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PRESS RELEASE : Dame Vera Baird DBE KC further appointed as Interim Chair of the CCRC [July 2026]
The press release issued by the Ministry of Justice on 2 July 2026.

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC further appointed as Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

His Majesty the King, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, has approved the further appointment of Dame Vera Baird DBE KC – for 12 months from 9 December 2026 – as the Interim Chair of the Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC).

Ministers consulted the Commissioner for Public Appointments before making this further appointment without competition which will ensure that Dame Vera will be able to lead the CCRC in implementing the recommendations of her review of the body including implementation of the recommendations from HMCPSI which has today reported on an inspection of the Commission’s casework

The CCRC

The CCRC was established by the Criminal Appeal Act 1995 and commenced operation in 1997. The CCRC considers – on application – cases in England, Wales and Northern Ireland where a miscarriage of justice is alleged or suspected. The CCRC decides if there is any new evidence or new argument which raises a real possibility that an appeal court would quash a conviction or reduce a sentence.

The appointment of the CCRC Chair is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments and this appointment complies with the Cabinet Office Governance Code on Public Appointments.

Appointments of CCRC Commissioners are made by His Majesty the King on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, who receives advice from the Lord Chancellor.

Biography

Dame Vera Baird DBE KC’s biography is as follows:
- Member of the Women’s Justice Board
- Visiting Professor in Practice at the Mannheim Centre, London School of Economics
- Honorary Fellow of St Hilda’s College Oxford
- Hon Professor of Law at Exeter and Newcastle Universities
- Hon Doctorates at Northumbria and Loughborough Universities
- Former Victims Commissioner for England and Wales (2019-22)
- DBE for Services to Women and Equalities 2017
- Police and Crime Commissioner for Northumbria (2012-19)
- Chair of Association of Police and Crime Commissioners 2016
- Association of PCCs’ National lead for Supporting Victims (2012-19)
- Solicitor General for England and Wales (2007-2010)
- Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice (2006-7)
- Member of Parliament for Redcar 2001-2010
- Former Practising Criminal Barrister and QC
- Author of many articles, chapters & reports, most recently The Baird Review into Greater Manchester Police.
- Patron of Respect, Operation Encompass and Board Member of Revolving Doors
Dame Vera Baird DBE KC has declared the following political activity on behalf of the Labour Party: public speaking, Chair of the Women’s Branch Horney and Friern Barnet Constituency (HFBC), Member of the General Committee of HFBC, member of the HFBC Fabian Society, Member of the Labour Women’s Network and campaigning in elections.
03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : Derby builder jailed after victims left with dangerous unfinished homes

STORY

A Derby builder who took more than £200,000 from homeowners while knowing his company was insolvent has been jailed for fraudulent trading. Michael Haslam, of Oaklands Avenue, Littleover, was sentenced to two years and four months in prison at Derby Crown Court on Wednesday 1 July after pleading guilty in May.

The Insolvency Service said Haslam ran M&J Builders Limited while it was insolvent, taking money upfront from seven customers between 2020 and 2022. Victims were left with unfinished and dangerous building work, including unsafe structures, homes without running water and projects which required thousands of pounds in additional repair work.

One victim from Darley Abbey paid more than £150,000 for work on a property she had intended to renovate for her retirement, but received about £40,000 worth of work. Another victim in Allestree paid for an extension and garage refurbishment before being left without running water for seven months, while a further household was told by council inspectors that botched work might need to be demolished entirely.

Investigators found that money from the company’s accounts was used for cash withdrawals, Amazon and eBay purchases and payments to Haslam’s family. The Insolvency Service said almost £400,000 was paid from the M&J Builders Limited business account under the reference ‘MG Haslam Expenses’, while a personal account used by some customers showed £164,229 in cash withdrawals and £77,376 paid to the couple’s daughter.

Haslam was also disqualified from acting as a company director for 15 years. Mark Stephens, chief investigator at the Insolvency Service, said the case showed the human cost of fraudulent trading and said the agency would continue to pursue fraudsters who exploited innocent people.

03/07/2026
Bridget Phillipson – 2026 Comments on Vulnerable Teenagers

The comments made by Bridget Phillipson, the Secretary of State for Education, on 2 July 2026.

This is one of the defining challenges of this government. Fixing it is crucial to the prosperity of our country: we cannot afford to let a generation of young people drift away from opportunity and more fulfilled lives.

Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it’s not consistent enough.

We’re supporting councils to intervene early to help, as part of our new deal for young people, to ensure they realise their potential through worthwhile training and stable careers.

03/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Councils supported to identify and support vulnerable teenagers [July 2026]

The press release issued by the Department for Education on 2 July 2026.

New data reveals 32,100 “Phantom NEETS” are being left to drift without help, with up to half of 16 and 17-year-olds unaccounted for in one area.

