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https://news.sky.com/story/row-over-new-greggs-vegan-sausage-rolls-heats-up-11597679 (https://archive.ph/5Ba6o)

A heated row has broken out over a move by Britain's largest bakery chain to launch a vegan sausage roll.

The pastry, which is filled with a meat substitute and encased in 96 pastry layers, is available in 950 Greggs stores across the country.

It was promised after 20,000 people signed a petition calling for the snack to be launched to accommodate plant-based diet eaters.


But the vegan sausage roll's launch has been greeted by a mixed reaction: Some consumers welcomed it, while others voiced their objections.

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spread happiness@p4leandp1nk
https://twitter.com/p4leandp1nk/status/1080767496569974785

#VEGANsausageroll thanks Greggs
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7
10:07 AM - Jan 3, 2019
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Cook and food poverty campaigner Jack Monroe declared she was "frantically googling to see what time my nearest opens tomorrow morning because I will be outside".

While TV writer Brydie Lee-Kennedy called herself "very pro the Greggs vegan sausage roll because anything that wrenches veganism back from the 'clean eating' wellness folk is a good thing".

One Twitter user wrote that finding vegan sausage rolls missing from a store in Corby had "ruined my morning".

Another said: "My son is allergic to dairy products which means I can't really go to Greggs when he's with me. Now I can. Thank you vegans."

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pg often@pgofton
https://twitter.com/pgofton/status/1080772793774624768

The hype got me like #Greggs #Veganuary

42
10:28 AM - Jan 3, 2019
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TV presenter Piers Morgan led the charge of those outraged by the new roll.

"Nobody was waiting for a vegan bloody sausage, you PC-ravaged clowns," he wrote on Twitter.

Mr Morgan later complained at receiving "howling abuse from vegans", adding: "I get it, you're all hangry. I would be too if I only ate plants and gruel."

Another Twitter user said: "I really struggle to believe that 20,000 vegans are that desperate to eat in a Greggs."

"You don't paint a mustach (sic) on the Mona Lisa and you don't mess with the perfect sausage roll," one quipped.

Journalist Nooruddean Choudry suggested Greggs introduce a halal steak bake to "crank the fume levels right up to 11".

The bakery chain told concerned customers that "change is good" and that there would "always be a classic sausage roll".

It comes on the same day McDonald's launched its first vegetarian "Happy Meal", designed for children.

The new dish comes with a "veggie wrap", instead of the usual chicken or beef option.
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It should be noted that Piers Morgan and Greggs share the same PR firm, so I'm thinking this is some serious faux outrage and South Park KKK gambiting here.
 
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Currently filtering through articles to find those worthy of posting but this one is beautiful.

Humza Yousaf is whining about the ban on supporting Palestine Action having a "chilling effect on lawful expression". Those of us with a better memory than his can remember his own efforts to chill expression in recent years.

Former first minister Humza Yousaf has called for Scotland's top law officer to exempt peaceful protesters who back the banned group Palestine Action from prosecution.
He said it was not in the public interest to prosecute non-violent individuals who expressed support for the organisation.
Palestine Action was proscribed as a terror group last month after members broke into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire and caused an estimated £7m of damage to planes.
The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said the Lord Advocate, Dorothy Bain KC, had made a statement reaffirming support for protest within legal boundaries.
The Home Office declined to give BBC Scotland News a statement, but pointed to comments in a newspaper made by Home Secretary Yvette Cooper in which she was critical of Palestine Action, saying that "in a democracy, lawful protest is a fundamental right but violent criminality is not."
In July a man was arrested outside the TRNSMT music festival in Glasgow for wearing a T-shirt bearing the message "Genocide in Palestine Time to Take Action."
That same month a man was arrested for displaying a poster supporting the organisation at a flat in the Shawlands area of the city.

