Nadine Dorries Evokes Class Struggle In Attack On ‘Posh Boys’ Amid Peerage Row

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Nadine Dorries has drawn from her working-class upbringing as she claimed “posh boys” blocked her from taking a seat in the House of Lords.

The outgoing Tory MP hit out at prime minister Rishi Sunak and one of his closest advisers, James Forsyth, after she did not appear on ally Boris Johnson’s resignation nominations, prompting the former cabinet minister to announce she was quitting parliament.

Johnson also dramatically announced on Friday he was resigning after Dorries and others had apparently been shorn from the list.

The row has since descended into a public slanging match between Sunak and his predecessor in Downing Street, with the current PM making clear the decision was made by the House of Lords appointment commission and that he refused Johnson’s request to intervene.

On Monday, Dorries added to the din when she spoke to Piers Morgan on TalkTV, and said she was “broken-hearted” that a woman from her background had had the appointment taken away from her.

She told Morgan “This story is about a girl from Breck Road in Liverpool who worked every day of her life since she was 14 years old, had something offered to her … people from that background don’t get offered … removed by two privileged posh boys who went to Winchester and Oxford, and taken away duplicitously and cruelly because they have known for months that it wasn’t the case. And yet they let me and they let Boris Johnson continue to believe that was the case.”

She added: “It was upsetting and it’s upsetting for everybody who thinks that one day they could be that person because you know what if you come up against someone like Rishi Soak and James Forsyth, from privileged backgrounds, who have it all very easily, given to them on a plate … you’re in trouble.”

Johnson’s own background is not a fair comparison because he attended Eton on a scholarship and has “no money”, she claimed.

Dorries also claimed she had been “bullied” by No. 10 and decided she “can’t allow that to happen”.

She denied “knifing the party” by triggering a by-election in her constituency, telling TalkTV: “I think you come to a point in life when you have to stop, when you can’t just be pushed around, when you can’t allow people to bully you, as I’ve just been bullied by No 10. You can’t allow that to happen, you have to stand up for yourself, and that’s what I did.”

The former culture secretary added: “It was a painful decision … I didn’t want to cause a by-election.”

Dorries was born in 1957 in Liverpool and grew up on a council estate.

She has previously referred to David Cameron and George Osborne as “arrogant posh boys”, while describing herself as “a normal mother who comes from a poor background and who didn’t go to a posh school”.

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Mother jailed for taking abortion pills after legal limit

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Carla Foster, 44, pleaded guilty to procuring drugs to induce an abortion at 32-34 weeks.

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NHS: ‘Tired’ nurses and strikes see applications fall, university says

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Anglia Ruskin University says it has had a 23% drop in people applying for nursing course this year.

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The Scottish islands desperately seeking doctors

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There has been no permanent doctor on the Hebridean islands of Barra and Vatersay since last summer.

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Nicola Sturgeon Says She Is ‘Innocent Of Any Wrongdoing’ Following Arrest

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Nicola Sturgeon has insisted she is “innocent of any wrongdoing” following her arrest as part of a police probe into the SNP’s finances.

The former first minister was quizzed by detectives for seven hours before being released without charge.

Police Scotland have launched an investigation into the whereabouts of £660,000 donated to the SNP for a second independence referendum campaign

Sturgeon’s husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, and the party’s former treasurer, Colin Beattie, have previously been arrested as part of the probe, known as Operation Branchform.

Following her release this evening, Sturgeon issued a statement on Twitter in which she said it was “beyond doubt” that she was innocent.

She said: “To find myself in the situation I did today when I am certain I have committed no offence is both a shock and deeply distressing.

“I know that this ongoing investigation is difficult for people, and I am grateful that so many continue to show faith in me and appreciate that I would never do anything to harm either the SNP or the country.”

Ms Sturgeon went on: “Obviously, given the nature of this process, I cannot go into detail.

“However, I do wish to say this, and to do so in the strongest possible terms. Innocence is not just a presumption I am entitled to in law. I know beyond doubt that I am in fact innocent of any wrongdoing.”

Sturgeon thanked “the many people who have sent messages of support over these past difficult weeks – including since today’s news broke”.

She added: “Thank you also to my close circle of family and friends who are giving me much-needed strength at this time.”

Police Scotland are investigating claims that the donations from activists to support the campaign for a second independence referendum were used for other purposes.

