Latest news with #double standards
Sky News
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Rushanara Ali: Humiliating demise for Labour minister after a most egregious case of double standards
Rushanara Ali's swift and humiliating demise is a classic example of paying the price for the politician's crime of "do as I say, not as I do". She was Labour's minister for homelessness, for goodness' sake, yet she ejected tenants from her near-£1m town house and then hiked the rent. A more egregious case of ministerial double standards it would be difficult to imagine. She had to go and was no doubt told by 10 Downing Street to go quickly. 'A heavy heart' - really? MP for the East End constituency of Bethnal Green and Stepney, Ms Ali was the very model of a modern Labour minister: A degree in PPE from Oxford University. In her resignation letter to Sir Keir Starmer, she said she is quitting "with a heavy heart". Really? She presumably didn't have a heavy heart when she ejected her four tenants. She'd previously spoken out against "private renters being exploited" and said her government would "empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases". The now former minister was charging her four former tenants £3,300 a month. Yet after they moved out, she charged her new tenants £4,000 - a rent increase of more than 20%. A fragile constituency for Labour? In an area represented by the left-wing firebrand George Galloway from 2005 to 2010, Ms Ali had a majority of under 1,700 at the election last year. Ominously for Labour, an independent candidate was second and the Greens third. No doubt Jeremy Corbyn's new party will also stand next time. In her resignation letter to the PM, Ms Ali said continuing in her ministerial role would be a distraction. Too right.
Telegraph
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Labour's grotesque lies about illegal migration are finally being exposed
Sir Keir Starmer is the worst possible Prime Minister at the most inauspicious of times. The lies, double-standards and moral blackmail fuelling our illegal immigration crisis threaten to tear this country apart, and yet Starmer stands frozen, unwilling as well as incapable of rising to the challenge. He is a cardboard cutout of a prime minister, an ideological automaton at a time when the public craves leadership, reassurance and change. If he truly wanted to defuse tensions, and if he were even a half-decent politician, Starmer would make the trip to Essex and, like de Gaulle addressing the crowd in Algiers in 1958, tell the law-abiding middle class protesters in front of the Bell Hotel in Epping that he understands them. He would order the transfer of the asylum-seekers to a better location. He would condemn extremists and agitators of all hues, far-Right as well as far-Left, and insist that all violence is intolerable. He would rebuke Essex Police, the wokest police force in the most Right-wing county, for escorting pro-migrant protestors to the Bell, stating that he opposes any notion of two-tier justice or treating one side of the debate better than the other. He would express his distaste at the booking of a four star hotel in Canary Wharf to house migrants, and demand cheaper pop-up sites be found. In the real world, we must make do with Starmer's platitudes and untruths. Why did his social media account claim that 'we will stop at nothing to tackle illegal migration' when that is the very opposite of what Labour is doing? Starmer refuses to pull levers that might work: his priority is not stopping the boats but maintaining the human rights orthodoxy at any cost. Yes, Starmer would love it were something to turn up and immigration, legal and illegal, were to drop – he may even get his way if Rachel Reeves bankrupts Britain – but he has no desire to pro-actively do anything radical about it. The PM refuses to pull out of the ECHR or of the UN Refugee conventions, he is wedded to the obsolete principal of non-refoulement and he scrapped the Rwanda scheme. He won't consider jailing illegal arrivals. He will never take truly drastic action towards the people traffickers. This newspaper revealed last week that a High Court judge, in a case brought against the Foreign Office by an Afghan living in the UK seeking to bring relatives to Britain, that 'family members' did not have to have a 'blood or legal connection' to the applicant. Down that road lies madness. Starmer's ludicrous, ECHR compliant plan for a ' thousands in, fifty out' pilot plan with France won't work, if it is ever signed off by the EU. He tells people smugglers he 'will destroy your business model, piece by piece', at the very time they drop off yet more boatloads. His idea to crack down on illicit activity is to 'share asylum accommodation locations' with food delivery services 'so they can take action if riders are staying there.' Downing Street officials believe that Britain's social fabric is 'fraying at the edges', and yet the best the Government can do is to demand greater integration and the restoration of trust, as if that were easy. Laughably, the Prime Minister reportedly believes that his policy to improve school attendance is already improving community relations. None of this is even close to being commensurate to the scale of the crisis. In The Vision of the Anointed: Self-congratulation as a basis for social policy, Thomas Sowell, the African-American economist, explained why politicians like Starmer lose touch with reality and end up despising their electorates. Sowell, who to her credit Kemi Badenoch often cites approvingly, divides the world into groups: the anointed elites, those we now call the woke Blob, ego-crazed idiot-savants who believe that simplistic social engineering can solve all of the world's problems, and followers of the 'tragic vision', who have the humility to understand the complexities and trade-offs inherent to human societies. The anointed include Labour, the Corbynites/Greens, Lib Dems and the many wet Tories. Followers of the 'tragic vision' include Reform, sensible Tories (including Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick and Jacob Rees-Mogg) and the 53 per cent of the public who tell YouGov that immigration is one of the most important issues facing Britain. The anointed are sure they know best, and don't react well when their grand schemes to 'save humanity' – the ECHR, the Human Rights Act or open borders – go wrong. Much of this is narcissism: these elites don't care as much about the downtrodden as they do about feeling good about themselves. The anointed, Sowell explained, operate by picking a 'mascot', a marginalised group, to champion, such as small boat migrants, while simultaneously demonising a 'target', such as ordinary 'normies' who believe immigration has gone too far. The anointed are above all dogmatic. Their beliefs are not susceptible to auto-correction, to Popperian falsification, to feedback from reality: they simply dismiss all contrary empirical evidence. They consider themselves to be well-intentioned and morally superior, so any criticism of their axioms must be dismissed as false consciousness, prima facie evidence of racism. So deranged, so deluded are these elites that they cannot conceive that their critics could genuinely, for non-xenophobic reasons, worry about filling hotels in residential areas with young men with no passports and no real known identity, and the risk this could pose to young girls. They can't accept that voters might genuinely be affected by housing and public services shortages exacerbated by mass migration (in a world of sluggish supply), and not be merely driven by prejudice. They cannot understand that putting up migrants in costly hotels, at a time when taxes are at record highs, is insulting to millions. They fail to comprehend why, in this context, the fact that a school banned a 12-year old girl from wearing a Union Flag dress on Culture Celebration Day, could be considered a provocation. Starmer and Labour will never change, and neither will the rest of the anointed class. The only answer is to replace them. I have a feeling that the next election will be called sooner than many believe.
