Tag: News Story

STORY

The Government had suggested that under-funding in the road network has led to £8.3 billion needing to be transferred from the rail infra-structure investment, saying car owners may now save “£440 on vehicle repairs” due to the number of potholes. Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, said:

“We’re on the side of drivers, which is why this government is getting on with delivering our plan to invest an additional £8.3 billion in the biggest ever funding increase for local road improvements, made possible by reallocated HS2 funding.”

Andy Street, the Conservative Mayor of the West Midlands, said that the HS2 cutback was challenging from the region and said earlier in the year that “to do nothing is not an option”. Street said following the announcement that HS2 would be scrapped that:

“HS2 was about uniting the nation by building a transport spine connecting its major cities, a totemic project linking and levelling up communities at the same time. It was about delivering for the Northern Powerhouse and creating a more balanced national economy. It was about thinking big, showing ambition and building something for future generations.”

STORY

David Smith, the former Managing Director of the Post Office, has apologised for saying that the imprisonment of Seema Mistra, an innocent victim of the Project Horizon scandal, was “brilliant news”. Smith, answering questions at the Horizon IT inquiry made an allegation that Paula Vennells told him that the IT system was “tamper proof”. Smith also accepted responsibility for not reflecting on the growing scandal “in the way that I have should have done”. Smith almost admitting under questioning that he was not aware of important information reaching him and he couldn’t explain why that was.

The Post Office Horizon scandal is widely considered one of the UK’s largest miscarriages of justice. Horizon, an accounting system installed in Post Offices branches starting in 1999, displayed significant errors which led to shortfalls in accounts, for which subpostmasters were held personally liable. The Post Office aggressively pursued these subpostmasters, resulting in prosecutions, bankruptcy, imprisonment, and even suicides. Despite subpostmasters’ claims that the system was flawed, the Post Office maintained Horizon was robust. It took years of legal battles before the courts determined Horizon was riddled with bugs with the scandal leading to the establishment of the independent Horizon Inquiry.

RESOURCES

Post Office Horizon Inquiry

David Smith’s Witness Statement

STORY

A spokesperson for the US President has said that Joe Biden is “outraged” by the Israeli strike on aid workers, confirming that the massacre by Israel had killed a citizen of the United States. The shock attack has led to global condemnation of the Israeli Government, but Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israel Prime Minister, defended the massacre saying that although the incident was regretful, it was part of war. Biden reminded Israel that “humanitarian workers should be protected” and demanded an explanation from the country into the incident.

STORY

The Canadian Foreign minister, Melanie Joly, has added to international condemnation of Israel following the country’s massacre of seven aid workers who were trying to give emergency aid to the people of Gaza. In a statement, she confirmed that a Canadian citizen had been killed, saying:

“Strikes on humanitarian personnel are completely unacceptable. International humanitarian law must be respected”. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, had said earlier in the day that such massacres were part of war, but he said that he regretted the attack.

STORY

The UK Government has summoned the Israeli Ambassador to the UK to attend the Foreign Office to offer an explanation of the country’s massacre of seven aid workers in Gaza, including three British citizens. Facing with international condemnation, the Israeli Government said that they would investigate the matter, but the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said it was happened during wars. Andrew Mitchell, the Foreign Office Minister, said in a statement:

“Today, I summoned the Ambassador of the Israeli Embassy in London to the Foreign Office”, adding “I have requested a quick and transparent investigation, shared with the international community, and with full accountability.”

STORY

Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, has defended the country amidst international condemnation after the killing of seven aid workers in Gaza. The seven individuals were aid workers for the World Central Kitchen team who were trying to get urgent aid to residents of the Gaza Strip with the charity saying that they had made their whereabouts known to Israeli authorities.

Netanyahu said in a statement:

“It happens in war, we check it to the end, we are in contact with the governments, and we will do everything so that this thing does not happen again.”

A spokesperson for the President of the United States said in a statement that he was “heartbroken and deeply troubled by the strike”, whilst the Polish Government said it was asking urgently for an explanation as to why a Pole was killed.

David Cameron, the Foreign Secretary, said in a statement:

“The news of the airstrike that killed World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers in Gaza is deeply distressing. These were people who were working to deliver life-saving aid to those who desperately need it. It is essential that humanitarian workers are protected and able to carry out their work. We have called on Israel to immediately investigate and provide a full, transparent explanation of what happened.”

Numerous other international leaders, including the Australian Prime Minister and the European Union Foreign Affairs Minister have called on Israel to provide an explanation for the killings.

STORY

Scott Benton, the MP for Blackpool South, has resigned from the Commons and denied his constituents the opportunity to vote in a recall petition to remove him from office. Benton was caught in a sting when he offered to leak confidential material for money and also ask Parliamentary questions if he was paid to do so. The disgraced MP was suspended from the Conservative Party for misconduct and he was banned from the House of Commons for 35 days for bringing the institution into disrepute.

In his resignation statement, Benton wrote:

“It’s with a heavy heart that I have written to the Chancellor this morning to tender my resignation as your MP. I’d like to thank the hundreds of residents who have sent supportive messages, cards and letters over the last few months and who have urged me to continue and fight the next election. The support that so many local people have given to me has made it all worthwhile.”

RESOURCES

Speeches by Scott Benton

Resignation Statement

STORY

The Bank of England has left interest rates at 5.25%, but indicated that there will likely be future cuts as the rate of inflation has started to fall. The Bank has a target UK inflation rate of 2% and the latest figures show a fall to 3.4%, significantly lower than over previous months. It’s the first time since September 2021 that none of the members of the MPC, the committee that votes on the level of interest rates, voted for an increase, with eight members this month voting to hold rates and one voting to reduce them.

Andrew Bailey, the Governor of the Bank of England, said in a statement:

“In recent weeks we’ve seen further encouraging signs that inflation is coming down. We’ve held rates again at 5.25% because we need to be sure that inflation will fall back to our 2% target and stay there. We’re not yet at the point where we can cut interest rates, but things are moving in the right direction.”

EXTERNAL RESOURCES

Bank of England

STORY

The Home Office has admitted that they spent £165,000 on a single flight to Rwanda for the Home Secretary, officials and journalists when signing an agreement with the country to deal with UK asylum seekers. Cleverly was the third Home Secretary to visit the country, with his predecessors Suella Braverman and Priti Patel having already gone to the African country. The controversial policy was announced in April 2022 and the Government claims that it will deter asylum seekers from entering the UK, but it has since met legal obstacles and opposition in the House of Lords.

A spokesperson for the Home Office said:

“Stopping the boats is one of our top priorities. The cost of the asylum system could reach up to £11bn a year by 2026, and we make no apologies for pursuing bold solutions like our partnership with Rwanda to stop the boats and save lives.”

RESOURCES

Speeches by James Cleverly

STORY

Vaughan Gething has been elected as the leader of the Labour Party in Wales taking 51.7% of the vote against the 48.3% secured by Jeremy Miles. Gething will replace Mark Drakeford, the previous Welsh Labour leader and First Minister. Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, said:

“Gething led a hopeful, ambitious Welsh Labour government, in the face of a tired and failed Tory government in Westminster”.