Prime Minister to consider demands for investment in healthcare and education as redress for role in historic trade Daily Telegraph Andy Burnham is open to increasing financial assistance for Commonwealth countries to help atone for Britain’s role in the slave trade. In a break with established government policy, The Telegraph understands that Mr Burnham will consider demands for investment in healthcare and education from African and Caribbean countries. Commonwealth leaders said Mr Burnham had made an “essential first step” towards a reparations deal, after he said he was open to making a formal apology for slavery. On Monday, Mr Burnham and the King will attend a Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) in Antigua, where reparations campaigners have promised widespread protests. Mr Burnham has ruled out paying a lump sum towards reparations, arguing that his Government cannot be held responsible for wrongdoing centuries ago. But he will this week offer to open a “structured...
College urged to take action over ‘overtly sexualised’ appearance in classrooms An Oxford University college has been accused of neglecting the welfare of its female students by allowing a male lecturer to teach while wearing large prosthetic breasts. St Hilda’s College has received complaints about Matt Rattley, a lecturer in biochemistry, but has cited the need to “protect and promote freedom of expression”. Bearded Mr Rattley often posts pictures of himself at work on social media, wearing low-cut tops, red lipstick and nail varnish. Michael Biggs, professor of sociology at Oxford, said he feared that individual students were “wary of complaining” and that it was the college’s responsibility to represent their interests. Advertisement St Hilda’s, which was founded in 1893 and until 2008 admitted only female students, has produced alumni including the novelist Val McDermid, politicians Baroness Kramer and Baroness Shephard and the broadcaster Zeinab Badawi. The issue of Mr Rattley’s ...