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India becomes the biggest country in the world. The West must wake up

Georgia Gilholy
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India becomes the biggest country in the world. The West must wake up

India has overtaken China in population, but its global ties remain complex

Last month the United Nations made a long-anticipated announcement: that India had become the most populous country on the planet. The state had finally beat China for the top spot for the first time since the global forum’s records began in 1950.

As India seems poised to reap this major demographic dividend, there remain huge questions and complexities influencing the US-India relationship as we tip-toe toward an uncertain global future, and the 2024 presidential race looms.

Does the West take India seriously enough?

The fact that it took the Biden administration two and a half years to appoint a new US ambassador to India already speaks to the unserious approach of the White House toward this key relationship.

Open criticisms of New Delhi have emerged afresh in the Biden era. The independent but influential government advisory body United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has clubbed India in the same category as North Korea, China and Saudi Arabia. This seems an odd choice given that India is a multicultural democracy, while the latter states are regimes which legally enshrine persecution, and in China’s case, is currently committing genocide against Turkic Muslims.

(Credit: Unsplash)

India’s religious dynamic is complex. Take the example of March’s state elections in which the Hindu nationalist BJP which currently oversees the central government swept to victory in 3 Christian-majority states in North East India. Quota systems and affirmative action programs of varying success are also in place to try to help historic minorities up and down the country, but tensions remain in some areas.

Given its prime geographic location and ample economic and military prospects, good ties with India will be indispensable if the US intends to seriously execute any long-term bulwark against China in the Indo-Pacific. Already India has been a leading player in efforts to rouse support against Beijing from non-western and developing nations.

The Soros Effect?

Still, the hesitance on the part of many Indian actors cannot be underestimated. Hindu nationalists have complained that US-based groups backed by Pakistan are attempting to impose sanctions on India, alongside grumblings-some justified, some less so- about progressive US lobbying groups such as the Open Society Foundation (OSF), headed by Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros funding NGOs and institutions in India which New Delhi finds disruptive.

The Charles Léopold Meyer Foundation for the Progress of Humankind (FPH) is an NGO funded by the OSF network. The FPH reportedly has links to Indian individuals and NGOs that work towards fulfilling OSF’s interests in India, which are firmly planted against the current leadership.

Salil Shetty, Vice President of OSF and former Chief Executive of ActionAid, and Harsh Mander, former IAS officer and Action Aid (India) country director, have been identified as key Indian foot soldiers of OSF. To the chagrin of some, such actors have been involved in protests and activism in India, and Mander has been investigated over money laundering allegations and claims he indicted violence during the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Many Indian pundits are far from pleased at the presence of American-linked activism in their backyard, whether or not it is linked to Washington’s elected leaders.

(Credit: Unsplash)

Does culture clash?

As former British colonies and multicultural democracies, India and the United States have maintained ties since India’s independence in 1948. The two countries share many values, and common challenges such as terrorism and climate change and are certainly keen to work together to address them. However, there has always been a degree of tension and distrust between the two countries. 

By 1700 the Indian Subcontinent was the world’s largest economy, outstripping Qing China, and who can say whether it could reach these zeniths again? However India’s emerging power takes shape, it will remain strategically important to the US, especially regarding its plans to push back against Beijing.

Critiquing America’s rivals in the occasional op-ed or post-dinner talk is not going to cut it. US voters and pundits would do well to keep their eye on what candidates are proposing to expand or constrain in their ties with India, as well as their high-profile stances on growing tensions with China.

The US may have no choice but to continue its floundering approach to Beijing’s aggression if it does not invest better time and energy into a long-term strategy for its relations with New Delhi, especially given the obvious cultural political divisions between the pair.

Kashmiri terror survivors tell their stories at the UN

Georgia Gilholy
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Kashmiri terror survivors tell their stories at the UN


The United Nations has faced a barrage of criticism since its founding, and rightly so. Too frequently, the organisation panders to despots and dictators, hiding behind its mountain of cash and veneer of civility and cooperation. However last month the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) held a landmark session where survivors of some of the worst crimes were given space to air their thoughts.

At the UNHRC’s 52nd session, a host of Kashmiri voices new to the global stage spoke about their experience of the region at a time of great political change.

Participants included activist and erstwhile regional lawmaker Shuib Lone, social worker Tasleema Akhter and Bushra Mahajabeen, a survivor of a terror attack in which her sister died.

Lone highlighted that 2022 had been among the most peaceful years witnessed in the last three decades. Levels of terror attacks and recruitment have been decreasing in the wake of 2019’s series of constitutional changes and local government reforms.

In August 2019, the Indian-administered section of the Muslim-majority region had its special status revoked.

The status, included in India’s 1949 constitution, had bestowed the disputed province with a major chunk of decentralised autonomy. 


Photograph:(WION Web Team)

Since this major change 4 years ago, the state now operates as two territories intended to be unified with Indian territories, however, Ladakh is separately administered.

The reforms, which followed a wave of Pakistan-sponsored terror attacks, gave constitutional status to local self-governments across Rural & Urban areas and extended laws such as the Right to Education, Maintenance & Welfare of Parents & Senior Citizens Act, 2001, National Commission for Minority Act and acts for benefit of Women, Children, Disabled to the area.

Terrorist attacks also seem to have abated since August 2019, with Indian authorities claiming that the total figure of attacks almost halved from 496 compared to the 843 recorded in the 2 and a half years preceding the overhaul.

The session was also the first ever in which the families of terror casualties offered public testimony. Until a handful of years ago, the intimidation and threats such relatives lived in fear of made such public addresses highly dangerous, a climate that has somewhat stabilised. 

Both Lone and Akhter told the Human Rights Council that hybrid warfare with a global element remains a problem in the region. Lone highlighted that developments in Afghanistan and the Middle East are being used to feed online propaganda designed to radicalise Kashmiris and the South Asian diaspora online, including people in the UK.

