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Where to Watch Wofford vs. South Carolina on TV or Streaming Live – Nov. 23Brown: Indian diplomat pushed back when he used the words "Sikh nation" OTTAWA — Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press Dec 5, 2024 3:26 PM Dec 5, 2024 3:50 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown looks on during the Diwali Mela festival at Sesquicentennial Park in Brampton, Ont., Friday, Nov. 1, 2024. Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Lahodynskyj OTTAWA — Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party's last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. But he offered up Thursday that he changed some of the language he was using after getting pushback from an Indian diplomat that some of his comments could sound like he was endorsing ideas of Sikh nationalism. Brown, who was a candidate for the leadership in 2022, was summoned to a House of Commons committee Thursday to answer questions on the 2022 race after a report from a committee on national security referred to allegations of Indian interference in an unspecified Conservative leadership campaign. "I don’t believe foreign intervention affected the final outcome of the Conservative leadership race," Brown told the House of Commons public safety and national security committee Thursday. A CBC/Radio-Canada article this week quoted several confidential sources from Brown’s campaign alleging that representatives from India’s consulate interfered to undermine his leadership bid. On Monday, Brown posted on social media about the committee's summons to say that he had no new evidence to add, and that the public inquiry on foreign interference was the proper venue to evaluate the allegations. Brown insisted to the committee Thursday that no members of the Indian government reached out to him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid, saying the relationship was "already very strained" at that point. The CBC News story also contained allegations that his national campaign co-chair Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner was pressured to withdraw her support for Brown — something she denied. When NDP MP Alistair MacGregor quizzed him on the news report, asking why she left the campaign, Brown said she left seeking to launch her own leadership bid to replace UCP leader Jason Kenney in Alberta — not from pressure from India. "At no time when we talked about her departing the campaign did she ever say it was over pressure from the consul general," he said. He said the article likely referred to a conference call more than a month before she left, after the consul general raised concerns with Rempel Garner about Brown using the words "Sikh nation." “The consul general had expressed directly to (Rempel Garner) that, obviously that was something they didn’t agree with, that it could be viewed in nationalistic terms towards the Sikh community," he said. That led him to change the language he was employing to a Punjabi term that he said meant the same thing. Liberal MP Jennifer O'Connell asked if that's "an appropriate election activity by a foreign government,” charging it was a clear instance of foreign interference. Brown replied that Indian officials "have been more robust in their opinions than some of us would be comfortable with.” A bombshell report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians into foreign interference released last spring referred to "India’s alleged interference in a Conservative Party of Canada leadership race." Brown said he was not under any kind of non-disclosure agreement with the Conservative Party that prevents him from speaking publicly about what happened during the race. He said he believes it's important to guard against foreign meddling in democracy but that he does not want to get drawn into partisan debates on Parliament Hill. Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry into foreign interference, which wrapped up hearings earlier this fall with a final report due in the new year. He was disqualified from the party's 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to financing rules in the Canada Elections Act. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024. Kyle Duggan, The Canadian Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message More National News Trudeau, ministers and opposition leaders address AFN gathering in Ottawa Dec 5, 2024 4:02 PM Chief 'disappointed' to see clean water used as a political tactic by Conservatives Dec 5, 2024 3:34 PM Feds outlaw another 324 types of firearms, propose donating guns to Ukraine Dec 5, 2024 3:25 PM Featured Flyer
