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Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
MP Diane Abbott suspended from Labour Party over comments about racism
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended from the Labour Party for a second time, a spokesperson said, after she doubled down on comments about racism for which she had previously apologised. A Labour Party spokesperson said: 'Diane Abbott has been administratively suspended from the Labour Party, pending an investigation. We cannot comment further while this investigation is ongoing.' The move means the whip is automatically suspended in the House of Commons for the Hackney North and Stoke Newington MP, it is understood. Ms Abbott was suspended by the Labour Party in 2023 after writing a letter to the Observer comparing racism experienced by people of colour with that seen by other groups. She apologised for any anguish caused by the remarks, which drew criticism from Jewish and Traveller groups, and was readmitted to the party before the 2024 general election. But in a new interview with BBC Radio 4's Reflections programme, she said she did not look back on the incident with regret. 'No, not at all,' she told the BBC. 'Clearly, there must be a difference between racism which is about colour and other types of racism, because you can see a Traveller or a Jewish person walking down the street, you don't know. 'You don't know unless you stop to speak to them or you're in a meeting with them. 'But if you see a black person walking down the street, you see straight away that they're black. They are different types of racism.' She added: 'I just think that it's silly to try and claim that racism which is about skin colour is the same as other types of racism.' Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner was asked if she was disappointed by the comments. 'I was. There's no place for antisemitism in the Labour party, and obviously the Labour party has processes for that,' she told The Guardian. 'Diane had reflected on how she'd put that article together, and said that 'was not supposed to be the version', and now to double down and say 'Well, actually I didn't mean that. I actually meant what I originally said', I think is a real challenge.' Ms Abbott is the longest-serving female MP in the Commons, having entered Parliament in 1987. She said she was 'grateful' to be a Labour MP in the BBC interview, but that she was sure the party leadership had been 'trying to get me out'.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Incels, misogyny, role models: what England's new relationships and sex education lessons will cover – and how young people will benefit
Sex and relationships education for children at primary and secondary state-funded schools in England will see significant changes following the release of new statutory guidance from the government. There are some stark differences between this and the draft guidance issued by the previous Conservative government in May 2024. The new guidance also looks different in many ways to the last statutory guidance, released in 2019. It includes many new and valuable topics such as the law around strangulation, sextortion, upskirting, deepfakes, suicide prevention and bereavement. Schools are also required to challenge misogynistic ideas, cover misogynistic influencers and online content, and explore prejudice and pornography. As a researcher working on sex education and masculinity, I see many positives in how these issues are approached in the government's new guidance. The new topics are a move in the right direction, meeting the needs of the pupils being taught. Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK's latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Another key change is the removal of the proposal to put age restrictions on the teaching of certain topics. This is welcome news: it aligns with evidence and allows teachers to design sex education that takes context into account. It means they can teach their pupils what they need to know in a proactive and responsive way. The guidance also explicitly mentions giving pupils the opportunity to discuss incels. Incel, an abbreviation of 'involuntary celibate', refers to those who identify as wanting romantic and sexual partners but find it difficult to achieve this. Online incel communities are underpinned by hostility towards women, resentment, misogyny and the support of extreme violence against women. They may espouse an ideological position that claims societal structures are set up to unfairly disadvantage them. Keeping boys in the conversation One aspect included in the guidance is that it is important for pupils to understand that 'most boys and young men are respectful to girls and young women and each other'. It also states that 'teachers should avoid language which stigmatises boys, or suggests that boys or men are always perpetrators or that girls or women are always victims'. These are really important points that need to underpin the teaching of misogyny and online incel culture. A risk is that such teaching may otherwise portray boys, as a group, as perpetrators. This can create a culture of blame that may alienate boys and young men. Instead, seeing boys as valuable contributors to these conversations around misogyny can foster educational progress. Another important reference in the guidance is that children and young people should have opportunities to develop 'positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity', and how to 'identify and learn from positive male role models'. This focus on positive examples of masculinity is a welcome way to support boys and young men in developing healthy identities – not only considering gender but other intersecting aspects of their identity, such as class, ethnicity, culture and values. Good relationships and sex education needs dialogue and understanding between pupils, teachers and parents. For adults, this means knowing the landscape first. Familiarisation with why young people may be attracted to problematic online spaces will be useful. These online spaces often offer a skewed sense of belonging, and offer simplistic answers to complex emotions and questions. Young people's thoughts and opinions of misogynist online influencers may be contradictory, rather than simple approval or disapproval. This requires thoughtful unpicking of concepts and ideals, and open conversation rather than blame. It is also important to recognise that teaching these topics is not easy, and that teachers may need support too. New content While much of the new guidance is welcome, it's important that teacher training and professional development keeps pace with these changes. Teachers may not feel confident addressing such a broad range of often-sensitive topics without support. The guidance also falls short of making relationships and sex education statutory for those aged 16-18 in sixth-form colleges, 16-19 academies or further education colleges, despite evidence that it is very much needed for this age group. The rights of transgender people and the issues affecting them are dealt with in a limited way, which could affect teachers' ability to have supportive conversations with trans and non-binary pupils. There is also limited detail for those working in special education for pupils with complex needs. One of the most important aspects of teaching on sex and relationships is to create a safe space for open discussion. Young people should be encouraged to provide their own input into how relationships and sex education is taught, and to give their ideas on what they feel they need to learn about – and what they already know. While this approach is often overlooked, meaningful engagement with pupils is highlighted as a key guiding principle in the new guidance. Young people are the experts on the world they inhabit. It is essential they are listened to to ensure that lessons are relevant and effective. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Sophie King-Hill receives funding from the ESRC.
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Abbott suspended by Labour Party after comments about racism
MP Diane Abbott has been suspended by the Labour Party pending an investigation into comments she made about racism, the BBC understands. The move also means that Abbott will sit as an independent MP, known as losing the whip. Labour said it would not be commenting "while this investigation is ongoing". This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.
