Insulate Britain has admitted that its series of road-blocking protests across the UK “failed”, but has warned that its next demonstrations will be “more ambitious”.
The environmental campaigners – who famously infuriated motorists last November by repeatedly bringing traffic to a standstill on some of the country’s busiest roads, including on the M56 near Manchester Airport – has issued a strongly-worded statement today, and has insisted that “we’re just getting started”.
Previous demonstrations have seen activists from the group – which is calling for better insulation in UK homes – glue themselves to roads to block traffic, have ink thrown on them, be dragged off roads by angry members of the public, and spark furious reactions from drivers caught up in the disruption.
Announcing in a statement posted to its website and shared on social media today, Insulate Britain said it “must acknowledge we have failed”.
“We failed to move our irresponsible government to take meaningful action to prevent thousands of us from dying in our cold homes during the energy price crisis,” the group admitted.
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STATEMENT: WE MUST ACKNOWLEDGE WE HAVE FAILED
“We are not heroes, we are not clairvoyants; Insulating Britain’s cold and leaky homes is the first no-brainer step in reducing our energy needs as a nation…”
“We have failed to make this heartless government put its people over profit and insulate our homes to do our part in lowering the UK’s emissions, we have failed to encourage our government to get up from their drinks parties, go to their desk and get on with the job, and we failed in getting enough of you to join us on the roads to hold this treasonous and corrupt government to account.”
Insulate Britain said it would continue its “campaign of civil resistance because we only have the next two to three years to sort it out and prevent us completely failing our children”.
It continued it its statement: “Now we must accept that we have lost another year, so our next campaign of civil resistance against the betrayal of this country must be even more ambitious, and more of us must take a stand.
“More of you need to join us. We don’t get to be bystanders. We either act against evil or we participate in it.
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“We haven’t gone away. We’re just getting started.”
The group famously brought traffic to a standstill by blocking the M56 near Manchester Airport last November / Credit: Twitter (@InsulateLove)
The group has claimed it will be “off the roads” if the government meets its two demands to help tackle the climate crisis.
The first demand is that ministers must “immediately promise to fully fund and take responsibility for the insulation of all social housing in Britain by 2025”, and the second is that the government must promise to produce a “legally-binding national plan” within four months to fund the full insulation retrofit of all homes in Britain by 2030.
Featured Image – Twitter (@InsulateLove)
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Manchester United star Antony accused of domestic violence by ex-girlfriend
Danny Jones
Manchester United winger Antony dos Santos has been accused of domestic violence by his ex-girlfriend in Brazil.
The 23-year-old has been hit with multiple allegations of assault, bodily injury and threatening behaviour by Antony, including one incident which is reported to have required surgery.
As per ESPN Brasil, a police report was filed against the United star by his ex-partner Gabriela Cavallin on Monday, which listed a total of four different incidents beginning in July 2022.
The DJ and influencer alleged that the first instance of abuse happened after the pair broke up at a party, with Antony apparently pulling her by the arm and by her hair before pushing her into a car. Cavallin was also estimated to be about 17 weeks pregnant at the time, though this wasn’t cited in the incident report.
ESPN Brasil:
Timeline of the reported aggressions from Antony towards his former girlfriend:
July 2022: Antony pulled her out of a party, grabbing her arm and hair. He then pushed her into his car. She was 17 weeks pregnant at the time.
As the report goes on to detail, Cavallin sadly lost the child and while she does not attribute the miscarriage to the domestic violence, she claims that Antony continued to abuse her physically and emotionally up until as recently as May this year, having got back together with him for a time.
Other instances of abuse are said to include Cavallin being attacked in her own apartment in January (citing “reasons of jealousy”), which reportedly caused the displacement of her silicone implants and required surgery, as well as two more attacks — one of which was apparently witnessed by a friend and Antony’s mother.
The 22-year-old also mentioned that she was left with a cut on her finger by a glass broken by Antony — photos of the scar being attached to the police report — adding that he assaulted her again later that day and broke her phone “so she would not call for help”. She claims she only managed to leave five hours later after the Brazilian international’s physiotherapist took her to the doctor.
While an initial report by globo.com suggested that the fourth and final alleged attack took place on 20 May when Antony had already travelled with his club teammates for their game against Bournemouth, it has since been clarified that the abuse and threatening behaviour took place over the phone.
Manchester United winger Antony has been accused of assault by his ex-partner Gabriela Cavallin with a police report being filed against the Brazilian.
She alleges that Antony assaulted her on May 20th. The report is said to include photographs of abrasions and threatening… pic.twitter.com/ShAzuhwOHm
Cavallin claims Antony threatened her during a call on 20 May, warning that “if he saw her with someone, he would kill her”; she also noted several instances when the player had threatened to “kill himself” after they fought in the past.
She claims the two haven’t spoken since 28 May.
Brazilian police are now said to be investigating Cavallin’s claims after she presented photographs of multiple injuries supposedly sustained by the footballer and also requested “urgent protective measures” against him. There is no indication whether British authorities are currently involved.
The details of the case are yet to be fully verified and neither the player nor his club have issued a statement at this time.
Police confirm body of man, 31, who disappeared after leaving Stockport pub has been found
Emily Sergeant
The body of a man who vanished after leaving a pub in Stockport on Sunday night has now been found, it has been confirmed.
31-year-old Christopher Barlow was reported to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) as missing after he was last been seen leaving the Royal Oak pub in the Mellor area of Stockport at 1:17am on Sunday 4 June.
He was seen turning left onto Brabyns Brow from Town Street, but there were no further sightings of him after that.
Police said they were becoming “increasingly concerned” about Christopher’s whereabouts.
But now, after officers and specialist teams searched a specific area in Marple, GMP confirmed last night that a body had been found.
Greater Manchester Police can confirm that sadly a body has been found after officers and specialist teams searched a specific area in Marple, Stockport in relation to Christopher Barlow being reported missing.https://t.co/JD44kXP0AVpic.twitter.com/safIQ1CUmy
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) June 6, 2023
Sadly, police have confirmed this to be Christopher’s body.
GMP confirmed that Christopher’s family have been informed following the recovery of the body, and a report is now being prepared for the Coroner’s Office.
In a statement addressing and confirming the devastating news last night, Detective Superintendent Helen Critchley, of GMP’s Stockport district, said: “Firstly, our thoughts are with Chris’s family and friends at this very distressing time.
Emily Sergeant -
7th February 2022 
