Babak Belurs

Jumat, 02 Juli 2021

Mum of man who grabbed Chris Whitty in park says he 'misread situation' - Metro.co.uk

The mum of one of the men filmed manhandling Chris Whitty in a London park said he ‘misread the situation’ as she apologised for his actions.

A video of Jonathan Chew and his friend Lewis Hughes, both 24, grabbing the top medical adviser and trying to force him into a selfie as he attempted to wriggle free received widespread condemnation.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel labelled the pair ‘thugs’ after footage of the incident went viral, sparking calls to ramp up Whitty’s security.

Yesterday it emerged that Hughes, 24, had been sacked from his job as an Essex estate agent in the aftermath of the incident.

Now Chew’s mum has joined in on the criticism, admitting she was ‘not overjoyed’ at the ‘over-exuberant’ way her son approached Prof Whitty.

Natasha, 49, said her son has ADHD and is autistic, so finds it hard to read situations.

Moment Chris Whitty harassed in park by group of men

She told Mailonline: ‘First and foremost I would like to apologise for any distress that the incident may have caused Mr Whitty.

‘My son and his friend had been enjoying their day, having a few social drinks together when they spotted Mr Whitty.

‘Realising who he was, and understanding how important he is to our country at this very moment, they wanted to get a picture with him.

‘As with most celebrities and famous people, it is commonplace for the public to want a picture with them and you can clearly hear Jonathan asking for a picture with Mr Whitty.

‘However, due to Jonathan’s autism, he finds it difficult to read situations and was not aware that his excitement at spotting Mr Whitty was causing any distress. I hope Mr Whitty is feeling more at ease now that sufficient time has passed and he can continue with his job without distractions.’

Ms Chews, from Barking, added that her son ‘did not intend to cause harm’.

UNCLEARED GRABS: Two men harassed Professor Chris Whitty in St James?s Park. Police are investigating the 20-second clip that shows the men trying to put the Chief Medical Officer into a headlock to pose for selfies and yelling into a camera phone. CREDIT: Twitter — **Chew (left) has ADHD and autism** and ‘misread’ the situation, his mum said

Whitty looked visibly distressed during the incident (Picture: PA)

She also hit out at the headline coverage the incident has received, saying the incident was witnessed by armed police ‘who chose to have a conversation with the boys and Mr Whitty and move the boys on’.

‘It has taken centre-stage across all of the main UK news broadcasters at a time in which several more significant stories have come out involving mishandlings by members of our government,’ she said.

She also offered an apology from her son, saying: ‘Jonathan wishes to apologise for any distress this incident has caused Mr Whitty, we hope he can move on from this incident as we also wish to.’

Hughes also apologised yesterday as he revealed he had ‘paid the price’, having been sacked from his job.

Chris Whitty Yob — Lewis Hughes already apologised and said he’s lost his job over the incident (Picture: Twitter/@lewis3443)

He said he’d had a few drinks at an anti-vax march with Chew when they ran into Prof Whitty at around 3pm on Sunday in St James’ Park.

He said: ‘If I made him feel uncomfortable, which it does look like I did, then I am sorry to him for that.

‘He is quite a timid, shy person and I think that is why he didn’t say, “Get off me”. If he had said that and I had realised how he felt, I wouldn’t have put my arm round him.’

The boxing enthusiast, from Romford Essex, said he ‘just wanted a selfie’ to show his mum and said there was ‘no malicious intent’.

He said he felt ‘let down’ by Mr Johnson, who he had voted for, after being branded a ‘despicable thug’.

Iâ€™m shocked at seeing the despicable harassment of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.
I condemn the behaviour of these thugs. Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) June 29, 2021

The Metropolitan Police said officers spoke to all those involved at the time and ‘the circumstances continue to be investigated’.

Mr Johnson tweeted: ‘I’m shocked at seeing the despicable harassment of Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty.

‘Our hard-working public servants should not have to face this kind of intimidation on our streets and we will not tolerate it.’

Mr Johnson’s spokesman told journalists: ‘It’s completely unacceptable for a hard working public servant like the Chief Medical Officer and people who are working to save lives in the pandemic to face intimidation, harassment and abuse.’