​

Yousaf, who served as Scottish justice secretary for three years, has written to the Lord Advocate to request the publication of a prosecution policy to clarify the COPFS' position.
The move follows a warning from the service's chief executive that its work was at risk of being "undermined" by "unhelpful politicians" who called for the legislation not to be enforced.
As an outspoken supporter of the Palestinian people, one of Yousaf's primary concerns is what he called a "chilling effect on lawful expression".
In his letter, the SNP MSP for Glasgow Pollok said there was a "constructive precedent for issuing clear public-interest guidance".
He gave the example of the non-prosecution policy the Lord Advocate set out for a drug consumption room in Glasgow.
John Logue - who heads up the COPFS - has been reportedly critical of those that questioned the enforcement of a law that had been put in place by elected politicians.
He told the Scotland on Sunday newspaper it was "unhelpful" that some politicians had called for legislation not to be enforced because "that risks creating the impression that prosecutors are not independent, and that they do what politicians ask them to do".
In his letter, Yousaf said he fully respected the independence of Mr Logue's role, as well as that of the COPFS and their function of enforcing the law.
He ended by saying he recognised these were "sensitive matters" and requested a meeting with the Lord Advocate.
The COPFS said it would respond to any correspondence received.
In a statement it said: "The Lord Advocate has made a statement in which she reaffirmed support for protest within legal boundaries.
"Scotland's prosecutors operate independently of any other person or political consideration.
"This independence is a cornerstone of our justice system and ensures fair application of the law regardless of the nature or cause of any protest."
The human rights group Amnesty International estimates about 700 people have been arrested in the UK, including dozens in Scotland, for expressing support for Palestine Action.

Andrew Kerr's remarks

This letter - consisting of three pages of A4 - carries some weight.
Humza Yousaf is not only a former first minister of Scotland but he also served as justice secretary for three years.
He knows how the Scottish judiciary works and the key figures in it.
Although his time as first minister was short, one of the stand-out causes he espoused was that of the Palestinian people.
Many will remember the fraught SNP conference of 2023 when he and his wife Nadia waited for news as her parents were trapped in Gaza.
His passion for the cause is matched by his frustration at the UK government's ban on Palestine Action.
He cites the precedent of the exemption of the drug consumption room.
However, that could be regarded as a very specific, limited Scottish example that doesn't tread on Home Office toes.
A relaxation here could have consequences down south - on a ban that is already being challenged at the High Court in London.
With John Logue's comments and the statement, the Crown's current position is pretty clear.
Such an outspoken interview from a public official is unusual and is bound to echo the Lord Advocate's opinion.
Even if she wanted to pursue an exemption, the Lord Advocate would be chary of inciting the home secretary's ire.
Yousaf will be given a fair hearing due to his position but with a change unlikely his comments do keep this as an issue of public debate.
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The hypocrisy really is outstanding. The ban on Palestine Action is very specific to that group. If you really want, you can say "I support direct action for Palestine" or "I support Palestine Action's appeal to the High Court because I think their proscription is unjust" but you're playing with fire. I have less than zero sympathy for the morons who are trying to gum up the Courts by deliberately getting themselves arrested. Enjoy your terror convictions.
 
Morethanabitfoolish said:
Humza Yousaf is whining about the ban on supporting Palestine Action having a "chilling effect on lawful expression".
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The Humza yousuf who put the hate speech law in with no domestic exemption and said that hate speech in one’s own home should be prosecuted? That Humza?
 
Otterly said:
The Humza yousuf who put the hate speech law in with no domestic exemption and said that hate speech in one’s own home should be prosecuted? That Humza?
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You got it.

By a strange coincidence I recently posted some of that behaviour in another thread since people were confusing the online safety act with Humza's hate speech law.

It's genuinely impressive how much hypocrisy one man is capable of.
 
Here's tonight's big news dump:


Epping Council loses bid to appeal asylum hotel ruling with 'no reasons given' as to why:




Yvette Cooper told to 'swallow her pride' and reinstate Rwanda plan in blistering attack by Boris Johnson: 'Infuriating!':




Yvette Cooper REFUSES to guarantee migrant returns will happen this month - less than 24 hours after making promise:




England's most patriotic society hits back at 'self-appointed activists' who branded countryside 'too white':




Grooming gang taskforce arrests surge in first year under Labour as minister says 'no stone will be left unturned':




Charlotte Church leads female celebs urging 'racist far-Right to stop linking immigration to sexual abuse' in open letter:




Prince William’s next step ‘important’ as future King ‘must be ready for future role’




Nana Akua asks Labour MP same question FOUR TIMES in brutal migrant crisis grilling: 'Get to the point!':




Sainsbury's to trial 'Orwellian' facial recognition technology before nationwide rollout:




