Government likely to accept 18 out of 20 recommendations but risks triggering another standards rowRishi Sunak’s government is expected to accept most of a proposed new code of conduct for MPs after the Owen Paterson scandal but has rejected the idea that ministers should declare more details about free hospitality from lobbyists and companies.MPs will debate the proposals put forward by the standards committee on Monday, with Penny Mordaunt, the leader of the House of Commons, likely to accept 18 of the 20 recommendations. Key measures include tightening the rules on lobbying to stop MPs providing paid parliamentary advice, consultancy or strategy. Continue reading...
Like the players, brands have in the end shied away from confrontation with the hosts during the World CupMore than £100m will be spent by brands hoping to cash-in on World Cup fever, but when it comes to taking host Qatar to task over its human rights record protest marketing has taken a back seat to sales targets.In the run-up to kick off of the football tournament in Qatar criticism of the gulf state was akin to shooting at an open goal. Continue reading...
Minister exalted by Margaret Thatcher also advised David Cameron and ran businesses including Cable & WirelessLord Young of Graffham, a cabinet minister under Margaret Thatcher and a successful businessman, has died aged 90.A Conservative party spokesperson confirmed the death of the peer, who became secretary of state for employment in 1985 and was appointed secretary of state for trade and industry after the 1987 election. Continue reading...
by Vikram Dodd Police and crime correspondent on (#66P8Q)
Combination of overstretched forces and few licensed drivers means requests expected to be turned downPolice say they will not replace striking ambulance drivers as health trusts scramble to limit the effects of a wave of industrial action.The trusts, which are responsible for running ambulances, have approached individual police forces to see if officers might ferry patients to and from hospital. Continue reading...
Two sarcophaguses unearthed in reconstruction work after 2019 fire identified as elite canon of cathedral and young cavalierTwo lead sarcophaguses discovered buried under the nave at Notre Dame Cathedral in what was described as an “extraordinary and emotional” find have begun giving up their secrets, French scientists announced on Friday.The first contains the remains of a high priest who died in 1710 after what experts say appeared to be a sedentary life. The occupant of the second has not yet been identified – and may never be – but is believed to be a young, wealthy and privileged noble who could have lived as far back as the 14th century. Continue reading...
Home secretary supports bill aimed at criminalising harassment of women in publicSexual harassment in the street in England and Wales will lead to sentences of up to two years in prison, under plans backed by the home secretary.After years of lobbying by campaigners, the UK government has backed a private member’s bill, tabled by the former business secretary Greg Clark, which will make sexual harassment in public space a crime. Continue reading...
by Gwyn Topham Transport correspondent on (#66P4A)
Some routes will be cut for almost a month as operators wrestle with the full impact of the RMT overtime banAbout 4,000 trains will be cancelled daily even after next week’s strikes, with services on some routes cut for almost a month, as operators wrestle with the full impact of the RMT overtime ban.Passengers had already been warned that the railway would grind to a halt next week when thousands of members of the RMT union strike for four days from 13 December. Continue reading...
No chance of finding skipper and crew members of L’Ecume II alive after collision in Channel, rescuers concludeThe search for a skipper and two crew lost when their Jersey fishing boat collided with a freight vessel in the Channel and sank has been called off after rescuers concluded there was no chance of them still being alive.An investigation into the cause of the collision is being led by Jersey maritime accident experts with support from the island’s police force. Continue reading...
Manitoba site pauses operations, raising prospect that search for bodies of Long Plain First Nation women could be possibleOperations have paused at a Canadian landfill where the bodies of at least two Indigenous victims of an alleged serial killer are believed to be buried, amid mounting frustration that authorities are not doing enough to recover the bodies.Police in Winnipeg announced last week they had charged Jeremy Skibicki, 35, with the murder of Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, of Long Plain First Nation, months after he was accused of killing Rebecca Contois, 24, from O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation. Continue reading...
