Today is described by my weather app as “Mostly cloudy” - could be worse! So I’m getting back into my routine of running around the village in the morning. There’s clearly been a lot of rain around here as the river is very full. But the strong winds have disappeared … for the time being, and the heron was out fishing by the millpond again this morning.
In the midst of all the doom and gloom news, I find myself heartened by the fact that some Labour MPs are prepared to stand by their principles and vote for an immediate ceasefire in the Middle East, against the express instructions of their leader. There have been resignations from front bench positions. They probably need to be careful not to be expelled from the party.
If the Labour Party leader is having problems, the Tory leader seems to have even more. Here’s another little problem looming for him, apparently posted by Carol Vorderman on social media:
“NEWS
Steve Barclay is now Environment Secretary.
His wife Karen is a Senior Exec at Anglian Water.
Anglian Water fined £2.65m for allowing millions of litres of untreated sewage to overflow from a water recycling centre.”
Oops!
And then there’s James Cleverly, not denying when questioned about it that he did at some time describe the Rwanda policy, which presumably he now has to try to make work, as “batshit”. (This was apparently in private. one can only assume he would have used different words if he had got around to expressing that view in public.)
Others are pleased with the Supreme Court ruling about the Rwanda scheme, such as Caroline Lucas, who uses more eloquent terms than “batshit” to describe the policy. Here’s what she had to say:
“BREAKING: Govt’s utterly inhumane, grotesquely immoral & totally unworkable Rwanda scheme has now been deemed illegal by the Supreme Court - the highest court in the land. Please, Prime Minister - time for an asylum policy which actually treats people with respect and dignity.”
However, there are suggestions that the law should or could simply be changed to accommodate such policies. Here’s Michael Rosen’s spoof-Boris Johnson comment:
“Dear Lee
You're so right! We should ignore the Supreme Court's judgement and go ahead and deport people to Rwanda anyway. When I am back as PM, you will be at my side, locking the lefty lawyers of the Supreme Court in the Tower, like Spartacus before them.
Crucifix scrufix
Boris”
Since this seems to be rather a doom-and-gloom post, here’s an extract from and article on the state of our country by former PM Gordon Brown:
“a more visible sign of Britain’s increasing epidemic of poverty is that children are going to school not just ill clad and hungry but unwashed and unclean, with infections now being passed on in classrooms. Schools should not have to double up as launderettes for children’s clothes, but dozens of schools are installing washing machines.”
I am reminded of an episode of the American TV series “The Wire”, where a teacher arranges for a pupil from a dysfunctional family to be able to shower at school, and even takes some of the boy’s clothes home to put in his own washing machine.
Gordon Brown continues!
“As a recent survey of teachers concluded, private hygiene is fast becoming a public health problem, with 71% of those polled expecting this to worsen in the coming months.”
And here are some quite shocking statistics regarding wealth, or the lack of it:
“We are now as divided as we were in Victorian times: the income of our top 0.1% – about £9,615 a week – is 100 times more than that of a universal credit claimant, on £92 a week.”
That’s £9,615 every week! It beggars belief!
Here’s a link to the whole article, by the way.
All is not lost though. The King, concerned about food waste, writing in The Big Issue had this to say:
“To mark my 75th birthday in this Coronation year, I could ask for no greater gift than that the Coronation Food Project creates a lasting legacy to help others – and help the planet.
“Food need is as real and urgent a problem as food waste – and if a way could be found to bridge the gap between them, then it would address two problems in one.”
Maybe he could redistribute some of his family’s wealth at the same time.
And finally, to cheer us up, I am informed that today is Flamenco Day!
“🔎 This date has been celebrated since 16 November 2010, when #UNESCO recognised flamenco as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
📚 A cultural expression that dates back to at least the 17th century. The first records documenting this art place it in the cities and countryside of Andalusia, especially in the area around Jerez de la Frontera. It gradually became popular in Andalusia and other regions, such as Murcia and Extremadura, until it spread and became a national and international reference point.”
Time to get our frilly frocks and our dancing shoes on! We could stamp all our frustrations away!
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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