Author: UK News

Gavin Williamson ordered to apologise over bullying texts to Wendy Morton The Independent Expert Panel (IEP) has told former cabinet minister Gavin Williamson to apologise after a parliamentary inquiry found he had bullied a colleague in text messages. Sir Gavin quit as a minister last year after sending foul texts to former Tory chief whip Wendy Morton. In the texts, he accused Morton of excluding some MPs from the Queen’s funeral in September last year. Sir Gavin sent the messages in the lead-up to the funeral and Morton lodged a complaint with Parliament in November. In a report, published Monday,…

Schools won’t have to pay to fix crumbling concrete, minister says Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has told Sky News that schools affected by collapse-risk concrete will not have to pay for repairs out of their budgets. Keegan said there will be no new money to fix the problem, but the costs will be covered by the Department for Education (DfE). More than 100 schools in England have been told to close or partially close due to the risk of the reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) and the collapsing of school buildings. There has been a row over who will pick…

Amber Gibson’s brother jailed for life for killing teenager Connor Gibson, 20, has been jailed for a minimum of 22 years after he was found guilty of sexually assaulting and murdering his 16-year-old sister in a park in Hamilton. Amber Gibson’s body was found in Cadzow Glen on 28 November 2021, two days after she was last seen. Connor Gibson strangled Amber then got rid of his clothes and called the children’s home Amber was staying at to pretend she was still alive. Another man, Stephen Corrigan – unknown to both Amber and Connor – has been found guilty of…

Amber Gibson, 16, was sexually assaulted, strangled and left in a woodland by her own brother Connor in 2021.

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Monday’s front pages continue their coverage of the crumbling concrete in schools, as the new term is about to start. Crumbling schools The Times reports ministers are facing demands to speed up inspections to uncover the full extent of dangerous concrete in school buildings. The paper says hundreds of schools are “still in the dark” over the extent of the problem. The i newspaper reports on teachers being “thrown into a new term panic” as Jeremey Hunt “vows to make schools safe at any cost” but that “there’s no new money.” The Guardian says…

A man was later arrested on suspicion of death by dangerous driving.

But it should only be used for two years.

Nearly three in four (72%) school staff believe there has been an increase in ‘hygiene poverty’ issues in their school in the last year, according to new figures.

So many colours!

The French youngster, who spent months in intensive care, has also developed a passion for green issues.

Time to dust off the old sunscreen.

From farms to museums.

Tesco staff offered body cameras over crime fears Tesco’s chief executive Ken Murphy has said staff at Tesco stores will be offered body cameras as violent attacks against staff has risen. Physical assaults on staff have increased by a third since last year. The findings are similar to the British Retail Consortium (BRC) which found abuse against retail staff had almost doubled compared to pre-Covid levels. Other supermarket chains such as Waitrose and Co-op have taken similar action. Tesco boss Murphy, writing in the Mail on Sunday, called for tougher laws targeting offenders. He noted changes had been made to…

Concrete crisis: Headteachers in weekend dash to make schools safe to open Amid school closures due to unsafe buildings, England’s headteachers are scrambling this weekend to find ways to reopen their schools in time for the new term. Many of the 104 schools told to shut due to the buildings are busy rejigging timetables, seeking alternative classrooms and trying to rent temporary toilets. Parents are being emailed last-minute plans for home learning and moving children to other schools. The government is set to publish a full list of schools with buildings known to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), but…

The King Charles III tartan, named after the monarch, is green, blue and red and was designed by the Scottish Tartans Authority.

One schoolgirl said that walking through the school gates felt like wading through vicious, sharp ice

‘This problem isn’t just financial, it’s emotional too.’

I am horrified that the Tory Party would continue to back a candidate who can make such disparaging comments and not apologise.

It is the first time a family member has spoken out.

Train strikes start ahead of weekend disruption Friday will see large parts of the country without train services as the latest strike action starts. Members of Aslef union – who work at more than a dozen train companies are striking and refusing to work overtime on Saturday. Saturday will also see up to 20,000 RMT union members at 14 operators also strike in a long-running dispute over pay, jobs and conditions. Operators running no services on Friday, 1 September include Northern, Avanti West Coast, Transpennine, Southern and Thameslink. On Saturday, 2 September, fewer than half of the trains will be…

There’s a surprise inside.

It’s about time the police save Black men’s lives by taking themselves out of the equation.

Today’s news summary – Paper Talk Friday’s front pages mostly lead with the last-minute closure of school buildings in England due to the buildings being made with aerated concrete. School closures in England The Guardian’s headline: “School chaos as buildings are shut over collapse fears.” The paper reports “Thousands of pupils in England may begin the autumn term taking lessons remotely or in temporary buildings.” The i newspaper reports parents with children in the schools that will shut are “scrambling for childcare.” More than 100 schools in England have been told their buildings are at risk of collapse. Former Home…

It’s not that far off really…

The back-to-school struggle is real (Photo: Getty)