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-07-02 07:08:00Z
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Kamis, 01 Juli 2021

COVID-19: UK-EU restrictions set to be high on agenda as Boris Johnson welcomes Germany's Angela Merkel for talks - Sky News

The prime minister will welcome Angela Merkel to the UK on Friday, with coronavirus travel restrictions expected to be high on the agenda for their talks.

Boris Johnson will host the German chancellor at his country residence of Chequers, Mrs Merkel's final visit before she steps down later this year.

COVID-19 is anticipated to be among the topics up for discussion, particularly in the wake of Mrs Merkel reportedly calling for the European Union to ban all UK travellers from entering the bloc regardless of their vaccination status.

Fully-vaccinated Britons have been promised they will be able to travel to amber list countries - including the likes of Germany, France, Greece, Italy and Portugal - without having to quarantine upon their return "later this summer".

But according to The Times, the German chancellor wants the EU to designate Britain as a "country of concern" due to the spread of the Delta variant.

Germany has already designated the UK a "virus variant region", meaning anyone arriving from Britain and Northern Ireland has to quarantine for two weeks on arrival.

The two leaders, who last met at the G7 summit in Cornwall last month, are also expected to discuss relations between London and Berlin when they sit down for talks.

Mrs Merkel is set to address a virtual meeting of the British cabinet as part of her trip, while the PM will also announce the creation of a new academic medal in her honour.

Every year, an award of £10,000 will be given to a UK or Germany-based female scientist who has excelled in the field of astrophysics.

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The medal will be named after Caroline Herschel, a German-born British astrophysicist who was a pioneer in the field, with the first award expected to be made in early 2022.

"The UK and Germany have a steadfast friendship and a shared outlook on many issues," Mr Johnson said in a written statement released by Downing Street ahead of the visit.

"Our scientists, innovators and industrialists work together every day to make the world a better place.

"Over the 16 years of Chancellor Merkel's tenure the UK-Germany relationship has been re-energised and reinvigorated for a new era. And the new joint ventures we will agree today will leave a legacy that will last for generations."

The Queen will receive Mrs Merkel at Windsor Castle on Friday.

Mrs Merkel, who came to power in 2005 and is the first female chancellor of Germany, is making a number of farewell visits as she prepares to step down.

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2021-07-01 21:30:54Z
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Princess Diana statue: After a very public rift, seeing William and Harry together again felt like a return to the old days - Sky News

The smiles were striking as the brothers walked into the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace where they lived with their mother.

Watching them it felt like a return to the old days, and the many engagements I've attended with them both bouncing off each other in a way that only brothers can.

They had the air of two men enjoying each other's company on what is an incredibly poignant day for them both, the day that their mother would have marked her 60th birthday.

They couldn't have appeared more relaxed as they talked to Diana's brother and sisters.

The small gathering and a friendly crowd, just what they needed after the very public rift that has blown up between them.

When they announced their intention to commission a statue back in 2017 - the 20th anniversary of Diana's death - it was anticipated that the unveiling would be a much larger public event.

It is, after all, designed to be a lasting memorial to recognise the impact their mothers work had on people in the UK and around the world.

Yes, COVID-19 restricted the numbers, but I suspect the small low key event is also how the brothers wanted it.

The limited number of press allowed inside for the unveiling was viewed by some as a sign of Harry's continued mistrust of the UK press.

But don't forget both brothers have reasons for being wary of the media attention, all sparked by how they perceived their mother was treated in the final years of her life. Because of that, William and Harry will hate the way that their every move was being dissected.

For them, this day was about their mother - and the statue itself certainly merited attention. Not just because it's been four years in the making, but because the design was striking and in some ways unexpected, with Diana surrounded by three children.

But it was a depiction that very much fits with how Harry and William have followed in her footsteps, using her position in the spotlight to shine a light on others in need.

As members of the Royal Family, they both know what it means to put on appearances for the sake of not feeding any further the stories about them falling out.

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Because of that, we'll never fully know if the apparent thaw in relations between Harry and William was a case of putting differences to one side for the cameras, and just for one day.

But one thing that will never be in doubt is their joint desire to publicly remember their mother, and their genuine love for her - now forever etched on this statue that they worked together to create.

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2021-07-01 17:09:48Z
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William and Harry unite to unveil Diana statue at Kensington Palace - BBC News

The Dukes of Cambridge and Sussex have united to unveil a statue of Diana, Princess of Wales, saying "every day we wish she were still with us".