Thousands of vulnerable teenagers risk missing out on support because local authorities do not always have complete information about whether young people are in education, employment, or training.

Building on the Milburn Review, the government is providing additional support and tools to help councils identify those at risk earlier and intervene more effectively.

New data reported by councils reveals a stark postcode lottery in the data on youngsters who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), with 32,100 so-called “Phantom NEETS” going unaccounted for.

Data varies across councils, with North Lincolnshire Council reporting that it is missing information for nearly half of its 16- and 17-year-olds. In comparison, four councils report knowing the whereabouts of all of them.

Overall, official statistics published in March show that an estimated 57,000 16-and 17-year-olds are NEET.

The Education Secretary is today writing to all councils setting out expectations for improving the identification and support of young people at risk of becoming NEET. A separate letter will also be sent to 26 councils facing the greatest challenges, who do not know the activities of 3% or more of their teenagers, with improvement plans agreed over the next six months supported by new tools and guidance being made available.

This includes a new Risk of NEET Indicator (RONI) tool that is being rolled out to councils. It brings together factors like poor attendance, special educational needs, and care experience to help identify young people at risk sooner.

Meanwhile, new guidance for schools and colleges is being published today that will also help staff identify and support those most likely to drop out.

Existing data shows that participation in education and apprenticeships ranges massively across the country, from 71.8% to 94.2%, highlighting the need for targeted support to keep kids learning.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

This is one of the defining challenges of this government. Fixing it is crucial to the prosperity of our country: we cannot afford to let a generation of young people drift away from opportunity and more fulfilled lives.

Accurate, timely tracking is not a box-ticking exercise, it’s the difference between a young person getting support early or falling through the cracks entirely. While local authorities do incredibly difficult work, often against real constraints, it’s not consistent enough.

We’re supporting councils to intervene early to help, as part of our new deal for young people, to ensure they realise their potential through worthwhile training and stable careers.

As part of the government’s drive to boost youth employment, the Department for Work and Pensions has commissioned a major investigation spearheaded by Alan Milburn to determine the barriers preventing the young from accessing work.

To tackle the over one million young people currently NEET, the government is delivering the biggest youth employment reforms in a generation – backed by £2.5 billion – to support almost one million young people and help deliver up to 500,000 opportunities to earn and learn. A new £2,000 incentive for small businesses taking on a 16-24 year old apprentice will help remove the barriers to accessing lifechanging courses.

From the Autumn 2026, we are expanding the Jobs Guarantee to all eligible 18- to 24-year-olds who are on Universal Credit and have been looking for work for 18 months. They will benefit from 25 hours/week of fully subsidised six-month paid work. Young people on the scheme will be paid at the relevant minimum wage and also receive fully funded wrap around support. The government is also piloting automatic enrolment into further education for those without a confirmed place.

Meanwhile, reforms to vocational and technical education, including by introducing V Levels and expanding T Levels, will break down barriers to education by helping to end the snobbery around hands-on learning.

This action forms part of the government’s wider mission to make sure every young person, regardless of where they grow up, has the chance to get on in life.

RONI tools draw together risk factors such as poor school attendance, mental health needs, special educational needs and care experience, enabling a risk score to be assigned to individual young people and targeted support to be provided. This could be securing a college place, arranging mental health support, or organising taster sessions to draw young people back into education and training.

For young people held back by health conditions, a further £3.5 billion is being invested by the end of the decade to help them into work.

03/07/2026
PRESS RELEASE : Russia talks peace while waging war – UK statement to the OSCE [July 2026]

The press release issued by the Foreign Office on 1 July 2026.

UK Senior Military Advisor, Colonel Joby Rimmer condemns the contradiction between Russia’s rhetoric of dialogue and its continued aggression, and calls for an immediate ceasefire and meaningful negotiations.

Mr Chair, the United Kingdom remains unequivocally committed to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine: one that protects Ukraine’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the right of every participating State to choose its own security arrangements, in line with the Helsinki Final Act. Our support for Ukraine is long-term, and we support every credible diplomatic effort to bring this war to an end. But credible diplomacy requires seriousness, a willingness to engage directly, and to negotiate in good faith.

The Russian Federation has not done any of these. It is not choosing negotiation. It is choosing to continue the war. This is the contradiction at the heart of Russia’s position. Russia speaks of dialogue but rejects the conditions that would make talks meaningful. Russia speaks of peace but refuses a ceasefire. Russia speaks of diplomacy but continues to attack Ukrainian cities. Russia’s message is negotiation but Russia’s method is war.

