Positive masculinity and Andrew Tate

As Andrew Tate faces legal scrutiny for his behaviour and toxic views, critics argue for positive masculinity role models

byMark Smith

 12-02-2024 

in Opinion

image by . Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license

Unless you’ve been living in the woods, off the grid and with no social media, you will have heard of the misogynist mouthpiece Andrew Tate. He strives to be as bold in his appearance as he is in his views and has been searched online more than disgraced former president Donald Trump.

On the surface, Tate’s online ‘advice’ seems pretty harmless: ‘Making money’ and ‘How to approach women’ being typical neo-liberal individualist ‘self-help’ nonsense. He’s also given too much credit for being ‘self-made’, when, in fact, he inherited his wealth from his father.

Who is Andrew Tate?

So, who is Andrew Tate? Tate is an ex-champion kickboxer, described by the BBC as a “self-proclaimed misogynist influencer”. He first gained notoriety after being expelled from Big Brother in 2016, following release of video footage that showed him apparently assaulting a woman. His delightful views include that women should bear responsibility for being sexually assaulted and that he is the “king of toxic masculinity” (he openly declares himself a misogynist).

He’s undoubtedly an adept exponent of social media, using platforms such as TikTok to push out his harmful messages in quick time to teenagers (though he has since been banned on a number of these platforms). To the average person, a lot of Tate’s schtick can appear harmless and perhaps even helpful. However, something more sinister is at play. Underlying Tate’s message is a twisted right-wing narrative that degrades women and belittles mental health problems.

Dangerous rhetoric and revolting deeds

Tate typically will make deliberately inflammatory statements such as “depression isn’t real”, which are very hurtful and damaging to people experiencing mental health difficulties. But his depravity isn’t restricted to incendiary online statements. He is under legal scrutiny for trafficking women (which he openly admitted to on his website) and multiple allegations of sexual assault. However you look at his behaviour, it’s objectively awful … yet his fanatics will defend him to the end. The situation is so dire that teachers have issued public warnings about the levels of misogyny Tate is influencing.

Falling into Tate’s web

Tate’s followers are mainly teenaged boys and young men. Those experiencing difficulties, such as relationship breakup or self-esteem issues, may be especially vulnerable to falling into the grasp of Tate’s harmful rhetoric. And many find it difficult to remove themselves from his influence.

Tate is able to present himself differently to different people by cunning (certainly not smart) use of social media algorithms. His ‘Hustlers University’ ($49 per month) gains traction by exploiting young people to share his bonkers content on social media. Tate’s acolytes begin to parrot his poisonous ideas, spreading the toxicity, both online and in real life.

Fighting Tate’s influence

Simply banning Tate is not the answer. Tate’s support will be driven underground and become both more attractive to his disciples and more sinister. In fact, it’s imperative we propose alternatives, as the late Bell Hooks writes in The Will to Change: “ … masculinity is to wear a mask” to hide one’s true feelings. It’s preposterous to suggest that showing feelings and displaying empathy makes you “less of a man”. It’s quite the opposite. Instead, we – especially boys and young men – should be taught to regard attributes such as honour, valour and forgiveness as ‘masculine’ values.

CULTURE

A pilgrimage to Barcelona and a homage to George Orwell

BYMARK SMITH

 26 OCTOBER 2023

Reclaiming and redefining masculinity

The image of ‘the perfect man’ does not exist. Nothing can be perfect and, in any case, what even is masculinity? There are too many conflicting definitions. I, for instance, might imagine the caring and righteous cowboy on horseback saying ‘Hey there partner do you need a hand?’ (even though there could be negative historical connotations around the colonisation of the American West associated with cowboys). Whatever the imagery, ordinary, kind folk always recognise and root for the good person in the story.

We need to offer better masculine role models

We could do worse than to show young people figures such as Marcus Rashford. He is an ambitious, highly successful footballer who has helped fairness in this country by campaigning for free school meals.

There are many good examples from history that we could draw on: the intelligence and passion of Malcolm X; Fred Hampton uniting Chicago gangs with his rainbow alliance, or Martin Luther King’s fiery speeches resonating with people across the world to fight injustice.

More recent inspirational men

Many of David Bowie’s attributes could be pointed at: how he fed into his more feminine side while still being a ‘bloke’. The virtuoso musician Prince offered similar inspiration, or Harry Styles in a more contemporary setting. All are atypical men who are remembered for their great contributions to the world.

As Hooks wrote: “Labels such as Gay, straight etc wouldn’t matter if we had more positive passion” instead of ‘toxic’ masculinity we should be advocating for ‘positive’ masculinity, showing men they can still be men and make positive changes in patriarchal society.

We need more kindness

Action star Keanu Reeves recently said: “I don’t want to be part of a world where being kind is a weakness”.

Role models don’t have to be internationally well-known figures. A mentor at the pub or a sports coach who believes in you can make the world of difference; real life experiences with real live people can make a huge impact. There are likely to be loads of positive role models already around you. As Professor Scott Galloway says: “My definition of masculinity? Using your resources and abilities to protect and foster other people’s growth and happiness.”

