There is something about the case of Emad Al Swealmeen, the Syrian asylum seeker who tried — and mercifully failed — to blow up Liverpool Women’s Hospital that speaks of the best and worst of Britain.
It is the first and best. He was greeted by the incredible kindness of Malcolm and Elizabeth Hitchcott from Liverpudlian, who welcomed him into their home as a destitute couple.
The community that, in 2015, welcomed him into their midst at Liverpool’s Anglican cathedral, where he eventually converted to Christianity in 2017.
The taxi driver, David Perry, who realised something wasn’t quite right about the behaviour of his passenger, and who warned others to stay away even as he himself was reeling from the blast.
Last but not least: the British taxpayer. Al Swealmeen lived in relative comfort in a hostel thanks to their generosity.
This is a story about faith and trust in strangers who sought refuge. He was treated with kindness and respect by this open-minded community.
There is something about the case of Emad Al Swealmeen, the Syrian asylum seeker who tried — and mercifully failed — to blow up Liverpool Women’s Hospital that speaks of the best and worst of Britain
People like the Hitchcotts can be found all over the country. They are good people who act without fear or prejudice and are motivated by the desire to help.
They’re not bleeding-heart liberals, or virtue-signalling attention seekers. They are just ordinary people who want to do some good.
Sadly, they are also proof of this old cynic’s favourite adage: no good deed goes unpunished.
The worst is yet to come. Al Swealmeen. We don’t yet know enough to truly fathom his motives or his intentions. He hasn’t been connected to any terrorist group or organisation as of now.
He may have been a highly unstable person who became frustrated by the system, angry at being denied asylum, and then decided to take revenge.
The taxi driver, David Perry, who realised something wasn’t quite right about the behaviour of his passenger, and who warned others to stay away even as he himself was reeling from the blast
There were certainly some red flags. He was arrested for carrying a knife on his 2014 arrest. Later, he had an incident while living with Hitchcotts when he got very angry at the idea that they may have opened his mail.
Mr Hitchcott said: ‘I told him we wouldn’t dream of it. I told him that a package had been sent to him. . . makes me wonder about it now.’
We all find it fascinating. We may never find out the truth. But let’s not forget, he intended to kill and maim. There were suspicions that he had used the highly explosive material preferred by 7/7 bombers to build a bomb.
Britain is known for its generosity towards refugees who have sought refuge in our islands. We are a humanitarian country and it is for that reason so many flock to these shores: it’s not just that our Government treats refugees so generously, it’s also that our communities are, compared to countries such as Italy and France, so overwhelmingly welcoming.
Al Swealmeen is a test for us. These people threaten to undermine our core values and cause us to question the Christian beliefs that are our foundation. We cannot allow them to happen.
The risks are something we must always be on the lookout for. Otherwise it’s only a matter of time before it happens again. The next time it might happen, we may not be as lucky.
Yesterday night there was suspicion that he may have used highly explosive materials like those used by the 7/7 bombers, who attacked London in 2005.
House Of Gucci, the movie starring Lady Gaga, has had so much hype and she’s flashed her knickers for the cameras so many times I might as well have seen it already. As to her Italian accent, well, as a fluent Italian speaker I’d say it is as authentic as Dick Van Dyke’s cockney in Mary Poppins.
Adele was a hilarious, messy English girl who rose to stardom. Her honesty and self-deprecating humor were a large part of Adele’s immense charm.
The Barbified, LA Adele, who spoke with Oprah to share her therapy-speak and platitudes is quite a different kind of drink.
She has lost her charm, authenticity and charm, which were the reasons she was so beloved. Now she’s just another self-obsessed Hollywood caricature, about as authentic and loveable as those acrylic-tipped talons of hers.
The Barbified, LA Adele, who spoke with Oprah to discuss therapy-speak and platitudes this week is quite a different kind of drink.
I’m sure we are all supposed to be horrified at the notion that Stanley Johnson, 81, might have smacked on the bum MP Caroline Nokes, chair of the Women and Equalities Commission, in 2003. But quite honestly, I couldn’t care less. This was nearly 20 years ago. In any event, I don’t think there is anything worse than an old fruity goat such as Johnson.
Burglary is a nasty crime which has a seriously detrimental effect on the victims, as Tamara Ecclestone’s impact statement this week at the trial of a gang of thieves who stole from her and others in London shows.
The family were not at home at the time (on holiday in Lapland, as it happens), and the bandits’ job was made easier by the fact that Ecclestone’s mansion in Kensington is so vast staff didn’t even notice them breaking in through the garden. ‘It’s been awful. I’m so scared I will not leave my daughter alone in the house at night,’ she told the court. She added that she is now ‘obsessing over security’ with gates covered in barbed wire.
I’m not surprised. That said, perhaps if she didn’t endlessly flaunt her lavish lifestyle to her half a million followers on Instagram . . .
Burglary is a nasty crime which has a seriously detrimental effect on the victims, as Tamara Ecclestone’s impact statement this week at the trial of a gang of thieves who stole from her and others in London shows
I never thought I’d say this, but it can’t be much fun being a young person these days. Not only are students facing having to pay back their loans earlier than expected (at the moment graduates start paying only when they earn £27,295 a year — but that threshold could fall as low as £22,000 under new Government plans to raise an extra £2.5 billion a year), they’re also paying far more in living costs. The UK’s average rent has increased 8.7% since last year. The average cost of renting is now a staggering £1,059 a month. This rate will mean that most 20-year olds won’t even be able to get on the property ladder. Poor sods.
Rayner in her parade
What have Angela Rayner, the Duchess and Sussex got in common? Both seemed to believe that Remembrance Day was solely about them.
That is the only possible explanation for why the former showed up at the Cenotaph in a red coat, stripper heels and a miniskirt, her rose ankle tattoo showing through her tights; and the latter chose to dress like Lady Gaga for a veterans’ gala in New York.
This narcissism, even by modern standards, is unacceptable.
What have Angela Rayner, the Duchess and Sussex got in common? Both seemed to believe that Remembrance Day was solely about them.
It’s not what I would call home care
The washing machine I had purchased March was suddenly unresponsive. So I called British Gas’s HomeCare service (strapline: ‘Here to solve’ — such comedians!) So I called British Gas’s HomeCare service (strapline: ‘Here to solve’ — such comedians!) and made a booking for an engineer.
On the afternoon of the visit, they called to say the engineer had ‘a childcare issue’ (I must remember that one the next time I can’t be bothered to write my column). My appointment was moved to the next week and I spent the day waiting at home (8am-6pm) for him to arrive. And he did. He looked at the document and declared that he was unable to help me.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t fix it, it was that he wouldn’t, since the machine was less than a year old. Apparently it’s British Gas ‘policy’ that engineers aren’t allowed to touch anything still under warranty. I was told by him to get in touch with the manufacturers directly.
Needless to say I have been trying — and failing — to get a response from the manufacturers (Hisense, since you ask) and am currently wading through snowdrifts of unwashed laundry which, when you have a teenage boy in the house, is not exactly pleasant.
Questions include: How can no one do their job correctly anymore? Why does every product manufactured since 1968 not work properly? The most significant question is why anyone pays British Gas to provide this useless service.