12 APRIL 1925
It was announced that the King and Queen would be in residence at Windsor Castle from the middle of May until Ascot.
The King of the Belgians confirmed that he would ask one of the socialist leaders to form a Government.
It was reported that there was one official for every thirteen taxpayers in Germany.
11 APRIL 1925
The Amundsen-Ellsworth expedition, which is to attempt to reach the North Pole by aeroplane, has left Tromsoe for King’s Bay, Spitzbergen, where the expedition will be based. We publish to-day Captain Amundsen’s own story of his preparations for the great adventure.
The French Cabinet were defeated in the Senate after a debate on their financial proposals. Subsequently M. Herriot tendered the resignation of the Ministry to the President of the Republic. President Doumergue accepted the Cabinet’s resignation.
THhe decision of Field-Marshal Hindenburg to stand for the Presidency of the Reich has aroused great interest in Germany. In Rome it is declared to be an event of great international importance.
The Prince of Wales is meeting with an enthusiastic reception in the various West African towns he visits. At Coomassie he attended a Good Friday service at the English Church.
The South African railway budget presented to the House of Assembly by Mr. Malan, showed this financial year an estimated credit balance of £213,148 there had been produced a surplus of £680,707, which wiped out an accumulated deficit of £770,244.
The condition of Mr. Massey, the Premier of New Zealand, shows no improvement.
The two French explorers Tramin and Duverne, who recently crossed Africa from west to east in a small 10 h.p. motor car—a distance of 14,700 kilometres—have arrived at Marseilles.
10 APRIL 1925
The House of Commons, after discussing the industrial situation and the International Labour Conventions, rose for the Easter vacation until April 28.
M. Herriot replied in the French Chamber to criticisms of the Government’s financial policy. The Chamber accorded him a vote of confidence by a majority of 49 (291 to 242).
General Sikorski, the Polish Minister of War, said, in the course of an interview in Paris, that on the day on which a finger was laid on one inch of their national territory the whole of Poland would rise, and would fight without quarter.
Mr. Havenga, South African Minister of Finance, referring to the proposed Imperial Preference changes, said that in taking up this question they were never animated by any anti-British feeling, and that the preponderating factor was that of the interests of their own country first.
The Dutch steamer Jonge Catharina collided with the British steamer Clan Monroe in the Wielingen Channel, off Flushing. The Jonge Catharina sank, and six of her crew were drowned. Four others are reported to be missing.
The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert, with King George and Queen Mary on board, has arrived at Palermo from Syracuse.
The Prince of Wales had an enthusiastic reception when he landed at Takoradi, on the Gold Coast.
9 APRIL 1925
On the Report stage of the Agricultural Returns Bill in the House of Commons, Sir A. Sinclair moved an amendment to Clause 1, having in view a stock-taking of agricultural resources. Mr. Lloyd George, while agreeing that the amendment might be unacceptable as worded, asked the Government to consider an alteration of the clause. The Minister of Agriculture doubted whether provision could be made in the Bill for a general survey, but fell in with a suggestion of Mr. Lloyd George that “sample counties” might be selected for the purpose. He was in full sympathy with the object in view. Sir A. Sinclair withdrew his amendment. The Bill passed Report, and was read a third time.
The Prime Minister stated in the House of Commons that the Chancellor of the Exchequer would open his Budget on April 28, after the Easter holidays.
Mr Havenga, South African Minister of Finance, introducing the Budget in the House of Assembly, announced a revised rebate of £500,000 in the case of Great Britain and £50,000 in the case of the Dominions compared with the present £860,000 and £90,000, as preferential tariff adjustment. Penny postage is restored. For the first time in history the Budget was introduced in Afrikaans.
Details are given by the Colonial Office of an agreement which has been entered into between the Secretary of State for the Colonies and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia for the purposes of development and settlement in Australia. The agreement aims at the settlement in Australia within the next ten years of 450,000 assisted migrants from the United Kingdom.
Rumours were current, after what was virtually a defeat in the Senate, that the resignation of the French Government was imminent. At a meeting of the Cabinet, however, it was decided not to resign.
7 APRIL 1925
Lord Ampthill called attention in the House of Lords to the case of those British officers in the public service of India to whom the Lee Commission report had made no reference, and asked whether their claims were now being considered. The Secretary for India said he had been inquiring into the matter, to see if some alleviation of the present position might not be given, and he would further investigate the matter with the Viceroy on his arrival in Britain. The Circuit Courts and Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Bill passed Committee, and was reported to the House without amendment.
