This is Northumberland Calling 7.4.23
The ‘Send Lawyers, Guns, and Money – the SNP cry’ edition
Wednesday morning brought an unusual sight to a quiet cul de sac in Edinburgh – a police tent. The female occupant had left earlier, but the male occupant 58 was soon arrested. Word rapidly spread – Peter Murrell, Nicola Sturgeon’s husband, had been arrested in connection with Police Scotland’s investigation into the missing 600k which was supposed to be ring-fenced for the next independence campaign. Teams of officers dug up the back garden and investigate the couple’s barbeque. Murrell was released 12 hours later and has not been charged. However the investigation is on-going. https://archive.is/kRurE
The new First Minister Humza Yousaf was forced to deny that the raid had been delayed until after the contest for the next leader of the SNP had finished. Supporters of Kate Forbes who narrowly lost to Yousaf say the contest should be rerun. https://archive.is/130WP
This op-ed by Fraser Nelson explains how the one-party state which is Scotland is crumbling. https://archive.is/vqqY7
Also on Wednesday, Baroness Falkner, the current head of the ERHC wrote to Kemi Badenoch, she had investigated whether or not the Equality Act 2010 should be clarified so that sex was clearly designated as biological sex and could not be interpreted as gender. One of the problems is that trans men in possession of a GRC are not eligible for maternity and pregnancy benefits (even though they could become pregnant) and transwomen in possession of a GRC were eligible but would never actually fall pregnant due to biology. Baroness Falkner decided on balance, the Equality Act 2010 does need to be clarified. Rishi Sunak agreed with the assessment. Labour also agreed it would be a good idea. Cue howling from various quarters including Stonewall and Mermaids. This is a letter from Baroness Falkner to the Times which explains why the change is necessary https://archive.is/3qPC6
A paper looking into the mental health of socially transitioned adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria v the mental health non socially transitioned adolescents suffering from gender dysphoria was published. Basically social transitioning is not a great panacea and those who have been social transitioned may have other mental health issues resulting from the transitioning. In other words, it did not necessarily stop the suicidal thoughts (the major reason given for doing it in the first place). It is preliminary data but it is the first study of its kind and has a far larger cohort than previous studies. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10508-023-02588-5
Dracula by Bram Stoker has received a trigger warning from the University of Greenwich. Not only for the stakes and virgins being drained of blood but also for the spiders and other insects. The content warning states: content warning states: “Violence, death, murder, child abduction and death, depictions of mental illness, misogyny, the supernatural, imprisonment, references to suicide, animal abuse, descriptions of spiders and other insects.” In other words we are now in the packet of peanuts may contain nuts territory. https://archive.is/u2Jjv
Early humans used hallucinogenic drugs after hair found at a Neolothic burial site in Spain was examined. A team led by Prof Elisa Guerra-Doce, an archaeologist at the University of Valladolid, examined strands of hair from the Es Càrritx cave in Menorca, which was first occupied around 3,600 years ago and contained a chamber used as a funeral space until around 2,800 years ago and found the traces of drug use. https://archive.is/ZPPP8
The invitation to the King and Queen’s coronation was revealed this week. Camilla will be styled as Queen instead of Queen Consort. This article details the hidden meanings in colourful invite which does include a nod to his mother’s invitation. https://archive.is/QKnTF
A fund to save Britain’s rarest native farm breeds is being considered as part of the Coronation celebration. King Charles has been the patron of the Rare Breeds Survival Trust for more than 30 years. Unlike most countries, Britain does not currently have such a fund and relies on the good will of farmers to preserve the breeds. https://archive.is/TOtLI
Atlantic salmon have begun breeding again in a Cumbrian river after it was re-wiggled. The Victorians had straightened the river course in the belief that it would assist in stopping flooding. It didn’t. It only made the floods happen further down stream in more built-up areas. The return of salmon is good news and shows that regeneration and working with farmers can bring benefits to everyone. https://archive.is/IMJj6
Finally, I received the cover for my latest book. I think the Art Dept did a great job.
Congratulations! The cover is beautiful!
Glad Dracula now comes with trigger warnings. I fear a great opportunity was missed to label the book as an early advocate of how to combat climate change, given that Renfield gets his protein by eating insects.
TY as always, Ma'am. Yours is about the only Substack I read anymore. You're pretty early again. Curlews?
What can one say about the SNP? Except it's scandal prone lately.
I enjoyed the op-ed. "Personality cult without the personality." (Har. ;-) If I read that right, MSP were told they can be *punished* for what they say in Parliament?!? At least we're not *that* bad over here. As You would suspect, I'm hoping for Kate Forbes.
I'm glad to "hear" Your Equality Act is being revisited. I hope it eventually becomes clear that men, in actual fact, cannot become pregnant, no matter how they choose to identify themselves.
Also found that study interesting. Curious phrase: 'biological sex/sex characteristics and/or birth-assigned gender.' I don't much cotton to that idea of "birth-assigned gender." Gender is never "assigned." It's determined. And it's determined at *conception,* not birth, right? And this?
'Indeed, cultural and familial pressures to conform to cisgender identities, gender roles, and expression are thought to cause considerable harm as they require a gender variant child to suppress their authentic self and emulate socially expected gender roles (the “false gendered self”).'
I'm OFFENDED! I say OFFENDED by being called cisgender! I'm being LABELED, and DEHUMANIZED. Or is a double-standard de rigueur these days. Yes, of course it is. But here's the thing: This idea that people should conform go "socially expected gender roles?" I thought that was killed by Second-wave Feminism. Am I wrong? At *some* point, it was recognized that expected gender roles never summed up how a person was capable of being, right? WHen and why did it ever raise it's ugly head again. I think if people were just allowed to act according to their own ideas of what role they wanna play, I think this idea that gender stereotypes should define a person would be killed, right? Die a second and, presumably, final death. That's just me.
Lol.. I hadn't heard this one: "the packet of peanuts may contain nuts territory."
Interesting that those ancient people used hallucinogens. Like they said, may have been shamanic rituals. And also interesting about rare breeds and salmon.
Just my $.02 worth.
Just wanna add that You save the BEST part for last. Be-You-Tee-Full cover, Michelle. Congrats! And TY again, for all.