Comment With - Barry Speker

Recent figures from the Solicitors Regulation Authority show that female lawyers now make up 47% of the legal profession. In addition women now make up half of all judges under 50, while more than half of all magistrates are women.

The figures may be misleading because of course lay magistrates are unpaid. Penelope Gibbs, director of the Transform Justice charity describes the magistracy as ‘old, white and middle class’ but this may be the result of the recruitment process. Contrary to criticisms, diversity and equality are clearly increasing in both the judiciary and in magistrates.

As to the BBC, they are still battling against claims of inequality with the latest announcement that the likes of Gary Lineker, (£1.75m) John Humphrys, Chris Evans (£1.66m) and Graham Norton (£609k) are still paid very significantly more than their female counterparts. This has led to some of the latter resigning whilst some presenters have moved on to avoid cuts in pay. Are further savings needed to pay the BBC damages to Sir Cliff?

Wimbledon led the way many years ago ago by equalising the prize money for men and women (despite the argument that men’s matches are 5 sets as opposed to 3). This year the BBC was able to counter the charge of male bias because almost 80% of the Wimbledon highlights coverage was devoted to women’s matches. This was partly due to the massive coverage of Serena Williams who irritatingly had the temerity to fail to mark up a record championship win – as well as to Roger Federer losing his quarter-final, and Andy Murray deciding not to play at all.

This meant no British heroes. There was a call for that status to be accorded to the Southgate Surprises. The unfancied English football team surpassed all expectations and predictions by reaching the semi-finals of the World Cup. Despite the (mainly Scottish) critics moaning that England did not beat any good teams, they achieved more than the likes of Germany, Spain, Portugal and Brazil.

In the process, they livened up the nation (England that is) and restored respectability to the flag of St George, so long in disrepute having been adopted by far right extremists. In the end, football was not ‘coming home’ but we all had the unashamed pleasure of supporting England.

How very British or English for the self-effacing and modest manager to oppose the idea of a parade to celebrate his team’s achievement (on coming 4th). We can celebrate that Gareth Southgate produced a team which sang the national anthem with gusto, refrained from playacting and cheating and showed sportsmanship in victory and defeat. Memories of Kipling and how to treat triumph and disaster! It was far more heart warming than Boris and his threat that the country will be a colony of Europe.

What courage shown by the young Thai footballers and their coach in surviving their ordeal. They showed such strength of character and family values throughout. In the event they do not want to be considered as heroes and paid a tearful tribute to the Thai navy Seal diver Saman Kunan who died during the rescue. And a credit to the divers involved who said they were just doing a job for which they were trained. Hollywood has something different in mind.

I was one of those lucky enough to see Colin Aitchison and his band play in the North East during their annual British tour from Ned Kelly’s Last Stand jazz club in Kowloon. What a fantastic group! Venues ranged from the Mouth of The Tyne, to Cullercoats and the Edinburgh Festival. I have not yet been able to take up Colin’s invitation to make a guest appearance. Maybe next year.

Another musical highlight was Eric Burdon aged 77 appearing at the City Hall. He was not accompanied by any other surviving Animals but by an accomplished backing combo who enabled him to work his way through the old classics including House of the Rising Sun and We Gotta Get Outa This Place. Would he have expected 50 years ago that he would still be performing these songs in his late 70s – and that we would still be singing along?

A highlight was the encore – the Blaydon Races – in Eric’s Californian drawl, admitting he only knows the chorus.

The Great North Exhibition is a great success and we should all support it. It highlights much that is good about the city and the area. My birthday included a visit to Stephenson’s Rocket at the Discovery Museum. Something special. A train running on time.

Summer seems to have been something of a silly season. Theresa May had enough to worry about with keeping her own cabinet in line to press on with the thankless task of securing a good Brexit deal with 27 European countries, despite repeated resignations and stabs in the back.

Then arrives President Trump who, before meeting her, rubbishes her Brexit tactics and says she has it all wrong. It transpires that he advised that he would have done it differently but the PM rejected his advice – which was ‘I would sue the bastards’. He did stress however that we still have the most special of special relationships and said the Queen was beautiful and very clever; and that his late mother was devoted to her.

After a round at Turnberry he jetted off to Moscow to meet his soulmate President Putin, saying the meeting would be easier than with NATO. He upset the US security agencies by appearing to reject the results of their investigations that Russia had interfered with the last Presidential election because he said Putin denied it. When challenged afterwards about toadying up to Putin, the President said that he regretted that his comment was ‘mis-spoken’ and he meant the opposite of what he said – sort of Fake News? He is now being accused of treason. Melania’s expression unchanged. Time to have another meeting with North Korea?