Yahoo News The Londoner: Hay Festival staff ‘heartbroken’ over sex assault claims
Staff at the Hay Festival are “heartbroken” after the “incredibly brave” Caitlin McNamara came forward about what she alleges was a serious sexual assault while working at Hay Abu Dhabi earlier this year. “We all let Caitlin down,” a source told The Londoner, adding: “The festival failed in its duty of care in some capacity. Everybody’s taken that really personally.”
Last week McNamara, who was curator of Hay Abu Dhabi, waived her right to anonymity and went public with allegations against Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, saying he had sexually assaulted her on February 14. Nahyan’s lawyers Schillings put out a statement on his behalf denying McNamara’s account. The source explained that after the incident McNamara “didn’t want the Sheikh to ruin” the festival, though there was a “huge conversation about whether it should go ahead”.
As for the response of festival director Peter Florence, who has declined to comment as he is too ill, the source told The Londoner: “When have you ever seen Peter Florence shy away from the microphone? It must be serious.” They pointed out he had been ill before the allegations broke. The source asked “what we were doing there in the first place. Why did Hay go to Abu Dhabi?”
‘Gov view on race theory is fatuous’
Dr Adam Rutherford says the Government’s assertion that teaching critical race theory as fact breaks the law is “incredibly fatuous”. At an event last night the author of How to Argue With a Racist said, while he is not a fan of the theory, “no areas should be censored.”
Original present for scientist Dawkins
Richard Dawkins’s “most treasured possession” is a first edition of Charles Darwin’s On The Origin Of Species. The scientist reveals he was given it by benefactor Charles Simonyi and says: “I hate to think what he paid.” A recent edition went for over £160,000. A price that’s evolved.
Colman’s an ice queen on Crown, says Corrin
Actor Emma Corrin says Olivia Colman turns “stone cold horrible” when the cameras start rolling on The Crown. While Colman is generally “the biggest ray of sunshine ever”, as soon as the director shouts “action” and Colman slips into character as the Queen, she changes. Corrin, who is set to make her debut playing Diana during the period of her tumultuous marriage to Prince Charles, tells Town and Country Magazine: “It’s hard to not take it personally.”
SW1A
David Lammy says he regrets nominating Jeremy Corbyn for Labour leader when he “hadn’t particularly engaged terribly in his politics”. The Tottenham MP tells Jay Rayner’s Out To Lunch podcast he feared the ballot would be full of Oxbridge types and he wanted to “shake it up”. He adds that Corbyn kicked off his 2015 general election campaign, “so I sort of felt I owed him”. The worst trade deal, ever.
--
Matthew Elliott, the former boss of Vote Leave, has announced two £10,000 prizes for ideas on public policy. Elliott, who founded the TaxPayers’ Alliance pressure group as well as website BrexitCentral, is in the process of winding up the latter and plans to use the remaining cash to find bright sparks under the age of 35. Is a new Right-wing think tank on the horizon?
