90ZBACK is redefining what a vintage shop is. The brand is quickly building a reputation for merging contemporary fashion and trends with old school, nostalgic products. 90ZBACK is vintage fashion like you’ve never seen before.
I caught up with founder of the brand, Bukki Ojo to find out more.
Camden Market
Could you please introduce yourself, and how you first got into the fashion industry?
“My name is Bukki Ojo. I first got into fashion through my own brand: Bukki, which focused on reworked vintage denim. I eventually stopped because I realised I needed to build up more business experience. I went to study my masters in Fashion Entrepreneurship at UAL College of Fashion. During my studies, my friend recommended for me to sell off what was then left from Bukki at Camden Market. So at 21, I would study in the week and then sell off the vintage denim pieces on the weekends.
When I had sold off all the stock, I reinvested my profits based on customer requirements; this included windbreakers, sports jackets and sweatshirts etc. The concept was successful, so I expanded through various suppliers based in Europe and the US.”
Where did the name 90ZBACK come from?
“It actually came from neighbour stalls – when I stepped away from the stall they would call out ‘The 90s are back, 90s are back’. Once I identified that my speciality was specifically 90s sportswear the name 90ZBACK stuck.
I got an official sign and registered the name in April 2017. The following year, management saw the success of my stall and I was moved to a small unit in Camden.”
What makes your vintage store different from many other vintage stores emerging on the scene?
“What I’ve found with vintage stores, is that there’s a tendency for them to be messy… and smelly. It makes the shopping experience difficult for customers.
In terms of vintage clothing, the online sector is already booming, I realised to make sure the retail sector was popping too – I needed to find a solution.
This solution was to change this perception of vintage shopping and create a curated shopping experience. Where a customer will come in, know exactly what they want and then find exactly that quickly. My visual merchandising does exactly this; extremely neat organisation, colour coding, and modern aesthetics.
Also, everything in my store in unisex. So when customers come into my store there’s no segregation and everyone can try on whatever they like. Some customers are just kids who recognise items from old pictures of their parents, and some are older customers who are simply nostalgic of the 90s. 90ZBACK is for all.”
Why do you think there’s a trend for vintage/nostalgic clothing recently?
“Vintage has always been popular because consumers love nostalgia. But recently the influences of street designers, such as Virgil Abloh and other influential people, have made sportswear a trend. Even brands such as Zara are releasing more sportswear that is casual and fashionable. Sportswear that’s not only for the gym but for fashion.”
Why did you choose London as the location for the flagship store?
“London is where I started out on various markets, and Shoreditch is a notorious hub for vintage fashion. I also have plans to open up in Berlin soon, as there’s a huge gap in the market there, as well as a huge demand for vintage fashion”
Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?
“Yes! So I also work with smaller vendors and businesses in order to provide a platform for them. I’m all about collaboration and raising profiles of other amazing resellers. For example, I have suppliers from France to Liverpool, and I’m always on the search for new businesses to collaborate with.”
90ZBACK’s flagship store is located at 188 Shoreditch High St.
“The special counsel’s investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election,” Attorney General William Barr wrote in a letter to congress.
The US Attorney General, William Barr, delivered on Sunday a
four page summary of special counsel Robert Mueller’s highly anticipated report
into alleged co-operation between Trump’s campaign and Russia.
Mueller has not filed any further criminal indictments following
a two year long investigation that saw Mueller issue close to 3,000 subpoenas,
500 search warrants and has seen at least eight guilty pleas or convictions from
some of Trump’s closest advisors. Paul Manafort, George Papadopoulos and Rick
Gates all pled guilty for crimes committed during the 2016 campaign.
Democrats have demanded that the report is released in its entirety and are threatening to issue a subpoena and take the Trump admin to court if they are not satisfied with details provided by the Department of Justice.
Summary of William Barr’s letter:
Barr’s summary letter says there were two main efforts Russian efforts to influence the campaign.
Mueller did not find that any American person or the Trump campaign knowingly conspired with Russia.
Mueller’s report says evidence does not establish that Trump was involved in crimes related to Russian election interference.
Mueller’s report says not enough evidence to suggest that Trump obstructed justice.
Mueller’s report concludes that there were ‘multiple offers from Russian affiliated individuals to assist the Trump Campaign.’
Mueller issued more than 2,800 subpoenas and almost 500 search warrants as part of the investigation.
The report “does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him’.
Jerry Nadler, the democratic House Judiciary Chairman, said “We
will try to negotiate. We will try everything else first. But if we have to,
yes, we will certainly issue subpoenas to get that information.”
Barr’s letter stated that he and deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein are determined that a prosecution should not be brought against President Donald Trump for obstruction of justice.
While Mueller’s investigation is over, there are still
several criminal investigations ongoing.
The US Attorney’s office in Manhattan continues to look into
allegations put forward by Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen.
A 2-1 win over Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals means Wolves’ fantastic season continues, leaving them in uncharted territory and within touching distance of a first FA Cup final for almost 60 years.
If you went back to the start of the 2013-14 season and asked any Wolves fan where they would be in five years’ time, none of them would have predicted this. After successive relegations, the team began that season in League One; their first in English football’s third tier for 24 years. Now, they occupy seventh place in the Premier League and are into their first FA Cup semi-final in nearly as many years; 21. The rise has been achieved due to a combination of significant investment, momentum and a charismatic Portuguese manager in the form of Nuno Espirito Santo.
So, who is Nuno Espirito Santo?
The Wolves manager is far from a novice to the football world. Starting his career as a goalkeeper at age 20, Nuno made a name for himself in Spain where he played for Deportivo de La Coruña, Galicia and CP Merida in a five year spell between 1997-2002. Nuno returned to Portugal in 2002 where he played under compatriot, Jose Mourinho, in the Porto team that went on to win a shock Champions League title in the 2003-04 season, although he only made six appearances within this time.
Nuno described his then coach, Mourinho, as a trailblazer for Portuguese managers. He told The Daily Telegraph, “He was the first one who proved the quality of Portuguese managers, and allowed us to have a chance away from our country”.
Porto jubilant in his Porto days. Source: Betfred
Nuno was however, a relatively unknown managerial quantity in the UK, when he took charge of the Midlands club. Enjoying a fairly good season with Valencia in 2014-15 and a disappointing spell back at Porto in 2016-17, he did at least bring with him a clear pedigree to the Championship. Backed by a still slightly unclear relationship with superstar agent Jorge Mendes, Wolves took the second-tier league by storm last year. Winning a club record 99 points, they did so whilst playing an attractive, high intensity and attacking brand of football.
Nuno has taken Wolves to a new level Source: Reuters
What has been remarkable since then, is that they have mostly been able to maintain this style since being back in the Premier League. While naturally not scoring goals at quite the same rate, Wolves’ high pressing and free-flowing game has remained the same. This is no mean feat and you only need to look at teams like Fulham, to see that great football in the Championship is not always easy to replicate a level up.
