Category: News Story

STORY

The Government has abandoned plans for some criminal trials to be heard by a judge without a jury following opposition to the proposed reforms. Justice Secretary Alex Norris said he had heard the strength of feeling surrounding the plans and had decided to change course, meaning that juries will continue to hear more serious cases in the Crown Court.

Judge only trials will still be permitted for lengthy and technically complex fraud and financial cases. Magistrates will also be given the power to impose longer sentences, while courts rather than defendants will have the final decision over where relatively minor cases are heard. The Government said this would prevent defendants from electing a Crown Court jury trial in an attempt to delay proceedings or avoid imprisonment.

The revised measures will be added to the Courts and Tribunals Bill when it returns to the House of Commons on 13 October. Nearly 81,000 Crown Court cases are awaiting resolution, with almost a third having been outstanding for at least a year. Ministers have also proposed greater use of virtual hearings, artificial intelligence to assist with case listings and additional resources for judges, alongside an independent review of the effects of the structural reforms on ethnic minorities and people from different backgrounds.

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Defence ministers from the Joint Expeditionary Force have agreed to deepen Ukraine’s involvement in the organisation and strengthen military activity across northern Europe. The ministers met at Keflavik Air Base in Iceland to discuss support for Ukraine, security in the Baltic Sea and High North, and the development of closer cooperation with NATO.

Ukraine participated in the JEF’s Lion Protector exercise for the first time this year, with Ukrainian mine countermeasure vessels operating alongside forces from member countries. Ministers said that the exercise had improved interoperability and allowed participating nations to learn from Ukraine’s experience of modern warfare. They reaffirmed their support for the JEF Ukraine Enhanced Partnership and agreed to increase Ukrainian participation in future activities.

Ministers also discussed Canada’s application to join the JEF and agreed to continue work on a recommendation for national leaders. They reviewed Russian sabotage and other hybrid activity against NATO members, while stating that the organisation did not seek confrontation with Russia. Further work will examine defence industry cooperation, military innovation and the alignment of JEF response plans with NATO’s regional operations.

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The Government has announced proposals to restrict access to castor beans and rosary peas because they can be used to produce the highly toxic substances ricin and abrin. The materials would be added to the regulated poisons list, making it a criminal offence to sell them to members of the public who do not hold a valid licence.

The measures follow recommendations from the first phase of the Southport Inquiry. Police investigating the Southport attacker found evidence that he had bought castor beans online to produce ricin, resulting in his conviction under the Biological Weapons Act 1974. Ricin and abrin are already controlled, but the seeds from which they can be produced remain available for purposes including gardening and decoration.

Further controls have been proposed for other poisons and chemicals capable of being used to manufacture explosives. Businesses would be required to report suspicious transactions, while individuals with a legitimate requirement for a controlled substance could apply for a licence. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said the changes would close gaps exposed by the Southport attack and reduce the risk of dangerous chemicals being weaponised. A consultation is seeking views from the public, businesses and industry.

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Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over warrants used to search his homes following his arrest earlier this year. The former prince is seeking a judicial review of the warrants which authorised searches of his residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former home at Royal Lodge in Windsor Great Park. The Judicial Office has confirmed that a private High Court hearing will take place on Thursday before Mr Justice Hilliard.

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office following allegations that he shared sensitive Government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as the United Kingdom’s special representative for international trade between 2001 and 2011. He was questioned by detectives and remains under investigation. He has not been charged and has denied wrongdoing in relation to Epstein.

Thames Valley Police said its investigation into suspected misconduct in public office remained ongoing and confirmed that it was engaged in legal proceedings relating to warrants previously obtained from the Central Criminal Court. The force said it would be inappropriate to comment further while those proceedings continued. The judicial review will consider whether the warrants and searches were lawful and will not determine the underlying allegations against Mountbatten-Windsor.

STORY

Green councillor Kieran Dams has resigned as coordinator of his local Green Party following the decision by members to adopt the controversial “Zionism is Racism” motion. Dams, who represents Waterloo on Sefton Council, said he had devoted evenings and weekends to campaigning and organising for the party but could not remain silent when he believed something was wrong. He described himself as “genuinely gutted” by the decision to step down.

Dams had voted against the motion at the Green Party conference, although he stressed that he continued to condemn the actions of the Israeli Government and support Palestinian rights. He said his objection concerned the decision to define Zionism itself as racism and the possible consequences for Jewish people inside and outside the party. He had also supported an unsuccessful amendment intended to reaffirm opposition to antisemitism and protect Jewish members from exclusion or collective blame. The main motion was approved by 1,022 votes to 813.

