In just a couple of years since being available for worldwide use, TikTok has skyrocketed in popularity. More than 800 million users call the platform home, and already there are several standout TikTok influencers.
TikTokers share their messages through short 15-second videos on any topic under the sun. Most TikTok influencers choose to focus their videos on a single niche like comedy, beauty, fitness, etc. Even when choosing a niche, however, many TikTokers also participate in challenges on the platform. This gives them the opportunity to reach an even broader audience while still bringing their own personality and style to the challenges.
Viral videos (videos that get really popular) are shown on each user’s “for you” page. This page is what shows up when you open the app and uses TikTok’s algorithm to show you content similar to the content you’ve watched and engaged with in the past. It’s likely you’ll find that your “for you” page is filled with people very similar to you.
Having said that, it’s important to mention that TikTok, like Youtube, has a bit of a diversity problem. Not that the users of the platform aren’t diverse—they are. But, Black creators have pointed out that their content has largely been left out of the “for you” pages, even for other Black creators with similar niches.
TikTok has pledged to take steps to ensure that this gets remedied, but in the meantime, how do you find Black TikTok influencers who are creating the content you want to see?
In this article, we’re showcasing 5 Black TikTok influencers across niches like comedy, music and dance, fashion and beauty, food, and fitness.
Black TikTok influencers are well-represented across multiple niches on the platform. And, what’s really fantastic about TikTok’s algorithm is that the more you follow Black TikTok influencers and like the content they create, the more they’ll show up on your “for you” page. This makes them a lot easier to find. Here are our picks for the top Black TikTok influencers you need to go follow right now.
The hashtag “BlackTikTokStrike” has been viewed more than two million times on TikTok. Source: Amna Ijaz
The Conservatives winning Hartlepool, which Labour had held since 1974, made it look like the modern-day Labour party was not fit for purpose. So when the Batley and Spen By-Election came around 23rd of May 2021, embattled Labour leader Keir Starmer’s head was on the chopping block. Killed Labour MP, Jo Cox’s sister, Kim Leadbeater won by a miserly 323 votes and did little to abate the critics. It didn’t help that former PM, Tony Blair, has been weighing into the discussion, declaring “Labour could cease to exist” as commentators have been touting a “de Gaulle-style comeback”.
Keir Starmer’s fortune is Labour’s misfortune: Labour won’t revive simply by changing leadership, while no one is stepping up to take his job. The consensus is squarely he faces a Sisyphean task to both keep progressives happy while appealing to the wider public, especially those stung by the spectre of anti-Semitism.
Starmer was the answer to ‘how to get rid of the last guy’ but not ‘how to get Labour into Power after 16 years’, according to one former Labour adviser. A former public prosecutor and central figurehead supposed to unite a bitterly divided Party.
It is difficult when you lack a strong consensus message. And harder yet when you must contend with one of the World’s best vaccine rollout programmes by your incumbent opposition.
Sir Keir Starmer accused the Government of trying to stoke ‘a culture war’ (House of Commons/PA) / PA Wire
English politics has shifted when wider problems emerge that the current government of the daily struggles to contend with adequately in the public view. 1973’s oil crisis to the 2008 crash has seen changes in our government between Red and Blue. Tony Blair’s 1997 victory was more to do with Tory infighting and the Labour unity behind Blair and ‘Thatcherism continue with a veil of Social Democracy’ (the colloquial Red Tory). But Labour can’t imitate the egalitarian drive of swathes of the country left behind in the 1990s when the Tories are on a spending spree, but they do need to find the unity. Current purges of the Left Wing are entrenching the divisions and harming a united front against the Conservatives.
Labour need a clear message on the economy and culture They are succeeding in focusing on issues that people care about, seeing their mayors elected in town centres like Sadiq Khan in London, Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester and Dan Norris for West of England.
Without a clear agenda, and unified behind any suitable leader, Labour will simply have to wait out until Boris mania passes. The Downing Street flat fiasco and Dominic Cummings’ scathing attacks are merely denting Boris’ armour, but failing to deliver the decisive blow because he is seen to be competent in a time of national crisis.
Starmer isn’t doing a bad job, all things considered, but he needs to wait for the Churchill-esq “wartime” sheen to rub off before his Party can make their move. Remaining relevant after an economic rebound and vaccination programme won’t be easy, but requires biding time and surviving despite the heavy cost.
British Prime Minister’s Right-Hand Man has been on a mission to destroy his former boss. Since being sacked in November he has pursued what appears to be a personal vendetta against his former employers. He has declared our leaders “blind leading the blind”, has released text messages and WhatsApp exchanges of senior Tories during the early stages of the Pandemic and spoken before Select Committees on his work as an adviser while taking the opportunity to be hypercritical of those around him. Cummings has been a disruptive force throughout the Brexit Campaign and later while advising Boris while in power. The decisive shift seems to have been when Boris became a Centrist incumbent politician propping up the established order instead of continuing to dismantle it alongside Cummings.
Track Record
Dominic was a senior aide to Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith and was not afraid to call his boss a “muppet” hopelessly out of his depth. He resigned and publicly ousted the Tory leader as “incompetent”, and needing replacing. He also wasn’t very kind toward the Conservative Party, which he labelled as lacking in “understanding, talent, will and adaptation.”
Likewise, he went after David Cameron, declaring he “bumbled from one shamble to another without the slightest sense of purpose.” Cummings blamed Cameron for dragging his feet on schools reform and a distinct lack of priorities.
Throughout his advisory career, the same theme has emerged: he is hypercritical of a system that is dissuading speaking truth to power. Whitehall for Cummings should be a place where you can prioritise and own up to mistakes, yet in practice lacks the backbone for fear of fierce reprisals.
