Certain neighborhoods in London and Birmingham are considered “no-go areas.” During an interview on the News Agents podcast, he mentioned this fact.
I am now realizing that using the term “no-go areas” was a mistake, as it may have other meanings that I had not been aware of. I am mad at myself for unintentionally causing my message to be misunderstood.
What I meant to convey is that the type of comments voiced by Lee Anderson and others lately, which have a populist undertone, are often influenced by discussions and perspectives held by people in various cities throughout the UK.
I referred to groups in Tower Hamlets and Birmingham who are misusing and misrepresenting their Islamic beliefs, as well as other groups like black and white gangs. This irresponsible behavior of a small number of individuals should not be used to judge an entire community. While there may be some discomfort in these areas at times, it is not the same as labeling them as no-go zones in a broader sense. I would like to apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
Filters BETA
This recent examination of the amount of women serving as Members of Parliament.
According to their data, 564 women have been elected to the Commons in the 106 years since they were given the right to stand for election. The latest addition to this number is Gen Kitchen, the newly elected Labour MP for Wellingborough. However, this number is still less than the total number of 650 currently serving MPs in the Commons.
The study indicates faster progress in recent years. In 1982, Harriet Harman became the 114th female MP. It took until the 2005 election to reach the halfway mark of 282 female MPs currently in office.
The library report highlights that in December 2016, the number of female Members of Parliament (MPs) finally equaled the number of male MPs in the House of Commons.
Caroline Johnson was victorious in the Sleaford and North Hykeham byelection, bringing her to equal the 455th male member of the Commons.
The current proportion of female to male MPs is 226 out of 650, which is the highest number in history. Following the 2019 general election, there were 220 female MPs, but due to deaths, resignations, and removals through a recall petition, six have left and 12 have been replaced through byelections.
In 1919, Nancy Astor became the first woman to sit in the Commons, making her well-known as the first female MP. However, Constance, Countess Markievicz had actually won a Dublin seat in the general election a year earlier. However, since she was representing Sinn Féin, she did not take the seat.
“There are areas in London and Birmingham, which have been described as the “no-go areas”.
There are certain locations in London and Birmingham that have been labeled as “no-go areas.” During an interview on the News Agents podcast, he stated that there are specific parts of London and Birmingham that have been referred to as the “no-go areas”.
I believe I regret using the term “no-go areas” because it may have unintended meanings that I hadn’t fully considered. I am angry with myself for allowing my message to be misunderstood.
I attempted to convey that the comments made by individuals like Lee Anderson in the past few days and weeks, adopting a populist perspective, are often influenced by the discussions and beliefs present in cities throughout the UK.
I brought up the examples of Tower Hamlets and Birmingham, where there are small groups of individuals who manipulate and exploit their beliefs, whether they are Islamic gangs, black gangs, white gangs, and so on. Unfortunately, this behavior can lead to negative perceptions and judgments towards entire communities based on the actions of a few misguided and intimidating individuals. While some areas may make people feel uneasy at times, this is different from labeling them as no-go zones in the larger context, and I apologize for any misunderstandings.
At 2:58pm, Emilio Casalicchio of Politico sent this.
The CEO of the Post Office expressing desire to step down from their position.
He was under immense pressure. I must have had four discussions where he expressed a desire to quit.
My role was simply to comprehend the challenges he faced, as finding a suitable replacement at this point, given the current state of the business, would be quite difficult.
If I were not satisfied with his performance, I would have requested to make changes.
Staunton mentioned that he had brought up this matter with Grant Shapps, who was the former business secretary, and Kevin Hollinrake, the postal services minister. However, they both rejected the idea of making a payment.
Towards the end of his testimony, Read was questioned by Liam Byrne, the chairman, if he had ever attempted to step down from his role as chief executive. Read responded that he had not.
He handled the process of selecting a new board director incorrectly. He claimed to have done so “meticulously”.
Kemi Badenoch informed Members of Parliament that he was being investigated for severe accusations. Staunton stated that this was linked to the dispute between Nick Read, the CEO, and his HR director. According to Staunton, the HR director compiled a detailed 80-page report outlining complaints against Read. One paragraph in the report mentioned Staunton and alleged that he made a comment that was considered politically incorrect. However, Staunton clarified that this did not necessarily mean that he himself was the main focus of the investigation.
