SCOTLAND

Mike Dailly: We’re going backwards when it comes to homelessness

Mike Dailly
Sun, 5 February 2023 


SCOTLAND’S latest homelessness figures reveal 9130 children were living in temporary homeless accommodation – up 6% from the year before.

Overall, there were 14,458 households living in temporary accommodation across the country.

We seem to be going backwards; there were almost 29,000 open homeless cases on September 30 last year; the highest since records were introduced in 2002.

If that wasn’t bad enough, last week delivered a judgment from Scotland’s highest civil court – the Inner House of the Court of Session – that reversed an important win for homeless people living in temporary accommodation.

Last April, the court ruled that local authorities were under an absolute legal duty to provide suitable temporary accommodation for homeless households in Scotland, that met the needs of disabled children. I had appeared on behalf of the petitioner.

The primary issue in X v. Glasgow City Council [2022] CSOH 35 was whether a local authority was under an absolute legal obligation to provide accommodation suitable for occupation by a homeless household, “taking into account the needs of a household”, in terms of the 2014 Unsuitable Accommodation Order.

The petitioner said it was. The respondent’s then argument was it wasn’t because it had a discretion to balance the needs of a household against other demands on its limited financial resources.

When the court ruled in favour of the petitioner this was fantastic news for thousands of adults and children in temporary homes across Scotland.

Many families are left in temporary accommodation for years due to a lack of suitably sized permanent housing.

It was clear from this case that the needs of such families and especially those with disabled children could not be ignored.

Last week, in Glasgow City Council v. X [2023] CSIH 7, the Second Division interpreted the 2014 Order as if the word “general” appeared before the word “needs” in article 4(b) of the 2014 Order.

The effect of this approach is quite profound. It means there’s no absolute duty to meet the needs of a household as assessed by a local authority when it comes to temporary homeless accommodation.

In short, a more general balancing exercise can be undertaken where needs aren’t met; with the implication that a household can be placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation for an indefinite period of time.

This seems peculiar given the Scottish Parliament expressly gave homeless persons greater rights by amending the 2014 Order in 2020 and 2021.

One might ask has the Inner House read down the 2014 Order?

Has the court applied an ordinary interpretation to the words in the 2014 Order? In general, the courts won’t read words into statute law unless a provision is ambiguous or an ordinary interpretation would lead to absurdity.

The upshot of the case of X is that interim accommodation is now treated as entirely different to permanent accommodation when it comes to suitability.

Temporary accommodation was always distinct – you can be moved from house to house at the discretion of the council – and there’s no security of tenure, unlike with a permanent offer of accommodation under homelessness law.

Because of the court’s interpretation, you get the odd conclusion that you can be placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation indefinitely, but might have a remedy if you were placed there too long.

I’ve struggled to discern where such a concept comes from in the 2014 Order or 1987 Housing (Scotland) Act.

Arguably, it’s a legal innovation that arises from an unusual interpretation of the 2014 Order.

We then have a conflation of the 2021 changes to Scots law with older English cases that pertain to entirely different aspects of English homelessness law.

The petitioner’s 2010 Equality Act case appears to have been rejected upon the basis one or more children could have slept in the living room – which would mean there was no living room.

The court’s interpretation of the 2014 Order sits uncomfortably with the Scottish Government’s statutory guidance on the 2014 Order, which was published in 2021.

Paragraph 3.4 of the guidance provides: “In assessing whether accommodation is unsuitable for a homeless household, a local authority must take account of the needs of each member of the household, including any protected characteristics, equality considerations or vulnerabilities around psychological informed service delivery and childhood trauma”.

Why does this matter? Because people end up in temporary homes for very long periods of time.

1075 households with children whose case was closed in the year ending March 31, 2022 spent more than one year in temporary accommodation; 240 were in Glasgow.

2640 households without children whose case was closed in the year ending March 31, 2022 spent more than one year in temporary accommodation; 410 were in Glasgow.

