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Exclusive: Charities Demand Urgent Government Action On Cost Of Living Crisis

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Leading charities have demanded the government take immediate action to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.

It comes after Boris Johnson was criticised for unveiling 38 new bills in the Queen’s Speech, with none of them designed to immediately alleviate the financial pain being suffered right now by millions across the UK.

The prime minister insisted the government’s plans would grow the economy and create thousands of new jobs, thereby bringing down living costs in the longer term.

But charities and think tanks contacted by HuffPost UK said ministers needed to take steps straight away as the public deal with soaring energy bills, rising inflation, higher council tax and increasing interest rates.

They warn that unless they do, minis risk turning a crisis into “a national emergency”.

What has the government announced so far?

In Ferbruary, Rishi Sunak unveiled a £9bn package of measures to help bring down energy and council tax bills.

Under the plan, energy bills will be reduced by £200, with the money being repaid in charges over the next four years. In addition, households in bands A-D are seeing £150 knocked off their council tax bills.

This is in addition to other measures including a 5p reduction in fuel duty, reducing the Universal Credit taper rate to allow people to keep more of the money they earn, increasing the national minimum wage, £25 extra a week in cold weather payments and raising the national insurance thresholds.

According to the Treasury, the total cost of the support already announced is £22bn.

Rishi Sunak is under pressure to do more to help with the cost of living.
Rishi Sunak is under pressure to do more to help with the cost of living.

Oli Scarff via PA Wire/PA Images

Why was the Queen’s Speech such a let-down?

The Queen’s Speech setting out the government’s legislative plans for the next 12 months – delivered by Prince Charles after Her Majesty withdrew over health concerns – contained a total of 38 bills.

However, Boris Johnson was at pains to stress that there was no new money to help people feeling the pinch.

The prime minister said: “We must remember that for every pound of taxpayer’s money we spend on reducing bills now, it is a pound we are not investing in bringing down bills and prices over the longer term.

“And that if anything, this moment makes clear our best remedy lies in urgently
delivering on our mission to turbo charge the economy, create jobs and spread
opportunity across the country.”

The Prince of Wales delivers the Queen's Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords.
The Prince of Wales delivers the Queen’s Speech during the State Opening of Parliament in the House of Lords.

Alastair Grant via PA Wire/PA Images

Does Boris Johnson get it?

As an unapologetic populist, the prime minister’s instinct will be to make a major announcement on an extra package of financial measures to help struggling voters. But as a fiscal conservative, the chancellor will be resisting any such moves at this time.

This probably explains the bizarre mix-up between Number 10 and the Treasury on the same day the Queen’s Speech was announced.

Johnson told the House of Commons that he and Sunak would say more on the cost of living “in the days to come”, immediately increasing speculation of an emergency budget.

But sources close to Sunak quickly made clear that they knew nothing about it, and insisted no new measures were due before the autumn.

One ally of the Chancellor told HuffPost UK there were “no announcements as far as we are aware”.

They added: “Rishi has always been clear that we would set out plans for support on energy bills for autumn when we know what the [energy] price cap is going to be – but we’re not there yet.”

Does the government have any plan at all?

Johnson chaired a special cabinet meeting at an away day in Stoke with his top team on Thursday, where the government’s response to the cost of living crisis was top of the agenda.

Although no new announcements were made afterwards, it is understood that the PM and chancellor are eyeing a potential tax cut before MPs depart for the summer recess.

Talk of a windfall tax on energy firms’ profits – as demanded by Labour – is also increasing, despite both Johnson and Sunak repeatedly voicing their scepticism about such a move, arguing that it could hamper investment.

We also know that the chancellor will unveil a further package of financial support in the autumn, when the energy price cap is expected to rise significantly once again.

But critics say those on those on the lowest incomes, many of whom are regularly forced to choose between heating their homes and feeding their children, cannot wait several months for the government to step in.