Tasleema also discussed the region’s roaring cross-border drug trade. As terrorist networks have encountered increased barriers to instigating unrest in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years they have diverted funds into the drug trade. Young people are particularly vulnerable to this issue, with With 90 per cent of Kashmiri drug users being aged between seventeen and thirty-three years old.

One may hope that future global forums in which the region’s issues are explored through the voices of those on the ground will continue to improve its quality of life.

Transgender athletes ban is proof sport has become politics

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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Transgender athletes ban is proof sport has become politics
  • World Athletics has banned transgender women from competing in the female category at international events
  • The governing body’s president, Lord Coe, said no transgender athlete who went through male puberty will be able to compete in female world ranking competitions from 31st March
  • Lord Coe added the decision was “guided by the overarching principle which is to protect the female category”
  • “Decisions are always difficult when they involve conflicting needs and rights between different groups, but we continue to take the view that we must maintain fairness for female athletes above all other considerations”, he said

Sport has become a political football

It is quite unfortunate that society has reached a stage where fairness and common sense have become symbols of political allegiance.

The decision to exclude transgender women – who are still physically and biologically male – from female competitions should (and will) be celebrated by female-born athletes and those who believe in fairness and sporting integrity.

Many would call this ruling discriminatory against transgender athletes, who see this as an attack on progressive values and a way to exclude transgender people from society at large.

Former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies welcomes the ruling

To these people, this isn’t a ruling based on the interests of fairness and biological reality; this is a ruling based on bigotry, discrimination and anti-trans rhetoric. This is a political battle.

Some would argue that the LGBT community have only themselves to blame, as they are seen to have made biological reality a political battlefield in which organisations and businesses must pick a side on pain of being labelled ‘transphobic’.

It is true that sport is segregated – and by definition, discriminatory – and for good reason.

Sport is discriminatory, but not based on hate as LGBT lobbies would have society believe.

The differences between male and female athletes are very real. Height, muscle, lung capacity and arm span length all have roles to play in athletes’ performances.

This is why sports are sex-segregated in the first place; to differentiate between male and female and ensuring there is a level playing field.

Attempting to include physically male athletes in female competitions eliminates fair competition. Some would argue it undermines the very existence of the female category itself.

Journalist and author Andy Ngô shares the story of a female cyclist who retired due to biological males competing against her

Therefore to call this ruling discriminatory is to call sex-segregated sport itself discriminatory which, in today’s political climate, seems to be an unforgivable sin.

It’s to suggest that rules based upon fairness, competition and biological reality should not exist if they refuse to indulge the sensitivities of the transgender lobby.

There is a narcissism about any political lobby or ideology that cannot or will not listen to reason. This is where ideology met reality; and in this case, reality won.

Sex is real, and it matters.

What now?

Lord Coe said the decision was open to being challenged and was not “written in stone” – but vowed World Athletics would to “vigorously defend” its position.

The ban has already been condemned by various LGBT charities, organisations and athletes.

Stonewall, in a tweet, said ‘It is so disappointing to see World Athletics announce a unilateral ban on trans women in track and field events.’

‘Their statement recognises that no trans women are competing at an international level and that they have no specific evidence to justify the ban.’

Some have proposed a new category of sport altogether, one in which transgender athletes are free to compete.

New report has shattered any confidence in London MET

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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New report has shattered any confidence in London MET

An anticipated report has ‘excoriated’ the Metropolitan Police, according to The Guardian

After the murder of Sarah Everard by Wayne Couzens in 2021, a report was commissioned by the force, and uncovers whether failures by the Met result in institutional misogyny, racism and homophobia

Couzens, a former police constable, kidnapped, raped and strangled Everard before burning her body

It is thought that the report, written by Louise Casey, will illustrate her damning report against the Met with new case studies

The report highlights the fact that cases such as Couzens and David Carrick, a former police officer revealed to be a serial rapist, are not one-off, isolated incidents but instead a testament to how deep-rooted the Met’s failures are

The Met desperately needs cultural reform

This new report has shattered whatever remaining positive views certain people may have of the Metropolitan Police.

Even the most optimistic people can no longer deny that the Met Police is in desperate need of reform, both culturally and recruitment-wise.

Cases such as Couzens and Carrick prove that there is a deeper issue at the root of this situation, and the Met would do well to root it out as quickly as possible; not only for their reputations but for society at large.

If reports are to be believed, the police have even tried to evade public scrutiny by deleting case studies from their websites, including that of David Carrick.

This, along with the aforementioned cases and historical examples of racism and homophobia, paints a picture of the Met that does not fill a citizen with hope that interactions with them will always end amicably.

It erodes public trust and confidence in the force, which could lead to a rise in vigilantism. Why would a person use a service with such a bad reputation, and for good reason?

BBC Newsnight editor Sima Kotecha shares account of serving BAME Met officers

It leads people to see the police as enemies and not allies, which can lead to more confrontations and more unnecessary tragedy.

Citizens will begin to take the law into their own hands more frequently, which could lead to an increase in crime. Last year, West Midlands Police recorded the highest rate of knife crime offences (152 per 100,000).

It also raises questions about attitudes towards women, and whether or not the UK should deal with the skeletons in their own closets before pointing the finger at other countries and cultures.

UK media outlets are all too keen to allow public figures to criticise Qatar and other Middle Eastern countries for their alleged ‘bad’ treatment of women, despite cases such as Couzens and Carrick becoming commonplace.

One could speculate that this scandal is indicative of the existence of a wider cultural attitude towards women in the UK.

In any case, it seems the time has come to simply call a spade a spade. The Metropolitan Police is in desperate need of reform, and quickly; perhaps from independent oversight.

It needs to find its integrity, with societal cohesion at stake.

What now?

It is to be expected that serving officers found guilty of any form of misconduct as a result of the publication of this report will be dismissed.