‘Behind each mask lies another mask’ – Dominic Cummings on Boris Johnson (Reuters)
His recent lambasting of Boris Johnson and Cabinet leaders has been around the sycophantic self-congratulatory aura surrounding a meek Covid response.
Cummings has shed light on the uncomfortable truth that many talented civil servants are stuck in the mud of structural dysfunction, at the beck and call of politicians running around like headless turkeys at Christmas with little rhyme or reason as to what they’re doing as they jump from Secretary of Education to Health and come full circle to Environment.
According to Mr Cummings, where Duncan-Smith was incompetent, Cameron shambolic, Johnson is unethical and below the competence and integrity, Britain deserves, bordering on breaking the law.
Refurbishing his flat by Tory donor directly breached sleaze and stifling inquiries into a suspect who was close friends with his fiancée should be grounds for compromised leadership in normal circumstances. But are we, under war on Covid, turning the other way on the misgivings of a Churchill-esq PM.
Cummings’ Vendetta, then, is nothing new. Just the scope of the assault. We are being drip-fed WhatsApp messages and now emboldening a Whitehall leak of Health Secretary Hancock’s office-based affair. Cummings’ attacks, whether personal slight or his character, are opening doors thought previously closed to the British public and giving a voice to all those Civil Servants squashed under the weight of idle threats and layered bureaucracy.
While it casts a bad light on Whitehall and harms our trust in our political leaders, British people respect transparency above all else. If it leads to better decisions, less waste of taxpayer funds, and breaking the stranglehold of the entrenched establishment elite; more power to him I say.
There were unsettling scenes in the city of Winnipeg, in Canada, as protestors forcibly pulled down two statues – one of Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria – in reaction to the recent discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves of indigenous children,
The grim discovery was made at Marieval Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, where at least 750 unmarked graves were found. Unfortunately, another 215 bodies were found buried in Kamloops Indian Residential School in British Columbia.
The history of these children goes as far back as 1876, as over 150,000 Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families, in order to make them assimilate to Canadian culture and Christianity at a few select Catholic residential schools.
Sue Caribou, a survivor of the ideal, in a report to the Guardian, said that she was snatched from her home at the age of just seven years old. She reports being raped, being called ‘a dog’, physically abused, forced to eat rotten vegetables and forbidden to speak her native language of Cree.
Murray Sinclair, a former member of the Canadian Senate, said that “Canada clearly participated in a period of cultural genocide.”
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “[he] condemned any defacing of statues of the Queen.” A No.10 spokesperson said, “Our thoughts are with Canada’s indigenous community following these tragic discoveries and we follow these issues closely and continue to engage with the Government of Canada with indigenous matters.”
Canadian protestors tear down statues of the Queen. Video credit: ITV News
Rioting Is The Language Of The Unheard
Whilst it’s never acceptable to deface and destroy public property, one would have to possess a heart of stone to not understand and sympathise with the anger that people have.
Many people rightfully feel that it’s about time that Canada deals with its history, especially with such a grim and grisly result.
There is also a growing sentiment amongst sections of society that pulling statues down is a way of protesting against a system that many feel is unjust, and to a certain extent, this is true. Every government has skeletons in its closet.
The late Martin Luther King Jr. said ‘rioting is the language of the unheard, and it is the case that many of these voices were unheard, due to their untimely deaths.
It’s interesting to see protestors tagged statues of Britain’s royal matriarchs, relating to Britain’s role in colonialist attitudes that influenced Canadian culture to target and wipe out Indigenous culture. Similar scenes occurred in the UK, starting last year with the Black Lives Matter protests in London.
Catholic Church in Morinville, Canada suspiciously burned to the ground. Video credit: Edmonton Journal
There have also been reports of protestors targeting churches for arson.
It’s important to ask ourselves – what does pulling down statues actually do? What point does it prove? It’s understandable to demand answers and investigations from governments, but criminal damage and arson is not the way to do things.
This is a time where two things are required to resolve this issue – accountability and reconciliation. The latter requires healing, the willingness to forgive (not forget), and to learn from past sins so as to not do it again.
Respectfully, tearing down statues won’t change history. History is not always a nice thing to look back on. It’s not the utopia we want it to be. Trying to rewrite history by tearing down statues won’t solve anything.
Instead, it will simply cause division between the Indigenous population and Christians who have no part in the atrocities that took place. The last thing we need in this sensitive situation is conflict and tribalism. Cooperation is paramount.
In this major public exhibition, Cephas Williams – artist, photographer, speaker, activist and campaigner – poses a timely and poignant question: ‘What does it mean to be Black, living in the UK?’
Portrait of Black Britain is me taking control of my narrative – asking other Black people to join me in the reintroduction of our presence and stories in the 21st century.’
Cephas Williams
Portrait of Black Britain is a major public exhibition at Manchester Arndale that will profile a range of Black people living in the UK today, the contributions they make and the roles they play in society. Created at a time when candid conversations and dialogue about the Black community are taking a long-overdue centre stage, Portrait of Black Britain centralises Black-led representation on what it means to be Black in the UK right now. It is a reminder of the beauty in identity and diversity, the fact that the Black community is not a monolith. It is a moment to give the spotlight to the community to which this conversation belongs. And it is a powerful and positive affirmation that BlackLivesMatter: not just in news stories about trauma or tragedy, nor just during Black History Month – but every day.
Conceived and created by Cephas Williams, creator of 56 Black Men,Letter to Zion and the Black British Network, Portrait of Black Britain doesn’t focus only on high-profile people and success stories – it captures as many people from as wide a range of society as possible. These are not all faces you’ll recognise, but they are indelible images you won’t forget.
This is the first phase of a project that will ultimately lead to Cephas Williams building the largest collection of photographic portraits of Black British people ever created. We’re thrilled to be bringing it to you this summer.