Appeal to the UK Supreme Court (UKSC) is possible if permission is granted by the Inner House or UKSC.

MEN RAPE

Activist and victim of ‘horrific attempted rape’ aged 17 now encouraging male victims of sexual assault to ‘speak out’

Eleanor Fleming, PA Real Life
Mon, 6 February 2023

A human rights activist and writer, who claims he endured a “horrific” attempted rape as a teenager and felt “confusion, anger, and self-blame” for a decade after the sexual assault, wants to break the stigma around male rape and help victims to “speak out”.

Philip Baldwin, 37, who lives in London, said he experienced “profound terror” during the alleged attack when he was just 17 years old, as his perpetrator – a man who cannot be named for legal reasons – pinned his hands behind his head and tried “to pull (his) boxer shorts down” in a hotel room.

After a “very physical struggle”, Philip said he was able to free himself from the man who “stank of beer and cigarettes”, but given he had not disclosed his sexuality to his parents at the time and he had been “bullied for being gay at school”, he was “terrified” to report the attempted rape to the police.

Philip (right) when he was 17 (Collect/PA Real Life)

Philip decided to focus on his studies and career, and it was not until after he was diagnosed with HIV that he later revealed details of the alleged attack to his closest friends at the age of 27 – and despite realising now that he was not at fault, he “sometimes (feels) guilty for not having reported the crime”.

Philip has since gone on to campaign on topics such as HIV and LGBTQ+ rights, he has been elected to represent The General Synod – which considers and approves legislation affecting the whole of the Church of England – and he now hopes that, by sharing his story, he can encourage more open conversations about male rape.

“It would be good to start more of a conversation about this,” Philip said.

“I think there are a lot of men who are impacted by this, not just gay and bi men, but also straight men, and I would really like it if I was able to give anyone the confidence to speak out about something like this that has happened to them.”

Philip (right) in early 2003 (Collect/PA Real Life)

He added: “When I was 17, I asked myself if this was a pattern of behaviour on (the perpetrator’s) part.

“Even with this amount of time, he can still make me feel uncertain and doubt my own judgments, (but) what is clearer than ever is that if people are brave enough to report these crimes, we should do everything we can to support them.”

Prior to the alleged attack, Philip said he had known the perpetrator, who was older than him, for around six months and he thought they were friends.

After a night out together in Glasgow in January 2003, the man asked Philip if he could stay in his twin-bed hotel room nearby as he lived on the outskirts of the city, and since Philip felt the request was not “unreasonable”, he agreed and allowed him to stay.

Philip feels it is ‘vital to highlight awareness around male rape’ (Mareike Gunsche/PA Real Life)

Philip said he made it clear to the man that “there was no physical attraction” towards him and “nothing sexual was going to happen that evening”.

However, as the lights were switched off, Philip said the man climbed into his bed and “the situation went from awkward to sinister”.

“He smelled of cigarettes; his body felt hot and sticky against mine, particularly in the clean sheets, and I said I didn’t want him there,” Philip said.

“He placed his arm on my chest and started stroking me.

“I was in shock, nothing like this had happened to me before; I wanted to remain in control of the situation and didn’t jump out of the bed.

“I told him to get out of my bed and even tried to defuse the situation with humour.

“I thought that if I gave the impression he had made an embarrassing mistake, he might just back off. I was so wrong.”

A picture of Philip (right) from the end of 2003 (Collect/PA Real Life)

Philip said the man quickly “became aggressive”, telling him “to stop moving” as he attempted to pin Philip’s hands behind his head.

He said the man was trying to pull his boxer shorts down, and Philip describes “thrashing and kicking against the bedsheets” and “gasping for air”, adding: “I didn’t shout, I didn’t call for help because he was continuously pushing his face close to mine and trying to kiss me, silencing me”.

Philip said the attack lasted for several minutes, however, he was eventually able to free himself.

