u3a

South East London

U3A Current affairs discussion group 10th March 2025

  1. Diversity – get the best workers or a blatant attempt at social engineering?

British pharma company GSK pauses diversity work citing Trump orders

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/feb/28/uk-based-british-pharma-gsk-pauses-diversity-work-citing-trump-orders

  • Are you English?

Do you pass Suella Braverman’s ‘Englishness test?’

https://articles.globalplayer.com/2GXqE1kvaWfpDTgSZFjBeoycZHF

Dear Suella: I was born in London and raised in Oxfordshire. What do you reckon – can I be English?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/05/suella-braverman-englishness-race-issues-politics-britain-minorities

  • America under Trump

Trump promised to make America great. Instead, he may bring about its destruction

https://app.prospectmagazine.co.uk/story/69410/content.html

RFK Jr. urges people to get vaccinated amid deadly Texas outbreak

https://www.axios.com/2025/03/03/kennedy-jr-measles-outbreak-vaccine

  • Toxic masculinity.

Diversity backlash: Is 'masculine energy' coming to the UK?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2365p3m4ko

Florida opens criminal investigation into Tate brothers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy9dx5d1g5lo

Justice must be done' in Tate case, says PM

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c78942824p2o

More than 170 mothers killed by their sons in 15 years in UK, report reveals

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/mar/05/more-than-170-mothers-killed-by-sons-15-years-uk-report

You took the life of someone who had given you life’: the women killed by their sons

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/05/you-took-the-life-of-someone-who-had-given-you-life-the-women-killed-by-their-sons

  • New sentencing guidelines.

Mahmood rejects sentencing changes after 'two-tier' claims

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg19gx7vl4o

Pregnant offenders in England and Wales could be spared jail under new guidelines

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/mar/05/pregnant-offenders-spared-jail-under-new-guidelines-england-wales

  • Leave school at 14 in Scotland.

Scots Tories propose lowering school leaver age to 14

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c4g08de49mzo

  • Copyright and AI

UK unions call for action to protect creative industry workers as AI develops

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/mar/03/uk-unions-creative-industry-workers-artificial-intelligence-ai-copyright

  • Second runway at Gatwick

Why is it so hard to move a runway just 12 metres?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly44dknrj8o

Gatwick second runway backed by government

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqjdz9q170yo

  • Changes to working conditions.

Low-paid workers to get 80% of salary in sick pay

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx28qw46p6yo

Zero-hour contract ban to include agency workers

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c981p02kgxeo