Boris Johnson chairs a cabinet meeting in Stoke-on-Trent
Boris Johnson chairs a cabinet meeting in Stoke-on-Trent

Oli Scarff via PA Wire/PA Images

What should the government be doing right now?

HuffPost UK contacted a range of charities to get their take on the crisis and ask what they believe Johnson and co should do without delay to alleviate the suffering of so many people across the country.

The universal view was that the government should be using the benefits system to urgently target support at those who need it most.

Katie Schmuecker, principal policy adviser at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said: “The widening gap between the incomes of the poorest and what they need to afford the essentials is not just something that happens naturally – it is a political choice.

“The chancellor could have used the Spring Statement to ensure that benefits were uprated in line with this year’s very high inflation, and it is not too late to act to protect people from the worst of this crisis. It just needs a political will and speedy action.”

Tom Marsland, policy manager at disability equality charity Scope, said disabled people were already dealing with the increased cost of electric wheelchairs, ventilators or adapted vehicles, before factoring in soaring energy bills.

“The Queen’s Speech was an opportunity to help disabled people, but this didn’t happen,” he said.

“The government must urgently provide increased financial support to disabled people direct through the welfare system.

“Disabled people have seen a real terms cut to their cut to benefits as they rise less than inflation. The government has said it will uprate disability benefits again next April, but what are disabled people supposed to do for the next 12 months if they can’t afford basic essentials like food and heating? We need to see benefits rise in line with inflation now.”

Polly Neate chief executive of Shelter, said: “Housing is at the root of the cost-of-living crisis. Private rents are higher than ever, bills are skyrocketing, and housing benefit is lagging dangerously behind. We’ve heard from renters whose landlords have said unless they agree to a hike in their rent they will be kicked out.

“As a priority, the government needs to end the freeze on housing benefit so people can still pay their rent. It must also scrap no-fault evictions as quickly as possible to prevent more people from losing their homes unnecessarily, and the additional financial hardship that brings.”

Peter Grigg, chief Executive of Home-Start UK, said: “As a minimum, the government should ensure benefits rise in line with the cost of living. Benefits are rising by 3.1 per cent, but inflation is around 8 per cent and prices and energy bills rising even higher.

“So for low-income families this all means an income drop. If we can’t find ways to reduce bills and increase financial support for families, it will be pushing even more parents and children into poverty. Our children deserve better.”

Emma Revie, chief executive of the Trussell Trust, said: “We are calling on the UK government to bring benefits in line with the true cost of living. As an urgent first step benefits should be increased by at least 7 per cent.

“In the longer term, we need the government to introduce a commitment in the benefits system to ensure that everyone has enough money in their pockets to be prevented from falling into destitution. By failing to make benefits payments realistic for the times we face, the government now risks turning the cost of living crisis into a national emergency.”

Isabel Hughes of the Food Foundation said: “A commitment to a new Food Bill would have demonstrated that the government was serious about tackling the problems in the food system and making sustainable long-term action to reduce spiralling food insecurity levels a priority. Families need and deserve more support.”

The economist’s view

HuffPost UK also asked the highly-respected Resolution Foundation for its view on what the government could be doing, but is currently failing to.

Mike Brewer, the think tank’s chief economist, agreed with the charities that the benefits system must be mobilised to help the poorest in the country before it’s too late.

He said: “With average incomes on course to fall by around £1,200 this year – the tightest squeeze in half a century – new support will need to be bold.

“Another big rise in the energy price cap this October means that further help with energy bills is inevitable. And while further universal support will be welcome, the Government must also target support at the low-and-middle income families who are at the sharp end of rising cost pressures.

“The most effective way to do this is to bring forward the big increase in benefits due next spring to this autumn, or even sooner if possible. This would deliver significant cash support to millions of hard-hit households, hold back rising poverty levels and would carry no long-term cost to the Treasury.”

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Experts Predict If And When Covid Will Become A Seasonal Illness

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The vast majority of respiratory viruses that spread within our population ebb and flow with the seasons.