Dams said he had received hundreds of abusive and threatening messages since speaking against the policy, adding that some were serious enough to be reported to the police. He encouraged other members who shared his concerns to speak publicly. His resignation is the latest sign of internal division following the conference decision, which was opposed by four of the party’s five MPs and has attracted criticism from Jewish organisations. Dams has not announced that he is leaving the Green Party or resigning as a councillor.

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The Green Party of England and Wales is facing significant internal division after members approved a conference motion declaring that Zionism should be treated as a form of racism. The motion was supported by 1,022 members and opposed by 813 at the party’s conference in Brighton. It defines Zionism as an ethnonationalist political project, formally establishes the party’s opposition to it and supports the creation of a single democratic state across historic Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital.

Four of the party’s five MPs opposed the motion, while former leader Caroline Lucas also warned against its adoption. Green Party leader Zack Polanski was absent from the vote while campaigning in the Holborn and St Pancras by election. Members also rejected an amendment stating that the policy should not be used to pressure, proscribe or discipline members because of their links to synagogues or other Jewish organisations which identify as Zionist. Critics within the party said the decision risked alienating Jewish members and undermining its work on peace and human rights.

The Green Party said the matter had prompted a serious and deeply felt debate among its membership, adding that it remained committed to opposing racism and supporting the rights of both Palestinians and Jewish people. A joint statement from the party’s MPs, leader and deputy leaders said there was no conflict between supporting the two communities. Jewish organisations have strongly criticised the decision, arguing that the policy could make Jewish members feel unwelcome and expose those connected with mainstream communal institutions to disciplinary complaints.

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BBC Three and the BBC Scotland television channel could be moved online as the corporation seeks to reduce expenditure, according to reports. Staff concerns have increased following the start of a voluntary redundancy process in the BBC’s television and streaming division.

BBC Director General Matt Brittin is expected to provide staff with further information next week as part of plans to save £500 million and remove as many as 2,000 posts. BBC Three previously operated as an online only service between 2016 and 2022, while BBC Scotland was launched as a television channel in 2019.

The reported proposals follow changes in viewing habits and concerns about the cost of services attracting relatively small linear audiences. The BBC said that it would not comment on speculation and no decision about either channel has been formally confirmed.

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VAT has been removed from domestic electricity bills across Great Britain, with the Government estimating that the measure will reduce the annual Ofgem price cap by around £45. The reduction from 5 per cent to zero took effect on 1 October 2026 and will remain in place for the current financial year.

Energy suppliers are expected to pass the reduction on to customers, including those on fixed tariffs. Eligible charities, residential care homes and small organisations receiving domestic energy VAT relief may also benefit from the change.

The measure is expected to cost around £850 million and is being funded through the cancellation of the Digital ID programme. Comparable funding will be provided to the Northern Ireland Executive because European Union VAT rules continue to apply to electricity in Northern Ireland.

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Natural England has changed how it provides advice on planning applications, with its specialists now concentrating on proposals presenting the greatest risks or opportunities for nature. The Government said the revised approach would help accelerate planning decisions by directing specialist resources towards complex and strategically important developments.

Local planning authorities will be expected to use established guidance and standing advice when considering more routine applications, reducing the number of individual consultations handled by Natural England. The organisation will instead seek to engage earlier with major proposals so that environmental issues can be identified and addressed before they cause delays later in the planning process.

Natural England said that its statutory responsibilities and existing protections for habitats, species and designated sites would remain in place. The changes will be introduced gradually and form part of wider Government reforms to the statutory consultee system. Neil Hornby, who began work as Natural England’s chief executive on 1 October 2026, said the approach would allow its expertise to have the greatest impact for nature while supporting more efficient decision making.

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Former Travelodge chief executive Jo Boydell did not read an email sent directly to her by a sexual assault victim until more than three years after it was received, an independent review has found. The woman contacted Boydell and other senior figures in January 2023 after being assaulted at the company’s Maidenhead hotel, but the message was handled by the chief executive’s office without being brought to her attention.

The complaint was instead investigated by a manager whose conduct was criticised within the email, while Travelodge’s customer services team offered the woman a refund for the night which she understood to be £30. Barrister Paul Greaney KC concluded that the victim had been fundamentally failed by the company at every stage and that its security policies at the time were not suitable for keeping guests safe.

The attacker, Kyran Smith, had obtained a key to the woman’s room less than three minutes after falsely telling reception staff that he was her boyfriend. He was later jailed for seven and a half years. Travelodge has apologised unreservedly and said it has begun implementing reforms, although the review warned that its revised security procedures were still being applied inconsistently. Boydell, who was credited with driving improvements after learning about the case in March 2026, stepped down as chief executive in August.