Times of Oman
18-07-2025
- Business
- Times of Oman
"There should be no double standards, especially in energy trade": MEA on EU sanctions
New Delhi: India has responded to recent sanctions announced by the European Union, stating that it does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures and emphasising the importance of avoiding double standards, especially in the domain of energy trade. In response to media queries on the issue, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have noted the latest sanctions announced by the European Union. India does not subscribe to any unilateral sanction measures." "We are a responsible actor and remain fully committed to our legal obligations," Jaiswal said. The spokesperson further underlined that the Government of India considers the provision of energy security a critical responsibility. "Government of India considers the provision of energy security a responsibility of paramount importance to meet the basic needs of its citizens. We would stress that there should be no double standards, especially when it comes to energy trade," he added. The remarks align with the External Affairs Ministry's response on Thursday to NATO chief Mark Rutte's comments on potential secondary sanctions over Russian oil, stressing that securing India's energy needs is an "overriding priority" and decisions are driven by "available offers" and "prevailing global circumstances." The Ministry of External Affairs further cautioned against "double standards" on the matter. Addressing a press conference in the national capital, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, "We have seen reports on the subject and are closely following the developments. Let me reiterate and I have said this in the past as well that securing the energy needs of our people is, understandably, an overriding priority for us. In this endeavour, we are guided by what is available in the markets, as well as by the prevailing global circumstances." "We would particularly caution against any double standards on the matter," the MEA Spokesperson said. The NATO Secretary General had in his recent remarks asked India, China, and Brazil to reconsider their purchase of oil from Russia or face the prospect of "100 per cent secondary sanctions". Rutte echoed the position taken by US President Donald Trump, who earlier this week threatened severe tariffs on countries maintaining trade with Russia. "My encouragement to these three countries, particularly, is that if you live now in Beijing or in Delhi, or you are the President of Brazil, you might want to take a look at this because this might hit you very hard," Rutte had said. The NATO chief had also urged India and the other countries to "make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks" with Ukraine. "because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way."
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Gen Z can may hate Tinder's height filter but swerving short blokes & giant-arsed women is what singles do in real life
FOR years and years, women have been whanging on about male objectification. So wolf-whistles are out, it is sexist for a man to hold open a door for us, and 'Grid Girls' — Formula 1's all-female parade — are a thing of the past. 5 5 Now, here we are in 2025, doing the very same thing to blokes, all in the name of progression. Tinder, the world's most successful dating site with more than 75million members, has introduced a height filter so women can wheedle out shorties. In a trial, users of Tinder Premium, which costs £16.67 a month, can remove anyone in need of a Simon Cowell -esque Cuban heel. (Let's hope, then, 5ft 7in Emmanuel Macron' s recent marital woes resolve themselves, or he's buggered). 'We're always listening to what matters most to our Tinder users — and testing the paid height preference is a great example of how we're building with urgency, clarity and focus,' confirmed a Tinder spokesperson. All chaps under 5ft 8in are, of course, outraged. 'Out and out prejudice,' screamed one online. 'Women can shift their weight but we can't do anything about our height,' huffed another vertically challenged bloke. Women also chimed in, calling out the app for its blatant double standards. 'It's so hypocritical that men are demonised for having preferences but it's OK for women, often about things men can't change,' posted another commentator on X. 'Imagine if there was a fat filter.' Quite! But, actually, why not? Why stop at height? Let's introduce filters for weight, boob size, and penis length (no need for pictorial evidence of the latter, please, rather a ruler measurement to the centimetre). Online dating is soul-destroying, and some of my single friends regard apps, such as Tinder and Hinge, as their second job. The Tinder hack guaranteed to make you the most liked on the app In my thirties, I wasted months of my life chatting to people, who looked absolutely nothing like their photos when we met in person. Woke warriors I would politely go through with painful dates because, being British, I didn't want to be rude. So let's just cut out the middle man (or woman). Get to the crux of the matter. Think of the hours saved. After all, as one man on Reddit recalled: 'I was chatting to a girl for months online, and just before we arranged to meet up, I noticed a rear- view mirror shot in one of her photos. Her arse was huge. 