It’s been a difficult season back in the top flight for Fulham. Source: Sky Sports
With Wolves however, a combination of good management and smart business has lead to an effortless transition back to the top-tier. This in truth, is an understatement and with the club occupying seventh place, they are on-track to qualify for Europe come the end of the season. Winning the FA Cup would automatically result in the same outcome and would turn a great season into a truly unforgettable one. With the end of season awards around the corner, a win for Wolves would surely put Nuno close to the top of the list for manager of the season. Huge credit must go to the Portuguese manager, but to pretend Wolves’ achievements represent a total fairy-tale would be to ignore key facts in their story.
The catalyst behind Wolves’ rise?
Bought by Chinese conglomerate Fosun International in 2016, the club find themselves fortunate to now be owned by a company with around £60 billion in assets. Coupled with the connection with Mendes, this meant the club could spend heavily on key players like Ruben Neves whilst in the Championship and were able to record the fifth highest spend among Premier League clubs in the summer. Nevertheless, their spending still came in behind Fulham (remember them), who, despite their league position, managed to spend over £100 million in the summer.
Wolves on the other hand, should be praised for their organised approach to transfer dealings. Nuno’s plan was clear from the outset: keep the spine of the team together and add dashes of quality where necessary. Matt Doherty, Conor Coady, Diogo Jota, Willy Boly and Ruben Neves have all remained key components from last season. Keeping their places in a settled squad has undoubtedly helped them grow and develop quicker as players too.
The club have then added to this core of talent with the flair player acquisitions of Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho, and goalkeeping solidity in the form of Rui Patricio. 32-year-old Moutinho at just £5 million, is undoubtedly one of the biggest transfer coups of the season. A player with over 100 caps for Portugal, now coming into the twilight of his career, who is able to keep things ticking over in midfield. It’s the kind of signing every team dreams of and for the cut-price, looks truly inspired.
There is a clear togetherness in this group of players. Credit: Jan Kruger/Getty Images
And yet, amongst all the positivity, this season must be tinged with a certain level of sadness for Wolves’ fans. One look at Leicester from 2015-16 or AS Monaco a year later is enough to know that longevity is not a luxury offered to great squads within unfancied clubs. The big boys will come calling in the summer, and rumour has it a number of approaches have already been made for key players. Perhaps this will even be the clubs’s new business model; Wolves’ FA Cup semi-final opponents Watford have made no secret of their own position as a ‘selling club’.
Whatever the outcome, fans and the club will know that this is a special group of players that may not be together for much longer. Win the FA Cup and you can almost bet for certain that some members of the group will not still be at the club come August. Squads like this do not come around too often and with Man City the only top 6 team left in the competition, this is a golden opportunity to claim some silverware. Will they take it?
A BBC Traineeship is not accepting applications unless you are from a lower socioeconomic and/or BAME background which is considered against the employment law.
The Traineeship is for a Trainee Journalist role paying £20,000 a year. If successful, the applicant will be placed at the UK’s biggest radio stations, BBC Radio 1, in the London Officer for a year.
a screenshot from the job description from BBC Careers
If it is classed as a job it is illegal, and unlawful in the UK, under the 2010 Equality. Since it is marketed as a Traineeship it is a ‘development opportunity’ and not a job.
Philip Landau, an employment lawyer from the specialist employment law firm Landau Law, said: “The Equality Act does allow organisations to take ‘positive action’ to encourage under-represented groups to apply for jobs or to participate in other opportunities. The steps can include measures to encourage or train people from an under-represented group to apply for jobs. Positive action of this kind is only allowed if an employer can demonstrate that it is limiting applications to overcome the disadvantage suffered by minority groups, and the steps taken to do this are ‘proportionate’. However, a strict policy which treats persons of a disadvantage group more favourably than others and regardless of merit is not something which is allowed under the Act.”
Philip Landau
Lawyer Philip Landau says: “No group should be excluded altogether, whatever their ethnic make-up, background or nationality. No group should be excluded altogether, whatever their ethnic make-up, background or nationality. As this advertisement is effectively a blanket ban on white applicants, that is more akin to positive discrimination, which under the Equality Act is unlawful. The BBC has previously suggested that these roles are more ‘training opportunities’ rather than ‘jobs’, however it is still likely that the applicant will be treated as an employee or worker, and of course, they are remunerated for their work, which differentiates from some internships.”
The BBC’s advert for the traineeship has proclaimed it offers the “ideal environment for providing gradual multi-media training that is so rewarding to experience early in a journalism career”.
The position claims to also ensure the successful candidate is in “prime position” for “future Newsbeat and BBC News opportunities”.
“It is a genuinely unique opportunity for a budding journalist with their finger on the pulse of contemporary culture.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “This is a training programme – not a job. It is a scheme for organisations who want to address under-representation in their business in a lawful way and, like many other media organisations, we’re proud to be taking part.”
Mr Landau said: “A traineeship is still a job, although trainees will often be on a fixed term contact which will have a specified end date, unlike a full or part-time employee. They may or may not be taken on permanently after the period of training has been completed.”
Positive Discrimination
This BBC Traineeship is a form of Positive discrimination.
Positive discrimination (employing someone because they have a protected characteristic) is unlawful in the UK but positive action means that in some situations, companies can help certain groups access employment.
It targets a certain group of people ethnically and socio-economically. How else will BAME and lower socioeconomic individuals move up the pecking order of a media industry that is largely white-dominated?
BBC Radio 1 logo
BAME individuals and those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds have built up their own networks, developed themselves beyond belief and sometimes may require a helping hand.
When we think of the media outlets we typically see white-centred narratives. In an attempt to appeal to all audiences the media is desperately trying to diversify from the top which will trickle down to the bottom.
BBC’S attempt at diversity
The BBC is the UK’s largest broadcaster, the BBC’s position on diversity is evident as by 2020, the BBC wants its employees to comprise 50% women, 8% disabled people, 8% Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender people and 15% people from Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority backgrounds.
This is a start towards a more representative media.
Possible Solutions
Many audiences have been disgusted by the BBC and their approach to diversity. Some have refused to pay for their BBC licenses in a protest against this traineeship. Comments as “The British Broadcasting Company, should look and sound British”, highlighting the attitudes of some sections of society.
The call for Blind CV’s could change this for all audiences. Blind CV’s remove identifying information from CV’s such as age, race or gender. Race and gender being of huge importance in our society today.
This is due to the subconscious bias in the process of recruiting which severely impacts the demographic of any company, or organisation. It also feeds into the tired narrative of certain institutions remaining the same for generations.