“Immediately afterwards, once I was safely away from him, there was one overwhelming feeling: relief,” Philip said.

“It was unbelievable. He hadn’t raped me.

“I was deliriously happy to be alive and unscathed, (but) contacting the police about the crime just didn’t seem like an option.”

Philip Baldwin wants to break the stigma surrounding male rape (Mareike Gunsche/PA Real Life)

According to ONS data for the year ending March 2020, latest estimates from the Crime Survey for England and Wales showed “fewer than one in five (19%) male victims aged 16 to 59 years of sexual assault by rape or penetration since the age of 16 years reported it to the police”.

And for Philip, since only one of his school friends knew he was gay at the time, he said reporting the incident “would have meant outing (himself)”.

Given he had recently received his university offers as well, he said he wanted to focus on his studies and he believes “a sense of self-preservation took over”, which meant he did not tell anyone about the attack until approximately a decade later.

“I think for years, I may even have been in denial because I didn’t want to perceive myself as a victim,” Philip said.

“The attempted rape raises mixed emotions for me. I’m angry and upset that someone tried to rape me.

Philip Baldwin is a human rights activist and writer (Collect/PA Real Life)

“I’m 37 now, and, looking back on it, this was such a terrible thing to happen to a teenager.

“I would like to think that if something similar happened to me now, I would go directly to the police.”

Philip went on to study Modern History at the University of Oxford before completing a postgraduate degree in History of Art and Architecture at the University of Cambridge – and it was during his time at university that he came out as gay to his friends, before telling his parents a year later.

A picture of Philip when he started at Oriel College, University of Oxford (Collect/PA Real Life)

After leaving university, at the age of 24, Philip explained that he was diagnosed with HIV and this led him to start campaigning on the subject, as well as later speaking out on topics such as LGBTQ+ rights, asylum seekers, homelessness, and international human rights violations more broadly.

However, as time went on, Philip began to reflect on the “horrific” attack and how this had impacted him.

“There was a lot going on in my life, whether it be focusing on academic and career achievements, and it was only when I was around 27 that I really started to think back and reflect more on this, and the impact that it had had on me, and just how shocking it was,” Philip said.

Philip Baldwin when he graduated at 22 (Collect/PA Real Life)

The now radio presenter explained that, for years, he projected “a facade that everything was okay”, but in fact, he was struggling with the events that had happened in 2003, and so he started to visit some churches near his office to find somewhere quiet “to sit and reflect on things”.

He said that, as a teenager, he would have described himself as an atheist or agnostic, however after visiting these churches, he realised “there was more to these places” and so his journey with faith began and he was later confirmed at Southwark Cathedral in London.

He was also elected to represent The General Synod in 2021 and he feels “very fortunate” for this.

Philip only told his closest friends about the alleged attack when he was 27 years old (Mareike Gunsche/PA Real Life)

Philip only told his closest friends about the alleged attack when he was 27 years old, but now, 10 years later, he wants to share his story publicly as he feels it is “vital to highlight awareness around male rape”.

“It would be really good to emphasise that men can be the victims and survivors of sexual violence and rape as well, and I think it would be really good to have broader conversations about this,” Philip said.

“If my story can, in some way, impact one other person’s life positively, I think that would be a tremendous achievement.”

To find out more about Philip’s work and campaigning, visit www.philipchristopherbaldwin.com

For anyone who is a male victim or survivor of sexual abuse, rape, and sexual exploitation, visit Male Survivors Partnership at malesurvivor.co.uk

India’s women wrestlers grapple with sexual harassment claims

Murali Krishnan
Sun, 5 February 2023 a

© AFP - SAJJAD HUSSAIN
In this article:
Indian wrestlers staged a sit-in protest near the parliament building in New Delhi over three days late last month, accusing the president of the wrestling federation of sexually and mentally harassing young female athletes.

Athletes have accused several officials, including the president of the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, of sexual misconduct.