Demonstrators calling for the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol, on Dec 7, outside the National Assembly in Seoul. SEOUL – South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has managed to cling on to power for now, after an impeachment motion against him over the Dec 3 martial law debacle failed to reach the two-thirds majority needed for it to pass. Tabled by the 192-member opposition bloc for voting on Dec 7, the motion needed eight more votes from ruling party lawmakers to meet the 200-vote quorum. But the motion fell short with 195 votes – 194 for, and one against, from a ruling party lawmaker. All but three of the 108 ruling People Power Party (PPP) lawmakers boycotted the vote. They were determined to prevent Mr Yoon from being impeached as it would mean a snap presidential election, which the PPP would most likely lose. Opposition leader Lee Jae-myung, who lost to Mr Yoon by a sliver of a margin in 2022, is widely tipped to win if a snap election is called. The opposition Democratic Party of Korea said it will propose a new impeachment Bill against Mr Yoon on Dec 11, which will be put to a vote on Dec 14. Two Bills were tabled on Dec 7, the first being a special counsel investigation into corruption allegations surrounding First Lady Kim Keon Hee, and the second was Mr Yoon’s impeachment. PPP lawmakers were seen leaving the plenary hall after voting on the first motion, evidently to abstain from voting on the impeachment motion. The PPP lawmakers’ departure prompted Speaker Woo Won-shik to declare in exasperation: “How do you think the people, the world, and history will view you not voting on the unjust martial law and its aftermath? Aren’t you afraid of the judgment of history? Aren’t you afraid of the judgment of the people? Aren’t you afraid of the judgment of the world?” The Speaker made repeated calls for their return, and eventually three returned to applause from the floor. Mr Ahn Cheol-soo, a three-time presidential candidate, and Ms Kim Ye-ji, a visually impaired politician, had previously indicated they would vote for the impeachment, given the strong public sentiment against the six-hour brush with martial rule. Mr Kim Sang-wook disappointed the opposition members who had cheered his return to the session, when he revealed that he had voted against the motion, as per party stance. Speaker Woo, who declared the plenary session closed at 9.20pm (8.20pm Singapore time), more than four hours after it began, told the floor it was regrettable that Parliament was unable to adhere to the “democratic process on a matter of national importance”, and apologised to the nation on behalf of the National Assembly. Under South Korean Constitution, the Bill could have been open for 72 hours after it was tabled at 12.48am on Dec 5, which meant the National Assembly could have waited till 12.48am on Dec 8. But by 9pm, it was clear that the PPP lawmakers – holed up in another part of the building, supposedly for a party general meeting – were not coming back. Earlier, the Bill for a special counsel probe into Ms Kim’s alleged stock manipulation, election interference and leaking of classified information, failed to pass by two votes. The Bill against Ms Kim had been pushed through three times before, but were vetoed by President Yoon each time, most recently on Nov 26. Following the failed impeachment bid, an outraged Mr Lee, leader of the Democratic Party, criticised the PPP as a “criminal party that has betrayed the country”. Having earlier vowed to repeat the impeachment process until successful, Mr Lee pledged that he would not give up and would “normalise the country” by the end of the year. Nearly 150,000 upset South Koreans had thronged the boulevard outside the National Assembly, calling for the impeachment and arrest of Mr Yoon, while about 20,000 supporters of the conservative PPP gathered at Gwanghwamun in central Seoul, about a 20-minute drive away. Protests were also held in other parts of the country, like Gwangju, where a violent uprising in May 1980 resulted in more than a thousand deaths. The uprising was during the country’s last period of martial rule from October 1979 to January 1982, until Mr Yoon’s late-night declaration of martial law on Dec 3 threw the nation into a tailspin and dredged up painful memories. Kyung Hee University’s political scientist Ahn Byong-jin was among those at the National Assembly protest on Dec 3. The 57-year-old, who was jailed briefly in 1990 for student activism under the rule of then-president Roh Tae-woo, said that as “a Korean citizen, I must express my anger”. The late president Roh was an army general before becoming president from 1988 to 1993. In 1996, he was found guilty of his involvement in the Gwangju