• Contact
  • About
DONATE
NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
  • Login
North East Bylines
  • Home
  • News
    • All
    • Brexit
    • Education
    • Environment
    • European News
    • Health
    • Politics
    • Science
    • UK News
    • World News
    Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

    Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

    Border control at Dover

    The moral argument for open borders

    the quilt

    Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

    Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

    Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

    Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

    Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

    The freight area at Teesside Airport

    The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

    girl with violin in sunflower field

    Welcoming the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra: flags, a star and a gigantic quilt

    pills

    Active patients have better outcomes and may reduce the pressure on the NHS

    Keir Starmer

    You might as well cross the floor: an open letter to Keir Starmer

    Trending Tags

    • Ukraine
  • Culture
    • All
    • Animation
    • Books
    • Illustrations & More
    • Music
    • Performance
    • Poetry
    • Social Media
    • Theatre
    • TV & Radio
    street in Naples

    Five books to read that bring Naples to life

    Derry Girls mural

    Derry Girls: from the beginning

    Live Theatre sign

    Your Voice Your Future: North East

    white stag

    White Stag

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    Prezzo

    Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

    Chef and son

    MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

    Scottish highlands

    The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

    Kleo Tabuku

    Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

    Pop up park

    Pop up to the park in Sunderland

    The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

    The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

    gymnast

    Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

    Kennedy and Rhind

    Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

    Hoppings

    The Hoppings is back in Newcastle!

    Trending Tags

    • Business
      • All
      • Economy
      • Rural
      • Technology
      • Trade
      • Voluntary Sector
      Scottish highlands

      The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

      loo

      A room with a loo

      Newcastle quayside

      Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

      Brexit economics

      New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

      Wetherspoons pub

      Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

      Leon Fussell rehearsing

      Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

      Houchen and spade

      Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

      Keir Starmer

      Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

      London Bridge tube station

      A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

      Trending Tags

      • Region
        • All
        • Co. Durham
        • North East
        • Northumberland
        • Teesside
        • Tyneside
        • Wearside
        Pride flag

        Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

        Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

        Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

        the quilt

        Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

        Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

        Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

        The Wind in the Willows

        The Wind in the Willows and more at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

        The freight area at Teesside Airport

        The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

        loo

        A room with a loo

        Kleo Tabuku

        Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

        mother and child with empty purse

        Welfare Rights support in Kenton, Newcastle

        Trending Tags

        • Opinion
          Titanic coming out of Southampton

          The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

          There is an England

          There is an England

          Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

          The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

          Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

          TV Agency staff jumping in the air

          The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

          North East of County Dublin

          North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

          North Sea oil rig

          Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

          Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

          Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

          close up on a child's eye

          Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

        No Result
        View All Result
        • Home
        • News
          • All
          • Brexit
          • Education
          • Environment
          • European News
          • Health
          • Politics
          • Science
          • UK News
          • World News
          Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley

          Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

          Border control at Dover

          The moral argument for open borders

          the quilt

          Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

          Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.

          Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

          Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

          Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

          The freight area at Teesside Airport

          The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

          girl with violin in sunflower field

          Welcoming the Ukraine Freedom Orchestra: flags, a star and a gigantic quilt

          pills

          Active patients have better outcomes and may reduce the pressure on the NHS

          Keir Starmer

          You might as well cross the floor: an open letter to Keir Starmer

          Trending Tags

          • Ukraine
        • Culture
          • All
          • Animation
          • Books
          • Illustrations & More
          • Music
          • Performance
          • Poetry
          • Social Media
          • Theatre
          • TV & Radio
          street in Naples

          Five books to read that bring Naples to life

          Derry Girls mural

          Derry Girls: from the beginning

          Live Theatre sign

          Your Voice Your Future: North East

          white stag

          White Stag

        • Lifestyle
          • All
          • Fashion
          • Food & Drink
          • Health & Fitness
          Prezzo

          Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

          Chef and son

          MasterChef’s’ Posh Street Food chef’s own summer of entertainment

          Scottish highlands

          The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

          Kleo Tabuku

          Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

          Pop up park

          Pop up to the park in Sunderland

          The Blackbird Inn, Ponteland

          The Blackbird Inn flies high with its new summer menu

          gymnast

          Culture of fear in British gymnastics uncovered by the Whyte Review

          Kennedy and Rhind

          Kennedy and Rhind: more time to enjoy a North East favourite

          Hoppings

          The Hoppings is back in Newcastle!

