If England win, *the team* has deserved it. A team that's played well, of decent people, generous, courageous. Taking a stand for what's right *every single game*. Facing hostility & nastiness. (Many of them have done so for yrs.) Leading by example.
It's not their fault...
2/ ...this government shamelessly hung them out to dry & now cynically exploits their success. It's not their fault a share of their fans are so drunk on nationalism (spoon-fed to them every day) & actual booze they play unfair, insult, assault, fired on by politicians, media ...
3/ ...& celebs on the right-wing bandwagon.
Yes, I, too, hate to see #BorisJohnson's tacky fan displays, the way he uses their success to divert attention from the past and present distruction he caused, from the pandemic, pretending everything is alright. It's disgusting.
...
4/
But none of this is the team's fault. They've not just not asked for it, they have taken a stand, and still do. If they win, they do so deservedly. And I will be very happy for them and the thousands and thousands of decent fans out there, among us.
END
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One concerning aspect of the Euros as well as other large sports events are the audiences now permitted to attend, in close proximity, often shouting & singing, without facemasks. This week, almost all cartoonists in Germany picked up on that.
Today, Germany's largest regional daily has this critical piece about Carrie Johnson's current "prestige project":
#BorisJohnson's wife, Comms Director of the Aspinall Foundation, wants to return a herd of elephants to the wild, at considerable cost & critically viewed by vets.
2/ Last paragraph:
"Kenya feels blindsided by the British. The Ministry of Tourism and Animal Welfare said it had noted the Aspinall Foundation's plans "with concern" and had not been "contacted or consulted".
3/
Unrelated and unsurprising, the Aspinall Foundation is currently being investigated by the Charity Commission over possible financial mismanagement.
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I've been asked what makes UK migrants in the EU27 different from EU27 migrants in the UK, seeing that there was much vitriol in response to reports about one group struggling to obtain residency, and much understanding for the other. Seemingly, they are similar.
2/ I'm afraid I gave a rather snotty answer (my apologies, @MsRaeRichardson), because I took the question as a provocation - the differences between the two groups seemed so obvious. But are they? And what are they?
3/ We have to recognise that *every* migrant - UK in EU or EU in UK - has faced the same predicament. They moved themselves & their lives to another country legally, but are now required to ask for permission to stay. It is unsettling.
In 72 hours, thousands of EU citizens who have lived in the UK for years, often decades, will become illegal. They will lose their right to stay in their home, be with their families, have the right to work, or receive health care. They're your neighbours, they love this country.
2/ Pls, if you know someone who has come from the EU, if you care for them in your care home, or foster/children's home, in your hospital, neighbourhood, church, or community, ask whether they have applied to stay. Many still don't know that they do, because they came lawfully.
3/
Most councils have websites with contacts and phone numbers where people will help. If you need help, if you're not sure, DM me. I'll get you in touch. Don't leave it. Just ask. You cannot make a mistake. You can't ask too much.
#German TV / main news program
(WDR/ARD is a public broadcaster):
"Britain has piled up record debt in the pandemic. Prime Minister Johnson is planning new, expensive reforms. Even his own party fears he is not good with money."
2/ "Some Conservatives in Great Britain are currently worried that Prime Minister Boris Johnson is handling the state's finances in the same way as he handles his own private money - according to the motto: Just spend it, there's never enough anyway."
3/ "And there's not enough in the national budget - especially now. The Covid crisis has cost billions, more than 300 billion pounds in aid and bailout money, among other things. The United Kingdom's borrowing is at record levels, as the latest figures for May show."
The vaccination program has finally gathered speed w/ the arrival of sufficient vaccines, AZ doubts clarified, & local organisation sorted out. During the last 2-3 weeks, it has accelerated considerably & now includes GP surgeries, not just vaccination centres.
2/
Currently, we have a new headache, two, in fact.
Headache no. 1 is our federal system that hands 16 state prime ministers all authority over education & most authority over lockdown measures. W/ the economy complaining & elections in Sept, since autumn, PMs have broken rank.
3/
The unified, consensual approach that worked so well during lockdown no. 1 has been undermined for every lockdown since, with compromises ignored & lockdown measures watered down - they're now different from state to state & community to community.