Only 12% of Britons polled pledged allegiance to the king in a ‘homage of the people’The anti-monarchy group Republic’s membership has almost doubled in a week following the high-profile arrest of its chief executive, Graham Smith, during last weekend’s coronation.The news comes as a poll reveals that almost nine in 10 Britons did not pledge allegiance to King Charles during the ceremony, despite being encouraged to do so by the archbishop of Canterbury. Continue reading...
Ex-ministers attack Rishi Sunak’s leadership as pro-Johnson wing calls for lower taxesRishi Sunak was losing control of an increasingly anarchic Tory party on Saturday as former cabinet ministers openly criticised the direction of policy under his leadership and dozens of backbench MPs plotted a new rebellion over Brexit.Amid recriminations over the heavy Conservative losses in recent council elections, and with pro-Brexit MPs incensed that Sunak’s government is dropping plans to shred more than 4,000 EU laws within months, discipline was at risk of completely disintegrating on the right of the party. Continue reading...
Measures being introduced in August labelled ‘deeply regressive’ and research suggests nurses and teachers could be among the worst affected• Read more: Martin Lewis: ‘Don’t call it a loan, this is a graduate tax’The government’s student loan reforms will benefit the country’s best-paid graduates at the expense of nursing graduates, teachers and other lower- and middle-income earners, new research reveals.Under the biggest reforms of student loans in England for more than a decade, many lower-paid earners face an increase in their total lifetime repayments of more than £30,000. Meanwhile, the highest-earning graduates will see their lifetime repayments fall on average by £25,000 compared with the previous arrangements, according to an analysis by the economic consultancy London Economics. Continue reading...
by Shah Meer Baloch in Islamabad and Hannah Ellis-Pet on (#6BQE1)
Former prime minister steps up attacks on country’s military leaders as ministers plan to rearrest himThe crowds gathered peacefully, jostling outside the home of the man they call the “saviour of Pakistan”, hoping for a glimpse. Two days earlier, these same streets in the city of Lahore had resembled a warzone as tens of thousands of protesters violently took to the streets, ransacking buildings, burning cars, throwing petrol bombs and clashing with police, with several dying from gunshot wounds.On Saturday, however, there was calm. Late the previous night, former prime minister Imran Khan had finally returned to his home, following some of the most tumultuous days in the country’s recent history that saw him arrested on Islamabad high court premises by 100 paramilitary officers. He was detained for two days but then, to the surprise of many observers, was granted bail and allowed to walk free after his arrest was declared illegal by Pakistan’s supreme court. With Khan released, the violence eased. Continue reading...
Police data underlines fears for the safety of inmates and staff amid overcrowding and budget cuts as a result of Tory austerityNearly 1,000 rapes were reported to have taken place in prisons since 2010, exclusive data obtained by the Observer from police forces in England and Wales can reveal.A further 2,336 sexual assaults were reported to police in the same period, and experts warned that the true figure for both crimes may be far higher because not all attacks would be reported. Continue reading...
Former archbishop of York found to have failed to act on allegations of child sexual abuse by vicarThe former archbishop of York has been forced to step down from duties after failing to act on allegations of sexual abuse.John Sentamu last week rejected the findings of a report that found he failed to act on disclosures that a C of E vicar repeatedly raped a teenage boy in the 1980s. Continue reading...
Narendra Modi is preparing a campaign to reclaim items in UK museums and held by the royal family, such as the Koh-i-noorA leading writer on the British empire has said it is inevitable that Indian jewels and historical artefacts looted under colonial rule will be returned, amid reports that the country will begin a campaign to get them repatriated.Sathnam Sanghera, who authored Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain and fronted documentaries on the subject for Channel 4, said the latest demands are part of a series by former colonies reassessing their own time under empire. Continue reading...
The quirky appeal of Rye Lane is threatened by developer’s 14 high-rise flats, say residentsThere’s a scene in Rye Lane, a film said to be breathing new life into romcoms, where the two main characters stroll past a body-popping white-haired man in a spangly Yves Klein blue cowboy outfit, then continue their conversation sitting in giant high heels outside a shoe shop.The moonwalking cowboy is an actor, but the shoe shop is real – one of dozens of outlets inside Rye Lane market giving Peckham the personality that inspired the film’s director, Raine Allen-Miller, to treat the south London neighbourhood as a character rather than mere scenery. Continue reading...
