22 APRIL 1924
Speaking at the Independent Labour Party conference in York, Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, stated his support for the civil service and the assistance that they had offered the new Government.
The death of Marie Corelli was announced.
Emanuel Shinwell decided proposals to make working in pits safer.
21 APRIL 1924
A resolution held at the Scottish Trades Union Congress condemned the practice of allowing Army, Navy and Air Force bands to enter into competition with civilian bands.
The British Empire Exhibition was opened by His Majesty the King.
Leon Trotsky said that Ramsay MacDonald, the British Prime Minister, was “not a true representative of the workers”.
20 APRIL 1924
Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, said that there was no need for a General Election for two to three years and defended the record of the socialist Government.
Master Anthony Ball, the son of Sir William Bull MP, piloted the first tube train from Highgate to Moorgate via the Camden Town junctions and the northern sections of the City and London railway. [Anthony Ball became a railway expert and later on became the Chair of London Transport]
19 APRIL 1924
France stated that they had no intention of ending their military occupation of the Ruhr and Rhineland.
Opening the election campaign of the South African party in Johannesburg, General Smuts, the Prime Minister, denounced the Nationalist-Labour pact as a ‘miserable subterfuge’ and ‘the most immoral things that has happened in South African politics’.
18 APRIL 1924
The Reparations Commission decided to approve the conclusions in the Experts’ reports and to adopt the measures. The German Chancellor in a statement to a French press representative said that Germany would make her co-operation contingent on the concession of her demands for the re-establishment of her economic and administrative unity. Political prisoners would have to be pardoned.
Kiyoura Keigo, the Japanese Prime Minister, expressed regret at the decision of the United States Congress to exclude Japanese immigrants. This action he said would impair, but not break, the long-standing friendship between the two nations.
Moscow stated that it was disappointed at the speech made by Ramsay MacDonald, the Prime Minister, saying that it was “cloaking the demands of the British bankers”.
![PRESS RELEASE : Terrorgram added to list of proscribed terrorist organisations [April 2024]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/homeoffice-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Home Office on 22 April 2024.
The UK is to become the first country in the world to proscribe the Terrorgram collective after a draft proscription order has been laid against the group in Parliament today (22 April), the Home Secretary has confirmed.
The Terrorgram collective is an online network of neo-fascist terrorists who produce and disseminate violent propaganda to encourage those who consume its content to engage in terrorist activity.
If agreed by Parliament, the order will come into effect on 26 April. This means that it will be a criminal offence to belong to, invite support for, or in certain circumstances, display articles associated with the network. Certain proscription offences can be punishable by up to 14 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Home Secretary James Cleverly said:
The Terrorgram collective spreads vile propaganda and aims to radicalise young people to conduct heinous terrorist acts. This is why we are outlawing membership or support for the group – we will not tolerate the promotion or encouragement of terrorism in the United Kingdom.
It will become the first online terrorist network to be proscribed, alongside 80 other Extreme Right-Wing and Islamist organisations, as we continue to disrupt and outlaw terrorist groups to protect the British people.
The UK is the first country to proscribe this organisation, demonstrating the government’s commitment to tackle Extreme Right-Wing terrorism and online radicalisation in all forms. It also showcases the ability of the proscription tool to be applied to an online terrorist network, and is the first time it has been used in this way.
Following an internal review, the term ‘Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism’ was adopted as the umbrella term to make it clear that those who hold mainstream right-wing views will not be in scope of any action by counter-terrorism authorities.
The Terrorgram collective glorify attacks committed by neo-fascist terrorists, who they consider to be ‘saints,’ and encourage replication of such heinous attacks including by disseminating instructional material to help others prepare to commit acts of terrorism.
In addition to the proscription offences, several other Terrorism Act 2000 (TACT) offences continue to apply to terrorist offending online. For example, section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000 makes it a criminal offence for a person to collect or possess information, or to view it online, which is likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing for acts of terrorism.
The Terrorgram collective is the 6th extreme right-wing group to be proscribed, standing alongside 75 groups proscribed for extreme Islamist or other ideologies, and 14 Northern Ireland-related groups. It also subscribes to militant accelerationist and neo-fascist ideologies, notably pursuing the collapse of the Western world and a ‘Race War’ through violent acts of terrorism, and often seeks to target young individuals to adopt their ideology.
