Badenoch apologises for native election ‘massacre’ in op-ed
Kemi Badenoch has apologised for the “massacre” of the native elections in an op-ed piece on Saturday for the Telegraph.
The Conservative occasion chief wote:
After final yr’s historic defeat, and with protest votes slicing throughout each poll field, we knew Thursday can be arduous. I’m deeply sorry to see so many succesful, hard-working Conservative councillors lose their seats. They didn’t deserve it – and so they weren’t the rationale we misplaced.
Within the piece, Badenoch defined that as occasion members have been voting within the last spherical of the Conservative occasion management contest, an unnamed male MP took her apart in parliament and warned “the Might 2025 locals are going to be a complete massacre”. She acknowledged that the prediction was proper: “The outcomes affirm he was right. However to be sincere, it wasn’t a controversial prediction to make.”
She added:
These native election outcomes present the dimensions of the work wanted to rebuild belief within the Conservative occasion and the significance of redoubling our efforts to indicate that this occasion is beneath new management and is doing issues in a different way.
Key occasions
Daniel Boffey
For 13 years, Inform Mama has been the government-funded not-for-profit tasked with recording anti-Muslim hate crime and serving to victims get justice.
For its pains, workers confronted demise threats from the far proper, a threat so critical it necessitated an workplace change on the top of the hate. There have been critics too inside Britain’s Muslim group, who, in keeping with the Inform Mama management, have been illiberal of the organisation’s tolerance.
“All through the 13 years, folks have been sort of making up what Inform Mama does,” mentioned Iman Atta, who has been the organisation’s director since 2016. “They declare that we’re Zionists as a result of we work with Jewish communities, or we’re selling pedophilia as a result of we work with LGBT teams,” she added.
Most not too long ago, questions have been raised about how the organisation spent public cash, collated its information, and whether or not it had turn into too near the earlier Conservative authorities, which signed off on its funding.
This newest problem has been existential.
On 1 April, Atta wrote to Wajid Khan, the brand new Labour minister for religion, to reject an additional six months of funding from the federal government, citing a strained relationship together with his division and the stress brought on to workers by “malicious campaigns” a few of which “emanated from people and organisations” chasing the funding that Inform Mama has loved.
It implies that, at a time of hovering bigotry, there may be now no government-funded group finishing up anti-Muslim hate monitoring within the UK and that is anticipated to be the case into the summer time.
Atta mentioned Inform Mama would proceed to do its work and search for funds from elsewhere nevertheless it totally expects to pare again its companies.
‘By no means seen it so dangerous’: Nationwide chair of Jail Officers’ Affiliation voices considerations on jail overcrowding and violence
Soccer matches and live shows have higher safety than some jails, in keeping with the nationwide chair of the Jail Officers’ Affiliation (POA), stories the PA information company.
Employees who’re confronted with inmates acquiring illicit gadgets need to take care of jail bosses who’re “not up for the combat”, Mark Fairhurst mentioned. With overcrowding and violence amongst his key considerations, he advised the Occasions:
Why on earth we haven’t acquired physique scanners on the gate to randomly put folks by means of, like they do at an airport, I don’t know.
I’ve seen higher safety at live shows and soccer matches than I’ve going into prisons.
Sadly, medication are rife inside our prisons. Illicit gadgets, cell phones, medication, weapons – they’re rife inside our prisons as a result of managers are very reluctant to lock down prisoners to ensure that workers to look totally every space of the jail.
Fairhurst mentioned that night-time drone deliveries are routinely getting by means of and workers concern weapons could quickly get in.
Final yr, the federal government launched 1000’s of prisoners early in a transfer to sort out the overcrowding disaster.
In March, justice secretary Shabana Mahmood mentioned “we merely can’t construct our means out of the prisons capability disaster” as she opened HMP Millsike that holds about 1,500 inmates. The class C jail in East Yorkshire, which is the scale of 39 soccer pitches, is a step in direction of the federal government’s goal to create 14,000 additional jail locations by 2031.
Fairhurst additionally advised the newspaper:
I’ve by no means seen it so dangerous. I’ve by no means seen it so overcrowded and I’ve by no means seen it so violent.