Move Forward party leader’s promise in election campaign to end political stranglehold chimes with younger generationWhen Pita Limjaroenrat took to the stage for his final big campaign event before Thailand’s elections, the cheers and screams were deafening. “Our time has come,” he told crowds of mostly young supporters in a packed stadium in Bangkok.Pita’s Move Forward party has built a large and loyal support base among young Thais who are fed up with the political status quo. At rallies, he is met with long lines of students and young people queueing for selfies. On TikTok, fans post images of themselves with a special filter that displays his face smiling and lurking in the background. Continue reading...
Cooper was arrested after going to aid of fellow protester in 1981 and went on to photograph Liverpool lifeThe Liverpool photographer Leroy Cooper, whose arrest led to the Toxteth riots in 1981, has died aged 62.Cooper, who was also a writer and activist, was arrested in front of protesters after he went to the aid of a fellow Liverpool resident in July 1981. Continue reading...
Clip online appears to show a man being restrained and then punched nine times in the faceA police officer in north Wales has been suspended from duty after appearing to punch a man nine times while arresting him.North Wales police said the action had been taken after the incident in Porthmadog, Gwynedd, on Wednesday. Continue reading...
Victory deals blow to prime minister, who will seek third term in power at next year’s general electionIndia’s opposition Congress party has swept the Karnataka state elections, dealing a blow to Narendra Modi’s ruling party, which had fought hard to retain power.As votes were counted on Saturday, it became clear Congress had won an overwhelming majority in the state and the ruling Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) quickly conceded defeat. “People have rejected divisive politics,” said Pawan Khera, a Congress party spokesperson. Continue reading...
Most networks will have limited service as RMT members at 14 companies in England walk outPassengers faced a second day of disruption on Britain’s railways on Saturday as the union leader Mick Lynch insisted the 24-hour strike had not targeted the Eurovision song contest.Train crews are staging another 24-hour strike, immediately after Friday’s action by drivers, disrupting people travelling to Liverpool for the Eurovision final, as well as National League football fans heading to Wembley in London. Continue reading...
Witham MP expected to attack ‘those in power’ for sidelining party’s grassroots at conference of pro-Boris Johnson groupPriti Patel will attack the Conservative party leadership, blaming heavy local election losses on “those in power and control”, in a speech on Saturday.The former home secretary is expected to accuse the Tory leadership of having “done a better job at damaging our party” over the past year than Keir Starmer’s Labour party or leftwing campaign groups. Continue reading...
Four-hour broadcast will feature taunts at Putin and a singalong of a Liverpool anthemThere will be rockets, soldiers and moustachioed men in their underpants lampooning Vladimir Putin as a “crocodile psychopath” – and that’s just the Croatian act.One of the most stridently political Eurovision grand finals in years takes place in Liverpool on Saturday night against a backdrop of a war in Ukraine that shows little sign of ending. Continue reading...
The Portuguese capital wins top spot ahead of budget-friendly eastern European destinations, according to new pollIn an annual travel survey which analysed typical tourist costs in 35 European cities, Lisbon has emerged as the best-value location for a city break on the continent – beating traditional budget-friendly eastern European destinations.The Post Office Travel Money City Costs Barometer found the Portuguese capital won the top spot ahead of runner-up Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital. Two other past winners – Krakow (third) and Athens (fourth) – complete the top four cities. Continue reading...
Democracy Volunteers group says half of them appeared to be from minority ethnic backgroundsMore than 1% of voters, half of whom appeared to be from minority ethnic backgrounds, were turned away from polling stations because of ID requirements at the local elections, according to a group of democracy observers.Democracy Volunteers, a group of election observers, said it conducted snapshot surveys in 118 councils on 4 May. Continue reading...
Focus group of blue wall residents believes Sunak is ‘out of his depth’ and that Britain needs change nowBlue wall Conservative voters in Surrey are far from impressed with the government’s obsession with culture wars, and remain unrepentant for tactically backing the Liberal Democrats at last week’s local elections.The prime minister still looks “out of his depth”, uninspiring and unable to set out a straightforward vision six months in the job, according to a panel of Surrey residents who backed the Conservatives at the 2019 election. They believe “the country needs change now”, and the Tories need some time in opposition to sort themselves out. Continue reading...
by Daniel Hurst Foreign affairs and defence correspon on (#6BQ70)
The pair agreed to ‘step up’ dialogue to resolve outstanding trade issues and confirmed the review of China’s tariffs on Australian barley was ‘on track’
Police watchdog to launch inquiry after incident involving man with two dogs in east LondonAn investigation will be launched after a man’s two dogs were fatally shot in front of him and he was Tasered by Metropolitan police officers, the police watchdog has announced.Louie Turnbull, the owner of the animals, appeared in court on Tuesday charged with dangerous dog offences after the incident that happened alongside a canal in Limehouse, east London, on Sunday. Continue reading...