The inquiry was launched following allegations that the money, which was meant to be in a ring-fenced fund, had been misappropriated.

An SNP spokesperson said: “These issues are subject to a live police investigation.

“The SNP have been co-operating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so, however it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”

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Psychedelic Science 2023 Conference

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Next week I’ll be attending the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. Supposedly it’s the biggest psychedelics conference in the world, expecting 10K+ attendees and 300+ speakers. The speakers include Paul Stamets and Michael Pollan – you might know them from Fantastic Fungi or How to Change Your Mind.

I’m going because I want to learn more about psychedelics. I also want to immerse myself in a social world of people who are open-minded about such explorations. I’ve only done a few journeys so far, the last one being several months ago, and I’d like to explore new experiences along those lines in the months and years ahead.

I learned about this conference only last week by attending a local psychedelics meetup group here in Vegas. It was lovely to connect in person with other like-minded people who are exploring psychedelics for self-development and for mind-expanding and heart-opening experiences. The vibe of that group reminded me of the warmth and connectedness that I experienced during my last journey.

If you’re just learning about the conference now and feel tempted to go, it’s pretty easy to find discount codes online for 10-20% off the admission price.

The conference website lists an almost overwhelming number of sessions that explore psychedelics from a variety of perspectives – medical research and results, Indigenous perspectives, decriminalization efforts, personal exploration advice, and lots more. I figure I’m bound to learn a lot from it.

There are many social events connected to this conference too, so many that it may be hard to choose which ones to attend – yoga sessions, dance parties, shroom journeys in the woods, etc.

I’ve never been to this conference before, but I expect that it’s going to be a fascinating week. 😀

I also saw this one on a related web page:

Colorado’s Proposition 122, which was voted into law in 2022, allows for the personal use of psilocybin, psilocin, DMT, ibogaine, and mescaline (not from peyote). This means people in Colorado under Colorado law are now allowed to grow, share and gift these substances, but they are not allowed to sell them. Possession and use of these substances are still illegal under federal law.

Nevada seems to be on a path towards decriminalizing psychedelics as well. On June 2nd the Nevada legislature passed Senate Bill 242, which establishes a psychedelic medicine working group as part of the state’s health department. They’ll study psychedelics for treating a variety of ailments, and if that goes well, it creates a pathways for decriminalizing personal use for all Nevadans.

This Nevada bill actually got going as a result of constituents talking to members of the state assembly and encouraging this transformation in government’s relationship to psychedelics. There are similar bills being introduced in several other U.S. states too. This will likely take years to play out, but it’s an interesting step.

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A Timeline Of Taylor Swift And Matty Healy’s Whirlwind Rumoured Romance

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Taylor Swift’s rumoured whirlwind romance with Matty Healy reportedly came to an end this week, after around a month of dating.

The Anti-Hero singer was first linked to Matty, the controversial frontman of The 1975, at the beginning of April, following her split from her long-term boyfriend, actor Joe Alwyn.

Almost immediately, the rumours sent the internet into a frenzy, and left Swifties feeling rather divided due to a number of public controversies in Matty’s recent past.

And while the two never actually did confirm whether or not they were an item, here’s our full timeline of their short-lived, headline-grabbing romance…

8 April: Taylor breaks up with Joe Alwyn after six years

Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at the Golden Globes in 2020
Taylor Swift and Joe Alwyn at the Golden Globes in 2020

Christopher Polk/NBC via Getty Images

Multiple organisations reported that Taylor and Conversations With Friends actor Joe had parted ways at the beginning of April.

It was said at the time that the break-up was amicable, with a “source” telling Entertainment Tonight that the split was “not dramatic” and that the relationship had simply “run its course” after around six years together.

3 May: The first reports emerge claiming that Taylor and Matty are dating

Taylor was first romantically linked to Matty at the beginning of May, catapulting social media into a tailspin, and sparking a divide among fans of the Grammy-winning star due to some of the frontman’s past comments and behaviour.

News of the reported relationship came around four months after Taylor surprised The 1975 fans by appearing at one of their London shows as a guest performer.

At the time, she also posed for a backstage selfie with Matty’s mum, Loose Women presenter Denise Welch.

In fact, Matty and Taylor had apparently been friends for a number of years before their rumoured romance hit the press, with the Sincerity Is Scary singer claiming in 2014 that he’d have found it “emasculating” to go out with someone as famous as the Shake It Off star.