My worry is that with age, race and gender removed, people can still judge someone simply from where they have been educated, so do we also remove education in an attempt to level the playing field? It may sound pedantic, but educational institutions such as Cambridge and Oxford are well renowned and still manufacture bias in peoples minds.
Blind CV’s could be the way forward to prevent organisations missing out on the best, on either side of the racial and socioeconomic scale.
The Future
The media industry has begun to represent the variants of the British identity, and it is very much needed. As in Britain, you can find someone from every single country in London alone. This is a reminder of the multicultural metropolis London has become.
Where there is a will there is a way and it seems positive discrimination is the unfortunate necessity to redress the imbalances in the media.
The need for diversity comes from the typical characterization of continuing conflict and the ever-present ambition of change. A change that sees a ranging media with a plethora of narratives that help to cater to more than one audience. It is evident there is a lack of representation of ethnic minorities. After all, the importance of having a representative media is clear, given that “media cannot reflect society if society is not reflected in the media”. The media should reflect the plurality of our society.
The BBC Traineeship Journalism Role simply opens the door, for those who may not ordinarily have the chance, be able to have unpaid internships or work experience. The role does not guarantee the job. It simply puts the BAME and lower socio economic candidates at somewhat of a leveled playing field.
It used to be said that a Renault atop a
hill was a miracle and two Renaults atop a hill was a mirage. But gone are the
days when you could double the value of a Renault by putting in half a tank of
petrol.
In the wake of fierce competition from new technologies and competitors teaming up, and amid the dismissal of the 19-year (joint) chief executive (Mr Carlos Ghosn) of the world’s leading automotive group the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi alliance, are the once-laughing stock car brands going to dominate the car industry in the future?
But the Alliance has been brought into
question by the charges brought against the CEO Mr. Ghosn during his 19-year
tenure at the helm. Further troubles compound the issue with heated political
tensions between the Japanese manufacturers unhappy with the French government’s
large 15 per cent voting stake in Renault which can make demands upon its more
profitable Japanese partner Nissan through its 43 per cent stake.
Moreover, the shift to electric and the rise of self-driving technology are set to challenge the union. Notably, as companies like Ford (F) and Volkswagen (VLKAF) seek to work together.
The Fall of a Titan
Japanese tax law infringements which led to the November arrest of the CEO Mr Ghosn were on accusations he misused assets of partner Nissan to cover personal losses and falsified securities statements while he also underreported income $44.6 million (2011-15).
Mr. Ghosn helped turn the Alliance into
the world’s biggest car-seller in 2017, and France and Japan want to keep it
intact.
It is likely that the Japanese prosecutors will prioritise those charges easiest to stick given the country’s track record of 99 per cent criminal conviction rate. It stands to reason, then, that they have chosen to attack him with the underreporting of income.
Survival in a cut-throat sector
The car industry is notoriously
competitive, with survival depending on scathing cutbacks or hiving off loss-making
operations rather than doubling down on weak hands.
There are only two survival strategies
that have been proven thus far: either position yourself in a luxury segment
with high margins; or alternatively, compensate smaller margins with large
volumes and economies of scale.
Those who fail to do so suffer the
consequences. Take the kings Mercedes and BMW. For some apparent reason they decided
to tarnish their reputations as exclusive, high-end executive/sports vehicles.
BMW released a minivan, the 3 series
Tourer, and the ugly i3 – whether it is a successor to the Isetta or not, what
were they thinking?
Deviating off route – the BMW i3 – a brand not staying the course
As for Mercedes, whatever drove them to the
madness of releasing the Renault Kangoo copycat – a “Citan”, and now their
plans to release an X class based on the Nissan Navara, is beyond me. That old
German pride for discipline and high quality being tarnished in their
desperation over poor sales figures and Brexit squabbles in their primary
export destination.
It would, then, be surprising for Nissan or Mitsubishi to jeopardise their alliance with French manufacturer Renault since their survival seems to correspond to the sustainability of the latter option.
The Financials
And indeed, without falling into a sophisticated financial analysis or sum of the parts, it is worth noting a market capitalization of the group at 17 billion euros, representing 3.3 times last year’s profits of 5.1 billion, stands at 50 per cent discount to the 34 billion equity. These figures are conducive to long term profitability for the Alliance.
Meanwhile, the share price valuation levels are so low one would be forgiven for thinking they were near bankruptcy. Renault, for one is remarkably well-capitalised since Mr. Ghosn fought to unburden himself from the spectre of the last crisis.
Carlos Ghosn
With growth at a sustained 5 per
cent annualised for 10 years, the group’s margin profile has improved,
generating excess cash year on year.
Renault owns 43.7 per cent of
Nissan, which has also displayed buoyant performance with 4 per cent annualised
turnover growth since 2008, boasting of record net margins for the last two
financial years.
Straightening out the
profitability of the equity over the period approaches 10 per cent ~ for the more
discerning investors, give or take the cost of capital.
That said, selling equity for 50
per cent of its accounting value appear overly conservative on valuations when
we are discussing well-managed, profitable constituent members of an Alliance
capable of disposing a formidable competitive advantage through scale.
So why the disconnect?
The incurable capital-intensity, relentless
competition and cyclical nature of the car industry pulls into question the quality
of profits and by extension the absolute opacity of its financial services
divisions’ reports on consolidated financial performance.
Moreover, Mr Ghosn’s fall from
grace struck hard at the reputability and reliability of the group given the
unparalleled influence and access granted by 19 years at the helm.
In equity-accounted earnings, a 43 per cent Renault owned stake in Nissan resembled little more than a parasitic leech drawing the blood from its organically stronger host.
Executive remuneration, including
indirect benefits-in-kind, are normally transparent and well-documented, having
been scrutinised by conduct boards from Europe to Japan. Why then he could stash away tens of millions of dollars around the
world in tax havens and luxury residences raises further unwanted scrutiny for
the group, not to mention the strain on the relationship.
A Grand Coup d’état
David Fickling, Bloomberg, suggested the fall of the “most lauded automotive executive of his generation” and his subsequent ignominy by Nissan CEO of 18 months, Hiroto Saikawa’s, is little more than a coup d’état.
Two decades successful involvement was cast askance
as a “long regime of power concentration”. The reality is Japanese pride.
Those tensions bubbling under the surface of the
Alliance finally burst as the Japanese lashed out against the foreign-born
executive attributed with saving their nationally treasured companies.
For those who are more ingratiated in the operations, the alliance had become lopsided. A Japanese company with a Dutch head office and an oversized French government stake. In equity-accounted earnings, a 43 per cent Renault owned stake in Nissan resembled little more than a parasitic leech drawing the blood from its organically stronger host.
It goes beyond mere legal and corporate procedure and
squarely into the political realm.
That such a case comes to light
looks just like a palace revolution and creates the fear for potentially deeper
than expected tensions between Renault and Nissan.