Influenza spikes in the winter months, as do infections caused by respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), adenoviruses and other coronaviruses. Earlier this year, Rochelle Walensky, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said she expects Covid to also become a seasonal illness – but whether or not that will come to be remains to be seen.

Most scientists agree that Covid isn’t going anywhere, and that we’ll be living with SARS-CoV-2 for decades, if not forever. Though we tend to see the biggest waves in the winter and early spring, Covid isn’t seasonal yet. It doesn’t retreat in the spring-to-summer off-season – it is smoldering throughout the year.

“Covid is steadily burning through the population as we speak. But it is also able to piggy back on top of our ebbs and flows of the typical cold and flu season, so it’s a double whammy,” Mark Cameron, an infectious disease researcher at Case Western Reserve, tells HuffPost.

Will Covid ever become a seasonal illness?

Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and demographer who studies infectious diseases at University of California, Irvine, expects Covid to become winter-dominant, like the flu, in the long run. SARS-CoV-2 is already somewhat seasonal and predictable in nature.

“In the United States, all of the largest spikes have been in the winter, so it is kind of seasonal in that respect,” Noymer says.

But, even between those peaks, the virus spreads at pretty significant levels. It hasn’t totally settled into a seasonality. Many epidemiologists thought Covid would have already fallen into much more of a seasonal pattern by now – but it hasn’t.

“A seasonal infectious disease is something that pops up predictably at the start of the cold and flu season and persists throughout that period of time,” Cameron says.

Keep in mind, this is only our third 12-month period with Covid. The illness is still relatively new. Even though over half of the US population and seven in 10 people in the UK have likely already had Covid, others have not and remain susceptible. We’re all antsy for the virus to become predictable, but the virus is still just getting started, Noymer says. He suspects that one day – maybe 10, 15 years from now – we’ll be looking at a very seasonal phenomenon.

There's a chance Covid may not become seasonal for years to come.

Marija Babic / EyeEm via Getty Images

There’s a chance Covid may not become seasonal for years to come.

Is there a chance Covid may never sync up with the flu and cold season and become a winter-dominant illness? Of course, Noymer says. “I can’t absolutely rule out that it never will – that it will be the one exception that disproves the rule.”

The fact that, one, people can get Covid multiple times, and two, that even vaccinated people can catch and spread Covid, makes the epidemiology of this respiratory infection chaotic. Population-level immunity influences when waves occur. After people recover from Covid, they are typically protected from infection for a few months. As time passes, those recently recovered people can become susceptible again. And, on a greater scale, a population can become susceptible to a wave again.

This isn’t an exact science – people get infected and recover at different times. Their immunity wanes at different speeds. “There’s a lot of wheels turning and it’s very hard to predict,” Noymer says.

Here’s what causes respiratory viruses to become seasonal

It’s not entirely clear why respiratory viruses tend to get more active in the wintertime – but they do. Flu activity surges in the winter as do the common cold coronaviruses. Even measles was winter-dominant when it circulated at higher levels in the US, according to Noymer.

“We see this with respiratory virus after respiratory virus after respiratory virus,” Noymer says.

There are a few hypotheses as to why this happens. The first theory is atmospheric conditions – viruses, including influenza, tend to spread more easily when there’s less humidity. Viruses do better in drier conditions.

Another contributing factor is our behaviour. In winter months, when it’s cold outside, we gather indoors together and create plenty of opportunities for viruses to spread from person to person.

Incidentally, this is also believed to be why the US South experiences summer spikes. Contrary to those in the northeast, people living in southern states head indoors during the summer months when the temperature soars and humidity becomes wet and sticky. Schools are thought to contribute to the seasonal spread of respiratory viruses like flu and RSV, Noymer adds.

The behaviour of the virus plays a role, too. The flu, for example, tends to shoot through the population then burn itself out by “mutating to its demise,” Cameron said. Covid, on the other hand, is evolving to become more fit and more transmissible – it’s not acting like a typical respiratory virus that infects people and goes away before bursting back into the population in a different form months later.