Show we can lead each other and lend a hand instead of Tate’s toxic, ‘alpha male’ philosophy. We need more support in an ever more competitive, cut-throat, late-stage capitalist world. Kindness isn’t the opposite of strength, but rather part of it

Mark Smith (AKA djmarkymarks) is a local music commentator and leftist, originally from Skipton. Having worked within the music industry and local radio, he is currently creating essays on YouTube where he dives into the meaning behind the music, covering the current breaking stories. Mark is also working on artist development, helping musicians work on their craft by producing press releases to spread the word about new musical talent. His keen ear and passion for social issues has put him at the forefront of these topics.

ARCHAEOLOGY...

...IS LOOTING

After Britain, the US sends looted royal artefacts to Ghana’s Ashanti King

A California museum returned seven royal artefacts to Ghana’s traditional Ashanti king to commemorate his silver jubilee in the first planned handovers of Ashanti treasures looted during colonial times.


Issued on: 12/02/2024 

Subchiefs look on at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 February 2024 during the permanent return of artefacts by the Fowler Museum of UCLA

 (University of California Los Angeles). AFP - NIPAH DENNIS

By: Melissa Chemam with RFI

Ghana's royal treasures from the Fowler Museum include a gold necklace, an ornamental chair and an elephant tail whisk.

They were presented during a ceremony of chiefs at the Manhyia Palace in the city of Kumasi in the Ashanti region.

Royal Ashanti gold objects are believed to be invested with the spirits of former rulers.

Artefacts returned by the Fowler Museum of UCLA (University of California Los Angeles) at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 February 2024. 

AFP - NIPAH DENNIS

The Ashanti monarch Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, who holds an important ceremonial role in Ghana, said their return would help unite his people.

"What just happened confirms what occurred so many years ago when the British attacked us and looted our treasures," he said. "Let’s remain united to bring about peace and development in the kingdom."

Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Ghana's Asante king, looks on at the Manhyia Palace in Kumasi, Ghana, on 8 February 2024 during the permanent return of artefacts from the Fowler Museum of UCLA. 

AFP - NIPAH DENNIS

Ivor Agyeman Duah, an advisor to the king, said the objects were sacred.

"Their homecoming signifies a pivotal moment of reconciliation and pride for our kingdom," Duah told the AFP.
'No conditions'

The ceremony was held close to the 150th anniversary of the 1874 Anglo-Asante war, gathering traditional leaders, politicians and diplomats, most adorned in red and black to symbolise mourning.

The returned items have been part of the Fowler Museum's collection since 1965, part of the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA).

Unlike other institutions negotiating with Ghana, the Museum imposed no conditions, leaving it to the discretion of their Ghanaian stewards to decide their use for museum displays, palace treasuries, or public celebrations.

Ghanaian royal historian Osei-Bonsu Safo-Kantanka said: "This is a special moment for the Asante people because it strengthens the bond between us and our ancestors."

The Manhyia Palace Museum will hold a year-long celebration throughout 2024.
Traces of colonial looting

The move comes as pressure grows for European and US museums and institutions to restore African artefacts stolen during the rule of former colonial powers Britain, France, Germany and Belgium.

Late in January, the British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London announced they were to lend gold and silver treasures looted from the Asante kingdom back to Ghana in a six-year deal.Britain to return looted crown jewels to Ghana, but only on loan

Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at University of Oxford Dan Hicks wrote the return to Ghana was "long overdue".

Neighbouring Nigeria is also negotiating the return of thousands of 16th to 18th century metal objects looted from the ancient kingdom of Benin and currently held by museums and art collectors across the United States and Europe.Repatriating artefacts taken from Nigeria by European colonialists
Outrage as statues allegedly looted from Nigeria sold in Paris

Two years ago, Benin received two dozen treasures and artworks stolen in 1892 by French colonial forces.Benin opens exhibition of stolen art treasures returned by France

Egypt and Ethiopia also want the British Museum to return a number of items taken during colonial conquests, while Algeria expects artefacts and even human remains to be returned from France.

(with AFP)

Scientists discover ancient egg dating back 1,700 years still has liquid inside

Experts say 1,700-year-old chicken egg could be the only one of its kind


THE EGG WAS DISCOVERED IN A DIG BETWEEN 2007 AND 2016
OXFORD ARCHAEOLOGY

JOSH SALISBURY

1 DAY AGO

An intact chicken egg thought to be around 1,700 years old could be the only one of its kind after scientists found it still had liquid inside.

The egg was discovered during a dig of a site near Aylesbury, between 2007 and 2016 alongside others, which were broken during the course of excavation.

Now a scan has found that the remaining egg still contains a white and yolk - meaning it could be the only intact egg from that period.

