Police find mother of newborn baby found dead in Morrisons supermarket car park - Sky News

Police have found the mother of a newborn baby found dead in a supermarket car park, after a public appeal for help in tracing her.

A member of the public made the "tragic discovery" at the Morrisons store in Bilston, Wolverhampton, just after 9am on Sunday.

West Midlands Police said earlier it did not know when the baby was born, or how it came to be in the car park but it had been "extremely concerned for the welfare of the baby's mother".

Detectives had appealed for her or anyone who knows who she is to come forward and on Sunday evening she was found and is now receiving "appropriate care".

Detective Inspector Jim Edmonds had described the find as "a truly tragic discovery".

Advertisement

He added: "We've been treating the scene and the baby with the utmost care and dignity today."

The police thanked the public for their help in sharing their appeal and said they would be speaking to the mother "in due course".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiZ2h0dHBzOi8vbmV3cy5za3kuY29tL3N0b3J5L3BvbGljZS1hcHBlYWwtYWZ0ZXItbmV3Ym9ybi1iYWJ5LWZvdW5kLWRlYWQtaW4tc3VwZXJtYXJrZXQtY2FyLXBhcmstMTIyNzI2NTLSAWtodHRwczovL25ld3Muc2t5LmNvbS9zdG9yeS9hbXAvcG9saWNlLWFwcGVhbC1hZnRlci1uZXdib3JuLWJhYnktZm91bmQtZGVhZC1pbi1zdXBlcm1hcmtldC1jYXItcGFyay0xMjI3MjY1Mg?oc=5

2021-04-11 19:41:15Z
52781507096542

Greensill: Lessons to be learnt over lobbying - Cameron - BBC News

PA Media

David Cameron has said he should have contacted the government “through only the most formal of channels" when lobbying for a financial firm.

The former prime minister has faced criticism for contacting ministers on behalf of Greensill Capital.

In his first statement on the issue, he said he should have left "no room for misinterpretation".

But Mr Cameron reiterated that he had broken no codes of conduct or government rules on lobbying.

He added: "However, I have reflected on this at length. There are important lessons to be learnt."

• Hancock 'had drink' with Cameron and Greensill

It was revealed earlier that Health Secretary Matt Hancock had met Mr Cameron and financier Lex Greensill for a "private drink" in 2019 to discuss a new payment scheme for the NHS.

An ally of Mr Hancock said he had "acted in entirely the correct way".

The meeting is the latest in a series of Sunday Times disclosures about Mr Cameron's lobbying work since leaving office, with Chancellor Rishi Sunak - whom he texted - among the ministers contacted.

For three weeks the headlines kept coming. For three weeks David Cameron said nothing.

And now this - the former prime minister admits he made a dud judgement call.

Forget the rules; this is about the sniff test. Does it smell bad? Does it feel right?

Plenty had been saying no it doesn't, and now David Cameron appears to agree.

It's a lengthy statement from him, worthy of detailed examination.

But it boils down to this: he acknowledges texting and ringing the chancellor and going for a private drink with the health secretary, as part of his paid work for a private company, was a bad idea.

There's another point worth making too: journalism matters.

The work of the Financial Times and the Sunday Times, ferreting out awkward truths, is what has prompted this.

Mr Greensill, an Australian, worked as an unpaid adviser to Mr Cameron's government, and the former prime minister went on to be employed by his company - Greensill Capital - in 2018, two years after leaving Downing Street.

In his statement, Mr Cameron said: "In my representations to government, I was breaking no codes of conduct and no government rules.

"Ultimately, the outcome of the discussions I encouraged about how Greensill's proposals might be included in the government's CCFF (Covid Corporate Financing Facility) initiative - and help in the wake of the coronavirus crisis - was that they were not taken up.

"So, I complied with the rules and my interventions did not lead to a change in the government's approach to the CCFF."

He added: "As a former prime minister, I accept that communications with government need to be done through only the most formal of channels, so there can be no room for misinterpretation."

Mr Cameron added that he had worked for Greensill Capital in the belief that there "would be a material benefit for UK businesses at a challenging time".

"That was, in large part, my reason for working for Greensill in the first place," he said.

Shutterstock

The company recently collapsed, with the loss of 440 jobs.

Mr Cameron said: "I completely understand the public interest in this issue, given the impact of Greensill's collapse on the hundreds of people who worked for the company and on other businesses and livelihoods. I feel desperately sorry for those affected."

He added that Mr Greensill had been brought in as a government adviser by then-Cabinet Secretary Sir Jeremy Heywood, in 2011.

"He was not a political appointee," Mr Cameron said, "but part of the Civil Service drive to improve government efficiency."

He continued: "The false impression has been created that Lex Greensill was a close member of my team, meeting with me on a regular basis.

"The truth is, I had very little to do with Lex Greensill at this stage - as I recall, I met him twice at most in the entirety of my time as prime minister."

Mr Cameron - who was in Downing Street from 2010 to 2016 - is reported to have told friends he was set to earn as much as £60m from shareholdings in Greensill Capital prior to its collapse, although this has since been disputed.

Earlier, speaking for Labour, shadow Treasury minister Bridget Phillipson said "every day" brought "fresh revelations about the culture of cronyism" in government and called for a "full and thorough investigation".