Leader says party must ‘change our culture’ as it faces bigger task in government than his predecessorLabour will have to offer voters at the next general election a radical vision that “goes further and deeper” than Tony Blair’s government because of the scale of the crisis facing the country, Keir Starmer is to sayIn a speech on Saturday, he will say reforms are necessary because an incoming Labour government will have a bigger task than Blair faced, owing to the severe challenges currently facing the country, on top of 13 years of Conservative rule. Continue reading...
Ministry responds to reports of children upset and teachers baffled by reading test for 10- and 11-year-oldsMinisters have said that tests for year 6 pupils in England are “designed to be challenging” after concerns from a headteachers’ union that this week’s Sats exams had left some pupils “in tears”.The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) said some staff struggled to understand the questions and it planned to raise concerns about Wednesday’s reading exam for 10- and 11-year-olds with the schools regulator, Ofqual. Continue reading...
Marchers in Serbian capital’s second protest in a week decried populist president Aleksandar VučićTens of thousands of people have marched through Belgrade, blocking a key bridge in the second large protest since two mass shootings that rattled Serbia and left 17 people dead, including many children.Protesters gathered in front of the parliament building on Friday before filing by the government’s HQ and on to a highway bridge spanning the Sava River, where evening commuters had to turn their vehicles around to avoid getting stuck. At the head of the column was a black banner reading “Serbia against violence.” Continue reading...
Corinne Foxx shares update after criticising media for running ‘wild’ with rumours actor was taking a turn for the worseJamie Foxx is out of hospital after an unknown “medical complication”.The Oscar-winning actor and singer’s daughter Corinne Foxx shared an update on Instagram after unsubstantiated reports that the 55-year-old’s condition had worsened. Continue reading...
Producers of event refuse Ukraine president’s request to speak over fears of politicising contestRishi Sunak and Keir Starmer have voiced their disapproval of a decision to prevent Volodymyr Zelenskiy from being able to address this year’s Eurovision.The prime minister and the Labour leader were united in criticising the decision to block the Ukrainian president’s request to speak at Saturday evening’s grand final. They were joined in their opposition by the former prime minister Boris Johnson.PA Media contributed to this report Continue reading...
The actor will head up an adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An Enemy of the People once the hit HBO drama has endedJeremy Strong is going from a corporate boardroom on TV to a whistleblower on Broadway.The actor who plays Kendall Roy in the HBO television series Succession has signed on to play a man who tries to expose water contamination in a Norwegian spa town in Henrik Ibsen’s 1882 play An Enemy of the People. Continue reading...
Decision to allow medically assisted dying has divided the deeply Catholic countryAfter a long battle, Portugal passed a law on Friday legalising euthanasia for people in great suffering and with incurable diseases, joining just a handful of countries around the world.The issue has divided the deeply Catholic country and was strongly opposed by conservative president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a devout churchgoer. Continue reading...
Mirror Group’s lawyers suggest newspaper’s stories about prince were instead leaked by royal press officersPrince Harry has no evidence he was the victim of phone hacking by Mirror journalists, the high court has heard, with stories about his private life instead secretly leaked by royal press officers.The Duke of Sussex alleges that dozens of news stories published in the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror and People were obtained through phone hacking or other illegal behaviour. The articles – published between 1995 and 2011 – detail his relationship with his family, his relationship with ex-girlfriend Chelsy Davy, his military service and allegations of drug use. Continue reading...
Officers were called to Johnstone high school in Renfrewshire after incident in which a 14-year-old was also hurtA 16-year-old girl has been charged after three teachers were taken to hospital as a result of a disturbance at a school in Scotland.Officers were called to Johnstone high school in Renfrewshire after a former pupil entered the school at about 10.45am on Friday. Continue reading...
