Andy

Surprised to see so many headlines from news outlets suggesting Putin has agreed to a ceasefire.

He’s done no such thing. He’s basically said he would do in theory, providing his conditions are met, on his terms. Which is just a variation on what he’s always said.

It wasn't a fair trial. Letby's team let her down

Marco Rubio's new acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy, ladies and gentlemen.

Racists gonna do what they want to do. But, when you do, expect to be called a racist 🙄

If you think referees are against you, why give them the ammunition to red card you. By the way, Wolverhampton felt the same way under O'Neil

The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), led by Prof. Alexis Jay, is investigating the extent to which institutions in England and Wales failed to protect children from sexual abuse.

And of course the wide-ranging 468 page Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse which took 7 years to complete, published in 2022 & led by Prof Alexis Jay 👇

www.iicsa.org.uk

TELFORD Jul 2022

UK-WIDE Child Sexual Exploitation - Home Affairs Select Committee June 2013

ROTHERHAM 2014 - independent inquiry into child sexual exploitation by Alexis Jay which covered CSE in the town 1997-2013 
 
ROTHERHAM 2015 - Louise Casey looked at whether Rotherham Coucil was ‘fit for purpose’ given their abdication of responsibility for vulnerable kids

ROCHDALE 2013
Serious case review highlighted failures by 17 agencies who were meant to protect kids

GTR MANCHESTER 2020 - Manc-wide Independent Review commissioned by Mayor Andy Burnham (Part 1)
 
OLDHAM 2022 – Burnham review (Part 2)

ROCHDALE 2024 - Burnham review (Part 3)

Some people in recent days have alleged a ‘cover-up’ over the grooming & rape of hundreds of young girls in predominantly northern UK towns, leading to calls for a ‘national’ public inquiry into child sexual exploitation

FWIW here’s a non-exhaustive list of inquiries into #CSE in last 12 yrs…

Failures of the CONSERVATIVE government to apply recommendations of the panel on grooming gangs

In 2023 Prof Jay and the Victims & Survivors Consultative Panel said:

‘We are deeply disappointed that the Conservative gov has not accepted the full package of recommendations made in the final report’

So, 2025 is the year that I get to introduce/inflict my new pseudonymous pen name - S.J. Fleet.

And send this little critter out into the world.

August 2025 will be the debut of The Cut Throat Trial (although you can pre-order now).

And good Lord I’m terrified.

www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Throat-T...

Sounds fair to me!

#ReadingFC overperforming on xG according to @theathletic.bsky.social

I love the football but hate darts, snooker and Trump. Any ideas?

Happy New Year 💙

Probably Knibbs but I just love Mbengue's total enthusiasm and energy

How Manchester City went from world’s best to straw men in 12 months | Barney Ronay Rodri’s injury, Erling Haaland and Pep Guardiola all play a role in this champion team’s profound collapse Eight weeks, 12 games and nine defeats into Manchester City’s descent into the footballing upside down, Pep Guardiola has at least identified the…

How Manchester City went from world’s best to straw men in 12 months | Barney Ronay

I support Reading. We lose our captain, we replace with a 19-year-old Academy player. And we're 6th. City lose Rodri, and the £bn defence falls apart. I'm not buying it. Pep & his preened superstars should grow up

They also concede more with Haaland in the team. What is the point of a killer, a razor edge, if you don’t actually score more goals, something that was true even before the collapse

Haaland is all about the numbers. Here are some interesting ones. In the five previous seasons without him City scored more goals than they have in two and half seasons with him. With Haaland they average 2.3 goals per game. Without him that was up at 2.6.?

I hate division also and was one of the reasons I moved back south. My family is Scottish, but I'm not, and I got fed up being referred to as f**English. The bigotry & hate stops the country moving forward. The Union Bears don't own the club just as the Green Brigade don't but it will never end

As a Rangers fan, I find the banner offensive. You should not tag everyone in the same vein

WTF are you lot pissed

If Trump comes, he brings his frenzied nut jobs with him. So, definitely not

Trouble is Assad & Musk both 💙 Russia

Tough day done 👍💙

Excellent article, very good summary. It's a sad day indeed 😞

Good news