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  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 26 March 1925

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 26 March 1925

    26 MARCH 1925

    Debate took place in the House of Lords on the question of the reform of that chamber.

    In the House of Lords a series of Bills dealing with the consolidation of the law of property passed through Committee. The Trade Facilities Bill and Sugar Subsidy Bill made similar progress.

    The House of Commons again discussed the Rent and Mortgage Interest (Restrictions Continuation) Bill, and defeated Mr Wheatley’s amendment for rejection. Captain Garro-Jones’s motion on excessive coal prices was defeated. The Secretary for Mines said the Government would not hesitate to take strong action if they had reason at any time to believe that the merchants were exceeding the limits of reasonable profit.

    During the consideration of the Summer Time Bill by a Committee of the House of Commons an attempt was made to exclude Scotland from the provisions.

    A Bill to make compulsory the employment of disabled ex-service men has been introduced in the House of Commons.

    The funeral service for the Marquis Curzon in Westminster Abbey was attended by representatives of all classes of the community.

    A Paris telegram states that Mr Austen Chamberlain’s speech on the question of European security has created a somewhat disappointing impression in France. It is, unfortunately, the case, says the correspondent, that France does not trust Germany’s word.

    An Ottawa message gives further particulars of the Canadian Budget statement. Mr Robb, the Acting Finance Minister, stated that the outlook was bright, especially in view of the recovery in the situation of the agricultural industry through the increased prices for products.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 25 March 1925

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 25 March 1925

    25 MARCH 1925

    On the second reading of the Consolidated Fund Bill, Mr Austen Chamberlain addressed the House of Commons on the question of European security.

    The Royal Yacht Victoria and Albert, with King George and Queen Mary on board, sailed from Leghorn.

    The Prince of Wales, speaking as the guest of the South African Luncheon Club in London, said that he hoped during his visit to South Africa to gain a first-hand knowledge of their problems and to see for himself how they were being faced by the two virile peoples who formed that Great Union.

    The Prince of Wales made a tour of inspection at Wembley, and expressed the hope that this year’s Exhibition would have great success.

    Nominations took place in the Northern Ireland General Election. There were twelve unopposed returns. Polling takes place on 3 April.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 24 March 1925

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 24 March 1925

    24 MARCH 1925

    A new crisis has arisen in Egypt owing to the dissolution of parliament, which had been opened only a few hours earlier by King Fuad. The Ziwar Pasha cabinet resigned following the election of Zaghlul Pasha to the presidency of the chamber, but the King declined to accept their resignation.

    The King, in a message to Marchioness Curzon, says that the nation will join with him in mourning the loss of a foremost statesman, and will ever gratefully remember the brilliant and manifold services Lord Curzon rendered during his long and active career under three Sovereigns.

    Tributes to the late Marquis Curzon were paid in both Houses of Parliament, the House of Lords, of which he was leader, adjourning as a mark of respect.

    The Singapore Naval Base scheme was discussed in the House of Commons during the report stage of Navy Estimates. Disapproving of the project, Mr Ramsay MacDonald moved the reduction of the estimate under review. His proposal was rejected by 280 to 129.

    Crops have been damaged by the floods in South Africa.

    In an air accident in Transcaucasia, three Soviet officials and two pilots were killed. Four days’ mourning has been proclaimed in the Caucasian Republics.

    Two British officers have been killed in an aeroplane accident in Waziristan.

    The British steamer Massilia went ashore at Wingate Reef, off Port Sudan. The passengers were safely taken off.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 23 March 1925

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 23 March 1925

    23 MARCH 1925

    M. Herriot had conversations on the security problem with Lord Crewe, British Ambassador in Paris, and M. de Fleurian, French Ambassador in London.

    The Cape-Natal Express fell into the river near Harishill. The accident was due to the collapse of the bridge over the river at this point. The driver and the fireman and several natives lost their lives.

    In the Indian Legislative Assembly Sir Alexander Muddiman, the leader of the House, said that India owed the late Lord Curzon a great debt of gratitude for bringing to a triumphant issue his policy regarding the memorials of India’s great and varied history. Sir Frederick Whyte, President of the Assembly, associated himself with the tribute paid by Sir Alexander Muddiman.