massacre and sentenced to 17 years in prison but later received a pardon. Professor Ahn described the Dec 7 impeachment failure as “the end of the story”. He said the next round of impeachment motion will not pass muster, as the opposition is unlikely to get the critical eight votes from the PPP, since party chief Han Dong-hoon has decided to block the impeachment. Mr Han had earlier flip-flopped, stating on Dec 5 that his party would block the impeachment, before declaring the very next day that Mr Yoon needed to be suspended from his presidential duties immediately as he was a danger to the public. He appeared to have softened his stance again after meeting the President on Dec 6, when Mr Yoon denied ordering the arrest of key politicians, including Mr Han. After three days of lying low, Mr Yoon finally apologised to the nation in a televised address on the morning of Dec 7. He said he had been driven to desperation as a leader, and expressed his deepest apology to South Korean citizens “who must have been greatly shocked”. In addition to plummeting approval ratings, Mr Yoon’s presidency has been plagued by repeated pushes by the opposition for legal action against his wife, and his policies have been blocked at every turn by the opposition-dominated National Assembly. Mr Yoon was said to be particularly incensed by the opposition’s 22 impeachment motions against his officials during his term, in particular the latest impeachment motions against the state auditor and three prosecutors, which provoked him to declare martial law on Dec 3. The impeachments against the four high-ranking officials were ultimately passed on Dec 5. In his apology, Mr Yoon also promised to entrust his power to the PPP to stabilise the political situation and “take responsibility for future state affairs”. Dr Bong Young-shik of Yonsei University in Seoul slammed Mr Yoon’s two-minute apology as “insincere and shorter than the time it takes to cook ramyeon (Korean instant noodles)”. “Mr Yoon only said that he would work with his party, without mentioning the National Assembly or the opposition. But they are all stakeholders (in policymaking). So this apology is just superficial.” While PPP leader Han assured the public after the failed impeachment attempt that Mr Yoon would effectively be suspended from duties until he steps down, Dr Bong is convinced it is just an attempt on the part of the PPP to buy time until political rival, Mr Lee, is knocked out of the running. Mr Lee faces possible disqualification as a presidential candidate, after being found guilty on Nov 15 by the Seoul Central District Court of lying about corruption allegations during his 2022 presidential campaign. He was sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for two years. His appeal is due to be heard at the Supreme Court within the next six months. If the guilty ruling is upheld, Mr Lee will not be able to run for president. With him out of the picture, the PPP would be able to repair some damage and field candidates like Mr Han, who garnered 11 per cent in a presidential preference poll of 1,000 respondents released on Dec 6. Mr Lee was most favoured at 29 per cent. Referring to the PPP’s calculus, Dr Bong quipped: “Between national interest and party interest, the latter will prevail.” He predicted that the political stalemate will remain “for a very long time”, with South Korea’s economy likely to take a huge hit from the instability. As for Prof Ahn, he believes that the power of the people will ultimately prevail. Describing the sentiment of the protesters on the ground as “very passionate”, similar to demonstrations during former president Park Geun-hye’s impeachment in late 2016, Prof Ahn said he was surprised to see the younger crowd more outraged than he was. “The younger generation are so angry that they will not give up (on removing Mr Yoon from office) so easily. Eventually Yoon and his faction, they will suffer a very severe punishment. But until that time, we are going to go through a very difficult time.” Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel nowSen. Mike Rounds Strikes Optimistic Tone on Pete Hegseth's Confirmation
OTTAWA — The Atlantic Liberal caucus is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to resign as party leader in a letter. The letter dated Dec. 23 was shared publicly today by New Brunswick MP Wayne Long, who has been saying since the fall that Trudeau should step down. Atlantic caucus chair and Nova Scotia MP Kody Blois penned the letter, saying the events following Chrystia Freeland's cabinet resignation, signals from the opposition parties to declare non-confidence at the first opportunity, and U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's tariff threats make it no longer "tenable" for Trudeau to continue to lead the party. Conservative MP John Williamson said Friday he plans to introduce a non-confidence motion at the next public accounts committee meeting on Jan. 7. If that motion is successful at committee, it would be forwarded to the House of Commons and could be voted on as soon as Jan. 30, triggering an election if it passes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 29, 2024. David Baxter, The Canadian Press