They have previously published propaganda material designed to incite violence against ethnic and religious communities, with calls for antisemitic violence. Their propaganda also contains violent narratives that glorified the perpetrator of the 2022 Slovakia attack at a LGBTQ+ nightclub shooting, which resulted in the death of 2 people, who credited Terrorgram and its publications in his manifesto.
Whilst Islamist-inspired terrorism continues to represent the greatest terrorist threat to UK interests, the threat from Extreme-Right Wing Terrorism is growing and evolving, particularly through the radicalisation of increasingly younger individuals from dangerous online content.
Proscription grants Counter Terrorism Policing the power to compel tech companies and social media platforms to remove or block the organisation’s online content for UK users, which will be now illegal.
It is also illegal under Section 2 of the Terrorism Act 2006 to disseminate terrorist publications including circulating, selling, or transmitting a terrorist publication online.
Security Minister Tom Tugendhat said:
The Terrorgram collective is a dangerous neo-fascist organisation that actively encourages and promotes terrorist activity.
We must do everything in our power to deter and limit the reach of hateful and terrorist ideologies, and to protect the most vulnerable in our society. Proscribing the Terrorgram collective will do just that.
The government will always use the breadth of tools available to tackle online terrorist content. The Home Office works closely with tech companies to ensure they uphold their legal obligations with regards to removing illegal terrorist content.
The Terrorgram collective will become the 81st group to be proscribed by the UK, including ISIS, National Action and the recently proscribed Wagner Group and Hizb ut-Tahrir.
![PRESS RELEASE : Rishi Sunak call with King Abdullah II of Jordan [April 2024]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/downingstreet-150x122.png)
The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 21 April 2024.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to King Abdullah II of Jordan this morning.
He reiterated the United Kingdom’s staunch support for Jordanian and wider regional security, in the face of recent threats. A significant escalation was not in anyone’s interests.
The Prime Minister said the UK’s focus remains on finding a resolution to the crisis in Gaza. The UK continues to work towards an immediate humanitarian pause to get far more aid in and bring the hostages safely home, leading to a longer-term sustainable ceasefire.
The leaders discussed joint efforts to significantly step up aid to Gaza, with the UK taking part in Jordanian-led aid drops and a humanitarian land corridor to Gaza, as well as the maritime aid corridor from Cyprus.
The Prime Minister said the UK’s ultimate goal remained a viable two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians, and the leaders agreed on the importance of supporting a reformed Palestinian authority to deliver stability and prosperity across the Palestinian territories.
![PRESS RELEASE : Sudan is now in the grip of the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis: UK statement at the UN Security Council [April 2024]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco-150x150.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 19 April 2024.
Statement by Ambassador Barbara Woodward at the UN Security Council meeting on Sudan.
Thank you Presidency, and once again I thank Under-Secretary-General DiCarlo and Director Wosornu for her briefing, and now I have the pleasure of thanking his Excellency Mr Ibn Chambas for his briefing and also for underling to us the value of AU-UNSC cooperation.
I would like to make three points that are grounded in the aspirations of the Sudanese people, the suffering they endure, and their hopes for a peaceful future.
First, this week marked five years since the Sudanese people demonstrated their aspirations for self-determination when their protests ended decades of dictatorship.
These hopes have been dashed by the Rapid Support Forces and Sudanese Armed Forces.
Second, Sudan is now in the grip of the world’s worst hunger and displacement crisis. Deliberate obstruction and targeting of aid convoys is preventing life-saving supplies from reaching those most in need.
Civilians are being murdered, women and girls are being raped. Villages are being looted and burned to the ground.
Through Resolution 2724 this Council joined the UN Secretary-General, the African Union, and the League of Arab States to call on the warring parties to silence the guns during the Holy Month of Ramadan. But they ignored this united international call for peace and inflicted further hardship on the Sudanese people.
The United Kingdom is also concerned by the growing tensions in El-Fasher. The humanitarian consequences of full-scale conflict in and around the city would be catastrophic.
We call on the Sudanese Armed Forces and Rapid Support Forces and also armed movements present in the city to take measures to de-escalate and we underline all parties’ obligations under international humanitarian law, including to protect civilians.