Speaking to the Independent, Edward Biddulph, senior project manager at Oxford Archaeology who oversaw the excavation, said: "We were absolutely blown away when we saw the contents in there, as we might have expected them to have leached out."

ARCHAEOLOGISTS AT THE NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM CONSERVATION LABORATORY
BUCKINGHAMSHIRE COUNCIL

A micro-CT scan, conducted by conservationist Dana Goodburn-Brown, confirmed that it is still full of liquid and an air bubble.

The egg was found at a site called Berryfields, containing a large waterlogged Roman pit, which experts think may have been used as a kind of wishing well.

The egg has since been taken to the Natural History Museum in Kensington, where Douglas Russell, the senior curator of the museum’s birds, eggs and nests collection was consulted about how to conserve the egg.

Mr Biddulph told the publication: “As we found out when we visited the Natural History Museum, [it] appears to be the oldest known example in the world."

He added that it was "a bit daunting walking around London with a 2,000-year-old egg.

"It was a bit hairy on the Tube - although it was well protected - it’s not like I was carrying it around in my pocket,” he said.

The egg is currently being housed at Discover Bucks Museum in Aylesbury as experts explore ways to extract the liquid inside without breaking the delicate shell.

Plans are now underway to consider next steps, with archaeologists saying they want to secure the long-term future of the egg and its research potential.

Risk of death 12% higher for non-White children in England

Press release issued: 12 February 2024

Twelve percent of infant deaths in England could be avoided if all infants in England had the same risk of death as White infants, a new University of Bristol-led study shows. Such a change, which equates to more than 200 deaths per year, would bring England – which currently has one of the highest infant mortality rates in Europe – in line with other EU nations.

The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open today [12 February], draws on data from Bristol’s National Child Mortality Database (NCMD), a unique source of data on all children who die in England before their 18th birthday.

The analysis builds on previous work from the same group to spotlight the outcomes of children with different ethnicities. It shows that infants of non-White ethnicities are at greater risk than their White counterparts, and this was not explained by where they lived in England, or how wealthy their families are.

Almost half of the additional risk for non-White infants was found to be due to preterm birth, which is much more common in families of Asian or Black ethnicity. The authors have stressed the need for urgent work to tackle this issue and identify next steps for reducing the rate of preterm birth in these communities.

Karen Luyt, Director of the National Child Mortality Database and Professor of Neonatal Medicine at the University of Bristol, said: “England has one of the highest infant mortality rates in Europe, and there is an urgent need to identify and tackle the factors that are holding us back.

“This latest analysis of our unique dataset highlights specific groups at greater risk, and gives a clear indication of where efforts might be focused to drive down infant mortality in the future.”

The publication follows the NCMD’s earlier publication of their full data release for 2023, which found that since 2021 death rates for children of Black or Asian backgrounds have increased while those for White children remained relatively stable.

Paper

'Race and ethnicity, deprivation and infant mortality in England, 2019-2022' by Karen Luyt et. al in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Network Open [open access]

Further information

About the National Child Mortality Database (NCMD)
The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) was established on 1 April 2018 with the aim of reducing premature mortality by collecting and analysing data on all deaths in children in England, aged between birth and their 18th birthday. The Programme is commissioned by the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP) and is funded by NHS England, it is led by the University of Bristol, in collaboration with Anna Freud,  UCL Partners and the software company QES.

MAINTENANCE OUTSOURCING

UK

Head teacher says school can’t hire new staff because the grass needs cutting weekly

Sian Elvin

Published Feb 12, 2024

David Potter, who runs Middlefield Primary School in Liverpool, hit out at contracts which he claims are costing schools thousands annually (Stock picture: Getty Images)

A head teacher has hit out at a contract costing thousands which forces him to keep his school’s grass cut below a certain length.

As a result David Potter, who runs Middlefield Primary in Liverpool, says he has not been able to afford to replace four members of staff since 2020.

The contract – under a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) which sees schools locked into agreements for up to 30 years – means the head must spend up to £30,000 a year on maintaining the grounds.

Mr Potter told the BBC: ‘Come rain or shine every week, the grounds maintenance team come out and they cut this field.

‘We should have the freedom to say, actually, we think we can do without.’

One of the ‘rigid’ details states the grass must not grow higher than 2.5cm (1 inch), even in the winter.

The primary opened after Liverpool City Council entered into a PFI contract for new school buildings. Mr Potter said 20% of the budget is spent on meeting the contract terms, including for services like catering and cleaning.

One of the details of the agreement states the grass must not grow higher than one inch, even in the winter (Stock picture: Getty Images)

More than 900 schools in England, and several hospitals, were built via PFI contracts through both Conservative and Labour governments before the scheme was scrapped in 2018.

The initiative sees private companies keep the contract until the debt is repaid by taxpayers, with many faculties still locked into them today.

The terms of the agreement means Mr Potter can’t try and find a better deal, which he finds ‘incredibly frustrating’.

PFI costs increase by the Retail Price Index, a typically higher measure of inflation which the government no longer uses.