If we look to other circulating coronaviruses that cause the common cold, we can reasonably expect Covid to eventually become endemic and more seasonal in nature, according to Cameron. But we don’t know when those coronaviruses settled in their seasonality. How long that will take with Covid is a mystery. This is wide-open territory that has yet to be studied.

“How can we understand how long Covid will take to become just another garden-variety coronavirus that is circulating and causing sporadic disease?” Cameron said. “It certainly isn’t now.”

Experts are still learning about Covid-19. The information in this story is what was known or available at the time of publication, but guidance could change as scientists discover more about the virus. To keep up to date with health advice and cases in your area, visit gov.uk/coronavirus and nhs.uk.

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How Soon Is Too Soon To Become Attached To Your New Partner’s Children?

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For parents dating again, figuring out when to introduce a new partner to your kids is a tricky calculus: How many months should you wait? Does the relationship feel stable and safe enough to take that step? Is your child emotionally ready to meet someone new since you split from your co-parent? What will your ex say?

The stress doesn’t end there; once the introductions have been made, you need to check in with your kids to make sure it’s all not too much, too fast, and that they’re comfortable around your new partner.

This common post-divorce dilemma has played out on a very public stage in recent months, since reality star Kim Kardashian has started dating Saturday Night Livekim comedian Pete Davidson.

Things seem to be going swimmingly for the new couple, but Kardashian’s ex, Kanye West, has expressed concern about Davidson’s relationship with his kids. (At one point West even dramatically wrote, “NO YOU WILL NEVER MEET MY CHILDREN” on an Instagram post.)

Still, photos taken recently show that Davidson has met the couple’s kids. And earlier this month, another photo popped up showing what appears to be a new tattoo for the comedian: The ink reads KNSCP, letters many fans believe stand for Kardashian’s four children with West: North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm.

If the tattoo is real – and Davidson does have a history of getting tattoos for the women in his life, including a branding in dedication to Kardashian – it’s a showy display of commitment on his part.

Family therapists we spoke to wondered just how committed a person could be after roughly six months of dating.

“The tattoo seems more like evidence of his impulsivity rather than his genuine attachment to his girlfriend’s kids, which he could not possibly have in any substantive way after only six months,” says Virginia Gilbert, a Los Angeles-based therapist specialising in high-conflict divorce.

“I think six months is too soon to meet her kids, especially with an in-process messy divorce and Kanye being so opposed to the meeting, but everything Kim does is in the public eye, it would have been hard to keep Pete a secret, so the question is probably moot,” she added.

Kurt Smith, a family therapist in Roseville, California, who mostly works with men, says that the desire to connect deeper with your significant other by showing interest in their kids is understandable.

Ultimately, though, new partners need to recognise that it’s a delicate dance ― one that usually requires a healthy distance.

“Pete should be asking himself why that was so important for him to do at this stage of the relationship,” he says.

Since this co-parenting quandary is top of mind for many right now, we decided to ask family therapists and other experts on blended families to share the advice they’d give to parents newly dating again like Kardashian. Here’s what they say.

First off, when should introductions be made?

For divorced parents, when to introduce and involve a new partner in children’s lives is a complex question, with no “one size fits all” answer.

For some people, six months is enough; for others, a slower approach might be necessary, says Dawn O. Braithwaite, a professor of communication studies at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Braithwaite has spent her career studying how families interact to create, navigate and change relationships, routines and traditions, especially in stepfamilies and chosen families.

According to her, parents need to consider the following six things before making introductions:

  • What they believe will be the future of their new relationship

  • The age of the children

  • How long it’s been since the separation or divorce

  • How well children have adjusted to changes in their family situation

  • The relationship with the co-parent

  • The interest the new partner has in meeting the kids

“While there are exceptions, most scholars have found that new partners can play a positive role in children’s lives, but that they should go slow and act as a friend for children rather than overstepping and acting in ways that are confusing or inappropriate for children,” the professor says.