If we needed to lock down a wing or an space day after day after day to eliminate cell phones, weapons and medicines, the workers on the frontline are up for that.
In the mean time, there’s lots of people getting appeased as a result of the folks answerable for our prisons usually are not up for the combat.
Fairhurst additionally known as for safe airspace round prisons, warning that “my greatest concern is (that) it’s solely a matter of time earlier than a firearm is delivered to a cell window”.
His feedback come because the variety of assaults on workers in grownup prisons in England and Wales per yr reached its highest stage in a decade.
In response to the PA information company, a Ministry of Justice spokesperson mentioned:
This authorities inherited prisons in disaster – overcrowded, with medication and violence rife – however we’re gripping the state of affairs and taking motion.
We’re constructing 14,000 new locations by 2031 and reforming sentencing so our prisons by no means run out of area once more. We’re additionally bolstering safety to cease extra contraband getting into jails. And we now have strengthened vetting – together with for non permanent workers – to root out those that fall beneath our excessive requirements.
John McDonnell
John McDonnell is the unbiased MP for Hayes and Harlington. He was shadow chancellor for Labour from 2015 to 2020.
The response from Labour spokespeople to this point to the loss of Runcorn and Helsby – and to the election outcomes as an entire – has been particularly tin-eared. There doesn’t appear to be any understanding of the deep-seated emotion within the response of Labour supporters to the occasion’s behaviour in authorities over the previous 10 months. There was speak of the necessity for emotional literacy in politics. What we’re witnessing is a staggering stage of emotional illiteracy.
Labour supporters really feel deeply that their occasion has turned its again on them. It’s not simply that they really feel they aren’t being listened to. It’s that the Starmer and Reeves authorities is doing issues that they imagine no Labour authorities ought to ever do.
After 14 years of tolerating yr after yr of austerity beneath the Conservatives, there was such a collective sigh of reduction in eliminating the incompetent, corrupt and brutal Tories. There won’t have been a lot in the best way of inspiring politics from Keir Starmer within the run-up to the election final July, however not less than we had a Labour authorities.
The issue now could be that, at instances, the federal government is unrecognisable as a Labour authorities. This isn’t the standard argument about whether or not the Starmer administration is behaving like previous Labour or New Labour. It’s whether or not it’s Labour in any respect within the eyes of people that have supported us or would wish to help us.
In case you have been questioning (or missed) how the large events fared within the native elections, then my colleague Peter Walker has a useful abstract for you:
Kim Leadbeater mentioned these behind the assisted dying invoice for England and Wales are “checking for coercion at each stage of this course of”, stories the PA information company.
The invoice has undergone vital adjustments because it succeeded in an preliminary vote within the Commons in November. The excessive court docket safeguard has been dropped and changed by skilled panels, whereas the implementation interval has been doubled to a most of 4 years for an assisted dying service to be in place, ought to the invoice go into legislation.
The proposed laws would permit terminally sick adults in England and Wales, with fewer than six months to reside, to use for an assisted demise, topic to approval by two medical doctors and a panel that includes a social employee, senior authorized determine and psychiatrist.
The influence evaluation revealed on Friday mentioned the overall variety of assisted deaths is estimated to vary from between 164 and 787 within the first yr of the service to between 1,042 and 4,559 in yr 10.
The institution of a voluntary assisted dying commissioner and three-member skilled panels would price an estimated common of between £10.9m to £13.6m per yr, the doc mentioned. However it mentioned it had “not been doable” to estimate the general implementation prices at this stage of the method, which might embody IT, recruitment and coaching and will start to kick in inside 12 months of the invoice getting royal assent.
MPs will collect for a debate on 16 Might within the Home of Commons for the invoice’s report stage, throughout which members are anticipated to vote on additional amendments. If time permits on that date, MPs might additionally vote on whether or not to approve the invoice at third studying – its last stage within the Commons – and resolve whether it is then despatched to the Home of Lords for additional scrutiny.
Voting is in keeping with conscience, so MPs don’t vote alongside occasion strains, and the federal government has mentioned it’s remaining impartial as an entire.