A reconciliation will require compromises and we
can only hope that they will be found soon by the concerned parties.
Cash Cow – Nissan’s Disproportionate Contribution to Renault Net Income
A tall, yet surmountable, task is set. To tackle the divergent interests of a French state with significant voting power and a Japanese powerhouse company making most of the money. Any change to the status quo that did not better reflect the centrality of Nissan’s importance to the group would be damaging to relations.
Carlos Ghosn was granted bail, set at 1 billion yen
($9 million), despite protests from prosecutors after spending more than 3
months in a Japanese jail cell. If found guilty, he could face 15 years in
prison.
The former chief had conditions placed that he remains
in Japan and not be able to seek to destroy evidence or meet with his lawyers.
This did not, however, stop him seeking out new legal advice.
The Future of the Alliance
The French state’s 15 per cent stake in Renault was called to be reduced many times by Ghosn to clear the way for deeper integration with the Japanese. Emmanuel Macron enraged Ghosn in 2015 by increasing the government stake. This went down poorly in Tokyo and was ill-thought out, even by an interventionist’s standards.
Fighting Alternative Causes – The Not So Amicable Duo (Left: Macron; Right: Ghosn)
The agenda is stereo-typically French: every perceived problem political, rather than economic. The political solution, predictably, is ‘more France’ meaning more state ownership so they can enact change through Renault’s inner mechanisms.
It’s only when it comes to economics that the likes of Monsieur Macron want to protect the status quo, much to the detriment of France’s companies that are trying to forge ties outside of an ever-closer, more protectionist EU.
15.01% Interventionist French State Ownership in Renault
Macron has no doubt been informed, if he weren’t
already aware from his time in his investment banking career, that many of
France’s companies are too small to survive alone out in the world. They would
either fall prey to a foreign buyer or face the unpleasant prospect of a domestic
tie-up. In the case of Renault, this would be Peugeot, and prospectively result in thousands
of job losses. A legacy courtesy of socialist leaders throughout the tail end
of last century.
A full Nissan merger is off the table for now, so to ensure the alliance doesn’t wither on the vine, Macron needs to address the trust gap.
His administration could go some way to repairing relations. For starters, an acknowledgement that the alliance does not depend on one man, instead proposing a dual CEO-chairman structure. There should be an accord on making sure the stakes and voting rights held by both sides are fair, especially given the 15 per cent holding by Macron’s government. Furthermore, full and frank reckoning of the financial benefits of the tie-up is needed to smooth tensions, with more to be done in the engineering platform cost savings’ synergies.
In the case of Renault, all these real risks – which we certainly don’t deny – are more than integrated into the price. So, without looking to sketch an exact valuation, it seems that an investment at this price is limited to going against a maximum pessimism of the market.
The situation should thus spark the interest of contrarian investors, focused on the long-term and detached from the media fury that oft tends to overreact to the dour specific segment and equally the wider market sentiment.
Veganism. What was once a hippy trend acquired by those who had been thought to be tree huggers and animal rights obsessed activists (and to some extent, still is) has now caught on to pop culture. With more than a 350% rise in the number of Vegans in Britain between 2006 until now, it is impossible to deny that the movement has become a significantly influential diet and fashion/cosmetic change in people’s lives.
High streets shops and restaurants are also quickly learning to accommodate for the growing population of veggie-lovers with the arrival and rising popularity of around 1788 vegan/vegetarian friendly restaurants in England alone and the introduction of plant-based alternatives across all major British supermarkets.
We have also witnessed hundreds of celebrities adjusting to the vegan/vegetarian diet and showing interest in the movement such as; Bill Clinton, Ariana Grande, Angela Davis, Snoop Dogg, Serena Williams and so many, many more.
The Williams’ Sisters at a match (Photo by Marc Atkins/Mark Leech/Getty Images)
But why? Why the Rise in Veganism?
A large majority of the vegan population has undoubtedly emerged from the large wealth of footage of abuse and slaughter in farm factories. Animal lovers from across the country are often brought to tears after watching videos of dairy cows yearning for their stolen children be returned to them, baby chicks being thrown into obliterators and pigs chocking to death in gas cages.
However, it is safe to say that not all of us are largely affected by witnessing animal distress, and that makes sense. To some length some of us are desensitised and others of us see the many benefits to maintaining a standard British diet such as convenience, tradition and taste.
Nevertheless, there are many other reasons why people are changing or slightly modifying their diets which pass animal rights, the environment or health, and that is human rights. This is not to say that every single human rights issue is intrinsically linked to veganism but that it is important to consider some of the ways it could be.
PTSD and symptoms
Mental Health in Slaughter Houses
Many factory farm employees are subject to suffering from the psychological repercussions of their jobs. It is as simple as this, they spend hours and hours killing animals, and this often leads to what is called PITS (Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress). This is similar to PTSD, the big difference being that the person affected is often the one creating the traumatic situation i.e. killing animals all day. This of course can consequently lead to violent dreams playing back at work.
On the flip side the same type of exposure to violence everyday on the job can lead to a desensitisation (to do with remorse and killing). Across many streams of footage from sources such as “Earthlings” directed by Shaun Monson and Land of Hope and Glory by Ed Winters, in slaughter houses we witness the ways in which animals are disposed of with no remorse and even sometimes beaten.
The poster for Earthlings (film)
This level of cruelty can become abnormal not only affecting animals but also affecting the general public as studies show that slaughterhouse work has been linked to incidents of domestic abuse and drug/alcohol abuse. However, this is not to say that all workers are affected in the same way. There are many accounts of farmers who consider it as a job and leave it all behind at the factory, being about to develop normally and happily in the outside world. Be that as it may, the psychological toll this kind of work could have is often ignored.
Human Rights Watch also reports that many factory farms “exploit the perceived vulnerability of a predominantly immigrant labour force in many of their work sites ”who are “unaware of their workplace rights” making it directly a human rights issue when considering workers’ rights and violation.
Again, this is not to say that every single person who works in factory farms is severally affected by their work however it’s important to, to an extent, understand the psychological implications this kind of work can have.
Waste of Vital Resources
We are no strangers to the idea that we as a world are running out of land and food for the ever rising population of humans. But what if this simply wasn’t the case.
In many developing countries, livestock serves as a multifunctional asset to many businesses, providing both food and money to its workers as well as stored wealth in the animals at times of crisis. On the other hand, livestock is also the world’s LARGEST user of land resources “the production of feed (for the animals) representing almost 80 % of all agricultural land” reports the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Statistics on livestock sourced from “Cowspiracy” the documentary
The fact of the matter is that as populations grow the demand for food grows accordingly however we will not have enough land to support the world on standard US or UK diets as the number of inhabitants increases.