India's biggest names in women's wrestling led the protest demanding his dismissal, including Sakshi Malik, the only Indian woman to have won an Olympic medal for the sport, and Vinesh Phogat, who took gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games.

They were joined by men's Olympic bronze medallist Bajrang Punia.

The government has removed Singh while it investigates the allegations against him, which also include financial mismanagement and administrative failings.
High-profile protest

Singh, a politician for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, was accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers at national training camps.

Head of the WFI for over a decade, the 66-year old refused to resign, and alleged there was a conspiracy against him.

“It took a lot of courage to come out in this manner and organise a protest. But I know of several wrestlers who have told me that the WFI president sexually exploited them,” Phogat told RFI.

“This is serious and needs resolution at the earliest.”

Pakistan divided on legacy of military ruler Musharraf


Sun, 5 February 2023 

SHOWING OFF HIS MANICURE

Pervez Musharraf was a polarising figure in Pakistani politics, returning the country to a period of economic stability while accused of rampant abuses and weakening democracy.

The nation's most recent military leader governed for nearly a decade after seizing power in a bloodless coup in 1999.

His rule was marred by repeated allegations of abuses, including ruthlessly rounding up his opponents as well as being accused of involvement in former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's assassination.


The effects of his decision to back the United States in its invasion of Afghanistan -- albeit in the face of threats of bombing and in return for a massive aid injection -- continue to reverberate.

"Musharraf boosted education standards and infrastructure in Pakistan. He brought development to the country," 24-year-old student Mohammad Waqas told AFP in Islamabad.

"But on the other hand, the country suffered losses in the face of terrorism. Entering America's war weakened our own country."

Pakistan is currently undergoing yet another economic crisis, and widespread political uncertainty ahead of elections due later this year.

In the face of the turmoil, some remember Musharraf with a certain fondness.

"He was a good ruler. There has not been a leader like him before and there will never be one like him again," said 70-year-old Islamabad shopkeeper Muhammad Khan.

Veteran Pakistani politician and Musharraf ally Parvez Elahi told AFP: "He was a ruler with a lot of depth, who loved hard work and he would appreciate new initiatives".

In 2006 -- at the height of their alliance -- US President George W. Bush called Musharraf "a strong, forceful leader [who] has become a target of those who can't stand the thought of moderation prevailing".

- Suspending the constitution -

His moves to overthrow an elected government and to suspend the constitution for long periods, however, also frame his legacy.

"His one act, which will be remembered throughout history, was he violated the constitution," retired civil servant Naeem Ul Haq Satti told AFP.

"The most important thing a country has is its constitution," the 69-year-old added.

As he faced growing pressure for democratic elections, Musharraf's oppression of critics worsened.

He suspended the constitution for a second time in 2007, rounded up thousands of opponents and sacked the chief justice, leading to widespread protests.

"General Musharraf was one of the military dictators who misruled the country by... bringing in a group of sycophants," businessman Abdul Basit told AFP in the Balochistan provincial capital of Quetta.

Under Musharraf, Pakistan stepped up its war against ethnic Baloch separatists, with a military operation killing key separatist leader Akbar Bugti in 2006, an assassination that further fanned the flames of that movement.

"People do give credit to General Musharraf for developing the country but on the other hand, like his predecessors, he played havoc," said Basit.

Musharraf resigned in 2008 and faced years of legal wrangling, finally being found guilty in absentia and sentenced to death for treason. That ruling was later nullified.

The former ruler ended his days in Dubai, having failed to launch a political comeback and finding himself, and his All Pakistan Muslim League party, sidelined from political relevance.

LA REVUE GAUCHE - Left Comment: Search results for Musharraf 

Can Karachi’s women-only pink buses drive change in Pakistan?


Zofeen T Ebrahim in Karachi
Sun, 5 February 2023


Photograph: Avalon

At precisely 1.40pm, the bright pink bus packed with women leaves the depot and snakes its way through Karachi’s traffic. Two female conductors walk the aisle collecting the 50 rupee fare. This is the first women-only bus service in Pakistan’s Sindh province.