“While there are exceptions, most scholars have found that new partners can play a positive role in children’s lives, but that they should go slow and act as a friend for children," said Dawn O. Braithwaite, a professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln who studies stepfamilies.

Johnny Greig via Getty Images

“While there are exceptions, most scholars have found that new partners can play a positive role in children’s lives, but that they should go slow and act as a friend for children,” said Dawn O. Braithwaite, a professor at University of Nebraska-Lincoln who studies stepfamilies.

Meetups should be casual at first

To avoid coming on too strong or overstepping boundaries, keep those early getting-to-know-you meetups as casual as possible: Arrange a park date or meet up for a Marvel movie and pizza.

“The onus needs to be on the new partner to meet the kids where they are ― meaning you need to participate in the kinds of things they like to do,” Gilbert says. “I would also suggest postponing adult sleepovers until the kids become comfortable with the new partner.”

Remember that your relationship is not with your partner’s kids — it’s with your partner only

If you’re the parent, reinforce that you’re not a package deal – not yet, anyway.

“Maintaining this boundary is important for both partners, the health of the new relationship, and, most importantly, for the kids’ health,” Smith says.

Move too quickly and you could quickly incur the annoyance of the kids ― and the potential ire of the other parent.

“I’ve counselled divorcing parents where his new girlfriend posted pics on social media of his kids at a birthday party like they were her own and believe me, it did not go over well with the other parent,” Smith says.

“It’s hard enough bringing in new partners and blending families, so avoiding anything that could cause tension or conflict should be avoided,” he explained.

Be comfortable being an outsider for a while.

Kids in situations like this are usually grappling with competing, confusing concerns, says Amy Begel, a family therapist in private practice in New York City and author of the blog Most Human: “Will they betray their father if they have a relationship with this new guy? Will they betray their mother if they are loyal to their father and want to protect his feelings?”

That’s why it’s important to take a backseat for a bit if you’re the new partner. It may feel like a blow to the ego to be treated as marginal, or worse, an intruder, but patience during this process is crucial, Begel says.

As Jenna Korf, a stepmom and founder of StepmomHelp.com, previously told HuffPost, you’re an outsider joining an already-formed family – even if your partner and their kids eventually move into your home.

“A lot of this is unintentional, but kids automatically go to their parent,” she says. “You might be sitting right next to your partner and they won’t address you, often leaving you out of the conversation.”

If you’re the new partner, take the approach of a new friend or neighbour, not an automatic stepparent.

New partners should try to befriend the kids, but move at a pace determined by the kids, says Ron Deal, the founder of SmartStepfamilies.com and author of a number of popular books on blended families.

“In my book with Dr. Gary Chapman, Building Love Together in Blended Families, I tell stepparents it’s like making friends with a new neighbour,” Deal says. “You don’t just push your way into their house and tell them you’re their new BFF. That makes enemies.”

Instead, the stepdad and author advised, you knock and wait patiently on the doorstep.

“You may even have to talk to them through the door for a while until you find a few things you have in common. Only when they open it can you begin to connect face to face,” Deal says. “Slowly, over time, a friendship is made that stands on its own terms.”

Meeting for the first time? Keep it casual. Think: The new Marvel movie on Disney+ and pizza at home where you get a chance to talk and get to know each other.

mixetto via Getty Images

Meeting for the first time? Keep it casual. Think: The new Marvel movie on Disney+ and pizza at home where you get a chance to talk and get to know each other.

Avoid “erase and replace” messages if you’re the new partner

According to Deal, exaggerated gestures like Davidson’s tattoos send the wrong message to kids. The goal for new partners is to come across as additive rather than substitutive. The kids should feel like they’re potentially adding to the family, not getting a substitute dad or mum.

“Pete’s tattoo may sound romantic – that’s the kind of thing people do to win the affections of their dating partner – but to the children it declares, ‘You’re mine.’” Deal says. “Someone might say, but isn’t that great as well? Not necessarily to a child. In their world, it may seem like Pete is trying to ‘erase and replace’ their father.”

