United Kingdom

Selena Gomez has caused a stir online with her latest magazine photo-shoot.

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The former-Disney-princess-turned-‘Spring Breaker’ appears on the cover of the new issue of V magazine, posing topless in a pair of denim shorts.

However, it’s not the near-nudity that has caused outrage, but the fact that some people think the photos make Selena look younger than her 22 years.

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Selena's controversial magazine cover

In the topless photo, Selena looks out to the camera while sporting some tight curls, some 1980s-inspired hoop earrings and a Minnie Mouse-esque hair bow.

Several Twitter users have shared their distaste for the pictures online, with many saying the new photo-shoot makes them “uncomfortable”.

why are they making Selena Gomez look like one of those pageant babies in V mag, but with boobs/topless?
that stuff makes me uncomfortable
— Dalli (@Dallianna) February 17, 2015

It kinda weirds me out that Selena Gomez posed for v-mag & her makeup makes her look like a child pageant contestant.. All I see is 12yr old
— tay armstrong (@tayaudrianna) February 17, 2015

Selena Gomez on the cover of V Magazine looks like one of these child pageant queens, making me feel extremelly uncomfortable.
— Fashion Geek (@mary_in_fashion) February 17, 2015

Selena Gomez for V, did you mean "toddlers dressed as celebs at the Grammys"
— pineApplehead (@oneofthosefaces) February 17, 2015

Those pictures of Selena Gomez make me very uncomfortable bc she looks like a four year old and she's not wearing a shirt
— Lindsey Del Pretee. (@lindseydelprete) February 17, 2015

Dear @vmagazine - Good work making @selenagomez look like an underage child for UR cover. Not disturbing at all. #TheHeartWantsWhatItWants
— The Dishmaster (@TheDishmaster) February 17, 2015

Meanwhile, photos inside the magazine see the ‘Come & Get It’ singer wearing a cow-print cowgirl hat, a gingham bikini and several flower hair clips, a look which has also been criticised for infantilising her.

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Selena Gomez for V magazine

The new issue also features an interview with Selena by her former co-star, James Franco, where she discusses her past relationships and opens up about having depression.

Selena isn’t the only former child star to be going topless this week, though, after her ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber whipped his shirt off to promote his forthcoming comedy roast, in honour of his 21st birthday next month.

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Selena poses in a cowboy hat and not much else

Justin is pelted with eggs in the new slow-motion clip, which alludes to an incident last year when he was charged for egging his neighbour’s home.

The latest issue of V magazine, featuring Selena on the cover, hits newsstands on 26 February.

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It was revealed by the National Audit Office in December last, of the 90% increase in litigants in person in cases of family law proceedings involving children, cases in which neither parent had legal representation. I see this first hand at my local family court, it is both frustrating and upsetting to see people fail in their interpretation of the law, the application of the same and the methods by which to enforce it; not to mention the administrative tasks which thus far only solicitors, practised and trained to deal with, have had to address.

We are increasingly aware of the legal aid cuts and the impact of the lack of funding and the resultant loss of access to justice for those who simply cannot afford it. The fundamental aim of my practice therefore as the Women's Lawyer to break down barriers, provide an affordable service in which litigants in persons are supported and navigated through the maze that is our legal system in a method which will create transparency and allow for people to achieve a fair and just outcome wherever possible. Given the above the need, for pro bono advice is crucial, the hourly costs of lawyers are a hurdle the majority of people cannot overcome - should this mean the right to seek justice is only within the reach of those who can afford it? Surely not.

I was called to the Bar in 1998, I began lecturing family law in 1999 and continued to do so until September last at which point I turned my focus to building my legal consultancy practice and expansion in the form of legal education and awareness, it is crucially important to me the shrouds of mystery which surround the legal system are broken down; in light of said cuts it is my opinion the law need be far more accessible, clearer in language and style, ultimately more user friendly. It can no longer be the preserve of the lawyers and the judiciary alike, we must be seen to be more doing more to help those who need it the most. It is abhorrent that those who cannot afford lawyers will lose the right to their homes, jobs, even children through what can only be described as lack of knowledge and skill and therefore power on their part.

The actual practice of family law is rather different to that which I lectured upon, the laws are within themselves cohesive and structured such that some degree of appreciation and understanding is possible by a layman, but the procedural tasks be it the form filling, the correct (and I ought to add every increasing) court fees no to mention court protocol and deadlines are potentially a nightmare, forms are returned from the family courts on minor technicalities - the court staff are overworked, the resources are scarce and the result is yet again a further barrier to justice - all bewildering to someone already in the throes of upheaval and upset. Language is another issue, the language of the law is one thing but for those whom are not proficient with English it is another. I advise several people for whom English is not their first language, this is yet another barrier plus of course there is the cultural and historical aspects which surround the eccentricities of the English Legal System and exacerbate fear and misunderstanding on the part of the user.

My personal goal, in light of all that is said above, is to provide a free legal surgery within a domain which I believe will help the regular person, hence my decision to hold said clinic in a supermarket and of course much has since been said of this being the new Tesco Law which it is not but rather Law In Tesco. With the support of both my MP Richard Harrington and Mayor, Dorothy Thornhill I approached Tesco with this very simple idea. I am proud Tesco not only supported me but actively took an interest in what I do and arranged for the Legal Awareness Weekend held on the 7/8 February. During the weekend I was assisted by six of my own former clients; advice was given, forms were explained and emailed, guidance and precedents were provided and grateful tears were shed, very much humbling on my part. All in all a hugely valuable experience within which both Tesco customers and staff alike benefitted whilst I gave a small something towards all that which has been taken away.

(The legal surgery will continue on a pro bono basis every other Thursday morning commencing 26th February)

The Conservative minister for jobs Esther McVey has told girls they should be climbing trees and making dens if they want to get good jobs.

McVey claimed childhood gender roles have an impact on the ability of women to achieve promotions and job offers in later life.

In an interview with the Daily Mail, McVey attributed gender imbalance in the workplace to boys' tendency to be "pushing the boundaries" of self-fulfillment at a young age, in contrast to girls' usual reluctance to push themselves because they are "looking for acceptance".

"I think girls, whether it's the way they're brought up, they sit quietly beside mum and dad and speak when they're spoken to," she said. "And boys are allowed to run around outside and climb trees and make dens, and that actually does have an impact later on in life where girls are frequently looking for acceptance by others, whereas boys are much more naturally pushing the boundaries."