6 May: Matty is spotted supporting Taylor at one of her concerts – and later gets up on stage

Matty on stage during Phoebe Bridgers' Eras tour set
Matty on stage during Phoebe Bridgers’ Eras tour set

Lisa Lake/TAS23 via Getty Images

Just days after rumours of a romance between the pair started to swirl, Matty was seen at one of Taylor’s Eras tour shows.

During the gig, one fan spotted the British singer standing in the VIP section and quickly snapped a photo.

At the same gig, Matty also got on stage to play guitar with Taylor’s support act Phoebe Bridgers.

7 May: Taylor and Matty are pictured together for the first time since the romance reports surface

The rumoured couple were papped together just after midnight on 7 May, marking the first time that they had been seen with one another since the first reports about their relationship.

After another of Taylor’s Nashville shows, the two were seen (in, it has to be said, some very blurry photos) sitting in the back of a chauffeured car, seemingly on the way to Taylor’s condo.

12 May: Taylor and Matty are snapped holding hands on an apparent double date

By mid-May, it looked like Taylor and Matty were growing even closer, after they were seen embarking on a supposed double date with Jack Antoff and his fiancée Margaret Qualley in New York.

In another photo taken by a fan, the two were seen holding hands while walking through a rooftop restaurant, generating yet more conversation online.

13 May: Matty attends another one of Taylor’s concerts – and hangs out with her father and close pal Blake Lively

Matty showed his support at another of Taylor’s Eras shows in Philadelphia, this time along with her dad Scott Swift.

He and Scott were captured on video swaying from side to side in a VIP box while the Love Story singer performed.

Reports also claimed that Matty had chilled with Taylor’s best friend, Blake Lively, during the show.

20 May: Taylor tells fans she’s the happiest she’s ever been

Taylor exuded pure joy during her Massachusetts gig on 20 May, and delighted in telling the audience that she was in a good place.

While on stage in Foxborough, she enthused: “I’ve just never been this happy in my life in all aspects of my life ever.

“And I just want to thank you for being a part of that.”

She added: “It’s not just a tour, I just sort of feel like my life finally feels like it makes sense.”

24 May: Taylor announces collaboration with Ice Spice… after Matty was embroiled in a controversy relating to the rapper

In an unexpected move, Taylor revealed that rapper Ice Spice would be featured on a new version of Karma, the latest single from her recent album Midnights.

The announcement came around four months after Matty was heard laughing at offensive comments about the Princess Diana musician during a podcast.

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After being called out in January, the rocker made an attempt at an apology during his band’s Auckland show in April.

“I just feel a bit bad, and I’m kind of a bit sorry if I’ve offended you,” he said at the time.

“Ice Spice, I’m sorry. It’s not because I’m annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. It’s because I don’t want Ice Spice to think I’m a dick.”

Ice Spice never actually responded to Matty, but when her Karma verse was announced, she tweeted about the collaboration, calling Taylor the “sweetest person ever”.

3 June: Matty makes headlines when he kisses a security guard during a 1975 concert

Matty was caught on camera kissing a male security guard while The 1975 performed in Denmark in early June.

Already renowned for his chaotic antics during the band’s shows, the frontman was captured leaning in for a quick smooch with the man while performing the track Robbers.

The security guard didn’t seem to be fazed by the impromptu lip-lock, and was seen smiling from ear to ear before Matty leaned in for a second kiss and thanked him.

5 June: Taylor is apparently single again, as Matty thanks fans for their support following the rumoured split

By 5 June, the whirlwind romance was apparently officially over before either party ever commented on it publicly.

Shedding light on the reason behind their sudden break-up, a “source” told ET that both Taylor and Matty are “extremely busy”, and apparently had a realisation they’re “ not really compatible with each other”.

During The 1975’s concert in Vienna the night the break-up was reported in the media, Matty thanked his fans for their support.

“My friend had some very, very beautiful signs that said: ‘You are loved,’” the singer said while gesturing to an audience member. “That was very, very kind of you.”

“I’m sure that’s alluding to … ,” he continued, before appearing to stop himself before mentioning anyone specific by name.

“As you’re aware, I’m not very online at the moment, and I’m sure people have just been calling me a cunt relentlessly.”

So, what’s next? Watch this space…

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