The Week Ahead - Philip Allott’s replacement, White Ribbon Day and Black Friday

It’s been a torrid few days for English cricket in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s damning revelations about racism in the game.

The 30 year-old’s visceral testimony in front of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee last week shone an uncomfortable light on institutions and individuals, with longstanding grievances against Yorkshire amplified by specific new allegations against several former England internationals.

English cricket is starting to pick up the pieces but it is going to be a long and difficult road ahead.

MP remembered

A message from Pope Francis will be delivered at a Westminster service tomorrow to remember the MP Sir David Amess who was killed in his constituency surgery last month.

The Requiem Mass will be held at Westminster Abbey, with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, presiding.

The service will see Sir David’s friend and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe read a statement from Sir David’s family before a

funeral procession will move through parts of Southend in what will no doubt be a poignant day.

By-election

Thursday sees the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC) for York and North Yorkshire by-election.

It follows the resignation of Philip Allott last month after comments he made following Sarah Everard’s murder.

Mr Allott, who won the election by a sizeable majority in May, resigned after the region’s Police and Crime Panel held a unanimous vote of no confidence in his abilities to perform the role.

It came after comments he made on an interview with BBC Radio York in the aftermath of the murder of Ms Everard, who was kidnapped, raped and killed by a serving Met Police Officer.

Mr Allott said Ms Everard, 33, should not have “submitted” to her false arrest by Wayne Couzens, who was sentenced to life for her murder.

The comments sparked widespread outrage and over 900 complaints were received. Mr Allott initially refused to step down from the role and cited a desire to be educated by women’s charities, acknowledging he had “much to learn.” The by-election results are due out on Friday.

This Thursday also marks White Ribbon Day when campaigners highlighting violence against women will carry the message #AllMenCan in the wake of the killing of Sarah Everard.

The date ties in with the UN’s International Day for the Elimination of Men’s Violence against Women, which is the largest violence against women campaign and marks the start of 16 days of activism against gender-based violence and runs until Human Rights Day on December 10.

Black Friday

For some people, the festive season doesn’t really start until Christmas Eve, for others it’s the first day of Advent.

In recent years, though, another date has emerged that for some marks the start of the Christmas countdown – Black Friday.

This American phenomenon – the anticlimactic day after the excess of Thanksgiving in late November – has become ingrained in our own retail calendar with many stores offering a slew of promotions.

It’s even more of an event than the Boxing Day sales, which were our home-grown equivalent.

Black Friday may be overhyped and over here, but it also looks like it’s here to stay.