The report has given the Met a simple but frank choice; “change itself”, or risk being broken up.

Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said he accepts the “diagnosis” of prejudice in the force, but would not use the term ‘institutional’ because he views it as ‘politicised’ and ‘ambiguous.’

The Guardian‘s Vikram Dodd has described this ordeal as ‘the fall of a British institution’.

London’s Metropolitan Police lets predators flourish, review concludes

Mike Omoniyi
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London’s Metropolitan Police lets predators flourish, review concludes

London’s Metropolitan Police Service has allowed predatory behaviour to flourish within its force and failed to adequately protect members of the public from abuse, as well as its own female staff, according to a review that accused the organization of perpetuating a misogynistic, sexist, racist and homophobic internal culture.

“The Met has not protected its female employees or members of the public from police perpetrators of domestic abuse, nor those who abuse their position for sexual purposes,” read the 363-page report by Baroness Louise Casey, published on Tuesday.

“Despite the Met saying violence against women and girls is a priority, it has been treated differently from ‘serious violence.’ In practice, this has meant it has not been taken as seriously in terms of resourcing and prioritisation.”

Police Commissioner Mark Rowley said in a video statement on Tuesday that the force “fully accepts” the review’s findings and intends to act on them.

“I’m sorry we’ve let you all down, and we will fix this,” he vowed, citing a “turnaround” plan to address systemic issues within the force.

The United Kingdom’s largest police force came under intense scrutiny after Wayne Couzens, a serving Metropolitan Police officer, was convicted of the kidnapping, rape, and murder of Sarah Everard, a 33-year-old London woman in March 2021. The killing sparked a national conversation about the stark issues with policing.

One day after Couzens was sentenced that year, another serving officer, David Carrick, was arrested, accused of rape. He had joined the ranks of Britain’s worst serial sex offenders – later pleading guilty to raping multiple women over a period of almost two decades, again reigniting calls for urgent reform.

Grappling with the series of scandals and a growing crisis of trust, the Metropolitan Police then appointed Casey, a member of Britain’s House of Lords who has worked for years on social welfare, to lead an independent inquiry into its institutional culture and standards of behavior.

Her review began in February 2022. It paints a damning picture both of how seriously violence against women and girls is taken, and how crimes against them are investigated. “Instead of access to fast-track forensic services, officers have to contend with over-stuffed, dilapidated or broken fridges and freezers containing evidence including the rape kits of victims, and endure long waits for test results,” the review said.

Casey called the report “rigorous, stark and unsparing” in the foreword. When asked by Britain’s PA news agency whether there could be more officers like Couzens and Carrick in the force, she said: “I cannot sufficiently assure you that that is not the case.”

She called on the Metropolitan Police to reform itself, and said that far too many Londoners had lost faith in the force to protect them.

It is not our job as the public to keep ourselves safe from the police. It is the police’s job to keep us safe as the public,” Casey said in the foreword, pointing out that Carrick was not caught after action taken by the Metropolitan Police, but only after one of his victims came forward and reported him to the Hertfordshire Police – spurred to speak out by a statement made by Everard’s mother.

Baroness Casey: Source Parliament TV

Casey also said the Met should accept it is institutionally corrupt, as branded in 2021 by the official inquiry into the murder of the private eye Daniel Morgan, which the Met rejected.

The report said cultures of “blindness, arrogance and prejudice” are prevalent, and Casey added: “The Met can now no longer presume that it has the permission of the people of London to police them. The loss of this crucial principle of policing by consent would be catastrophic. We must make sure it is not irreversible.”

She added: “It is rot when you treat Londoners in a racist and unacceptable fashion. That is rotten.”

Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party, said: “The racist, sexist and homophobic abuses of power that have run rife in the Metropolitan police have shattered the trust that Britain’s policing relies on and let victims down.

“For 13 years there has been a void of leadership from the Home Office, which has seen Britain’s policing fall far below the standards the public have the right to expect.”

Home Office officials insist they have put police reform measures in place. Suella Braverman, the home secretary – who with Khan appointed the commissioner, backed Rowley: “It is clear that there have been serious failures of culture and leadership in the Metropolitan police.

“I will continue to hold the commissioner to account to deliver a wholesale change in the force’s culture.”

Harriet Wistrich, of the Centre for Women’s Justice, said Casey’s findings were “without precedent in its unswerving criticism of a corrupt, institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic police force”.

She said the two government inquiries after the Couzens scandal should be given greater powers and placed on statutory footing.

Budget 2023: the most important points from Jeremy Hunt’s speech

Mike Omoniyi
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Budget 2023: the most important points from Jeremy Hunt’s speech

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled the contents of his first Budget in the House of Commons.

It had a focus on prompting those who have left their jobs to return to the workforce, and boosting business investment.

Here is a summary of the main announcements.

Taxation and wages

  • Cap on amount workers can accumulate in pensions savings over their lifetime before having to pay extra tax (currently £1.07m) to be abolished
  • Tax-free yearly allowance for pension pot to rise from £40,000 to £60,000 – having been frozen for nine years
  • Fuel duty frozen – the 5p cut to fuel duty on petrol and diesel, due to end in April, kept for another year
  • Alcohol taxes to rise in line with inflation from August, with new reliefs for beer, cider and wine sold in pubs
  • Tax on tobacco to increase by 2% above inflation, and 6% above inflation for hand-rolling tobacco
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Energy

  • Government subsidies limiting typical household energy bills to £2,500 a year extended for three months, until the end of June
  • £200m to bring energy charges for prepayment meters into line with prices for customers paying by direct debit – affects 4m households
  • Commitment to invest £20bn over next two decades on low-carbon energy projects, with a focus on carbon capture and storage
  • Nuclear energy to be classed as environmentally sustainable for investment purposes, with promise of more public funding
  • £63m to help leisure centres with rising swimming pool heating costs, and invest to become more energy efficient
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Jobs and work