Every 20 minutes during rush hour and every hour at quieter times, six pink air-conditioned buses run along one of the city’s busiest routes from Frere Hall to Clifton Bridge.

“If this is successful, we can bring in more buses throughout the city, and eventually all of Sindh,” says Sharjeel Memon, the province’s transport minister.

Memon wants to make public transport safer and easier for women to use. “We have assessed that 50% of the commuters during rush hour are women and there is not enough space in the bus for them to ride in a dignified manner.”

Launched on 1 February, the new service is Pakistan’s second attempt to introduce public transport that protects women from harassment. The first, run as a public-private partnership in Lahore in 2012, ended after two years when the government pulled funding.

I would love to ride on the pink buses and ride without bracing myself for an untoward experience

For decades, buses in Pakistan have had women-only sections. But, says Arshia Malik, 32, who takes the bus to work as a nanny in the upmarket area of Clifton, the segregation didn’t stop men “touching your behind or rubbing your shoulder” while getting off the bus. “I would love to ride on the pink buses and ride without bracing myself for an untoward experience.”

Raakhi Matan, 35, a domestic worker, says woman have to be alert on public transport at all times. Touching and lewd remarks from men are common. On one occasion, Matan says she took off her slipper to hit a perpetrator, while everyone looked at her horrified. “I’ve stopped caring [what people think] and do not feel mortified any more.”

Matan, who has a 15-minute commute, welcomes the new service. “I will feel much safer on an all-women bus.”

Dr Hadia Majid, an associate professor at Lahore University, has been researching transportation and its links to women’s participation in the labour market. She sees the pink buses as a positive step in encouraging more women into the workplace.

Poor public transport, she says, has been a contributing factor in Pakistan’s dismally low proportion of women in the labour force. In 2021, women made up 20.6% of the country’s workforce. Harassment was not the only obstacle. Inadequate transport meant women often had to take more expensive taxis or rely on lifts from relatives. “This limits the times and the places that they can work because it ties them to male kin’s timings and place of work.”

It also makes it harder for women to look further afield to find work. “So, unless there is dire need, it’s easier and preferable for women to just sit at home,” Majid says.

The pink buses are part of the city administration’s wider public transport improvement plans. The Green Line bus rapid transit (BRT), connecting Karachi’s northern suburbs with the city centre, was launched in January last year, six years after construction began. More than 12 million people have so far used the BRT, and other routes are planned.

Related: Pakistan’s textile industry is crisis – and women are bearing the brunt of its decline | Parveen Latif Ansari

Arooj Abbasi, who works in hospitality, is excited at the prospect of women-only buses. “Our working hours start later in the day, from 3pm and up to midnight. Many young women who want to join this line of work are deterred by the timing as they know they will not get reliable transport home at night. But if these pink buses can provide that safety, many women will come out of their homes and work.”

Others point to the wider problems. University student Hiba Hasan Fasihi, 19, is sceptical about whether a pink bus can “resolve the way men look at women” but says she will use the service. “The pink buses can be used during rush hour when there can be a lot of pushing and shoving.”

FRANCE
Controversial pension reform plan faces first parliamentary showdown


Michael Fitzpatrick
Mon, 6 February 2023 

REUTERS - GONZALO FUENTES

French President Emmanuel Macron's government faces a difficult week in efforts to impose contested pension reform, with angry debate expected in parliament and mass strikes and demonstrations planned on the streets.

Strikes and protest marches are planned for Tuesday and Saturday. Left-wing opponents of the government have already filed thousands of amendments ahead of the parliamentary debate scheduled to open on Monday afternoon.

Trains and the Paris metro are again expected to suffer "severe disruptions" according to operators, and around one in five flights at Orly airport south of the capital are expected to be cancelled Tuesday.