Well being secretary Wes Streeting, who confirmed final month that he nonetheless plans to oppose the invoice on the subsequent vote, mentioned final yr that there have been “selections and trade-offs”, including “any new service comes on the expense of different competing pressures and priorities”.
It has been steered some MPs who supported the invoice final yr might change their stance when it returns for an additional vote, after the change to the excessive court docket safeguard.
Leadbeater didn’t concede that help for her invoice was cooling, stories the PA information company.
She mentioned:
I’m truly having conversations with colleagues who voted towards at second studying, and are actually contemplating the brand new laws that they’ll be introduced, and fascinated by doubtlessly voting for this due to the extra safeguards which have been added. However it’s completely proper that every one colleagues are taking this extraordinarily severely.
Kim Leadbeater has mentioned her assisted dying invoice for England and Wales would supply the “most strong piece of laws on this space on the planet”. She added:
And that does include a price of setting it up, but in addition we all know that there can be financial savings related to having this mannequin in place as effectively.
An influence evaluation into the terminally sick adults (finish of life) invoice was revealed on Friday, precisely a fortnight earlier than the following Commons debate on the proposed new legislation.
The evaluation estimated that assisted dying might reduce end-of-life care prices by as a lot as an estimated £10m within the first yr and virtually £60m after 10 years. It famous that lowering these prices “shouldn’t be acknowledged as an goal of the coverage” however some have expressed considerations that this might put strain on folks to finish their lives, stories the PA information company.
Katherine Sleeman, a palliative care professor at King’s Faculty, mentioned the numbers usually are not a “exact prediction” of what is going to occur.
Talking to the BBC’s At the moment programme, Sleeman mentioned:
In fact, legalisation of assisted dying might result in price financial savings … as a result of prices of care within the final months of life specifically are very, very excessive. And clearly, if somebody isn’t residing these final months of life, then prices will likely be decrease.
However by way of the exact figures, I believe we simply must be conscious that they’re estimates and include a variety round them.
Dr Gordon Macdonald, chief govt of Care Not Killing – which is against a change within the legislation, mentioned the doc “confirms that altering the legislation will lower your expenses … precisely as we now have seen in different jurisdictions which have launched state assisted killing, putting strain on weak terminally sick folks to finish their lives”.
Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, mentioned it was “chilling studying” and mentioned any change within the legislation that will put weak folks in danger slightly than working to enhance entry to palliative care have to be opposed.
She mentioned:
It’s crude to see these price financial savings set out on this means, and it’s straightforward to see how numbers of this nature might contribute to somebody feeling that they need to pursue an assisted demise slightly than obtain care.
Every human life is immeasurably extra beneficial than the cash which may be saved by means of their untimely demise.
The MSP behind the invoice to legalise assisted dying is dropping proposals to permit 16 and 17-year-olds to finish their lives with medical help, stories the PA information company.
Liam McArthur mentioned he would increase the minimal age within the assisted dying for terminally sick adults (Scotland) invoice to 18.
If it turns into legislation, it will give folks on the superior stage of a terminal sickness the choice of requesting assist to finish their life. Because it stands, the invoice would apply to those that are 16 years previous or older and who’ve been resident in Scotland for not less than a yr.
Nonetheless, McArthur has now mentioned he would increase the minimal age requirement. He mentioned:
I’ve thought-about this matter very rigorously and mirrored on each the proof offered to the well being committee and assisted dying laws in place in different nations.
In different jurisdictions which have modified the legislation to permit dying folks entry to the selection of an assisted demise, such because the US, Australia and New Zealand, 18 is the age from which terminally-ill adults turn into eligible.
On steadiness, I now really feel that this may be most applicable for Scotland.
I anticipate this being introduced to my parliamentary colleagues at stage two and urge them to vote in favour of the overall ideas of the invoice so we are able to start the vital work of refining the invoice and ensuring it’s essentially the most compassionate, secure and appropriate legislation for Scotland. Our dying folks deserve no much less.
First minister John Swinney mentioned final yr the age threshold of 16 was a “very vital concern in my thoughts” that must be “wrestled with”.
MSPs will vote on the invoice on Tuesday 13 Might. Will probably be the third time Holyrood has voted on whether or not assisted dying ought to be launched, with earlier bids to alter the legislation having fallen on the first hurdle.
