UK British News Megathread - aka CWCissey's news thread

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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.

View image on Twitter


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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For those after the reasons behind Jas Athwal being pilloried since I don't think those got posted.

Labour MP Jas Athwal has sacked the agency which manages his rental flats, after the BBC found black mould and ant infestations in the properties.
Mr Athwal said he was "shocked and sickened" by the state of the flats, which were being managed by an agency he said had been "selected for their quick response times and excellent customer service."
The MP for Ilford South owns 15 properties, making him the biggest landlord in the House of Commons.
When approached by the BBC, the letting agent said: "I have no statement at this time."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/clyg1j0lv1go
The BBC found flats owned by Mr Athwal contained dirty communal areas, lights that did not work and fire alarms hanging loose from the ceiling.
In one block of seven flats owned by Mr Athwal nearly half the tenants said they had to regularly clean their bathroom ceilings to remove mould.
An ant infestation was pointed out by one resident, who had insects climbing up a door frame and said the ants were on their child’s body and clothes.
When Mr Athwal was first approached by the BBC on Friday, he said he had not previously been aware of these issues and defended the letting agent, referred to by tenants as "Raymond".
Later the same day, he issued another statement saying he was "profoundly sorry" that his tenants had been let down and would ensure repairs were completed "swiftly".
The MP also admitted his flats did not have the correct property licences required under a scheme he introduced as Redbridge Council leader, having earlier claimed to the BBC that he had complied with the rules.
Now, in a third statement, Mr Athwal says he will replace the management agency within 48 hours, adding he "will be issuing each tenant with a personal apology and meeting with them urgently".
He said: "I am shocked and sickened by the series of problems that have come to light and I am unreservedly sorry to all my tenants for the bad experience they have endured.
"I will be reimbursing every tenant that is out of pocket for repairs or renewals they have had to undertake.
"I will be issuing each tenant with a personal apology and meeting with them urgently."
Responding to calls for Mr Athwal to quit as a councillor, House of Commons leader Lucy Powell said she understood he was "furious" as he "he didn’t know this is happening in his housing stock".
Speaking to Sky's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, she said: "I take at face value what he said in the last few days and he's got to put that right.
"He's absolutely got to put those things right and that's why he's sacked the managing agent, but I'm not here to defend his actions."
Ms Powell added Labour was bringing forward a "much strengthened" Renters Reform Bill when parliament returns next week to "tackle the scourge of bad landlords".
In 2018, Mr Athwal - who led Redbridge Council from 2014 until he became an MP last month - shared an article about a local landlord being fined by the council, writing, external: "Rogue landlords, we are coming for you."
He is still a councillor but stood down from his role as council leader following the general election, where he stood on Labour’s 2024 manifesto included a commitment to "prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against".
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TLDR: Slum landlord who specifically introduced rules stopping others being landlords unless they had a loicence and proceeded to not have said licenses himself. While this article does not mention it he also originally lied and said he did have these.
 
Enjoy your raperichment, Britfags, as your children get incessantly raped by your cultural enrichment associates.
 
Anyone else think if Glenfell had been a building full of white peoples in the north of England absolutely no one in the media or establishment would have cared, except Andy Burnham who would have waited twenty years t make political capital out of it?
 
FedPostalService said:
Anyone else think if Glenfell had been a building full of white peoples in the north of England absolutely no one in the media or establishment would have cared,
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Probably a footnote on the BBC look north segment. I can tell you from first hand experience just how much worse off the Northern tower blocks are when compared to the southern ones.
 
FedPostalService said:
Anyone else think if Glenfell had been a building full of white peoples in the north of England absolutely no one in the media or establishment would have cared, except Andy Burnham who would have waited twenty years t make political capital out of it?
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Everything to do with grenfell is an indictment of the state of the Uk
-full of immigrants
-full of sub letters and illegals
-dodgy electrical appliance set it alight
-nobody gave a shit about warning other residents, everyone could have got out if they had
-dodgy cladding the company who sold it knew was dodgy but still sold it to the uk
-dodgy building management
- government board allowing such materials.
-local authority not caring about fire regs
Just failure, corruption and grift the whole way down.
 
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Amin Yasister said:
I think his divorce cost him £20 million.

