This is Northumberland Calling 25.4.25

The Sir Humphrey remains alive and well in the civil service edition

Hello America (particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland calling. I have double checked the date as I had the date wrong last week – blame it on the long bank holiday weekend. Four days in Spring is excellent.

The bin strike in Birmingham continues into its 7^th full week. The rat population soars. The Council and the unions dither. The Government have called on the union to accept the deal on offer and go back to work but the Union refuses. Meanwhile ordinary citizen suffer, and public health plummets in Britain’s so-called Second City. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/24/secret-dossier-reveals-birmingham-bin-strike-health-crisis/

British Transport Police have been speaking from both sides of their mouths. After the Supreme Court ruling they declared that strip searches would now be based on sex instead of gender. Privately they have been explaining to trans activists that they still intend to allow trans people to specify if they wish to be strip search by a member of the opposite sex. Sir Humphrey, the oleaginous senior civil servant in Yes, Prime Minister would have been proud at the obfuscation. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/trans-people-strip-searched-police-officer-gender-identity-wnh7cnp3k

The Met misled a government minister, claiming that photos of placards calling for violence towards TERFs were not from Saturday’s protests but historic. Confronted with the evidence that the placards were indeed present, the Met have had to admit that the photos were from Saturday’s protests and they will investigate them as a matter of urgency. They dismissed claims of two-tier policing. The minister was not amused. The spirit of Sir Humphrey strikes again. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/24/police-misled-minister-about-violent-threats-trans-protest/ or https://archive.ph/g0jwe

The SNP are waiting ‘clarification’ from EHRC, the new excuse as to why institutions and others won’t act on the FWS ruling. For its part the EHRC says that the ruling is very clear and the institutions don’t have an excuse, but their guidance will be out before the summer recess. As one of the commissioners is Akua Reindorf KC and she wrote this essay in the Times about her interpretation of the law and thus I doubt any overreach by trans activists, including Stonewall will be tacitly condoned. The emphasis will be on providing a range of options, including unisex as well as the legally required single sex sanitary facilities. However the Sir Humphrey approach is why I suspect this means NHS Fife will not settle with Peggie (assuming she will agree to a settlement) and will end up paying a massive fine as they clearly broke the law and don’t have a legal leg to stand on. The Reindorf interpretation will ultimately will provide the backbone of the EHRC guidance. It is worth a read https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/ill-informed-challenges-to-supreme-court-decision-help-nobody-g2wmcgl66 or https://archive.ph/kmLQW

Because of the Reindorf discussed ‘double bind’ some trans-people who have utilised extreme cosmetic surgery will find themselves in (barred from the opposite sex sanitary facilities because of legal requirements and potentially barred their natal sex due to appearance), perhaps it is time for the medical profession to stop the extreme procedures and to stop holding out ‘passing as the opposite sex’ as the ideal. The ideal should be enabling people to live comfortably within their own bodies. Many of the extreme procedures have huge side effects (including for the urinary tract) can be debilitating and can involve many hospital stays. The long running studies from Sweden have also shown that the most content of those who suffer from extreme gender dysphoria have in the past been those who simply cross-dress. But of course this approach does not make Big Medicine as much (or indeed any) money.

Wes Streeting has suggested the use of private rooms in hospitals for trans people as a way to ensure single sex wards. While some private rooms are used for medical need, many are used by people with private health insurance who pay that little bit extra (a good little earner which is often not mentioned in the discussion). Streeting unlike Starmer is willing to say that he originally was wrong and wishes he’d listened to women who raised the alarm earlier. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/healthcare/article/trans-patients-nhs-supreme-court-wes-streeting-n8d5jjpsj or https://archive.ph/VVdbZ

Scottish schools will now have to find millions to ensure their lavatories comply with the law as Lady Ross ruled that schools must abide by the 1967 law which mandates sex segregated lavatories in equal numbers for students after two parents brought a judicial review because their local primary school was rebuilt with mixed sex toilets only. Swayed by the influence of high profile trans groups, only 13 out of 243 state high schools follow the 1967 law. The rest use some sort of mixed sex option and will have to alter. They are of course ‘awaiting guidance’ and wish to make sure they are responding in a ‘measured way’, having taken the course in Sir Humphrey speak. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/converting-mixed-sex-school-lavatories-to-cost-taxpayers-millions-8t7rtchtj or https://archive.ph/BWoH5

