A piece published by The Times 90 minutes ago. Emphasised text relates to BoJo playing the gender card, doubtless with a view to possible future leadership of the Tory party:

Dear Theresa,

It is more than two years since the British people voted to leave the European Union on an unambiguous and categorical promise that if they did so they would be taking back control of their democracy.

They were told they would be able to manage their own immigration policy, repatriate sums of UK cash currently spent by the EU, and, above all, that they would be able to pass laws independently and in the interests of the people of this country.

Brexit should be about opportunity and hope. It should be a chance to do things differently, to be more nimble and dynamic, and to maximise the particular advantages of the UK as an open, outward-looking global economy.

The dream is dying, suffocated by needless self-doubt.

We have postponed crucial decisions – including the preparations for no deal, as I argued in my letter to you of last November – with the result that we appear to be heading for a semi-Brexit, with large parts of the economy still locked in the EU system, but with no UK control over that system.

It now seems that the opening bid of our negotiations involves accepting that we are not actually going to be able to make our own laws. Indeed we seem to have gone backwards since the last Chequers meeting in February, when I described my frustrations, as mayor of London, in trying to protect cyclists from juggernauts. We had wanted to lower the cabin windows to improve visibility; and even though such designs were already on the market, and even though there had been a horrific spate of deaths, mainly of female cyclists, we were told that we had to wait for the EU to legislate on the matter.

So at the previous Chequers session we thrashed out an elaborate procedure for divergence from EU rules. But even that now seems to have been taken off the table, and there is in fact no easy UK right of initiative. Yet if Brexit is to mean anything, it must surely give ministers and parliament the chance to do things differently to protect the public. If a country cannot pass a law to save the lives of female cyclists – when that proposal is supported at every level of UK government – then I don’t see how that country can truly be called independent.

Conversely, the British government has spent decades arguing against this or that EU directive, on the grounds that it was too burdensome or ill-thought out. We are now in the ludicrous position of asserting that we must accept huge amounts of precisely such EU law, without changing an iota, because it is essential for our economic health – and when we no longer have any ability to influence these laws as they are made.

In that respect we are truly headed for the status of colony – and many will struggle to see the economic or political advantages of that particular arrangement. It is also clear that by surrendering control over our rulebook for goods and agrifoods (and much else besides) we will make it much more difficult to do free trade deals. And then there is the further impediment of having to argue for an impractical and undeliverable customs arrangement unlike any other in existence.

What is even more disturbing is that this is our opening bid. This is already how we see the end state for the UK – before the other side has made its counter-offer. It is as though we are sending our vanguard into battle with the white flags fluttering above them. Indeed, I was concerned, looking at Friday’s document, that there might be further concessions on immigration, or that we might end up effectively paying for access to the single market.

On Friday I acknowledged that my side of the argument were too few to prevail, and congratulated you on at least reaching a cabinet decision on the way forward. As I said then, the government now has a song to sing. The trouble is that I have practised the words over the weekend and find that they stick in the throat. We must have collective responsibility. Since I cannot in all conscience champion these proposals, I have sadly concluded that I must go.

I am proud to have served as foreign secretary in your government. As I step down, I would like first to thank the patient officers of the Metropolitan Police who have looked after me and my family, at times in demanding circumstances. I am proud too of the extraordinary men and women of our diplomatic service. Over the last few months they have shown how many friends this country has around the world, as 28 governments expelled Russian spies in an unprecedented protest at the attempted assassination of the Skripals. They have organised a highly successful Commonwealth summit and secured record international support for this government’s campaign for 12 years of quality education for every girl, and much more besides. As I leave office, the FCO now has the largest and by far the most effective diplomatic network of any country in Europe – a continent which we will never leave.

Boris Johnson

You can subscribe to The Times here.

Our thanks to Keith for this. Excerpts:

A woman kept children in a stinking house of horrors with human waste smeared on the walls, a court has heard.

