This is Northumberland Calling 7.02.25

The legal fictions and friends of Starmer edition

Hello America (Particularly Central Ohio) this is Northumberland Calling

I was very pleased about the EO from Trump and the subsequent change of stance by the NCAA re: women and girls sports being for biological females only. Trans identifying males (i.e. trans-women) are not banned from competing — they may compete in the category which is for their biological sex.

The Peggie v the NHS Fife employment tribunal has started. Today should see Peggie’s barrister cross examine the doctor who was born a male and now identifies as a woman and felt that identification gave Dr Upton the right to change in female facilities. The doctor began the change in 2022 and thus would not have been in possession of a GRC at the relevant time in 2023 (before one can apply, one must have lived ‘fully’ for 2 years) . Thus his legal sex at the relevant time was male. A GRC creates a ‘legal fiction’ that a person is the opposite of their biological sex most cases expect for those detailed in the exceptions list (including the inheritance of titles) This is a good article on yesterday’s proceedings: https://www.scottishdailyexpress.co.uk/news/scottish-news/transgender-doctor-describes-incident-female-34630702

Tribunal tweets: https://x.com/tribunaltweets

An employment tribunal is not there to settle disputes or grievances between employees but rather to ensure that the employer in question properly upheld the law. In this case, there is a statutory requirement to provide separate male and female changing facilities. Upton’s legal sex at the time of the incidents was male, same as his biological sex. When a person obtains a GRC, then they legally change sex but no one knows precisely how far this goes. However, there are provisions in the Eq Act 2010 which states those in possession of a GRC to be excluded from single sex spaces in certain instances… It is an interesting case and it continues…

To the surprise of many, Sir Keir Starmer has employed a voice coach (who apparently broke lockdown rules to give him lessons, guidance and advice) Sir Keir Starmer’s voice currently possesses a robotic quality to it so goodness what it was like before. This Matt Cartoon about the situation is excellent: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/0/matt-cartoons-february-2025/ Movie Marquee – Pygmalion 2. Man saying to his partner ‘In this one a voice coach sees a humble Director of Public Prosecutions and bets she can pass him off as a Prime Minister’.

Lord Hermer. Starmer’s longtime friend and now the Attorney General continues to experience pressure in the press after his podcast with his former chambers revealed his thinking on certain issues such as the British Empire (entirely racist and without merit appears to be his view – neglecting the role Britain had in ending slavery worldwide, for example) Are empires by their very definition racist? Basically all empires do favour the dominant country’s elite – it is why they are empires. For example the Ottoman Empire favoured the Ottoman Turks. The Russian Empire the Russian nobility, the Safvid Persian, the Persians but particularly the Safvids (the elites in the Iranian empire have altered over time depending on the tribe in charge) who hailed from central Asia. Iran to this day remains a series of different peoples bound by a single nationality. Some of those people are more oppressed than others. I could go on… https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/06/attorney-general-hermer-british-empire-racist-reparations/ or https://archive.ph/Giljd

And the advice about the Chagos islands came from another friend of Starmer’s who had acted for Mauritius, one Philippe Sands. Opposition parties continue to say that the deal is a very one for Britian. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/07/keir-starmer-friend-chagos-national-security-claims/ or https://archive.ph/L7Wid

The Free Speech Union had a significant win for free speech this week when a former paratrooper was cleared of stirring up racial hatred after he posted a message calling for peaceful protests. He was initially reported by a Labour politician. The solicitor writes about the case here: https://www.spiked-online.com/2025/02/05/the-persecution-of-jamie-michael/

The Home Office after review have admitted that the Southport killer is being treated as a terrorist prisoner and Prevent was wrong to close his file. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/05/southport-killer-terror-threat-manchester-arena-attack/ or https://archive.ph/Rz2sl

The trials of those involved in the riots does continue. Two men pleaded guilty to arson after it was discovered through video footage on their phones that they had set a building alight. One had given an interview to the BBC claiming to be shocked at the burning of the building and a youth of 12 had done the damage but the footage which proved he was inside and set the carboard alight was later uncovered. Helpful hint – generally it is not a good idea to film yourself committing arson unless you actively want to do jail time. The pair will be sentenced in April. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/06/arsonist-burned-down-building-did-bbc-interview/ or https://archive.ph/iQnTT

Fly tipping (dumping tons of garbage) can be a huge problem in the UK. Thanks to the concerted efforts of various locals in Kent, 3 men have been arrested in connection with dumping 30k tons of household and construction waste in a beauty spot in Kent. In some places the garbage was piled 15 feet high. The site of special scientific interest and a specialist firm has been hired to remove the waste. It is good that they have finally arrested people for doing this. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/02/06/three-men-arrested-waste-dumped-ancient-wood/ or https://archive.ph/oNA9S

Here I am putting the finishing touches on my revisions. The editors have named the book The Viking’s Royal Marriage Bargain.

Paddy is off to a playdate with his chums (Lulu and Freddie) while I have a coffee. Just like when my friend and I had toddlers.

The weather turned cold, the boiler went on the blink and used up a great deal of fuel (repaired now) and the oil should be delivered today. Where I live, there is no gas and thus one has to use either heating oil, propane or some other type of fuel for the boiler. I have no idea why this is the case, but it is the same for other parts of rural Northumberland.

If you want to find me during the week, I have started putting things on Celia M’s Jottings in Purple

which is where a number of refuge FP commentators are hanging out as they dislike the current FP policy on comments. The discussion is usually lively as you might expect from former FP commentators. Depending on how firmly my Procrastination Princess tiara is attached (aka how well my actual writing is going), I may end up getting distracted.

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

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