Author: UK News

Mapped: All the MPs standing down at the next election There is no bias in the original title. Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris has become the latest Tory MP to announce that he will stand down at the next election, saying it was the “right time” for him to “look for some new challenges”. Mr Heaton-Harris said on X it had been an “honour and a privilege to serve” and passed on his thanks to his constituents in Daventry. He added that he would be continuing to campaign for the Conservatives as the “only party that has and can deliver…

Royal family news: Harry to miss Duke of Westminster’s wedding while William set to be usher There is no bias in the title provided. The Duke of Sussex will reportedly miss the Duke of Westminster‘s wedding next month, while his brother the Prince of Wales is set to be an usher. Hugh Grosvenor, 33, will marry 31-year-old Olivia Henson at Chester Cathedral on 7 June in a 400-strong guestlist celebration. Considered one of Britain’s richest men, Grosvenor is a godfather to Harry’s first-born child, Archie, who turned five earlier this month. However, according to recent reports, Prince Harry and Meghan…

Devon water crisis – live: MP brands South West Water ‘contemptible and incompetent’ as parasite infections rise There is no bias in the original titleSouth West Water: ‘Boil water’ warning lifted for most homes across Devon after parasite outbreak When will the Northern Lights be visible again? Space forecasters have their say An MP has branded a water company “contemptible and incompetent” as the number of people infected with a waterborne parasite in Devon continues to rise. South West Water (SWW) has been blamed amid fears drinking contaminated tap water is what has led to more than 100 residents falling…

Wes Streeting pulls out prompt card as he forgets key Labour pledge | News There is no bias in the title provided. Wes Streeting needed to pull out a prompt card as he recited Sir Keir Starmer’s six Labour pledges. For context : Wes Streeting is the current Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. the equivalent to a cabinet member if Labour were to win the general election. Appearing on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, the shadow health secretary was sat opposite Grant Shapps when the BBC host caught them off guard with a…

Former Post Office boss Vennells ‘heading into corner where there is no way out’ There is no bias in the original title The former Post Office boss is “heading into a corner where there is no way out” as she is set to give evidence at the Horizon IT inquiry, a fomer subpostmistress said. Jo Hamilton, who was prosecuted after being falsely accused of stealing £36,000 from the company, said former Post Office chief exectuive Paula Vennells should apologise and come clean about the scandal. Ms Vennells is set to give evidence to the probe on Wednesday but was said…

Contaminated blood scandal victims living with ‘survivor’s guilt’ as thousands of lives continue to be ‘blighted’ Contaminated blood victims say they are living with “survivor’s guilt” as their lives “continue to be blighted” by the lasting effects of the scandal. Victims and their loved ones have spoken out about the tragic events and the long-lasting effects which saw thousands of people given contaminated blood or blood products between the 1970s and 1990s. Thousands were infected with hepatitis and HIV as a result of what is known as one of the worst treatment disasters in the history of the NHS. Amanda…

Boy, 14, dies after going into River Tyne in Ovingham There is no bias in the title provided. A 14-year-old boy has died and a 13-year-old boy is in a critical condition after getting into difficulty in the River Tyne at Ovingham. A huge search operation had been underway for the two teenagers after they went missing on Saturday afternoon. Northumbria Police said it was alerted to the youngsters going into the water near Ovingham Bridge, Northumberland, at around 3.30pm. Emergency services rescued a 13-year-old boy from the water and rushed him to hospital, where he currently remains in a…

Tearful WW2 veteran recalls being captured weeks after D-Day There is no bias in the title provided. A Second World War veteran who was captured as a prisoner of war just weeks after D-Day and was forced to march hundreds of miles was brought to tears as he remembered being reunited with his mother 10 months later. Ken Hay almost did not make it back home to Barking when he “lay down to die” as he fell during the three-month march, but his friends came back to help. The 98-year-old, who served in the 4th Dorset infantry regiment, went to…