Third, it is not too late for Sudan to return from the brink. For this to happen, we need first, the warring parties should return to negotiations including through the Jeddah process, to agree a durable ceasefire, and support a political process designed to restore civilian rule.
The Sudanese authorities need to uphold their commitments to facilitate crossline and cross-border humanitarian access, and immediately restore the vital Adre border route.
Third, external actors providing material support to either warring faction are prolonging the bloodshed. Those who have influence with the warring parties need to use this constructively, to bring them to the negotiating table.
President, as we announced at the Paris conference, the United Kingdom will double its humanitarian aid to almost $110 million in the next year. But without sustained humanitarian access, it will not reach those most in need, nor help to avert famine.
This anniversary is an unacceptable milestone in an unjustifiable conflict. We once again call on the warring parties to end the fighting now, to remove barriers to humanitarian delivery, and to engage in a political process.
I thank you.
![PRESS RELEASE : Sharp reduction in government’s energy consumption and emissions saves millions for public estate [April 2024]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/cabinetoffice-150x120.png)
The press release issued by the Cabinet Office on 19 April 2024.
The latest figures released today in the government’s annual State of the Estate report, highlight the significant progress being made to make the public estate more sustainable and efficient.
A major efficiency drive has seen more than £163 million in energy cost savings secured and a significant fall in direct emissions from government buildings.
The latest figures released today in the government’s annual State of the Estate report, highlight the significant progress being made to make the public estate more sustainable and efficient.
In part through the disposal of unused property and the relocation of civil servants into modern, multi-departmental hubs, the government has been able to reduce its energy bill by £163 million and cut direct emissions by 14% compared to the baseline 2017/18.
Other achievements in the report include:
To mark the report’s publication, the Manchester First Street Hub celebrated its ‘topping-out’ ceremony yesterday (April 18th) The ceremony marked the beginning of the countdown to the completion of this new UK Government Hub in the heart of Manchester city centre. The c.12,000 sq. ft. building is scheduled to be ready for fit-out by the end of 2024 and open its doors in late 2025.
Once completed, the Manchester First Street Hub will accommodate approximately 2,600 civil servants from several key government departments and support the relocation of over 700 civil service roles under the Places for Growth programme.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Alex Burghart, said:
We are committed to creating more modern and productive work environments where civil servants can be inspired and take pride in delivering the best possible service to the taxpayer.
These savings on our energy bills, alongside the income generated through the disposal of unused property, will be reinvested into improving the overall quality of the public estate.
The statement made by Lucy Frazer, the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, on 19 April 2024.
Putin’s devastating war against Ukraine is barbaric and evil, and the UK Government continues to stand firmly with our Ukrainian allies.
In the course of the war, Russia has killed scores of Ukrainian athletes and destroyed Ukraine’s sporting infrastructure.
The Minister for Sport and I are personally committed to supporting Ukraine in the face of Putin’s illegal invasion. That is why we took action and led a coalition of 36 countries to protect the integrity of international sport and ensure that athletes representing Russia and Belarus are unable to compete.
It is for the independent international sports bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee (IOC), International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and FIFA, to set the rules for participation in their events. But our position is clear. Putin’s regime does not deserve to see its athletes line up on the starting blocks of races or stand on podiums during medal ceremonies as representatives of their countries.
This has never been about punishing individual Russian or Belarusian athletes.
What we stand against is athletes competing representing the states of Russia and Belarus.
We continue to vigorously oppose Russian and Belarusian state participation. Our policy has never been a complete and total ban on neutral athletes from Russia and Belarus participating at all. Athletes from Russia and Belarus have been able to compete in the UK as neutral athletes since the invasion. For example, our guidance allowed athletes from Russia and Belarus to compete at tennis competitions under strict neutrality conditions.
Instead, our efforts – and the efforts of our international coalition – have been focused on urging the IOC and IPC to change their approach, apply the strictest neutrality conditions possible and ensure they are implemented rigorously.
After two years of concerted lobbying, they have done that. And the result is that the number of athletes from Russia and Belarus expected to participate in the Olympics is in the tens, not hundreds.
As a result, we have written to the IOC and IPC noting that their final neutrality rules for Paris achieve the widely accepted baseline of ensuring that Russia and Belarus are not represented as states in international sport. Our focus now turns to ensuring these rules are stringently enforced and maintained as long as the war goes on.