This is Northumberland Calling 28.3.25

The cleared for take-off after 60 years edition

Hello America (particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland calling

Birmingham council which has been Labour run since 2012 are rubbish. They have allowed tons of garbage to pile up due to a bin workers strike. The government is now stepping in and have tried to blame the previous Conservative run government for failing to tackle the issue. Birmingham has specific problems relating to feckless spending. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/04/03/union-forces-rayner-intervene-birmingham-bin-strike-rats/ or https://archive.ph/BspMl

The Russian captain of the container ship which hit the oil tanker last month was alone on the bridge when the accident happened. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/03/russian-captain-alone-bridge-north-sea-crash-hull-solong/ or https://archive.ph/RKUZ9

The case of the Times Radio producer and his wife who were arrested for having the temerity to object to the way in which the head of their child’s school was being recruited continues to make waves. The case first burst on the scene last Friday – Hertfordshire police sent 6 officers to arrest the couple, holding them in custody for many hours and later decided to take no action with regards to the complaint. They then instructed the local councillor and indeed the local MP not to discuss the case. The local MP declined to follow their ‘friendly’ advice. Hertfordshire will not attend burglaries or shoplifting incidents. The https://www.thetimes.com/uk/education/article/police-accused-of-incredible-over-reach-after-arresting-parents-nd3scl33z or https://archive.ph/0WD7Y

The Free Speech Union have done research which demonstrates that police forces in England and Wales have little understanding about free speech and freedom of expression actually means: https://freespeechunion.org/the-urgent-need-to-teach-the-police-about-free-speech/

Before anyone comments, yes I know about the current ‘silent prayer’ case and yes I suspect the police may have behaved in a draconian fashion (surprise, surprise), but hard cases decide laws. The question before the court is did the woman in question exhibit intrusive behaviour which would prevent other people from going about their lawful business by holding up a sign and standing silently. In other words, can the state lawfully prevent all types of protests (including just standing and holding a sign) when it believes that such protests will prevent others from lawfully going about their daily business in peace? In this case, the October 2024 states no protesting within 150 metres of an abortion clinic, not even standing silently with a sign. The result of the law is that prevents the protests which did include sprinkling holy water on the pavement in front of women, handing them rosary beads etc as they attempted to enter a healthcare clinic have just about ceased, even though the protestors could lawfully continue with their actions outside the exclusion zone. Where is the line drawn between the right to protest (something which involves freedom of speech) and the right to conduct lawful business without harassment? When and where does a protest stop being peaceful and become an intrusion into other people’s right to go about their lawful business? It is good that the matter is now with the courts and the law will be tested because the rule of law is supposed to exist in this country.

I note the jury in North Dakota decided the oil pipe protest was in fact not peaceful and thus did not interfere with freedom of speech protections back in mid-March. Apparently, Greenpeace US are continuing the fight – I suspect it will go up to the US Supreme Court eventually. Greenpeace have pretty deep pockets. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/press-release/73572/jury-delivers-verdict-finding-greenpeace-entities-liable-for-more-than-660-million-in-energy-transfer-slapp-trial/

Having won the day about the Sentencing Council guidelines, Robert Jenrick is continuing his fight against ‘two-tier justice’ in the UK. He is doing what the loyal opposition should be doing which is highlighting the problems. As much of this was started under the Conservatives, one could question why Labour never highlighted the potential and why the Conservatives Powers That Were never appreciated the problem. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/04/everywhere-you-look-under-starmer-we-have-two-tier-country/ or https://archive.ph/hChgP

The RAF have decided that Tunnock’s teacakes do not explode at high altitudes. 60 years ago, a rumour developed that an instructor and his student had taken the chocolate covered marshmallow over a biscuit base treat up and the confection duly exploded covering the windscreen with chocolate and goo. Tunnock’s teacakes were banned as hazardous. Tests have now shown they are safe – the chocolate casing merely cracks but to be extra-cautious pilots are advised to have them frozen and kept in their wrapper until required. https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/tunnocks-teacakes-allowed-back-raf-34987278

Emotional support animals are causing chaos in courts. Assistance dogs are highly trained, but emotional support animals do not have to have any training at all and have chaos in several tribunals -defecting on the floor, biting other witness and generally behaving badly. Whilst the Eq Act 2010 allows for assistance animals, judges do not have to permit emotional support animals. They are being told to ask for clarification as to why, including certificates of training and do have the powers to exclude. In the US, apparently alligators have been allowed into court as ‘emotional support’ for witnesses. It has pointed out that the bringing in of untrained animals risks undermining the credibility of the highly trained assistance animals, a service on which many disable people rely. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/02/dogs-causing-chaos-court-judge-clare-jane-hockney-uk/ or https://archive.ph/Vc7bs

Another week, another tribunal about GC views being silenced. This week it is the UCU at Edinburgh University is accused of discrimination after it organized protests against the screen of Adult Human Female, a film by two academics which examined trans-activists claims. The academics say that they should have at least had neutrality from their union. As per usual, Tribunal tweets contains some gold dust of bonkers behaviour and justification by the captured institution. Apparently policy, even if it is illegal, is mightier than the law. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/03/union-gender-critical-views-adult-human-female-edinburgh/ or https://archive.ph/o9Ui5

I am not bothering to mention the tariffs – Trump had the right to put them on. I can understand why he mentioned all countries, even those who do not currently export to the US (basically he wanted to prevent such countries from being used as staging posts). I hope it works because America allowed too much manufacturing to be offshored, but I fear unintended consequences. For example, Harlequin now prints all its books in Europe because the one large scale printer in the US decided to raise its prices so much a few years ago that they became uncompetitive. Despite the massive increase in shipping costs, it was cost effective for Harlequin and Harper Collins to print and ship the books to the North American market. It meant the lead times for editing books etc altered considerably. It surprised me that a printer was allowed to obtain a monopoly. Printing, even large scale printing, used to have lots of competitors. The reason Harlequins were first printed in North America was because the Toronto Star wanted to keep its newspaper presses rolling and printing pulp fiction was the way they decided to do it so I suspect the demise of the printed newspaper has something to do with the situation.

Here -- my latest has been formally accepted. I did do the line edits and now await the copy edits. The Viking’s Royal Marriage Bargain comes out in Dec 2025. There is always a moment of relief with the formal acceptance because up to that point, they can (and have in the past) simply reject the work.

Paddy conquers the wood chipping pile.

It has been warm and spring like so Paddy has had a good week.

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