A bold new work offering a vision of Black achievement in the UK – a journey that starts in Manchester
A community project with vast scope, Portrait of Black Britain makes a difference to everybody. “This is me taking control of my narrative,” says Williams, “and asking other Black people to join me in the re-introduction of our presence and stories in the 21st century. Manchester Arndale, 1-18 July, free, no ticket required
Williams told The Guardian “I aim for this to be the largest portrait series of Black British people ever taken before,” Commissioned by Manchester international festival, the first set of images feature the faces of Manchester residents who responded to Williams’s invitation to take part. “This interest in making Black people visible is not just to see their face, but for us also to hear their voice,” he says. “A lot of our contributions, a lot of achievements, and actually our very existence can sometimes go unnoticed”.
Driving all Williams’s ambitious, large-scale projects is a sense of real urgency. In 2018, Williams unveiled 56 Black Men: billboard-sized portraits of accomplished Black men, all wearing black hoodies. In the words of David Lammy MP, one of Williams’s subjects, it seeks “to liberate Black men from invisibility”. The murder of George Floyd in 2020 galvanised Williams further – he heard the news when he was expecting the birth of his son, shattering his hopes that his baby might be born into a world in which a Black man could walk down the street without fear. Subsequently, he published Letter to Zion for his son, outlining his vision for global dialogue, representation and equality. The same year, he developed the Black British Network, a platform for tangible change, which has drawn support from such industry giants as Sony, Clear Channel and Sainsbury’s.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and new Health Secretary Sajid Javid will hold a press conference this afternoon to announce plans for 19 July
Boris Johnson will confirm his plans to “restore people’s freedoms” with an update on restrictions later today.
The Prime Minister will lay out the details for England’s final step out of lockdown, currently scheduled to take on effect on 19 July.
He is expected to announce that the one-metre social distancing rule and the legal requirement to wear a face mask will be scrapped.
He is also expected to reveal the next steps for care home visits and provide an update on the formal advice to work from home wherever possible.
While coronavirus cases are soaring across the country, the vaccination roll-out has significantly reduced the number of people suffering from serious illness or dying from the disease.
This #ThankYouDay we give thanks to all those who have gone above and beyond to help others throughout the pandemic. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/WsrHcb3W65
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) July 4, 2021
The fourth and final stage of the government’s roadmap out lockdown in England was delayed last month to no earlier than 19 July.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are in charge of their own coronavirus rules, and the Scottish government has suggested it may retain some basic measures, including wearing masks, at its next review in August.
The chairman of the British Medical Association, Dr Chaand Nagpaul said it “makes no sense” to stop wearing face coverings in enclosed public spaces amid a rising number of cases of the Delta variant.
Will Mas Wearing Continue?
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “We know that face masks are proven to reduce spread of this infection” and “can’t understand why – at a time where there are ‘exceptional high levels of cases’ – we would “knowingly want people to become infected”.
In comments released by Downing Street before the prime minister gives his update at 17:00 BST, Mr Johnson said he “must stress that the pandemic is not over and that cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks”.
But praising the successful vaccine rollout, he said he would “set out how we can restore people’s freedoms”.
Downing Street said step four would go ahead in two weeks time only if the government’s “four tests” for easing curbs had been met.
The verdict on those tests – on the jab rollout, vaccine effectiveness, hospital admissions, and new virus variants – would only be confirmed on 12 July following a review of the latest data, No 10 said.
The findings of reviews on the use of Covid certification – or vaccine passports – and on social-distancing measures are also due to be announced by Mr Johnson.
What Time Is The announcement?
Prior to this, Mr Javid will update MPs in the Commons at 3:30pm (or later, depending on the parliamentary diary).
They are expected to call for more eligible adults to go for their second vaccine dose before 19 July, to ensure they have the highest protection possible.
Mr Johnson said: “Thanks to the successful rollout of our vaccination programme, we are progressing cautiously through our roadmap.
“Today we will set out how we can restore people’s freedoms when we reach step 4.
“But I must stress that the pandemic is not over and that cases will continue to rise over the coming weeks.
“As we begin to learn to live with this virus, we must all continue to carefully manage the risks from Covid and exercise judgement when going about our lives.”
The concept of ‘white privilege’ has always been controversial, and in some cases, a highly divisive – topic. It presupposes the idea that Caucasians automatically have an easier life due to their skin colour, meaning they have access to more resources and are less likely to be discriminated against on the basis of skin colour.
Many ethnic minorities believe this to be the case and point to historical cases of racism that affect many of their communities to this very day.
However many argue against the concept of white privilege, believing it to be a divisive and counterproductive narrative that will alienate entire sections of society.
An example of this is a recent study by the UK’s Department of Education (DoE), which found that, as of June 2021, the most at-risk and neglected class of pupils are white working-class boys.
In 2018/19, just 53% of free school meals (FSM)-eligible White British pupils met the expected standard of development at the end of the early year’s foundation stage, one of the lowest percentages for any disadvantaged ethnic group.
MPs aren’t convinced that white privilege isn’t the issue. Video credit: Sky News
In 2019 just 17.7% of FSM-eligible White British pupils achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths, compared with 22.5% of all FSM-eligible pupils. This means that around 39,000 children in the group did not achieve two strong passes.
The proportion of White British pupils who were FSM-eligible starting higher education by the age of 19 in 2018/19 was 16%, the lowest of any ethnic group other than traveller of Irish heritage and Gypsy/Roma.
Some of the statistics of this demographic make for grim and depressing reading. Due to the fact that white Brits are the ethnic majority of the UK, the fact that some are underperforming and falling behind ethnic minority groups is staggering.
Many feel it’s more of a class issue than a race issue, as many of the factors that contribute to this findings show a clear distinction between white working class pupils and white pupils as a whole.
