This is Northumberland Calling 3.2.23
Various cases which Holmes should not have to solve edition
This Northumberland Calling 3.2.23
The case of how cancellation in the publishing industry actually works –Nigel Biggar wrote a book on Empire about why Britain should feel pride as well as shame (note the dual emotions) in the their former empire. Bloomsbury was initially enthusiastic but after agitation from far left anti-colonial historians who were frightened that their mistakes and blatant falsification of history to prove a political point would come to light and others, the book was cancelled. Bloomsbury then denied cancelling the book. However, Biggar kept the emails. ‘In Bloomsbury’s case, they didn’t cave in for commercial reasons: According to their commissioning editor, my book was set to make them money. I can only speculate—but my speculation is informed by other cases—that they reckoned that caving in and avoiding internal unhappiness and perhaps external agitation would be the least costly option. They perceived that appeasing the illiberals within was the path of least resistance.’ That’s why it’s so important that Bloomsbury be held to account in public—so that they, and other publishers, see the reputational costs of unprincipled cravenness.’ Thankfully William Collins (an imprint of Harper Collins) decided to publish the book (it came out this week). This article gives the full story (not behind a paywall) https://compactmag.com/article/anatomy-of-a-book-cancellation
The case of how to identify a woman. Scottish First Minister does not have enough information to decide if twice convicted rapists Adam Graham now known as Ilsa Bryson is a woman or not. Under Scottish law, rape can only be committed by male genitalia. As the row over the rapist continues, Sturgeon’s political power ebbs away. Yesterday’s First Minister’s questions were a farce as it emerged that rapist Graham had tried to attend gym classes for female victims of sexual assault only to be refused by the gym’s safeguarding concerns which appeared to be far more robust than the Scottish Prison Services’ . (Other problems surrounding trans women in female prisons in Scotland also emerged this week with one female prisoner telling the papers how she had a coil fitted because she was certain she would be raped by another violent trans woman prisoner). In short the problem is not going away for Sturgeon as various people can smell blood and that is a problem for any politician. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/02/02/sturgeon-gender-policy-disarray-refuses-say-transgender-rapist/
BBC devoted a Question Time to the subject and the SNP transport minister was heckled after refusing to say if Graham/Bryson was a man or a woman and instead calling him an individual. And saying the individual is a rapist as if the category rapist is a third gender or sex. This is the not behind a paywall report from the Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11709003/SNP-MP-heckled-Question-Time-asked-Isla-Bryson-man-woman.html
The case of the murdered doppelganger in Germany comes to trial. Worthy of a detective story. Woman finds lookalike on Instagram and murders her, passing off the body as hers. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/01/31/woman-accused-murdering-instagram-lookalike-plot-fake-death/
The case of the altar cloth which was a progressive pride flag and the court battle which has ensued. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/01/28/pride-flag-altar-church-woke-triggers-almighty-court-battle/
The case of the mother who objected to her four year old being forced to take part in a Pride march by the primary school. The parents of the child are born again Christians and it is against their religious beliefs. The school head and her daughter, another teacher at the school who had taken to wearing t-shirts telling people who objected to their agenda to remain silent deny that they have done anything wrong. https://www.christianpost.com/news/christian-mom-sues-school-for-forcing-4-year-old-to-attend-gay-pride-parade.html
And lawsuits do work. In this case, a woman was discriminated against at work by the gender neutral toilet which favoured men. She had to walk past a urinal and there was no wastebasket for sanitary products. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11708131/Gender-neutral-toilet-favourable-men-says-judge.html
The RAF has admitted that its diversity policy actively discriminated against 160 white men who were better qualified than the women and ethnic minority candidates they hired in a drive to increase diversity. Again this was an illegal action. Again not behind a paywall: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/uknews/raf-chief-admits-mistakes-over-discrimination-against-white-men/ar-AA170lHH
15 year old girl stabbed in the early evening in Hexham last Friday and dies. 16 year old boy arrested for her murder. Another boy remains in hospital. Hexham near where I live was voted the happiest place to live in the UK in 2019 and 2021 (slightly to the surprise of the locals – there is a historical undercurrent of violence dating back to the Border Wars and beyond). It shows that knife crime happens everywhere. A pile of flowers, gifts and tributes remain outside Pizza Pizza where she was murdered. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/hexham-stabbing-murder-arrest-15-girl-dead-northumberland-uk-2023-3bhtpm6zj https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11691261/Boy-16-accused-murdering-15-year-old-girl-Hexham-appear-court-today.html
Finally the Princess of Wales has launched her campaign to highlight the importance of early learning and is seeking to change the conversation in society so that people understand how vital this period is in shaping a person’s personality and future. This essay on the Royal Foundation website explains the science behind her campaign: https://centreforearlychildhood.org/latest-learnings/essays/how-you-become-you-the-story-and-science-of-early-childhood/
And this arrived from the Free Speech Union weekly round up and expands more on the Biggar/Bloomsbury situation.