  • 30 hours of free childcare for working parents in England expanded to cover one and two-year-olds, in a bid to help them work more
  • Families on universal credit to receive childcare support up front instead of in arrears, with the £646-a-month per child cap raised to £951
  • £600 “incentive payments” for those becoming childminders, and relaxed rules in England to let childminders look after more children
  • New fitness-to-work testing regime to qualify for health-related benefits
  • Funding for up to 50,000 places on new voluntary employment scheme for disabled people, called Universal Support
  • Tougher requirements to look for work and increased job support for lead child carers on universal credit
  • More places on “skills boot camps” to encourage over-50s who have left their jobs to return to the workplace
  • Immigration rules to be relaxed for five roles in construction sector, to ease labour shortages
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Economy and public finances

  • Office for Budget Responsibility predicts the UK will avoid recession in 2023, but the economy will shrink by 0.2%
  • Growth of 1.8% predicted for next year, with 2.5% in 2025 and 2.1% in 2026
  • UK’s inflation rate predicted to fall to 2.9% by the end of this year, down from 10.7% in the last three months of 2022
  • Underlying debt forecast to be 92.4% of GDP this year, rising to 93.7% in 2024
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Business and trade

Port of Felixstowe
  • Main rate of corporation tax, paid by businesses on taxable profits over £250,000, confirmed to increase from 19% to 25%
  • Companies with profits between £50,000 and £250,000 to pay between 19% and 25%
  • Companies able to deduct investment in new machinery and technology to lower their taxable profits
  • Tax breaks and other benefits for 12 new Investment Zones across the UK, funded by £80m each over the next five years
  • Reduced paperwork for international traders, who will also be given longer to submit customs forms under streamlined rules
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Other measures mentioned

  • Commitment to raise defence spending by £11bn over the next five years
  • Prison sentences for those convicted of marketing tax avoidance schemes
  • An extra £10m over next two years for charities helping to prevent suicide
  • Streamlined approvals process promised for new medical products
  • £900m for new super computer facility, to help UK’s AI industry

“My innocence is being tossed around as if it were a toy” – Image-Based sexual abuse

Lucy Tudor
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“My innocence is being tossed around as if it were a toy” – Image-Based sexual abuse

You may have seen in the news the topic of Image-Based Sexual Abuse being discussed on social media. This is after reality TV star Stephen Bear was jailed last week for 21 months. Stephen shared a private and sexual video online without the consent of his ex-partner.

In 2020, Stephen shared a CCTV footage video of himself and Love Island star, Georgia Harrison, having sex on his Only Fans account. Georgia stated she was unaware it had been filmed at the time. When she discovered the footage, she made it clear the content was not to be shared. Georgia was ignored and Stephen went on to not only share the footage but to profit from the content.

He was convicted of voyeurism and two counts of disclosing private, sexual photographs and films. He has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for ten years.

What are we talking about

Intimate Image Abuse is the act of sharing intimate images or videos of someone, either on or offline, without their consent with the intention of causing distress. This is against the law and is included in the Criminal Justice and Courts Act (2015).

This criminal offence has often been referred to as ‘revenge porn’ in the past but this can indicate that the victim has done something wrong in the first place for someone to be seeking ‘revenge’.

Following concerns raised by campaigners and Parliamentarians, the Government created a new criminal offence to ensure that this behaviour is fully captured by the criminal law.

The new offence is within section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015. The offence is triable either way and punishable with a maximum sentence of 2 years imprisonment.

Source: Unsplash

But how big of an issue is this?

CPS data revealed in total 825 suspects were charged with 1,048 Image-based sexual abuse offences between April 2020 and June 2022.

A study was also conducted by The Guardian where FOI requests revealed 541 of the victims were underage between January and December 2019.  The distribution of sexually explicit images or videos with the intent to cause harm was reported to 36 police forces in England and Wales. The average age of the victim was 15.

Sarah Green, Director of the End Violence Against Women Coalition said; “These numbers are really worrying because they’re the incidents reaching the police while many other instances of this nasty, abusive behaviour will not,”

Although numbers and statistics can show the extent of a problem, it is people’s stories which can show the true impact it has on an individual’s life.

What happens to the victims

I spoke to a victim of Image-Based Sexual Abuse who wanted to share their story. They wished to remain anonymous.

“I was 16. I’d just come out of a 9-month relationship with an 18-year-old guy. I had been talked into sending nudes on Snapchat by him, I didn’t want to but he reassured me they’d get deleted. A few months after I was rid of him my phone went off. It is a snap video from a guy in the same year as my ex, I opened it not thinking it was much as it was before ‘stories’ were a thing, so people would just send random things to their entire contact list. When I opened it my stomach did more than sink.”

“It was a video of my ex, in a car full of people from school replaying my private photos, laughing, as he was flicking through them as if it were a joke. There was an app called ‘snapsave’ and if you were on this app when someone sends you a Snapchat it would save it automatically as if you had just received them and could watch and replay them on that app, and the sender would have no idea. I felt hollow and so vulnerable, I could not believe what I was seeing. My innocence is being tossed around as if it were a toy.”

“I never told anyone, I felt completely ashamed of myself and felt it was my fault and that it didn’t matter because people experience much worse. The thought of my parents finding out that I had put myself in such a vulnerable position made me feel even more ashamed, I knew better. I have no idea why his mate sent me that video, or what his intentions were but I’m glad he did, just so I knew.”

You do not need to suffer in silence.

After Stephen Bear was found guilty of his crimes, Georgia Harrison released a statement outside court to others who have been victims of this horrific crime.

“I want all other victims of this crime to know that I stand in solidarity with them and I have absolutely no regrets about waiving my anonymity.”

“I hope this puts anyone off committing this sort of crime and I hope for anyone else who’s been a victim of it, it gives them some sort of justice.”

