Mark Grayson

SWFC, Politics, Cars, Golf, Skiing, Woodworking, Gardening, Food, Music. Officially retired and any views are entirely my own and mine alone!

[Maggie Oliver @MaggieOliverUK]

A brief update on the @Indep_Inq_GG “Grooming gang” Inquiry…

This week the Inquiry panel for the Independent Inquiry into Grooming Gangs (the official title, not my choice of words) was questioned by the Home Affairs Select Committee. We hadn’t been made aware this was taking place and only found out on the day via a social media post and hence we couldn’t let our survivors know in advance. Much of what was said however has left us with more questions than it answered in all honesty. What was repeated was the importance of placing victims and survivors at the “heart of the panel”!!!

This is what that has looked like so far…….

We have not heard from the Inquiry team since we took over two dozen survivors and their families to meet with them in February. In that emotionally charged meeting, survivors spoke about their experiences and their anger at how badly they have been failed, most for decades. They shared their expertise and expectations for the Inquiry.

Their anger and trauma was palpable, and most of that was actually directed at the “establishment” including police, cps, social services, government rather than towards their abusers tbh! They clearly demanded the agencies that have failed them (and still are in many cases!) are held ACCOUNTABLE, right up to the top of those agencies!

In early March, we submitted both our and the survivors’ extensive comments to the draft Terms of Reference. We have received no reply.

In April, our legal team @HoweAndCo wrote to the Inquiry on behalf of all our survivor group expressing the importance of victims and survivors being granted proper legal status in the Inquiry and public funding to ensure they can be properly represented by legal experts. This will go some way to addressing the imbalance between survivors and the very agencies, organisations and individuals whose decisions have caused so much of their trauma. Police forces and local authorities around the country will have undoubtedly been working with their legal teams since the inquiry was announced almost a year ago.

This is PRECISELY the imbalance I saw 8 years ago when I was involved in the @IICSAVSCP Independent Inquiry Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA). Because the “Organised networks” strand became little more than a platform for public institutions to say what a great job they were now going with barely any survivors heard, it became a meaningless paper exercise and that’s imo why we’re here now….

I’ll leave you to read the Home Office’s response attached below and our reply and make up your own mind as to whether we should have confidence that this will be granted.

So many survivors have fought hard for this Inquiry. People are sharing traumatic details of the worst times of their lives again in the hope that they will finally see people held accountable for decisions that destroyed their lives. Survivors must have legal status and representation if there is even the slightest chance of this happening.

Please share far and wide. We need people pressure to make this happen. Further updates to follow next week….

[House Of The People @HoTPOfficial]

A Cabinet minister has resigned today and a quarter of Labour MPs are calling on the Prime Minister to go. Less than two years ago the party won one of the largest parliamentary majorities in modern history, despite only winning 33.7% of the popular vote.

The next Prime Minister will govern on a mandate that the public never directly granted them.

What is unfolding today is a reminder that in the current system, the public does not really choose who governs them at all.

The problem is not the people at the top. It is the architecture that put them there and keeps them there regardless of what the country actually wants.

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@MattSummerhill The same EFL that also approved him as a fit and proper person to own a football club 🤔

[Sheffield Wednesday @swfc]

Together as one 🦉

[Sheffield Wednesday Supporters' Trust @SWFCTrust]

#SWFC

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@MattSummerhill You’ll be in good company 💙

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@CrossDavidB Great thread David and absolutely on the money, can’t do anything but wholeheartedly agree with everything in here.

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@MattSummerhill Best one yet, love it.

[Jamie Kennedy @jamierkennedy]

The 15 things a Masters champion gets.

I was curious exactly what comes with winning at Augusta. So I researched it and came up a list of everything that comes with a Masters victory in 2025.

Any you didn't know? 🧵

[Samantha Smith @SamanthaTaghoy]

Dear Keir Starmer,

What is a “national audit”? And why does it sound like yet another attempt by Labour to sound like they’re doing something while actually doing nothing.

We don’t want more empty promises.
We want action.

You failed us over and over again.
Stop playing games.

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@MattSummerhill Utter omnishambles (polite version) of a football club.

[Ole Lehmann @itsolelehmann]

I'm German.

16 years ago, the EU and US economies were neck and neck.

Today, the US economy is 50% larger than the entire EU combined.

Here's the devastating truth behind Europe's ongoing economic suicide 🧵:

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@Victoria1867 @BBCSport True

[John Burn-Murdoch @jburnmurdoch]

I just can’t get past Labour winning 65% of seats off 34% of the vote.

Absolutely wild mismatch between the headline result and, well, everything else.

Britain is now a multi-party system, and first-past-the-post can’t cope.

[Mark Grayson @MarkG24]

@Victoria1867 @YesWeCrann @AlexMiller91 mmm…let just ponder on that one…er NO! He’s has enough of my money and looks like he can’t afford to pay me back. With interest or not 😡

[Ryder Cup Europe @RyderCupEurope]

HOW'S YOUR NERVE ROSEY!!! 🌹

@JustinRose99 coming up clutch at the last!

#TeamEurope | #RyderCup

[Jefferson @Jefferson_MFG]

We don't make anything anymore? UK Manufacturing - The Facts 2023:
▪️ 8th largest manufacturer in the world
▪️ Output worth £224 billion to the economy
▪️ Supports 2.6 million jobs
▪️ Accounts for 41% of all UK R&D
▪️ 15% of all UK business investment
(Source: Make UK) #UKmfg🇬🇧

[RLB UK @rlb_uk]

The RLB #Liverpool office has relocated two floors up at No. 8 Princes Parade to accommodate the growing team and better support them with hybrid working within a multi-function space, as well as access to enhanced technology.

[RLB UK @rlb_uk]

Congratulations to the RLB employees who have been shortlisted for the 2023 @RICSnews Matrices #Surveyor Awards.

These awards recognise their outstanding contribution to the advancement of the built environment and celebrate their role as industry leaders.

[South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority @SouthYorksMCA]

Home to world-leading businesses, universities, unrivalled skills and a warm welcome; South Yorkshire is The UK's first Investment Zone

@BarnsleyCouncil @MyDoncaster @RMBCPress @SheffCouncil @sheffielduni @sheffhallamuni @TheAMRC ⬇️ ⬇️⬇️