Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters rally outside Downing Street
A candidate in the Rochdale by-election has received an alleged death threat as foreign secretary James Cleverly calls on pro-Palestine marchers to end their demonstrations because they have “made their point”.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) launched an investigation after being alerted to a video message sent to Simon Danczuk, who is standing for the rightwing party Reform UK.
The clip was filmed by someone referring to Mr Danczuk as “a white devil” and threatening to “put one in his head”.
On a visit to New York to discuss migration, Mr Cleverly questioned whether holding regular marches “adds value” to their calls for an immediate ceasefire.
“The question I ask myself is, ‘What are these protests genuinely hoping to achieve?’” he told The Times.
“They have made a point and they made it very, very loudly and I’m not sure that these marches every couple of weeks add value to the argument. They’re not really saying anything new.”
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Four arrested after party political meeting disrupted by protesters
Four people have been arrested after a party political meeting in Stoke-on-Trent was disrupted by protesters, the policing minister has said.
Discussing MPs’ security, Chris Philp told LBC: “There was also an event in Stoke on Friday night when a party fundraiser was shut down by protesters, intimidatory protesters, who weren’t just outside the venue but got inside and started harassing people to the extent that it had to be closed down.
“I’m pleased to say in that case Staffordshire Police have now made four arrests.
“But all of those events, besides the tragic murders of Jo Cox and Sir David Amess, just show how serious this is.
“We can’t cede an inch of territory to people who seek to intimidate our elected representatives.”
(ITV/GMB)
Matt Mathers28 February 2024 08:26
ICYMI: Reform candidate blames George Galloway for ‘whipping up division’ in Rochdale after receiving ‘death threat’
Matt Mathers28 February 2024 08:22
In full: Cleverly questions what regular pro-Palestine protests are hoping to achieve
The home secretary has said pro-Palestine protesters have “made their point” and questioned whether holding regular marches “adds value” to their calls for an immediate ceasefire.
James Cleverly, in an interview with The Times, questioned what future demonstrations in support of ending the violence in Gaza hoped to achieve given the Conservative UK government was in “disagreement” with their position.
Matt Mathers28 February 2024 08:16
Lee Anderson fuels Reform defection talk as he meets with leader Richard Tice
Matt Mathers28 February 2024 07:56
‘Inappropriate’ for Post Office to express view on quashing convictions
The Post Office expressing a view on the overturning the fraud convictions of branch managers is “quite inappropriate”, a leading campaigner has said.
Conservative peer Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom also said it was “quite wrong” for the company to have a role in the compensation process for wronged subpostmasters.
The Tory former MP, who had long championed the issue and is a member of the Horizon compensation advisory board, made his comments after the Post Office told the Government it would be bound to oppose appeals in more than half the cases it had prosecuted.
A law aimed at exonerating subpostmasters caught up in the Horizon IT scandal is expected to be brought forward “as soon as possible next month”, according to ministers, with the hope that all convictions will be “overturned by July”.
Giving evidence to MPs on Tuesday, Post Office chief executive officer Nick Read said: “We are making no value judgments here.
“We want people to get through this process and if mass exoneration is the right thing, then let’s make sure we get the right legislation in place to deliver mass exoneration.”
But speaking in Parliament, Lord Arbuthnot said: “The Post Office itself is under investigation by the police.
“Is it not quite inappropriate for the Post Office to express any view at all as to the correctness of overturning convictions and also quite wrong for the Post Office to have any position or play any part in the compensation process itself?”
Barney Davis28 February 2024 06:04
Dawn Butler hits out at distressing LBC comments from Tory cllr accusing her of antisemitism
After his conversation on LBC with James O’Brien, Cllr Bret Rosehill said: “I called LBC in my personal capacity to express my personal opinions on a current topic.
“My concern with Lee’s comments are that we are moving the dial away from discussing the threat to the Jewish population and entwining the conversation with Islamophobia.”
“Antisemitism is a separate issue which, as a percentage hate crimes per capita by religion, is in a league of its own at the moment.”
He added: “During the conversation, James asked which Labour MPs have expressed antisemitism in the same way as Lee Andersen had with islamophobia. I highlighted Jeremy Corbyn and Dawn Butler with the latter refusing to sign the Board of Deputies’ ten pledges to tackle antisemitism. In retrospect, having felt as though I was backed in a corner by James O’Brien, I was wrong in my views of Dawn Butler and I would like to sincerely apologise to her.
The world is getting tougher and tougher and I hoped I could have a sensible discussion on LBC however it sadly didn’t turn out that way.
Barney Davis28 February 2024 05:01
‘Sacked for doing my job’ David Neal hits out at Home Office
Sacked border watchdog David Neal told MPs he was fired “for doing my job” and hit out at the “shocking” way the Home Office terminated his role.
He was sacked as the independent chief inspector of borders and immigration earlier this month after losing the confidence of Home Secretary James Cleverly amid claims he breached the terms of his appointment.
The former inspector had become embroiled in a row with the Home Office about concerns he was raising over security checks at airports.
Mr Neal told the Commons Home Affairs Committee: “I’ve been sacked for doing my job.
“I think I’ve been sacked for doing what the law asks of me and I’ve breached, I’ve fallen down over a clause in my employment contract, which I think is a crying shame.”
His tenure as the independent borders watchdog was due to end on March 21 and he claimed No 10 had blocked his reappointment before he was ultimately fired.
David Neal has hit out at his treatment by the Home Office (ICIBI Corporate Services/PA)
(PA Media)
Barney Davis28 February 2024 04:03
Why is Lee Anderson being accused of Islamophobia?
The Ashfield MP has been suspended from the Conservative party following his comments on GB News
Mr Anderson, who is paid £100,000 a year to be host on the TV channel, said on Friday: “I don’t actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they’ve got control of Khan and they’ve got control of London, and they’ve got control of Starmer as well.”
Barney Davis28 February 2024 03:05
Rochdale by-election: Chaotic contest overshadowed by antisemitism row and Gaza war leaves voters frustrated
Once a Labour safe-seat, Rochdale is facing a chaotic byelection this week where the party isn’t represented at all, writes Zoe Grunewald:
Barney Davis28 February 2024 02:02
Henry Staunton claims he is ‘victim’ of smear campaign
Former Post Office chairman Henry Staunton has said that he is a victim of a “smear campaign” after a fallout with Business Secretary Kemi Badenoch.
Henry Staunton made the allegation at a hearing to discuss compensation payments to sub-postmasters at the centre of the Horizon scandal.
Alan Bates, the inspiration behind the ITV drama, told MPs the government needed to “get on and pay people”.
“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “This has been going on for years, as you well know, and I can’t see any end to it.”
Mr Staunton, who was sacked as Post Office chair said that compensation process had slowed right down until Mr Bates vs The Post Office was aired in January.
“We all know that things were moving far too slowly … and the reason why people have latched onto what I said in the Sunday Times was that finally someone was being honest about how deep seated the problems were and why nothing was being done,” he told MPs on the Business and Trade Committee.
“I still think that more could be done, at least to make compensation more generous, and the process of getting justice less bureaucratic.
“But I will at least have achieved something if the sunlight of disinfectant, which the Secretary of State so approves of, means that Government now lives up to its promises.
“What the public wants to know is why was everything so slow? … And why does everything remain so slow? I’ve spoken up on matters of genuine public concern, have been fired, and am now subject to a smear campaign.”
Barney Davis28 February 2024 01:04