The 96-hour junior doctors’ strike has entered its second day with the British Medical Association (BMA) and the government still far away from reaching a settlement. As many as 47,600 early-career medics are thought to be taking action as the BMA demands “pay restoration” to 2008. The union claims that below inflation salary increases since
A shadow cabinet member has vowed Labour will double down on its controversial campaign against Rishi Sunak with a string of adverts planned focussing on cost of living, mortgages and bills. The strategy sparked uproar last week with the first advert of this nature saying Rishi Sunak does not want to jail child sex offenders.
The cab-rank rule – the principle that barristers cannot refuse instructions from a client they find unpalatable – is held close to the hearts of most barristers. For many, it represents an important pillar of the justice system in England and Wales. However, a recent pledge by over 120 lawyers not to prosecute climate activists
After a scandal where a Chinese spy gave donations to a Labour MP, concerns were raised about All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs). As a result, the Standards Committee says there’s a need for new rules to prevent foreign governments gaining unfair influence. The Commons standards committee fears “hostile foreign actors” could be seeking to gain
A Conservative MP who offered to lobby ministers on behalf of the gambling industry has had the party whip suspended. Scott Benton also offered to leak a confidential policy document for up to £4,000 a month and said he could table parliamentary written questions. Benton, the MP for ‘red wall’ seat Blackpool South, » Read More
In an open letter published late on Wednesday night, Mark Rowley said four in five original inquiries did not result in the correct action and should be reassessed. It follows a series of damaging scandals for the Met, including the murder of Sarah Everard by Met Police officer Wayne Couzens and the jailing of rapist
The husband of former first minister Nicola Sturgeon has been arrested in connection with an investigation into Scottish National Party finances. Peter Murrell, 58, was taken into police custody on Wednesday morning. Police Scotland said officers were carrying out searches at “a number of addresses as part of the investigation”. » Read More
Bullet point by bullet point, 2023 kicked off with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer swearing their respective oaths at the altar of pragmatism. Trust them and the economy would grow, NHS waiting lists would shorten and the small boats would stop. It was the prime minister’s emphasis on the latter that drove the greatest
Robust legal protections for religious freedom are essential in a liberal society. However, this does not mean religious activity is exempt from liberal, secular laws or ring-fenced from robust public criticism. By privileging religious sensibilities in secular institutions while simultaneously censoring peaceful religious speech, the UK has betrayed this principle. » Read More
In response to the government’s plans to clamp-down on grooming, the shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper has branded the move as ‘completely inadequate’. The crackdown announcements include a push on data collection on the make-up of grooming gangs, including ethnicity. It will form part of the support for police forces so suspects “cannot hide behind