Some members of the public have been less than supportive of her views:

Esther McVey knows all about climbing trees. As a child she climbed the stupid tree and hit every branch on the way down.
— chinnyhill10 (@chinnyhill10) February 18, 2015

OMG Esther McVey's patronising tones spouting statistics and percentages on Radio Humberside @bbcburnsy
— Graham in Grimsby (@GrahamsPlaice) February 18, 2015

Others, however, have provided real-life evidence of her claims:

@EstherMcVeyMP I climbed trees when I was a child #amazing and I now have the best job ever!! Girls go climb its fab
— Sonia Wilson (@SoniaWilson17) February 18, 2015

McVey's comments come in conjunction with the imminent launch of her #notjustforboys campaign, which aims to increase the employment of women in male-dominated industries such as construction science, IT services and engineering - industries that will reportedly swell by 12m jobs in the next decade.

As well as referencing childhood development, McVey, who has been the minister of state for employment since October 2013, proposed girls needed to be encouraged to choose "the right subjects at GCSE and A-Level so [they] don't limit [their] choices later in life, because these are the fast-growing areas, the ones with the greatest opportunities and the ones paying the most money".

McVey placed special emphasis on strengthening female representation in the aforementioned, quasi-patriarchal technology industries.

"Among engineering professionals only 7%of women are working in that area," McVey concluded. "Yes it has gone up since 2011, but that's 93% of women who might think 'I would have done that'.

"So many people like to use the latest phones or programmes, we are saying don't just be the consumer of technology, be the creator and think of the opportunities that will open up for you."

A report by activists in Syria has detailed the brutal and violent sexual habits of Islamic State (IS) fighters in the stronghold of Raqqa.

The advocacy group Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) published an account on its website this month detailing the group’s behaviour towards women in the terrorist bastion.

It writes: “A large selection of IS [also known as ISIS or ISIL] suffer from sexual anomalies and brutal instinctive desire for sex.”

raqqa

An undated image of IS fighters marching in Raqqa, Syria

It lists IS members “buying strange underwear” for their partners, [believed to mean risqué lingerie] and marrying more than one woman whilst also seeking out sex with captives or slaves.

SEE ALSO:

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British Mother Tells Of Nightly Bombings & Primitive Living Conditions In IS Stronghold

It adds fighters also search for “blue pills in order to increase their strength to have more sex” in an obvious reference to the drug Viagra which enhances male potency.

Disturbingly the report adds many women have been forced to seek treatment in hospitals after being “subjected to sexual practice in a brutal and abnormal manner.”

raqqa

Raqqa is the town closest to where US journalist James Foley was beheaded, has been identified by experts as a hotspot for young British girls who have travelled to join extremist fighters.

British female jihadists are said to be behind an ultra-religious all female militia in Raqqa that is brutally punishing "un-Islamic behaviour" in the area.

Experts have warned that women are the new target for recruitment for IS, with researchers seeing "unprecedented" calls for fighters to marry British and European women.

The women, most of whom are just teenagers, are bombarding IS fighters with marriage proposals during social media 'Q&As' and researchers estimate as many as 50, most of them British, could have already gone to join fighters in Syria and Iraq.

viagra

IS fighters are said to be keen to score supplies of the male potency drug Viagra

"Typically, the women who are out there tend to form clusters, they might be married to Isis fighters in the same unit," said Melanie Smith, a research associate at the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR), King's College, who monitors the recruitment of women by IS told The Huffington Post UK.

The ICSR has warned that many more young women had made inquiries about travelling to Iraq and Syria in the months since the beheading of Foley.

Tareena Shakil and her toddler son Zaheem

"There's been specific calls for doctors, engineers, lawyers to come to the 'Caliphate', and for a state to function, women need to come, they need to have children", Shiraz Maher, Senior Fellow at the ICSR told HuffPostUK.

Last month young British mother Tareena Shakil told of her harrowing experience in Raqqa after fleeing the stronghold.

The 25-year-old TOWIE fan made a daring escape across the border into Turkey, scaling a barbed wire fence with her bare hands while begging snipers to spare her and her son’s lives. She later revealed she made her escape after the fighters tried to force her to become a jihadi bride.

RBSS describes itself as a group of non-violent activists in Raqqa campaigning to expose the atrocities committed by the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and IS toward the civilian populations of the city.

On its web page it adds: “We shed light on the overlooking of these atrocities by all parties. We are a nonpartisan and independent news page. We are not tied to any political or military group. We convey the truth objectively.”

Members of the group live in safe houses spread across the city, coordinating via the internet using encryptions to foil IS hackers.

The Telegraph writes IS regularly runs house-to-house searches trying to track RBSS members down.

It adds one member named Motaz Billah was executed after the jihadists found he had been criticising them on a private Facebook forum.

A reported leak from the script of ‘Star Wars’ has indicated the death of a major character that will leave fans stunned.

SPOILER ALERT BENEATH THIS PHOTO - READ NO FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WISH TO DISCOVER WHO!!!

Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher and Mark Hamill were the stars of the original trilogy

The well-reputed ‘Making Star Wars’ blog has quoted a source revealing that JJ Abrams’ first film in the rebooted series will see Han Solo, played once again by Harrison Ford, being killed off.

The blog claims it has received the news from an extra on the set, with additional details that Han Solo is killed by the film’s villain Kylo Wren, payed by 'Girls' star Adam Driver, in a location called ‘The Evil Castle’.

In addition, the blog claims that we will get to meet Han Solo’s daughter, rumored to be played by Daisy Ridley.

If true, this would present an extra twist for fans of the film, familiar with the story that Harrison Ford begged to be killed off during the making of the original series.

However, because George Lucas wanted him to feature heavily in a love story with Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia, the actor had to settle for being imprisoned in a concrete block and sent off to Mars for a while.

'The Empire Strikes Back' found Han Solo sent off to Mars, but he was later reunited with Princess Leia

There has been extremely scarce leakage from the set of ‘Star Wars’ so this is a biggie for fans ahead of the film’s worldwide release at Christmas. We’ve already been treated to a picture of the Millennium Falcon, though, and the news that filming had to be arranged around Harrison Ford’s recovery from an accident when the spaceship door fell on his ankle - a daily hazard most of us can avoid.

EXCLUSIVE: How JJ Abrams Reacted To Harrison Ford's Bad Accident

The stars seem confident, however, that, despite the secrecy, fans will be delighted when they finally get their hands on the film.

Oscar Isaac recently told HuffPostUK: “The sets are everything you can imagine, there are the returning characters, but people will also be astonished by the care and love that JJ has paid to this project. That’s what I can’t wait for them to spot.”

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' will be in UK cinemas from Boxing Day. Watch the teaser trailer below...