Where can I seek advice and help?

I spoke to The Egalitarian, a group with the mission to raise awareness of inequality to encourage social change and empower victims of gender-based violence.

“Firstly, we want to emphasize that it’s never the person who’s been affected’s fault. We want to echo the importance of reporting the incident to the police, as more reporting leads to more leads, to more investigations and data further. Hopefully, leading to more prevention of image-based sexual abuse in the first place.”

“Reach out to violence against women and girls organisations. This is such a distressing topic and a harrowing experience for anybody. Looking for support after sexual violence whether this be from friends and family or qualified counsellors is crucial so you don’t feel alone.

The Egalitarian are also available for those looking for more information or support below.

We shouldn’t have to pay BBC Licence Fee to listen to Gary Lineker

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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We shouldn’t have to pay BBC Licence Fee to listen to Gary Lineker
  • The BBC has suspended Gary Lineker from presenting Match of the Day, sparking a mass boycott by other presenters.
  • The former Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur striker was taken off air after the BBC deemed a tweet of his to be in breach of impartiality guidelines.
  • Lineker, 62, described the Conservative Party’s policy on stopping boats carrying illegal migrants as “an immeasurably cruel policy directed at the most vulnerable people in language that is not dissimilar to that used by Germany in the 30s”.
  • Other MOTD presenters, such as record Premier League scorer Alan Shearer and former Arsenal forward Ian Wright, have since refused to present the show until and unless Lineker is reinstated.

BBC’s past has come back to haunt them

The BBC were correct to suspend Gary Lineker. His comments clearly violate the BBC’s guidelines.

As a state broadcaster, the BBC have an obligation to be as impartial as possible. There was a time when BBC journalists were considered to be at the very top of their craft, with the BBC providing impartial and unbiased news reports.

This situation certainly highlights the fragile and symbiotic relationship between the broadcaster and the contractor. If either party refuses to keep their side of the bargain, trouble ensues.

To many people, Gary Lineker is the face of the BBC but, ultimately, the BBC played a part in that. It has a reputation to maintain. Impartiality means impartiality.

If Lineker can’t or won’t adhere to their rules, it stands to reason there would be a consequence.

However, their track record of maintaining their impartiality has come under fierce criticism in recent years. The BBC have been accused of becoming more favourable towards left-leaning attitudes towards current affairs.

An example many could point to is last year during the World Cup. The BBC was more than willing to allow Lineker and other presenters to criticise Qatar, in regards to LGBT+ rights in particular, but have an issue when it comes to criticism of the UK government.

Had they been consistent with their impartiality regulations over recent years, there could be no accusations of hypocrisy or favouritism levelled against them.

This is why, to many, it looks as if the BBC is being selective with their editorial practices, which undermines its own impartiality rules.

It’s the reason why so many people back Lineker; not necessarily because of what he said, but the general principle of his right to express a biased opinion without consequence on the BBC.

Either the BBC is impartial to everyone, or it’s not.

What happens now?

The BBC is in talks with Lineker about his social media use. It has already broadcasted MOTD, which lasted just twenty minutes, without commentary or punditry analysis due to Lineker’s colleagues refusing to work in solidarity.

Lineker, if reports are to be believed, is expected to be reinstated by the time the next MOTD airs.

However, it is also thought that this situation does call into question the survival of the license fee itself.

If the BBC does decide to reinstate Lineker, it will appear to many that a BBC representative can make clearly biased comments without consequence. It would be a watershed moment in broadcasting.

Without impartiality, the license fee becomes untenable.

Is the right press wrong about Shamima Begum?

Georgia Gilholy
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Is the right press wrong about Shamima Begum?

Former ISIS bride Shamima Begum is one of the most recognisable, and disliked, people in Britain. That is, known to Britain, rather than in it. 

The Bethnal Green-born teenager voluntarily left the UK to join ISIS in 2015 and is currently being held in a Kurdish-controlled detention centre in northeast Syria. She and 100s of other European ex-ISIS members have been abandoned to an already vulnerable region attempting to rebuild from years of devastation and in some cases genocide. The US State Department and the UN continue to warn that these facilities are probable hotbeds of renewed radicalisation.

Mere weeks ago US intervention thwarted an attempted mass breakout from a nearby prison under fire from ISIS.

A recent YouGov survey concluded that well over half (53 per cent) of British adults thought Begum was a risk to national security. They are right to do so. She turned her allegiance to a genocidal terror group past the age of criminal responsibility.

To the casual observer, it often feels as if she has been granted far more publicity than the victims of the group she joined, which includes swathes of Muslim civilians, Yazidi school girls enslaved and burned in cages and beheaded Christians. Her attempt to rebrand herself into something of a dressed-down YouTuber clad in a baseball cap and sportswear to make yet another insincere apology a la James Charles has failed to make people forget the horrors she was complicit in.

Credit: ITV

Lest we forget that the teen’s flight to ISIS in 2015 came after a year in which the group were found to have been behind around 6000 deaths via terrorist attack across the world. She knew exactly what kind of civilisation she was signing up to.

Yet was then Home Secretary Sajid Javid’s decision to strip Begum of her citizenship in 2019 the correct move?

While many believe returning Begum to the UK would be the “soft option”, surely it could function as a restatement of confidence in our justice system, and its grounding in principles, which distinguish us from the Islamist Caliphate Begum was seduced by. 

The decision of the US, France, Germany and Australia to try their own homegrown ISIS fighters at home suggests its justice system, while remaining bitterly divided by politics, possesses a muscular self-assurance the UK is now too embarrassed and weak to attempt. 

Those in these camps need to be returned home to face justice rather than risk being re-released into open warfare. Surely the UK must face this reality rather than trying to score short-term political points by stripping a justifiably disliked figure such as Begum of her citizenship. 

Reformed Islamists?

