Allison Pearson
152.4K posts
@pietergaricano @s8mb British government will destroy what's left of UK industry with really obvious fails over minimum wage, employment rights, and stupid energy policy. I doubt a single enterprise scale data center will ever be built in the UK.
📣🚨Karen Webb, an NHS specialist nurse with 42 years’ experience working with older people, faced losing her honorary Queen’s Nurse title after being reported for gender-critical posts on X. The situation began during what should have been a standard team meeting. In the informal chat before proceedings began, Karen, in response to another colleague, expressed support for the Olympic Committee’s decision to exclude male athletes from women’s sporting categories. Within minutes, she received a private message from the Trust’s Head of Equality and Inclusion, informing her that she had “upset a lot of people”. The following day, she was told that her “attitude” towards transgender individuals needed to be discussed. Three months later, Karen was called to a formal meeting with senior figures at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, where she was questioned about her views on trans people and her ability to provide them with compassionate care. Believing the matter to have been resolved, Karen was then contacted by the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN), which informed her that it had received a complaint about alleged “transphobia” and “bigotry”. She was instructed to delete her social media posts or risk losing her honorary title. The experience caused her significant and understandable distress. At that point, Karen turned to the Free Speech Union for support. The FSU wrote to QICN on her behalf, setting out her legally protected right to hold and express gender-critical beliefs under the Equality Act 2010. Shortly thereafter, QICN dropped its investigation and issued a full apology, acknowledging that there was “no case to answer” and that Karen had “done nothing wrong”. Following a Subject Access Request (SAR), it emerged that the complaint had been made by a senior activist colleague, who had also disclosed information from a confidential internal process – despite that matter having been closed without any disciplinary action. This disclosure appeared to be a malicious attempt to damage Karen’s professional reputation and facilitate the removal of her honorary title. A subsequent grievance investigation by the NHS Trust upheld Karen’s complaint, finding that confidential information had been improperly shared with QICN. The Trust accepted that Karen had a reasonable expectation that discussions within the internal process would remain private, and confirmed that this expectation had been breached. The Trust has since stated that “appropriate action will be taken” to ensure lessons are learned and similar incidents do not occur again. Although the Free Speech Union was ultimately able to protect Karen’s title and prevent disciplinary action, the experience has left a lasting impact. Now retired, she reflects that the episode has cast a shadow over what should have been the culmination of a long and dedicated career in nursing. This sad episode resulted in Karen deciding it was time to retire. We are proud to have supported Karen during this difficult time. Cases like hers are far from isolated – more than 40 per cent of the Free Speech Union’s casework now involves individuals facing repercussions for expressing gender-critical beliefs, which are protected under the Equality Act 2010. Watch Karen share her story and join the Free Speech Union below 👇
Iran’s internet blackout - imposed by the regime - is now the longest in the history of any country ever. Short explainer from CNN host, political analyst, lawyer and civil rights advocate @VanJones68 - share widely.
Benefits treats: Britain has become a freeloader’s paradise, says Michael Simmons 🔸 Paul Wood: Trump can’t win in Iran 🔸 Douglas Murray: The rise and fall of Tariq Ramadan 🔸 Olivia Potts: Farewell, Gentleman’s Relish 🔸 William Atkinson: Is time up for Viktor Orban? spectator.co.uk
Is this fair?
A British university student is facing prosecution after comparing a Keffiyeh worn by a pro-Palestinian activist to a “tea towel” during Freshers’ Fair at @RoyalHolloway. 20-year-old Brodie Mitchell told the President of the Friends of Palestine Society, Huda El-Jamal, that her keffiyeh looked like a “tea towel” after she called him a “wannabe Jew” because he was defending Israel and mocked him for not wearing a Jewish “hat”. In a classic case of double standards on campus, Brodie was handed a nine-week suspension the following day “for alleged conduct that could be considered hate speech”. He was told his comments were “Islamophobic”, “racist”, and “anti-Palestinian” and was barred from campus and forced to leave his student accommodation. Surrey Police have now confirmed they have sent a file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for a charging decision — meaning Brodie could face prosecution for saying El-Jamal’s headscarf looked like a “tea towel”. Meanwhile, she faced no disciplinary action and continued her studies as normal. Welcome to two-tier Britain. The case could be the first of many, given the Government’s decision to publish an official definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” and encourage universities to embed it in their speech policies. The definition is already being used to silence legitimate criticism of Islam. The Free Speech Union is supporting Brodie. With our help, he has been allowed back on campus, but under conditions that dictate who he can speak to and what he’s allowed to say. With our support, Brodie is taking Royal Holloway to the High Court, arguing he was unfairly forced to miss seven weeks of teaching, potentially delaying completion of his degree. We’ve also provided him with a top-notch criminal legal team in case the CPS decides to prosecute him. His own university, Royal Holloway, is spending nearly three-quarters of a million pounds defending its actions. At a recent hearing, it initially said its total costs could be as high as £734,000, with the risk that Brodie will have to pay them if he loses. In other words, the university is trying to scare him into dropping the case. But we’ve got his back. Welcome to the reality of free speech on English university campuses. In the absence of the complaints scheme that was legislated for in the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act being activated by Bridget Phillipson – she has delayed doing so for 18 months now – these are the ruinous costs facing students who want to stand up for their right to free speech. On this week’s episode of the FSU Podcast, Brodie Mitchell (@BrodieMitchell1) shares his story with @_ConnieShaw. The full episode is available on the FSU YouTube channel (link in first reply).
79% of grades at Yale are A-range. Graduating summa cum laude requires a record high GPA OF 3.98.
Many laughed when Starmer said UK would become an AI “superpower”. AI requires huge amounts of cheap power. Mad Ed gave us the world’s most expensive electricity. Just lost us £31 Billion investment. Treason. @Ed_Miliband mol.im/a/15718965