House GOP blocks release of Gaetz ethics report detailing allegations of sex with minorBuzzy, dynamic and quirky, Brighton is a city that lives up to the hype. Most of its 11.47m yearly visitors come to see the famous pier, eat ice cream on the sea-front and visit the Brighton Pavilion. But dive beneath the surface, and you’ll also discover much more. Home to Brighton Pride, a thriving LGBTQIA+ community and the Great Escape music festival, it's long attracted a creative, cultured crowd, who in turn have shaped the city into a haven of excellent food, art galleries and cocktail bars. And with new hotels like No. 124 and top-notch restaurants like Embers and Pearly Cow opening in the city, it’s on the up yet again. Even better, it’s only an hour by train from London. Here's how to make the most of a Brighton weekender. The great thing about Brighton is how compact it is. The train station is in the middle of the city: the perfect springboard for a day of wandering. And first up is the Lanes, a five minute walk south of the station: a higgledy-piggledy collection of winding streets that was part of the original fishing village of Brighthelmstone, and today is home to some of its trendiest shops. The Lanes also boast several art galleries and excellent coffee shops. In October, many of the city’s artists do actually open their homes for curious visitors (this is called the Artists’ Houses trail); if you do visit this time of year, then do also make a trip to Kellie Miller Arts ( kelliemillerarts.com ) and Phoenix Arts Space ( phoenixartspace.org) , a charity that houses over 100 artists’ galleries as well as three exhibition spaces. Also worth visiting is Fabrica on Duke Street. Located in an old church, it hosts a revolving selection of exhibitions and movie nights ( fabrica.org.uk ). Once you’ve satisfied your curiosity there, the pier awaits. Yes, it’s a little naff, but this temple to seaside day-tripping still draws in the punters and a walk down the boards to admire the view is a must. If you’re feeling flush, try your luck at the 2p slot machines; if not, just watch people have a go on the rollercoaster rides at the pier’s end. If that doesn’t scream British beach town, what does? Funfairs and donkey rides aside, there is plenty more culture to be found here. A five minute walk inland, and the Royal Pavilion awaits. Built in 1787 as a seaside retreat for the Prince of Wales, its distinctive domed roofs are home to a Banqueting Room, Great Kitchen and the Indian Hospital Gallery, all of which can be explored with a ticket (£20 per adult, brightonmuseums.org.uk ). Next door is the underrated Brighton Museum and Art Gallery. Tickets cost £9 ( brightonmuseums.org.uk ), and once you get inside there is a treasure trove of art and history. After learning about Brighton’s history as a Regency spa town (and later the Victorian holiday spot of choice), head upstairs to see the museum’s art collection — which until March 16 next year includes images from the the Wildlife Photography of the Year Award. If you have time, then leave the city centre for Seven Dials. This lovely leafy area was heralded as one of the trendiest neighborhoods in the UK by the Times last year, and those who make the trek up the hill to it will be rewarded with some of Brighton’s best tiny shops and bakeries. Wander by Clifton Terrace or Montpellier Crescent for some Regency architecture, then take a seat in one of the area’s great pubs: The Good Companions, The Cow and The Shakespeare’s Head are especially good. And independent shops abound: coffee shop and record store Puck does a great cup ( instagram.com/gettopuck ), while Kindly is worth a browse for its massive range of local food and plant-based products. Making killer cocktails is an art form — but it’s one that the staff at Burnt Orange have mastered and then some. This chic little spot is tucked away down a side street near the seafront, and its low lighting and exposed stone walls make it the perfect place to grab a drink. The menu runs over several pages, which makes choosing hard - but if we had to pick, we’d say the Burnt Orange Martini and Bread and Butter Old Fashioned are the winners (cocktails cost around £11.50, burnt-orange.co.uk) . Peckish? Don’t worry, the food is great too: the celeriac hummus with sesame-butter flatbread is a must, but for those wanting a full meal, dive in. Everything is delicious. For wine lovers, Ten Green Bottles awaits — as does Plateau. Step into the first on Jubilee Street (in the city’s centre) and be greeted with walls full of wines, many of which have been imported from small-batch producers. As if that wasn’t enough, they also do a well-stocked cheeseboard, which comes with wine paired by the team ( instagram.com/tgbottles ). Plateau is all about natural wines: the team are knowledgeable and helpful, and the selection of lesser known wines (such as those from regions like Central Europe) is especially good. ( plateaubrighton.co.uk) . And before dinner, make a stop by Bar Valentino above the theatre ( barvalentino.co.uk ). Ring the bell to be let into a tiny wonderland where cocktails are served in a campy wonderland of red lighting, plush seats and tasselled lampshades. Drink them on the balcony and watch people pass by below. Brighton’s coffee culture is unsurprisingly excellent, which makes the task of finding breakfast a delight rather than a chore. Mange Tout on Trafalgar Square ( mangetoutbrighton.co.uk ) excels on its eggs and the hollandaise sauce is out of this world — but the Flour Pot is also a good shout ( theflourpot.co.uk) . They’re an independent bakery, and offer outside seating — essentially making it the perfect spot to grab a coffee and pastry and people-watch. If both of those are full, Moksha is nice and central, and does a breakfast menu offering pancakes and full English options ( mokshacaffe.co.uk ). For a splash of local authenticity, make a trip to Shelter Hall on the seafront. This revamped food hall is home to some of the city’s best pop-ups. There’s the Three Little Pigs Souvlaki, Kolkati (which originated in London) and cult chicken shop Coqfighter — the options are endless, and the lunches are delicious ( shelterhall.co.uk ). Foodies should be making a beeline for Embers. Tucked down a tiny side street in the Lanes, it’s already made it onto the Michelin guide, and for good reason — food is cooked over an open grill and some of the best you’ll get anywhere in town. If a roast is the goal, then the Three Beast Feast is the one to opt for. Served on a massive platter alongside a generous jug of gravy, it features lamb sausage, a mouthwateringly tender pork and wafer-thin slices of roast beef. Delicious (roasts start from £20pp; embersbrighton.co.uk ). If the weather is nice, head to the seafront and find Pearly Cow. Located in the freshly opened No. 124 hotel , it specialises in both seafood and steak: a dream combination if ever there was one. Switch between oysters and scallops for starters and choose from a selection of fish or aged steaks for the mains, served with a range of sauces. It’s mouthwatering, but there’s a lot: make room (meals cost around £100 for two; pearlycow.co.uk ). A few doors down, there’s also the Coal Shed. The interior is a study in minimalism, but the food is the opposite: small plates, juicy salads (watermelon ceviche, anyone?) and meats cooked over an open fire. Tuck into Cornish crab and aged beef cuts before retiring to the bar for a cocktail (meals cost around £120 for two; coalshed-restaurant.co.uk ). Still hungry? Try Bincho Yakitori in the foodie area of Preston Street. It’s always booked out, so make sure you reserve a table in advance, but those who manage to make it will be rewarded with tender, grilled skewed of meat, fish and miso aubergine that are absolutely worth the effort (meals cost around £70 for two; www.binchoyakitori.com/food ). In terms of both value and elegance, the newly-opened No. 124 by Guesthouse is the place to be. The chain specialises in renovating heritage buildings into something rather special, and the same is true here: No. 124 is a beautiful little boutique hotel that features artwork by local creatives on the walls and carefully thought-out sea-themed decor in the rooms. Rooms start at a very reasonable £170. Don’t forget to grab a cocktail at the bar before sipping it in one of the many sitting areas scattered around the ground floor. Even better, the first floor boasts a pantry where peckish guests can stock up on snacks — and there’s a spa, Field Day, set to open in the spring. If you can, grab a room with a sea view: the sight of the beach through the windows on a sunny morning as you wake up cannot be beaten. (Rooms start from £170; guesthousehotels.co.uk ). From London board a GTR service for Brighton, usually Thameslink, from London Bridge, Victoria or Blackfriars. Tickets cost from £9 in advance ( gtrailway.com ).