Chancellor did not contest claim when asked whether his department blocked a pay rise of around 10% for rail workersAn international watchdog has accused British politicians of contributing to a “hostile and toxic” environment for transgender people in the UK.Dunja Mijatović, the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights, made the comment in a wide-ranging report on the UK, based on what she observed during a visit in the summer.Trans persons in the UK face increasingly hostile and toxic political and public discourse …Both government officials and certain parliamentarians have actively contributed to an intolerant and stigmatising discourse. In line with her previous warnings about the increasing political manipulation of intolerance against LGBTI people in Europe, the commissioner is particularly concerned by the apparently deliberate attempts by some politicians to turn the situation of trans people into ‘culture wars’ or ‘wedge’ issue for electoral purposes.Another worrying feature of the current discourse is the framing of the protection of the rights of trans people as diametrically opposed to, and incompatible with, the protection of the rights of women, or of lesbians, gays or bisexuals. The commissioner is of the opinion that such distortions of human rights as a zero-sum game between different groups must be vigorously rejected.There is unanimity across the government in that it wants high inflation to be temporary, and I think there is understanding that that is essential for the very people who are feeling most angry about their situation.We have to be really careful not to agree to pay demands that have the opposite of the intended effect because they lock in high inflation.So if we make the wrong choices now, we won’t have that 3.7% of inflation in January or February of 2024 and this will change from being a one-off problem, to being a permanent problem, which will be the worst possible thing for people working in public services. That is why it’s generally a very difficult issue. Continue reading...
Only 179 out of 240 existing teacher training courses have been accredited under DfE’s new standards from 2024England’s teacher shortage could worsen after the government rejected appeals by dozens of established providers to gain official accreditation for their initial teacher training courses.Only 179 out of 240 existing courses have been accredited by the Department for Education (DfE) under its new standards for initial teacher training from 2024, and the DfE has now turned down all appeals from courses that missed out, including those run by the universities of Durham, Sussex and UWE Bristol. Continue reading...
Former Pemira chief named deputy chair as government overhauls licence feeThe BBC has appointed one of the UK’s most well-known private equity barons, Sir Damon Buffini, as its deputy chair in the latest move to sharpen the corporation’s commercial focus as the government pursues an overhaul of the licence fee.The 60-year-old, a founding partner of the global investment firm Permira for more than a decade until 2010, joins chair and ex-Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp to plot the financial future of the BBC as it seeks to drive commercial revenues before a crucial renewal of the corporation’s royal charter in five years’ time. Continue reading...
Fuel poverty charity urges government to provide more support for ‘those at greatest peril’A snow and ice warning has been issued for London and the south-east of England as freezing temperatures are expected to trigger cold weather payments for people on the lowest incomes.Eligible households in England and Wales will receive a government payment of £25 when the average temperature has been recorded as, or is forecast to be, 0C or below for seven consecutive days. Continue reading...
by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Shaikh Azizur Rahman on (#66NZM)
Sheikh Hasina continues her repressive campaign against opposition Bangladesh Nationalist partyTwo top leaders of Bangladesh’s main opposition party have been arrested amid a violent crackdown on government opponents during which at least seven people have been shot dead and thousands arrested.Over recent weeks, Sheikh Hasina’s government has launched a repressive campaign against the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist party (BNP), which has been holding rallies calling for her resignation. Continue reading...
The award-winning singer-songwriter has written an original script and will bring it to the big screen with Searchlight PicturesTaylor Swift is set to make her feature-length directorial debut with a new film for Searchlight Pictures.The award-winning singer-songwriter has written an original script, details of which are unknown. Swift has previously directed videos for All Too Well and The Man, winning MTV VMAs for both. All Too Well: The Short Film is also eligible for next year’s Oscar for best short film. Continue reading...
Archbishop of Canterbury calls for approach based on compassion and recognition of human dignity in House of Lords debateThe archbishop of Canterbury has accused the government of cruelty in its asylum policy, and said that people-smuggling is as serious as slave trading in the 19th century.Opening a debate in the House of Lords on Friday with a rebuke aimed at the home secretary, Suella Braverman, Justin Welby said the “harmful rhetoric” that those arriving in the UK are “invaders” must cease. Continue reading...
Shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, says she would prioritise applications from countries such as AlbaniaLabour would rush through asylum applications for people from certain countries deemed “safe”, including Albania, in an attempt to clear the backlog of claims, Yvette Cooper has said.The shadow home secretary said she wanted to resurrect a system Labour operated while in government, in which the Home Office prioritised claims from certain countries and processed them within days. Continue reading...
PC Rupert Edwards charged in relation to alleged incidents in south London and Surrey in August and SeptemberA serving Metropolitan police officer has been charged with rape, the force has said.PC Rupert Edwards, attached to the south-west basic command unit, was arrested on suspicion of rape on5 September, after which he was bailed and suspended from duty, Scotland Yard said. Continue reading...
Financial Conduct Authority found ‘serious and persistent gaps’ in bank’s controlsSantander UK has been fined more than £100m after an investigation by the British financial watchdog found “serious and persistent gaps” in its money laundering controls, resulting in hundreds of millions of pounds of suspicious transactions through customer accounts.The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) imposed the £107.7m penalty after an investigation found that between December 2012 and October 2017 the bank failed to “properly oversee and manage” the controls that affected the oversight of more than 560,000 business customers. Continue reading...