Related laws to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales can also be being voted on by MPs at Westminster.
Final week, Holyrood’s well being committee took a impartial stance over whether or not MSPs ought to vote for the overall ideas of the invoice. Nonetheless, it did say elements of the laws would wish“ additional consideration” if the proposals go and finally turn into legislation, stories the PA information company.
“These embody points round human rights, coercion, eligibility standards, provision of help, self-administration and conscientious objection for healthcare staff,” well being committee convener Clare Haughey mentioned.
Of their report, MSPs mentioned “safeguards” within the invoice might be “strengthened” with unbiased oversight, equivalent to by an unbiased overview panel or by giving the chief medical officer a monitoring position.
Care Not Killing, a marketing campaign group towards the invoice, mentioned the “scrutiny means of the invoice has been wholly insufficient”. Chief govt Gordon Macdonald mentioned:
With seven of the ten members of the well being committee having signed as much as help the invoice when it was first proposed, it raises vital questions concerning the rigour of the scrutiny course of.
Dr Miro Griffiths, spokesperson for the Higher Means marketing campaign, mentioned:
Palliative care medical doctors, psychiatrists, disabled folks’s organisations, specialists within the care of older folks and others have cautioned {that a} change within the legislation would inevitably result in abuses towards essentially the most weak.
No variety of safeguards might rule out coercion of sufferers by means of refined strain utilized behind closed doorways.
He added:
When politicians have debated this concern up to now, they’ve at all times concluded that the dangers of fixing the legislation make it too harmful to pursue. We’d urge MSPs to heed specialists’ considerations and vote towards Liam McArthur’s invoice at stage one.
Thanks for all of your feedback beneath the road at present. Simply to let you already know although, feedback will likely be closing shortly at 2pm.
Diane Taylor
A Syrian grandmother who’s dying of most cancers has been given permission to return to the UK to spend her last days with the grandchildren she has by no means met, after a Home Office U-turn.
The federal government had needed to bar Soaad Al Shawa, who has liver most cancers and has been given simply weeks to reside by medical doctors, from travelling to spend her final days together with her daughter Ola Al Hamwi, son-in-law Mostafa Amonajid and their three youngsters aged seven, 5 and one. Al Shawa has solely been capable of talk together with her grandchildren on video calls.
The household, who now reside in Glasgow, fled Syria in 2015. They’d misplaced their child after a bombing at their residence in Damascus and have been unable to take Al Hamwi’s mom with them.
The Residence Workplace rejected an software for a refugee household reunion made after the terminal most cancers prognosis, which Al Shawa obtained in direction of the tip of final yr. The household appealed and a choose within the first-tier tribunal of the immigration court docket agreed in April.
The household have been overjoyed and relayed the information to Al Shawa, who started to make preparations to return to the UK. However they have been devastated when the Residence Workplace sought permission to attraction towards the choose’s ruling; a transfer Al Hamwi mentioned was “breaking my coronary heart”. The additional attraction could have taken about eight months – time medical doctors don’t count on Al Shawa to have.
However now the Residence Workplace has advised the household’s lawyer it’s withdrawing its software, that the grandmother can come to the UK, and that it’ll expedite the issuing of a visa. The household are hoping it is going to be processed at a centre in neighbouring Jordan this weekend after which Amonajid will acquire Al Shawa her from there. Refugees usually are not permitted to return to the nation they fled, so Al Hamwi and Amonajid can’t re-enter Syria to be with Al Shawa there.
Keir Starmer has congratulated Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese on his election victory.
In an announcement shared on X, Starmer mentioned:
Congratulations to Anthony Albanese in your election win. The UK and Australia are as shut as ever – which matches to indicate that long-distance friendships could be the strongest.
I do know that we are going to proceed to work collectively on our shared ambitions, together with on commerce, funding and power, working in direction of a greater life for working folks within the UK and Australia.
Our collaboration on defence, particularly the Aukus programme, will proceed to develop, and as fellow steadfast supporters of Ukraine we are going to proceed to face collectively towards Putin’s unlawful warfare for so long as it takes.