Families beg for end to IPP scandal as Lords vote on reforms to indeterminate sentences There is no bias in the title provided. The House of Lords is set to vote on a series of measures to help prisoners languishing in jail under “unjust” indeterminate sentences as families beg: “Put an end to this.” Campaigners have warned that reforms are a matter of life and death for inmates trapped under imprisonment for public protection (IPP) sentences, after almost 90 suicides. Those include the tragic case – highlighted by The Independent – of Scott Rider, who took his own life in despair after serving…

Europe’s far right groups launch unofficial campaign for the European Union elections There is no bias in the title provided Europe’s far-right political parties unofficially launched their campaign Sunday for European Union elections in Spain with strong messages against illegal migration and the bloc’s climate policy while declaring their support for Israel in its war against Hamas. French National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen and Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni tried to rally voters at an event organized by Spain’s far-right Vox party in Madrid ahead of the European Union’s parliamentary elections June 6-9. Analysts say the vote across…

Trust in Post Office plummets following outrage over Horizon scandal, polling finds There is no bias in the title provided. The Post Office has plummeted from its position as Britain’s sixth-most-trusted financial, banking and insurance brand to 135th in the space of just 12 months amid public outcry over the Horizon IT scandal, new polling suggests. The company is now at risk of losing a third of its “heartland” older customer base, the study found, with the number of over-50s considering using Post Office services falling from 60 to 40 per cent in less than a year. Trust in the…

Jim Ratcliffe predicts how Keir Starmer will perform as prime minister | News There is no bias in the original title provided. Sir Jim Ratcliffe believes Sir Keir Starmer “will do a very good job of running the country” if he wins the general election. The Ineos founder and Manchester United co-owner suggested that the Conservatives have had a “good run” but that “most of the country probably feels it’s time for a change.” “I’m sure Keir will do a very good job of running the country, I have no questions about that,” Sir Jim told Sky News. “The UK…

Starmer quizzed on policies for ‘discrimination against bald blokes’ | News There is no bias in the title provided. Sir Keir Starmer was quizzed on his policies for “discrimination against bald blokes” during an appearance on Sunday Brunch. The Labour leader showed off his cooking skills by making tandoori salmon, before sitting down with hosts Tim Lovejoy and Simon Rimmer. “Final question, do you have anything on discrimination against bald blokes?” a cheeky Tim asked. “Nothing at all, nothing,” Sir Keir said amid laughter from the studio, before running off to watch the Arsenal game. Earlier on Sunday, Wes Streeting…

London busker has perfect response to passer-by berating her on street | Lifestyle There is no bias in the title provided. A harpist busking on the streets of London expertly shut down a furious bypasser who wrongly accused her of begging. The performer, known on TikTok as @Robyn.hearts.harp, was repeatedly asked if she had permission to be playing on the streets of Harrow, northwest London, before the woman threatened to report her to the local council. In a video Robyn shared that has since gone viral, she is seen calmly responding to the woman’s angry tirade while continuing to play…

Brexit row erupts over control of Gibraltar’s border There is no original title provided. The Brexiteer promise of stronger sovereignty has failed and is instead leading to a loss of control of British territories, MPs have warned. The claim has come ahead of a showdown on Monday between David Cameron and members of the Commons European scrutiny committee over a planned treaty for Gibraltar. The governments of Gibraltar and the UK are close to agreeing a treaty that some fear will see EU Frontex border guards decide who can enter the British overseas territory – and will give them the…

Firefighters battle raging flames after bus catches fire in london | News There is no bias in the original title provided. A London bus was engulfed by flames and reduced to a blackened shell as dozens of firefighters rushed to put out the blaze on Saturday 18 May.Five fire engines and 30 firefighters scrambled to the scene in Twickenham, south west London, at around 1.30pm as black smoke billowed into the air.All passengers and the driver managed to escape unharmed, the London Fire Brigade said.“There were no reported injuries. Enquires continue alongside London Fire Brigade colleagues,” a Metropolitan Police spokesperson…

Jeremy Hunt says £10bn infected blood scandal compensation will fulfil vow to constituent a decade ago There is no bias in the original title provided. Compensation for the victims of the infected blood fiasco, expected to top £10 billion, will fulfil a promise Jeremy Hunt made to a constituent a decade ago, he has declared. The chancellor also called the scandal the worst of his lifetime as he indicated he would be open to a memorial to the victims. Ministers are set to outline payments to tens of thousands of people who were given contaminated blood or blood products between…