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What does it take to stimulate grown up debate about politics for people and communities in the real world?

Today, the Church of England's House of Bishops issued a Pastoral Letter entitled 'Who is my Neighbour?' - the first such extensive and reflective contribution to any election debate. It expresses dismay at "retail politics" and anxiety about accumulations of power wherever they are found - whether in the state or the market. It contrasts the atomised individualism of a "society of strangers" with a richer vision of society where the bonds of neighbourliness are strengthened, "welcoming our opponents as well as our supporters into a messy, noisy, yet rich and creative community of communities."

The letter contrasts the visions on offer in 2015 with the agendas of 1945 and 1979 - the two post-War elections which "changed the political weather" - but argues that neither is discussed today with the subtlety they deserve. Beveridge saw that, without strong voluntary and community action, the state could never bear the whole burden of securing the people's welfare. And Margaret Thatcher couched her market reforms within a rhetoric of Victorian Values, similarly stressing responsibility and duty to neighbour.

That is the heart of the bishops' agenda - restoring a politics of community to redress the damage to mutuality which the binary politics of state vs. market have bequeathed. It is a cross party agenda which is not yet mainstream in any party. An agenda explicitly rooted in scripture and Christian belief. A challenge to the depressing prospect of "politics as usual". A vision worth voting for.

So how has this modest proposal been received? Whether from the Guardian or the Daily Mail, the media response is to interpret it as attack on the Coalition. David Cameron has reacted as if the letter was a rehash of earlier disputes about welfare reform. The letter has been mined for quotes to fit this pre-ordained template and the politicians have risen to the bait like programmed automata.

But the letter does not comment on the Coalition's welfare reforms. Its wariness about an overweening state has been overlooked. Its commendation of the Big Society (a Conservative policy, lest we forget) as a fine example of the politics it wants to see is barely remarked upon. The letter talks about how we, as a society, talk about our fellow citizens and it warns against scapegoating "the identifiable 'other' ... whether ... immigrants, welfare claimants, bankers or oligarchs," But is that not a fundamental Christian principle?

Try listening to the rhythms of a text. The letter is full of paired paragraphs - one critiquing the mind-set of the right coupled with one making a parallel point, in mirrored language, against the mind-set of the left. The core message is that neither is offering a hopeful prospectus at this election.

In short, the bishops have been thoroughly vindicated. If the responses of the media and the PM are typical of our political culture, it is unfit for purpose. Thoughtful reflections on the electorate's disengagement are conjured into party political statements to be rubbished on party political terms. Seemingly, the church's views matter enough to raise alarm.

The church's voice matters because on both sides of the House are politicians who share a similar analysis and the same sense of direction. The bishops' vision has roots, not only in the Christian faith, but in the deeper traditions, not yet dead, of all the main political parties. If the letter helps bring these political voices from the margin to the mainstream, and can build a hopeful narrative in the country at large, perhaps the wisdom of the church may prevent politics from eating itself up.

Fresh from topping the BBC’s ‘Sound Of 2015’ prize, Years & Years will be taking to the stage at this year’s We Day UK celebrations, along with Conor Maynard and Shawn Mendes.

After the success of last year’s event, 12,000 students and teachers will be attending this year’s We Day, held at Wembley’s SSE Arena on 5 March, to celebrate the action that the young people in attendance have taken towards tackling global issues.

olly alexander

Years & Years

We Day co-founder Craig Kielburger has expressed his excitement for this year’s celebrations, saying: “Today’s generation of young people – the Me to We generation – have the power to create and lead real systemic change through We Day, the UK’s national celebration of active citizenship.

“Over 200,000 students across the UK and North America from 5,000 schools, earn their tickets to We Day by committing to take action on local and global causes they care about. They are truly moving the needle on some of today’s most important issues.”

Among the guest speakers who will be taking to the Wembley stage next month are Sir Richard Branson, Kweku Mandela and award-winning actor Martin Sheen.

martin sheen we day

Martin Sheen

Martin, who has given an inspiring speech at We Day in the past, says: “I see the same passion I have for activism in the tens of thousands of youth in the crowd.

“This generation’s conviction to speak out about issues that they are passionate about will create a chain reaction, generating positive change around the world.”

Other acts who will be performing include ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ stars Bars and Melody, while Laura Whitmore, Yasmin Evans, Becca Dudley and Bluey Robinson will take on presenting duties.

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‘EastEnders’ live week got off to a strong start on Tuesday, as over 9 million viewers saw Peggy Mitchell’s return, and the shock developments in the Lucy Beale murder case.

READ MORE:

The 5 Questions That Need To Be Answered After Tuesday's Episode

Here's How The Lucy Storyline Has Made 'EastEnders' Are Unmissable

Live Week Kicks Off With Peggy's Return And Lauren's Shock Discovery

Jake Wood Takes To Twitter After 'You Killed Lucy' Line Confusion

9.03 million people tuned in to see the show, the highest figure since 2013’s New Year’s Day episode.

eastenders jane

Jane got a shock at the end of the episode

The episode included a number of live scenes, and while things appeared to go without a hitch, a number of viewers took to Twitter to air their confusion after Jake Wood delivered the final line of the episode.

Max Branning told his daughter Abi, “She [Lauren] knows you killed Lucy”, but a number of fans thought the actor had said “who” instead of “you”.

Thankfully, Jake took to Twitter to clear up the speculation.

For the benefit of the Internet and mankind in general please RT YOU. Thank YOU (see what I did there?) ❤️ #EELive #justthebeginning
— Jake Wood (@mrjakedwood) February 17, 2015

Friday’s show will be completely live, but before then, there’s the small matter of finding out who killed Lucy.

The big reveal will take place during Thursday’s hour-long special, which will be followed by a one-off flashback episode.

The action continues tonight (Wednesday 20 February) at 8pm.

MORE 'EASTENDERS':

This Live Week Trailer Is, Quite Frankly, Terrifying

Here's Everything You Need to Know About 'EastEnders' Live Week

Where Are Former The Stars Of The Soap Now?

Have Private Investigators Solved The Lucy Beale Murder Case?

'EastEnders' Best Ever Moments

From Nasty Nick To Janine, The Walford Villains We've Loved To Hate

Who Killed Lucy? Vote For Your Favourite Suspect

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Selling out concerts all over the world and hitting the top of the pop charts over and over again just isn’t enough for some is it? And that’s usually the point when our favourite stars decide to give a film career a whirl.

