This is Northumberland Calling 26.6.26
The potentially several steps backwards re free speech edition
Hello America (especially Central Ohio), this is Northumberland calling.
Andy Burnham continues to be the bookies’ favourite to become the next British PM. However, he is far more progressive in his cultural outlook than Starmer.
James Purnell who led the Drag Queen charge at the BBC (and the suppression of any less than positive news story about gender ideology) is tipped play a significant role in any Burnham administration. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/23/andy-burnham-picks-former-blair-minister-james-purnell-as-his-chief-of-staff
Al Carns remains mulling over a challenge. My fingers are firmly crossed that he does. Amongst other things, Labour which is supposed to champion the working class shouldn’t be into coronations. He does seem to be shaping the battlefield for a tilt.
As if on cue, two things happened – first the Labour party (with a few honourable exceptions like Jonathon Hinder and Mahmood) voted down the Conservatives’ attempt to block the Puberty Blocker trial. Unfortunately my MP is on the list. I have written to him, expressing my deep reservations about the PB trial, particularly as no objective test exists to sort those who will naturally desist from those who will go on to develop Adult Gender Dysphoria. Children by definition do not have the years of lived experience to say their identity is fixed. It is a bit like saying a bride and groom on the day of their wedding have had a marriage of many years standing to each other.
Second, the Conversion Therapy ban draft bill was introduced yesterday. It was very bit a mess as people said it would be. Unsurprisingly Teresa May (who did much to cause these problems) first mooted such a bill in 2018 and little has improved since. It is basically an attempt to force the affirmation only model and compelled social transition. Thus parents could be prosecuted for resisting a child’s declaration that they need cross-sex hormones now. It also raises freedom of religion questions. You can read the bill here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/draft-conversion-practices-bill/conversion-practices-draft-bill
This is what Toby Young of the Free Speech Union says: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2026/06/25/banning-trans-conversion-therapy-will-cause-far-more-harm/ or https://archive.ph/kySBU
Kathleen Stock says it is possible that she could be prosecuted because so many people declared her book caused them psychological harm. The government says that there would be a high threshold but the process becomes the punishment.
The Free Speech Union have started a petition about this bill. Having looked at Tribunal tweets about the Tempest tribunal , I can see how this piece of legislation will be weaponized to censor speech. https://freespeechunion.org/campaigns/conversion-therapy-petition
The government will not be providing time to debate the EHRC guidance and thus it will become statutory on 1 July as 40 days will have passed. The above bill could be a sop to the MPs who wanted to threatened to cause problems. But the EHRC guidance follows the law.
The Scottish government have agreed to move male prisoners from the female estate after last Friday’s FWS win.
And the Darlington Nurses won a significant amount of money, an apology and a commitment from Darlington NHS to ensure the legally required segregated by sex changing rooms are available. This is a good article about the situation from Jo Bartosch about why heads should roll but probably won’t https://archive.ph/ukiNc
There is a tribunal about whether or not a SEEN network should be allowed in the civil service. A trans identified male believes any existence of such a network is harmful and has sued DEFRA and Rural England for allowing such a network. The complainant becomes upset that anyone might consider them male. For your popcorn eating pleasure. Naomi Cunningham is appearing an intervenor for SEEN. It is also chilling as Tempest the complainant believes no sex-realist views should be uttered in the workplace as they cause psychological harm.
More of the Herculaneum papyri have been decoded. The first scroll has been digitally unwrapped and read. It is truly astonishing what they can do. My fingers are firmly crossed that they can do many more. https://scrollprize.org/firstscroll
The king has revealed how much he pays in tax – over £12.9 million last year. Over £30 million since he came to the throne. The Prince of Wales paid £7.76 million. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2026/06/25/king-charles-opens-books-royal-family-finances-tax/ or https://archive.ph/RvdnN
Here:
England are doing terribly in the Test match against New Zealand.
It is hot but we are not under the red alert heat wave. The greenhouse was so warm that the marigold seeds my husband planted came up overnight, rather than taking the usual two weeks.
The bees are enjoying the heat and building nicely.
Paddy will drink from his paddling pool but will not go in. We go on early morning walks.
My writing goes slowly as I keep getting distracted but I feel like I am moving forward.
I have no plans to put a paywall on. If you want to buy one of my books to reward me, fabulous. I believe they are good escapist reads, historical romance set in a wide variety of eras such as Rome, Viking and Regency. ‘Simply enchanting’ according to Romance Readers’ Reviews about A Christmas Wedding Wager. ‘Everybody loves Styles’ Vikings’ said the Romantic Times.
Please subscribe if you like what I write. I look forward to seeing you in the comments.
Hello Northumberland! Good to see You again this fine Friday.
I'm sorry to hear Burnham is more progressive than Starmer. Here's hoping for Al Carns. And I'm sorry to hear about the PB trial. And especial the Conversion Therapy ban. Toby Young is right. And I agree with Jo Bartosch that heads should roll.
That's amazing about the Herculaneum scroll being read. And that's a lotta taxes.
I'm glad to see the bees are doing so well, and Paddy looks great, as always. Glad to hear the writing progresses.
And, as always, TY Michelle. Great roundup.
Sorry but if you vote Labour you are a traitor to your land. Shouldn't that be abundantly clear to anyone with a firing, functional neuron?