Claire Greenley, 35, even said police would have “a fight on their hands and the street would help out” when she was told officers were on their way to rescue the children.

Hull Crown Court heard how the youngsters who were in Ms Greenley’s care were left in squalid conditions with human excrement smeared on the sink, windows, walls and stairs.

The children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, were found to have suffered “emotional and psychological harm” and are now recovering…

There was “faecal matter” on the sink unit and “three to four human stools on the stairs, which had dried and clearly been there for some time and stepped in”. The visitors also found “faeces smeared on the wall of a bedroom”…

Cathrine Kioko-Gilligan, mitigating, said Greenley had previously been the victim of domestic violence, [J4MB emphasis] and suffered mental health problems after the breakdown of that relationship.

Another impressive piece from William. He’ll be giving the second talk at the conference, “Men and boys in the UK: Edited lowlights”. The keynote speech will be given by Karen Straughan, “Why women must consign feminism to the dustbin of history”. There are still a few tickets left, you can book yours here.

Our thanks to Jack for this. He writes:

When has a restaurant been blamed for a group of men drinking too much?

We’ve just heard from Brendon Marotta, director of American Circumcision. He apologises for now being unable to attend in person. Steven Svoboda will run the Q&A session after the film.

A couple of days ago we heard from Belinda Brown, a scheduled speaker at the conference, that she would not be able to give her talk. She writes:

Belinda’s beloved husband Geoff Dench has recently passed away. Although her husband has always been a great supporter of her work, and she knows he would love her to speak at the conference, Belinda fears that owing to the demands of funeral arrangements and so on she will not have her speech ready in time for the conference. Geoff was the author of “Transforming Men; Changing Patterns of Dependency and Dominance in Gender Relations” and the ideas contained in Geoff’s book strongly underpin Belinda’s own. Belinda strongly recommends reading it if you haven’t already. Please note the title of the book was not Geoff’s!

Our thoughts are with Belinda at this difficult time.

Elizabeth Hobson, our Director of Communications, has kindly agreed to step into the breech. Her talk will be titled, “Activating the Non-Feminist Sector”.

A tip of the hat to Neil Lyndon for this. Please RT if you can. We wish him every success.

On 1 June, 2016, I was arrested in Parliament Square for (allegedly) obstructing the public highway during a protest about the CPS / police not prosecuting the criminals who carry out Male Genital Mutilation on male minors, a crime under the Offences Against the Person Act 1861. My thanks to Ewan Jones and Mike P for the video (14:52) they recorded in Parliament Square and, earlier in the day, outside the Home Office (the department to which the police report).

The CPS decided to prosecute me for obstructing the highway, and despite a very solid defence (thanks to our legal advisor, Ian) I was convicted by a female judge at Hammersmith Magistrates’ Court. I appealed to Isleworth Crown Court, where a male judge declined to overturn the conviction. So I appealed to the High Court, based in The Strand, London.

My appeal will be heard by two judges on 10 July, 2018 – 10 days before the start of the conference. A few supporters have said they’ll join me in support, It would be good to have more, with people holding placards, handing out leaflets etc. I shall learn the court number and the time of the hearing at 14:30 on Monday. Please contact me (mike@j4mb.org.uk) if you think you’ll be able to join us. Thanks.

Out thanks to Ken for this.

A piece in today’s Times:

A Canadian man died protecting his children from a polar bear that attacked the family on the shore of a small island on the western edge of Hudson Bay.

Aaron Gibbons and his children were on Century Island, a strip of land six miles from the mainland hamlet of Arviat, where locals go to fish and hunt.

“He was enjoying a day with his children,” Mr Gibbons’s uncle, Gordon Kidlapid, said. The children are believed to be of primary school age. “They were surprised by a bear that had started to stalk or charge toward one of his children.”

Polar bears are regularly seen on the island and Mr Gibbons, 31, was thought to have taken a rifle with him on Wednesday. However, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said he did not have the gun to hand when the bear attacked, and he faced it unarmed.

You can subscribe to The Times here.