    The Government resolution approving of the contract with Sir Wm. Petersen to establish and operate a steamship service in the North Atlantic was passed by the Canadian House of Commons. It was later referred to a Special Committee of Investigation, who will report on the matter.

    Another earthquake shock has been felt in the Quebec district, but no damage is reported.

    The personnel of the British delegation to the Empire Press Conference to be held in Australia in the autumn is announced.

    A new famine is spreading all over Soviet Russia.

    The sixth anniversary of the foundation of Fascism was celebrated in Italy. Signor Mussolini made his first public appearance in Rome since his illness, and was enthusiastically acclaimed.

  • NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 22 March 1925

    NEWS FROM 100 YEARS AGO : 22 March 1925

    22 MARCH 1925

    There was concern for the health of the Earl of Ypres following a serious operation.

    The Cabinet was expected to announce its plan for reform of the House of Lords.

  • Hilary Benn – 2025 Comments on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Omagh Bombing Inquiry and Government of Ireland

    Hilary Benn – 2025 Comments on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Omagh Bombing Inquiry and Government of Ireland

    The comments made by Hilary Benn, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, on 15 April 2025.

    I welcome the Irish Government’s commitment to co-operate with the Omagh Bombing Inquiry through this memorandum of understanding.

    This is a very positive step that will help enable the independent Inquiry to do its job and provide answers for families.

    The Omagh bombing was a heinous atrocity committed by the Real IRA at a time when communities in Northern Ireland were looking forward to peace and stability.

    It caused immense pain and suffering to the many families who lost loved ones and to those who were injured. They will always be in our thoughts.

  • NEWS STORY : ​Harrow Builder, Florin-Petrica Bodale, Sentenced for £50,000 COVID Loan Fraud

    NEWS STORY : ​Harrow Builder, Florin-Petrica Bodale, Sentenced for £50,000 COVID Loan Fraud

    STORY:

    A building contractor from Harrow has received a suspended prison sentence after fraudulently obtaining a £50,000 COVID-19 Bounce Back Loan by significantly overstating his business’s turnover. Florin-Petrica Bodale, 34, operated as a sole trader offering plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning services. In November 2020, he applied for a Bounce Back Loan, falsely claiming an annual turnover of £240,000 to secure the maximum loan amount. However, an investigation by the Insolvency Service revealed his actual turnover was approximately £22,000, entitling him to a loan of just £5,500.On 10 April 2025, at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Bodale was sentenced to 13 months’ imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

    David Snasdell, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, commented:

    “Florin-Petrica Bodale falsely claimed a much higher turnover for his business and the reality of this is a notable sentence on top of his earlier disqualification as a director. These loans were intended to help keep small businesses afloat, not to take money from the public purse that businesses were not entitled to. We will continue in our efforts to bring those who abuse this scheme to justice.”

    The Bounce Back Loan Scheme was introduced to support small and medium-sized businesses during the pandemic. The Insolvency Service continues to investigate and prosecute individuals who have exploited the scheme.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Building contractor sentenced for £50,000 Covid loan fraud [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Building contractor sentenced for £50,000 Covid loan fraud [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Insolvency Service on 15 April 2025.

    • Florin-Petrica Bodale was a building contractor and sole trader, operating in Harrow.
    • He claimed his business had a turnover of more than £200,000 to claim the maximum Covid Bounce Back loan.
    • He was sentenced to 13-months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, following a hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court.

    A building contractor who fraudulently claimed a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back loan has received a 13-month suspended sentence.

    Florin-Petrica Bodale operated as a building contractor offering plumbing, heating and air-conditioning installation and was based in Harrow, London.

    In November 2020, the 34-year-old successfully applied to a bank for a Covid Bounce Back loan of £50,000.

    But an Insolvency Service investigation found that he had falsely claimed the company’s turnover was £240,000 to receive the maximum loan available.

    In reality, the turnover of the company was around £22,000 – meaning he was only entitled to £5,500.

    On 10 April 2025, at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Bodale was sentenced to 13-months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, for one count of fraud by false representation.

    He was also ordered to complete 250 hours of unpaid work.

    Insolvency Service Chief Investigator David Snasdell said:

    Florin-Petrica Bodale falsely claimed a much higher turnover for his business and the reality of this is a notable sentence on top of his earlier disqualification as a director.