It’s now become almost a given that when a singer is nearing the top of their game in the world of music, they’ll then want to prove to us that they're not just a one-trick pony and give being a film star a try - recent reports have suggested that One Direction singer Harry Styles was keen to break into acting - though the results from previous singers have been, well, mixed to say the least.

True, Justin Timberlake put in a great turn in ‘The Social Network’, Jennifer Hudson garnered praise for her stint in ‘Dreamgirls’ and who could forget that Cher managed to scoop the Academy Award for her leading role in ‘Moonstruck’ (answer: no one, as long a she keeps bleating on about it every time the chance arises).

Sadly, though, not all pop stars’ attempts at carving a film career go to plan, and thanks to serial offenders like Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, there are quite a few turkeys to go through.

Here are some of the most toe-curlingly cringey films starring pop stars...

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At 24 I decided to quit the profession I had worked hard to achieve. I went from being an 'outstanding' secondary school teacher with management responsibilities for hundreds of children's outcomes and staff performance to being an unpaid intern in a profession I knew nothing about.

Being new to London, I'd heard horror stories about the reality of internships offered in this city but with all entry level jobs requiring experience, I had little choice. I landed on my feet with a great small PR agency who were nurturing, collegiate and more than anything appreciated and utilised the skill set I already had. Through this I gained real insight into the industry and became a helpful member of the team. So right was this fit that I was offered a job, as a result of one of the other members being head hunted by a larger organisation. I was overjoyed at the offer, despite taking a near £9000 pay cut from my teaching days, and was sure it would offer a more healthy work life balance and enjoyable working environment. Had I not had this offer, experiencing a further and previously planned four week internship at a bigger PR agency would have been a challenge to say the least.

My soon to be boss agreed to wait the four weeks for me to gain the experience I had worked hard to secure. An application had been sent, a questionnaire filled in, a further in-person questionnaire had been completed in timed conditions and a formal interview had been undertaken in order for the larger PR firm to make the decision that they would let me work for them for free for four weeks.

I arrived at the quirkily designed building of this PR agency at 9am on the Monday morning I had been told two months earlier I was set to start on. I had no confirmation of arrival time or who to report to having sent an email that fell on deaf ears in the week previous. I was greeted by an office manager who swiftly sat me at a desk with no introduction to the usual office things, i.e where the bathrooms were, where to make a cup of tea or who sat where etc. Instead I was handed a wodge of documents and asked to read and sign them. One document read 'Office Duties' and outlined what were to be my key tasks during this four week placement. When I noticed a pattern of the word 'clean', 'cleaning' and 'tidy' arise in many of the bullet points I began to wonder quite how those would link to providing valuable PR experience. I continued to read this information with an overwhelming sense of anger and frustration at the emerging reality that this business used interns (or as they actively referred to us: "workies") as glorified cleaners who would also answer and transfer all telephone calls.

I breathed deeply and wondered if I might be able to stick this out for the sake of putting this 'well thought of' business on my CV and attempted to look busy as a presumably senior member of staff publically humiliated a member of his team by denigrating her work in this open plan office space. I struggled not to stand up and question whether all human decency had been forgotten in this office, but instead climbed off my high horse and quietly seethed. The awkward fear-filled quietness of the office was broken by the office manager declaring that myself and the other "workie" would need our coats. Our coats? All I had were visions of me rifling through bins outside the building in a desperate attempt to find a piece of coverage in a newspaper that had been missed the day earlier. I don't catastrophise. I promise. Instead we were led to a small room where the office manager asked a man for £40 in petty cash so the "workies could go and buy lunch to make everyone".

A lump of sheer disbelief lodged in my throat. I was about to walk to a supermarket to not just buy but to decide on, purchase and then make lunch for the staff in this office (the staff who mostly chose not to introduce themselves or acknowledge my existence). I would butter their bread, fill their baguette and no doubt serve it up to them to then be prompted to clean the kitchen afterwards (as I had noted earlier that the kitchen was one of my main areas of responsibility).

At no age should someone be sold the promise of valuable work experience and then be made to sit in an unwelcoming, toxic environment and made to act as a kitchen-cleaning, lunch-making, telephone-switchboard. But at 24 and with a job lined up, I decided not to endure the degrading process and not to accept someone calling me "workie" instead of my name. I got my bag and I walked. I walked out.

I made a lucky escape but one that others without the promise of paid employment might not be able to make. It seems there is a real need for greater checks on unpaid internships and work experience placements. Many businesses are using them for capacity because they physically can't run the business without that extra body. And some are using them in an exploitative manner. Through sheer arrogance they assume these young people must be desperate to put the name of their company on a CV and thus get them to do just about anything and often nothing relating to the profession they have committed time to experience.

I'd love to hear your worst experience on an unpaid internship on twitter: #worstworkiemoment

The fur industry is regularly accused of skinning animals alive and the most recent attack came this weekend online in the Daily Mail. This time, enough is enough: it's time to set the record straight. As the head of the fur industry's trade body, I would like to make a pledge both to the industry and to the consumers of fur to whom we have a duty of care:

"Some people claim that the fur industry skins animals alive. Let me be clear that would be totally unacceptable and impractical to do. I know of no one in the fur business who would do that. As CEO of the International Fur Federation (IFF) I promise that if anybody has real and factual evidence with names and locations clearly showing anyone in the fur industry taking part in the barbaric practice of animals being skinned alive then I pledge I will bring that evidence to the attention of the relevant authorities so that they can prosecute those involved. Please email me at info@iftf.com or contact the IFF via twitter (@we_are_fur) using the hashtag #IFFCEOPledge

This isn't the first time in recent months this has come up. Late last year, Mimi Bekhechi of PETA UK wrote in the Huffington Post about fur farming and made similar claims.

However, the lack of details behind PETA's arguments was startling. There was a video that purported to show what fur farming is 'really like' - but every attempt we've made to find out more about those alleged abuses - where, when and by whom - has been stonewalled.

It's also easy to show "examples of animals who have endured lives of severe pain and suffering" and show sick animals when carefully editing a video from any kind of farm. As I'm sure sensible people are aware, all animals sometimes get sick. Dairy and fur farms are no different.

But in the European fur industry, such incidents are kept at a very low level in comparison with other animal industries. For example, only around 0.1% of housed mink have serious wounds.

Similarly, when inspecting 422,176 mink in 2009, the Norwegian Food Safety Authority found issues in the form of wounds, inflammation, dead tissue or disease in only 0.078% of the animals.

It's all very well to talk of animals in squalor and deprivation, but the IFF rarely gets any details it can investigate rather than just a carefully edited and helpfully anonymous video designed to tug on the heartstrings. And "naturally shy" wild mink and foxes may like to live in a certain way, but the animals in farms have been bred in farms for generations and are far removed from their wild cousins.