A statement which she made in the House of Commons on Friday concerning Mr. Hayday, the member for West Nottingham, was unreservedly withdrawn by Lady Astor, who added that she had no intention of making any reference to the hon. member’s personal character.
The Ulster Government lost six out of sixteen seats in Belfast—three to the Independent Unionists and three to Labour. They also lost one seat in the counties. The features of the election have been the apathy of the electors and the success of the Independent Unionists, who, however, support the Government on the Boundary question and on all but local administrative matters.
Mr Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Birmingham, said fear brooded over Europe, the fear of war breaking out again, not perhaps in his time, and unless confidence and security in the international sphere could be established Europe was moving uneasily, perhaps slowly, but certainly, to a new catastrophe.
Field-Marshal Von Hindenburg has refused to stand as Nationalist candidate for the German Presidency. It is expected that Dr. Jarres will go forward as the nominee of the Right Block.
STORY
The UK Supreme Court has ruled that, under the Equality Act 2010, the legal definition of the word woman refers strictly to biological sex, in a judgement expected to have far-reaching implications for the interpretation of equality law and the provision of single-sex spaces.
The unanimous verdict came in response to a legal challenge brought by campaign group For Women Scotland, which contested the Scottish Government’s attempt to include transgender women in female quotas on public boards. The court ruled that such inclusion went beyond the scope of the Equality Act, which defines sex as either male or female — terms now confirmed to be based on biological characteristics, not gender identity. The justices emphasised that while the Act offers clear protections against discrimination for transgender individuals, those protections do not equate to a legal redefinition of sex. The ruling means that even if a transgender woman has obtained a Gender Recognition Certificate, she is not to be treated as female for the purposes of laws that relate specifically to sex-based rights or representation.
Delivering the judgement, the court stated: “The protected characteristic of sex is not altered by the acquisition of a Gender Recognition Certificate for the purposes of legal provisions that rely on biological sex distinctions.” The Scottish Government, which had previously lost two earlier rounds of the case, said it accepted the ruling but expressed disappointment. “We remain committed to advancing equality and inclusivity for all communities, including trans people, within the limits of the law,” a spokesperson said.
The judgement has divided public opinion. Women’s rights campaigners welcomed it as a vital clarification that protects single-sex services and spaces such as refuges, hospital wards, and women’s shortlists.
“This is a landmark victory for women’s rights,” said Susan Smith of For Women Scotland. “It reaffirms that biological sex matters in law and that attempts to redefine it through the back door cannot stand.”
However, transgender rights groups have criticised the decision, calling it a step backward for trans inclusion and equality. “This judgement risks further marginalising trans people and denies the lived realities of many,” said a spokesperson for the charity Stonewall.
Legal experts say the ruling is likely to have wide consequences, particularly in the public sector, where policies relying on self-identification may now have to be reconsidered. The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) said it would issue updated guidance following the ruling to help public bodies and organisations interpret the law correctly. The ruling does not affect the ability of individuals to change their legal gender under the Gender Recognition Act, but it clarifies that such changes do not override statutory definitions of sex in equality law
![PRESS RELEASE : UK Minister for Faith underlines importance of religious harmony [April 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/fco.png)
The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 17 April 2025.
Lord Khan underscored the UK’s commitment to minority groups on a 3-day visit to Islamabad, including on visits to Faisal Mosque and St Joseph’s Cathedral.
He highlighted the UK’s work to establish over 1,000 community-led village forums, where communities come together to provide support to the most marginalised. These forums provide early interventions to resolve tensions before they escalate.
During his visit, Lord Khan met with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, Minister for Law and Human Rights Azam Tarar, Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf and Government of Punjab Minister for Minorities Affairs, Ramesh Singh Arora.
“This visit has been a wonderful reminder of the diversity across Pakistan, and the white in the flag representing religious minorities. Our close partnership is helping to keep both of our countries safe, tackling shared threats including climate change, serious crime and irregular migration.”
The Minister also spoke at the first Overseas Pakistanis Convention, an initiative by the Government of Pakistan to connect with overseas Pakistanis from nearly 60 countries. He reflected on his own personal deep connection with Pakistan, with heritage from Gujrat, and spoke about the importance of the 1.6 million Pakistani diaspora in the UK. He also noted the rich trading partnership, with over 200 British businesses operating in Pakistan.