“If you’re a working-class child, you’re starting the race halfway around the track behind the middle-class child”
This is a controversial issue to tackle. Whilst it’s undeniable that racism does and always will exist, it seems like it’s the most simplified and popular answer to societal problems. There is an increasingly hostile culture war that was imported from the United States, manifesting itself in the form of identity politics.
The concept of ‘white privilege’ in itself is subjective and depends on who you ask. The term ‘white privilege’, to some ethnic minorities (especially black people) means that white people will never have to suffer due to the colour of their skin. To some white people, it’s simply a tool in the arsenal of identity politics to blame them for all societal problems.
It’s a nuanced issue. However, it’s easy to get carried away by the racial politics of this. Society should take care to not distract itself from the problem that is the forgotten white working class.
BBC finds middle-class people still get better jobs than working-class people.
What happened to them? What factors contributed to their underperformance and downfall? What factors have to be taken into consideration to explain this?
Perhaps attitudes towards education? Many working-class people believe that the educational system does not give their kids a fair enough chance to succeed, and it’s hard to argue against this.
The lack of investment in working-class children is also a factor to consider. It’s important to understand that schooling alone is not enough to become an all-around candidate for entry into high-ranked universities or to compete for certain jobs.
Extra-curricular activities must be done outside the school environment, many of which cost money which working-class parents simply cannot afford a lot of the time.
In an article with the Guardian, Diane Reay, who is a professor at Cambridge University and grew up on a council estate, said, “If you’re a working-class child, you’re starting the race halfway around the track behind the middle-class child. Middle-class parents do a lot via extra resources and activities.”
Sky News interviews Dr. Lisa McKenzie about class wars. Video credit: Sky News
There are also pre-conceived ideas about the working class from middle to upper-class elites. Many of them tend to look down upon people who are from a different class to them. Even accents and mannerisms of those from certain backgrounds paint a stereotypical picture in the mind of an employer.
It’s as if they treat education in itself as a religion, and those who do not value it as much are enemies of the state.
The idea of looking down on working-class people is not a new phenomenon and permeates itself in other parts of society. There is a snobbish, elitist attitude that exists in higher echelons of society, akin to philosophies of the need for caste systems, prevalent in other countries.
There is certainly a need for diversity in the workplace, but in modern Britain, that rhetoric only seems to apply to the categories of race, gender identity and sexuality.
Dr. Sam Baars discusses the forgotten white working class. Video credit: The Centre for Education and Youth
BAME and LGBT people both have lobbies and political pull that white working-class people simply do not have. It is worse to be seen as racist and/or homophobic than classist. Therefore, it is obvious why the white working class have been forgotten.
With BAME people having more social capital than they’re willing to admit, combined with preconceived attitudes towards them, backgrounds of disadvantage and a failure to address low participation in higher education, the white working-class has no cards left to play. The odds are stacked against them.
Critical Race Theory (CRT) is a hot-button issue in both the USA and U.K. classrooms. Many educational institutions across both countries are starting to ban schools from teaching critical race theory altogether. A total of 23 states in the U.S. have either restricted or proposed legislation restricting the subject being taught. The U.K. Parliament spoke out against teaching CRT in schools and even went as far as stating any teachers who teach this subject are in breach of the law. While there is extreme pushback against teaching CRT in schools, much of it is grounded in a misunderstanding of what critical race theory is.
What is Critical Race Theory?
Illustration from M. Scott Byers on critical race theory
Critics often believe that it targets white people in a very negative way. However, that is not the case at all. Simply put, CRT is the loosely organized framework of legal analysis based on the premise race is a social construct used to oppress and exploit people of colour. Critical race theorists hold the belief that the legal institutions and laws in western countries are ultimately racist. CRT states social institutions (I.e., the criminal justice system, education system, labour market, housing market, and healthcare system) are embedded with racism in their laws, regulation, rules, and procedures. These laws maintain the social, economic, and political inequalities between white people and people of colour, especially Black Americans, as they uphold white privilege and thus must be dismantled and revised to promote equality.
Why All The Opposition?
Gov. Ron DeSantis hopes to restrict critical race theory calling it “toxic”.
States such as Idaho, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Iowa, and New Hampshire have passed legislation that bans teaching CRT. The majority of the legislations restrict the discussion, training, and orientation that the U.S. is racist and any discussions about conscious and unconscious bias, privilege, oppression, and discrimination. The ban can extend to other areas such as gender and sexuality as well. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has spoken out against critical race theory stating CRT teaches children that the country is rotten and the nation’s institutions are illegitimate. He further believes that this theory is toxic and would have a negative influence on children. Other advocates for the CRT bans state critical race theory can become divisive and can be demoralizing for white children.
The Real Issue With the Ban is Racism
Baning CRT in schools creates a lack of knowledge for young people all over the country
States banning critical race theory because of its harsh rhetoric is not the issue. No, what they are afraid of is the truth. Critical race theory calls out institutions for what they are: racist—picking and choosing how the law can work for one group of people while oppressing another. The same intuitions that held people of colour down, especially Black Americans and Brits centuries ago, hold down people of colour today. It is not okay to halfway tell a country’s complete history. Racism is more than just slavery and the Civil Rights Movement.
If the government takes away CRT, it does a disservice to the education in these countries and aids the blatant racism already there. Talking about racism does not promote racism. It is essential, to be honest about the past of one’s country to progress and make a change for the future. Taking away CRT does not just affect the discussion of racism, but it will go further to ban debates on gender inequality, sex, and LGBTQ+ identity. A teacher should not be fined 5,000 plus dollars for teaching about racism, gender, and sexual inequality, especially when those issues played a pinnacle role in the history of the U.S. and U.K. Regardless of how one may feel about the ban, CRT forces teachers to have honest discussions on historical content that affected both countries equally and still affect the social construct today.