Rishi Sunak says defence deal for Tempest means ‘outpacing those who seek to do us harm’Britain will work to develop next-generation fighter jets with Italy and Japan, Rishi Sunak has announced.The prime minister said the defence partnership will ensure the UK and allies are “outpacing and outmanoeuvring those who seek to do us harm”. Continue reading...
Smith will take on the role of ‘theatre’s best-loved mum’ in Willy Russell’s play in London in FebruarySheridan Smith is to return to the West End stage next year in Willy Russell’s 1986 comedy Shirley Valentine.The star said that she was “honoured to be entrusted” by the playwright to take on the role of a Liverpudlian woman whose life is in the doldrums and who dreams of escape while talking to the kitchen wall. “As a mum now myself I’m delighted to be playing theatre’s best-loved mum,” said Smith, adding that it was time for her “to practise cooking chips and egg” – the expected dinner of Shirley’s husband. Continue reading...
Thousands of striking staff head to Westminster for protest outside parliament over conditions and payMore than 100,000 postal workers have begun the first of a series of days of strike action that threaten to disrupt deliveries across the country in the run-up to Christmas, after the failure of 11th hour talks to resolve a protracted and bitter dispute over pay and conditions.The Communications Workers Union (CWU), which has planned six days of strikes on 9,11, 14, 15, 23 and 24 December, has organised a protest by workers at the Houses of Parliament on Friday as the row with management continues to escalate. Continue reading...
Fact-finding team sent by Pakistani government finds contradictions in reports on Arshad Sharif’s deathA team set up by the Pakistani government to investigate the killing of a well-known Pakistani journalist in Nairobi said it found several contradictions in the version given by Kenyan authorities, and believes it was a case of pre-meditated murder.The TV journalist Arshad Sharif, who had fled Pakistan citing threats to his life, was shot dead in Nairobi in October. Kenyan officials said it was a case of mistaken identity and that police hunting car thieves opened fire on his vehicle as it drove through a roadblock without stopping. Continue reading...
by Agence France-Presse in Fontaine-le-Comte on (#66NM5)
President hails ‘revolution for contraception’ as government seeks to curb STIs and unwanted pregnanciesThe French president has said condoms will be made available for free in pharmacies for 18- to 25-year-olds in an attempt to reduce unwanted pregnancies among young people.“It’s a small revolution for contraception,” Emmanuel Macron announced during a health debate with young people in Fontaine-le-Comte, a suburb of Poitiers in western France. Continue reading...
Watchdog says HM Passport Office must learn from chaos and prepare for similar level of demand in 2023Hundreds of thousands of people were affected by delays in processing passport applications and many had travel plans disrupted as a result this year, Whitehall’s spending watchdog has found.HM Passport Office (HMPO) processed a record number of applications amid “unprecedented demand” as Covid travel restrictions were lifted but struggled to keep up with higher demand from customers, according to the National Audit Office (NAO). Continue reading...
Activist’s jailing for a peaceful protest has shocked many, as less than 6% of people charged with environmental pollution and property damage offences are sent to prisonDeanna “Violet” Coco has been sentenced to 15 months in prison with a non-parole period of eight months for blocking a lane of traffic on Sydney Harbour Bridge during a climate change protest.Her sentence handed down last week troubled human rights advocates, who called it “incredibly alarming”, and appears harsh when compared to recent sentences for serious offences issued by courts in New South Wales and Victoria.
LAPD officer was set to be important witness in trial of Tory Lanez, who is accused of shooting the fellow rapper two years agoA Los Angeles police detective who investigated the alleged shooting of Megan Thee Stallion has been accused of domestic violence and “relieved of his duties” by the agency, according to the Los Angeles county district attorney’s office and court testimony.The revelation came during jury selection for the trial of Tory Lanez, a Canadian-born rapper accused of shooting the fellow rapper during an argument in the Hollywood Hills two years ago. Continue reading...
by Charlotte Graham-McLay in Wellington on (#66ND6)
Senior lawyer assisting coroner will not cross-examine police witnesses after bereaved families objected to her law firm’s work with the policeThe coroner leading an inquiry into the 2019 terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques has ruled a senior lawyer assisting her investigation will not cross-examine police witnesses or give advice on officers’ conduct, after bereaved families called for her removal over her law firm’s close work with the police.But coroner Brigitte Windley said in a ruling published on Friday that there was no allegation of misconduct by the lawyer, Alysha McClintock, who is also a Crown prosecutor. Windley declined the families’ application to remove McClintock from the inquiry altogether, rejecting their arguments that she might face real or perceived conflicts of interest when questioning officers at an inquest. Continue reading...