There are strict methods of slaughter laid down by the Council of Europe, under which all agricultural farms operate, including fur farms. They don't drown animals and they certainly don't skin them alive.

The regulated fur industry is highly transparent. Many European countries, such as Denmark, now operate an 'open farm' policy inviting members of the public to visit farms to see for themselves the welfare standards in force. Fur farming has more stringent controls and welfare standards than most other forms of animal farming.

We are committed to developing higher standards all the time. All our members have signed a code of conduct covering welfare and the environment. We have an Origin Assured (OA) label to show which countries have regulations in place and we are currently looking at new technology to strengthen traceability.

We firmly believe everyone has the right to their own individual choice with fur. If they don't want to buy or wear it, that is fine. Unlike some organisations, we don't want to force our agenda onto other people. What we do want, however, is to assure everyone that skinning animals alive is unacceptable, barbaric, utterly impractical, and nothing to do with the fur items found in shops and on catwalks around the world.

Firefighters were called to the ‘EastEnders’ set on Tuesday night, just a few hours after the first live week episode was screened.

READ MORE:

The 5 Questions That Need To Be Answered After Tuesday's Episode

Here's How The Lucy Storyline Has Made 'EastEnders' Are Unmissable

Live Week Kicks Off With Peggy's Return And Lauren's Shock Discovery

Jake Wood Takes To Twitter After 'You Killed Lucy' Line Confusion

The emergency services arrived at 11pm, reports Digital Spy, as there was a “small fire” on set.

eastenders set

The 'EastEnders' Elstree set

According to reports, the accidental fire was caused by a firework, and the incident affected the roof space of one of the Albert Square buildings.

An ‘EastEnders’ spokesperson explains: "There was a very small fire on set on Tuesday night after rehearsals had finished.

“It has not affected any #EELive week plans and nobody was harmed."

Tuesday’s episode included a number of live scenes, and tonight’s (Wednesday 18 February) will feature more.

The first episode of live week was a hit with fans, and over 9 million viewers tuned in to see Peggy Mitchell’s return, and the many developments in the Lucy Beale murder case.

While everything went to plan, actor Jake Wood has been forced to take to Twitter to explain one of his lines.

Hundreds of fans shared their confusion on the social-networking site on Tuesday, claiming it was unclear whether Jake’s character told his daughter Abi “She [Lauren] knows you killed Lucy”, or “who killed Lucy.”

The action continues at 8pm tonight, ahead of the ‘Who killed Lucy?’ reveal on Thursday.

MORE 'EASTENDERS':

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Long before the Coalition, the Labour and Tory candidates in one London election nicknamed their Lib Dem opponent "the Bishop." It was a revealing insult. The implication was that he was free to pontificate because he didn't have any power. As the Church of England's Bishops release their Pastoral Letter, many politicians and commentators have been equally dismissive. So what exactly are these pontificating Pontiffs adding to the national debate?

The Church has a clear answer to this attack. What it brings to the national debate is an unparalleled level of grassroots engagement. Its parish churches are at the heart of a wide range of forms of voluntary action - from parent and toddler groups to Night Shelters and Foodbanks, Credit Unions and employment training courses. (The excellent Spear programme, for example, has a record of getting young people into work that far outstrips the private contractors funded by the State.) The Government's own Social Integration Commission named the local church as the place where people were most likely to meet and befriend someone different from them, in terms of class, race or culture. Far from being a source of division, religion is still our society's strongest form of social glue.

Image: The Bishop of Stepney with Citizens UK leaders celebrating the interest rate cap on payday loans

And here's another surprising fact: at a time of increasing disillusionment about the Westminster machine, the Church of England's parishes have been at the heart of some game-changing political action.

The Living Wage Campaign is now supported by politicians of all parties. But when east London churches began to campaign for it - as part of the Citizens UK alliance - they were met with a wall of scepticism and resistance. Success has many parents, but the fathers and mothers of this movement are the churches (and mosques) in some of England's poorest neighbourhoods. As the Premier League faces increasing pressure to spend some of its £5.1 billion broadcasting windfall on becoming a Living Wage employer, local churches remain at the heart of the campaign - witness the wonderful letter to Arsenal from the Revd Martin Wroe.

Back in 2009, that same alliance demanded a cap on interest rates, and investment in a more mutual banking system. Archbishop Justin has shown how the Church can be a force for good when bottom-up action is combined with a strong national voice. In the last decade alone Credit Union membership has doubled, an interest cap is now written into law (Britain's first anti-usury legislation for over a century), and Wonga's business model is now in serious trouble (and it is on its third Chief Executive in the last 18 months.)

So in fact the evidence stacks up against the popular prejudice. The Church's engagement in the Living Wage Campaign and in the fight against exploitative lending is deeply rooted in theology, for the Bible leaves us no room to separate the "spiritual" from economic and political issues. These campaigns also show how Christians can act with their neighbours for the common good.

In their own experience, and in the life of the Church they lead, our Bishops and Archbishops bring a level of experience and insight often absent in the Westminster village. In alliance with other religious and civic groups, Anglican parishes are at the front-line of engagement with homelessness and hunger in our cities - and as well as offering practical care are campaigning for structural change.

This is nothing new. Back in the 1920s and 30s, it was the priest Fr Basil Jellicoe who pioneered new forms of social housing - using that same combination of grassroots engagement and establishment connections to build high-quality, affordable homes in place of the slums around Euston station.

Ninety years on, Britain has another housing crisis. Once again, it will fall to the church, in partnership with other civil society organisations to bring about the change that our political elites seem unable to deliver.

Jobs with decent pay, an end to exploitative lending, a decent supply of affordable housing - this is what our poorest neighbourhoods need, and what the Church is working in and with them to secure. And the very moral compass which leads the Bishops to demand these things leads us to reject the toxic chauvinism which is beginning to infect our political discourse. The Pastoral Letter stands against those who seek to pit the poorest in Britain against their brothers and sisters abroad, with its robust defence of overseas aid spending and hospitality to refugees and migrants. All too often, people who shout "charity begins at home" are happy to neglect the poorest at home and abroad. Not surprisingly, the people working hardest for charity and justice at home tend to think those same values should shape our treatment of all the world's citizens. This Pastoral Letter invites us to recognise in each of our fellow humans the image of God. It is credible because the Church is not just saying these things. In England's poorest communities, it is living them out.