In the run-up to COP26, what 3 actions can the UK take to tackle the climate problem?
The UK’s Climate Change Committee recently released a report stating the UK is not doing enough to meet its requirements to cut carbon emissions and tackle the growing problem of global warming. Chris Stark, the CEO of the Climate Change Committee, expressed deep concern at the UK’s lack of willingness to drive climate targets; “So very little has been done so far to deliver on them – the targets won’t be achieved by magic. Afterall, the UK government has made genuinely historic commitments to slash emissions, setting a target of a reduction of 78% by 2030 (from 1990 levels). It would be a shame and a missed opportunity if we fail to hit those targets”. Mr Stark isn’t the only authority figure in expressing a sincere tone on an incredibly relevant topic. Lord Deben, Chairman of the Climate Change Committee expressed similar sentiments, in asserting “the delivery just hasn’t been there”, referring to a lackluster willpower in areas of policy which have traditionally proven difficult to navigate, for example, consumer diet changes and demands for flights/holidays, areas which are becoming increasingly complex given corporate pressure from the sugar industry in post-brexit trade deals with the US, and high demands for holidays following COVID.
The concern from the Climate Committee is doubled by intense criticism from cross-party MPs on the hollowness and ineffectiveness of government policies, and a shameful hesitancy given the strong commitment made by the government during the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. Notably, the UK’s climate effort has repeatedly been scrutinised for its’ promoting of “quick fix solutions”, which in the short and long term, have been proven to harm biodiversity and are therefore in-fact counterproductive to the UK’s mission of achieving the targets.
The British government must develop a sense of deep conviction and commitment if it is to craft effective policies of a more holistic nature. Doing otherwise and continuing on the path of complacency risks jeopardising the UK’s position at the UN COP26 environmental and climate change summit in November of this year. A holistic approach requires a meticulously thought-through strategy to combat climate change and greenhouse gases over the short and long term.
Climate change activists listen to speeches at their encampment blocking the road junction at Oxford Circus back in 2019 (AFP)
The UK can take steps in 3 areas, namely insulation efforts in residential and commercial sectors, electric technology charging and smart tree planning strategies. Firstly the government ought to re-introduce the recently scrapped Green Homes Grant Insulation Scheme, effectively subsidising installation for improvements in energy efficiency, including schemes such as wall insulation and solar panels, for homeowners and private landlords. The re-introduction necessitates a resolving of the futile components of the scheme which significantly reduced its effectiveness in tackling the climate crisis, leading to its scraping earlier this year. This includes tackling the unnecessary hurdles faced by businesses and households, including excessive red-tape and therefore significant time-lags, and the difficulty in accessing the scheme for households.
The UK should also increase the availability of charging facilities for electric vehicles. Ease of access to free charging stations incentivises increased purchasing of electric cars, leading to consumer and environmental benefit; cost-savings on petrol and reduction in harmful petro-chemical pollutants and the demand for petrol and diesel falls. The electric car market has seen significantly increased demand year on year since 2012 and presents a plethora of opportunities for combatting greenhouse emissions.
Thirdly, the UK could also explore a smart tree-planning strategy, a frankly common sense strategy proposed by Professor Camille Parmesan at Plymouth University. Such strategies entail planting a diverse set of seeds that are native to the respective land and region, instead of a homogenous one-seed strategy which doesn’t take the regional biodiversity into account, and thereby increases the chance of failure as issues spread faster in a forest of one breed.
The combination of holistic environmentally-conscious solutions and the political willingness to ensure effective accessibility to solutions is vital to ensuring the UK remains in a favourable position in reaching the 2030 targets.
In honour of what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday, we sat down with Tessy Ojo, the CEO of the Diana Award. The Diana Award honours young people who work to improve the lives of others and provides mentorships to young people as well as resources to help mental health and fight bullying. In this conversation, we spoke about Princess Diana legacy, how Harry and William work together and how women, especially women of colour can navigate institutions that are not designed with them in mind.
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The Bank of England has circulated new £50 banknotes featuring Alan Turing.
New £50 notes memorializing groundbreaking British computer scientist and World War II hero Alan Turing went into circulation on Wednesday, the date of what would have been his 109th birthday. Turing is widely known as the “father of computer science and artificial intelligence” and is the first gay man to be featured on a British banknote.
This news has been welcomed by those part of the LGBTQ+ community and those who have celebrated his work.
Today would have been Alan Turing’s 109th birthday.
Whilst we celebrate his fantastic achievements, we must never forget that he was forced to undergo chemical castration in an attempt to erase his sexuality
Sarah John, who is the Bank of England’s chief cashier, said to NBC News that she was delighted that he was able to feature on their new £50 banknote and how “he was a brilliant scientist whose thinking still shapes our lives today.”
The design of the £50 note with Alan Turing
Who is Alan Turing?
The English mathematical, computer scientist, logician, cryptanalyst, philosopher and theoretical biologist was born on 23rd June 1912 in Maida Vale, London. In 1934 he graduated from the University of Cambridge, and two years later, he produced “On Computable Numbers” at the age of 24. The paper is seen to be one of the most famous theoretical papers in the history of computing. After he wrote this paper, Turing joined the British government’s wartime operation at the start of World War Two.
During his time in government, he designed a code-breaking machine known as “Bombe” or the Enigma machine. This machine transferred valuable military intelligence to the Allied Forces and processed coded messages, which help shortened World War Two and saved lives. Professor Jack Copeland estimated that the Enigma machine shorted the war in Europe by more than two years and saved over 14 million lives. By the end of the war, Turing was made an Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, an honour given by the royal family to those who have contributed to sciences, arts and public service.
“What we really don’t realize is how this moment and Turing’s vision changed the entire world. Before this, literally nobody in the world had imagined that a single machine could apply countless strings of abstract symbols. Now we know them as programs,”
David Leslie of the Alan Turing Institute.