Kyriakos Mitsotakis says on visit to Lesbos he has kept his promise to protect land and sea bordersLess than 10 days before Greeks go to the polls, the prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has sought to emphasise the impact of his centre-right government’s “tough but fair” migration policy.In a campaign trip to Lesbos, the Aegean island bearing the brunt of Europe-bound migratory flows, the leader claimed he had kept his promise to protect land and sea borders, with the arrival of asylum seekers radically reduced. Continue reading...
Coroner raises concerns over police and mental health services’ response to case of Tamsin DolamoreA senior coroner has expressed deep concern over the way police and mental health services dealt with the case of a vulnerable woman who fell from a railway bridge four months after reporting she had been raped.Tamsin Dolamore, a 24-year-old carer, was found on the tracks near a railway station in Cornwall and died in hospital the following day having sustained head injuries and had a cardiac arrest.Information and support for anyone affected by rape or sexual abuse issues is available from the following organisations. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 500 2222 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html Continue reading...
Executives holds talks with both sides after screening of gender critical documentary was cancelledEdinburgh University hopes to defuse a crisis involving gender critical and pro-trans academics after clashes over the screening of the film Adult Human Female.University executives are holding talks with both sides after pro-trans activists prevented the gender critical documentary from being screened on campus for the second time late last month, by blockading a theatre where it was due to be shown. Continue reading...
by Patrick Butler Social policy editor on (#6BQ16)
DWP, GP surgery and social landlord failed to spot risks for Erroll Graham, who had benefits cut despite being severely mentally illWelfare officials failed to properly identify the risk of harm to Errol Graham, a severely mentally ill man whose disability benefit payments they cut off and who died of starvation eight months later, an official report has found.An independent safeguarding review into the “shocking and disturbing” events leading to Graham’s tragic and lonely death concluded that multiple failings by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), his GP practice, and social landlord meant that chances to save him were missed. Continue reading...
McDonald’s-loving, sliders-wearing, Bublé-listening PM is also a reader of Riders, according to SpectatorIt seems Rishi Sunak is still embarking on his awkward journey of growth from being “out of touch” to fully integrating with the real world, as more of his apparent guilty pleasures have emerged.In his spare time, the sliders-wearing, McDonald’s-loving polished tech-bro apparently enjoys reading racy novels by the bestselling author Jilly Cooper. The former chancellor ranks her book Riders as one of his all-time favourite novels, according to the Spectator. Continue reading...
Labour leader’s comments follow reports that net immigration for 2022 could almost reach one millionIn his Today interview Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, did not just talk about workforce numbers. (See 10.42am.) This is what he said on other aspects of Labour health policy.Streeting said in theory he supported the idea of banning smoking over time, but that he needed to be convinced it was workable. New Zealand has passed a law that would increase the smoking age over time, so that people who are children now will grow up never being allowed to buy cigarettes. A government review published last year made the same recommendation. Ministers have not accepted the plan, but George Osborne, the former Tory chancellor, recently said he was in favour. Asked if he agreed, Streeting said in principle this was a good idea, but that he was worried about the practicalities. He said:The question for me on the New Zealand-style smoking ban isn’t whether it’s desirable, because I think in policy terms, and in terms of public opinion, interestingly, I think there is an appetite and a policy driver there to do it.For me it’s about is it workable, and that’s what we’re looking at at the moment and what we’re consulting on …He said improving cancer outcomes would be a key test for the next Labour government. Labour’s manifesto will be built around five missions, one of which covers health. The party has not published details of its health missions yet, but Streeting implied they would include a promise to improve cancer survival rates. He said:In order to improve cancer outcomes – and I’m saying today, judge the next Labour government on cancer outcomes – it requires us to think radically about how we reform and reshape the NHS, to speed up diagnosis, improve access to treatment, and getting the diagnostic phase right as well.Streeting confirmed that he wanted to make it easier for patients to get diagnostic tests without going through a GP. He said:One of the things that we’ve said, partly to reduce pressure on general practice, which I think is overwhelmed, is to create new front doors into the NHS as well.One of the things that I’ve reflected on, particularly looking at continental Europe and the way that other countries are doing the front door much better, is moving some of that diagnostic capacity into the community and making it much easier to [access]. Continue reading...
Outbreak of violence – now in its fourth day – has killed dozens, all but one of them PalestinianIsrael and Gaza militants have traded heavy fire as hopes faded of securing a truce to end days of fighting during which dozens have been killed, all but one of them Palestinian.There have been international calls for de-escalation, with the EU pushing for an “immediate comprehensive ceasefire”. Continue reading...
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