Even more upsetting than reading Julie Burchill's tweet about the new Royal baby was to then read the disgusting, racist twitter conversation that followed between Burchill and a practising member of the legal profession. I feel sick personally and professionally.
Of all the cabinet appointments made today, this one is the most special to me.
From Chair of the
#ManchesterUniversity
@UKLabour
Club to a ***CABINET MINISTER IN A LABOUR GOVERNMENT***!!!
Our beautiful, brilliant uni mate Jonny! 🥹
Am absolutely over the moon for him!!❤️❤️❤️
Still watching CNN.
They just said "we are on the cusp of seeing the first ever female Vice President - a woman of colour".
My chin wobbled and I just burst out crying.
This is really happening.
#BidenHarris2020
Andrea Jenkyns absolutely woeful on
#Newsnight
. Squirming and stuttering all over the place.
By contrast,
@AzeemRafiq30
articulate, dignified, and moving.
Mayor of London “urgently seeking an explanation” from Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick. Her position tonight looks untenable. The first female commissioner may well have to resign over the treatment of women by her officers.
Outside New Scotland Yard to continue to support the family of
#ChrisKaba
in their fight for justice. Chris' local MP
@BellRibeiroAddy
speaks for all of us here when she condemns the disgraceful attempts to excuse and justify Chris' murder.
#JusticeForChrisKaba
"Two thirds of the students would be the first in their family to attend university and half have received free school meals". My heart is singing! Absolutely fantastic!
#bramptonmanor
#eastlondon
#oxbridge
My Dominican Great Aunt (on the left, 74 year old mummy on the right) is *101* years old today!!!😍 I continue to feel extremely blessed that my ancestry hails from the Nature Isle - home to the highest number of centenarians worldwide. Still no Covid deaths there either!🇩🇲🇩🇲🇩🇲
It may have seemed dramatic to put my mum on a plane to
#Dominica
🇩🇲 at 10am on 23.03.2020 - a few hours before the first UK
#lockdown
- but there was absolutely no way I was leaving my mama to the whims & appalling decisions of B Johnson. She remained safe for a whole year 🙏🏾🙌🏾
#CovidInquiry
For every family who lost a loved one, remember this...
Sir Patrick Vallance notes in his diaries (Aug-Dec 20) that many Tory backbenchers' attitude to Covid was "NATURE'S WAY OF DEALING WITH OLD PEOPLE"
Johnson described as being "OBSESSED WITH OLDER PEOPLE
Will be no surprise to anyone following this account that I am a huge supporter of
@Keir_Starmer
and today's
#DesertIslandDiscs
has once again reinforced my support. A hardworking, decent, working class boy done good who's genuine and caring. I cannot wait until he's PM in 2024.
Shout out to the chirpy
#centralline
tube driver who as the doors were closing made the following glorious announcement:
"Welcome to
#Leyton
, the home of the mighty
@leytonorientfc
."
The carriage cheered!
And a Very Happy Friday to you too, Mr Tube Driver!🥰
#LOFC
#UpTheOs
Good for
@GaryLineker
. When I was growing up, we took in asylum seekers from countries including Iran & Ghana. Mum's view was that she'd want another family to do the same for me if I were abroad, alone & frightened. Our guests became family. My mum Jane became their "Mama Jane".
When you spend the entire Easter weekend (bar Sunday) drafting a legal advice & judicial review grounds for a case where mum & kids were due to be kicked out of their temp accommodation TODAY & a High Court judge agrees with your written grounds without requiring a hearing 🙌🏾🎉
It just goes to show how brilliant
@FloEshalomi
is when - after seeing her in action during the
#GeneralElection
campaign - a fellow parliamentary candidate in the
#Vauxhall
constituency urges residents to vote for Florence rather than him! Roll on December 12th!🙌🏾🙏🏾
#floeshalomi
"Why those who care for the constitution should oppose the Conservatives at the general election"
Brilliant, blistering tour de force writing from
@davidallengreen
on the eve of poll.