President Macron's plan to raise the age at which workers can retire is a key policy of his second term in office, which he has defended as "essential" given forecasts for huge deficits in the retirement system.

The reform is unpopular. Last week's demonstrations brought out 1.3 million people nationwide, according to a police count, while unions claimed more than 2.5 million attendees.

'This will be settled on the streets'

"It's out in the country that this will be settled, either by a revolt or by enduring disgust" with the government, said Francois Ruffin, an MP for hard-left France Unbowed.

"The government is no longer trying to convince people, but just to win, win by resignation and exhaustion" among opponents, he added.

Macron's government have so far stuck to their guns on key elements of the plan, although Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne on Sunday did offer concessions in an effort to win support from the conservative Republicans party.

Opponents also say the reform fails to recognise physically strenuous jobs and

Same-sex marriage row looms over Church of England synod

Harriet Sherwood
Sat, 4 February 2023

Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

The repeal of a century-old act of parliament that allows the Church of England to govern itself is among options being considered by MPs frustrated at the church’s continued refusal to offer marriage equality to same-sex couples.

Conservative and Labour MPs are weighing up several options aimed at bringing the C of E into line with the law of the land with regard to same-sex marriage.

Chris Bryant, Labour MP, chair of the standards and privileges committee and former Anglican priest, said the church’s position was “causing very real pain and trauma. If the church won’t act, then parliament should give it a push.”

Some MPs have asked whether the C of E’s refusal to allow same-sex marriage makes it incompatible with its special status as the state church. When they put that last week to Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury, he reportedly replied that he would rather see the C of E disestablished than risk the global church fracturing over the issue.

This week, the C of E’s governing body, the General Synod, will consider a recommendation from bishops that clergy be allowed to bless same-sex civil marriages while the church preserves its bar on same-sex weddings.

The proposal is intended to settle 40 years of painful divisions and often bitter arguments over sexuality. But it has infuriated both campaigners for LGBTQ+ equality and conservatives who insist that biblical teaching on marriage must be upheld.

The synod debate is likely to be impassioned, with an attempt by progressives to overturn the same-sex marriage ban and some conservative evangelicals warning they could leave the C of E.

A group of about a dozen MPs met last week to consider options that could put parliament and the C of E in a head-on confrontation. They discussed moves to repeal the 1919 Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act, which devolved legislative power from parliament to the C of E. Until 1919, parliament passed legislation governing the C of E’s affairs. Legislation passed by the General Synod still requires parliamentary approval.

Other options include stripping the C of E of its exemption from the Equality Act; removing the quadruple lock on the Same-Sex Marriage Act that states no religious organisation can be compelled to marry same-sex couples; or ​​passing a simple law permitting individual parishes and priests to conduct same-sex marriages.

The parliamentary ecclesiastical committee, a body of cross-party peers and MPs that reviews C of E legislation, could refuse to recommend approval of any new measures until the church offers equal marriage to same-sex couples.

“If synod does not make greater progress than is contained in the bishops’ recommendations, I think parliament would take this matter very seriously,” said Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP and former cabinet minister.

Bryant said support for marriage equality in the C of E would win cross-party support in the Commons and the Lords, with little opposition from Tory MPs “as long as it’s a permissive move rather than a mandatory move”.

Sir Peter Bottomley, the veteran Conservative MP, told the Commons that the 1919 act could be amended, and that “the Church of England needs to wake up”.

Chris Loder, another Tory MP, said: “Maybe the synodical arrangements which we have are not fit for purpose, and we should look to reform them.”

On Thursday, Bryant asked Penny Mordaunt, leader of the Commons, to “allow time for legislation to push the Church of England into allowing same-sex marriages to be conducted by parishes and clergy who want to do so, if synod does not act.” Equality campaigners suggested that Mordaunt’s reply – “I know this is an issue that many members of this house will wish to pursue” – left the door open for legislative action.