So presume he has several million left still, plenty enough to see him through the rest of his life.
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Was talking about it with family today by coincidence, so many who become wealthy seem to not take the attitude of "fuck it, enough" and continue to pursue ever more dizzying heights. I'd imagine losing 20 million stung him somewhat despite the fact that he still remains very rich.

News roundup.

Corbyn and the pro-Gaza lot unify in a bid to claim more taxpayer money.

Jeremy Corbyn has united with four other MPs elected as independents to establish the joint-fifth biggest group in the House of Commons.
Already outnumbering the Green Party and matching the number of Reform UK MPs, the new Independent Alliance has made a pitch to recruit more members after seven of Mr Corbyn's allies were suspended from the parliamentary Labour Party.
All five of the group beat Labour candidates in July's election with their pro-Palestinian stance in constituencies with large Muslim populations.
The Independent Alliance say they will use their new platform to campaign for scrapping the two-child benefit limit and against arms sales to Israel.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd73x77r22do
The Independent Alliance includes five of the six independent MPs elected at the 2024 general election - the most in modern history.
Alongside Mr Corbyn the group comprises of Shockat Adam, Ayoub Khan, Adnan Hussain and Iqbal Mohamed.
Alex Easton, a former member of the Democratic Unionist Party DUP who was elected as independent MP for North Down, is not part of the group.
Established parties of five MPs have previously been eligible for as much as £129,000 in "short money" - public funds given to opposition parties to support research.
However, Parliament's rules currently appear to prevent these funds going to new groups formed between general elections.
But by collaborating the independents can secure more funds for their campaign work by sharing resources and hosting joint fundraisers.
The group also hopes to gain the opportunity to choose debate topics and be allocated more questions in Parliament.
Given Labour's huge majority it is unclear how effective a force the independents will be in Parliament.
But the group have already been working together informally for months, calling for the two-child benefit cap to be scrapped, alongside Green and SNP MPs.
One of their first actions was to reach out to the seven Labour MPs - all former allies of Mr Corbyn including his former shadow chancellor John McDonnell - who were suspended from the parliamentary party for six months after voting in favour of a abolishing the cap.
So far, there has been no formal coordination between independent MPs and suspended Labour MPs, the BBC understands.
In a joint statement the Independent Alliance said: "Already, this government has scrapped the winter fuel allowance for around 10 million pensioners, voted to keep the two-child benefits cap, and ignored calls to end arms sales to Israel.
"Millions of people are crying out for a real alternative to austerity, inequality and war – and their voices deserve to be heard.
"As individuals we were voted by our constituents to represent their concerns in Parliament on these matters, and more, and we believe that as a collective group we can carry on doing this with greater effect.
"The more MPs who are prepared to stand up for these principles, the better.
“Our door is always open to other MPs who believe in a more equal and peaceful world."
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Pontins bends the knee to gypsies
Pontins has apologised directly to Irish Travellers saying its previous refusal to allow guests to stay because it suspected they were from the community was "clearly wrong".
The apology is the first stage in the holiday park company's one-year action plan launched to tackle discrimination against Irish Travellers.
The plan was developed with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), after the watchdog found Pontins had engaged in unlawful acts discriminating against Irish Travellers.
Earlier this year the EHRC published an investigation into Pontins having unearthed "company systems and practices" designed to bar Irish Travellers from its holiday parks between 2013 and 2018.
On Monday, EHRC chairwoman Baroness Kishwer Falkner said: "Race and ethnicity should never be a barrier to going on holiday.
"Pontins has today apologised to the Irish Traveller community it discriminated against and has begun work to introduce strict safeguards and guarantee a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56246848

