Nice One, Suella!

Suella Braverman has made her first trip to Rwanda as home secretary amid criticism that the Guardian, other liberal newspapers and the BBC have been shut out from the publicly funded visit.

Ha ha ha ha ha! Consequences, eh? They're a bitch, aren't they?

Charity Freedom from Torture labelled it a “showboat trip” after it emerged that the Guardian, the BBC, the Daily Mirror, the Independent and the i newspaper were not invited.

Sonya Sceats, chief executive at Freedom from Torture, described the policy as a “cash-for-humans” scheme.“Following the outpouring of support for Gary Lineker and his compassionate stand on behalf of refugees, this government knows it is on the back foot and is once again ramping up the cruelty to distract from their own failures.”

I'm sure that's what you'd like to think. I bet you haven't asked anyone outside your own circle what they think though, have you?

“I feel like I’m already a prisoner of my conscience.”

Good, then let's make it reality too:

Rock said he has spent two months in prison over similar protests, and felt “traumatised” by it, adding that he was worried he would “have a complete mental breakdown” if he were jailed again.

You're already unhinged. Hopefully this will tip you over the edge.

The defendants also mentioned the impact the campaign had had on their friend Xavier Gonzalez-Trimmer, who killed himself after spending time in prison over an Insulate Britain protest. Pritchard said: “He was a brave, gentle and caring human being who could see the future we were facing and was desperate to do something about it, and now he’s dead.”

Feel free to join him. 

And They're Right To Be...

The Guardian can reveal that the government’s upcoming land use strategy will not include a reduction in area used for animal agriculture in England.

Thus annoying all the right people. So, it seems the Tories can do something right after all! 

Climate groups have long been urging the government to take steps to reduce meat consumption, and are now accusing ministers of “worsening the cost of living crisis and continuing to lead us towards climate and ecological catastrophe”.

We aren't going to eat the bugs. Or your 'plant based' crap, either. Tough luck. 

Speaking at the Oxford farming conference, the agriculture minister, Mark Spencer, defended the government’s decision to have a hands-off approach when it came to telling landowners what to do.

...

He said meat produced in the UK was more sustainable than that from other countries, and said that, for example, beef from the UK would be better for the environment than imported beef from Mexico.

You frequently see eco-nutters pointing at carrots flown in from other countries on their hectoring Twitter feeds as 'utter nonsense!', so isn't it strange they don't take the same view about meat?  

Good, Since They Never Should Have Been Made In The First Place...

Sources told the Guardian that the home secretary has dropped a pledge to create the post of a migrants’ commissioner, who was due to be responsible for speaking up for migrants and for identifying systemic problems within the UK immigration system.

Another promise to increase the powers of the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration (ICIBI) has also been abandoned, as work on the post-Windrush reform programme is downgraded.

Officials have also discarded a commitment to run a series of reconciliation events that were due to be attended by senior Home Office staff and ministers during which members of the Windrush generation would have been invited to “articulate the impact of the scandal on their lives”.

None of these should ever have been accepted by a Conservative government. Particularly the last one, which smacks of some show trial demanded by Stalin. 

I guess if ministers want to read about how hard done by some migrants feel, they'll just have to log on to the 'Guardian' like everyone else in future... 

The former home secretary Priti Patel made a firm promise to introduce all 30 recommendations made by Williams in 2020...

Incoming governments aren't bound by decisions taken by the outgoing government.  

Never Mind, Dafydd, Better Luck Next Time...

Dafydd Roberts, defending, told the court: "It is clear alcohol was an inhibiting factor in relation to the offending. He no longer drinks any alcohol. His mental health was problematic during the course of this relationship. Since then he has improved his mental health significant (sic) and he feels in a far more stable position.

"There is a very distinct difference between the Louis Costes who appears before the court today and the one who behaved in the way he did. He has been slow to grow up but he is now showing elements that he is growing up and changing his ways."

Oh, right, well, I suppose that's just this side of plausi... 

A statement read out on Ms Jones' behalf said: "Before, I was a happy young mother who enjoyed spending time with her child and family. At the beginning of the relationship, we were happy and we got along like a house on fire.

"It wasn't long, after a couple of months or so, that it all began to go downhill. I got so stressed and anxious I would throw up."

But Costes interrupted, saying "this is all f***ing lies, I'm sick of this s*** - joke" while sat with his arms folded. He then began crying.

Whoops! 

Sentencing, Recorder Mark Ford KC said: "It is apparent to me that your remorse is rather limited and that you have sought throughout this case to minimise the nature of your conduct. You reacted with distain to what she said.

"I have no doubt that, at the time, the victim of your offending was terrified. You are a jealous, impulsive man unable to control yourself - as you demonstrated all too clearly before me."

I bet Dafydd has used that same argument every time. I wonder if he will again?