Author: David Pike

Sexual abuse victims claim free court transcript scheme was ‘hidden’ from them for months Sexual abuse victims believe they could have been saved from months of suffering after they claim a government scheme to allow them access to free court transcripts was “hidden” from them for months. Following months of campaigning, a 12-month pilot scheme opened in May to allow “thousands” of sexual violence and rape victims to obtain usually expensive transcripts of judges remarks…

Ukrainian mother’s desperate plea for children to join her in UK after Home Office refusal A Ukrainian refugee says she is living in a “surreal nightmare” after she was refused permission to bring her two children to the UK. Pressure is mounting on ministers to open a family reunion pathway for Ukrainians with temporary immigration status, after the rules were changed without warning in February. Charities say that the Home Office’s “restrictive rules and poor…

Alex Salmond: The man who taught me political journalism is a contact sport – well before Donald Trump Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailAlex Salmond has died having failed to achieve just two of his great ambitions – make Scotland an independent country, and judge the annual Tartan B*****s contest for the worst Scottish political story of the year, held…

Woman who did not get leaving card loses UK employment claim A woman who sued her former employer over not being given a leaving card lost her case when it was revealed it had been hidden from her after only three people signed it. Karen Conaghan claimed that the lack of a leaving card was a “failure to acknowledge her existence” at IAG, the parent company of British Airways, and a breach of equality law. However,…

Novichok inquiry: Probe opens into nerve agent death of Dawn Sturgess in Salisbury The public inquiry into the death of Dawn Sturgess, who died in the Salisbury Novichok poisonings, is set to open on Monday. Ms Sturgess, 44, was killed after coming into contact with the Russian-engineered nerve agent, which was present on a discarded perfume bottle, in Amesbury in July 2018. The 44-year-old’s contact with Novichok followed the attempted murder of former spy Sergei…

Man shot dead in east London yards from Barking train station | UK News A man in his 30s has died after he was shot near an Underground station in east London. The residents of Linton Road, Barking, had a rude awakening in the early hours of the morning today after shots were fired on the road just minutes from the Barking train and Tube station. Emergency services rushed to the scene after police received…

Doctors say UK’s immigration system risks ‘re-traumatising’ asylum seekers Exclusive: Royal College of Psychiatrists calls for review of laws, saying Labour has ‘moral and ethical obligation’ to protect those seeking sanctuary in UK. Top doctors have identified Britain’s immigration system as a “public mental health concern” that inflicts harm on asylum seekers, and risks “re-traumatising” those already affected by psychological distress. The Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP) has called on ministers to review immigration laws…

UK politics live: Robert Jenrick promises to make Jacob Rees-Mogg Tory chairman if elected leader Robert Jenrick has promised to make Jacob Rees-Mogg Tory party chairman if he wins the Conservative Party leadership election. Mr Jenrick on Sunday said he would appoint the Boris Johnson loyalist despite him losing his seat in the July election. “One of my first acts as leader would be to appoint him as chairman of the party so we can…

Starmer vows bonfire of red tape to get Britain building ahead of investment summit Sir Keir Starmer will promise a bonfire of red tape to get Britain building as he gathers global chief executives at an investment summit in the City of London on Monday. The prime minister is pledging to “rip out the bureaucracy that blocks investment” and ensure regulators prioritise economic growth in their decision-making. And laying the groundwork for a wave of…

Everest’s great mystery finally solved? Sandy Irvine’s remains found 100 years after the climber vanished The enduring mystery of Mallory and Irvine, the tweed-clad heroes of Everest last seen vanishing into a cloud as mist swept over the Himalayan summit, may finally have been solved 100 years on from the tragedy that so nearly ended in triumph. Andrew “Sandy” Irvine, the youngest member of the 1924 Mount Everest expedition, disappeared on the upper slopes alongside…

Sunday’s newspapers report on a variety of domestic topics, with many of the front pages featuring images of Scottish politician Alex Salmond who has died at the age of 69.
There is coverage of PM Starmer stepping into the ongoing cabinet row following comments about P&O Ferries by Transport Secretary Louise Haigh. Many of the papers suggest the PM has thrown the minister under the bus to rescue the £1bn deal.
An assessment of Keir Starmer’s first 100 days in office is another popular story this morning as even the prime minister has acknowledged it’s been a bit of a bumpy ride.
Elsewhere, there’s a handful of showbiz stories on the front splashes., including original WAG Coleen Rooney – who’s set to appear on the hit show I’m A Celebrity.