In the US, Canada, India and in Britain itself, many genuinely reformed Islamist extremists have even been involved in efforts to educate and warn, particularly young people, about the dangers of extremism and how they may be tempted into it. Such schemes have been particularly widespread in India which is home to over 172 million Muslims and where religious conflict remains a risk.

While Ms Begum’s apparent dishonesty, flagrant lack of remorse, and alleged violation of various British and International Laws would rule her out of the high school assembly circuit, others of her ilk may well be able to offer UK intelligence and the wider public key information about how to prevent the vicious circle of hate.

Another way of tackling the very real threat of homegrown Islamist extremism in Britain is ensuring suspects face a functioning trial by jury. Her failed appeals aside, thus far Begum has merely faced the court of public-and government- opinion. The best conclusion to this long-running debacle for the UK’s reputation, Begum, and the Kurdish society currently hosting her would be returning her citizenship and allowing her to face real justice.

How companies hide their environmental impact through greenwashing

Common Sense Contributors
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How companies hide their environmental impact through greenwashing

Environmental awareness is on the up. We are now more conscious than ever before of the impact we have on the planet, which is undoubtedly a good thing. Unfortunately, some companies seem willing to cover up their environmentally harmful practices with misleading advertising rather than making a real change.

For example, Tesco was rebuked by the Advertising Standards Authority after it failed to show that its Plant Chef burgers and plant protein-based foods were more environmentally friendly than the meat versions, as it seemed to claim in its marketing.

Earlier, the ASA sanctioned alternative milk companies Alpro and Oatly. The ASA investigated five claims made by Oatly after receiving 109 complaints, resulting in ad bans and a warning to substantiate any future claims.

Similarly, Alpro, another free-from-milk brand, also felt the full force of the ASA’s fury when it broke the rules on greenwashing. Almond milk brand Alpro was warned by the ASA to exercise greater care around its environmental claims. This was regarding a poster that ran on the side of a bus from October 2020. The claims read, ‘Next stop, your recipe to a healthier planet!’ and on the other side, ‘Good for the planet, good for you.’

Some of the biggest examples of greenwashing are “no palm oil” and “palm oil free” products. Over the years, these claims and labelling have misled consumers to believe that “no palm oil” and “palm oil free” products are better than products with sustainable palm oil. In many cases, consumers fail to understand what alternative is used in the product and if the product is more environmentally friendly and sustainable than products with sustainable palm oil.

Daniel Rosenkranz

The “palm oil free” claim is misleading for consumers. It leads them into believing that “free from” products are necessarily better for their health and the environment than those “with”. According to a study by Italian consumer group For Free Choice Institute, which analysed a range of 96 food products, “palm oil free” products were higher in saturated fats and less sustainable.

The corporate attacks on palm oil are especially bizarre. The claim from many brands seems to be that by avoiding using palm oil, they are helping save the planet, especially when it comes to stopping deforestation and protecting the natural habitats of orangutans.

However, all the research in this area shows that palm oil is the most land-efficient of all the major vegetable oils on offer to those companies, so switching away from it and instead picking another vegetable oil to use as an ingredient will actually have a net negative effect in the planet and fuel deforestation even further, because you have to cut down a lot more trees to get the same amount of end product.

Widespread environmental awareness is a good start, but that is not enough to reverse the harmful effects of our impact on the planet, such as climate change and deforestation. Trying to trick consumers by slapping a “palm oil free” label on their packaging is not enough, and consumers are beginning to realise that, as well as regulatory authorities. The walls are closing in on greenwashing.

Jason Reed is a political commentator, writing and talking about politics and policy for a wide range of outlets. Follow him on Twitter @JasonReed624 or read more on his website, jason-reed.co.uk

FIFA needs a backbone, and here’s why

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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FIFA needs a backbone, and here’s why

Organisations are all too happy to say the right things, but quickly crumble when money gets involved. FIFA is just the latest example of companies being prepared to say the right things but not DO the right things.

  • Sparta Prague midfielder Jakub Jankto came out as gay earlier this week, making him the first active senior international in men’s football to do so
  • FIFA tweeted a message of support to Jankto, which backfired as people scolded FIFA for allowing Qatar to host the last World Cup, in which LGBT rights are non-existent and actually criminalised
  • Sparked debate as to whether or not organisations actually care about certain causes/plights, or if they are simply virtue-signalling to protect profit

Hypocrisy at its worst

If there was ever an example of an organisation caught in hypocrisy, this is it. This is a demonstration of companies not genuinely caring about social issues, but simply pretending to care to protect their revenue streams.

To be clear, FIFA is loyal to whoever pays them the most. The World Cup held in Qatar last year is a testament to this, as FIFA went out of its way to respect Qatar’s anti-LGBT laws and culture.

FIFA threatened to sanction individual players and national teams if they wore the pro-LGBT ‘One Love’ armband. They upheld a ban on spectators wearing clothing with rainbow flags entering stadiums. They supported Qatar’s decision to deport a pitch invader holding a rainbow flag.

This was all in December 2022. Just two months later in February 2023, they ‘support’ Jankto coming out as gay. This is blatant hypocrisy, obviously, but deeper questions lie at the core of this conundrum.

Does FIFA genuinely care about LGBT rights and other social issues? Why does FIFA say one thing and then do another?

FIFA supports Jankto coming out despite hosting the last World Cup in an anti-LGBT country

To answer the former, probably not. To answer the latter, it comes down to one thing; money. Al Jazeera reported that FIFA made a record $7.5 billion from the Qatar edition of the World Cup, $1 billion more than the previous edition in Russia.

FIFA, like other businesses, are loyal to whoever pays them the most.

They’re happy to support social issues when there’s no money at stake – such as in cases like Jakub’s – but that quickly disappears when there’s money to be made and lost.

It shows that morals, ethics and social responsibility are for sale. It demonstrates that FIFA does not have the strength of character to have a non-negotiable, core set of values that cannot be bought.