Archbishop of Canterbury criticises two-child benefit cap as ‘cruel’ There is no bias in the original title provided. The Archbishop of Canterbury has slammed the two-child benefit cap as “cruel” and urged prime minister Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer to commit to scrapping it. Justin Welby said the limit, which restricts child benefit entitlement to two children per household, was neither “moral nor necessary” and it fell short of “our values as a society”. The prime minister has pledged to keep the policy if the Tories remain in power and Sir Keir has so far resisted calls to get…

British companies should ditch political activism, says Kemi Badenoch There is no bias in the title provided. British companies should ditch political activism and focus on delivering goods and services for customers, the UK’s business secretary has said. Kemi Badenoch, who also works as Britain’s equalities minister, said there was a “creeping politicisation” of businesses and claimed equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives did more to divide than unify people. It comes as 50 per cent of people thought businesses were too concerned with “taking political positions” on contested issues, according to a survey by centre-right think-tank Policy Exchange. Up…

Devon water crisis – live: Residents no longer have to boil drinking water, supplier South West Water says amid parasite outbreak There is no original title provided to identify any biased words or phrases. South West Water: ‘Boil water’ warning lifted for most homes across Devon after parasite outbreak Thousands of households in Devon can now use their tap water safely after a waterborne disease caused by a microscopic parasite led to more than 100 residents falling ill. Supplier South West Water (SWW) said it was no longer required for 14,500 households in Brixham to boil their water before drinking it.…

Thousands of pro-Palestine protesters march in London and call for ceasefire There is no bias in the title provided. Thousands of pro-Palestine demonstrators took to the streets of London on Saturday to demand a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The march marked the 76th anniversary of what Palestinians call the Nakba – the Arabic word for catastrophe – which refers to the mass displacement of people after the creation of Israel in 1948. Seven arrests were made during the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) protest for incidents involving “offensive placards and chants, violence and sexual assault”, the Met Police said. In…

Labour pledges 40,000 extra NHS appointments a week There is no bias in the title provided Labour has pledged to introduce shared NHS waiting lists to deliver an extra 40,000 appointments a week and improve healthcare. Hospitals would be forced to run evening and weekend surgeries, with staff and resources pooled across a region under the plans. Patients would also be offered appointments at nearby hospitals to avoid waiting times at their local one, allowing them to be treated faster. Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said: “Fourteen years of Conservative neglect has seen waiting lists treble and, despite Rishi Sunak’s…

Search underway for two teenagers missing after entering the Tyne in Ovingham There is no bias in the title provided. A huge search operation is underway for two teenagers after they went missing in the River Tyne on Saturday afternoon. The youngsters went into the water near Ovingham Bridge, Northumberland, at around 3.30pm, Northumbria Police said. Emergency services including ambulance, police and fire and rescue crews are currently at the scene. A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “Shortly after 3.30pm today (Saturday) police received a report of concern for the welfare of two teenage boys who had come into difficulty in…

Extraordinary moment woman playing harp on High Street is berated by-passer by who threatens to report her There is no bias in the title provided. A harpist busking on the streets of London endured a bizarre encounter when she came under fire from a furious bypasser who wrongly accused her of begging. The street performer, who is known on TikTok as @Robyn.hearts.harp, was repeatedly asked if she had permission to be playing on the streets of Harrow, before the woman threatened to report her to the local council. The strange interaction was filmed and has gone viral online, with the…

Thousands gather across UK to demand clean rivers, beaches and lakes There is no bias in the title provided. Thousands of people across the UK gathered at beaches, rivers and lakes on Saturday to demand change in the country’s water pollution levels. Protesters gathered at swimming spots from West Pier in Brighton to Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth following reports that millions of litres of raw sewage were pumped into Windermere in the Lake District for 10 hours in February. Some held signs and placards calling for clean oceans while others wore costumes as people were seen paddle-boarding out into the…