FSU Chairman Prof Nigel Biggar and the thwarted book cancellation
Eminent Oxford academic and FSU Chairman Professor Nigel Biggar has spoken about British publisher Bloomsbury’s decision to cancel his latest book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, and revealed that a source at the company told him senior executives pulled the plug because junior staff found the book’s conclusion – that colonialism wasn’t all bad – to be in poor taste (Spectator, Telegraph, TCW, Times).
Why are new recruits in areas like publishing so susceptible to this authoritarian ideology? From overwrought Amazon employees prostrating themselves on the floor at so-called “die-ins” to protest the company’s sale of allegedly ‘harmful’ transphobic books (Bloomberg), to LGBTQ+ venue workers primly refusing to host an academic conference because certain speakers hold views that don’t align with their values (Scottish Daily Express), through to sensitive staff at the Old Vic successfully lobbying bosses to scrap Terry Gilliam’s latest musical production because his views on the immutable, biological reality of sex make them feel “uncomfortable” (Mail), the latest generation of activists just don’t seem to care about free speech or freedom of expression.
Come to think of it, what is it about the sight of a small number of shouty, doctrinaire twentysomethings that compels senior executives to fold up their liberal principles and steal silently away? Because as Prof Biggar himself points out, it’s not easy to see why grown-up leaders are so easily spooked by the hyperventilated pressure oozing up from below (Spectator). It’s true that publishers have commercial necessities – but surely, they have civic duties too? “If every publisher behaved like Bloomsbury did with me,” he says, “then important books that challenge received ideas that may be deeply mistaken won’t get published.” (Times)
Prof Biggar’s book challenges what Sherelle Jacobs refers to as the “Evil White Male” version of history, arguing that despite grave mistakes and moments of gross injustice, the British Empire learnt from its errors and was increasingly propelled by humanitarian and liberal ideals, most notably through the abolition and suppression of slavery (Telegraph). It also examines the work of a number of historians who Prof Biggar claims “overstate” the sins of British colonialism, concluding that they are sustained by contempt for the West. (Prof Biggar summarises the core argument of his book in an excellent piece for The Critic here).
The manuscript was delivered at the end of 2020. After reading it, his editor at Bloomsbury emailed to say he was “speechless” with enthusiasm, and that it was one of the most important books he’d come across in some time. Three months later, however, Prof Biggar received an email from Sarah Broadway, the Head of Special Interest Publishing at the company, which said “conditions are not currently favourable to publication” and that she wanted to delay. According to the Times, Prof Biggar asked Ms Broadway to clarify what she meant, and the following email exchange took place:
Ms Broadway: “We consider that public feeling on the subject does not currently support the publication of the book and will reassess that next year.”
Prof Biggar: “Could you clarify for me, please: which public feeling concerns you; in what sense it is ‘unfavourable’ to publication; and what would need to change to make it ‘favourable’ again?”
Ms Broadway: Bloomsbury had “grappled with giving defined criteria” but found this “difficult to define objectively… we have concluded that this subjectivity could lead to your book being in a limbo lasting more than a year or it might not, but we don’t wish to put you in that position of uncertainty.”
Prof Biggar: “It is quite clear . . . the public feeling that concerns you is that of – for want of a more scientific term – the ‘woke’ Left. Rather than publish cogent arguments and important truths that would attract the aggression of these illiberals, you choose to align yourselves with them by de-platforming me. In so doing, you have made your own contribution to the expansion of authoritarianism and the shrinking of moral and political diversity.”
Sadly, the Times doesn’t record Ms Broadway’s response. It’s difficult to imagine there was one, other than perhaps “Oh, ah”. Even before the renowned Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology decided to whip off the cerebral safety catch and start historicising Ms Broadway’s professional failings as part of the longue durée, you sensed you were in the presence of a Head of Special Interest Publishing who wasn’t at all sure she was equal to the intellectual pressure of events.
Thankfully, Prof Biggar’s book is now being published by William Collins – you can purchase a copy here.
TY, as always, Michelle. Another eye-opener.
There's nothing I'd like to see better than this Sturgeon to take it on the chin about this rapist. And her associate who invented the new gender: Male, female, and "individual." "Individual who is a rapist." That's the secret about the whole Woke ideology. "Rape can only be committed by male genitalia." "A transwoman is a woman." Herein likes one amongst many problems.
I am heartened to see the various legal actions being taken. That's where the UK has it all over us here in the US. I'm hopeful we can learn by Your example. Maybe "hopeful" is too strong a word.
I thought that curious by the RAF. They didn't "actively discriminate" against white males. But they gave preference to women and ethnic minorities. I guess this is a new Woke invention. "INactive discrimination," maybe.
That was also interesting about the Princess of Wales and all that. I didn't read the article yet. But would note there's a group at Harvard called (I think) the Center for the Developing Child that highlights similar. And how abnormal stress in the beginning years has life-long consequence.
Another thought-provoking issue, Michelle. Can't thank You enough.