Category Archives: Politics

Tory Neil Parish to resign as MP after porn ‘moment of madness’

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Parish says an initial incident was accidental while looking at tractors, but a second time was deliberate

The Conservative politician accused of watching porn on his phone in the House of Commons has announced he will step down as an MP after facing calls to resign.

Neil Parish, the MP for Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, had already had the Tory whip removed and suggested he had opened the porn “in error”. He previously said he would only resign if found guilty by an inquiry into his actions.

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Neil Parish says watching porn in Commons was ‘moment of madness’ as he resigns as MP – as it happened

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The MP for Tiverton and Honiton says he initially found the pornographic website while looking at tractors

The shadow education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, has said ministers should not micromanage the books pupils read in classrooms.

Speaking to the NAHT school leaders’ annual conference in Telford, she said there was an “irony” that the government is seeking to take politics out of the classroom but simultaneously telling teachers what books to teach.

I think we need a school curriculum that inspires and supports every young person... I think children should expect to see their lives, their communities, their experiences reflected in that,

I think it is not for secretaries of state to dictate which books should or shouldn’t be taught within a school. I think you all have expertise and professionalism that allows you to deliver that.

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UK faces childcare crisis as staff shortages force nurseries to close

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Early years providers can’t attract qualified workers and the crisis will put prices up, increasing the burden on struggling families

Nurseries across the UK are being forced to close or reduce their services at an alarming rate because they are struggling to recruit and retain staff, the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) has warned.

The crisis is only set to deepen as more childcare providers go out of business, increasing demand for places and pushing prices even higher for families struggling with the rising cost of living.

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Wife of Neil Parish says she first heard of porn claims from reporter

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Sue Parish claims she was unaware of Tory MP’s suspension until a journalist asked her for a quote

The wife of the Tory MP under investigation for allegedly watching porn on his phone in the House of Commons only found out when a reporter called her about the story.

Sue Parish, 66, said she first became aware of her husband Neil’s suspension from the Conservative party when a journalist got in touch looking for a comment.

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Foreign Office investigates reports of captured Briton paraded on Russian TV

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Footage shows injured man, who gives his name as Andrew Hill, being questioned by Russian forces

The Foreign Office is investigating reports that a British national has been detained by Russia after a video emerged showing a man in camouflage clothes being questioned.

In the video, reportedly shown on Russian television, the man appears to give his name as Andrew Hill. He speaks with an English accent, has his arm in a sling, a bandage around his head, and blood can be seen on his hand.

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‘He’s got to go’: anger in Tiverton as local MP Neil Parish faces porn claims

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People in Devon town have little sympathy and say Tory should ‘admit what he’s done’ and resign

A few were prepared to give Neil Parish the benefit of the doubt pending the result of an inquiry. But most people in the Devon market town of Tiverton on Saturday had very little sympathy for their MP.

“He should just admit what he’s done and get out,” said Hannah Tucker, 32, a supermarket worker who was shopping with her husband, Liam. “The Tories are a joke. They get up to all sorts – and most of the time get away with it. They’ve to be stopped.”

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Hostile foreign states pose ‘real risk’ of influencing MPs groups

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Standards committee report calls for reforms to all-party parliamentary groups to avert ‘next great parliamentary scandal’

Hostile foreign states and others pose a “real risk” of gaining access and wielding influence through all-party parliamentary groups (APPGs), the Commons standards committee has warned.

Calling for reforms to avert what it described as the “next great parliamentary scandal”, the committee also voiced concerns that a dramatic rise in the number of the informal cross-party groups also risks “inappropriate influence and access” because they are so difficult to monitor.

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Senior Tories pressure Johnson to act now on MP accused of watching porn

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MPs question why direct action has not been taken, but PM says independent process is needed

Boris Johnson is under increasing pressure to take immediate disciplinary action against the Conservative MP accused of watching pornography in the House of Commons.

The chief whip issued a statement on Wednesday suggesting the matter should be referred to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), which deals with sexual harassment and other disciplinary matters. But senior Tories questioned why he had not taken action directly against the MP, whose alleged behaviour was witnessed by two female colleagues in recent months.

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Tories ‘bending the rules’ after missing deadline for publishing Lebedev advice

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Not releasing MI5 advice on granting peerage makes government look like it has something to hide, Labour says

Ministers have been accused of “bending the rules to dodge scrutiny” after Downing Street missed the deadline for publishing the security advice it received about granting Evgeny Lebedev a peerage.

MPs voted last month for the material to be released after reports that MI5 raised security concerns when the Evening Standard owner and son of a KGB officer was nominated by Boris Johnson to join the House of Lords in March 2020.

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Keir Starmer hosts Israeli Labor party in charm offensive ahead of local elections

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Senior shadow cabinet ministers invite Israeli politicians to observe Labour’s door-knocking drive in Barnet, north London

Keir Starmer and senior shadow cabinet ministers have launched a charm offensive while hosting officials from Israel’s Labor party, including taking them door-knocking for the local elections in Barnet, north London.

In move designed to underline the contrast with Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, Starmer and Rayner have hosted nine officials including the deputy mayor of Tel Aviv, Chen Arieli, the party’s chief executive, Nir Rosen, and senior staffers from the Israeli leader’s office.

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Tories should take action now against MP accused of watching pornography in chamber, says Keir Starmer – UK politics live

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Latest updates: Labour leader says Tories ‘know who this is’ and should address it immediately

The Conservative MP Jamie Wallis has been charged with failing to stop after being involved in a car crash last year, PA Media reports. PA says:

Wallis has also been charged with failing to report a road traffic collision, driving without due care and attention and leaving a vehicle in a dangerous position.