    These loans were intended to help keep small businesses afloat, not to take money from the public purse that businesses were not entitled to.

    We will continue in our efforts to bring those who abuse this scheme to justice.

    In 2022, before the criminal investigation, Bodale signed a ten-year bankruptcy restriction undertaking which also included a ten-year director disqualification following a civil investigation by the Insolvency Service.

    The court noted that he had repaid some money as part of the bankruptcy process.

    Measures were introduced during 2020 to support businesses affected by COVID-19 such as loans, grants and tax allowances. The Bounce Back loan scheme helped small and medium-sized businesses to borrow between £2,000 and £50,000, at a low interest rate, guaranteed by the Government.

    The Bounce Back loans were made on the condition that they were not to be used for personal purposes, but could be used, for example, to purchase a company asset such as a vehicle, if it would provide an economic benefit to the business.

    Further information:

    • Florin-Petrica Bodale’s last known address is Elmsleigh Avenue, Harrow. Date of birth: 26/06/1990
  • David Lammy – 2025 Speech at London Sudan Conference

    David Lammy – 2025 Speech at London Sudan Conference

    The speech made by David Lammy, the Foreign Secretary, in London on 15 April 2025.

    Two years on from this war starting, with frontlines shifting again, I fear many onlookers feel a sense of déjà vu. The country’s fraught history also means that some conclude that further conflict is effectively inevitable.

    Many have given up on Sudan. That is wrong. It’s morally wrong when we see so many civilians beheaded, infants as young as one subjected to sexual violence, more people facing famine than anywhere else in the world.

    We simply cannot look away. And as I speak, civilians and aid workers in El Fasher and Zamzam IDP camp are facing unimaginable violence.

    With over four million refugees having fled the country, and instability spreading far beyond Sudan’s border, it’s also strategically wrong to forget Sudan. And that’s why, as Foreign Secretary, I refused to turn away. I felt a duty to confront this war’s horrors head on.

    I have been to the Sudanese border and met with survivors. I have called out attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers in the United Nations.

    And I have doubled our aid to Sudan, and today I am announcing a further £120 million worth of support. But the biggest obstacle is not a lack of funding or texts at the United Nations, it’s lack of political will.

    Very simply, we have got to persuade the warring parties to protect civilians, to let aid in and across the country and to put peace first.

    And so we do need patient diplomacy. Bringing together this group today, focusing of course on the areas where we agree and building out from there is very very important today, indeed. Today’s goal is then to do just that. We all want to see Sudan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity upheld.

    We all want to see a united state, with functioning institutions. We all want to see Sudan’s civilians protected, and the millions of displaced people able to return to their homes.

    This is a strong basis to agree the steps needed then to relieve suffering and to end this awful war. I hope across our three sessions, we can agree a set of principles for our future diplomatic engagement.

    When I met with Sudanese refugees in Chad I was frankly humbled by their resilience. In the face of unimaginable trauma, they had not given up on their country or the communities around them.

    For their sake, we cannot resign ourselves to inevitable conflict. We cannot be back here one year from now, having the same discussion. So today, let’s show them and the world we have not given up on them. We have not given up on Sudan.

    I am hugely grateful for the support from the African Union, and to my colleagues from France, Germany and the EU in supporting the shared endeavour.

  • PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – 16th Ukraine Defence Contact Group – National Armaments Directors Format [April 2025]

    PRESS RELEASE : Joint Statement – 16th Ukraine Defence Contact Group – National Armaments Directors Format [April 2025]

    The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 15 April 2025.

    Joint Statement from Ukraine, Germany and the United Kingdom, co-chairs of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG).

    On Friday 11 April the National Armaments Directors (NADs) from over 40 nations met at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels. They were supported by multiple international government organisations.

    They agreed to ensure that the commitments made in the UDCG Ministerial Format are rapidly converted into contracts with industry and the tangible delivery of support to Ukraine to ensure Ukraine is able to sustain the resolute defence of her sovereignty and her people and negotiate a lasting and secure peace.

    The UDCG NAD Format, co-chaired by Ukraine, Germany and the UK and building on the work of the US since its inception, will report its progress to the June ministerial meeting.