A child’s loyalty lies, understandably, with their biological parent, not the new stepparent. A message like that threatens their relationship with their father “may partially explain Kanye’s strong reaction and only escalates the battle between the parents,” Deal tells HuffPost.

“Here’s my rule of thumb: a new partner who tries to erase and replace a biological parent is, in fact, going to be erased and replaced themselves,” he says.

"As a general rule, it takes at least two years before a new partner can assume a traditional parenting role," said Virginia Gilbert, an LA-based therapist specializing in high-conflict divorce.

FatCamera via Getty Images

“As a general rule, it takes at least two years before a new partner can assume a traditional parenting role,” said Virginia Gilbert, an LA-based therapist specializing in high-conflict divorce.

Most kids with newly divorced parents are dealing with abandonment issues; don’t add to them

It’s awful for a child to get attached to a new partner who then disappears from their lives. If your partner is coming on too strong with the kids, Gilbert says to acknowledge that this is a tough transition for everyone and tell them you really appreciate their efforts.

Then, shift the conversation: Try to encourage them to see things from the kids’ perspective: Among other things, your kids may be feeling extra loyal to your ex or they may be experiencing grief that their parents are no longer together. They may not want to share you with a new person and they may not want someone to have control over changes in their lives.

“Your new partner needs to understand how overwhelming your relationship might feel to the kids and that their ambivalence is not about them,” Gilbert says. “If the issue is creating conflict between you and your new partner, consider seeing a therapist who can help you both make child-centred decisions.”

The big takeaway here, though, is to take things slow: “As a general rule, it takes at least two years before a new partner can assume any sort of traditional parenting role,” Gilbert says.

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Jacob Rees-Mogg Clashes With Naga Munchetty Over Partygate ‘Non-Story’

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Jacob Rees-Mogg clashed with the BBC’s Naga Munchetty after she asked him about more than 100 fines being issued to Downing Street staff over partygate.

The cabinet minister insisted it was a “non-story” and that the public had now moved on from the scandal of lockdown-breaking parties in Number 10 and Whitehall.

He also took aim at the BBC, who he said had “loved” covering the story.

The Metropolitan Police announced yesterday that the number of fixed penalty notices they had issued over the affair had doubled to more than 100, with the investigation continuing.

Munchetty asked Rees-Mogg for his reaction to the news when he appeared on BBC Breakfast.

The BBC presenter asked Rees-Mogg whether the news that more than 100 Downing Street staff have now been fined for breaking lockdown rules “reflected well on this Conservative government”.

Rees-Mogg said: “I’m afraid I think this is a non-story. The BBC has absolutely loved it, but what is important is we get on with the business of government.”

Munchetty then interjected to ask: “Why do you think this is a non-story? Have you not heard people upset, genuinely devastated, that people in Downing Street thought it was OK to break the rules that they set while other people didn’t break the rules and missed out on meeting dying family members?”

Rees-Mogg replied: “I think people were upset. I think this was an important story in February when it first became known, and that there was great concern and there was a feeling of people who were bereaved particularly about it.

“I also think we need to look in the inquiry at the rules to see if they were proportionate.”

The minister said the rules were “too restrictive” because they prevented people from “giving comfort to the dying”.

Munchetty then asked: “Can I just understand your interpretation of where we are with the rules and why you think this is a non-story? So, the fact that more than 100 fines have been issued in a non-story because the rules that were set in the first place were too rigorous?”

The minister said: “What I’m saying is the fines are a consequence of things we knew in February and it was a story in February and people now know about it and have made their judgment on it and there are other things going on that are more important.”

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Jacob Rees-Mogg Defends Boris Johnson’s Plan To Cull 91,000 Civil Service Jobs

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Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended Boris Johnson’s plans to slash the number of civil servants by 91,000.

The government efficiency minister said the government wanted to bring the Whitehall headcount back to where it was in 2016.