          Trending Tags

          • Business
            • All
            • Economy
            • Rural
            • Technology
            • Trade
            • Voluntary Sector
            Scottish highlands

            The beauty of the Scottish Highlands

            loo

            A room with a loo

            Newcastle quayside

            Newcastle named as one of the best cities for graduates

            Brexit economics

            New research shows the economic effect of Brexit

            Wetherspoons pub

            Wetherspoons sparkle: has it gone flat?

            Leon Fussell rehearsing

            Unsung Heroes at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

            Houchen and spade

            Vampire daylight: a week in the life of Ben Houchen, Tees Valley Mayor

            Keir Starmer

            Open letter to Sir Keir Starmer

            London Bridge tube station

            A chance meeting with Mary: homeless and begging in a train station

            Trending Tags

            • Region
              • All
              • Co. Durham
              • North East
              • Northumberland
              • Teesside
              • Tyneside
              • Wearside
              Pride flag

              Northern Pride: Newcastle proves it’s loud, proud and still fighting

              Litterpick with Chi Onwurah

              Chi Onwurah publishes action plan for rubbish and calls on constituents to help improve it!

              the quilt

              Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

              Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor

              Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

              The Wind in the Willows

              The Wind in the Willows and more at Queen’s Hall, Hexham

              The freight area at Teesside Airport

              The ostrich has landed: an update for visitors to Teesside Airport

              loo

              A room with a loo

              Kleo Tabuku

              Top chef to open Newcastle restaurant, Lovage

              mother and child with empty purse

              Welfare Rights support in Kenton, Newcastle

              Trending Tags

              • Opinion
                Titanic coming out of Southampton

                The 110th anniversary of the Titanic’s departure

                There is an England

                There is an England

                Prime Minister Boris Johnson signs the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union"

                The parody of disinformation: Boris Johnson on Ukraine and Brexit

                Boris Johnson’s comments on Ukraine and Brexit are an insult

                TV Agency staff jumping in the air

                The TV Agency celebrates 10th anniversary with global success

                North East of County Dublin

                North East of England and North East of County Dublin: Compare and contrast

                North Sea oil rig

                Copping out of COP: Ukraine, fossil fuels and nuclear fusion

                Placard with Boris Johnson as a clown

                Dictators, media and mobility: erosion of identity, sustenance and safety

                close up on a child's eye

                Racism and misogyny where there should have been safeguarding and security

              No Result
              View All Result
              North East Bylines
              No Result
              View All Result
              Home News Environment

              Young campaigners take a stand, Boris Johnson takes a snooze

              Boris Johnson was pictures maskless and asleep during the opening speeches of COP26. Meanwhile, young campaigners take to the streets.

              Julie WardbyJulie Ward
              06-11-2021 10:47
              in Environment, Politics, UK, World News
              Boris Johnson snoozes

              Boris Johnson snoozes (screenshot)

              Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
              ADVERTISEMENT

              This confusion is exactly what Boris Johnson thrives on – ambiguity, loopholes, obfuscation, and his own sense of self-importance that often places him and his friends above the law. The image raises many issues that should concern us all.

              Firstly, we are still in the middle of a global pandemic with the UK being one of the countries with the highest number of deaths, level pegging with Indonesia at present. Indonesia’s death rate however is significantly lower than the UK meaning we are losing more people through infection than a desperately poor, less developed country where access to healthcare and sanitation is patchy at best and where vaccinations are in short supply.

              ‘World beating’ Boris Johnson

              Given our PM’s frequently trotted out motto of ‘world beating’ we can assume this doesn’t apply to saving lives from a deadly viral infection. Making the wearing of masks compulsory is within the government’s power and positive role modelling from the country’s leader would have done much to encourage citizens to follow suit. It’s bad enough that the government couldn’t get its head around this simple pain-free public health message before cases started rising astronomically threatening to overwhelm the NHS again. But it’s even more painful for those of us who love our country to witness the viral memes that followed Boris Johnson’s abdication of personal responsibility. With Johnson asleep at the wheel, maskless and in his ‘Benny Hill’ suit, we are a laughing stock of the world.