Speaking on behalf of PFI investors, Lord John Hutton said the contracts provide ‘good value for money’ but school budgets have not kept up with inflation.

PFI companies say contracts can be renegotiated, but the council said the legal costs of doing this would outweigh the potential savings.

BBC Radio 4’s The Great PFI Debt found dozens of schools across the country may be affected by similar agreements.

Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee of MPs, said there needs to be ‘more openness’ about this.

The Department for Education said it will be increasing support for schools under PFI contracts by 10.4% in the coming financial year.

It comes after more than 100 schools were forced to partially or fully close in September, when it was revealed they were at risk of sudden collapse due to the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) as a building material.

Schools crippled by soaring PFI bills

School children in a classroom

ELIZABETH SHORT

MORNING STAR

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024

UNIONS and campaigners slammed private firms today for imposing crippling maintenance bills on schools locked into Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts.

PFI schools are bound by 25 to 30-year contracts with private firms, who own and maintain the schools until taxpayers’ money repays the debt.

Over 900 schools have been built through PFI contracts since the 1990s. The initiative was eventually scrapped in 2018.

The BBC spoke to one head teacher in Liverpool who said that nearly 20 per cent of the school’s entire budget is being squandered on contracts.

He said it has forced him to slash spending in other areas and that four staff have not been replaced since 2020.

David Potter, from Middlefield Primary in Speke, said the maintenance, catering and cleaning for the school will cost more than £470,000 this year, rising by over £151,000 since 2021.

The BBC said that 10 other PFI primary schools in Liverpool provided figures showing similar rises.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “School budgets are already incredibly tight and the schools affected simply won’t be able to absorb extra costs on top of the existing budgetary demands.

“The scale of the increase in these costs appears particularly alarming.

“Ultimately, when a large proportion of a school’s budget is being used to cover these costs, that means less being spent on children’s education.”

National Education Union general secretary Daniel Kebede said: “PFI is the folly of borrowing from the future, rather than committing to funding education in the here and now.

“This and any future government need to understand that the funding of our education system and the school estate must be urgently addressed.”

We Own It campaigner Matthew Topham said: “It’s completely unconscionable that public money that should have been invested in our children’s future is set to be sacrificed to pay off private creditors out to make a profit.

“The truth is painfully simple: the public always pays. We pay billions in interest. We pay for services we don’t need because PFI fees are set in stone.

“And even our children pay with schools cutting back on essentials. We need public investment for people, not profit.”


MORNING STAR 

Editorial:

Private ‘investment’ is one cause of the crisis in public services – we don't want any more


A school teacher looking stressed next to piles of classroom books

RENEWED focus on the crippling impact of PFI debt on schools and hospitals is welcome given the prospect of an incoming Labour government trumpeting “partnership” with business.

Britain’s public realm — institutions and services that keep the country running — is stricken. It is breaking down wherever we look, from the seven-million-long NHS waiting list to crumbling school and hospital buildings, from dentistry to Royal Mail, from transport to the councils lining up to declare bankruptcy.

Labour’s contradictory position is that these crises are the product of Tory mismanagement of the economy, but the only way to fix them is to stick to Tory spending plans, ruling out a wealth tax, increases in corporation tax or other measures that could fund increased spending.

Spending commitments are being steadily shredded as the party briefs the media it is “bomb-proofing” the manifesto — a process which apparently means removing any measures the Conservative Party might attack, reducing further any discernable difference between the big Westminster parties.

That should be challenged. Britain spends significantly less as a portion of GDP on healthcare or education than comparable European countries such as France or Germany. We should raise spending and pay for it through raising taxes on the rich and runaway corporate profits.

But the ongoing PFI scandal raises another question. So-called partnerships with the private sector, championed by the last Labour government and promised by the next one, are an enormous drain on public resources. Contracts entered into over two decades ago place an ongoing burden on councils, hospitals and schools.

NHS trusts spent £500 million in interest payments on PFI contracts in 2021 — equivalent to the salaries of 15,000 nurses when our health service faces chronic staff shortages.

The impact of PFI deals on schools is less well known, but over 900 were built as a result of such contracts.

The BBC’s current investigation found head teachers whose schools are spending a fifth of their entire budget on meeting the terms of these deals, not just debt repayments (which typically rise by the retail price index inflation rate, meaning schools or local authorities behind them have seen the costs rocket in recent years) but because the contracts often specify which companies will provide services to schools, so management cannot revisit these on either quality or cost grounds.

These arrangements are directly linked to staff shortages. As more councils teeter on the edge of bankruptcy, the impact of PFI contracts on their books deserves more scrutiny — though many include non-disclosure agreements, precisely to stop the public realising what a rip-off they are.

Councils were barred from entering into new PFI deals in 2018 as their poor value for money became impossible to deny.

But a new body representing private-sector investors (the Association of Infrastructure Investors in Public Private Partnerships) was formed last month as a result of the increase in disputes between PFI investors and councils, and its chair, Labour peer Lord John Hutton, claims “the benefits of this collaboration between the public and private sectors can inform our thinking about the next stage of investment in the public realm.”