Outside parliament, the comedian and television presenter Sandi Toksvig met Welby to relay her distress over the C of E’s stance on gay sex and same-sex marriage. “The state church and the society it purports to represent are not remotely in step,” she said after the meeting. “I do not intend to wait upon the church. In the next few weeks, I will be reaching out to the LGBT+ community and all our allies to see what can be done. The present position is untenable.”

On Friday, Toksvig launched a petition calling for the removal of the 26 seats in the House of Lords reserved for C of E bishops.

MPs present at last week’s meeting with Welby were “startled” by his statement that he would prefer disestablishment to fracture, according to one. But both Welby and his predecessor, Rowan Williams, have previously said that disestablishment would “not be a disaster” and “not the end of the world”.

“The idea of having an official state religion in the 21st century is an absurd anachronism,” said Stephen Kettell, who teaches politics and religion at Warwick University, pointing to recent census data showing that less than half the population describe themselves as Christian.

“Disestablishment could be revitalising and re-energising for the Church of England. Or it could be the last thing propping up the church. But it’s hard to see it moving forward when you consider the scale of the problems facing the country.”

BBC journalist says her family will pay slavery reparations

Telegraph reporters
Sun, 5 February 2023 

BBC News journalist Laura Trevelyan says she ‘felt ashamed’ on seeing the plantations where slaves were punished and the instruments of torture used to restrain them - Getty/David Levenson

A British family whose ancestors had slaves in the 1800s is to apologise to the people of a Caribbean island and pay reparations.

One of the family members, a BBC reporter, said the Trevelyan family is apologising “for the role our ancestors played in enslavement on the island” of Grenada.

The family had more than 1,000 slaves there in the 19th century and owned six sugar plantations, the broadcaster reported.

BBC News journalist Laura Trevelyan, who is based in the US, tweeted: “The Trevelyan family is apologising to the people of Grenada for the role our ancestors played in enslavement on the island, and engaging in reparations.”

The family intends to donate £100,000 to establish a community fund for economic development on the island, the BBC said.

Ms Trevelyan said seven family members will travel to Grenada this month to issue a public apology.
‘You can acknowledge the pain’

The reporter, who visited the island for a documentary, told the BBC the experience had been “really horrific” and that she “felt ashamed” on seeing the plantations where slaves were punished and the instruments of torture used to restrain them.

She said: “You can’t repair the past – but you can acknowledge the pain.”

Ms Trevelyan added that the family had received about £34,000 in 1834 for the loss of its “property” on Grenada, which is thought to be the equivalent of about £3 million in today’s money.

She acknowledged that giving £100,000 almost 200 years later could seem “inadequate”, but said: “I hope that we’re setting an example by apologising for what our ancestors did.”

The decision comes after growing calls from politicians and campaign groups in recent years for the nations and families that benefited from slavery to pay reparations.

The issue of reparations for slavery came to the fore last year, when Prince William and Princess Kate visited Jamaica - The Telegraph/Ricardo Makyn

In 2013, Caribbean Community, an intergovernmental body for Caribbean nations, set up its own Reparations Commission, which called on European governments to pay reparations and cancel debt.

The issue of reparations came to the fore last year, when Prince William and Princess Kate visited Jamaica to mark the 60th anniversary of the island’s independence.

Ahead of the visit, 100 Jamaican leaders signed a letter accusing the monarchy of being direct beneficiaries of wealth accumulated stemming from slavery, and called for a public apology from the monarchy and “reparatory justice”, including payments.

In 2021 on a visit to Barbados, ahead of it becoming a republic, King Charles became the first member of the Royal family to formally acknowledge what he called the “appalling atrocity of slavery” in the Caribbean, adding that the period “forever stained our history”.

UK
Tory MP’s housekeeper treated ‘worse than a slave’ at his £7m home

Nick Gutteridge
Sun, 5 February 2023 

In this article:
Harry Djanogly
English textile manufacturer, art collector and philanthropist


Hazel Settas worked as a housekeeper at MP Jonathan Djanogly's west London home

 - Chris McAndrew/UK Parliament

A former housekeeper to a senior Tory MP has claimed that she was treated “worse than a slave” after taking his wife to court for unpaid wages.