In addition to this, a lot of resources that we feed to these domestic animals mean that there is less food for people. Around one THIRD of the world’s water consumption is used to produce animal products, it takes around 2,000 gallons of water to produce around one pound of meat. This is shocking considering that around two billion humans in the world do not have access to safe drinking water.
In addition to this, a lot of plant based foods such as soy, grain and corn are fed to livestock animals. It is estimated that 47% of soy and 60% of corn grown is actually given to farm animals in the US and 85% of the land used to produce food in the UK is used for animal products. If we were to decrease the middleman, we would be able to feed more people than the world currently has on more than sufficient diets. However, this is suggesting that we would have to means to distribute food to regions where malnutrition and famine is high.
Mike Tyson Tweet on Veganism
There is more to veganism than the campaigns let on
It is an undeniable fact that there is more to veganism than animal cruelty and rights. There are also health and environmental reasons, and with the shocking changes to the climate, like snow in Hawaii, ice caps melting and a ten-year countdown to global catastrophe we need to start acting quickly and more thoughtfully about our purchases. I’m not insisting that everyone must completely change their diets overnight, that works for hardly for anyone, but a slow introduction to vegan and veggie alternatives could aid to some human rights issues.
It is of course not the only way to solve the issues we have. A lot of environmental change and such is linked to the staggering rise in population, the air and water pollution by big industries, the wastage of clothes and food on a daily basis, the excessive use of plastic, the list goes on. There are also other jobs that could be considered which could be detrimental and cause psychological harm.
Veganism for all we know could be a trend which could end soon. There is also an argument of whether veganism is truly one of the healthiest, environmentally-friendly diets, but many studies suggest that for now the number of vegans will continue to rise.
But the big question I leave you with is, Do YOU know the stories behind your food?
Benedicta is currently studying Arabic and French at the University of Manchester and hopes to become a linguist and broadcast journalist in the future. In her free time, she enjoys learning about African development and issues to do with race, society and culture. Benedicta also takes pleasure in pole fitness, travelling and promoting plant-based eating.
The Department for Education has announced on Saturday that they will be giving Visa extensions to international students, to allow them to search for jobs. The government aims to increase the number of international students in the UK following Brexit.
Masters and Undergraduate students will be given 6 months
following graduation to search for jobs, whereas Doctoral graduates will be
given 12 months. Currently, international students are given 4 months following
the end of their course.
The announcement also hinted at further policy change as the
department is considering “how the visa process could be improved for
applicants and supporting student employment.”
The announcement also highlighted the governments approach
for education – to increase the number of international students in the UK to 600,000
per year and to increase the value of educational exports to £35 billion per
year, by 2030. This would mean an
140,000 increase of international students.
This is quite an ambitious target, considering that EU
students lose visa free access and access to student loans following Brexit. EU
students will also be subject to higher tuition fees, as they lose their ‘home
student’ status following Brexit. Currently of the 460,000 international
students in the UK, around 140,000 are from the EU.
Damian Hinds, the education secretary said “As we prepare to
leave the EU it is more important than ever to reach out to our global partners
and maximise the best potential of our best assets. That includes our education
offer and the international students this attracts.”
Janet Beer, the vice-chancellor of the University of Liverpool and the Chair of Universities UK, recently revealed that Brexit will cost UK Universities around £1.2 billion of funding over the next two years.
She also said that there are “serious implications for
universities of crashing out of the EU without a deal on the 29 of March. These
span procurement, date protection, the mutual recognition of qualifications and
intellectual property. The contribution that universities make to local economies
through employment, services and support for regional supply chains, will also
be put in jeopardy.”
Jeremy Corbyn announced on Sunday that his party would vote for an amendment aimed at securing a second Brexit referendum.
This amendment aims at putting the latest iteration of May’s
withdrawal agreement to a confirmatory referendum, likely putting to the British
public whether the United Kingdom should leave the EU on the terms of the Withdrawal
Agreement or remain within the 28 state political and economic union. Following
last weeks motion which ruled out a no deal Brexit, it is unlikely any referendum
will put a no deal on the table.
Labour planned to put this proposed amendment, the
Kyle-Wilson amendment (named after the two Labour MPs who drew up the
amendments: Peter Kyle and Phil Wilson) forward this week in the event that May’s
deal was brought back to Parliament, however, this is unlikely to happen
following John Bercrow’s declaration that
the deal cannot go back to parliament in its current form.
It is also believed that Kier Starmer, shadow Brexit
secretary and the shadow chancellor, John McDonnell,
were consulted over the precise wording.
Corbyn told Sky “I had a very good discussion with Phil
Wilson and Peter Kyle last week and we went through what they’re trying to do,
which is make sure people do have a say
in the final matter, and that we agree with and support.”
As I said in Parliament last week, we must support the lock of a public vote to prevent a damaging Tory Brexit or no deal being imposed on our country.
Gareth Snell, Labour MP for Stoke Central, showed disdain
for the amendment as “its an option we’ve already voted down twice and said it
doesn’t deliver what leave voters voted for”.
Snell was referring to the Wollaston amendment, which was put
forward by Sarah Wollaston (former Tory MP but now with the Independent
Group.) This amendment sought a delay
for a new referendum, which would have remain as a an option but was defeated
by a majority of 249.
Seventeen Labour MPs voted against the whip to vote against
the amendment rather than abstain, with five junior frontbenchers resigning in
order to do so.
British Rapper Dave’s single ‘Black’ has received backlash for its open celebrations of ‘Blackness’.
David Santan was otherwise known as “Dave”, recently released his album ‘Psychodrama’, a brutal telling of a young black man going through psychotherapy. Challenging topical issues such as: racism, colonialism, domestic abuse, black culture and representations of Blackness in the media.
The single ‘Black’ caught a lot of attention after it was played on Radio 1 by BBC DJ Annie Mac and was criticized as being racially tense.
‘Black’ is a honest and gripping song about what it means to be black in its complexities. It can easily be applied to those of the Black Caribbean and African diasporas in Britain. Its a song about the reality of the social dynamics of black life.
“Look, black is beautiful, black is excellent Black is pain, Black is joy, black is evident”
“The blacker the killer, the sweeter the news, and if he’s white, you will give him a chance he is ill and confused”
These lines speak of the Police’s response to black bodies in America where Black people are more likely to die at the hands of a police officer.
These lyrics, taken from the song ‘Black’, illustrate the realities of the Black experience characterised in a vivid music video, showcasing the diversity of Blackness.
Dave’s latest album ‘Psychodrama’ featuring the single ‘Black’ under question of racism.
There were some that saw the pro-Black nature of the song and saw it as racist. They took pro-Black to mean anti-white. Dave is not anti-white, he is merely encouraging a positive narrative surrounding the commonly negative, simplistic representation of Blackness. I feel certain individuals complaining about the song fear a fictional upheaval of anti-whiteness where Dave’s song will bring about the new Black world order. Black Panther maybe springs to mind. Or is it white guilt?