He said the extra staff were brought in to help deal with the pandemic and the “aftermath of Brexit”.

Rees-Mogg told Sky News: “I know it sounds eye-catching but it’s just getting back to the civil service we had in 2016… since then we’ve had to take on people for specific tasks.

“So dealing with the aftermath of Brexit and dealing with Covid, so there’s been a reason for that increase, but we’re now trying to get back to normal.”

The minister said there was currently too much “duplication” in Whitehall, and insisted most of the jobs could be lost by not replacing the 38,000 civil servants who leave the government every year.

He said: “What I’ve seen within the Cabinet Office, which is where I work and bear in mind each secretary of state will be responsible for is or her own department, is that there’s duplication within government, so you have a communications department and then you have within another department some people doing communications.

“So it’s trying to ensure that you use the resources that you’ve got rather than duplicating it bit by bit.”

Asked why the cuts were not being described as a return to austerity, he said: “I don’t think it is because what is being done is getting back to the efficiency levels we had in 2016.”

Rees-Mogg has previously angered civil servants by leaving notes on the desks of those not in the office in an attempt to discourage working from home.

They read: “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon. Wish every good wish.”

The drive has been branded “vindictive” by Dave Penman, the general secretary of the FDA representing senior civil servants, who said ministers were out of step with practice in the private sector.

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Women’s Mistrust In The Met Runs Deep: Here’s What The New Commissioner Has To Do to Fix It

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Applications have now closed for the role of Met Police commissioner, and whoever takes the role will need to work hard to win back the trust women lost during Cressida Dick’s reign.

The outgoing commissioner acknowledged this, prior to her departure saying: “We know a precious bond has been broken and I am committed to rebuilding the trust and confidence of all Londoners.”

Winning back this trust won’t be easy, but it is vital. Victims of crime need to have absolute trust and faith in those to whom they will tell their story. Already fewer than one in six women report rape, as they fear the police won’t do anything about it.

But the lack of trust goes much deeper than a fear that interaction with police will result in lack of action: The horrific case of Sarah Everard, raped and murdered by serving Met police officer Wayne Couzens, has left women afraid.

While it has always been the approach of police forces to label criminality by police officers as the work of “bad apples”, the litany of ignored incidents by a man nicknamed ‘the rapist’ by colleagues speaks of an organisation with little regard for women’s safety.

Couzens had joined the Met from the Civil Nuclear Constabulary before being assigned to the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection (PaDP) branch, but had not undergone enhanced vetting nor gone through the mandatory two-year probation period with the Met before joining the PaDP.

There were at least three allegations of indecent exposure filed against him. Radio presenter Emma B also came forward to say that she had attempted to report Couzens in 2008, after he flashed her in an alley in Greenwich, but that the Police had laughed at her.

We now need to know that police vetting will be stepped up and that behaviour such as that displayed by Couzens will not be tolerated. Indeed, it would not be in most work places.

Even within Sarah’s case there are more examples of deeply disturbing police behaviour.

An officer who had been a part of the search was suspended from duties after sharing an inappropriate graphic on social media, five officers were placed under investigation for sharing grossly offensive material with Couzens before he killed Sarah and several officers gave character references supportive of Couzens during his sentencing hearing.

Several female officers told the press that they did not feel as if they could report concerning behaviour by male colleagues. So another question that needs answering from all applicants for the commissioner job is how they will root out this behaviour, rid the Met of this hugely offensive culture and make sure anyone reporting concerning actions – including other police staff — is protected.

If female police officers feel unsafe making reports to colleagues, it is hard to see how other women could possibly feel able to.

The sharing of offensive material appears epidemic by Met police officers. Last December two Met police constables who took photos of the bodies of murdered sisters of Nicole Smallman and Bibaa Henry and shared the images on WhatsApp groups were jailed for 33 months.

Meanwhile, officers at Charing Cross police station were found to have joked about rape and exchanged offensive social media messages.