Did my first real
#pleaandmitigation
in the Mags Court this morning. Client was given a discharge for possession of cannabis and a fine for assaulting a police officer. Prosecution had wanted harsher sentences. I'm exhausted (barely slept from nerves) but relieved😊
#pupillage
In a parallel universe, Owen Paterson decided best to keep quiet.
He accepted his 30-day suspension, the news juggernaut rolled on and nobody mentioned a recall petition.
Re-elected in 2024, Mr Paterson retired as an MP ahead of the 2029 election, taking a seat in the Lords.
27/11/2007 - I'm standing in a corridor at Snaresbrook CC waiting for my barrister. I'm wearing a black suit. A woman looks at me & asks if I know what the door code is. I don't know what she means.
27/11/2014 - I'm called to the Bar of E & W.
27/11/2021 ➡️ - Watch This Space.
@Femi_Sorry
That isn't what he says in this clip. From what I've read, there had been a controversy in 2011 about closing the A & E + people believed the Labour candidate had been involved. It diminishes us to mock people like this gentleman instead of listening to&trying to understand him.
I am always bemused when I read people (who don't know him) calling the Prime Minister "weak."
They haven't done their homework.
The thugs on the streets, & the online/offline agitators cheering them on, are about to find out who Keir Starmer is.
It won't end well for them.
#Nye
@NationalTheatre
terrific. The story of a political legend told through a great script & beautiful choreography. I loved the Bevan-Churchill tea room scene, which felt like we were watching ballet! Congratulations to Lee Mengo, who stood in for Michael Sheen, & was superb!👏🏾
As a barrister who worked in a
#LawCentre
, I take issue with the Bar Council Chair's comments. Law Centres provide "specialised expertise" + they *are* "legal practitioners". A Law Centre is not permitted to operate without a Senior Supervising Solicitor!
@henrymance
Indeed. This black Briton also thinks that this is a front page non-story given faux prominence in a desperate and laughingly weak attempt to pretend that Marcus Rashford's ubiquitous
#ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY
campaign isn't happening.
"To many Black Britons, the Queen could do no wrong. King Charles must earn that respect".
Good article from my friend
@ppvernon
encapsulating how many people feel.
RIP Queen Elizabeth II.
Even more abhorrent than deporting people who came here as children is deporting the children brought up in care. Some had no citizenship applications made. Some had no support and so turned to crime. The state was their parent and the state failed them.
Emotional after seeing
#smallisland
@NationalTheatre
. Watching it at this particular moment in British history felt significant. Relived my
#Caribbean
relatives' difficult experiences. Prior to
#Brexit
, I had not questioned my "place" in Britain. Now I am starting to wonder 💔
It's 11 years to the day that
@dianemorrison66
interviewed me for a day volunteer role
@HackneyLawCentr
and gave me my life back. I will never stop being grateful to this wonderful woman and phenomenal solicitor 🖤
#LCtoday
It is regrettable that
@KemiBadenoch
's appalling treatment/pile-on baiting of
@Nadine_Writes
has overshadowed the laudable work
@nadhimzahawi
has carried out this week to try and build confidence about the vaccine in the UK's African and Caribbean heritage community (1/3).
Relieved for Ricardo dos Santos, Bianca Williams & other innocent Londoners going about their daily business.
Unjustified stop & searches are absolutely traumatising.
@metpoliceuk
must stop using the "smelling cannabis" justification as an excuse to brutalise innocent people.
LOVE
@ValerieJarrett
. Fab to see her interviewed by
@maitlis
on
#Newsnight
. November's US presidential election's going to be even more important than 2008. Excited to see which of the formidable women profiled will become Biden's VP running mate.
This wonderful blogpost by Sir Henry Brooke (among so many outstanding posts) is one of the many reasons why we will feel his loss greatly. Here was a barrister & judge who really "got" race equality. How I wish I had known him when he chaired the Bar's Race Relations Committee.