Nigel Farage has said he "doesn't vet people outside pubs" after being spotted in a picture with a Chelsea fan who was on the Paris train when a black man was prevented from boarding and racist chants were shouted.

Unlike other party leaders I go out & often take pics with the British public. Obv not everyone is perfect. I don't vet people outside pubs.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) February 19, 2015

The Ukip leader appears to have posed in a picture of the John Parsons, who was in footage released yesterday of football fans on the Metro shouting: "We're racist and that's the way we like it" while pushing the man out of the carriage when he stepped in.

Parsons, has been named online as being one of a group and is a "vocal" supporter of Ukip according to an unnamed friend speaking to The Guardian.

nigel farage

Parsons appeared to have posted the photo on Instagram with the caption “UKIP BOYS! What a geezer” but has since apparently deleted his account. It is not clear whether he was one of the people chanting or not.

The fans push the man out of the train

A former schoolmate told The Guardian that Parsons and his younger brother were well-known to be Ukip supporters during their time at Millfield school.

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Meanwhile, the man pushed out of the train, named only as Souleymane S, called for the fans to be “found, punished and locked up.” He told Le Parisien newspaper that he plans to visit a police station today to make a formal criminal complaint about the abuse.

farage

Ukip Leader Nigel Farage receives a Whitstable Bay Beer from local landlady Aileen O'Leary during a walkabout in Sandwich, Kent, Thursday.

chelsea fans

Chelsea has said it is willing to ban the fans

A couple of weeks ago, whilst answering a question posed by BBC Radio London presenter Dotun Adebayo about how I identify, I remarked: "I am Black-British, but I am Black-British amongst a lot of other things that I am. So, I am also a female, I am also young." Not long had the words left my lips when my mother, who was keenly listening to my radio debut, began frantically flooding my phone with texts, WhatsApp's and voicemails. "BLACK BRITISH?! BLACK BRITISH?!" was all they said.

My father and I at my graduation last year, both dressed in African attire. His very traditional, mine a modern adaptation

Slightly confused, I called her as soon as I left the studio. I had made the remark in passing, hardly even conscious of the statement. I was eager to understand my sin.

Rather than the usual "Hi darling," I was greeted with "Black British?! Black British?! The shame of it!" Sensing my slight shock, she continued "Well-done, but 'Black British' you are not. You are an African! A British citizen, but an African!"

My shock quickly turned to defensiveness. I couldn't understand her outrage. After all, as a black person born in Britain, was I wrong to call myself Black-British? This is the question I posed to her.

"Fisayo" she answered. At that moment I became more conscious of the definite Nigerian origin of my name.

"Tell me this. Why is it that as a person of African heritage you must be reduced to a colour? You're right, you were born in the UK, but you are African. Africa is where your cultural heritage lies and that is an important part of who you are."

After my futile attempts to object, she changed her approach and said something that really made me think:

"A Chinese man remains a Chinese man even 6 generations down the line. Would you call him Chinese-British? I know you definitely wouldn't call him Yellow-British!"

With this statement I could not disagree. At that point I began to realise that this debate was far more complex than I had anticipated and that there was a lot of weight behind my mother's light-hearted jibes.

Deciding how to identify is something I have long struggled with. Although it is not something that I am constantly confronted with, it is something that dominates my subconscious.

Before I go any further it might help if I give some details of my heritage. I am a second/third generation immigrant from West Africa. Although born in the UK, my heritage is in Nigeria and Ghana, my father being born in the former and my maternal grandparents the latter (my mother was also born in the UK.)

I agree with my mum that acknowledging my African heritage is important, both for the way I understand the world and the way that the world understands me. However, I would argue that how I identify is not entirely my choice.

To explain what I mean by this, I am going to introduce a concept that was introduced to me by my aunt (whom I confronted with the same questions as my mum) - ethnosymbolisms. Ethnosymbolisms are defined as the symbols, myths, values and traditions that form and sustain an identity. My identity conflict arises because as a British-born black person my ethnosymbolisms are weak.

When I am in Africa, I experience an absence in ethnosymbolisms in the sense that I do not share the local values and customs. This is especially significant, as I do not know either of my mother tongues. Thus, I feel more of a connection with my British peers with whom I was raised, than anyone in Africa, because of our shared experiences, values and traditions. However, this feeling is not absolute. When in the UK, there is a different type of absence. In this case, it is because I share only an immediate history with those around me. Although I am born in Britain, my ancestors were not. The history I learn in school is not that of my heritage.

Ultimately, there is an absence of complete shared ethnosymbolisms in both of the communities in which I am a part. This dichotomy is one I believe is unique to a second (or subsequent) generation immigrant, as they are in the unique position of being born into a culture outside of their own. My experience is different, for instance, from my fathers who came to the UK after already establishing his identity as a Nigerian young man. Although he is now also classified as a black-Briton, he holds those shared values and traditions, such as a native tongue, that I do not.

Discussions with my peers suggest that this is a sentiment that is shared. That there is an entire generation that are rapidly dismissing the culture of their parents in a bid to develop their own.

A couple of days ago, I had the privilege of interviewing scholar George Shire, as part of a feature that I am making on the African diaspora in London, for TV show London360. Unintentionally, the ideas he shared with me acted as a form of closure, an end to the internal debate that I have been having for the past couple of weeks. "The idea of Africa is an on-going story," he said,

"The idea of Africa is not universal; there are many ways of being African. Personally, I carry Africa with me in my head and body. I say to people that I go to Africa every night when I go to sleep."

This idea of 'carrying' Africa both internally and externally is one that really resonates with me. I am African in my physical appearance, but also in my heart and mind. More than this, what George's words have shown me is that identifying as African does not have to be mutually exclusive from identifying as Black-British. It also does not have to be definitive, I can choose to identify differently dependant on the conditions of any given situation. Most importantly, my choosing to identify as Black-British is a personal decision, and no more wrong or right than my mother who choses not to.

I presented this final argument to my mother today. Let's just say we have agreed to disagree.

In case you hadn’t heard, ‘EastEnders’ is celebrating its 30th anniversary this week, with two deaths taking centre stage.

The Lucy Beale murder case will finally be solved tonight (Thursday 19 February), and there’s also the small matter of Nick Cotton, whose body is about to be discovered at number 23.

Over the years, there have been plenty of deaths in the Square, and many murders that have kept the residents talking.

To be honest, they can be hard to keep track of, but thankfully our pals at Bwin have come up with this handy infographic.

You’ll never get an ‘EastEnders’ pub quiz question wrong again…

eastenders deaths

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Before Fearne, Holly and Tess, there was Gaby Roslin.