In April, responding to the IOCP investigation into the Charing Cross police station, the police said they would have a zero-tolerance approach to misogyny. Yet, of the 14 officers investigated, nine are still serving, while another is working as a contractor in a staff role. I am not sure this sounds like “zero tolerance”.

Talk about organisational cultural change is easy – finding ways and implementing them is much harder. But women and girls simply cannot be safe whilst misogyny is allowed to be part of the Met’s culture.

Like women across the capital, I look forward to hearing the new commissioner’s plans for fundamental change.

Ellie Reeves is Labour’s shadow minister for justice and the MP for Lewisham West and Penge.

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Selena Gomez Clears Things Up After Fans Accuse Her Of Making Fun Of Hailey Bieber

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Selena Gomez is shutting down rumours that she threw shade at Hailey Bieber.

After Selena posted a look at her skin care routine on TikTok earlier this week, some fans accused her of subtly mocking a video that Hailey had posted just hours earlier.

Hailey, who married Selena’s ex Justin Bieber in 2018, shared a “get ready with me” video to TikTok showing fans her beauty routine. Later, Selena posted a video of her own, showcasing her skin care routine to Fleetwood Mac’s Dreams.

Selena – whose 2019 song Lose You To Love Me was widely thought to be about Justin Bieber – took to her comments section to clear the air about the misunderstanding.

“This is why I believe in taking care of your mental health. Guys no idea what I did but I really am sorry. Zero bad intention. Deleting soon,” Selena commented on her video, as seen in a screenshot from a fan.

Still, some fans continued to speculate about possible tension between Selena and Hailey, given the timing of Selena’s video.

“LOL I know who she’s referring to,” one commenter wrote on Selena’s TikTok video. “Wait … is she tryna make fun of you know who,” another commenter wrote.

The Wizards of Waverly Place leading lady later turned off comments on the video.

Selena said goodbye to her on-and-off relationship with Justin months before he wedded Hailey. The couple have been married since 2018.

Over the years, fans have theorised that Selena and Hailey Bieber hold resentment toward each other, but the two women have always denied the rumours.

Last month, Hailey addressed the issue in a TikTok, pleading with trolls to finally let the drama end.

“Leave me alone at this point,” she said. “I’m minding my business. I don’t do anything, I don’t say anything. Leave me alone, please. Enough time has gone by where it’s valid to leave me alone. I beg of you, truly. That’s my only request.”

“Be miserable somewhere else, please,” she added.

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Blake Lively Tried And Failed To Impress Her Kids With This Iconic Met Gala Look

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Blake Lively may have played Serena van der Woodsen, hung out with Karl Lagerfeld, graced the cover of Vogue and co-chaired the 2022 Met Gala — but her kids couldn’t care less.

The Gossip Girl star participated in Vogue’s Life in Looks video series Monday, in which stars take a walk down fashion-memory lane by reminiscing about some of the most stylish looks they’ve worn throughout their careers.

During the video, Blake got especially excited while discussing the Versace gown and Lorraine Schwartz crown she wore to the 2018 Met Gala, and describes it to the magazine as “without a doubt my favourite look of all time.”

Blake Lively at the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination.
Blake Lively at the 2018 Met Gala, which had the theme Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & the Catholic Imagination.

Taylor Hill via Getty Images

But she was also quick to point out that her three young daughters — James, 7, Inez, 5, and Betty, 2 — that she shares with Ryan Reynolds don’t exactly share the same opinion.

“It’s something that when my kids are giving me attitude, I’m like, ‘This is your mom,’ I mean, come on!” Blake said, gesturing to a photo of herself in the stunning dress.

“I try to tell them that I’m real-life royalty and that they’re lucky that I’m raising them.”

Blake then began laughing, and self-deprecatingly added, “They don’t buy it. They don’t believe it.”

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Maybe her kids need a stronger visual representation of how their mum tends to wear jaw-dropping pieces. May we suggest she show her kids the transformative gown she wore to the 2022 Met Gala — ya know, the one that made her husband react like this?

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