The EHRC investigation found 11 unlawful acts which discriminated against Irish Travellers, including refusing or cancelling bookings made by people with Irish accents or surnames.
The commission also found Pontins had created a list of common Irish surnames labelled as "undesirable guests".
Some of the names that appeared on the list of undesirable guests - an image of which the EHRC included in its report - were Boyle, Keefe, Gallagher, O'Donnell, McGuiness, Murphy, and O'Reilly.
As well as this list, the watchdog found there was a "banned list" containing the names of people thought to be Irish Travellers, as well as their associates.
The EHRC said Pontins also brought in rules requiring guests to appear on the electoral register, which the commission said was discriminatory against Gypsies and Travellers, as they were less likely to be on it.
The action plan, the implementation of which will be monitored by the watchdog, will introduce a "zero-tolerance approach to discrimination".
The requirement to be on the electoral roll has been dropped and a commitment made not to reintroduce it.
Booking policies will also be monitored, a whistleblower plan introduced, and there will be engagement with Traveller communities.
A spokesperson for Pontins said the company would like to "reiterate our apologies regarding the serious issues" raised by the ECHR.
"We deeply regret any distress caused, particularly to members of the traveller and gypsy communities who have been directly affected," the company added.
The statement said the firm was "fully committed to ensuring ongoing compliance with the Equality Act 2010, implementing a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination of all forms and to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment for all of our guests".
Pontins has previously said the call centre where the incidents took place had now closed.
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Iceland (the chain not the country) boss points out human rights laws stop publicly naming shoplifters.
Iceland executive chairman Richard Walker has said he will “take the rap” if staff face prosecution for sharing images of individuals caught stealing on local WhatsApp groups.

The boss of the frozen food retailer said that he told employees to post such images, despite what he described as “stupid” data protection laws that prevent retailers from sharing images of shoplifters caught stealing, The Times reported.

Walker has since called on the government to change the laws to allow these images and videos to be shared, claiming they can help to stop prolific shoplifters.

He told Woburn Partners’ Lessons in Leadership podcast: “We are fighting with one hand tied behind our backs.

“When these images are on your CCTV … it’s absolutely proven. There’s no denying. You watch someone pick something up, put it under their coat or whatever they do, and walk out or become aggressive to store staff if they’re stopped.

“Obviously you’d like to absolutely share those images. I’ve told my colleagues to do it anyway and I take the rap if there’s a problem. It’s a stupid law.”

A spokesman for the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) said: “Data protection law enables retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime as long as it’s necessary and proportionate in the circumstances.

“Retailers will need to consider the relevant privacy implications such as having a legal reason and appropriate security measures when considering publishing any images of suspected shoplifters.”

They added: “Any retailer that is using or sharing information to prevent or detect crime and isn’t sure how to do this in a compliant way, can contact us for advice or find guidance on our website.”

It comes as the number of shoplifting offences recorded by police in England and Wales hit its highest figure in 20 years.

Last month, home secretary Yvette Cooper pledged to “end the shameful neglect” of shoplifting by the police as punishments have plummeted over the past year.

According to The Times analysis of official figures from the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and police forces, just 431 shoplifters were given fixed penalty notices in the year to March 2024 – a fall of 98% from 19,419 issued 10 years ago.
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(if he's willing to go to court over this I'm going to applaud the fellow)

Justice for salmon!
Police are investigating whether a senior civil servant gave a false statement under oath to the Alex Salmond inquiry, a court has heard.
The Court of Session was told that detectives are probing evidence given to the inquiry in 2020 by James Hynd, who was the Scottish government's head of cabinet, parliament and governance at the time.
The inquiry was examining the handling of sexual harassment complaints made against the former first minister, who was later cleared of all of the charges against him in a separate criminal trial.
The inquiry, which was held by a committee of MSPs, concluded that the government investigation into Mr Salmond was “seriously flawed".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-67523503
Mr Salmond has alleged that there was a conspiracy among senior SNP figures, including his successor as first minister Nicola Sturgeon, to imprison him. Ms Sturgeon has strongly denied the claim.
He is seeking "significant damages" and compensation for loss of earnings that could total millions of pounds.
That would be in addition to the £500,000 that Mr Salmond was awarded in legal costs after a judge said in 2019 that the government investigation into the allegations against him had been “unlawful in respect that they were procedurally unfair" and also "tainted with apparent bias".
Mr Salmond’s lawyer Gordon Dangerfield told the Court of Session on Friday that the Police Scotland investigation into Mr Hynd was called Operation Broadcroft and was being headed by a senior detective.
He also said that the investigation was looking into claims that a “very, very senior civil servant - Mr James Hynd - gave a false statement on oath at the inquiry”.
Mr Hynd was responsible for drawing up the government’s policy on the handling of complaints involving former and current ministers - the policy under which Mr Salmond was investigated.
The police inquiry into Mr Hynd’s conduct emerged during a court hearing in a civil case that Mr Salmond has brought against the Scottish government.