Our thinking should instead be informed by the costs. Private capital has profited hugely from these partnerships, but is has imposed an enormous financial burden on public services, contributing to today’s system failure.

Labour must not be allowed to enrich parasitical investors at our expense with a repeat.

Ending these deals, exposing their terms and stopping them in the future should be part of a mass campaign for public ownership to change the narrative ahead of the election. Their direct effect on the budgets of individual schools and hospitals make them ideal focal points for local political mobilisation.

Grassroots organisations like the People’s Assembly, the We Own It campaign and local government unions can work together to make the great public-private partnership rip-off an election issue.

OPINION

By Ed Dorrell

The PFI contracts bankrupting our schools are coming back to haunt Labour

The consequences of years and years of underinvestment are now being seen across the country

February 12, 2024 

Many schools are now on the brink of bankruptcy (Photo: Getty Images)

Over the course of the past two decades, I’ve visited maybe hundreds of schools. They don’t exactly blur into one, but I certainly couldn’t tell you specific anecdotes from every trip.

One story though, does stand out. It was seven or eight years ago (when the era of austerity was really biting), and I was visiting a relatively shiny new-ish secondary in east London. Standing in the principal’s office, which overlooked a large glass-fronted atrium, I commented on the rather pleasant building. The head’s response was genuinely shocking.

She explained that her school had been built using New Labour’s Private Finance Initiative and the contract’s structures had become a huge burden. Looking down from her office, she explained, to my amazement, that the PFI contract obliged her to pay (out of the school’s main budget) for the entire atrium to be repainted every single year. Whether she wanted it or not.

It soon emerged that this was not a one-off. The whole PFI thing had resulted in the education system being littered with utterly farcical contractual obligations – £8,000 for a new blind, £2,000 for a new tap; it seemed there was no limit to the absurdity.

The Private Finance Initiative was a complex procurement arrangement, initially brought in by Conservative PM John Major in 1992 but heavily expanded by New Labour’s Gordon Brown, then chancellor.

It was ultimately a way of financing public-sector projects (such as schools) through the private sector. It allowed for a vast array of investment in public sector infrastructure (including 900 schools) but meant that long-term contracts were drawn up between private investors and public bodies. As part of the deals – which can last 25-30 years – the private sector operates and maintains the infrastructure but the bill must be picked by the public body.

As I witnessed at the school above, some of these contracts have absurd requests, such as repainting the atrium or keeping the school field’s grass at a specific length. All of which come at a huge cost.

Many of these contracts were created in the late 90s, long before the ridiculous state of today’s UK economy and inflation took hold. Incredibly, it has now emerged that all those costs (such as the annual atrium make-over) go up by the Retail Price Index, a typically higher measure of inflation and one now not used by the Government.

Needless to say, this has made the already precarious predicament of the finances of many schools even worse. Many of them are now on the brink of bankruptcy.

PFI has not been considered an unalloyed success. Even before these ridiculous stories about schools shelling out for things they don’t even need, many education leaders warned that the construction standards were shabby because contractors were only motivated to ensure their buildings stayed upright for the life of the contract.

So this is the mess that Labour are likely to inherit sometime this year. They will also inherit an open question about how the hell they are going to find the cash to rebuild a school estate that increasingly looks like it is falling down.

The RAAC scandal (the aero-style concrete that is in danger of caving in) is only a tip of an iceberg. The consequences of years and years of underinvestment in the build fabric of our primary and secondary schools are now being seen across the country.

Read More

NEWSEXPLAINED

What is a PFI school? Who introduced the contracts and the 'budget crisis' explained

Read More

Obviously, a new version of PFI is not on the cards (or at least it shouldn’t be), but there isn’t going to be any other money sloshing about, at least while Rachel Reeves is the Iron Chancellor of the economy (and therefore tax receipts) is in a slump.

Until very recently, some education experts had suggested that it was possible that a chunk of the £28bn green investment fund might be spent on up-grading school buildings and making them fit for a net zero future. But that too has gone up in smoke.

The problem for governments of whatever colour is that dilapidated classrooms are so much more tangible than teacher shortages or other funding cuts, which most heads do their best to shield from the mums and dads at the school gates.

As such, the state of school buildings in the next few years will surely be one of the hardest problems that Labour inherits. We can be confident that they won’t repeat the mistakes of PFI, but that still leaves the question of where the cash will come from to rebuild thousands of primaries, secondaries and colleges.

The truth is that parents – who make up an electorate of roughly 14m voters – notice when their children’s schools start falling apart. 

Ed Dorrell is a Director at Public First and a former deputy editor of the ‘Times Educational Supplement‘

UK

Farmers suffer from record high mental health problems due to environmental impacts on livelihood


Cows feeding in floodwaters in Fishlake, Doncaster, November 11, 2019

MORNING STAR 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2024

FARMERS are suffering record levels of mental health problems due to droughts, floods, heatwaves, excessive working hours and other problems, research has found.

