STORY
North Yorkshire Police have confirmed that four people have been arrested at the constituency home of Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, who tried to enter the grounds of his property. Downing Street said in a statement:
“The Prime Minister thanks the police for their swift response to keep him and his family safe. As this is a live police investigation, further queries should be direct to the relevant police force.”
STORY
The Conservative Party has suspended Laura Saunders and Craig Williams after serious allegations made against them for placing bets on the timing of the General Election. The party said in a statement:
“As a result of ongoing internal inquiries, we have concluded that we can no longer support Craig Williams or Laura Saunders as parliamentary candidates at the forthcoming general election. We have checked with the Gambling Commission that this decision does not compromise the investigation that they are conducting which is rightly independent and ongoing.”
STORY
Keir Starmer, the Leader of the Opposition, has called for Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, to suspend Laura Saunders over allegations of betting fraud and corruption. Sunak, who said that he was “incredibly angry” at the situation, has so far refused to suspend the candidate, who has yet to deny the allegations. Starmer said in a statement:
“This candidate should be suspended and it’s very telling that Rishi Sunak has not already done that. If it was one of my candidates, they’d be gone and their feet would not have touched the floor.”
STORY
Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West, has refused to deny corruption allegations made against her, with Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, saying that he is “incredibly angry”.
Speaking in the television debate, Sunak faced a campaign in turmoil as his campaign director stood down amidst allegations linked to Saunders. Speaking at a leadership debate, Sunak said:
“I was incredibly angry. incredibly angry to learn of these allegations. It’s a really serious matter. It’s right that they’re being investigated properly by the relevant law enforcement authorities, including a criminal investigation by the police. And I want to be crystal clear that if anyone has broken the rules, they should face the full force of the law. That’s what those investigations are there to do. And I hope that they do their work as quickly and as thoroughly as possible.”
STORY
The Bank of England has held interest rates at 5.25% with the 7 members of the rate-setting committee backing no change and 2 who wanted a reduction. The Bank of England said that inflation had returned to target levels and the financial markets expect a cut later in the year.
RESOURCES
STORY
The Downing Street betting fraud investigation has widened after the BBC has confirmed that the Gambling Commission are investigating Laura Saunders, the Conservative candidate for Bristol North West after irregular betting on the date of the General Election was uncovered. Saunders is married to Tony Lee, the Conservative Party’s Director of Campaigns, who it was confirmed has today been suspended from his role. Saunders and Lee both refused to comment on the allegations, with Downing Street saying that they were awaiting the investigation from the Gambling Commission.
STORY
The historic monument of Stonehenge has been attacked by two people who have covered some of the ancient stone structures in paint. Visitors to the site were unharmed by the pair during the attack and Wiltshire Police have confirmed that two people have been arrested on suspicion of damaging the stones. English Heritage have said that they will make a statement on the attack shortly.
STORY
Warrington Council has been unable to find an auditor to sign of its accounts, leading to the removal of a credit rating from Moody’s. The council has £1.8 billion of debt and is under questioning for its investment strategy, but the the Chief Executive of the Council, Steven Broomhead, rejected the crisis and said earlier this month:
“We haven’t been borrowing money to invest for a return. We’ve been borrowing money for regeneration. What the hell is wrong with that?”
Michael Gove, the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, has appointed an inspection team to investigate the council, with the department stating:
“The Secretary of State decided to commission this inspection to provide him with direct, independent assurance that the council is complying with its Best Value Duty. This duty requires councils to make sure they are continuously improving the way their functions are exercised, with regard to economy, efficiency and effectiveness.”
The lead inspector is Paul Najsarek, who has held numerous senior positions at local councils, with the report expected to be submitted to the Secretary of State by the end of August 2024.
STORY
Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister, has called on the international community to support Ukraine against the illegal occupation of the country by Russia. Speaking at the Summit on Peace, Sunak rejected the peace terms suggested by the Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying:
“I recall my first visit to Kyiv where I saw the explosive devices that departing Russian soldiers had placed in children’s toys and footballs.
There can be no justification for that.
There can be no justification for escalating nuclear rhetoric.
There can be no justification for disrupting food supplies to tens of millions of vulnerable people.
Now there will be of course a diversity of views round this table, but I commend and thank everyone for their participation here today, demonstrating that you all seek a genuine peace to this conflict.
Because Putin has no interest in genuine peace.”
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a statement after the summit:
“We are responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine not only with a full-scale defense of human life, but also with full-scale diplomacy. These days united one hundred and one countries and international organizations, – big success for Ukraine and for all partners, – and our fair objective is to get all countries of the world to join this noble cause.
Previous political generations have left us the UN Charter as a basis for the cooperation of peoples. We will pass to the next generations an effective mechanism to implement the UN Charter. And the communiqué adopted at the Summit these days fully reflects our intention, and remains open for accession by everyone who respects the UN Charter.
It’s important that all participants of the Summit supported Ukraine’s territorial integrity because there will be no lasting peace without territorial integrity.”
RESOURCES
STORY
The Guardian newspaper has alleged that Rishi Sunak, the current Prime Minister, assisted Innova Medical to secure £4 billion of contracts during Covid, whilst rejecting other companies who could have supplied similar medical items.
The Guardian noted:
“In a storm of claims and counter-claims, Innova’s boss, Charles Huang, is accused by former associates of “squandering” or moving $1bn of those profits, spending lavishly on luxury aircraft, an $18m house in Los Angeles and “homes for his mistresses”. The previously little-known Chinese-American businessman’s fortune was transformed by the British taxpayer through 11 government contracts worth approximately £4.3bn for lateral flow tests (LFTs) made in China and sold by Innova. The government fast-tracked the company after its British representatives sent a direct email to Dominic Cummings, the chief adviser to the then prime minister, Boris Johnson, in July 2020. And, a Guardian investigation has found, the fast-tracking of Innova was supported by the then chancellor Rishi Sunak’s team at the Treasury.”
Innova Medical Group is a global health innovator specialising in rapid diagnostic tests and medical devices. They gained recognition for their significant contribution to COVID-19 testing, delivering millions of rapid antigen test kits worldwide. Innova is committed to advancing global health outcomes through innovative solutions in screening, testing, and diagnostics for a wide range of health conditions. The company is headquartered in Pasadena, California, and has operations in multiple countries. Dr. Charles Huang is the founder and chairman of Pasaca Capital Inc., the parent company of Innova Medical Group. A controversial figure, he’s a global entrepreneur and philanthropist who was noted for his leadership in developing rapid COVID-19 tests during the pandemic.
When asked about the allegations, Downing Street said in a statement:
“We have always said there are lessons to be learned from the pandemic and we are committed to learning from the Covid inquiry’s findings which will play a key role in informing the government’s planning and preparations for the future. While the inquiry is ongoing, it would not be appropriate to comment.”
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