Racism
Lets take start with the basics: racism is defined as prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior. Dave has done nothing to be fitting of the title ‘racist’.
The underlying fears lying at the bedrock of a White European society that sees black men, as Hilary Clinton coined it, “super-predators”. It seems for a black man to vocally be proud of his blackness is a threat to the white discourse that keeps the power dynamics in the hands of certain individuals.
White Fragilty
White fragility is a term used to describe the discomfort or awkwardness some white people feel when speaking about race – many aren’t sure how to discuss a historically sensitive topic.
Not talking about it, continues to subdue and repress black expression of self-worth. Dave’s song is simply black self-affirmation and I am all for it. The responses against Dave and his single could be seen as white fragility rearing its ugly head and calling it ‘reverse racism’.
White Nationalism
History has shown us that systematically, in various forms, the white population has taken their nationalism to the extent of horrid events. The KKK, in America EDL, Britain First in Britain highlight white nationalists.
What is a key distinction between Daves proclamation of ‘blackness’ he does not denigrate any other race at the expense of the black upliftment.
In many white nationalist movements, we have seen the rise of racial slurs that serve to render the ethnic minority as invalid, stupid and simply biologically inferior compared to their own (white) selves. Some will rightly ask what white nationalist movements have to be proud of when their own history is deeply tied in with their ancestor’s actions when they have subjected ‘the darker lands’ of Africa to the depressing, debilitating white hand of oppression.
This refers to the colonial project, ‘to civilize the savages’, the savages were those who lived in a lifestyle differing to that of the European. Colonial subjects were black, brown, cinnamon, chocolate – all types of brown and black. They were viewed as inferior with meant they were the victims of structural systems of racism which trickled down into every sinew of society. I hope then whiteness can be detached from another history that creates a heaven for some, but a literal nightmare for many others.
Young Black Men
Young black men in contemporary society are under attack more than ever. Black masculinity has become something negative. Dave brings something new to the forefront, a blackness that can be celebrated, one that champions black excellence. When will we live in a world that looks like the dream of the honourable Martin Luther King.
“I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation. Where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”
For anyone who finds Dave’s song racist, they need to ask themselves as to why a song promoting black excellence, with no mention of whiteness could be racist.
With 4 English teams making it to the quarter finals of the Champions League, it seems that the competitive nature of the Premier League is being translated in the latter stages of this year’s tournament. The UEFA Champions League draw took place on the 15th March at 12:00 CET
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2019
Ajax vs Juventus
A most favourable outcome for Juventus as they overcame a 2-0 deficit against a capable Atletico Madrid, with Ronaldo scoring a hat-trick in their 3-0 win to advance! Juventus have a lot of European pedigree and having the likes of Ronaldo – arguably the best Champions league player ever – will certainly aid them in trying to win the competition they’ve so desperately wanted their hands on.
Ajax also came back from a deficit in their last 16 first leg clash with champions, Real Madrid. Ajax should have won this game, but for a controversial decision with help from VAR, they were beaten at home. Ajax stunned the football world, however, with an incredible 4-1 win at the Bernabeu, which took them through 5-3 on aggregate. Ajax are no stranger to the Champions League, having won the tournament 4 times in their club’s history – only Real Madrid and Bayern Munich have achieved this feat beside them.
Juventus will most likely be the favourites to win this tie, whether they will win comfortably will be another question though. Ajax are definitely the underdogs with their young squad. With Ronaldo on their side, Juventus will fancy their chances against any team. This could possibly be Ronaldo’s 4th Champions League in a row.
? 2015/16 ? 2016/17 ? 2017/18 ? 2018/19
Cristiano Ronaldo dragged Juventus through to the last eight with another Champions League hat-trick…
Four-in-a-row is still on for CR7 ?
— ?? Ja! Watch the Bundesliga live on BT Sport?? (@btsportfootball) March 14, 2019
Liverpool vs FC Porto
Liverpool beat Bayern Munich 3-1 at the Allianz arena. Sadio Mane and Virgil Van Dijk put on stellar performances, with Mane taking his first goal wonderfully. Liverpool’s Salah had admitted that if they lost the tie to focus on the Premier League, then it wouldn’t be the end of the world but it looks like they can do both now.
Porto played Roma and their game was the only one to go to extra time. They narrowly won 4-3 on aggregate from an extra time penalty scored by Alex Telles. Roma were the better side in the first leg, winning 2-1 but Porto managed to pull off the win at home to go through
Liverpool will be comfortable against Porto and their place in the semi finals is probably quite certain, especially with Liverpool’s amazing record at the fortress that is Anfield.
Touch. Swivel. Bang.
This Sadio Mané goal keeps getting better-and-better ?
Liverpool fans, who do you want in the next round of the Champions League?#UCLDraw
— ?? Ja! Watch the Bundesliga live on BT Sport?? (@btsportfootball) March 14, 2019
Tottenham Hotspurs vs Manchester City
Manchester City beat Schalke 10-2 on aggregate, even with going down to 10 men in the first leg and only winning 3-2, by the help of a last minute Raheem Sterling winner. Pep Guardiola’s side are also favourites in this draw as they go for the quadruple, however Pep hasn’t won the Champions League since his Barcelona days and whether this City team will be able to face up to the big stage pressure is still in question.
Tottenham will be facing city three times in the span of 11 days, two of those matches being played at the Etihad, a tough place to visit. This will take a Herculean effort for Pochettino’s side to pull off a win against an in form Manchester City side.
Barcelona vs Manchester United
Barcelona are a side always pitted as favourites and this year is no exception. Initially drawing 0-0 to Lyon in the first leg ,they managed to win 4-1 in the second leg with a great performance by Messi scoring two goals and providing two assists. Messi has the most goals and assists in Europe this season and the most goals in the Champions League, not bad for a player voted 5th in the Ballon d’Or ranking.
Manchester United vs Barcelona is always a thriller. The last time Messi played at Old Trafford, United still had the likes of Scholes and Rooney, those days are long gone unfortunately. Manchester United fans will be confident in being able to handle Barcelona after their win against PSG, but Barcelona know what it takes to win. More than that, United fans should not forget Messi’s standout performance against them in the 2009 Champions League final which saw Barcelona win 2-0. Overall if United turn up to their best then this tie will be the most exciting draw of the lot.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 15, 2019
Overall the English revival in the Champions League is an important testament that the Premier League is a competitive league that produces teams that are capable of challenging against and beating heavyweight teams across Europe.
Keep up with TCS Network Sports to get all the highlights over the next few weeks.
An extraordinary hat trick against old rivals Atletico Madrid, means Cristiano Ronaldo is well on the way to a record-equalling sixth Champions League win with Juventus. In all the praise however, we must not ignore the context of this achievement.