He was also part of developing the earlier versions of computers, the first being at the National Physical Laboratory and then at the University of Manchester. Turing wrote a paper on the chemical basis of morphogenesis, which is the biological process that causes a cell, tissue or organism to develop its shape and predict oscillating chemical reactions.
The Enigma Machine in action
Yet, despite his achievements during his career, he was never fully recognised for his work.
During the 1950s, thousands of gay men and those suspected of being gay were imprisoned as it was a criminal offence to be gay or have same-sex relations. In 1952, Turing was prosecuted for indecency over his relationship with a man and was offered the choice to either be imprisoned or be chemically castrated. He chose to take a hormonal treatment that suppressed his libido. Due to his criminal record, he couldn’t work for governmental intelligence, and he was disgraced and disenfranchised.
On 8th June 1954, he died of suicide after taking cyanide at the age of 41.
“I’m delighted that Alan Turing features on our new £50 banknote. He was a brilliant scientist whose thinking still shapes our lives today. However, his many contributions to society were still not enough to spare him the appalling treatment to which he was subjected simply because he was gay. By placing him on this new £50, we are celebrating his life and his achievements, of which we should all be very proud.”
Sarah John, Bank of England’s chief cashier
Importance of Turing’s £50 Note
Turing’s appearance on the £50 note is a massive milestone for the LGBTQ+ community and those fighting for his legacy to be recognised. The Bank of England’s decision is a way to reverse the once disgraced individual into a widely celebrated person. Over the last few years, Turing’s legacy and achievements have started to be fully recognised. In 2009, Gordon Brown publicly apologised for Turing’s “utterly unfair” treatment, and four years later, the Queen granted the wartime hero a royal pardon.
The Imitation Game, film based on Alan Turing biography written by Andrew Hodges.
The Imitation Game was released in 2014, based on a biography of Alan Turing and his achievements, which Andrew Hodges wrote in 1983. Many buildings have also been named after Turing’s name, including the computer room at King’s College, Cambridge, a computer laboratory at the University of Washington and a lecture room at the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia. The Bank of England’s decision to include Turing on their £50 note adds to these steps in fully recognising what Turing brought to this country and why he should be widely celebrated rather than condemned for who he is.
This may not be the last time we hear Turing being recognised in some form of way, as the mathematician once said that “this is only a foretaste of what is to come, and only the shadow of what is going to be.”
The United States and Russia have a unique history. From the Cold War to election interferences, Russia and the U.S. have had their ups and downs. One of President Joe Biden’s main goals is to be the complete opposite of his predecessor Trump when it comes to Russia. Although Trump and Putin had a peculiar relationship, Biden wanted to go into the office with a tougher stance on Russia. During the June 16th Summit, the two presidents came together for a meeting. The hardball expectations one was expecting from Biden is not what transpired during this Summit meeting and probably never will.
A Rocky Relationship
British Prime minister Winston Churchill (left), President Franklin D. Roosevelt and USSR Secretary General of the Soviet Communist Party Joseph Stalin pose at the start of the Conference of the Allied powers in Yalta, Crimea, on Feb. 4, 1945 at the end of World War II. STF / AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES
When times were good, U.S. and Russia, at best, were competitors; they never were genuinely harmonious. Today, tensions between the U.S. and Russia seem to be more turbulent than it has ever been. Russia’s interference in the 2016 and 2020 elections made the ties between the two nuclear powerhouses more toxic in a way that it has not been since the 1960s. The annexation of Crimea and the launch of war with southeastern Ukraine do not ease the two countries’ tensions. Donald Trump came into office determined to improve the relationship with Russia; however, the U.S. Congress has imposed rafts of sanctions and expelled diplomats. Despite Trump’s goals to make amends, it just has been an unspoken rift between the two countries.
President Joe Biden and President Vladmir Putin meet for a 3 hour long summit.
President Biden’s main goal during the summit with President Vladimir Putin was to raise human rights issues, cyberattacks against the U.S., and other problems ailing the two countries. For Biden, this was an early test of his diplomatic skills in one of the highest-stakes talks of his career. The Biden Administration wanted to appear tough but civil. As the new President of the United States, Biden had an obligation to establish his footing with Putin. Likewise, Putin needed to gather a feel for Biden.
Did the Meeting Accomplish Anything?
President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrive to meet at the ‘Villa la Grange’, Wednesday, June 16, 2021, in Geneva, Switzerland. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
The accomplishment of the meeting might have two different views from two other countries. Putin is a dictator. He loves events that put him on equal footing with democratic leaders. Having a chance to sit one-on-one with the United States President is a sacred prize, especially when Biden proposed the meeting. Putin sought respect from the West. When President Biden described Russia as a “great power” and not a “regional power,” as former President Barack Obama once said, it gave Russia some legitimacy.
For America, it seems to be a little mixed on what the summit accomplished. Joe Biden claimed he did what he came to do, which was to get a personal face-to-face vibe of Putin. If you were looking for an all-out brawl between Putin and Biden, you went to the wrong summit. All that happened was showmanship of diplomacy, which is a fancy term for postering. There is not going to be a screaming match between these two men. Biden was not going to Twitter to call Putin out for his inhumane actions. It was a simple diplomatic talk that did not create much difference or stir Putin either way. Putin still denied Russia’s involvement in cybercrimes. He does not believe Russia violated any human rights laws. He felt that Russia was well within its right to start a war with Ukraine. Although both men explained the summit went positively, there have not been any changes that have emerged from this meeting. It is more than likely there will not be any in the future either. If this meeting is any indication of how future meetings will be with Putin, then it is safe to say a Cold War is unlikely to happen.
The aviation industry on Monday demanded that Britain removes COVID testing and isolation requirements for fully vaccinated travellers from most countries, a step already being taken in the European Union to help tourism recover.