The Church of England's most senior bishop seems to have forgotten that broken borders enable evil - Miriam Cates (Paywall)




Former Premier League stars involved in financial scandal that cost them tens of millions and their homes:




Alexander Isak's agent fires bitter parting shot at Newcastle after Liverpool transfer saga:




Britons hailed after raising £250k to save community pub - 'This is people power!':




Migrant begs to be sent back to Somalia because it's 'safer than Nuneaton':




'How DARE they!' Open letter blasting 'far-right lies' torn apart by women's safety campaigner:


 
>IMPLYING said:
I don't think Null actually likes us deep down. ;(
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He viscerally hates us. It's because of the actions of a demented (literally) troll with connections to the legal establishment, which is mostly made up of aristocratic twunts. He doesn't understand that the nationalist movements in this country are drawn mostly from the working class and that the same people who tormented him are tormenting us. We should be on the same side, but he refuses to separate the political class from everyone else and believes that we're all responsible for his pain.

I don't blame him, but I wish he'd stop putting us in the same box as the insular nonces that rule over us.
 
>IMPLYING said:
Epping Council loses bid to appeal asylum hotel ruling with 'no reasons given' as to why
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Made In Wales said:
Epping Council loses bid to appeal asylum hotel ruling with 'no reasons given' as to why:
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Up to the Supreme Court we go! You have to ask the Court of Appeals for permission to appeal, then (if they decline you) you can ask the Supreme Court directly for permission to appeal to them. It's a silly rule. They could still reject Epping but they do get another chance.
>IMPLYING said:
I don't think Null actually likes us deep down. ;(
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His love for us is as pure and true as his love for Japanese cartoons.
 
Speaking of the insular nonces that rule over us.


A green energy tycoon who has donated more than £5m to Labour has been paid millions by Sadiq Khan’s City Hall.
Dale Vince’s Ecotricity has earned more than £3.5m supplying the Greater London Authority (GLA) since 2020.
In the same period, the entrepreneur has donated more than £5.5m to Labour or its politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner, through the company. He is one of Labour’s leading donors.
Spokesmen for Mr Khan and Ecotricity said there was no connection between the contracts and the donations, and there is no suggestion of wrongdoing.
Zia Yusuf, former chairman of Reform UK, said: “The fact that one of Labour’s biggest donors, Dale Vince’s Ecotricity, has been handed £3.5 million of taxpayer money from Sadiq Khan’s Greater London Authority in the last five years will enrage taxpayers.”

Susan Hall, Tory leader in the London Assembly, added: “I will certainly be asking questions about this and will be double-checking that Londoners are getting value for money.”
Ecotricity has supplied the GLA’s electricity since 2019 and is under contract to continue doing so until 2026.
The figures were first reported by the Daily Mail.
Mr Vince has also donated to Just Stop Oil, Extinction Rebellion and Animal Rising.
He was criticised earlier this year for installing a large Palestinian flag on Ecotricity’s headquarters in Stroud, Gloucestershire.

​

The Holocaust​

Last year, Dale Vince risked opening a rift with Labour when he compared climate change sceptics to Holocaust deniers.
“Anyone who says the climate crisis is not happening or it’s not man-made, honestly, I think they’re a dangerous fool, because it’s like denying the Holocaust happened,” he told the Daily Mail.
"This [climate change denial] is denying the holocaust that is coming now,” he said, adding: “It shouldn’t be allowed.”
Sir Keir Starmer was forced to distance himself from the Labour donor, with a spokesman telling The Telegraph: “Dale speaks only for himself.”
Mr Vince's reference to the Holocaust last year was not the first time he has publicly brought up the genocide.
More than 15 years ago, when Bernard Matthews, the turkey producer, invited Mr Vince to build a wind farm at his factory, the vegan did not merely decline. He said: "It's a concentration camp. I don't want to be involved in that."

Israel​

Mr Vince has been critical of Israel since the Oct 7 attack, saying that "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter" about Hamas.
Forest Green Rovers, the football club he owns, was dumped by two sponsors after it flew a Palestinian flag on match day at its ground in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire. The club also displayed banners that read: “End the invasion and occupation of Palestine”.
Advocacy group UK Lawyers for Israel wrote to the club and the Football Association (FA), arguing it had breached FA regulations on keeping politics out of the sport.