The female TV presenter who co-presented The Big Breakfast with Chris Evans was one of the first of her kind: mainstream, yes, but also a genuinely relatable woman who you could picture hanging out with in the pub.

Most people at the time didn't know that Roslin had overcome a lot of shyness as a teenager - it's something that still stays with her today in social situations. She holds her husband David Osman's hand and squeezes it as she steps into a party - bless.

As for self-doubt, she says: "I have been critical of myself, yes, but not too hard. I think pushing yourself to try hard and learn new things is important, but you also have to give yourself a break and relax and do your best!"

Twenty years later, she has a lot of be proud of. There's the career - she's still on primetime TV despite an industry accused of ageism towards women, and she's looks absolutely stunning at 50 - a result, no doubt of her change in attitude to nutrition.

(She's also anti-Botox).

gaby roslin

"Yes, I’ve got more wrinkles than I had when I was on The Big Breakfast," she said to The Guardian, "but I’m not ashamed of them at all. I have them because I’ve laughed and I’ve cried. I’ve had a life.”

A lot of this has been hard won. She has suffered a lot of loss at the hands of cancer, and has developed an acute sense of living-in-the-moment as a result. Here, we ask her about nutrition and moving past loss.

Cancer is something that has deeply affected your family - you lost your mother when you were in your 30s. When your dad was diagnosed with bowel cancer, how did you cope with it?

You just do. It was about them not me. My mum was an incredibly strong woman and remained so throughout her illness and my dad is a very positive man. I believe his positivity got him through his illness and also through the loss of his wife, my mum.

Life is definitely for living.

 What were some of the more unexpected difficulties around dealing with your dad being ill, that you weren't prepared for?

I don’t think you can ever be prepared for what a time like that throws at you. There’s no way you can be. You just ‘get on with it’ to the best of your ability and stay strong and focused and stay positive.

You've also lost three friends to cancer - what perspective did that give you on their lives and yours?

I used to apologise when people said “you’re always happy” and I replied “I know, I’m sorry”. Well I don't say I’m sorry any more. I feel blessed to be alive and be happy and have a wonderful family.

Life is for living and is a wonderful thing. We all sweat the small stuff too much. Being happy and alive is a wonderful gift.

How have you changed your own life as a result?

I also have been studying and researching health and nutrition and fitness for 20 years and it is my passion. It is so important what we put into our bodies.

Studies have found that diet and exercise are hugely important and a healthy diet and regular exercise can contribute to a reduction in heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

What have you noticed about women and beauty now that you have just hit your fifties?

I wish people were less judgemental. Whatever your age, wear what you want!

We personally would love to see women on TV who aren't always in their 20s or 30s - what are your views on it?
I’ve been very lucky to be working for the past 28 years in the business that I passionately love and adore. So long as women of all ages are on telly, I’m happy.

gaby roslin

How do you keep yourself healthy?

I eat organic products, sustainable fish, lots of fruit and vegetables, no red meat, no sugar, no wheat (as I have an allergy) I also go to the gym about four times a week and do Pilates. I also takes supplements, as we all grow older our bodies need extra help.

Are you good or bad at switching off your phone and spending time with yourself or the family?

I am mummy first and a working mummy second. I can turn off my phone, no problem.

What do you like do to on a day off?

Be with my family. A lazy morning without the rush of the school run, make a big lunch, then a walk in the park. Then a nice hot bath and watch a film or telly, and a glass of something. Vodka or prosecco!

If there was one life lesson you'd tell your 20-something self, what would it be?

Stop being so self-conscious and your upper arms aren’t that big and no one is looking anyway!

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Gaby is currently working to promote Perfect7 by Seven Seas.

Madonna has become involved in one of her most bizarre public disputes ever, after denying a Scottish wrestler the rights to one of her hits to use as his entrance music.

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For those not up on their British wrestling, Graeme Stevely - known as Grado when he’s in the ring - has been using Madonna’s number one hit ‘Like A Prayer’ as his entrance music for the past two years, which has set him apart in the eyes of his fans.

However, he recently discovered that the Queen of Pop had thrown the brakes on him using her hit single, and denied the rights to it being used on the US broadcast of a wrestling match he took part in two weeks ago.

grado wrestling

Grado with 'Corrie' star Helen Flanagan (for some reason)

Grado is now leading the #SayYesMadonna campaign on social media, hoping to get the pop diva to change her mind.

He told BuzzFeed News: “I’ve got a feeling that someone is obviously speaking on her behalf, so that’s why I wanted to try and get her attention on Twitter, try and get her notifications up, you know, try and get a wee buzz going on [her] timeline.

“Obviously I don’t imagine it’s Madonna herself. I can’t imagine she’s sat on her iPad scrolling through her emails and she sees one that says ‘Grado’s entrance music’ and she says no.”

madonna

Madonna

The campaign is going well so far, with #SayYesMadonna trending on Twitter on Thursday morning, and the wrestler’s fans doing all they can to try and convince Madonna to allow ‘Like A Prayer’ to be used at future wrestling matches.

Grado as a worldwide trend? Unbelievable. #SayYesMadonna otherwise you're depriving the world of moments like this https://t.co/oiqsmarwih
— Sam Gillies (@samuelgillies) February 19, 2015

Hey Madonna, it's Yersel! Don't be a party pooper! #becool #SayYesMadonna
— Katherine Miller (@TudorKat) February 19, 2015

Not sure who this Mad Donna woman is & why she's picking on @gradowrestling but everyone get her tweeted! @Madonna #SayYesMadonna
— Martin Kirby (@MKirbyProEgo) February 19, 2015

Oh @Madonna - just say YES! #SayYesMadonna
— Kirsty Bosley (@Bozzers) February 19, 2015

I think @LizRosenbergPR ought to look at the #sayyesmadonna hashtag & get her client to do the right thing @SiRothstein @gradowrestling
— Danny Stone (@DannyStone1) February 19, 2015

The @gradowrestling #SayYesMadonna campaign is already on the BBC and I predict will be absolutely everywhere later today.
— Greg Lambert (@HolyGrailGreg) February 19, 2015

No one has captured the public´s attention and mixed genres like @gradowrestling in years. He´s good for wrestling @WWE #SayYesMadonna
— Bob Snook (@SnookBig) February 19, 2015

ah, gwan @madonna #SayYesMadonna! seeing 800 wrestling fans going crazy to Like A Prayer is truly amazing :)
— Carsmile Steve (@CarsmileSteve) February 19, 2015

Come on Madonna, denying Grado the rights to your hit isn’t exactly #LivingForLove is it?