William and Harry came together for a ceremony in Kensington Palace's redesigned Sunken Garden, on what would have been their mother's 60th birthday.

It was their first appearance together since the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in April.

"We remember her love, strength and character," they said.

"Qualities that made her a force for good around the world, changing countless lives for the better."

They said they hoped the statue would "be seen forever as a symbol of her life and her legacy" and thanked "all those around the world who keep our mother's memory alive".

The pair were seen laughing and talking animatedly with guests, who applauded as they pulled off a green cloth covering the statue.

They remarked on changes to the Sunken Garden, which Kensington Palace said had been "one of the princess's favourite locations" when she lived there.

Prince Harry and Prince William next to the statue of Diana

Prince Harry has hinted at difficulties between him and Prince William since stepping back from royal duties last year.

He told Oprah Winfrey in March that the two were on "different paths".

Then, in May, he spoke of his family's unwillingness to talk about his mother's death, and how he was expected to "suffer" in silence.

He said he had been willing to drink and take drugs to cope with the pain of losing her.

Harry, who lives in the US with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, and their two children, arrived in the UK last week in order to complete his quarantine ahead of Thursday's event.

Analysis box by Daniela Relph, royal correspondent

It was a low-key event - quiet and intimate.

There were just a handful of guests at the unveiling of the statue - Prince William, Prince Harry, Diana's two sisters, her brother and members of the statue committee.

William and Harry walked out together into the Sunken Garden. Harry, in particular, spent time with his two aunts and uncle in animated conversation.

Neither of them spoke publicly at the event. There were no speeches or fanfare.

It was professional and friendly and gave no obvious sense of the tensions behind the scenes. There was even laughter between the brothers as they prepared to unveil the bronze statue.

They don't want the day to be about their own broken relationship. They want it to be about their mother and her legacy.

Diana's siblings were among those at the ceremony at Kensington Palace, Diana's former home in London.

The dukes were seen warmly greeting their aunts, Lady Sarah McCorquodale and Lady Jane Fellowes, and their uncle, Earl Spencer.

Tributes for Princess Diana outside Kensington Palace

The statue's sculptor, Ian Rank-Broadley, was also at the ceremony, along with the Sunken Garden's designer Pip Morrison.

What the critics say

Ruth Millington, art historian and critic: Rank-Broadley was given a very difficult task - to honour a woman who still means so much to so many.

She was a public figure, a campaigner and an activist, as well as what she considered her most important role: a mother.

Within art history, there are far too many overly romanticised representations of mothers. But there is nothing overly sentimental about this statue. While opening her arms symbolically to the three children, Diana clasps the girl's hand with strength.

While using the traditional medium of bronze, Rank-Broadley has broken the mould of royal monuments. He has focused on rendering the folds of fabric to indicate movement: Diana looks like she might step down from the plinth and keep walking. It's a monument which invites engagement and embodies her openness.

With this poignant memorial, the artist has created a characterful depiction of Diana, which does her justice.

Rank-Broadley has managed to capture the many sides of Diana with this complex statue: she's determined and graceful, brooding and warm, commanding and compassionate.

Far from elevating her to a high pedestal, he has represented her - as she will always be remembered - as a princess of the people.

Elizabeth Fullerton, art critic: It's an uncontroversial, accessible representation of a female icon.

Is it good art? Well that depends on your taste.

It's pretty conservative, made in a naturalistic style and doesn't move the conversation forward in terms of innovation in contemporary art - but then again, that clearly wasn't the aim. This isn't the Fourth Plinth after all.

Diana, Princess of Wales with her sons in 1993 at Thorpe Park in Surrey

Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in August 1997, when William and Harry were aged just 15 and 12.

When they commissioned the statue of their mother in 2017, they said they hoped it would help visitors to the palace "reflect on her life and her legacy".

More than 4,000 flowers have been planted for the Sunken Garden's redesign, which has taken 1,000 hours to complete.

The garden - which sits within London's Kensington Gardens, next to Hyde Park - will be open to the public to visit for free from Friday, in line with Kensington Palace's opening hours.

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2021-07-01 16:48:11Z
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William and Harry unite to unveil Diana statue at Kensington Palace - BBC News