Defending Labour​

Mr Vince, who donated £5 million to Labour before July’s general election, has been outspoken in defending some of the new Government's policies.
Amid claims that Britain would suffer an exodus of millionaires following Rachel Reeves' budget, he said rich people threatening to flee the country to avoid tax rises should “f--- off."
“If people only live here because they pay less tax, they should f--- off,” said Mr Vince. "This is a brilliant country. There’s no way people won’t live here because of a fairer tax system.”
The energy tycoon also hit out at so-called “Nimbys” over the Government’s net zero roll-out, particularly those protesting against electricity pylons and overhead cables.

An Ecotricity spokesman said: “Ecotricity has been supplying green energy to the public sector for three decades – since we first began. It’s entirely normal.
“Our contract with the GLA has been widely reported on over the years – and was won in a competitive process via the local authority purchasing consortium, LASER. It’s a small contract and has no connection to anything else.”
A spokesman for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor and his team had no involvement in or knowledge of this contract award.
“GLA officers appointed an independent public sector energy procurement company to find the best provider for the GLA’s requirements.”

https://archive.ph/o/KZfcf/https://...e-vince-compares-musks-tesla-to-ku-klux-klan/
Mr Vince founded the energy firm Ecotricity in 1995 after rigging up an old pylon to a wind-powered telephone at Glastonbury.
After dropping out of school at 15 and spending a decade on the road, where he lived in an old ambulance-turned-camper van, he is now regularly listed as one of the richest people in Britain.

He is also the founder of lab-grown diamond company Skydiamond and owns Forest Green Rovers, a vegan football club.
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That one deserved posting for the image alone.
1756838477369.webp
And for his stance on Hamas
Major Labour donor Dale Vince should “reflect” on his “appalling” remarks about Hamas, deputy party leader Angela Rayner has said.

Mr Vince shared an opinion on Times Radio last year that “one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” when asked about the Palestinian militant group that carried out the October 7 attacks on Israel.
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The public sector tries to push to work even less while the tax payer sustains them.
A trial of a four-day working week in the public sector has yielded “overwhelmingly positive” results and could pave the way for the model to become more widely adopted.

Workers at two Scottish public sector bodies – Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) and South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) – switched to a 32-hour week with no loss of pay or benefits during the year-long trial.

A total of 259 workers are employed between the two organisations, with almost all participating in the trial. In both cases, staff reported less work-related stress and greater satisfaction with their job and work-life balance.


Almost all workers at SOSE (98 per cent) said the four-day week trial improved morale and motivation in the workplace, while those who reported feeling ‘very satisfied’ with their work-life balance rose from four per cent to 84 per cent just nine months in.

Staff with caring responsibilities gave some of the strongest responses to the pilot, with some describing it as “life-changing”.

The trial was coordinated by the Autonomy Institute, which was commissioned by the Scottish government.


Chief executive Will Stronge said: "The results of the Scottish government pilot have been overwhelmingly positive, demonstrating that both the workers and employers involved are thriving.

"These groundbreaking results show that the public sector can reap similar benefits, including improved productivity, employee well-being, and work-life balance.

"As the introduction of AI accelerates across industries, it's crucial that workers in both the public and private sectors experience the benefits of these advancements, and one of the easiest ways of achieving this is by shortening the working week."

Both participating groups made clear that they wanted normal levels of service to be maintained. To enable this, staff days off were staggered to make sure service was maintained for the full working week.

Both organisations have opted to extend the pilot beyond the trial period.

The success of the trial comes after the Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council became the first UK local authority to permanently adopt a four-day working week in July.

A similar trial period was carried out before the decision, with an independent report finding that 21 out of 24 council services had improved or stayed the same since the new working model began in 2023.


The report also showed that the number of job applicants to the council had risen by more than 120 per cent, while the council makes ongoing yearly savings of £399,263 due to lower agency staff costs.

Ivan McKee, Scotland’s finance minister, said there will be no wider rollout in the government at present despite the positive results.

“While the Scottish government and its agencies will not be moving to a 32-hour week at this time, the pilot has identified several examples of more efficient and innovative working practices which will be made available to the wider public sector to help drive reform,” he said.
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I also want to applaud the troll in the comments section
1
As a public sector worker, I for one welcome this fantastic news. It's about time our dedication was properly rewarded with a more civilised and progressive approach to the working week. I'm already looking forward to the next logical steps: making WFH permanent for all and introducing compressed hours. This will undoubtedly boost our morale and, consequently, the quality of the vital services we provide to the public.

