paul fraser webb

I don’t normally join in these things, but “Hula Hoop Sunbeam” is just too good. I might use it as my drag queen name.

There's a danger Parkrun could tie itself up in knots, alienate individuals & Hinder can stand back and say "look what the trans people have done" then use that to hoover up the Reform voters he thinks are going to get him elected again.

Parkrun's internal measures aren't the issue here: it's Hinder's scapegoating of trans participants in community events for, presumably, his own political ends. He is clearly unable to offer any constructive measures to sort out an issue he has drummed up...

Since she was born in Tong shouldn't the 'L' in Macleod be lower case? Any help @wilibraries.bsky.social @recorderist.bsky.social ?

I can't help feeling he is being disingenuous - he doesn't want to exclude anybody but is happy to create a situation where people self-exclude. Equally, his words might be hollow: he has a slender majority in an area where Reform is strong so is just playing to the crowd. I will continue to monitor

All in all a bit of a lame response. Frankly, using a link to a paywalled article in a Murdoch paper as something to back up your argument just about sums it up.

Meet the Blue Labour bros Inside the ideological faction remaking the party and the government.

I can't say I'm surprised by this as his attitude to human rights legistation is reported as not being great: www.newstatesman.com/politics/202...

I had provided him with info about EHRC code of practice and the exemptions within it, pointing out that as Parkrun is not competative the exemptions to do apply. He does not address this...

www.equalityhumanrights.com/equality/equ...

My email asked him 3 questions, summarised as (1) What measures is he proposing Parkrun implement? (2) What would be the legal status of these considering that Parkrun is not a competitive event?
(3) What evidence does he have that that trans participation in Parkrun is an issue for his constituents

I included the text (with her permission) of an email that @philippaeast.bsky.social sent to Hinder since, as a consituent, I was more likely to get an answer. Her email was as follows: bsky.app/profile/phil...

Sports Governing Bodies: Supreme Court Judgment - Hansard - UK Parliament Hansard record of the item : 'Sports Governing Bodies: Supreme Court Judgment' on Thursday 3 July 2025.

My email is a response to Hinder's question in the HoC hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2025...

Dear Paul, Thank you for your detailed email and for sharing Dr. East’s correspondence. I appreciate the opportunity to clarify my position on this important matter. Firstly, I want to be clear that this is not about excluding trans people from sport or community events. Rather, it is about ensuring fairness. Simply, biological males have physical advantages that can affect competition outcomes. While Parkrun is not generally a competitive event, it nevertheless features timed runs where trans women have been allowed to compete in women’s categories, finishing first and setting records, as recently reported (The Times). This is unfair for female participants, many of whom join for enjoyment but also value a level playing field. While this issue may not be a priority for everyone, I believe it is important to stand up for the rights of women and girls to have a level playing field in sport. Ensuring fairness is a matter of principle and respect, and I feel a responsibility to represent those concerns. Thank you again for your engagement on this matter. Kind regards, Jonathan

I recently emailed my MP, Jonathan Hinder, asking him to clarify his position on #trans participation in #parkrun. Here is his reply (cc @philippaeast.bsky.social )

YouTube video by dmfour Limmy's Show - Millport

m.youtube.com/watch?v=hTgw...

Yes, absolutely. It was like the Jimmy Savile stuff. Everyone knew it was odd, there were some specific allegations but generally peoples thought that if it was true somebody would have done something.

… And there was always the rumours. The shops always felt slightly odd. I was told to watch the cars that one teacher at my school drove. Never the same one twice apparently. He was referred to as “The Pervert” following an incident that was, I guess, neither reported or investigated.

It’s difficult to convey the ubiquity of the Jesus Army cult in Northamptonshire when I was growing up, but this goes someway towards it. They were pretty well omnipresent. In my home town (pop c17k then) they had a high street shop, an edge of town warehouse shop plus a distribution warehouse…

I’m probably influenced by my upbringing as an early overspiller into Daventry. When I got there it was a mix of c1/3 old Northamptonshire and the rest made up of Brummies and movers from Dagenham. By the time I left the old Northamptonians were a minority.

Mostly traditional Northamptonshire (have a listen to Alan Moore as a comparison) but with a definite hint of Essex - probably a result of the A14 going through Kettering.

I screenshot from the national trust website. It says “Signs of life We are delighted that Sycamore Gap is showing signs of regrowth. Growing from the base of the stump, 25 new shoots have emerged giving hope that the tree lives on. While it’s early days, the National Trust and Northumberland National Park Authority is hopeful that if left to grow, the new shoots could develop significant new growth to form as ‘new’ trees around the original stump. Our aim is to leave all of the shoots to grow for a few years – to see how they develop.”

I’m playing the long game on this one

Reform UK KCC leader voices concern over plans for reduced health and social care visas By Local Democracy Reporter Simon Finlay The new Reform UK leadership at Kent County Council (KCC) has expressed “grave concerns” to the government about proposals to reduce health and social care …

I keep a watching brief on Thanet (which is very UKIP/Reform). Now that they have power reality is hitting them pretty hard. theisleofthanetnews.com/2025/07/15/r...

Apologies. I did a Roy Jay deep dive a couple of years ago. I remembered the Henry advert but had forgotten the reference in the piece you linked. I should have re-read and checked the references.

I tried to explain Blue Labour to a friend. The best I could come up with was “Alf Garnett Socialism”. He came back with the slogan “ Tough on randy Scouse gits; tough on the causes of randy Scouse gits”.

EG, the areas around Daimler Avenues in both Jaywick and Herne Bay.

…you get Quex Road (family home) near Minster Road (Kent Villiage) near Somali Road (place in Africa he visited). More modern estates are often named around a theme: castles, poets, abbeys etc. Plotlands are sometimes named after car manufacturers for some reason…

Sometimes the roads are associated with the landowner but the connections are not always obvious. EG, parts of North London were owned by the Powell-Cotton family from Kent. Percy from that family was an explorer so some names were taken from places he went to so…

A drawing of Rishi Sunak dressed in a similar way to Superman. The drawing was on the BBC news website when Sunak was Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Yes, the White House tweet of Trump as Superman is terribly gauche. That’s not the kind of that we oh hang on a bit…

That’s just a load of hot air.

Like someone or other said - enough snowflakes makes an avalanche.

Yes, this petition might not be perfect and the government response in it addresses the core issue but I’ve signed it as a micro-positive and ask you to do the same.

Over the past couple of years I’ve really noticed micro-aggressions creeping into my everyday conversations. I’m calling them out when I can and adding micro-positivity. Standing alongside Pride, writing to my MP and so on. Yes, I could do more but, you know, life ‘n’ shit…