ph/bHXxm

Justin Welby decided to turn up to a gathering of the great and the good at the British Museum. Some people there called him ‘brave’, but others found his brass neck jaw-dropping. No word on if he will deliver his Christmas sermon at Canterbury cathedral or not. The BBC say that he will not deliver his traditional New Year’s Day message. The Archbishop is continuing to receive his £85k salary  and live rent free at Lambeth Palace as these things need to negotiated with the Privy Council apparently but it rather blunts his resignation. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/justin-welby-attendance-at-british-museum-jaw-dropping/ or https://archive.ph/Q4Pkr

Be careful which charities you donate to. Captain Tom Moore’s (who raised over £38.9 million for the NHS during COVID and died in January 2021) daughter has been banned from serving as a trustee in any charity.  She appeared to have taken the view that charity begins at home and thus the vast amount of money raised from various ventures including the books appear to have enriched her and her family rather than the charities which helped the aged as promised. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024/11/21/how-captain-tom-daughter-trashed-his-legacy/ or https://archive.ph/6FWob

The Scottish ferry scandal took a giant leap forward as the first ferry (should have been signed off in 2018) was finally signed off yesterday.  It was famously ‘launched’ by Nicola Sturgeon complete with painted portholes and plywood funnels back in 2017.  Hopefully it will bring some relief to the hard pressed people on the Uists. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/11/21/scots-ferry-finished-seven-years-after-launch/ or https://archive.ph/AMXIH

The Serious Fraud Office has launched a major investigation into the defence contractor Thales. This is a joint operation with their French counterparts. https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/serious-fraud-office-investigating-thales-for-corruption-fhq2xmjnv or https://archive.ph/okFtR

The Trump victory has won an export award in California for successfully getting Ellen DeGeneres and her partner to move the Cotswolds. They were spotted at Jeremy Clarkson’s new pub the Farmer’s Dog last week, singing along to an acoustic set. It remains to be seen if the Trump will garner any more export awards. Will other stars actually put their money where their mouth is and decamp for the duration or not?  https://www.thetimes.com/uk/society/article/ellen-degeneres-us-cotswolds-uk-trump-win-rnqdjr9zq or https://archive.ph/iVVOZ

Woke went wrong? The Jaguar rebranding has not leapt ahead as they planned but landed with a damp thump. The ad just is odd. Everyone looks miserable in the ad. They are apparently trying to attract new customers, rather than their core base. Perhaps they should have stuck to improving their core product. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/transport/article/jaguar-rebrand-new-logo-cars-tz9v5bjd2  or https://archive.ph/kiLy6

Here, my writing has gone better this week (hooray). I want to get this Viking done and off my desk so to speak.

I am currently reading Iran: A Modern History and had the huge insight that the biggest innovation the US has done was enfranchisement for all religions (and none), in other words religious freedom. The Iran Shi’a religion is very much predicated on only one religion (theirs) should have political power (an idea which is totally alien to the American understanding about the need to keep religion separate from political power). In Safavid Iran, other religions can co-exist (particularly the Abrahamic religions) but they can take no part in the political process. The Shi’a thought people and other religions can be najis (polluted or diseased), including the Sunni strains of Islam. They operated a system called dhimmi (something which was in use in the UK until the mid-19th century — for example see the Test Act of 1672 and led to the settling of the US by religious dissidents). It is something which the late Shah was working to diminish with secularization when he was ousted from power. Early Safavid political intrigue basically makes the Game of Thrones look tame. One day in 1553, they took 30k+ Christian captive from Georgia and used them as slaves. The numerous wars between them and the Ottoman empire are also quite something. Because the current Iranian regime looks back on this period as a golden age and indeed much of sharia law dates from the 16th century, I am finding it very interesting.

Hercules giving Paddy a look after he returns from his walk

It has been very cold but no snow, unlike many places in the UK including London which have experienced the snow. Paddy has been wearing his coat when he goes for his walk. The cats are staying wherever it is warm.

I did manage to make my Christmas pudding and the Christmas cake. The cake will now be fed once a week with damson gin until it is covered with marzipan and then fondant icing. It needs to mature. Fruit cakes remain very popular in the UK. The pudding just sits until it is steamed on Christmas morning. After Christmas lunch it will be served flaming (always best to gently heat the brandy) and with brandy butter (again incredibly easy to make).

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.

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