I've finally received my
#LegalAid
Agency "Supplier Number" (more than half of my cases since I've been "on my feet" have been for legally aided clients). Chuffed to have officially started my journey to become a bona fide
#legalaidlawyer
😊
As we begin a new week, I want to thank the wonderful Julie Bishop, Director of
@LawCentres
, for providing me with the opportunity to play a role in the organisation and curation of
#RacialJustice22
. The conference was bold and energising. I'm so proud of the Law Centre family!❤️
“The narrative is that it is up to the individual to succeed: if you work hard, keep your head down, you will achieve and be successful in Britain, and if you don’t then, that’s your fault."
@ppvernon
#Windrush
#WindrushScandal
#RaceReport
(1/2)
Good interviewing by
@krishgm
on
#C4News
. Cressida Dick is absolutely in denial. Terrible interview. Defensive. Tone deaf. Incapable of empathy. Not listening. As a Londoner, I have no confidence in her.
Explaining to mum (who's been in the Caribbean since March) that the UK is *still* debating
#facemasks
. She & other
#Dominican
relatives totally baffled. Masks there compulsory. She was turned away from supermarket when she forgot to wear one. No
#Covid
deaths there 🤷🏾♀️
#Newsnight
Merry Christmas from Mama Grell and I!
Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas Day filled with peace, love and joy 🎄❤️🎄❤️🎄
(*pic taken at the majestic
#VictoriaFalls
#Mosioatunya
in
#Zimbabwe
on Saturday).
In the very short time we all have on this earth, the least we should do is try not to hurt others. That's why I just cannot understand the pleasure
@pritipatel
appears to derive from crushing others. It makes absolutely no sense to me. I pity her and those who enable her.
Just caught up with today's
@bbcbigquestions
programme, which debated
#Jamaica50
. Excellent contribution from
@JacquiMckenzie6
who pointed out that some deportees were former children in care. Heartbreaking testimony from Anthea and her young daughter:
Have acquired 4 new legal mentees in one day - 3 of whom have pupillage application deadlines in only a week's time! That means serious pressure on me timewise but I will never forget how much help and support I received so I will make the time!
#mentees
#pupillage
#barristers
The end of an era. After 7 wonderful years
@HackneyLawCentr
, I'm moving on to pastures new. I've loved every minute of my time at this wonderful
#LawCentre
. My HCLC colleagues are the best. Also grateful for
@LawCentres
incredible support. It's au revoir not goodbye❤
#LCtoday
The incredible Zita Holbourne, Joint Chair of
@BARACUK
, encourages the families of all those affected by the
#charterflights
to come forward and let their voices be heard.
📢 Continued proud daughter moment 📢
My mummy knocking it out of the park in libraries in
#Beckenham
and
#Orpington
last week.
Apparently the kids were asking for her autograph 😍
Find out more about mum's (brilliant) work here:
"He is full of ideas for growing Orient – new training ground, stadium expansion, multimedia streaming of home games – & has talked to Brentford + Bournemouth about how to grow a smaller club into a Premier League force."
Thank you,
@KentTeague
!🙌🏾
#LOFC
After 7 hearings since Dec 2018(!) I'm relieved that my client no longer faces the threat of eviction. Her rent arrears were caused by DWP refusing to accept that she was
#habituallyresident
. Respect & praise once again for my incredible instructing sol
@kplong1
@HackneyLawCentr
!
Really enjoyed
#Stonehouse
on
@ITV
.
Matthew Macfadyen was hilarious, infuriating, sublime & ridiculous as the main man.
The supporting cast of Keeley Hawes, Emer Heatley, Kevin McNally, and Dorothy Atkinson were all brilliant too.
3 thoroughly entertaining hours well spent 👏🏾
Happy 33rd anniversary to The Queen of
#Hackney
!
Still there. Still surviving. Still thriving.
Blessed to know
@HackneyAbbott
who's been a tower of strength to me and so many people over decades.
Wishing Diane more strength, love and years ahead on the political frontline ❤
"But Ms Grell, what reason would the officer have to lie?" said a District Judge in the Magistrates' Court today when my client pleaded "not guilty" to assaulting a police officer. I shouldn't be shocked but as a newbie trainee barrister I am. My client stuck to his plea btw...👍