For a lot of football fans, that’s simply not good enough.

What now?

Jankto has been generally supported by the global football community.

England Lionesses captain and Arsenal midfielder Leah Williamson says the team ‘wants to stand in solidarity’ with Jankto by continuing to wear the One Love armband during matches leading up to the Women’s World Cup this year.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes, amongst other footballers, showed his support for Jankto online.

Jendaya raises funding to take its Africa-focused luxury e-commerce platform worldwide

Mike Omoniyi
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Jendaya raises funding to take its Africa-focused luxury e-commerce platform worldwide

JENDAYA is a luxury fashion retailer delivering the best edit of diverse designers to a global audience. The curation of JENDAYA designers spans continents and includes a harmonious mix of big-label luxury brands alongside insider secrets.

Shining a light on the growing prowess of African and African diaspora luxury brands, their buying power and trendsetting ability, London-based e-commerce player JENDAYA launches are coming out of pilot mode after closing its £1m pre-seed round.

The London-based but Africa-focused platform was founded by CEO Ayotunde Rufai, who had the idea to start Jendaya after repeatedly acting as a personal shopper for luxury items in the U.K. for relatives back in Nigeria. Other co-founders include COO Kemi Adetu, CCO Teni Sagoe, and CSO David Elikwu; split across London, New York and Lagos, they launched Jendaya in December 2021.

From apparel to beauty and from home decor to accessories, Jendaya aims to bridge the continent’s heritage with high-end consumers worldwide, shining a light on the abundance of talent and storytelling emanating from the region, by positioning African names seamlessly in the same league as seasoned western labels such as Issey Miyake, Lanvin and Givenchy. Well-poised to satiate the growing appetite for African goods, Jendaya is expected to solidify its position as a crucial market player by providing a lucrative route for international luxury companies into Africa with its nuanced operational understanding of transforming and empowering African luxury brands into successful online businesses. A truly global offering.

Source: JENDAYA

According to data from Euromonitor International, the luxury goods market in Africa and the Middle East was valued at $35.48 billion in 2019, with designer apparel and footwear alone generating $7.2 billion at retail

They told Common Sense, “We are looking forward to putting a permanent spotlight on the unique craftsmanship of African fashion whilst empowering local African artisans and manufacturers. As well as contributing to the sustainable growth and economic development of emerging brands and highlighting Africa, not only as a powerhouse for raw materials but as an exporter of high-quality fashion.”

Sitting alongside the e-commerce is the fully shoppable JENDAYA Editorial, an area that showcases not only the brands stocked through the platform but key historical and seasonal news set to inspire an international audience and now JENDAYA Labs – it’s 360 creative agency that counts the likes of Casablanca, Ozwald Boateng, Paul Smith and Burberry to name a few as clients.

For its launch, Jendaya has teamed up with Parisian creative agency Bel-Ami to craft a bespoke campaign encapsulating the brand’s values and vision entitled: ‘Jendaya, The New Home of Fashion’, starting in Nigeria from December 20th, it will then hit the streets of Paris, New York and London during 2022’s fashion weeks thanks to a polymorphic approach. “Jendaya is the ultimate bridge to discover the new generation of African designers and to reach millions of African consumers with the most well-known brands,” says Thomas Mondo, founder of Bel-Ami.

With an ethos that supports slow fashion, artisan craft, made-to-order luxury goods and emerging talent, Jendaya hosts a roster of brands that includes Brooklyn-based minimalist accessories brand Marty Moto and others that incorporate heritage into a modern context like Kenyan brand Adele Dejak. Other stand-out brands include Beninese-French silk shirt label Alledjo and burgeoning names such as Casablanca, founded by Morrocan designer Charaf Tajer, finalist of the 2020 LVMH Prize.

Black Boy Lane: £190k wasted on white guilt?

Aaron Fenton-Hewitt
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Black Boy Lane: £190k wasted on white guilt?
  • Haringey Council has come under fire for spending close to £190,000 on renaming a road due to ‘racial connotations and colonial links’.
  • The former name of the road, Black Boy Lane, was changed in the wake of George Floyd’s murder in 2020, with social justice campaigners pushing for change.

Black Boy Lane in N15 was renamed La Rose Lane following ‘calls from Haringey residents’, Haringey Council said. La Rose Lane is named after John La Rose, a former black Haringey resident, poet and political activist.

The history of the name of the road is widely debated and its origins aren’t clear.

Some speculate that it was an after-effect of the impact that slavery had on race relations against black people in British history, whilst others believe it was named after young chimney sweepers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

https://twitter.com/OliviaOWrites/status/1617550536194105344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1617550536194105344%7Ctwgr%5Ec1d26fb06e83fd560072cf7222ffb05b093492b7%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lbc.co.uk%2Fnews%2Fblack-boy-lane-renamed-offensive-186k%2F
Residents of Black Boy Lane put up signs of the road name, in protest at the name change

It is estimated that the name change would cost the taxpayer approximately £186,000.

Despite this, not only were many residents actually against the idea of renaming the road but the family of John La Rose himself were also opposed, the Daily Mail reported.

Resident Anne Taylor said, ‘The La Rose family issued a statement forbidding the use of La Rose name to rename Black Boy Lane.’

‘They said it was a tokenistic gesture at too great a cost for Black Boy Lane residents and that John la Rose would have hated the notion.’

The council has been criticised heavily, with some likening it to a ‘vanity project’, especially in a cost of living crisis.

Founder of Save our Statues (a heritage campaigner group) Robert Poll said, ‘This move is representative of the current impulse to hunt out racism and offence where there is none as a performative display of virtuousness.’

A vanity project

If there was ever a demonstration of white guilt in action, this is it.

This was a move not based upon genuine concerns about racism, but based on pure vanity and fear from anti-racist groups.

