For those who have been rescued, or had loved ones saved from drowning, it’s impossible to thank these British heroes enough for what they do – yet so-called ‘patriots’ branded them ‘traitors’
The Royal National Lifeboat Association has saved an average of two lives every day for the last 200 years.
They’ve launched hundreds of thousands of lifeboats to rescue sailors who have gone overboard, fishermen whose boats have capsized, or members of the public who have underestimated the conditions and dangers of the sea. Volunteers even launch to save animals at risk of drowning to prevent members of the public putting themselves in danger to save beloved pets.
They saved more than 6,000 lives during World War II – including hundreds of men who stormed the Normandy beaches on D Day. They joined the armada of little ships during Operation Dynamo at Dunkirk and rescued downed aircrew during the Battle of Britain. And because their job is to save lives, they rescued both Allied and Axis pilots who had been shot down into the sea.
For those who have been rescued, or had loved ones saved from drowning, it’s impossible to thank these British heroes enough for what they do. Yet today, so-called patriots identified two of these heroes, published their names and photos and branded them “collaborators” and “traitors”.
Whatever your views on immigration, these are volunteers who give up their time and risk their own safety to save others. They don’t check passports before pulling someone out of the icy water. They save lives and let others ask questions later.
They shouldn’t be targets of abuse for publicity-hungry thugs who don’t have a fraction of their heroism.
Clean up your apps
Not before time, the biggest tech giants have agreed to take some steps to protect children using their devices from harm. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announced Apple and Google had committed to making changes to their phone software to make it harder for kids to view or share nude images.
It’s a step in the right direction, as Ms Nandy said in the Commons today. But it’s not even close to enough.
This isn’t simply about children being able to see pornography on the internet. It’s about children being forced, coerced or manipulated using the sharing of nude images – almost all of them taken by the children themselves.
And the tech industry is not moving fast enough to stop their devices being used for abuse. The government is right to put them on notice – clean up your apps now or face legal consequences.
Getting rid of a national treasure at 86 should be unusual
Tom Jones has accused ITV of firing “an 86-year-old who’s still pretty good at his job” – after being dropped from The Voice. Sir Tom suggests the broadcaster were facing a “financial” obstacle in getting insurance for him – and in fairness, sitting a man his age on a spinning chair every week must be daunting for health and safety bean counters. But getting rid of a national treasure against his will is a terrible look for ITV – especially when he’s coached more winners than anyone else.