This is Northumberland Calling 29.08.24

The Labour can’t resist being Labour edition

Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

It has taken very little time for accusations of cronyism (remember the expenses scandals under Blair and Brown?) to raise their ugly head. This time it is about passes to No 10 for big time Labour donors. This article in the Times gives the ins and outs of why this is a problem for Labour: https://www.thetimes.com/article/493489d7-e241-488d-bc61-c31319dfa3a8 or https://archive.ph/FjRVy

Hot on the heels of that, Yvette Cooper seems intent on raising the spectre of non-crime hate incidents returning (as if the police did not have enough to do) and to enforcing the  protest laws which Suella Braverman championed and which earned her sacking. There will be a legal battle Henry Miller, the former policeman who led the charge against non-crime hate incidents promised.  https://www.thetimes.com/article/744d8705-84be-4def-8647-b4329d58202e or https://archive.ph/https://www.thetimes.com/article/744d8705-84be-4def-8647-b4329d58202e

Not content with that, Labour appears to want to abolish smoking outdoors in pub gardens and other small spaces. Nanny-statism at its finest. Smoking is seriously declining in the UK compared to when I first arrived in 1984 when smoke hung like a fugue in pubs and every second adult seemed to be a smoker. I did try smoking at the time, but apparently didn’t inhale properly and that was that. Given the prevalence of cannabis smoke, I doubt the ban will do little more than force struggling pubs to close. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/29/sue-gray-plan-ban-smoking-pub-gardens-ministers/ or  https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/29/sue-gray-plan-ban-smoking-pub-gardens-ministers/

The Jeremy Clarkson opening of his pub was apparently a great success. I suspect he will be at the forefront of any fight back against draconian government interference in pub management. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/jeremy-clarkson-pub-megachurch-for-his-thirsty-disciples/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/features/jeremy-clarkson-pub-megachurch-for-his-thirsty-disciples/

Workers are going to be given new rights to demand a four-day work week (i.e. compressing 40 hours into 4 days). It is quite possible that productivity will plummet. I wonder how that will square with the Labour pledge to run the NHS surgical teams at the weekend. I suspect the edict about ‘flexible working’  will only apply to certain sectors. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/29/workers-to-be-given-new-rights-to-demand-four-day-week/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/29/workers-to-be-given-new-rights-to-demand-four-day-week/

And it turns out that the universities lobbying against the Free Speech bill and using the cover of the Jewish lobby were doing it at the behest of the Chinese as they quite like the revenue from them. The Free Speech Union is bringing a legal case against the Education Secretary for her move in quashing the legislation one day before Parliament went into recess. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/24/british-universities-lobbied-drop-free-speech/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/08/24/british-universities-lobbied-drop-free-speech/

Alexander McCall Smith explains some truths about children – they are unreconstructed and some are toe-rags. They also like tribes and cliques. The idea that all 16 year olds will vote for altruistic progressive movements is naïve.  https://www.thetimes.com/uk/scotland/article/alexander-mccall-smith-censor-childrens-books-93bd8wt5b

Scotland’s artists are fighting back against the cuts to Creative Scotland. There are going to be more revelations at the weekend from what I understand my well placed sources but a growing number of artists are trying to reverse the decision. This includes Slow Horses’ actor Jack Lowdon (if you have not read the Mick Heron Slow Horses series or indeed watched the hit Apple TV show which returns on Sept 4 for its fourth season – do as they are both excellent). https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13793871/Now-artists-demand-showdown-summit-SNP-culture-minister-plans-slash-funding-plug-black-hole-public-finances.html

The plight of the Afghan women who are unable to sing or speak in public is not a focus for the Omni-cause. (Basically Christina Dalcher’s Vox in real time) There have been no massive demonstrations in the support of the women of Afghanistan and their human rights. Colour me shocked. It is a shame that this happened two years after the West left Afghanistan in such dire circumstances. I note that a number of Afghan leaders are educating their daughters outside the country. One rule for some, another for the great masses. There is apparently nothing the Koran which prohibits women from getting an education btw and indeed a very early university in Morocco was founded by a Muslim woman in 859. https://factmyth.com/factoids/the-university-of-al-quaraouiyine-is-the-oldest-university/  This is the article about singing:   https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/08/27/watch-afghan-women-defy-taliban-by-singing-in-public/ or https://archive.ph/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/08/27/watch-afghan-women-defy-taliban-by-singing-in-public/

Here, Tempted by Her Forbidden Warrior comes out on the Harlequin website on September 1. The print edition will be in the shops, including I think Barnes and Noble as well as those specialising in romance only such as the Ripped Bodice on September 24.  It is ebook only in the UK from September 24.

I discovered the back cover copy for Secret Princess for the Warrior which comes out in March/April 2025. A dramatic, enemies-to-lovers Viking tale between a princess and a brooding warrior! Born to be enemies. Sworn to become lovers?

When Viking Karn finds himself shipwrecked on enemy territory, even his razor-sharp, battle-hardened instincts could never have foreseen being rescued by tantalizing maiden Maer…

Maer is stunned to learn that Karn hails from the kingdom that was once her home. And that his father was responsible for the brutal end to her family’s reign, forcing Maer to become a princess-in-hiding! She should hate Karn but instead finds herself irresistibly drawn to the brooding warrior. He could be the key to her return, but can she trust him with her feelings—and her royal secret?

From Harlequin Historical: Your romantic escape to the past.

I am hard at work on the 2^nd part of this one and am trying to get a better handle on the hero. The heroine is relatively easy as she plays a significant part in Secret Princess and thus I had to understand her motivations. I have written the prologue and am enjoying being able to continue with this.

We have had Paddy for nearly 2 years and this week’s photo is a blast from the past when he first arrived. He was adorable then and a good companion now. He was a star at his gun dog class and is really getting ‘stop’ and ‘back’ now.

Hopefully everyone else’s week was a good one. I look forward to seeing you in the comments.

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