Hazel Settas was employed by the wife of Jonathan Djanogly, the former justice minister, but quit after two weeks because of the demands placed on her.

She told the Mirror that she “worked like a dog” and sometimes had to fulfil 16-hour days to complete all the tasks she was set.

They were laid out in a folder that even included detailed instructions on when to rotate avocados between a fruit bowl and the fridge.

She claimed that Mr Djangoly’s wife, Rebecca, used to “click her fingers”, whilst he looked down on her as “not even a human”.

The MP, who has represented Huntingdon, in Cambridgeshire, since 2001, is the son of textile manufacturer Sir Harry Djanogly, said to be worth £300 million.

Jonathan and Rebecca Djanogly pictured with Sir John Major and his wife Norma, after Mr Djanogly succeeded the former prime minister as MP for Huntingdon - Grant Norman

Ms Settas responded to a Gumtree advert in 2020 for a £20,000 a year live-in housekeeper at the couple’s £7 million home in west London.

She was required to work from 7am until 7pm but sometimes ended up finishing at 11pm, as she would be “told off” if she left anything unfinished.

“There were pages and pages of tasks. I felt like I was working in a prison. I would break down in my room,” she said.

“You don’t expect an MP to have that treatment going on in his house.”

The 32-year-old said that on one occasion, Mr Djanogly’s wife told her that if she lost weight she would be “quicker” at completing her tasks.

She claimed another time she told Rebecca: “You can’t treat people like this. This is worse than a slave, this is worse than prison.

“It was slavery … especially when she used to click her fingers, that’s slavery right there. I’ve got a name, use my name,” she said.

“I just had to bow down to anything she said. I couldn’t speak up. The easiest way to describe it is how you think a slave would work.”

She also claimed that on another occasion, Rebecca told her: “My husband’s an MP, you’re worthless.”
Housekeeper wins £886 payout

Mr Djanogly refused to help after she wrote to him about her unpaid wages, she said.

She took his wife, who employed her under her maiden name of Silk, to court and won an £886 payout.

The Mirror reported that an unnamed second housekeeper who later worked for the couple also won a case against them.

She was awarded £3,148 in unauthorised wage deductions, overtime and annual leave by an employment judge, the paper said.

Mr Djanogly was contacted for comment.

UK

Hope for end to long-running bus strike after pay rise offer


Ross Lydall
Mon, 6 February 2023 

(Abellio )

HOPES of a breakthrough in a long-running bus dispute rose today as drivers suspended strike action and got back behind the wheel on more than 60 routes.

Abellio services in south and west London have been disrupted on about 20 occasions since November as about 1,900 members of the Unite union took action in pursuit of a pay rise.

Abellio bosses decided to impose an increase of 13.5 per cent – meaning pay packets will have increased by around £5,000 to £40,000 for a driver with two years’ experience. Starting salaries have increased to more than £32,000.


Strikes planned for Monday, February 6 and Tuesday, February 7 have been called off. Union members are being balloted on whether to end their action, with union leaders having recommended that the deal be accepted.

Bus routes affected included the 24, 111, 159, 285, 344 and 345.

February 20 and 21, and five successive days in early March, had been earmarked for the next strikes.
UK: London Underground Tube, Overground & Bus Strike | Friday 18 August 2022

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Matt Writtle)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Matt Writtle)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Matt Writtle)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

(Jeremy Selwyn)

But Abellio chiefs say the numbers of drivers taking action has fallen – and it has latterly been able to run more than 50 per cent of services on strike days.

Jon Eardley, Managing Director of Abellio London, said: “This is the best deal we are going to get, and it’s a very good deal.

“We want to ensure that bus driving is an attractive job and good, secure work. No-one should need to do overtime to pay their bills.”