The MP for Bridgend and first openly transgender MP was arrested on suspicion of ‘driving whilst unfit’ following the late-night collision when a car hit a lamppost in Llanblethian on 28 November. At the time, Wallis said he was ‘assisting police with their inquiries’.

So I think as a society we’ve got to take this moment to reflect on what are we doing to lower standards of behaviour, whether that’s on the tube, in front of children, in parliament or in public.

The problem doesn’t start in parliament. It actually ends up there, and it starts in wider society, and that’s where we need to start discussing and agreeing some basic moral standards.

I think this is something that does happen in many, if not all workplaces, where a small minority of men – and it is men – who are behaving in an unacceptable way.

I think that’s actually a more worrying symptom of our society and our culture. How have we got to a place in our society where watching pornography on the tube, in public, in front of children, in parliament, in the workplace has become somehow normalised for some people?

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What is role of parliamentary watchdog ICGS set up in response to #MeToo?

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Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme was set up three years ago to process official HR complaints

Before this week, 56 MPs – including two shadow cabinet ministers – had reportedly been referred to the Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS), a parliamentary watchdog established more than three years ago.

The profile of the ICGS has been heightened after news that a Conservative MP, who allegedly watched pornography on his phone in the House of Commons, has been reported to it.

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Imran Ahmad Khan completes MP resignation process with full April pay

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Wakefield MP found guilty of sexual assault on 11 April says delay caused by Easter and HR issues

Imran Ahmad Khan has said he has now resigned as Wakefield’s MP and will no longer be a parliamentarian from this Saturday, two and a half weeks after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.

Ahmad Khan told the Guardian he had submitted his resignation on Monday and that it was effective from 30 April. That means he will be paid his salary in full for April.

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Labour MP Liam Byrne to be suspended from Commons for bullying aide

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Independent expert panel has recommended Byrne be suspended from chamber for two days

The Labour MP Liam Byrne will be suspended from the Commons for bullying a staff member, after being accused of ostracising the aide and denying them access to his parliamentary account.

An independent panel recommended Byrne be suspended for two days for a breach of bullying and harassment rules after a complaint from David Barker, a former member of his constituency staff, to the independent grievance scheme.

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Welsh female MP accuses Labour frontbencher of sexist remark

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Member of shadow cabinet allegedly told MP she was successful because men wanted to sleep with her

A female Welsh MP has accused a member of the shadow cabinet of lewd sexism by stating she would be successful because men wanted to sleep with her, as the attorney general accused some male MPs of acting “like animals”.

After the latest allegation of misogyny to hit Westminster, Labour promised to launch an investigation if a complaint was made.

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Rishi Sunak hints at U-turn on UK oil and gas windfall tax

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The chancellor says nothing is off the table but fellow Tory ministers remain dismissive of idea

Rishi Sunak has opened the door to a windfall tax on oil and gas companies despite previously dismissing the policy, as Labour accused the government of burying its head in the sand over spiralling bills.

The chancellor hinted at a possible U-turn on a tax on oil and gas providers, after repeatedly refusing to countenance the idea in the past when suggested by Labour and the Lib Dems.

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MPs criticise ‘top-down’ approach to UK-US trade talks

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Fears grow in UK that any proposals could downgrade workers’ rights despite assurances on both sides

Britain’s trade talks with the US are moving ahead with only “minimal” input from workers, small businesses and thinktanks, according to MPs who accused the UK trade secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, of shielding her department from outside scrutiny.

Conservative and Labour MPs on the trade select committee also said scrutiny of a deal struck with Australia and New Zealand was in danger of being “rushed through” parliament before they could make an assessment of its impact on imports and exports to and from the Commonwealth countries.

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Tory councillors disciplined for ‘hate’ directed at Jewish Labour candidate

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Dan Ozarow felt terrorised by abuse of him and his family after negative campaigning in Hertfordshire

Conservative councillors in Oliver Dowden’s constituency have been disciplined for a “hate” campaign against a Jewish Labour candidate, according to an independent investigation commissioned by Tory HQ.

The report found the behaviour of five Hertsmere Tory councillors “may well have encouraged” antisemitic abuse of Labour’s Dan Ozarow, as well as multiple breaches of the party’s code of conduct.

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‘Thrown to the wolves’: Covid care home ruling is bitter victory for relatives

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Analysis: The high court found policy that sent untested people into homes was illegal and irrational

This time of year brings bad memories for families of care home residents who died in Covid’s first wave when the virus swept, mostly unchecked, through nursing homes.

Just over two years on, the high court ruling that the government’s hospital discharge policy which sent thousands of people untested into care homes was not only illegal but “irrational”, comes as bitter proof of something they already knew: something went badly wrong.

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Boris Johnson ‘uncomfortable’ that Mail on Sunday editor was summoned by Speaker over Rayner article – as it happened

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No 10 says PM feels reporters must be free to report what they are told, after widely-condemned Angela Rayner article.

This live blog is closed, please follow our dedicated liveblog for updates on Russia’s war on Ukraine

In an interview with Sky News this morning Dominic Raab, the justice secretary and deputy PM, claimed that Labour’s proposed windfall tax on energy companies (its key proposal to address the cost of living crisis) would be “disastrous”. He said:

If you look at Labour’s policy, you asked about it - of a windfall tax - that would damage investment in energy supplies we need and hike bills. It’s disastrous. It’s not serious.

What this shows is they’re coming up with frankly ill-thought through policies, but we have got a plan, a concerted plan, and I think that’s what voters want to see.

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