According to a study by the Farm Safety Foundation, 95 per cent of Britain’s farmers under the age of 40 rank poor mental health as one of the biggest hidden difficulties facing farmers today.

The Office of National Statistics registered 36 suicides in farming and agriculture in England and Wales in 2021.

The problem is so acute that it has inspired a short film. Wake, starring Alison Steadman and Poldark’s Mark Frost, was released in 2022.

The Farm Safety Foundation said: “The effects of the relentless season of storms have had huge consequences for those whose lives and livelihoods depend on the land.

“Fields flooded, crops destroyed and animals in danger have made recent headlines, but this is only the tip of the iceberg.

“The UK’s farming industry has faced many challenges over the past few years, but the emerging mental health challenge may prove the most devastating.”

Farmers 'at crisis point over industry pressures'

By Tammy Gooding & Shyamantha Asokan

BBC Hereford & Worcester presenters

Sam Stables founded a charity to support farmers affected by mental health issues

Farmers are "on their knees" as rising costs, adverse weather and other pressures take a toll on their mental health, a farmer has said.

Sam Stables, a farmer in Aconbury, said people were working more than 100 hours a week and were "at crisis point".

Mr Stables said he knew of farmers who had taken their lives last year.

More than nine in 10 British farmers, aged under 40, said poor mental health was one of the sector's biggest hidden problems, a recent survey found.

Mind Your Head, an annual campaign run by the Farm Safety Foundation, is taking place this week to raise mental health awareness amongst farmers.

When the foundation's survey was carried out in September 2023, 95% of farmers said mental health concerns were a problem, up from 84% in 2019.
'Bottling up'

"As an industry, the problems that we're facing with everything are becoming a lot more overwhelming," said Daniel Bloomer, a farmer in Shropshire.

Many farmers were "still bottling up" their feelings, and this was exacerbated by a job that involved spending long hours working alone, he added.

Mr Bloomer said he had friends who had died by suicide, with Mr Stables saying he knew of seven people in Herefordshire's farming community who took their own lives last year.

Mr Stables, who runs a support network with his wife for farmers and their families, said the stigma around talking about mental health was easing.

"It's really important that people understand that it's not your fault" and "it's just about getting the support", he told BBC Radio Hereford and Worcester.
Support directory

This week farmers are also being encouraged to take part in the Big Farming Tea Break, to help them sit down together face to face.

Lynda and Andy Eadon will be handing out teabags at Shropshire's Harper Adams' University in memory of their son, Len, who took his life in 2022.

And the Farm Safety Foundation has created a national directory of support groups, for those who are looking for help and information.


If you've been affected by the issues raised in this report, the BBC Action Line has a list of organisations that may be able to help.

UK

Renewing & strengthening the fightback against the ruling-class offensive

12th February

2024Arise Festival,  

“We as a movement must attempt to sew a thread between each of these struggles to weave a rich tapestry of class struggle from which we can transform society.”

By Logan Williams, Arise Festival volunteer

It is clear to many labour movement activists that we are currently living through a global economic, social, and political crisis. In Britain we have seen the neoliberal policies pursued by the Conservative party since their election in 2010 create and actively worsen the cost-of-living crisis which has plunged thousands of households into poverty.

Alongside this, we have seen a government which has sought to erode and undermine the most basic elements of our democratic rights and, the ever-present climate crisis which is beginning to have dramatic effects on the Global South and beyond. Then there is the permanent wars and conflicts around the world, including Israel’s ongoing assault on Gaza.

Despite – or perhaps because of – the growing ‘poly-crises’ faced by both the British and global working class, we have seen a resurgence of the working-class movement in resistance to it. In the years preceding the emergence of this ‘poly-crises’ we witnessed over half a million flock into the Labour party in support of the left leadership of Jeremy Corbyn and his transformative economic program. This growth in support has in turn helped to lead to the re-popularisation of socialist ideas within society.

Alongside this we have seen the emergence of a strike wave in Britain – to a degree led by a vanguard of left-led unions namely, the NEU, PCS and the RMT – which saw 4,466,000 days lost to strike action between June and December 2023 with 323 separate strikes taking place in November 2022 alone. It is clear through a careful examination of this movement to conclude that this movement was built from the shopfloor through the National Executives and elected leaderships, largely by left cadre across the labour movement, in a recognition that industrial militancy was essential to winning the concessions necessary from capital to alleviate some of the pressure of these ‘poly-crises’ on the working class.

Although, this is not to suggest that this mass movement has been isolated to individual mass days of action or national strike days. On the contrary, as a result of the rising militancy within the labour movement, we have seen new struggles emerge across individual workplaces. We have seen examples of struggles built from the bottom up – such as the cleaners and catering staff at four South London hospitals who took part in a 7-day strike against outsourcing giant ISS. To the bin workers in Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield who won a 13.5% pay rise following 4 days of continuous strike action, to the anti-academy strike wave in Lewisham which has seen NEU members working with parents to force back the tide of marketisation within the education sector to the St Mungos strike in London fighting to defend the future of housing.