              Johnson was sat squarely between two older gentlemen when the photo was taken. To the right of him is Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, a man of immense experience and stature who used his voice to call for an end to conflict at the beginning of the pandemic, urging countries to work together against a common unseen enemy. Guterres was a previous United Nations Commissioner for Refugees and recently called for a fair Migration Compact which the UK blatantly ignored. Growing up under a dictatorship in Portugal, Guterres knows all too well the dangers of a government in service only to itself and his lifelong commitment to socialism, including as the PM of Portugal, makes him the polar opposite of the Tory public schoolboy napping next to him.

              The other gent next to Johnson is our ‘national treasure’ Sir David Attenborough, now 95 and evermore urgent in his stark warnings about existential anthropogenic damage to our life-support system – Mother Earth. People watching the COP26 proceedings being live-streamed from Glasgow took to twitter immediately the image of the three men began circulating, criticising Johnson for his lackadaisical approach to public health and reaffirming their adoration for Attenborough whose natural history programmes have been a backdrop to all our lives. He is a very British institution and represents the best of us. Looking at Johnson and Attenborough and listening to their speeches at COP it is obvious which is the greater in terms of gravitas, honesty and leadership. Attenborough speaks truth to power, from the heart and from a position of knowledge. Johnson meanwhile makes crass jokes about burping cows, guilt-free chocolate, and feeding humans to animals, even suggesting he can tackle climate change by taking on a James Bond persona rather than do some serious political work by reining in the big polluters. The man is seriously deluded.

              But it’s not simply what you say from the conference podium with the eyes and ears of the world watching you that matters – Greta Thunberg knows all about the ‘blah, blah, blah’ of politicians like Johnson. Luckily, the BBC’s Climate Editor, Justin Rowlatt, did a fantastic job of interrogating Johnson’s hypocritical record in an interview that saw the PM squirming without an aide to help him out. Rowlatt quizzed Johnson relentlessly on the lack of commitment to phase out fossil fuels as demonstrated by the plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria and the cutting of domestic air passenger duty. We need more of this kind of probing journalism across a whole range of issues as the Tories continue to ride roughshod over democracy and avoid scrutiny at all costs.

              After bumping fists with world leaders and hanging out with big business Johnson returned to London from Glasgow in a private jet to dine with climate sceptics at a private men-only club, proving where his true allegiances lie. Meanwhile Rishi Sunak ran the gauntlet from the entrance of the SEC holding his green briefcase whilst two articulate and determined young women demanded answers to their questions about climate finance. The fact that they were ejected from the building tells us all we need to know about a government running scared of the public, especially youth who they continue to fail.

              Whilst young people are denied access to the global gathering that will determine the future viability of their planetary home, the streets of Glasgow and other towns and cities around the world are filled with the urgent demonstrations of the young who demand truth telling and action. Saturday 6 November is a hugely important Global Day of Action and wherever you are there will be marches, rallies and other events that you can attend. In the North East of England there are events across the region in Newcastle, Durham and Saltburn.

              The Newcastle event begins with a march from the Civic Centre at 11.30 followed by a rally at The Monument. Local climate activist Gwen Lewis-Hedley, aged 13, will kick off the rally and introduce the first speaker, Newcastle MP Chi Onwurah. Gwen has already made her mark in the Bylines network with an article published by us on 26 October on youth climate activism. If you didn’t read it before, read it now, and if you did read it, please re-read and ask yourself if you are doing enough.

              Information about the Global Day of Action can be found here.

              Listen to a special message from NE musician Sting check out Climate Action Newcastle.