OTTAWA - Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said foreign interference did not tip the scales in the Conservative party’s last leadership race that installed Pierre Poilievre at the helm. But he offered up Thursday that he changed some of the language he was using after getting pushback from an Indian diplomat that some of his comments could sound like he was endorsing ideas of Sikh nationalism. Brown, who was a candidate for the leadership in 2022, was summoned to a House of Commons committee Thursday to answer questions on the 2022 race after a report from a committee on national security referred to allegations of Indian interference in an unspecified Conservative leadership campaign. “I don’t believe foreign intervention affected the final outcome of the Conservative leadership race,” Brown told the House of Commons public safety and national security committee Thursday. A CBC/Radio-Canada article this week quoted several confidential sources from Brown’s campaign alleging that representatives from India’s consulate interfered to undermine his leadership bid. On Monday, Brown posted on social media about the committee’s summons to say that he had no new evidence to add, and that the public inquiry on foreign interference was the proper venue to evaluate the allegations. Brown insisted to the committee Thursday that no members of the Indian government reached out to him or his campaign workers during his leadership bid, saying the relationship was “already very strained” at that point. The CBC News story also contained allegations that his national campaign co-chair Conservative MP Michelle Rempel Garner was pressured to withdraw her support for Brown — something she denied. When NDP MP Alistair MacGregor quizzed him on the news report, asking why she left the campaign, Brown said she left seeking to launch her own leadership bid to replace UCP leader Jason Kenney in Alberta — not from pressure from India. “At no time when we talked about her departing the campaign did she ever say it was over pressure from the consul general,” he said. He said the article likely referred to a conference call more than a month before she left, after the consul general raised concerns with Rempel Garner about Brown using the words “Sikh nation.” “The consul general had expressed directly to (Rempel Garner) that, obviously that was something they didn’t agree with, that it could be viewed in nationalistic terms towards the Sikh community,” he said. That led him to change the language he was employing to a Punjabi term that he said meant the same thing. Liberal MP Jennifer O’Connell asked if that’s “an appropriate election activity by a foreign government,” charging it was a clear instance of foreign interference. Brown replied that Indian officials “have been more robust in their opinions than some of us would be comfortable with.” A bombshell report by the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians into foreign interference released last spring referred to “India’s alleged interference in a Conservative Party of Canada leadership race.” Brown said he was not under any kind of non-disclosure agreement with the Conservative Party that prevents him from speaking publicly about what happened during the race. He said he believes it’s important to guard against foreign meddling in democracy but that he does not want to get drawn into partisan debates on Parliament Hill. Brown was not included as a witness in the public inquiry into foreign interference, which wrapped up hearings earlier this fall with a final report due in the new year. He was disqualified from the party’s 2022 leadership race due to allegations related to financing rules in the Canada Elections Act. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 5, 2024.NPP Birmingham Chairman Commends NHIA for Free Dialysis Initiative in Bono RegionTrump's Republican Party is increasingly winning union voters. It's a shift seen in his labor pick
Britain is in danger of abandoning a generation of boys to a life without hope with “destructive” consequences for the nation, leading campaigners have warned. It is feared the UK will face more riots and even higher prison numbers if the country’s crisis of “lost boys” spirals further out of control. There is alarm that Britain is storing up problems for the future if it turns a blind eye to boys’ educational failings and young men’s high suicide and imprisonment rates. Former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio called for society to stop treating boys and young men as the “lowest of the low”. He is fed up seeing youths “on the employment scrapheap and filling up our prisons”. Declaring that “enough is enough”, he said: “Boys and men matter just as much as anyone else, and it’s time that we got serious about that.” The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) is launching a major new research project on how boys can avoid disaster. Miriam Cates, a former MP and senior fellow at the CSJ who battles to protect the quality of childhood in the UK , said: “We must step in to rescue a generation of boys and men who are at risk of falling out of society at great cost to themselves and us all.” She warned that “large numbers of disenfranchised young men are always a destructive force in society” and claimed the “riots over the summer were in large part a reaction to the sharp decline in value and status felt by working-class