It's crucial, however, that such progressive measures remain within the public sector. Our colleagues in the private sector have a very different, and frankly more gruelling, role: they need to be at their desks, in the office, generating the profits and taxes that ultimately fund our essential services and these well-deserved benefits. We must protect their focus and not distract them with such concepts; their sacrifice is what allows our public sector to thrive and innovate in this way. A win for us is a win for the whole country!

2
Ah, Derek, Derek, Derek. You’ve rather missed the point, but then again, that’s to be expected from someone whose mind is doubtless cluttered with such tedious concerns as ‘profit margins’ and ‘meeting payroll’.

The fact you can’t get through is a feature, not a bug. It’s a carefully calibrated system to filter out non-essential queries, allowing us to focus our energies on strategic planning for our next well-being webinar or drafting our flexible working proposals. A four-day week will simply make this filtering process even more efficient.

Your role is to be in your office, working your five (or even six!) days to generate the taxation that funds our innovation. Our role is to pioneer a new, enlightened model of work-life balance on your behalf. It’s a symbiotic relationship, really. You provide the funds, and we have the stressful task of spending our extended weekends deciding how best to enjoy them. It’s a heavy burden, but we bear it for the good of the country. Perhaps your company should try being less… available? I find it does wonders for one’s stress levels.

Yours in progressive idleness,

A Public Servant (Currently logging off for my well-being hour).
3
My dear, you've clearly been trying far too hard to contact us. That's not how the system is designed to work. The 'service' you refer to is a privilege, not a right, and is now delivered on a carefully managed, appointment-only basis (bookable between 10:15 am and 11:45 am on alternate Tuesdays, excluding bank holidays and well-being recovery days).

Your mention of "fees for services not received" is particularly amusing. Consider it not a fee, but your vital contribution to the UK's most successful social experiment: proving that a world-class economy can be powered by a state of serene, uninterrupted contemplation. Our elevated morale, though you may not see its direct output, radiates positive energy across the nation, which frankly is a far greater service than any mundane, transactional "problem-solving" you seem to be expecting.

Please, embrace your role in this. Your frustration is simply the sound of the private sector dutifully fuelling public sector innovation. It's a beautiful, if somewhat noisy, symbiosis.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm planning for the forthcoming week (in my own time!). I'm dedicating the first three days to my well-being and the fourth to writing a strategy paper on why we need a three-day week. For the public good, of course.
4
Oh, my friend, my heart truly goes out to you reading this. That sounds absolutely exhausting and frankly, medieval. Six days a week? It’s no wonder you’re all burnt out.

You really should consider bringing your skills over to the UK. It’s a different world here, especially if you can secure a role in the public sector. The article is just a glimpse – we have incredibly strong unions, generous pensions, and a fantastic work-life balance is now seen as a right, not a privilege.

And if you fancied a complete break from work? Our welfare state is second to none. Honestly, everything is taken care of; your housing, support for your children, full medical and dental – all paid for. You’d be able to spend all the time you want at school sports days or visiting family without a single worry. We look after our people here. You’d never have to struggle like that again
 
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Our services are stretched to breaking point and we can't manage our backlog..

So we're all taking Fridays off from now on.
 
Otterly said:
Birmingham council, doing a remarkably better job.
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I'm sure you know, but just in case anyone isn't aware of the situation surrounding Birmingham Council: The council was actually declared bankrupt in 2023 (?) because they decided to shell out for "gender wage gap" equal pay cases to the tune of about £800 million.

Otterly said:
Best case scenario:
A new form of life evolves from the biofilth
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Legends warn of the arrival of the Uberbrummie. Be afraid, be very afraid.
 
Crunkle said:
because they decided to shell out for "gender wage gap" equal pay cases to the tune of about £800 million.
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Right after they spent a fortune standing up SAP to replace their previous, perfectly functional services management software. Huge cost overruns and a system that managed to do 80% of what it could do before, but less efficiently, and with no clear way to add back the other 20%. Brum makes bad decisions. It's just what they do.
 
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