by Kalyeena Makortoff Banking correspondent on (#66N8V)
Chancellor expected to target senior managers’ regime and ringfencing rules in 30-point packageJeremy Hunt is due to unveil a 30-point package of City policy changes on Friday that will involve rowing back on regulations in order to boost competition and growth.The chancellor’s announcement, referred to as the “Edinburgh reforms”, will outline how the government intends to “review, repeal and replace” a host of rules that were introduced to protect savers and the taxpayer after the 2008 financial crisis, but which ministers now believe risk hindering the success of London’s banks and insurers compared with their overseas peers. Continue reading...
Judge says Muhammad Khan caused distress to people in queue at Westminster Hall in SeptemberA man who grabbed at the flag draped over the Queen’s coffin, leaving mourners who had queued to file past “clearly anguished”, has been detained in a mental health facility.Muhammad Khan, 28, from Limehouse in east London, was charged with a public order offence after the incident on 16 September and will be treated at the facility. Continue reading...
by Heather Stewart, Rajeev Syal and Peter Walker on (#66N2J)
Cabinet minister Gillian Keegan suggested extending ban on police and military from taking industrial action to other sectorsTrade unions have vowed to oppose any new anti-strike laws tabled by the government, as home secretary Suella Braverman urged the public to reconsider their Christmas travel plans amid “serious disruption” caused by planned industrial action by Border Force staff.The government is engaged in a bitter PR battle with the unions over who is to blame for the looming wave of public sector strikes. Continue reading...
by Léonie Chao-Fong (now); Harry Taylor and Samantha on (#66MBN)
This live blog has now closed, you can find our latest coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war hereBefore I hand you over to my colleague, Harry Taylor, here are some of the latest snaps to come out of Ukraine today.The number of oil tankers waiting in the Black Sea to cross Istanbul’s Bosphorus strait on the way to the Mediterranean rose by five to 16 on Thursday, a shipping agency said, according to a Reuters report. Continue reading...
by Jessica Murray Midlands correspondent on (#66N0Z)
People struggling with rising energy bills use dozens of sites across city while council braces for increase in those seeking helpIt was about zero degrees celsius in Birmingham as families piled into Gas Street St Luke’s church cafe, one of the city council’s designated “warm spaces”, to escape the December cold.Staff said the cafe, just outside the city centre, has been busier than ever over the past few weeks as the cold weather has set in and people try to keep the heating off at home because of rising costs. Continue reading...
Workers who have been taking industrial action since September return, having won a 6.5% plus bonuses dealA “permanent” strike at the factory that makes Jacob’s Cream Crackers and Twiglets has come to an end after biscuit bosses crumbled and upped a pay deal for workers.More than 750 of about 800 workers returned to work at the brand’s factory in Aintree on Thursday having won a 6.5% pay increase, backdated to January, with a £500 bonus payment on top and a further £250 bonus to follow in January next year. Continue reading...
Ministers taking advice on how to protect vulnerable amid weather alerts for large parts of countrySnow and ice warnings cover much of Scotland and northern and south-west England, as well as parts of Wales and Northern Ireland, as a cold snap prompts fears of a winter energy crisis.Ministers said on Thursday they were taking advice on how to protect vulnerable people from the cold after research suggested millions of households could not afford to heat their homes. Continue reading...
The Oscar-winner will reunite with Alexander Payne for a Paramount+ adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t WinReese Witherspoon is set to reunite with director Alexander Payne for an Election sequel.The film will be an adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s Tracy Flick Can’t Win, his 2022 novel that follows the character of Tracy Flick as she battles to become the principal of a suburban high school. “She hasn’t fulfilled her dreams of a political career,” Perrotta said of Tracy in the book. “And she’s looking back and starting to realize that she wasn’t as extraordinary an individual as she believed. That she was a kind of representative woman rather than a unique superhero.” Continue reading...
Patsy Ferran will take over from Lydia Wilson when the London production opens a week late, alongside co-stars Paul Mescal and Anjana VasanLondon’s Almeida theatre has cancelled the first week of performances of A Streetcar Named Desire as one of its lead actors, Lydia Wilson, has withdrawn for health reasons.Patsy Ferran will take over the role of Blanche DuBois in Tennessee Williams’ New Orleans drama, which will now have its first preview on 17 December. All performances from 12-16 December have been cancelled. Continue reading...
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