Alex Salmond is seeking "significant damages" and compensation for loss of earnings in his civil case against the Scottish government
Mr Dangerfield asked for the civil case to be “sisted” - a legal expression for it to be paused – while the police investigation was ongoing.
Judge Lord Fairley refused the request after Scottish government lawyer Lesley Shand KC said the case had already been sisted three times since it was first raised in November last year.
She added: “There is a concern about the length of time that has passed since the events in question and there is a concern about the effect that will have on evidence and also on individuals who have this these allegations hanging over them in this summons.”
The Scottish government said it did not comment on individual employees.
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “We are investigating a complaint in relation to evidence provided to a Scottish Parliament committee.
"These inquiries are ongoing and we are unable to comment further.”
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Scotland being Scotland
Scotland's leading domestic abuse charity has been slammed by women's campaigners who say they are inviting applications from "men who identify as women" for a senior "women-only" post. Scottish Women’s Aid (SWA) say the successful applicant for the head of policy post will be a "key member" of the senior leadership team and "identify, shape and develop policy priorities".

They say applications will be accepted from "women only under Schedule 9, part 1 of the Equality Act 2010". But they add that "all women, including women with the protected characteristic of gender reassignment, may apply for women-only roles".

Women's rights campaigners have hit out, claiming SWA has misinterpreted equality laws. Maya Forstater, CEO of human-rights charity Sex Matters, insisted it was "frankly inexcusable" that SWA continued to misinterpret equality laws and put the "feelings of men with trans identities before the needs of vulnerable women".

She said: "If a job needs to be done by a woman, as is usually the case in the women’s sector, employers can lawfully discriminate by excluding men from consideration for the role. Scottish Women’s Aid may, indeed should, turn down applications for this post from men who identify as women.


"The Equality Act protects transgender people from discrimination in situations such as renting a home or being served in a restaurant. It does not mean employers must consider men who identify as women for jobs that require an actual woman."

Ms Forstater added: "This information is now widely understood. The women who depend on Scottish Women’s Aid deserve better than such a fundamental and harmful misrepresentation of anti-discrimination law."


Clare Blom, of the grassroots group Women Won’t Wheesht, said they had written to Dundee Women’s Aid earlier this year over their "discriminatory and dangerous practice of wrongly citing Schedule 9 of the Equality Act and employing men who self-identify as women". She said: "As a result of this, Dundee Women's Aid changed their practice to ensure they were complying with their legal obligations.

"It is unconscionable that Scottish Women's Aid - yet another organisation funded by the Scottish Government - have learned nothing from their colleagues in Dundee and are gaslighting and lying to their Service Users by pretending that only women are employed in their 'women-only' roles. We are deeply disappointed by this wanton disregard for women's privacy, safety and dignity, not to mention their profound lack of understanding of anti-discriminatory legislation."

SWA describes the post as an "exciting opportunity" to head up their policy team, with the successful applicant being responsible for "leading a diverse range of policy areas and levers for change to end domestic abuse and violence against women and girls in Scotland". The successful applicant will report directly to Chief Executive Dr Marsha Scott and "share responsibility for the leadership of the organisation and the management of people, services and resources".


The head of policy role includes inputting to and submitting consultation responses, researching and writing briefings, preparing for SWA to provide evidence in parliament. The Edinburgh-based post has a top salary of £47,078.

SWA is the umbrella organisation for 33 autonomous Women’s Aid groups delivering direct services to women, children and young people across Scotland. SWA declined to comment.
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Otterly said:
terrible quality when post war we had the Parker Morris standards and very good quality council housing
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The poor quality of new builds is going to become a major problem down the road, and no official body seems to be interested in addressing it, probably assuming it's going to be a long term problem. However 10 years from now when banks start to regularly refuse mortgages on homes, it's going to be the equivalen of the leasehold scandal x 10.