It’s a script that even Cristiano Ronaldo, with his unadulterated ego could not have written better himself. Trailing 2-0 from the first leg in this last-16 tie, Juventus needed a huge performance on Tuesday night; more than this, they needed a hero. Step forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Three goals from the Real Madrid legend were enough to take the Italian club through to the Champions league quarter-finals at the expense of the team Ronaldo will see as the ‘other’ Madrid club. The performance and result were made even sweeter with Ronaldo safe in the knowledge of how much his old club have struggled in his absence.
Despite being in the twilight of his career, Ronaldo’s influence, especially on the European stage, cannot be underestimated. After the first leg defeat, it was his ill-tempered jibe to journalists regarding his own number of Champions League trophies compared with Atletico’s, that demonstrated just how much it means to him. There are many occasions when this just feels like his competition.
On Tuesday night it was how he out-jumped and out-muscled Juanfran on the way to scoring the first goal of his hat trick. Atletico’s Spanish right back looked certain to clear the ball, but with pure determination and strength, Ronaldo simply ghosted in behind him to power a header past Oblak. It is this unerring, insatiable desire to win that keeps Ronaldo at the top of his game, despite his age. His first two goals were evidence of how his hunger and appetite for the game have only increased over time, despite his adapted style of play. Long gone are the marauding runs down the wing, full of stepovers and flicks. Instead, for the last 5 years at least, he has become a more ‘fox in the box’ type player, who simply always seems to be in the right place at the right time to add to his never-ending goals tally.
Last season it was his overhead kick in the quarter-final against current club Juventus. In 2017 it was his two goals in the final, again to beat Juventus and a year before that it was Ronaldo’s decisive penalty in the final shootout which overcame Atletico Madrid. He has scored a record 124 goals and a joint-record 8 hat tricks in the competition; we all know that his pedigree cannot be questioned. Amongst all the enduring praise however, some seem to forget the human behind the statistics.
Kathryn Mayorga Source: Der Spiegel
Ronaldo is currently facing severe allegations of rape from Kathryn Mayorga, who claims that the event took place in Las Vegas in 2009, however Ronaldo’s legal team insists that all acts that night were consensual. This is where the majority of media interest finishes, but this is simply not where the debate ends. As reported by GQ back in October, Mayorga’s lawyers possess documentation which includes alleged quotes by Ronaldo, admitting that some, or all of the sex acts that night were non-consensual. Criticism aimed at Mayorga has been predictable and focused around the fact that she has waited nearly 10 years to go public and is seeking a financial payout and/or exposure.
We must not forget however, that these accusations are not new, as if Mayorga has been calculated in planning them for years. She actually went to the police the morning after the alleged incident, although did not name Ronaldo as she claims she was intimidated due to his huge celebrity status. Of course, these are just allegations at the moment and should be treated as such, but it is irresponsible to disregard them completely. Bar Nike, Ronaldo’s sponsor expressing ‘concern’ last year, this has seemingly been the default position of the majority within football and the media.
Arguably the worst offender was that of Juventus, who issued a passionate statement in support of their player. While they are obviously more than entitled to do this, the wording of the statement proved to be extremely controversial. Although the allegations may very well prove to be false, to insinuate that Ronaldo is innocent due solely to his “professionalism and dedication” on a football pitch is wrong. It perpetuates a dangerous trope in how society refuses to accept that some abusers could possibly be cupable for the act of which they are accused. It is the same attitude that allowed Jimmy Saville to escape responsibility for his crimes until years after his death.
Now, 6 months after the allegations against Ronaldo first broke, here we all are still doing exactly the same thing; wistfully extolling his talent and professionalism while turning a blind eye to anything else. It was no different during his £16.6 million tax evasion charges over the last few years. Ronaldo is undoubtedly one of the all-time greats, but we must be able to do both. If we don’t, this only seeks to add reinforce an extra layer to the already toxic culture surrounding sexual assault allegations: that celebrities are, and always will remain untouchable.
This morning, the world woke up to heart-breaking news from New Zealand. Last night, at 1:42pm local time, a small group of far-right extremists stormed the Al Noor and Linwood mosques in Christchurch, resulting in the deaths of 49 innocent people. As it stands, a 28-year-old Australian named Brenton Tarrant has been arrested, alongside two other unnamed males and one female. The international community is, once more, united in grief, and nowhere is this more true than among New Zealanders, who have never experienced an attack of this kind before.
My heart is broken. My country is weeping and so am I. I am dying knowing that this kind of hatred can happen in my homeland. All my love goes out to Christchurch, the victims, the families, the Muslim community, and all who have chosen our islands as their home. This is not us.
As with all terrorist acts, this period of grief tends to be followed by one of reflection. The questions start rolling in, how did we let this happen? What happened to these people to make them rationalise and participate in mass murder? A lot more questions have been raised in Christchurch, however, and that is down to one single defining feature: Tarrant was livestreaming his mass murder to Facebook the entire time.
This video has since become more than viral. It’s popped up on unsuspecting people’s twitter feeds, it’s been shared in group chats, it has been shared by actual news outletsas part of their coverage on the story (these outlets deserve to be named so, Daily Mail and Mail Online, shame on you). Despite the New Zealand police force desperately urging people not to share or watch the video, it has been viewed innumerable times.
Tarrant’s video, and the subsequent reaction to it, raises multiple burning questions about mass murder in the modern age. For one thing, the video was filmed via a go-pro attached to Tarrant’s body. As a result of this, his movements throughout the mosque and his utterly despicable actions once inside bore an irrefutable resemblance to the numerous violent video games circulating through popular culture.
To some, this may seem little more than a coincidence, but the implications of these similarities are immense. It’s probably the reason why so many people have elected to watch it. We are so desensitised to witnessing the simulation of violence through a first-person shooter framework that, when it actually becomes reality, the gravity of this situation is dulled. The single fact that so many people were able to watch this video due to this desensitization raises some grave questions about the violence that we sometimes allow to become cornerstones of video game culture (hello Grand Theft Auto).
A second feature of this video that should cause some serious introspection regarding the institutions of western culture, is just how easilyit could be shared. Research recognised, some time ago now, that a desire for fame is a major motivator in many people’s participation in mass murder. This is undeniably true for Tarrant, who showed his face at the beginning of the video, providing the perfect shot for news outlets to display at the top of their coverage. He provided absolutely categorical evidence that he is guilty of this crime. He sealed his own fate.
Do not share the shooter's name. Do not share the shooter's evil video. Do not share the shooter's evil manifesto. Mass killers desire fame and attention. Starve them of it.
Hey while we're not amplifying the video could we not amplify the "manifesto" from 8chan either? I'm seeing a lot of folks tweeting it without context – which is what the shooter wanted.
