Forum Topics

So where you going to go to? Not Tory, not Labour, not LibDem, not Green, and now not Reform

"Reform UK has confirmed that that it has suspended Chris Parry as its Hampshire mayoral candidate after he described members of a Jewish neighbourhood watch group as “cosplayers” and likened them to “Islamists on horseback”.A Reform UK spokesperson said: “Chris Parry has been suspended by Reform UK pending investigation.” His candidacy has also been suspended by the party.When contacted by the Guardian earlier after Hampshire Live quoted a Reform UK spokesman as saying he was no longer the party’s candidate, Parry said that he was “mid-Atlantic.”"Nigel Farage had already expended political capital on Parry, a former rear admiral, after he had initially refused to apologise last year for saying London-born David Lammy should “go home” to the Carribbean.However, the party has now been tipped over the edge after Parry made comments on x about Shomrim, a respected group which helps to protect the orthodox Jewish community and others, in the wake of an arson attack on a Jewish ambulance charity in London".-----------------"Parry, a retired rear admiral, also retweeted a post on X by Catherine Blaiklock, a co-founder of the Brexit party, hours after news of the attack on a Jewish charity ambulance service in north London emerged, in which she asked: “Can Christian’s [sic] in Britain set up their own police and patrol certain neighbourhoods?”Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson said the comments, some of which were later deleted, were ‘deeply insensitive’ about Jewish community. He went on:Nigel Farage should act now to drop Chris Parry as Reform’s Hampshire mayoral candidate. These remarks were deeply insensitive, insulting and not befitting of someone who wants to hold public office.At a time when we are all thinking of the Jewish community after such a disturbing attack, these comments will compound the pain so many people are already feeling."----------------"The Liberal Democrats home affairs spokesperson Max Wilkinson had called on Farage earlier in the day to drop Parry. He later said : “This is a good start, but Farage has some way to go. There are serious questions to answer as to how this candidate got approved in the first place.”Calvin Bailey, a Labour MP who wrote to Nigel Farage about previous comments attributed to Parry, including calling female MPs “harpies”, said: “It should not take repeated incidents for basic standards of decency to be upheld.” (Gdn today, in reversed order of publication)I suppose that there remains the Brexit Party for the Reformists and rump Tories

David Ainsworth ● 2d12 Comments ● 11h

Local charity needs volunteers

Do you want to give back to the local community by making a difference that lasts a lifetime?Could you spare 2-4 hours a week to support a local family in need? Home-Start Wandsworth volunteers support families with young children in Wandsworth dealing with a variety of difficulties including: post-natal depression, isolation, physical and mental health problems, bereavement or financial worries. Volunteers work alongside families to give compassionate, non-judgemental, confidential support, tailored to each family. They help families regain their confidence and empower them to build connections with other support services and the wider community to reduce isolation.As a Home-Start volunteer, you will be given all the training and support to be effective and make a real difference to families in your community. Our ongoing training programme helps prepare you to support families in their home, covering a range of topics including mental health, child development, boundaries and safeguarding.Applications will be closing shortly for our next training course, starting on Thursday 7 May and running every Thursdays for 8 weeks excluding 28 May.If you have parental or any other experience with young children, then we would love to hear from you. You don’t need qualifications – all you need is a willingness to help, empathy, enthusiasm, reliability and a little time. Register your interest and we will be in touch: https://bit.ly/3PwjMpi

Melissa Pike ● 18h0 Comments ● 18h