Airlines UK said in a letter to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps that fully vaccinated travellers from “amber” destinations should be exempt from the 10-day isolation requirement, while those coming from both “amber” and “green” countries should not need to have expensive PCR tests.
“Given the incredible efficacy of vaccines and their critical role in easing domestic restrictions, we believe that the framework can safely be adjusted to provide a pathway for vaccinated people to travel without restriction, alongside steps to reduce restrictions for green and amber categories, making them more proportionate for travellers,” the group said.
An aircraft takes off at Heathrow Airport amid the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in London, Britain, February 4, 2021. REUTERS/Toby Melville/File Photo
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that travellers would face hassle and delays this year if they sought to go abroad because the priority would be keeping the country safe from the coronavirus.
Data confirming that vaccines are more than 90% effective against hospitalisation from the fast-growing Delta variation should be considered when measures that apply to each tier of Britain’s traffic light system for travel are reviewed on June 28, it said.
“This effectiveness has been recognised by Europe, which is now opening its travel and leisure markets by introducing waivers from testing and isolation requirements for fully vaccinated persons, including arrivals from major markets such as the United States,” it said.
“Today 32 countries exempt travellers from quarantine and 27 from testing if fully vaccinated. The failure to adopt a similar approach risks the UK falling further behind the EU’s reopening of international travel, including the critical trans-Atlantic market.”
It would be easier for the UK government to simply be up front and confess their intention of turning the nation into an apartheid-by-class society, than to insult the citizen’s collective intelligence by maintaining the illusion that it is anything otherwise.
One could argue that it is unfair for those who are double-jabbed to still be subject to the same restrictions as those who haven’t been, but even then it presupposes the notion that a person’s life chances or civil liberties should depend almost entirely on vaccination status.
It’s less concerning about travel restrictions when it involves international travel. Countries have the right to operate and maintain sovereign borders, and to decide who can and cannot enter the country based on their own criteria.
There is only so much the average citizen can do in this situation, as they do not have the right to supersede a country’s immigration and/or entry policy.
Former UK Prime Minister Theresa May savages the Government’s travel ban. Video credit: The Telegraph
Domestic passports, however, is a much more concerning and sinister development. To restrict travel in the UK based upon vaccination status is, to be blunt, a step too far.
It’s essentially health fascism, and would create a class system where the vaccinated would be treated better than the unvaccinated.
It is to suggest that to have the vaccine makes a person morally superior to another, and therefore inherently more deserving of the best of what society has to offer than an unvaccinated person.
There are many reasons why people choose not to be vaccinated (lack of trust, religious, etc), and so to deny them access to wider society is to deny members of certain communities of it.
It’s not helped by the fact that the government can – and has – made exemptions for people who it deems to be ‘more important’. Currently, when an individual returns from a ‘red’ country, they have to self-isolate for ten days.
However, the UK government has allowed 2,500 members from UEFA, who are travelling from ‘red’ countries, to enter the country and deal with Euro 2020 business matches, without having to quarantine.
'It doesn't mean theatres, or cinemas, or nightclubs, or weddings are exempt.'
Maajid Nawaz reflects on the decision to allow 2,500 UEFA VIPs to travel to the Euro 2020 Wembley final quarantine free.@MaajidNawazpic.twitter.com/TsMOyy4wwK
LBC’s Maajid Naawaz questions the government’s decision to exempt UEFA VIPs from quarantining for ten days.
At the G7 summit, there was an infamous photograph of world leaders having a barbecue, without any social distancing or masks.
If the government can make exceptions for themselves, and UEFA officials (for watching a game of football of all things), then why can’t it apply the same logic for those who choose not to be vaccinated? There should be no circumstance that should take precedence over the right to exercise bodily autonomy.
It’s clear the government can be selective and discriminate when it wants to. It would be wise for them to not to do so against their own citizens. Travel restrictions should be eased.
In life, there’s an incentive for everything. If you don’t study hard in school, you don’t pass your exams. If you don’t eat your vegetables, you won’t get all the vitamins you need to stay healthy. Exactly the same approach is in play with the removal of restrictions for those unselfish, pragmatic individuals who have had both of their jabs and are looking to safely transition back into society.
The removal of travel restrictions only for Britons who have had both jabs is the only way to control the deaths, the spread, and the mutations that the COVID-19 virus is undergoing. It makes absolute sense. When the stakes are as high as multiple countries returning to lockdown, growing numbers of COVID cases, and variants that our current vaccines can no longer work against, there is no option other than to be strict. While in a global pandemic, no one should be considering it their universal right to travel and potentially spread this dreadful disease to other communities, while so many are suffering and dying from it.
It’s yet another example of the first world’s lack of consideration for those in poorer countries with a less developed infrastructure. If they want a holiday, that’s what they get – with no consideration at all for those in countries where widespread vaccination isn’t even an option. When people refuse to follow the dictations of common sense, they miss out on opportunities. It’s simply a natural occurrence.
In a country where the vaccine is widely available, to provide vaccine passports to those who have been vaccinated to ensure their smooth travel abroad is hardly health fascism. It could be argued that to refuse the vaccine in a country where you are receiving it for free, administered by hard working volunteers, translates essentially as a death wish, and wilful neglect towards others.
We also need to remember is that the UK government had had no choice but to operate like a business in many situations during the pandemic. I have no desire to defend the government, but when dealing with something as unprecedented as a global pandemic and with millions of people under your jurisdiction, it’s incredibly difficult to make the right decisions that will protect everyone while also preserving the economy. The government’s decision to allow 2,500 members from UEFA, who are travelling from ‘red’ countries, to enter the country and deal with Euro 2020 business matches without quarantine was likely undertaken because there was no other option available in order for the event to proceed.