![PRESS RELEASE : Patients get care closer to home as GP scheme expanded [April 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/healthsocialcare.png)
The press release issued by the Department of Health and Social Care on 17 April 2025.
Government confirms expansion of Advice and Guidance scheme, with more patients now receiving their care closer to home.
Tens of thousands of patients are receiving care closer to home, so they don’t have to be added to lengthy NHS waiting lists, as the government confirms the expansion of a GP scheme to shift care from hospital to community.
The scheme named “Advice and Guidance” sees GPs working more closely with hospital specialists to access expert advice quickly and speed their patients through the system, so they get care in the right place as soon as possible.
That means patients are being directed to more appropriate care – such as being prescribed medication, accessing blood tests or scans via their GP, or receiving care in a local women’s health hub or community physio service, rather than being put on long NHS waiting lists.
And new data shows that, between July and December 2024, around 660,000 treatments were diverted from hospitals and into the community thanks to the scheme – a 60,000 increase on the same period the previous year.
The government has pledged to expand the use of the system, with an ambition to increase diversions from the elective waiting list to up to 2 million by the end of 2025/26 – meaning that more patients will benefit from faster and more convenient care. The NHS is now rolling out payments to GPs across the country, replacing the previous approach which led to patchy provision and meant a postcode lottery for patients.
As a result of tough but necessary decisions made at the Budget, the government has been able to put £26 billion of investment into the NHS, which is funding the £80 million expansion of this efficient and effective “Advice and Guidance” service – alongside driving forward work to cut waiting lists and improve care for patients through the Plan for Change.
Thanks to the scheme, patients suffering from something as common as irritable bowel syndrome – which is estimated to affect up to 1 in 5 people – can avoid being added to already long waiting lists, which stand at almost 400,000 for digestive conditions. Instead, after an initial consultation with their family doctor, the GP can seek expert advice and refer the patient directly to dieticians to provide quicker care, closer to home – all without the patient having to set foot inside a hospital.
Health Minister Karin Smyth said:
By caring for patients closer to home, we save time and stop masses of people having to head to hospital for unnecessary appointments in the first place.
We are rewiring the NHS so that we are doing things differently, more efficiently and delivering better outcomes for patients. This scheme is a perfect example of how we are saving patients time and reducing pressure on key NHS services in the process.
It will take time to reverse the damaging neglect the NHS has suffered in recent years, but our Plan for Change is starting to deliver benefits for patients, with waiting lists cut by 219,000 since July, and 1,500 new GPs in post.
Dr Amanda Doyle, NHS national director for primary care and community services, said:
GPs have been working closely with specialist hospital teams to make sure patients get the right care and treatment.
Expanding this service with this new funding will help even more patients access the right support, closer to their home while reducing unnecessary waits for hospital care.
“Advice and Guidance” opens a channel between GPs and hospital specialists before patients are referred onto waiting lists for hospital care. It enables patients to get the right tests and treatment via their GP or local services within their community.
From April, GP practices can now claim for every request raised via the scheme in recognition of their vital role in helping to deliver the shift from hospital to community. The expansion of the scheme aims to standardise its use across the country and ensure it is being deployed consistently to get patients treated in the right place.
Many patients suffering from certain conditions, can and should be safely and effectively managed in an out-of-hospital setting. This means people can take more power over decision making, which can help to improve overall wellbeing and potentially even reduce healthcare costs.
Other examples of patients who stand to benefit from the expansion include:
Professor Sir Sam Everington OBE, GP in Tower Hamlets since 1989, said:
Advice and guidance enables patients and GPs to get advice direct from a specialist, typically within a week for routine cases. This means that patients get their health problems sorted rapidly, preventing health deterioration and avoiding long waits to be seen. In my experience, over two-thirds of patients with kidney disease can be managed in this way with advice from a consultant and treatment by the GP, removing the enormous stress and uncertainty of waiting a long time.
Ruth Rankine, director of primary care at the NHS Confederation, said:
Advice and Guidance, if implemented effectively, can support improved patient care, streamlined referrals processes, and efficient use of resources. It can give the patient and their GP more control over their treatment options and support care closer to home.
