Battersea Park at dusk.

Some cheerful news, I have checked; no Restore Trust candidates were elected to the National Trust Board. So we can win some battles, the right wing doesn't win everything. And people (like me) who like visiting stately homes and having a scone are a force to be reckoned with.

This blog calls for compassion and listening to the stories and voice of migrants and refugees to the UK. Ironic that on this day we have heard of a new draconian policy for refugees.

This is a fabulous #Wandsworth story. It is about what one woman decided to do when she felt too old to go to clubs. Deaba starterd her own Disco Dancing Club and it took her and me to all kinds of places including the Battersea Community Fair. togetherintheuk.co.uk/standing-fir...

A reminder that the National Trust elections close tomorrow, October 31st and your vote really matters. The safest thing is to use the Quick Vote and vote for NT endorsed candidates and motions. Another reason for voting below. We need to keep Restore Trust out.

Its going to be brilliant working with Ruth and Jacobo who are joining at a great moment, building on the success of the first year of @socialequitycic.bsky.social

Have now been to the @BridgeTheatre three times and the staging is astounding. In the Lady from the Sea, it rains on stage and then they produce a swimming pool which has a romantic scene in it and actors swimming in it. Also brilliant acting and great dialogue. .

One vital reason to vote in the National Trust elections and for the NT endorsed candidates. We can't risk the Restore Trust candidates getting any influence on it.

How to vote in the National Trust AGM Just voted in the @nationaltrust.org.uk agm. Its easy to make sure you vote for the candidates endorsed by the NT by using the quick vote system. If you value this wonderful organisation, its vital to vote this and every year.

Tommy Robinson posted a neo-Nazi blog that accused me and my fellow Jews Jack Straw and Barbara Roche of conspiring to flood the UK with immigrants.

🚀 Local authorities — sign our Migrant Inclusive Local Government Pledge! Get expert support on: 🔹 Inclusion strategies 🔹 Diversity action plans 🔹 Engaging migrant groups Commit to real change 👉 www.socialequity.org.uk/news-posts/a... #InclusionMatters #LocalGov

This is such a great review and tells us that if we want to have the facts and stories on migration, Jonathan Portes' book is a great place to start. Bushra also shows how much resonance the book has to migrants to the UK.

⏳ Two Weeks Left! The SEC Local Government Training Programme is a unique opportunity for first-generation migrants living in London to gain skills, knowledge, and confidence to step into public leadership. 📅 Deadline: Friday, 26th September 12pm 👉 Apply now: www.socialequity.org.uk/our-training

Today, we remember those who vanished without a trace and stand in solidarity with their families still searching for truth and justice. No one should ever be silenced or forgotten. #Togetherintheuk #EndEnforcedDisappearances #HumanRights #JusticeForAll #NeverForget

Fabulous event at the weekend as part of London Borough of Wandsworth festival. Country on the Common at Tooting Common - a really great day out.

If you are going to splash out on one Shakespeare production this summer, make it Midsummer Night's Dream @bridgetheatre.bsky.social . It is so inventive and how does Puck speak his lines when upside down? Just one of its many innovations. London not really a hellhole, its cutting edge.

A wonderful evening last week for #RefugeeWeek run by @refugeeaction.bsky.social at the Grand in Clapham Junction. A wonderfully diverse comedy line up with comedians from all over the world and we all laughed a lot.

This is really important, this is where populism ends up.

This is a very interesting blog with 4 different perspectives including how it helped Loraine Mponela develop new skills when she was not allowed to work and claiming asylum.

Very exciting to be on the panel at the launch of this vita report by @socialequitycic.bsky.social on the importance of migrant represntation in local government.

This is a very interesting read showing the different ways the Home Office have assessed LGBT refugees and how difficult the process is for gay applicants.

Huge congratulations to @sociaequitycic.bsky.social on the launch of an important report on migrant representation in local government. I was very honoured to be part of the panel discussion sharing insights from TogetherintheUK stories and my work as a diversity consultant.

In this blog, I talk about the importance of showing compassion and the importance of daring to connect to someone's pain.

Congratulations to Wandsworth, this year's London Borough of Culture on a cracking start. A wonderfully diverse, excellent day of dance in @batterseapark.bsky.social yesterday.

To tackle a problem, we have to see it and the impact it has. Denial of it does not make it go away. #climatechange #RefugeesWelcome

I was very pleased to hear from Lester that he really liked the images that went with his poems. Do check out the blog. #RefugeesWelcome.

On 10 March, TGIUK, in collaboration with PALEWELL PRESS LTD and Freedom from Torture, hosted an online Refugee Poetry Hour featuring works by Lester Gomez Medina and @Nasrin Parvaz. Discover their stories and moving poetry in this blog: togetherintheuk.co.uk/refugee-poet... #RefugeesWelcome

Marvellous metaphors and analagies on the equation that Trump used to calculate the tarriffs. The Economist 'like deciding on a tax based on the numbers of vowels in your name' and More or Less on Radio 4' Trump has rid himself of the shackles of rationality'.

Eid Mubarak. Wishing you a joyous Eid. Please do check out this blog for more information about the festival and find out why everyone celebrating will be delighted to be greeted by you with Eid Mubarak. #Eid togetherintheuk.co.uk/eid-a-celebr...

March 25th is the #UNInternationalDay for Remembrance of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The UK has much to do to recognise the appalling role it played. Read this blog for facts about both the slave trade and modern slavery. togetherintheuk.co.uk/britains-rol...

Just heard Witkoff's conversation with Tucker Carlson quoted on the radio. This interesting context is never mentioned anywhere. www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/st...

A small protest idea. Google on every device you have and get your friends to do this too, ask 'Is Trump a Russian asset?' Lets get this question to the top of google searches this week. @protectdemocracy.org

I love meeting authors I have read so am very excited to hear Nasrin read her poetry on March 10th.

This is the plain, simple language we need to fight back against the demonisation of people who demonise those who want to make the world a fairer place. #diiversityandinclusion