Sara Alston

Teacher, trainer, education consultant, mum, Liberal Jew, dyslexic

PS You want my views on SEND & Safeguarding follow me @SEAInclusion, rather than here!

[Sara Alston @SaraAlston]

@sbaroncohen Knowing his memory (and work) will be a blessing.

[Sara Alston @SaraAlston]

I’m discomforted by the headlines about the tragic deaths & desperate searches for the victims of the sinking of a billionaire’s super yacht, when there is silence about the deaths of thousands of desperate migrants dying when boats sink in the Mediterranean & English Channel

[Dr Rachel Clarke @doctor_oxford]

What a blisteringly sharp analysis from @DavidOlusoga, who calls out the riots for exactly what they were - violent racism, fomented by populism.

Please read his superb piece 🔥

https://t.co/FzHHYPmxj1

[Sara Alston @SaraAlston]

@TTRadioOfficial @Telegraph Apparently @Telegraph are using this headline without irony. They are spreaders of 'fake' biased news. Schools are already teaching this.

[nazir afzal @nazirafzal]

For clarity:
Inciting violence is NOT Free Speech
Hate Speech is NOT Free Speech
Sending false or threatening communications is NOT Free Speech

They are all crimes

Criticise, as much as you like, people for WHAT they DO, but not for WHO they ARE

[Open Britain @OpenBritainHQ]

On behalf of his constituents in Clacton, where’s Nigel???

[Mariella Frostrup @mariellaf1]

A brainwashed 15 year old, now mother of three dead babies abandoned in a hell camp rather than facing British justice https://t.co/t3Xy7fgeWB that who we are?Judges have refused to save Shamima Begum. Labour should bring her back to the UK to face justice https://t.co/O7yA3GfsGo

[MarshFamilySongs @MarshSongs]

A song for @elonmusk about his platform and his pathetic recent forays into UK politics. (And anyone who liked The Kids from Fame - the parody song is Desdemona)

If we get booted from Twitter for it, do follow us somewhere here: https://t.co/UNysTPCXtw.

[Trades Union Congress @The_TUC]

There is more that unites us than divides us.

[Amos Schonfield @AJSchonfield]

This weekend, it'll be 104 years since the passing of the first law to restrict immigration in the UK. The 1905 Aliens Act aimed to prevent Jews, who were seeking refuge from pogroms in Europe, to come here.

The rhetoric and violence today is a rehash of this. We have to change.

[Jennifer Blair @SqueakinglyJen]

So much about the immigration and asylum system is just completely unknown to people day to day. Some examples:

[Dave Walker @davewalker]

Drawing: Possible causes of your problems. I've been appalled at the scenes we've witnessed over the last few days. It's utterly unacceptable that people should have to live in fear because of the colour of their skin.
[Polite comments only, please.]

[Adrian Ramsay MP @AdrianRamsay]

The Green Party stands in solidarity with our Muslim communities and all those who have been left fearful by the events of the last week. The fascist violence we are seeing on our streets cannot be allowed to divide our communities. I commend people in the areas that have been targeted for uniting together as communities to oppose racism.

The rise of the far right has been fuelled by toxic rhetoric from some in the previous government. All political leaders now need to show a clear message of support for all our communities and work to build unity and understanding.

[Rachel Bitecofer 🗽🦆 @RachelBitecofer]

This is the best “why I’m voting for Kamala Harris” pitch, ever.

[Sara Alston @SaraAlston]

@JanetEmson @ViragoBooks @panmacmillan @ScribnerUK @simonschusterUK @PenguinUKBooks Love both Barbara Pym and Elizabeth Jane Howard.

[Jonathan Wittenberg @RabbiWittenberg]

I’m appalled at the hatred poured out against Muslim communities and at asylum seekers. As Jews we know what it feels like to be hated for who we are. We stand in solidarity with all the victims of this racist violence. #HopeNotHate

[Adam Wagner KC @AdamWagner1]

On the riots:

1. There is no justification for rioting, violence, racial harassment or racial violence. None whatsoever.

2. That's why none of those behaviours are protected by the human right to free expression or to assembly, and there is accordingly no defence of free expression to those offences.

3. The police have sufficient powers to deal with the rioting - the original Public Order Act (1936) was enacted to deal with far right processions through Jewish areas. It has been extensively updated.

4. Riot, violent disorder, affray, racial hatred and many more offences all have high penalties, and there are also many ways the police can control public processions and assemblies both under the POA and in other legislation such as relating to antisocial behaviour and serious crime prevention orders (already mentioned by the government).

5. There is certainly a debate to be had over immigration and social cohesion. Violent riots have nothing to do with that debate. These are not protests they are mob violence.

6. If people are anti-immigration there are political parties like Reform and the right of the Tory Party who robustly express those views. The far right (and I mean the real far right - the ones rioting at the moment) are not adding anything except fear and violent carnage.

7. Muslim, asylum seeker and other communities which are being targeted must be protected by the authorities and supported by the wider public. They are vulnerable communities and we need to use every possible resource to keep them safe. The rule of law must prevail.

8. No lawyers should be supporting or justifying these riots nor should they be flirting with far right leaders like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon.

9. That said, in the coming weeks and months, plenty of lawyers will be called upon to defend the people accused of riots, violence, assaults, even murders. Those lawyers will be doing what lawyers should do - acting without fear or favour for their clients. They should be commended for doing so and not associated with those clients.

10. Keir Starmer has been here before (though in a different context) with the London riots and will hopefully have a good sense of what to do to contain them. I appreciate the courts are already overburdened but the idea of getting rioters through the system quickly if possible is a good one because it takes them off the streets and also shows others who are considering joining in what is going to happen to them if they do.

11. It's probably going to be rough period for our country because there appear to be enough people willing to cause carnage in many areas. It will be rough for the police and vulnerable communities, and for the still new government. I hope that our authorities are able to get a grip on things, but the people ultimately responsible are the ones who are smashing and burning things, not the authorities, politicians, people on X (though spreading misinformation can do real harm, and nobody should be encouraging this whether online or in person). There will be time later for political point scoring but I don't think it is really helping now.

Just some thoughts, obviously not comprehensive.

[Meryl O'Rourke @MerylORourke]

So much lip service being given to these riots.
Sky is prefacing each mention with "in the wake of the Southport killings" as if looting Greggs, fire bombing mosques and throwing bricks at police dogs have anything at all to do with honouring those poor children.

[Brendan Cox @MrBrendanCox]

In case you are confused:

NOT far right:
📣worried about immigration
📣pro-Brexit
📣angry about awful murders

DEFINITELY far right:
💥Hate people on the basis of their race/identity
💥Use the murder of kids to attack Muslims& immigrants
💥Justify thugs attacking police

[Mike Armiger @MikeArmiger]

Important advice to support young people after a distressing event.
Please read and share our evidence-informed ‘quick read’ guide.

We sincerely hope this will help.
Thoughts and prayers with everyone affected 💙
#Southport