'She had airbrushed her frontal pics to make her a size ten. In reality she was a solid 20. I didn't mind the weight so much, but our entire 'relationship' was built on lies.' In a world so quick to categorise itself — Gen Z are tripping over themselves to come up with new labels — why not make online dating equally specific? Sure, it would be problematic for the woke warriors. But, really, people make instantaneous judgments in the flesh every single day. Let's separate the wheat from the chaff, and do it online too. LAST week saw Prince Harry being peak Prince Harry. Ahead of World Environmental Day, Montecito's biggest hypocrite jetted off to Shanghai, China, for a lecture on, yep, climate change. While we don't know whether our crusading eco-warrior flew private jet or a commercial flight, he certainly didn't swim or rickshaw there. Will he – and this is a rhetorical question – ever learn? A NO WYNNE AT BBC SO, predictably enough, Wynne Evans has been dropped from his BBC Radio Wales show after bringing the corporation into disrepute. His crime? Using the word 'spitroast' – a sexual reference you'd do well not to Google – while talking about Strictly co-star Jamie Borthwick during an official photocall. I interviewed Wynne last month and found him to be warm, kind, surprisingly smart (sorry Wynne) and naive. In it, he insisted the word wasn't used in a sexual way, rather a reference to a chicken position Jamie could contort his legs into. Whatever the truth, his sacking seems a zealous over-reaction, but is indicative of the current cancel culture: The Beeb was damned if it did, and damned if it didn't. Anyway, after our interview, Wynne and I went to the pub for many, many drinks. Speak as you find. He was fantastic company, regaling me with hilarious tales of the opera world. Here's hoping his new radio show takes off – and the memoirs are incoming. Brooke (not Kylie) is Fit for the Gods A NEW poll has revealed Kylie Jenner has the 'dream' female body shape. Apparently her cartoonish curves, described as 'slim thick', is what men fancy and women want to emulate. 5 While it is a huge improvement on the 'heroin chic' trend I was brought up on – think Kate Moss in the Nineties – Kylie's surgically enhanced figure is not achievable for the average woman. For me – a bit of a failed sportsperson, who is now into very cliched activities like fitness race Hyrox – the ideal body type is that of a CrossFitter. A mix of functional training, a bit of running or rowing and heavyweight lifting, CrossFit is the ultimate test of strength and mental resilience. And CrossFit Games winners, like American Brooke Wells – who has massive traps, incredible legs and a six-pack – are who we should be idolising. These athletes consume around 3,500 calories a day, of simple wholefoods and protein. They don't demonise food. Let's look up to them instead. FLIGHT FRIGHT AND to think people complain about kids on flights. Shocking footage has been leaked showing a vile British man threatening easyJet staff, using homophobic language and swearing loudly and aggressively at fellow passengers as he attempted to board a plane. The cretin held up his flight from Manchester to Chania, Greece, and was eventually slapped around the face by an airport worker. What a time to be alive. RUFF DAY AT WORK NOTE to my Editor . . . James Middleton appeared on GMB last week with hosts Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, pleading the case for dogs to be allowed in the office. Kate and Pippa's baby brother brought his two pooches, Isla and Inka, on set for a mildly chaotic interview. 'Dogs improve prod in the workplace,' he reasoned. 'So I think if you can't have a dog in the workplace you should be encouraged to bring it because they do increase productivity.' He's absolutely right, and frankly it is a travesty my miniature dachshund isn't allowed into our London HQ. Granted, the one time I sneaked her in past security, she had an unfortunate accident under the Sports Editor's desk, and trailed raw chicken across the production floor. But still. A BOY needed hospital treatment for withdrawal symptoms after his parents confiscated his mobile, a doctor has revealed. The 15-year-old required tranquillisers to calm him down. Phone addiction, I'm certain, will one day be the biggest killer of all. The other day my screen time read 11 hours and 32 minutes, which is ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING, and I've developed RSI in my right thumb from over-use. On Saturday, I travelled from London to Margate and the young girl next to me was scrolling on her phone for the entire two-hour journey. Kids are categorically addicted to their smart phones, and Big Tech are deliberately reeling them in with their algorithms. The Government needs to do more, before it is too late. It must introduce mandatory maximum screen times for kids under 18, as well as actively look at ways to reduce youngsters' reliance on them. SUPERMODEL Linda Evangelista once bemoaned modern dating in an interview – and it is now going viral on TikTok. Speaking to the Sunday Times in 2023, she said: 'Not interested. I don't want to sleep with anybody any more. I don't want to hear somebody breathing.' Same, hun, same.