              ADVERTISEMENT
              Previous Post

              Marti Pellow from Wet Wet Wet in Stockton

              Next Post

              Climate change march and European solidarity in Glasgow at COP26

              Julie Ward

              Julie Ward

              Julie Ward was a Labour MEP for NW England from July 2014 to January 31st 2020. She was Vice Chair of the Culture and Education Committee and a member of the Committees for Women's Rights and Gender Equality, Regional Development, and Economic and Monetary Affairs. She co-founded a parliamentary intergroup on Child Rights and was Co-President of the Anti-racism and Diversity Intergroup. She served on the delegation for relations with Bosnia Herzegovina and Kosovo and was a member of the EU- African, Caribbean & Pacific Joint Parliamentary Assembly. Prior to being elected Julie worked in the arts and cultural sector as founder-director of Durham-based Jack Drum Arts.

              Related Posts

              Cartoon of Liz Truss with shopping trolley
              Opinion

              Tory leadership election: policy shopping is no way to treat people

              byPeter Benson
              August 4, 2022
              Border control at Dover
              European News

              The moral argument for open borders

              byDavid Rose
              August 3, 2022
              the quilt
              Culture

              Join Hands for Ukraine at the Royal Albert Hall

              byYvonne Wanckeand1 others
              August 1, 2022
              Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, 08-06-2021 A man was shot to death in the streets of Juárez, the experts work at the crime scene.
              Education

              Mexico: new research shows the historic link between opening schools and falling murder rates

              byRaul Zepeda Gil
              August 1, 2022
              Andy Preston, Middlesbrough Mayor
              Politics

              Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston faces calls to resign over damning audit report

              byJulia Mazza
              August 1, 2022
              Next Post
              Climate change march

              Climate change march and European solidarity in Glasgow at COP26

              Want to support us?

              Can you help North East Bylines to grow and become more sustainable with a regular donation, no matter how small?  

              DONATE

              Sign up to our newsletter

              If you would like to receive the North East Bylines regular newsletter, straight talking direct to your inbox, click the button below.

              NEWSLETTER

              LATEST

              Prezzo

              Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

              August 8, 2022
              street in Naples

              Five books to read that bring Naples to life

              August 7, 2022
              Derry Girls mural

              Derry Girls: from the beginning

              August 6, 2022
              Live Theatre sign

              Your Voice Your Future: North East

              August 6, 2022
              white stag

              White Stag

              August 5, 2022
              Sunak foot in mouth cartoon

              Taking from the poor to pay the rich

              August 5, 2022

              MOST READ

              Prezzo

              Discovering the new summer menu at Prezzo

              August 8, 2022
              street in Naples

              Five books to read that bring Naples to life

              August 7, 2022
              Derry Girls mural

              Derry Girls: from the beginning

              August 6, 2022
              Live Theatre sign

              Your Voice Your Future: North East

              August 6, 2022

              BROWSE BY TAGS

              Audio Beach Brexit Business castle leazes climate activism Co. Durham cost of living crisis Culture defra democracy ducklings Economy Education Environment fire and rescue firefighter Food & Drink food poverty Health Health & Care Home Affairs just stop oil Lifestyle Local Lockdown Northumberland Peace Performance Politics pride month refugee rescue Science Social Media Teesside TV & Radio Tynemouth Tyneside Ukraine volunteer Wearside

              We are a not-for-profit citizen journalism publication. Our aim is to publish well-written, fact-based articles and opinion pieces on subjects that are of interest to people in the North East and beyond.

              North East Bylines is a trading brand of Bylines Network Limited, which is a sister organisation to Byline Times. The Bylines Network and Byline Times are financially, legally and editorially separate entities.

              Learn more about us

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Contact
              • About
              • Letters
              • Donate
              • Privacy
              • Bylines network
              • Shop

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              No Result
              View All Result
              • Home
              • News
                • Brexit
                • Education
                • Environment
                • UK News
                • Transport
                • World News
              • Politics
              • Opinion
              • Lifestyle
                • Culture
                • Music
                • Poetry
              • Business
                • Economy
                • Technology
                • Trade
              • Donate
              • Newsletter sign up
              • Boriiis Cartoons
              • Authors

              © 2022 North East Bylines. Citizen Journalism | Local & Internationalist

              Welcome Back!

              Login to your account below

              Forgotten Password?

              Retrieve your password

              Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

              Log In