This is Northumberland Calling 4.11.22

The splooted edition

Ten words of the year starting with splooting  -- lying with all limbs spread out due to the heat. Other words include permacrisis, partygate and Kyiv . https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/11/01/permacrisis-is-collins-dictionary-word-of-the-year/

 Kathleen Stockk is to speak at Cambridge next week. Usual suspects are bleating that it makes them unsafe. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/24480

Helen Joyce explains what she was talking about at Cambridge which nearly had her cancelled and now has Prof Arif Ahmed running a free speech seminar to instruct Cambridge University students in the importance of free speech.  https://archive.ph/GrjS7

And this excellent piece explains why Prof Arif Ahmed is teaching the seminar on free speech. He is a true Free Speech warrior and was the man most responsible for changing the wording of the Cambridge University attempt to limit free speech from ‘respect’ to ‘tolerate’. It would be wonderful if Bari could interview him on a podcast. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/free-speech-cambridge-students-professor-philosophy-cancel-culture-nldwsjjsb

Parents are calling for a Cass type review of the way gender and sexuality is taught in schools in England. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/953bd7ea-5942-11ed-9b1f-f7c251e9dfdc?shareToken=d43567c87f546204d07390b1eb8c983f

The Telegraph continues its expose of the Sandyford, Scottish equivalent of the Tavistock, reporting that children as young as nine were given puberty blockers and that the proportion of children suffering from autism was far higher than the normal population, findings the Sandyford knew about in April 2021. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/10/31/children-young-nine-prescribed-puberty-blockers-nicola-sturgeon/

The  damning report into the Manchester bombing response came back and the failures of the emergency services meant that at least two people – a 28 year old man and an 8 year old girl died needlessly. They were more interested in safety for the responders than saving lives. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/manchester-arena-bombing-inquiry-report-verdict-attack-lm5lfj7gs

Finally, this is short because I am involved in the Society of Authors members’ resolutions on freedom of expression and whether or not the chair’s behaviour constitutes a serious enough breech to result in her resignation. From what I understand, two frail and sick men, Philip Pullman and Sir Antony Beevor were unable to make any head last night at the Council meeting. But ordinary members can have their say at  the agm which will be chaired by Joanne Harris (she decided she  is not recusing from the whole meeting, just the contentious portions – this contrary to normal procedure which is to recuse and then have those non-contentious parts ceded back to chair. It goes to a person’s basic decency). This substack explains why we felt the need to bring the resolutions, particularly the one on freedom of expression after the Sir Salman Rushdie stabbing.

A Silent Majority Speaks