For many conditions, we know that hospital treatment isn’t the best option so this measure will support a greater drive to provision of out of hospital services in line with the government’s priorities, and deliver more investment in primary and community services to provide more cost-effective support to patients.
Sharon Brennan, Director of Policy and External Affairs, National Voices, said:
If genuine shared decision-making sits at the centre of the advice and guidance service it has the potential to ensure, where appropriate, patients receive the most suitable care closer to home without having to anxiously sit on consultant waiting lists. To make sure patient develop trust in this new service, we must see real choice offered to patients about what best treatment routes are, and strong communication about what the service is and what it means in practical terms for patient care.
The government has set out its plan to reform and rebuild the NHS, with the ambition that 92% of patients will be waiting less than 18 weeks by the end of this Parliament.
The Plan for Change is already delivering tangible impacts for patients – with industrial action ended, NHS waiting lists falling, and over 3 million additional appointments delivered since July 2024.
We have also begun fixing the front door of the NHS, hiring an extra 1,500 GPs since October and changing the GP contract to help bring an end to the 8am scramble for appointments.
![PRESS RELEASE : British soldiers take down drone swarm in groundbreaking use of radio wave weapon [April 2025]](https://www.ukpol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/mod.png)
The press release issued by the Ministry of Defence on 17 April 2025.
British soldiers have successfully tracked, targeted and defeated swarms of drones in the latest trial of a new directed energy weapon developed in the UK.
The trial was completed at a weapons range in West Wales and was the largest counter-drone swarm exercise the British Army have conducted to date.
The weapon system demonstrator is a type of Radiofrequency Directed Energy Weapon (RF DEW) and has proven capable of neutralising multiple targets simultaneously with near-instant effect.
The UK Government has invested more than £40 million in RF DEW research and development to date, supporting 135 highly skilled jobs in Northern Ireland and the South-East of England.
It uses high frequency radio waves to disrupt or damage critical electronic components inside drones, causing them to crash or malfunction.
At an estimated cost of 10p per shot fired, if developed into operational service it could provide a cost-effective complement to traditional missile-based air defence systems.
RF DEW systems can defeat airborne targets at ranges of up to 1km and are effective against threats which cannot be jammed using electronic warfare.
The successful trial comes as drone swarms are increasingly seen in use in frontline combat in Ukraine. UK Defence Intelligence estimates that last year Ukraine had to defend against attacks from more than 18,000 drones.
With national security a foundation for the Plan for Change, the government is significantly increasing the proportion of MOD’s equipment procurement spend on novel technologies, spending at least 10% from 2025-26. It follows the announcement of the biggest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War, as the UK will spend 2.5% of GDP on defence by April 2027.
This significant experiment exemplifies the strength of British innovation – driven by our home-grown industry, technology firms and scientific talent.
We continue to strengthen our defence sector, adding more cutting-edge capabilities to keep the UK secure at home and strong abroad, while making defence an engine for growth across our towns and cities.
The project has been delivered by Team Hersa – a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory. The RF DEW demonstrator has been developed by an industry consortium led by Thales UK.
Successful experiments included the Army taking down two swarms of drones in a single engagement, and the project saw more than 100 drones being tracked, engaged and defeated using the weapon across all trials.
Sgt Mayers, a Senior Remotely-Piloted Air Systems Operator from 106 Regiment Royal Artillery, had the honour of being the first British soldier to bring down drones using a radiofrequency weapon.
RF DEW is an exciting concept. We found the demonstrator quick to learn and easy to use. With improvements on range and power, which could come with further development, this would be a great asset to Layered Air Defence.
Protecting national security is the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change and the development of RF DEW systems could help to protect the UK from unidentified drones at security sensitive areas such as defence bases, and could play a role in preventing disruption at airports.
The RF DEW development supports the Defence Industrial Strategy – to support the UK defence industry in mobilising to help face down global threats and ensuring the sector is an engine for growth in every region and nation of the UK. The MOD is working with a range of industry partners to deliver powerful future RF DEW capabilities for UK forces.
Thales, which led the development of the RF DEW demonstrator, employ around 100 highly skilled engineering and manufacturing staff in Northern Ireland on the project, and there are a further 30-35 highly skilled supply chain jobs in Chelmsford, Essex, that directly contribute to the development of the weapon demonstrator.
Thales continues to be at the forefront of this pioneering technology, and we are proud to continue the research and development in this sector alongside our partners in Government.