Labour MPs urge Reeves to spend tens of billions more on ailing public services Summarize this content to 100 words About 70 colleagues have written to chancellor ahead of budget pleading for her to commit to rewriting fiscal rules• How Labour promises have left Rachel Reeves with a giant budget headache Scores of Labour MPs are pleading with Rachel Reeves to embrace spending tens of billions more on ailing public services as part of an…

Labour warned £22bn shortfall will last years without higher taxes or cuts Resolution Foundation says overspend chancellor claims she inherited will persist unless tough choices are madeReeves spends first 100 days in power trying to ride two horses. Labour weighs £3bn tax rise on gambling firms. Chancellor considers raising capital gains tax to 39%Rachel Reeves has been warned that most of the £22bn shortfall in the public finances Labour claims was covered up by the…

‘Incomparable’ Alex Salmond made Scottish nationalism soar before he and SNP soured Late SNP leader drove party to power and country to brink of independence but left a fractured legacy. Alex Salmond, former first minister of Scotland, dies aged 69Alex Salmond – a life in. The flags on the Scottish parliament building were lowered on Saturday evening to mark the passing of Alex Salmond, who transformed the Scottish National party and led Scotland to the…

Three men raped girl, 13, they found alone at tube station | UK News Three men raped a 13-year-old girl they found ‘alone and vulnerable’ at a London Underground station. Paul Maxwell, 24, Kayon Bhola, 29, and Jeremiah Jackson 24, encountered the girl at Hammersmith tube station when she was travelling from her home into London. CCTV shows them travelling towards Maxwell’s flat, where they raped her. A short video clip of the attack, which…

Alex Salmond death – latest: Nicola Sturgeon pays tribute to SNP ‘mentor’ who brought Scotland close to independence Former First Minister of Scotland Alex Salmond dies aged 69 Tributes have poured in for the longtime Scottish first minister Alex Salmond after his sudden death aged 69 shocked the world of politics in which he was a senior figure for decades. The current Alba leader passed away on Saturday afternoon at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy…

The new Map shows which London which London Underground stations are faster to walk than to tube Most of central London’s tube stops are less than a 10-minute walk from one another in the central zone. A new map shows which London Underground stations are faster to walk than to tube and we have broken it down for you. So when you are heading out for a day out in the capital, Londoners usually always…

Monster pickup trucks accelerate into Europe as sales rise despite safety fears A Dodge Ram 1500 is bigger than a Panzer I tank and campaigners say heavy trucks are ‘lethal’ in collisions. The engines rev, the guitars thrum and a gruff narrator lays out why the vehicle occupying the driveway is more than just a machine. “A truck is a tool,” he says, “but a Ram – a Ram is life.” So begins an advert…

‘Cheer up, you caught the bad guy,’ says killer Virginia McCullough as she is arrested for murdering her parents A woman who murdered her parents “in cold blood” before hiding them in makeshift tombs for four years told officers to “cheer up, you caught the bad guy” as she was arrested in her home. Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John McCullough, 70, with prescription medication and fatally stabbed her mother Lois McCullough, 71, shortly afterwards in…

UK leader Keir Starmer is marking 100 days in office. It has been a rocky ride British Prime Minister Keir Starmer marks 100 days in office Saturday with little cause for celebration. Starmer’s centre-left Labour Party was elected by a landslide on July 4, sweeping back to power after 14 years. But after weeks of stories about feuding, freebies and fiscal gloom, polls suggest Starmer’s personal approval rating has plummeted, and Labour is only slightly…

Starmer risks ministerial rift with slap down of transport secretary after £1bn investment loss Keir Starmer has risked deepening a rift in his own government after he used an interview with the BBC to criticise his transport secretary Louise Haigh. The prime minister appeared on the BBC News Newscast podcast with Adam Fleming and Chris Mason, where he was pressed on Ms Haigh’s comments to ITV earlier this week where she suggested a boycott of…