With rigorous testing, it’s possible to conduct a business event safely during the pandemic, without the need for masks or strict social distancing in a well ventilated area. During the G7 Summit in Cornwall this month, attendees and the media logged their test results on a unique platform, with no admittance possible to venues if they did not. Therefore, it was completely safe for them to enjoy a barbecue, as everyone present had tested negative for COVID that same day.
There may be those amongst us whose egos are large enough that they believe themselves to be invincible against all present and future variants of the COVID-19 virus. Thankfully, there aren’t that many people in our society with such a twisted perception of reality. Those that are taking action to protect themselves and others deserve a passport that will guarantee them the freedom they deserve, after a year and a half of waiting for the jab that would guarantee the return of their former lives.
GB News was launched on 13th June at 8 pm and has been in the headlines ever since its launch.
Andrew Neil, who is the chairman of the channel, delivered the channel’s opening statement by saying that “we are proud to be British- the clue is in the name” and that GB News would have “passionate presenters with strong, heartfelt personalities and a flair and sense of humour.” On its opening night, GB News peaked at 336,000 viewers, and it had outperformed the 100,000 who watched BBC News in the hour and the 46,000 who watched Sky News. The channel has kept its high ratings ever since it has gone live, with GB news providing a mix of news, analysis, opinion and debate.
Some people have described GB News as right-leaning and similar to Fox News in the United States.
But it hasn’t been the smoothest two weeks for GB News as it has experienced lots of technical issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fQGsiZB4dQ
Neil Oliver was one of the many people on the show that had experienced problems with their microphones. Trolling has also occurred from viewers, which provoked a reaction from Simon McCoy, who said to the pranksters to “grow up.” In addition, Ikea, Kopparberg and other companies have pulled out their promotions on the channel and have suggested that GB News doesn’t align with their values. This boycott sparked a response from Neil as he delivered a monologue regarding advertisers pulling out of the channel.
GB News received complaints from Ofcom after Dan Wootton’s comments over the then-rumoured delay to England’s lockdown easing. He said that “it’s clear now that there is a move among some public health officials and politicians to create an ultra-cautious biosecurity state, copying the likes of China.” Wootton’s comments received 373 complaints from the broadcasting regulator.
Despite some issues arising on the channel, some people believe that the channel could become a success.
Nigel Farage wrote a comment piece for the Telegraph saying that “GB News will not shy away from the uncomfortable conversations Britain needs to be having.”
Stewart Lee wrote for the Guardian suggesting that it would be “dangerous for sneering woke liberals like me to write GB News off.”
But what is important is to understand what our journalists at Common Sense think about GB News and if the channel has been a success or a flop since its arrival.
GB News will fail miserably
Since its launch, GB News has got everyone’s attention, but not for the right reasons. Advertisers have pulled out, presenters have been unable to read off monitors, and the channel has experienced technical issues. GB News is a laughingstock, and it is most evident by Gbeebies and GBNewsFails trending on Twitter. Sixty million pounds was funded for this channel, yet those behind GB news cannot make the studios look appealing or double-check the spelling of a headline.
GB News may have had a large following on its opening night, but this will soon cease to exist once the hype around this channel dies down. People are tuning in to this channel to see the comical mistakes that the channel is making rather than actual journalism. And once the comedic value becomes repetitive, the general public will switch off and find a news channel that speaks about stories that matter. Already GB news is jumping on the culture war wagon with its “Woke Watch” segment, and this will probably alienate a lot of the general public that wants to hear why their living standards have gone down and why they can’t buy a house.
One of the biggest ironies of this channel is that it claims to be anti-establishment, whilst Andrew Neill, who is part of the same establishment, is presenting. If you claim to be anti-establishment, find someone who hasn’t worked for the BBC for 25 years! Once people realise what GB News stands for, which is more established media and another ordinary right-wing media outlet, the platform will fail miserably.
Independent and grassroots media are the ones that actively go against the establishment, present stories that matter and aim to please the people like ourselves at Common Sense.
Meanwhile, GB news does the opposite, consolidates the status quo and presents stories that please the elites.
Those determined to undermine the success of GB News have cemented its place in the media landscape
It is probably fair to say that GB News, the UK’s new conservative TV channel, has launched to a somewhat mixed reception. Ask frontman Andrew Neil, and he may say the launch has been a great success but others swear by a visceral hatred that they will end the network. Last Sunday, an average of about 300,000 people, perhaps intrigued by the pre-launch fuss, watched the introductory programme he hosted. By Monday the audience for his 8pm show had halved, but that was still more than the 140,000 watching Sky News and BBC News.
Asked on Twitter how his primetime slot on the new GB News channel was going, he replied: “Well last night at 8pm my show out-rated Sky News and BBC News Channel combined. Next question.”The Telegraph derided the content as “unutterably awful; boring, repetitive and cheapskate”. Others criticised its claims of being “anti-woke” and unbiased as simply bias in another direction.
Meanwhile, a dedicated selection of trolls started texting in as “Mike Hunt”, “Mike Oxlong” and “Cleo Torez” (read a loud). In what was dubbed by Times Radio presenter Stig Abell as an excellent rendition of a “supply school teacher”, Simon McCoy told the pranksters to “grow up” and warned “I’m watching you”.
The launch also prompted the creation of a Twitter account, GBNews Fails, dedicated to the blunders. It amassed over 40,000 followers only two days after starting but has since been deactivated. That’s tens of thousands of people watching an on-air blooper reel, but watching GB News all the same.
It is clear to see that many have dedicated themselves to facilitating the failure of GB News. This group is loud but is not very many in number. In fact, those determined to undermine the success of GB News have cemented its place in the media landscape. In an attention economy, their focus on GB news, albeit for nefarious reasons still logs as a view and ensures the future success of this project