British males”. The think tank states men have a suicide rate more than three times that of women and are much more likely to be behind bars or sleeping rough. Ninety-six percent of prisoners are men, and in London, 82% of those on the streets are male. A top concern is that boys struggle in school and get into trouble early on. They are twice as likely to face suspension and permanent exclusion than girls. There is a glaring difference in how well boys and girls perform academically. Three-quarters of girls are judged “ready to learn” at age five, but just six out of 10 boys. When it comes to post-school education, 1,279,970 women and just 882,225 men with permanent in-home in the UK enrolled on an undergraduate or postgraduate course. The CSJ is launching the Lost Boys project to identify how boys can have a better start in life. It accuses Britain’s political class of “wilful institutional neglect” towards boys and is pushing for a radical change in attitudes. Mrs Cates claims the modern focus on “fashionable identity politics” has led to the neglect of boys and men – especially if they are poor. She says that much attention has been given to the dangerous impact of social media on girls; many boys suffer from “debilitating gaming addiction” and “exposure to violent and extreme pornography from a young age”. The mother of two boys argues that the condemnation of “toxic masculinity” in schools and the media has left boys wondering if it is possible to be a “good man”. She warns that if our culture “turns traditional male attributes such as strength and risk-taking from virtue into vice,” we should “not be surprised when young men struggle to find their place in education, employment and wider society”. “Almost all of the post-pandemic increase in young people who are not in education, employment in training is driven by men – a 40% rise amongst males compared to just seven percent for females,” she said. She claims that “boys are more likely now to own a smartphone than to live with their dad” and says that they must be “taught, trained, encouraged and inspired” to “harness their natural masculine tendencies for good”. Nearly one in four pupils in England qualifies for free school meals – a key indicator that children may be at risk of deprivation. This is the equivalent of around one million boys. The latest figures show that just 33.5% of “white British” boys on free school meals gained a grade four or above in English and mathematics at GCSE in 2022-23. This compares with 57.3% of boys from a “Black African” background who also qualified for free school meals and 67% of boys from an Indian background. Nick Fletcher – who has campaigned for a dedicated minister for men and is now running to be mayor of Doncaster – is in no doubt what will happen if white working-class boys continue to fall behind. He said: “All we’ll end up doing is building more prisons.” If this challenge is not addressed, he warned, more men will suffer from mental health issues and drug addiction. Labour MP Shaun Davies, who is backing the Lost Boys project, said: “The challenges facing men and boys in Britain are a cross-party issue that affect all of us and I am glad to see that serious work is happening in this space. Whether it’s education, family life, crime or health, boys are faced with increasingly poor outcomes.” Former education minister Robert Halfon is concerned about the plight of both white boys and girls from disadvantaged backgrounds and wants this to be one of the top priorities for the Government. He said: “At every stage, right from early years to university, the white working class are one of the most underperforming groups in the country.” Mr Halfon said this is partly because “all the investment goes into big cities whereas often these communities live in towns”. He is also concerned that talk of “white privilege” can have a harmful effect. “If you tell people from disadvantaged backgrounds they are privileged, you are just perpetuating angst and resentment, and it doesn’t help at all,” he said. Mr Halfon wants extra funding for “outstanding teachers and mentors in those disadvantaged areas”. When chair of the education committee, Mr Halfon led an investigation into the struggles of white pupils from poorer backgrounds. It found just 16 per cent of white pupils who were eligible for free school meals had started higher education by age 19 in 2018-19 – the lowest of any ethnic group other than those of Irish traveller or Gypsy/Roma heritage. This is compared with 72.8% of children from a Chinese background who qualified for free school meals. A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said: “Our Plan for Change sets out our clear mission to give every child the best start in life, breaking the link between background and success. “We know there are baked-in inequalities that remain in our education system, which is why we are taking swift action to break down barriers to opportunity. “This government will drive high and rising standards in schools by recruiting 6,500 new teachers, rolling out career advice, guaranteeing work experience, improving mental health support, reforming the SEND system and delivering a cutting-edge curriculum to set young people up for life, work and the future.” The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org or by visiting www.samaritans.org .None
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