However, the fight back has not been limited to the economic struggle of the trade unions, we have seen the emergence of relatively large-scale protests from Extinction Rebellion, Keep Our NHS Public, Stand Up to Racism and, the peace movement. 2023 saw Extinction Rebellion; alongside 200 other groups, held their “the big one” week of protest which saw thousands of climate protestors picketing government departments, hosting teach ins and, filling the streets of Westminster.

Then in recent months, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Stop the War, and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament have been at the forefront of orchestrating the movement in solidarity with the Palestinian people which has seen both mass mobilisations of hundreds of thousands of people take to the streets in solidarity with the Palestinian people and, people take actions within their workplaces and schools in a coordinated day of action just last week.

We as a movement must attempt to sew a thread between each of these struggles to weave a rich tapestry of class struggle from which we can transform society. We must seek to build and grow a movement which unites these movements of resistance into a cohesive organised movement in 2024. This movement must seek to learn the lessons from the 2023 wave of resistance and, restrengthen and renew our demands.

Deepening political education within these movements and our unions is vital to this if we are to have a chance to win a society which works in the interests of the many, rather than the interests of the bosses.

This task is of the utmost importance for socialists within the labour movement and will require a level of political education and debate which has been absent within the vast majority of our movement for decades but, we must not shy away from the hard work and discussions that must follow.

Instead, the left must take up these debates urgently both within and without the Labour party and, actively seek out points of unity across the left if we are to win socialism in the twenty first century. A key first step which we can take upon this road can be found in the Arise Festival day school on the 17th of February in central London which seeks to unite the broadest possible range of these movements together through discussion.

“A World to Win – Socialist Solutions for the Crises” – the Arise Festival Day School takes place all day Saturday, February 17th in Central London. You can register your place, see the line-up and find out more here.

Logan Williams is an NEU activist, an organiser for Arise – A Festival of Left Ideas and a regular contributor to Labour Outlook. You can follow Logan on twitter here.

 
You can follow Arise Festival on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X; and listen to the Arise Festival podcast on Spotify.

If you support Labour Outlook’s work amplifying the voices of left movements and struggles here and internationally, please consider becoming a supporter on Patreon.

The Save Our Schools Carnival in Trafalgar Square as part of the day of strike action on Budget day, March 15th, 2023. Photo credit: NEU/Twitter

Britain's smartest teenager calls for more support for gifted pupils

12th February
By Isabella Perrin@IsabellaHPerrin

Audience and Content Editor

Mahnoor Cheema, 17, from Slough (Image: SWNS)


BRITAN'S smartest teenager studying 28 A levels is calling for more support for gifted pupils as she admitted that teachers struggled to keep up with her.

17-year-old Mahnoor Cheema from Slough, holding an IQ of 161, is appealing for better support for gifted youngsters.

The prodigy, who is taking 28 A-Levels and achieved 34 A*s in her GCSEs argues that teachers struggle to accommodate her due to their lack of knowledge about recognising and nurturing exceptional talent.

Having moved to Britain from Pakistan at the age of nine, Ms Cheema revealed her initial school - Colnbrook Church of England Primary School in Berkshire - declined to let her proceed to the next educational level.

Despite her swift completion of assignments, the school added extra maths to her workload but refused any advancement.

Ms Cheema said: "I feel we are wasting so much talent in the UK.

"I think there are so many kids who had talent to do so much but it was wasted because no one recognised their potential or knew what to do with it."

Upon transferring to Langley Grammar School, she conveyed that the teaching staff discouraged her from taking GCSE exams.

The school contended that Ms Cheema was over-tasked, sporting dark circles under her eyes.

Even when parents intervened to assist their stressed daughter, they were dubbed 'pushy.' She presented a striking contrast between mathematics education in the UK and Pakistan.

According to Ms Cheema, third-grade students in Pakistan could tackle tests designed for 11-year-old British pupils, revealing that maths in the British education system is "very slow."

Expressing dissatisfaction at the lack of understanding in UK schools, Ms Cheema is urging an increase in support for gifted children in state schools nationwide, similar to the additional assistance provided to those with special educational needs.

Despite her impressive demonstration of academic prowess with 33 top-graded GCSEs, it was not an easy journey for the gifted scholar.

She confessed to struggling with school social dynamics and found it hard to relate to her peers, opting to read works by Plato and Socrates instead of popular teen books.


Accepting academic challenges eagerly, Ms Cheema aced every entrance exam for schools within a 20-mile radius of her residence, earning the top spot in three counties.

She is a recognised member of Mensa, needing to score within the top 2 per cent of the general population in a sanctioned intelligence test to qualify.