Perhaps if Grado really wants to get Madonna's attention, he could start using Lady Gaga's 'Applause' as his entrance music, and see how long it takes her to #SayYes then...

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Ed Miliband faces a new row with his fellow Labour MPs after the party took nearly £400,000 from PwC, the accountancy firm recently accused of "promoting tax avoidance" on an industrial scale.

Labour MP Austin Mitchell, member of the influential Public Accounts Committee which levied this criticism, told the Huffington Post UK: "This a kind of softening up process to make us more amenable to the tax avoidance work and advice that PwC are doing.

He warned that PwC was "extending its tentacles" into the Labour party "by supplying people and services".

The Labour veteran's remarks come as the Electoral Commission revealed that PwC donated £386,605 in staff support to the party in the last quarter of 2014, making it Labour's biggest non-union donor during that period.

pwcdonations

PwC's donation to Labour in the Electoral Commmission's new figures

The accountancy firm's help is potentially unhelpful as Labour and the Tories are caught up in a spat about the tax affairs of party supporters, with Ed Miliband having accused David Cameron of turning "a "blind eye" to tax avoidance.

Margaret Hodge, chairwoman of the public accounts committee, lambasted Labour earlier this month for its "inappropriate" links with PwC, which gave more than £540,000 in research assistance to MPs - including Ed Balls and Chuka Umunna - in the past 18 months alone.

"The Conservatives took money from PricewaterhouseCoopers when they were in opposition, the Labour Party does and probably the Liberal Democrats too. I think that's inappropriate, I wouldn't do it," she told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

The Public Accounts Committee issued a blistering report condemning the way that PwC devised "complex strategies and contrived structures" to help big companies dramatically reduce their tax bills. Labour also received nearly £80k in support from another accountancy firm, Deloitte, which Hodge accused in 2013 of using "insider knowledge" from Treasury officials to help rich clients avoid tax.

PwC's controversial support could be especially awkward for Umunna, who reportedly accepted over £60,000 worth of advice from PwC over 2013-2014, after he refused five times to say in a recent radio interview if Labour would hand back money if a donor was found to have aggressively avoided tax.

"I think if he Labour Party found out that somebody was engaged in aggressive tax avoidance, we’d think twice before taking the money," the shadow business secretary insisted.

chuka umunna ed miliband

Chuka Umunna and Ed Miliband could face questions over donations from PwC

Labour has defended its decision to accept PwC's support, with a spokesperson saying: "Given the complexity of government decisions in areas such as tax policy - and that opposition parties do not have significant access to civil servants - the support provided by organisations such as these helps ensure that there is better scrutiny of Government policy.

PwC said its staff provided "limited and fully disclosed technical support to the main political parties" but added: "We do not develop policy on their behalf."

Staff on secondment might make "observations on the improvement of legislation or proposed legislation", the firm added in a statement.

See more on General Election 2015

The Tories reported more than £1 million more in donations than Labour in the final three months of 2014, taking in donations totaling £8,345,687 compared to Labour's £7,163,988.

The Liberal Democrats reported £3,038,500 in donations, Ukip £1,505,055 and the Green Party £248,520.

The total donations reported by political parties between October 1 and December 31 2014 was £20,326,862, more than £5 million higher than the previous three month period.

The total is also higher than the £17,419,277 recorded in the final quarter in 2009 when parties were preparing to fight the 2010 general election.

When you are a parent of a school child there is one main aspiration for them and that is your offspring achieve the grades they require to keep them on their chosen path. For a great deal of students, it is the field of dreams that contains five GCSE's with Grades A-C that seems to keep the door to all possibilities open.

The problem that our teenagers face when they build up to exam day is that the weight of expectation can bring them to their knees and if there was the opportunity to have that extra time with a tutor, it could just make all the difference.

Of course, paying for a private tutor can be an expensive solution to a problem that is exasperated by a parent's life pressures that can lead to homework and focus on revision taking a back seat. To this end, a new organisation called National Tutoring Conference is looking to bring together the field of tutoring so that there can be a way through the trees for those students that feel lost in the woods.

More homework has been the answer for some and as Toby Young recently pointed out at an event that was delivered with National Tutoring Conference, "A recent OECD survey found that children perform best where they do the most homework, such as Singapore and Shanghai, China. It also discovered that there is a strong correlation between the amount of time children spend on homework and how they do in school."

So how does private tutoring fit in to this scenario and would this be a better, more focused option than plying a stressed generation of students with hours of work at home that may fall by the wayside as outside influences and tiredness get their foot in the door?

For an answer to this conundrum, we can turn to Tom Maher of the Tutor's Association as he believes that supplementary education is a responsible way of providing the extra that is required to bridge the gap to the grades that you want to achieve. He said that this "is far from a judgement on the standard of teaching in classrooms. There are many and complex reasons why families turn to supplementary education: it's not all about exam grades. A society in which people are moving around more, needs a supplementary educational support service of some kind. There is a market for it, it's popular and it's needed."

It seems that there is no other alternative than to embrace private tutoring. We all want the best for our children and it would be irresponsible to deny them every opportunity. Of course there is one main problem with this view.

Other countries have invested in tuition centres which is how South Korea and Singapore have jumped above the UK in the 2012 PISA rankings and despite this country spending more per head on education, the results are now flat lining and the demands on those in the established educational system has become too great to ensure that this can be reversed.

Private tutoring is still an expensive way forward that excludes a high proportion of families from making it decision that they can take, especially as costs are typically between £25-£100 an hour. This hasn't stopped there being an explosion in tutoring provision.

Alexander Nikitich of Carfax Education explains, "an ecosystem has sprung up outside the traditional state and private educational systems with such an incredible number and diversity of tutoring providers, from independent tutors to tutor agencies, tutor cooperatives, tuition centres, online tutoring businesses, and tutor management software developers, such as TutorCruncher. All of this is highly exportable stuff and should be nurtured and supported as a British industry that is much valued around the world."

With so much becoming available to those that need that little extra, there is just one major step left to take and that is to make this affordable to all. At the moment there is a distinct advantage towards those that can afford private tutoring and those families with children on free school meals and a income of £16,200 per year or less are pretty much priced out of the equation.

Susannah Hardyman of Action Tutoring is one of the organisations that is trying to bridge this gap for the families that require it. "Given the evidence shows tutoring can work, the imperative to make it available to those that need it most, whatever their background, is surely all the stronger."

We may be some way off this promised land but there are in-roads being made but until society starts viewing the supplement of education in the same way as its need for satellite television, then the gap between aspiration and achievement may continue to grow.

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