Pool has altered its stance and will now have an Open category and a women’s. The research they commissioned combined with the FWS judgement has altered their stance. In order to exclude males from a female only category, gender affectedness must be proven. For example dressage is a gender unaffected sport. As the spokeswoman for SEEN in Sport pointed out, no sport wants to be labelled the last sport to restore fairness and safety to women. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/pool-bans-trans-women-from-female-category-after-supreme-court-decision-g9rd2c79d or https://archive.ph/NaAEQ

Rachel from Accounts Reeves decided to protect the high street, rather than the London Stock Exchange and closed the de minimis loophole which various Chinese companies, particularly Shien, have exploited. It is in Labour’s interest to protect British companies rather than to facilitate predatory foreign companies. Shein can still operate in the UK but the playing field is not tilted as strongly in their favour. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2025/04/24/reeves-has-wrecked-the-hopes-of-chinas-high-street-predator/ or the archived version

Polygamous working is now practiced and a growing risk area for employers who allow extensive work for home. A civil servant was prosecuted for fraud after it was discovered that he had been working three full time jobs at the same time (doing all of them poorly). I suspect Kashim Chowdhury was well versed in Sir Humphrey double-speak https://www.thetimes.com/uk/crime/article/civil-servant-held-three-full-time-jobs-simultaneously-9pcn73jfk or archive

America (actually NATO in general) is experiencing a shortage of munitions. Germany is now working at pace, having secured certain key components, including buying a former nail polish factory from IFF. Britain is going to start producing more. But NATO still produced four times less ammunition than Russia and has allowed China to gain control of much of the raw material needed to make the ammunition. Part of the trouble for the US is that a substantial portion of its defence budget has been spent on the ephemeral such as DEI, rather than the solid such as mortar rounds. A lot of smoke and mirrors exists in most defence budgets. US military planners have long thought any war would be short, not long and grinding like the current Ukrainian conflict. Another problem is ESG principles in investing have often precluded pension funds etc investing in the defence manufacturers required for national security. The Chinese and Russians do not have that ethical investing consideration. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/empty-arsenal-democracy-michael-brown

Roman arenas in York used big cats in their gladiatorial matches. Forensic analysis of gladiator bones showed the puncture wounds which killed the gladiator in question were made a big cat, most likely a lion. The trade in exotic animals for arena was widespread through out the Roman empire. Because the bite marks are on the pelvis, the scientists believe the gladiator was fighting in a spectacle, fell and was dragged away by the large animal. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8v2063r19o

The London Marathon is being run this weekend. The organisers are ‘awaiting clarification’ from the EHRC with regards to their self-id policy (hint it was illegal when put in place and remains illegal) and thus are not altering it. Given the sheer numbers of participants, the task was probably too great given the time scale. Two of the fathers from the Southport tragedy are running for their daughters. One of the murdered girls had asked her father to run the marathon for her grandmother when they watched it last year. One thing the London Marathon does well is to raise lots of money for charity. https://www.thetimes.com/uk/london/article/dads-southport-attack-victims-london-marathon-2025-btfhdhlgr or https://archive.ph/8LSsk

Here:

Spring is proceeding at pace. The bees are building up in their hives. Swarming season is nearly upon us and thus I am checking the hives frequently. The old adage – a swarm in May is worth a load of hay, a swarm in June a silver spoon but a swarm in July is not worth a fly still holds true. It takes 8 days for bees to build and seal a queen cell. Once they have sealed the queen cell, the main swarm with the old queen happens. The prudent beekeeper therefore needs to check every 5 -7 days in order to deal with swarms. Sometimes, you just don’t spot the queen cell because the bees ball up around it. Swarms means the honey yield decreases, but you need them to keep a colony healthy.

Paddy waiting, patiently

Paddy is off to the pub today or so I have been informed. I have also been informed that he is getting a haircut in early May.

My writing continues. My editor has let me know that the Historical team will get me their wish list of tropes they want to see after I do my copy edits. In the meantime I am working on my Regency and enjoying being back in that time period.

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I will see you in the comments.