Ms Cheema's bright family includes a sister who is a national maths champion with an IQ of 161, a nine-year-old brother who is a grade-four piano player, a barrister father, and a mother with two degrees in economics.

Currently, Ms Cheema is flourishing at Henrietta Barnett School in North London, where in addition to her academic pursuits, she is part of a swimming team, enjoys horse riding, and regularly attends concerts with friends.

 

British-Pakistani girl, 16, sets record by passing 34 subjects in GCSE exam

The photo taken on August 25, 2023, shows Mahnoor Cheema, a 16-year-old British-Pakistani girl, who has set a new record by passing 34 subjects at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level in the United Kingdom.

 (Photo courtesy: @PTANews_/Twitter)

Updated 27 August 2023
ARAB NEWS PAKISTAN

This is the highest number of subjects ever cleared by a student at the General Certificate of Secondary Education-level

Mahnoor Cheema, whose parents belong to Lahore, says she wanted to attempt the GCSE exam in around 50 subjects

ISLAMABAD: Mahnoor Cheema, a 16-year-old British-Pakistani girl, has set a new record by passing 34 subjects at the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) level in the United Kingdom (UK), Pakistani media reported on Friday.

This is the highest number of subjects ever taken by a student in the history of the UK and European Union (EU) GCSEs. The 16-year-old cleared 17 subjects with A* grade as a private candidate in year 10, while on Thursday, she added another 17 to the list, setting a new record.

“I have done 34 subjects on GCSE-level and I have secured A* in all those subjects. I am the first student to have secured such an achievement,” Cheema told Pakistan's Geo News channel in an interview.

“I have done six languages and such a record never existed in the world before.”

Cheema’s father, Barrister Usman Cheema, and mother, Tayyaba Cheema, hail from the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore. The couple moved to the UK in 2006 in order to pursue further education at Lincoln’s Inn and SOAS, respectively.

Cheema, who studied at the Langley Grammar School in West London, said she had decided to attempt the GCSE exam in around 50 subjects.

“I had planned from the start that I have to do a lot of subjects. I had planned to do around 50, but unfortunately the British education system did not cooperate with me despite multiple requests [and] I had to drop several subjects,” she said.

“Last year, I cleared 17 subjects and this year too I cleared 17; 10 via school and seven privately.”

Cheema’s mother, Tayyaba, said ever since her daughter entered the 9th year, she wanted to do “something for humanity” and was passionate about medicine.

“When she entered the 9th grade, she said ‘I want do something for humanity’,” Tayyaba said of her daughter. “She was passionate about medicine, chose the subjects herself. While studying one subject... she chose the rest along with it.”

In 2021, Cheema undertook an IQ test by Mensa, the largest and oldest high-IQ society in the world, in which she scored 161 — ahead of renowned scientist Albert Einstein, who was said to have an IQ of 160.

“Einstein’s IQ was rumored to be 160, mine was 161 [in Mensa test]. I have a lot of interest in medicine, not just to further career for myself but to do something for humanity,” the 16-year-old said.

“I always had this idea since I was young to leave a mark on the world and my parents have always supported me in this endeavor.”

Cheema said she was an Oxford University aspirant and was hopeful of going to the prestigious institute in the next two years.

House of Lords

The 27-year-old, who is about to become the youngest life peer, says she does not "believe in the system of the House of Lords".

Tomos Evans
Wales reporter @TomosGruffydd
Monday 12 February 2024

Pic: Carmen Smith/Plaid Cymru


At 27 years old, Carmen Smith is about to become the youngest member of the House of Lords.

But the former chief of staff to the Plaid Cymru group in the Senedd does not "believe" in the institution.

Despite her belief, Ms Smith told Sky News the house needs "people in there speaking up for Wales".

"Ultimately, as a Welsh nationalist, I believe in an independent Wales and I believe we will have an independent Wales in my lifetime and then we wouldn't have the House of Lords and that wouldn't be for us to decide," she said.

"But ultimately I don't believe in the system of the House of Lords as it stands."


Ms Smith will be made a life peer after former Plaid Cymru leader Dafydd Wigley announced plans to retire from the Lords - keeping the total number of the party's life peers at one.

The current youngest member of the House of Lords is a former adviser to Boris Johnson, 30-year-old Baroness Owen of Alderley Edge.

While there is a "challenge ahead", it is a "really exciting" one for Ms Smith.

"There's a job of work to do, which I'm really committed to doing," she added.

"So just looking forward to being able to join the Westminster team and be a voice for Wales in Westminster."

Read more:
'Not useful' to put date on Welsh independence

Who is Plaid Cymru's leader?

While Ms Smith has no direct parliamentary experience, she hopes her background will give her a fresh outlook.

"I am an experienced activist, I have lots of experience in terms of speaking for young people, in terms of matters on education and I have a track record of being a voice," she said.

"And also, just in terms of my life experience as well, as a young carer I grew up on a council estate on Ynys Môn called Llanfaes, and I think that would also give a different perspective in the institution."