Save our Statues reported that not only did no black people voted for the name change, but 78% of residents of Black Boy Lane voted against the move. In fact, there were more white people that voted for the name change than black people.

If the name change concerned black people, one would be forgiven for believing that the ‘black’ opinion would carry more weight in discussions. However, this does not seem to be the case.

So, what other reasons could there be for this name change?

It does make one wonder as to what ‘fighting racism’ really means in today’s society. Is it about genuine and legitimate concerns about racial inequality, or is it about virtue signalling and satisfying the egos of certain people?

Is it about addressing the past, or is it ideologically motivated?

The statistics show that black residents were against the name change. If black residents aren’t offended by the name change, then who is? Why do they get to speak and be offended on behalf of black people?

The irony of this is that those who do act in a manner where they feel entitled to speak on behalf of black people are acting in a more racist manner than they’d care to admit.

They are, in effect, cheapening the black voice. They are implying that their white guilt, and all the misplaced emotions that come with it, supersede actual black voices and perspectives.

To many, this isn’t about fighting racism. This is about certain groups feeling better about themselves.

Save our Statues reported that no black residents voted for the name change

White guilt is expensive

The Office for National Statistics reported that inflation is at an all-time high, as of December 2022.

The UK is in a cost-of-living crisis, with many having to choose between food and central heating. To put it plainly, there’s not enough money to go around.

In that case, where did the council find £186,000? Could that money have been put to better use? Are there Haringey residents with lower incomes who could have benefited from that money?

Specifically, in the name of being ‘anti-racist’, were there any black residents that could have benefitted?

The council have unfortunately shot themselves in the foot. In their desperation to appease campaign and pressure groups, they have created a PR disaster.

To spend £186,000 on a name change is irresponsible. In this economic climate, every penny counts. It’s foolish and nonsensical to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds on what is little more than a vanity project.

This money could have easily been put towards food banks, which many families rely on.

That money could’ve been put to better use actually helping black people who are less well off, in the name of actually addressing racial inequality. The government reports that black households were the most likely to have a weekly income of less than £600, compared to other ethnic groups.

The fact that this money was used for other purposes is a slap in the face to them. In no way does this name change help black people, in this climate.

In fact, it could be argued that this episode of reckless spending constitutes fraud. If Haringey Council wishes to ‘address inequality and celebrate the rich diversity of [the] borough, then it has failed at both.

The new road sign, up for less than 24 hours (at the time of writing), has already been vandalised in protest

What now?

The backlash to the name change is still ongoing.

Haringey Council has said that, for the next year, the road will continue to be known as Black Boy Lane until such time as registration of the new name has been completed, to allow for infrastructure to adapt.

The road sign has already been vandalised, with vandals spray painting over ‘La Rose Lane’ to leave ‘formerly Black Boy Lane’.

Here is how the war in Ukraine could end

Zohaib Sadiq
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Here is how the war in Ukraine could end

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been vigorously promoting a 10-point peace plan, which he drew up in November 2022, for resolving the ongoing conflict in Eastern Ukraine. The plan entails measures to improve humanitarian conditions, increase geographical security and promote sustainable economic development in the region. 

What are Zelensky’s 10 points?

  1. Nuclear Safety – restoring security around Zaporizhahia, Ukraine, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant which is now Russian occupied. 
  2. Food – protecting grain exports to the world’s poorest nations 
  3. Energy security – aiding Ukraine in restoring its power infrastructure 
  4. Release of prisoners/deportees – including war prisoners/children deported to Russia 
  5. Restoring Ukrainian territorial integrity – “not up to negotiations” according to Zelensky 
  6. Withdrawal of Russian troops and restoration of state border 
  7. Establishment of a special tribunal to prosecute war crimes
  8. Protection of the environment – including demining and restoring water treatment facilities
  9. Building security architecture in the Euro-Atlantic space
  10. Confirmation of the war’s end – documentation signed by involved parties 


What does this mean?

Central to the plan is the establishment of a “special status” for designated areas in Eastern Ukraine affected by the war, granting them decision-making power. Such a policy is intended to address grievances held by the pro-Russian separatists in the region, many of whom have been fighting again the Ukrainian state since 2014.

Secondary to this is the creation of a “security zone” along the lines of contact between Ukraning and Russian forces; this zone, akin to a noman’s land – would be monitored by an international peacekeeping force, aiming to reduce violence and ensure civilian safety and territorial integrity.

The conflict has claimed over 13,000 lives and displaced over 1.5 million people – many to other parts of the European continent, including Poland, the Balkans, South Europe and the UK. For this reason, the improvement of humanitarian conditions is paramount, including access to effective health care and restoration of civilian infrastructure.

Unnamed Road, Ivano-Frankivs’ka oblast, Ukraine (Unsplash)

Further to this, the plan calls for meaningful and comprehensive dialogue between Ukraine and Russia – the goal entailing finding a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict which has claimed thousands of lives. 

Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan is an all-encompassing and certainly ambitious proposal that aims to address the layered issues at the centre of the Ukrainian conflict. There is no telling how the plan with be implemented practically – it does however offer a beacon of hope for the Ukrainian people and a potential path forward for resolving the ongoing war. 

A glaring issue with the plan is the necessity of cooperation with Putin’s Russia – a stubborn and ruthless leader determined to ‘reclaim’ Ukraine and Russian pride, having annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014. More so, internal challenges present resistance to progress, including slowness in implementing reforms and a lack of meaningful results in the peace process to date. This is understandable given the attacks Ukraine has been facing for the past 11 months. 

President Zelensky’s 10-point peace plan for Eastern Ukraine presents a comprehensive approach to resolving the ongoing conflict. It addresses the key issues at stake, including autonomy, security, humanitarian aid, and economic development. However, its success will depend on the willingness of all parties involved to come to the negotiating table and to find a lasting and peaceful solution.

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