Cowardice and inaction left children to be abused My opinion piece in the Observer observer.co.uk/news/opinion...

University of Manchester has today been ranked in first place in the UK and Europe and second in the world for benefitting society and the environment by Times Higher Education for the third year running I’m truly privileged to be their Chancellor

At a ceremony this evening in the historic Whitworth Hall, our Chancellor @nazirafzal.bsky.social presented the award, recognising Pep’s sporting brilliance and his work through the Guardiola Sala Foundation.

Footballs systemic failure to deal with sexual violence A culture of entitlement & an undercurrent of misogyny Clubs protect the badge, not the values the badge represents Football is a megaphone & a mirror, with the power to create values or destroy them www.nytimes.com/athletic/637...

Super proud to have the privilege of hosting Pro-Manchester at The Lowry, as Chair Our new (Free) immersive of Lowry’s “Going to the Match” went down a treat Never mind our theatres we have the largest Lowry Collection in the world in the most visited arts venue in the North Come

Rest in Peace Pope Francis He sincerely tried to change, not only the Church, but wider society so that it did more for the vulnerable & the oppressed but time runs out for all of us

The thing about the Rule of Law is it applies to everyone or no-one The second thing about the Rule of Law is if you don’t agree with a decision then you appeal it, you most certainly don’t attack the judge for applying it The third thing about the Rule Of Law is without it, you have chaos

You know how some people said that mainstream media never talked about grooming gangs till Musk Well, BBC1 is go to remind them that their multi BAFTA award winning 3 part film #ThreeGirls was made 8 yrs ago It’s being shown again 24th - 26th March Watch if you can, it’s worth it

Difficult to avoid spoilers on #Adolescence It reminds us the biggest risk to women & girls health isn’t blood pressure or obesity, it’s men & boys Misogyny harms more women in the UK & globally than terrorism & organised crime Yet misogyny itself isn’t even a criminal offence

If you have Netflix then watch Stephen Graham’s #Adolescence It’s about the boys we raise and the men they become It is both chilling and profound Well done to everyone involved

The opposite of diversity, equality and inclusion is NOT meritocracy It’s racism, sexism & plain old bigotry

I don’t care if it’s a bit #DEI to say this, but Happy #InternationalWomensDay2025 1 in 4 women abused 1 in 5 sexually assaulted 2 murdered every week 1 in 20 abused as children 97% sexually harassed Allyship is a verb, not a noun Guys, you don’t have to do everything, just do something #IWD2025

People who own several houses have convinced people who can barely afford one that people who will never own a home are THE problem

I first learnt of grooming gangs from @theTimes in Jan 2011 I became chief prosecutor May 2011 I authorised charging Rochdale grooming gang June 2011 After convictions (May 2012) Starmer put me in charge of national response Far Right thugs attacked my home 1000s of rapists were brought to justice

Lots of people commenting on the So called grooming gang issue in following some “intervention” from the USA They might want to consider that Starmer left office as DPP with the highest conviction rate for child sexual abuse since records began

For those people suggesting a national public inquiry into so called grooming gangs will deliver accountability Do you know that the grand total of people brought to justice following the Hillsborough, Grenfell, Post Office, Infected Blood & Bloody Sunday public inquiries is ONE?

I would trust the word of the ever-excellent @nazirafzal.bsky.social ahead of that charlatan Musk any day Ex-chief prosecutor rejects Musk’s calls for new child abuse inquiry www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

25th birthday of Lowry Theatre that I am honoured to Chair 60th birthday of @OfficialUoM Business School where I’m privileged to be Chancellor Hope 2025 gives you everything you want Especially thinking of those suffering today, may their needs be met urgently #HappyNewYear

Photographers and other men offer to build online followings for young girls, but some are pedophiles who work with parents to sexualize them, a New York Times investigation found.

Sir Sadiq Khan - Congratulations to you & your family 20 years of public service as an MP for Tooting & then Mayor of London A decade before that of excellent legal service Proud to call you a friend Sadly we will watch the racists & Islamophobes implode #NewYearsHonours

South Africa weren’t allowed to compete as a country till they dismantled apartheid Russia aren’t allowed to compete as a country till they leave Ukraine So why do we still see misogynistic, women oppressing, Taliban led Afghanistan still on the field of play Kick them out NOW

All 51 men have been convicted of raping Gisele Pelicot She heroically fought for this while her husband & each of these rapists felt sorry for themselves We deal with the symptoms but ignore the sexism & misogyny that causes it Today is Gisele’s day

As I embark on writing my third book - we’ll see if I finish it - here’s my first two in case you’re interested Available from the usual suspects waterstones.com/book/the-prose… linktr.ee/nazirafzal

As the UK debates first cousin marriage, heres my recent contribution Making something illegal that you cant enforce or educating our way towards elimination as the white majority UK population has done since Queen Victoria married her first cousin www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mds_...

Musk didn’t invent Tesla, he bought it Musk didn’t invent SpaceX, he bought it Musk didn’t invent Starlink, he bought it Musk didn’t invent “X,” he bought it Musk didn’t invent Trump, he bought him

The draft safeguarding standards in the film, tv, music & theatre industries are now open for consultation As a board member I ask that you please share your thoughts at the link ciisa.org.uk Most institutions have signed up & those “household” names that haven’t….

In the other place loads of people are calling for a UK General Election The good news is that they will get one in 4 years and 7 months time That’s the wonder of living in a parliamentary democracy They’re still not happy

Pretty much every institution/industry sees the need for an independent safeguarding regulator - usually funded by the industry itself Sport, to which millions of our youngest & most vulnerable have access, doesn’t It should www.nytimes.com/athletic/594...

The International Criminal Court have found sufficient evidence to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu & oths Just as they found sufficient evidence to issue arrest warrants for Putin It’s not personal, it’s not political, it’s allegedly criminal Let’s see if there’s a consistent global reaction

I had the honour of being in Istanbul (without being in Istanbul) at their conference considering National progress on incorporating the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child It would be good if we did something similar

“Allyship is a verb, not a noun. Allyship is with, not for. Men are part of the problem but we can also be part of the solution.” I had the privilege to address the Women In Sport conference today & on what men need to do We’re not going to eliminate abuse by just dealing with the symptoms

Zanzibar doesn’t exist as a country anymore but: 1.The shortest war in history lasted only 38 to 45 minutes It was fought between Britain and Zanzibar on August 27, 1896. Zanzibar surrendered after the British bombarded the palace. 2. The greatest rock frontman Freddie Mercury was born in Zanzibar

52% of Americans do not have a passport If you land at JFK, as if by magic the rest of the world disappears In tests, most Americans could not even identify America on a map of the world None of that matters…or does it?

Parliament was suspended when Māori MPs did the Haka I wonder what tune would get that response in our parliament? Sweet Caroline?

Someone once said: “If you can explain your job in 1 sentence to a 7 year old, without using the job title or company, then you have a job worth doing” Go on then

I’m not obsessed with racism, misogyny, homophobia & bigotry of all kind I just HAVE to spend an extraordinary amount of my short life challenging those who are & who always choose to pick on a powerless & vulnerable person or group to demonstrate it Wish they’d give me a break

I’m going to stay, for now, on that racist, misogynistic, bigoted hell hole that X has become because misinformation & disinformation needs to be challenged, but this is my new place on blue sky Good to meet you