This house believes private schools should be abolished
Fee-paying schools, however, do not merely cater for the privileged few, but hard-working aspirational parents who want the best for their children. They also allow for a quality that is essential in all aspects of raising children: choice. Is this two-tier system an archaic injustice that needs total reform? Or is it the route to a better education for all?
This debate was recorded at the Cambridge Literary Festival. You can watch and listen to more on cambridgeliteraryfestival.com
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Spectator
2 hours ago
- Spectator
Reform's trans prisoner policy is a mess
Reform are in the headlines again, this time over confusion about their policy on trans prisoners. Yesterday Vanessa Frake, former prison governor and Reform's UK justice adviser, said that trans women should not automatically be removed from women's prisons, preferring an individual risk assessment. Nigel Farage seemed to echo this view, deferring to her experience and saying 'it's basically about risk assessment'. This announcement put the party at odds with the recent Supreme Court ruling on the meaning of 'sex'. It also put it at odds with reality. Reform have since issued a partial disavowal, with Andrew Southall, one of the party's MP candidates in 2024, tweeting that 'Vanessa Frake is an adviser, not a policy maker', and that the party 'does NOT support putting biological men in women's prisons'. However also wrote that no man 'belongs in a women's prison if there's any risk to safety', which leaves the door open for exactly the risk assessments Frake, along with much of the Prison Service, prefers. Frake's announcement has raised criticism from across the political spectrum, with Rupert Lowe telling me that, 'Sex is immutable, and law must reflect that…under no circumstances must males be permitted to enter female spaces, especially in prisons, where the risk of violence is elevated. That Reform are still five years behind on this debate is concerning given their present electoral prospects – they must get up to speed with where political and cultural discourse is in 2025.' Robert Jenrick, the Shadow Justice Secretary said 'men don't belong in women's prisons. It's as simple as that. It's a clear risk to the safety of female prisoners, and it unwinds the welcome, overdue change that the Supreme Court's recent decision has led to. On this, Frake's instincts are clearly out of step with the views of the majority of the British public.' At the moment Reform's position would put it to the left of the Lord Chancellor. Shabana Mahmood is very much seen as 'gender critical' within Labour politics. Despite inheriting a Tory policy under which trans prisoners can be moved to women's jails if they've had surgery and are not sex offenders, and if the Secretary of State approves it, no such moves have taken place since Mahmood took office. Indeed her remarks since the Supreme Court ruling point at her desire to tighten the rule. Interviewed yesterday, Frake said 'I'm not an expert on trans people. All that I know is that everybody should be treated with humanity and decency'. Does humanity and decency require we place men of any sort in women's prisons? From my experience I say absolutely not. When I was a prisoner at HMP Wandsworth a number of trans 'women' were jailed there. The prison kept them on the 'Vulnerable Prisoners' (VPs) wing, and one of them regularly attended the library where I worked. The prisoner dressed as a woman, and had clearly had surgery. There were no problems with them being in a men's prison. Of course, our prisons are not safe environments, but those on VP wings are safer than the average prisoner, and trans prisoners do not have their humanity or decency violated any more than any other inmate in a men's jail. Even more important though, is the way in which transferring these men to women's prisons would violate the humanity and decency of those women. More than half of women in prison were abused as children (often at the hands of men), while almost 60 per cent have been victims of domestic abuse. Forcing these women to live with men, even men who 'present as women', is abusive and likely to retraumatise them. It also presents obvious risks to their safety. There is nothing decent about choosing to prioritise the demands of a very small number of men over the needs and rights of very vulnerable women. Reform are also standing against public opinion here. Recent polling shows that the British people have become far more sceptical on trans issues. The polling company did not ask about prisons, but with 60 per cent saying that trans 'women' should not be allowed to use women's changing rooms, it's reasonable to believe that a clear majority want prisons to stay single-sex. Reality, and the Supreme Court are clear: sex matters. Trans 'women' do not have a right to enter women's spaces, and the old demands that we 'be kind' hold no power. Frake, and Reform have simply got this wrong. When the Supreme Court, the Labour Lord Chancellor, Rupert Lowe and the electorate disagree with you, it's time to think again. There are signs this morning that the party is listening. A spokesman said 'an ex-prison governor who is advising…has a different opinion. That does not constitute party policy'. Meanwhile Farage has tweeted that he has 'never supported men in women's prisons', to which Rupert Lowe replied 'you did yesterday'. The last 24 hours have not reflected well on Reform. If they are to be treated as a government-in-waiting, they need to get serious, and clear about policy.