And for what? It was so he could be lauded as a hero in the more depraved corners of the internet where the extremist-right congregate. It was so he could be the focus of worldwide conversation. It was so people like me would write articles like this. And thanks to the colossus that is social media, everyone who shared and watched that video willingly presented him with his deepest desire.In the same day that he stole the lives of people he didn’t know for the plain and simple fact that they were in a mosque, thousands upon thousands of people played into his hands and gave him exactly what he wanted by watching and sharing his stream.
The fact that Tarrant made this video, and the response that he got to it, all culminates in one conclusion regarding modern society. The tech-based immigration of far-right sentiment across the world poses one of the single biggest threats to our lives, our culture, and our humanity. The same delusional and destructive sentiments held by Tarrant can be found in the Orlando shooter and the van driver from Toronto.
Social media is providing the platform through which people are justifying mass murder based on far-right, racist, sexist beliefs, with deadly effect. If one thing comes out of this appalling event, it has to be the recognition and rejection of the harm that is caused when the power of social media outlets goes unchecked. Who is holding them to account?
Ellie is a recent graduate in History and Politics from the University of Manchester. Originally from Bristol, Ellie moved to Manchester in 2015. She spent the final year of her degree as Editor of the university’s only historical publication, The Manchester Historian, and continues to present/produce weekly news videos for a Manchester startup, Student Inspire Network. She has dreams of becoming a journalist and hopes to embed her passion for politics and popular culture in all of her work.
School funding has become more transparent as we draw close to Brexit.
It’s been revealed that there has been a cut in school funding and schools can’t afford the basics of stationary and textbooks let alone teachers and caretakers.
Staff have been made redundant, subjects have been scrapped because of these cuts however, pupils continue to grow in size in classrooms.
This has had a number of effects on schools across the country. In Gloucestershire, managers have delayed turning on the heating until November – teachers and children are wearing coats indoors to keep warm, teachers are being asked to teach subject they do not specialise in and in Birmingham, pupils are being sent home at lunchtime on Fridays.
Angela Rayner, shadow education secretary says the government should be appalled and “it is a disgrace that in one of the richest countries in the world, schools are forced to beg for funding from parents.” She also added “The principle of free education regardless of income is a human right but it is being undermined by Tory cuts to our schools. A whole generation of students are paying the price for austerity.”
Statistics from the Institute of Fiscal Studies show that since 2010, sixth form colleges have seen funding cut by 21% and school funding overall has diminished by 8%.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrat education spokesperson said “This investigation should shame the Tory government. With teachers covering for cleaners and parents donating money for essential services there is no way Conservative ministers can deny there is a lack of funding for our schools … to fail to act is to leave both teachers and children in the midst of what is clearly a crisis”.
Early lastmonth, headteachers in Carlisle issued a letter to parents explaining the extent of the impact of funding cuts.
Today, 33 Carlisle schools stood up and said enough is enough. This letter was sent to every parent/carer in each of these schools. We fully support the @CarlisleCuts campaign, please visit them and sign the petition #SchoolCutspic.twitter.com/opMURxSokX
The house of commons has published data that school funding has been cut by £1.3m, the equivalent to £395 per pupil in Carlisle since 2013. This has resulted in cuts to repairs to school building, equipment, support for vulnerable children and the list goes on.
The headteacher of Tolworth Girls’ school in south London says she has had to clean toilets and serve food in the canteen to save money.
Siobhan Lowe said “I’ve reduced the number of teaching groups, I’ve reduced the number of options that students have, I’ve increased class sizes, I’ve cut critical services such as student support workers who work with our most vulnerable.”
The Government continues with the line that more money is being put into education. However they completely ignore the increase in pupil numbers and in responsibilities put upon schools and colleges which outweigh any cash increase. The funding formula needs a major review.
The department for education says they’ve increased their budget to £1.3bn this year, along with it they’ve introduced funding formal meaning money is targeted to where it’s needed the most.
In September last year, more than 2,000 headteachers took to Downing street to protest the budget cuts, however nothing seems a lot has gone downhill between then and now.
The system may have its flaws but teachers reducing school hours, removing subjects and replacing teachers with those who have little knowledge of that area to try keep the school afloat surely is a daunting thought for any parent.
It may not be black and white but are the government depriving our children from a good education when they don’t even have the basic necessities. Are they even safe, if schools can’t pay for building maintenance? It needs to be addressed.
Dolline is a traveller, journalist and blogger who has palate to try new things. She is a very spontaneous person; you might find her skydiving over the Kenyan coast to kayaking in the Lake District. She can be an over thinker who thinks of every outcome but if she doesn’t she welcomes the change that wasn’t planned. However, she is a very simple person who is up for a good laugh or a book and enjoys living the moment. Dolline also writes for her small personal blog called ‘Swatches of Beauty’ and is currently a production journalist trainee at ITV Border.
The UK appears to have softened its policy on the offspring of British citizens who have gone to Syria to support ISIS
On Sunday the foreign secretary, Jeremy Hunt, appeared to indicate
that the government have softened their stance towards the children of former British
citizens following the death of Shamima Begum’s child, Jarrah.
In line with Sajid Javid’s previous comments, Hunt said on the Andrew Marr show that it was unsafe to send British officials to rescue Begum’s son from the refugee camp where Shamima was located, and that she chose to leave a free country to join a terrorist organisation.”
However, he conceded that both the Foreign Office and the Department
for International Development were looking at ways to find and extract British
children of other “Islamic State brides.”
This comes as the government has come under fire for their morally flawed, and possibly illegal handling of the Shamima Begum debacle.
Sajid Javid, in particular, has come under increasing fire as he has so far failed to break his silence on reports of the passing on Shamima Begum’s child. He has been called a moral coward by Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions of England and Wales. It has also been suggested that he intentionally took a hard stance against Shamima Begum to pander to right wing conservatives and bolster his chances of succeeding Theresa May as the next leader of the conservative party.
Other critics, such as Jess Phillips, Labour MP for Birmingham Yardley, said that if Sajid “wanted to act the tough guy, perhaps he could have started by being tough on crime here in the UK.” This comes as the knife epidemic in London continues, as the 17th victim of knife crime passed away last Thursday.
It is against international law to make someone stateless, and now an innocent child has died as a result of a British woman being stripped of her citizenship. This is callous and inhumane https://t.co/Lv35Q4vvrA
It has also recently come to light that Reema and Zara Iqbal, who like Shamima also travelled to Syria and become “Islamic State Brides,” also had their citizenship’s removed by former Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Both of these women are said to have five sons between them and have been widowed after their husbands died fighting for ISIS.
It remains to be seen whether the Government will legitimately look to help remove their children from Syria, in light of the backlash of their failure to handle the Shamima Begum’s debacle properly.