Incidentally they can't even deal with the leasehold scandal because the fucking financial sector has been telling the government that they've leveraged leaseholds to such an extent it'll be too much of a shock to they system to make even minor changes, the same civil servants that sabotaged the tories proposals are going to do the same for labours (which is why I suspect Angela Rayner has been given the job)

New builds are essentially made of plasterboard, the only inspections they get are for electrical safety and of course energy efficiency (so they're saunas during the summer) most of them aren't going to be standing at the end of a 40 year mortgage.
 
AnOminous said:
Enjoy your raperichment, Britfags, as your children get incessantly raped by your cultural enrichment associates.
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US and UK voting systems are quite different. We didn't vote for this, we just have a system where the major parties can protect their power indefinitely and ignore the electorate at large.

Most of us are waiting for some wrecking ball to go through the current paradigm. It's not even just the assaults and shit. Finding a job is harder than ever and many are still living at home with their parents into their thirties, finding it difficult to even rent something decent, let alone buy a house. But if you arrive here on a boat you'll get a house no problem, and plenty of money.

I'm not against helping others. But there's a saying, "charity begins at home", and that's just something that isn't true at all right now...
 
have you brit bongs enjoyed the nuclear level meltdown Tucker Carlson caused every faux rightwing boomer on twitter to have by suggesting that Churchill wasn't the greatest man to ever live?

I swear something's changing. the ideas people are discussing out in the open now are things you'd never have heard even 5 years ago. For better or worse the world as we've known it for the past 50+ years seems to be dying.
 
Welsh Catgirl Enjoyer said:
Most of us are waiting for some wrecking ball to go through the current paradigm. It's not even just the assaults and shit. Finding a job is harder than ever and many are still living at home with their parents into their thirties, finding it difficult to even rent something decent, let alone buy a house. But if you arrive here on a boat you'll get a house no problem, and plenty of money.
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From the age of about 13 onwards I’d labour for my dad or one of his mates for extra money during school holidays. It was a good experience, it got me socialising with adults, good for fitness, taught me some skills, and was fun when the weather was good.

Could you do that now? Most building sites you have to be 18+ to step on them. The old cast in hand jobs seem to have completely disappeared.

I had a mate who had a workshop which he had to close in the end as he just needed to hire some to help out but the costs around doing it probably outweighed the benefit of an extra set of hands.

I really hope for the best for any kiwis with small businesses as the government hates you.
 
Trig.Point said:
New builds are essentially made of plasterboard, the only inspections they get are for electrical safety and of course energy efficiency (so they're saunas during the summer) most of them aren't going to be standing at the end of a 40 year mortgage.
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They’re terrible. And you go abroad to places like Norway and see their new builds and they’re great. Roomy, properly insulated, safe, decent materials
Ours are tiny, tiny shoeboxes, with closet sized rooms not big enough to put furniture in. They’re also in stupid places - some near family were built on not just the usual floodplain but the actual wetland marsh that floods. As in ‘we have cleared the reeds away from this bit that floods every year since forever, and put the houses on a mound of rubble, that’ll do!’
 
Otterly said:
They’re terrible. And you go abroad to places like Norway and see their new builds and they’re great. Roomy, properly insulated, safe, decent materials
Ours are tiny, tiny shoeboxes, with closet sized rooms not big enough to put furniture in. They’re also in stupid places - some near family were built on not just the usual floodplain but the actual wetland marsh that floods. As in ‘we have cleared the reeds away from this bit that floods every year since forever, and put the houses on a mound of rubble, that’ll do!’
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Planning laws in the UK are infamously terrible. All our houses are designed to meet certain criteria which artificially boosts the cost of the housing whilst making them unliveable like how all new builds have tiny windows to prevent falls or have EV chargers outside of them.

Houses in country's like Norway have actual thought put into them and they actually build houses to last for the long term since Norway has a lot of people who rent and not some pump and dump esque scheme where they ruin your local towns and greenbelt with these abominations and then flee before they begin falling apart.
 
Trig.Point said:
New builds are essentially made of plasterboard, the only inspections they get are for electrical safety and of course energy efficiency (so they're saunas during the summer) most of them aren't going to be standing at the end of a 40 year mortgage.
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From what I'm hearing from sparkies online most electrical sign offs (niecir?/napit) with landlords involve brown envelopes.
They're discussing the Grenfell report and the current fluctuations that caused appliances to smoke as one example leading them to bad grounding as the cause of that factor.
 
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