He expressed that handling this complaint was extremely stressful for Read and he contemplated resigning.
When asked about the ongoing investigation into Read, he confirmed that it was still happening.
According to Jonathan Gullis (Con), the person posing the questions, the committee was unaware of this. He informed Read that he had “created headlines”.
The Post Office plans to make their argument in a written format.
He said:
The suffering and disgrace experienced by these postmasters and their families is a tragic event. They have consistently been let down by a variety of British organizations that are meant to safeguard citizens and promote fairness.
We are all aware that this fact is not true. We all understand that there was a lack of action from the judicial system, government, Whitehall, and specifically within the Post Office until the ITV drama, Mr. Bates versus the Post Office, and there was a strong response from the secretary of state…
Many are aware that progress was sluggish… and the main reason for people relating to my comments in the Sunday Times is because someone finally spoke truthfully about the deeply rooted problems and the lack of action being taken.
I believe there is room for improvement, particularly in increasing the level of compensation and simplifying the process of seeking justice.
If the disinfectant sunlight, which the secretary of state highly sanctions, leads to the government fulfilling its promises, I will have at least accomplished something.
The issue at hand that the public is interested in is the reason for the slow pace of everything. Furthermore, there is still a continued slowness that is being questioned. I have expressed my opinions on topics that are of real public importance, which has resulted in my dismissal and now I am facing a malicious attack on my reputation.
The post office asserts that they have never been instructed to postpone compensation payments, which the government has used as evidence to discredit Staunton’s allegations.
Read’s message to the committee stated:
To be clear, I have never received orders to postpone compensation and I do not believe my leadership team has either. I have collaborated with government officials and ministers to ensure timely delivery of compensation.
According to Staunton, Read could honestly make this statement because he was not personally instructed to decrease payment compensation. Staunton further explains that when he shared the information from Sarah Munby with Read, they both agreed not to take this action.
Your recording of your discussion with Sarah Munby does not explicitly mention payment?
Staunton claims that his note did not fully capture the conversation.
Kemi Badenoch stated that the funds allocated for compensation were reserved and therefore the Post Office had no motivation to delay payments.
According to Staunton, the examination of the Post Office records reveals that there is no solid guarantee for the compensation payments.
Munby’s record of the conversation presents a contrasting version.
Staunton claims that the version published by Munby last week was written one year after the conversation took place. He asserts that his note was written at the same time as the conversation.
Is she being dishonest in your opinion?
Staunton states he does not wish to engage in that topic. He is merely expressing his perspective on the events.
Could Munby have interpreted the conversation with you differently?
Staunton disagrees with the likelihood of that. He continues:
Discussions of three levers do not require a PhD in accounting. These are three basic matters that are being discussed.
Currently, Henry Staunton, the previous chair of the Post Office, is providing testimony. He has been requested to take an oath to tell the truth.
This is a summary of the claims he made during his interview with the Sunday Times. Additionally, here is a rundown of how Kemi Badenoch responded.
Were you instructed to decrease the frequency of compensation payments?
Staunton expresses his desire to utilize the expression “a nod and a wink”.
Last January, he mentioned that he had encountered Sarah Munby, the permanent secretary at the business department.
He stated that the Post Office’s issues could be resolved within three to five years, but most likely it would take five years.
He states that Munby informed him that now is not the time for extensive planning due to financial constraints.
The speaker mentions that there were only three factors they could adjust: the expense of the investigation, the cost of compensation, and the necessity for a new Horizon system.
He informed Munby that the costs for the inquiry could not be altered, that the compensation had to be provided, and that the Post Office was in dire need of a new IT system.
He recounts that Munby reiterated the scarcity of funds and emphasized that now is not the appropriate moment to abruptly solve the problem.
He notes that the conversation was very unique.
He mentioned talking about this with Nick Read. Read stated, “They inhabit a different world,” he relayed.
1.24pm.)
Read replies:
We stand behind any effort to expedite justice for postmasters who have been wronged.
Can you confirm if some post office employees have been charged, as mentioned by Nick Vamos? Why are you opposed to the plan?
According to Read, he does not object to the plan.
Can you identify who may be at fault?
Read says:
It is possible that some individuals who are guilty may be included in the exoneration plan, but overall it is the most preferable choice.
He proposes that there could potentially be “a small number” of individuals within this group.
Source: theguardian.com