Powys County Times
3 hours ago
- Powys County Times
Starmer has ‘made a mistake' with plan to recognise Palestinian state
Sir Keir Starmer has 'made a mistake' in announcing plans to recognise Palestine as a state, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch said. The Government last week said it will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to meet certain conditions, including a ceasefire and a revival of the two-state solution. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister reiterated that Hamas must release the hostages, sign up to a ceasefire, disarm and play no role in the government of Gaza. The Government will then make an assessment in September 'on how far the parties have met these steps', the Prime Minister said. During a visit to a farm in Little Walden, Essex, on Tuesday, Mrs Badenoch said she would never agree to recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas is still in power in Gaza. She said: 'Absolutely not. No. Hamas is a terrorist organisation. We should not be creating a new terrorist state. 'This is basic stuff, and I don't understand why Keir Starmer doesn't understand that.' The Tory leader added: 'Keir Starmer has made a mistake. What we need to focus on now is a ceasefire and getting the hostages home. 'We've been seeing images of a hostage who looks like he's being starved to death, forced to dig his own grave. This is what Hamas is about. 'Now is not the time to reward them for their atrocities and for the massacre they committed on October 7 by giving them statehood recognition. 'We want to see a two-state solution after a peace settlement done in the right way at the right time. It is not the right thing to do now. 'And I'm not surprised that British hostages like Emily Damari have condemned the Government for the approach they've taken.' Ms Damari, a British-Israeli woman who was held hostage by Hamas for more than a year, has said she believes Sir Keir is 'not standing on the right side of history' after his conditional pledge to recognise Palestine. Mrs Badenoch's comments came as it was announced a protest will take place in London this weekend opposing Sir Keir's plans to recognise Palestine as a state. Demonstrators, including some British family members of hostages still held by Hamas, will march on Downing Street calling for the release of the remaining hostages before any talk about the recognition of Palestine. Marchers will include the relatives of Avinatan Or, who was kidnapped from the Nova music festival with his girlfriend Noa Argamani. Mr Or's cousin Ariel Felber, from London, said: 'Keir Starmer has failed the hostages and their families by not making it a condition that all the remaining hostages are brought home to their loved ones before he can even entertain talk of state recognition of Palestine. 'He urgently needs to correct this.' Steve Brisley from Bridgend, Wales, whose sister and nieces were murdered on October 7 and his brother-in-law Eli taken hostage, said: 'As British families of hostages and victims, devastated by the ongoing suffering of our loved ones, our emotional torture has been exacerbated by the suggestion that the UK may recognise a Palestinian state without securing the release of the hostages as an absolute precondition. 'This is not about politics. This is about basic humanity.' The family members are expected to be joined by Jewish leaders and other supporters on their National March For The Hostages through central London on Sunday afternoon. Tzipi Hotovely, Israeli ambassador to the UK, said on X that Hamas's actions 'must never be rewarded' as she highlighted the plight of one of the hostages, 24-year-old Evyatar David. Hamas released a video on Saturday which showed Mr David looking skeletal and hollow-eyed in a dimly lit Gaza tunnel. Ms Hotovely said: 'He is clearly malnourished and ill-treated. A shadow of his former self, his suffering is unimaginable. 'Like countless others who saw it, I was appalled by the sickening footage of Evyatar being forced to dig his own grave. 'This abhorrent footage shows Hamas for what they are – wicked terrorists who seek to inflict as much death, destruction and suffering on as many Jews and Israelis as they can. Their actions must never be rewarded.'
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Why Craig Murray is lobbying UN ambassadors Scottish independence
His latest – and unofficial – diplomatic role took him to Manhattan, there to rub shoulders with ambassadors and activists in the 'New York radical scene' with the ultimate aim of having Scotland 'decolonised' by the international body. Murray's career as a diplomat culminated with a posting to Uzbekistan as the British ambassador, a post from which he was sacked after raising concerns about human rights abuses in the country. He is now flexing his diplomatic muscles as part of the campaign group Liberation Scotland's attempts to have the UN recognise Scotland as a 'colony', which would put it on course for gaining independence in the same manner as did countries such as Ghana, Cameroon and Somalia. During his visit in June, Murray made an intervention on behalf of the Kanak people of New Caledonia. He told The National that this was because Liberation Scotland supports 'the freedom of other colonies' but admits an ulterior motive. It was 'to show that I understand the legal structures and the legal arguments' around decolonisation, and to demonstrate that the group is 'not disruptive' as it may otherwise be characterised, said Murray. It was a demonstration that the group are approaching the committee sincerely and in good faith. The former diplomat, now an activist, blogger and sometime political candidate, said that networking was fundamental to the trip and met with high-profile activist lawyersMargaret Ratner Kunstler and Dan Kovalik. READ MORE: Top historian of nationalism weighs in on bid to 'decolonise' Scotland His initial pitch to the UN ambassadors with whom he spoke – many will represent countries colonised with the help of Scottish soldiers - was to ask whether they considered Ireland a colony. 'Everyone does, that's a perfectly accepted idea,' said Murray. 'And then explain to them that Scotland's a colony in the same way, we're actually extremely similar cases and that all the things that are said against Scotland being a colony, like the fact that we had a Treaty of Union, the fact that Scottish people used to serve in imperialist forces or benefitted from the slave trade, all of those things are also true in Ireland and that doesn't stop Ireland from having been a colony.' Murray said that despite the baggage of history, his arguments for Scottish independence were met with 'warmth' from those he lobbied. (Image: Getty Images) 'That does bring an initial willingness to listen, which is very important,' he added. By the same token, said Murray, there is a historic and growing anger at the UK in UN circles, especially given Keir Starmer's assault on the aid budget to fund military spending and the perception of Britain as 'one of Israel's closest allies' during the genocide in Gaza. 'People are receptive to breaking up the UK, because they don't like the UK,' he added. June's trip was marked down by Murray as a success and he said that he would reconnect with people he met when he returns to New York in September for the General Assembly. He and a team potentially numbering dozens of others are due in Geneva in the autumn for further UN lobbying. But he concedes that the battle is likely to be a long one and it is 'in no sense a substitute for campaigning at home'. 'We've made a good start, it will take a couple of years and success is not guaranteed,' Murray said. 'But it's a lot easier, it's a lot more realistic than getting Keir Starmer to agree to a referendum.'