On 23 June, President Putin again claimed Russia was open to peace. Yet the Russian Federation continues to refuse a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire. President Putin has not accepted President Zelenskyy’s repeated offers of direct dialogue, including in his recent open letter to the Kremlin. A State serious about peace does not refuse every opportunity to meet, to talk, and to stop the killing.

A short while ago on 6 May, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued formal notes to Embassies in Kyiv. On 25 May, after one of the largest single-night attacks on Kyiv since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Russian Ministry of Defence advised diplomatic personnel to leave the city “as soon as possible”. And on 24 June, in this Forum, Russia reiterated that this threat “remains in force”.

This is not diplomacy. It is pressure. It is an attempt to intimidate the diplomatic community, undermine confidence in Ukraine’s capital, and present Russian escalation as inevitable. The response has been clear: Embassies have not left or announced plans to leave Kyiv.

Last week, in this Forum, the distinguished representative from Belarus stated the Union State framework includes the use of, in its own words, “all possible means available, including nuclear means”. The Russian Delegation repeated and amplified this nuclear signalling multiple times. This rhetoric is irresponsible and coercive nuclear signalling. This does not support negotiation. This is designed to intimidate. This does not bring peace closer, it increases risk. But let me reiterate, this is not a nuclear crisis, and nor should it become one.

The Russian Federation’s conduct of the war tells the same story. It continues to sustain casualties of some 38,000 a month, for negligible gains on the ground. It persists in the reckless use of Oreshnik nuclear-capable intermediate-range ballistic missiles against Ukrainian cities. It intensifies long-range strikes that kill civilians far from the front line. These are not the actions of a State seeking peace. They are the actions of a State seeking to sustain the war while blaming others for the absence of negotiations.

The Russian Federation must stop the war and engage meaningfully in negotiations. Peace will not come through rhetoric while the Russian Armed Forces continue to fight. Peace will not come through threats while Russia refuses direct engagement. And peace will not come through claims of openness while Russia rejects the ceasefire.

Mr Chair, we continue to call on the Russian Federation to de-escalate, starting by ending its illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The Russian Federation should agree to an immediate ceasefire and open the channels with Kyiv that President Zelenskyy has repeatedly offered. The path to peace is clear and Russia can choose to take it at any time. Thank you, Mr Chair.

03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : CIPFA proposes prudential code changes after Woking collapse

STORY

Changes to councils’ financial reporting are being proposed by CIPFA in an effort to improve transparency and reduce the risk of future financial failures on the scale of Woking Borough Council.

The MJ reported that the proposed changes to the prudential code are intended to strengthen reporting around council borrowing and investment decisions. Woking’s financial collapse has remained a significant reference point in debate about local authority risk management.

The proposals come as councils continue to face pressure over debt, commercial investments and long-term financial sustainability. Any changes would be closely watched by section 151 officers, auditors and councillors responsible for financial oversight.

03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : Council and Parliament agree Eurovignette changes

STORY

The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on targeted changes to the Eurovignette directive, which governs road tolls and user charges for heavy-duty vehicles.

The Council said the agreement clarified parts of the charging regime and formed part of wider transport policy work. The measure still needs formal confirmation by the institutions before it can become law.

The proposal sits within broader EU efforts to manage road transport costs, infrastructure charging and environmental policy. The final rules are expected to affect how member states apply tolls and user charges to certain heavy vehicles.

03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : EU seeks resolution over Bosnia peace envoy deadlock

STORY

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has said the European Union is determined to help resolve the deadlock over the appointment of a new international peace envoy for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The role became vacant after German diplomat Christian Schmidt resigned in May. Reuters reported that EU countries and the United States have backed different candidates, creating an impasse over the future High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kallas said during a visit to Bosnia that the role remained important for stability and for the country’s EU accession path. She also warned that delays to reforms could put further EU funding at risk.

03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : EU Council moves to restore online child protection derogation

STORY

The Council of the EU has moved to reinstate an interim measure allowing online service providers voluntarily to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material from their services.

The measure is a derogation from electronic communications data protection rules. The Council said voluntary detection and reporting by providers played a role in identifying offenders, supporting investigations, rescuing victims and reducing the spread of abusive material online.

The proposal is part of continuing EU work on child protection and online safety. It comes while institutions continue to debate longer-term rules on the detection and reporting of online child sexual abuse material.

03/07/2026
NEWS STORY : Prime Minister discusses Gulf security with Sultan of Oman

STORY

The Prime Minister met Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said of Oman in Downing Street on 2 July, with discussions focused on regional security and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

Downing Street said the Prime Minister reiterated solidarity with Oman and other regional partners. He also thanked Oman for its mediation efforts, which the Government said had contributed to a deal between the United States and Iran.

The two leaders discussed efforts to give shipping greater reassurance when transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Downing Street said they agreed to continue working closely and to remain in contact.

03/07/2026