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NzEyNDE40gEzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NzEyNDE4?oc=5

2021-04-11 18:15:25Z
52781499572614

The growing list of questions for David Cameron - BBC News

Reuters

David Cameron's post-Downing Street business role is coming under scrutiny. So what queries does he need to address?

It was on Friday 19 March - more than three weeks ago - that the Financial Times first reported on the businessman, the former prime minister - and access to the current government.

Since then, via the FT and the Sunday Times, Labour and some disclosures by those under intense scrutiny to explain their actions, a growing picture has begun to emerge.

But before we plunge into the detail, why does any of this matter?

Forget the individuals concerned; forget what the rules are.

Over the years, the decades, the names change, the parties in government change, the regulations change.

In the end, one question stands above the others: Does it pass the sniff test? Does it feel right? And that's up to you as a reader to decide.

• Hancock 'had drink' with Cameron and Greensill
• Cameron 'believes letter may have been better'
• David Cameron and Greensill: What's it all about?

Here's what you need to know before we start.

When David Cameron was prime minister, Lex Greensill, an Australian banker, became an adviser in Downing Street.

When Mr Cameron was no longer prime minister, Mr Greensill hired him as an adviser. The relationship, reversed.

And what marketable assets do former politicians have? They know how government works. And they know who works in government.

So they are often hired as lobbyists - people who attempt to influence the government.

Lobbying, by individuals, businesses, charities and trade unions, is part of the normal functioning of a democracy.

New rules needed?

But can you pay for better access, by hiring those with great contacts? The clear evidence is you can. And so how transparent is this?

How many people can text the chancellor and a get reply?

Mr Cameron can, and Mr Cameron did.

How many can go for a "private drink" with the health secretary?

Mr Cameron can, and Mr Cameron did.

He hasn't broken any rules, but plenty argue it's the rules themselves that are broken. Plenty, it turns out, including Mr Cameron.

Eleven years ago, shortly before becoming prime minister, he said: "We all know how it works. The lunches, the hospitality, the quiet word in your ear, the ex-ministers and ex-advisers for hire, helping big business find the right way to get its way."

Every time further revelations about this ex-prime minister's quiet words and a private drink have emerged, we've asked for an interview with him.

Every time, he has said no.

So here's what I'd ask him if he would sit down in front of a camera:

• When did you first meet Lex Greensill?
• Why did you bring Mr Greensill into Downing Street as an adviser?
• Why wasn't that appointment publicised at the time he was first appointed?
• How much contact did he have with you when you were prime minister?
• How soon after you left Downing Street was he in touch?
• And, once you'd left office and you had served out the two-year ban imposed on ex-ministers before they are allowed to lobby, on what terms were you hired by Mr Greensill?
• Was it explicitly your job to be his lobbyist?
• How much did he pay you?
• What share options did you have?
• We now know of four ministers you lobbied on behalf of Mr Greensill. Are there any more? How many have you texted? Phoned? Taken out for drinks or any other hospitality?
• Was it a mistake to text and call the chancellor directly?
• What did you and Mr Greensill hope to achieve from a private drink with Health Secretary Matt Hancock?
• Does all this prove you were right all along in 2010 when you were so outspoken about the perception of lobbying held by so many beyond Westminster?

Mr Cameron is now a private citizen and may brush off at least some of these questions as being nobody's business other than his own.

He would also point out that an investigation by the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists concluded that his activities did "not fall within the criteria that require registration on the register".

His work, in other words, was beyond their scope. As the paid employee of a company, he did not have to register his lobbying.

Shutterstock

So should lobbying by former ministers be banned entirely? Is it possible to regulate away personal relationships and contacts?

Lobbying within the rules is perfectly legal, and a half-decent lobbyist will aim to further the aims of their employer, within the rules, by making the most of their contacts.

And so there are questions for far more people than just Mr Cameron:

• For the ministers he lobbied
• For Lex Greensill, who has also refused to speak publicly about any of this, but whose friends say his payment scheme for the NHS was offered for free
• And for the government, over how it responded to Mr Cameron getting in touch, and whether the lobbying rules are good enough

But an interview with Mr Cameron would be a good start.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiL2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NzA5MDkw0gEzaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLXBvbGl0aWNzLTU2NzA5MDkw?oc=5

2021-04-11 16:54:57Z
52781499572614

Baby found dead in Bilston supermarket car park - BBC News

Google

A newborn baby has been found dead in the car park of a supermarket.

A member of the public found the baby at Morrisons on the Black Country Route in Bilston at about 09:00 BST, West Midlands Police said.

In a statement, the force said it did not currently know "when the baby was born or how they came to be in the car park".

Police said they are concerned about the baby's mother and they urgently appealed for her to come forward.

Det Insp Jim Edmonds said: "This is a truly tragic discovery, and we've been treating the scene and the baby with the utmost care and dignity today.

"While we don't yet know what has happened, what we do know is that there must be a mother out there who is in real need of help − and she is my absolute priority at the moment."

He said officers had been checking CCTV and speaking to hospitals but he asked the mother - or anyone who knows her - to come forward to speak to police.

"I really want to speak to her to make sure she's OK, and to ensure that she can get the help that she urgently needs," Mr Edmonds added.

A Morrisons spokesman said the company is helping the police and it would not be releasing any further information.

Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• West Midlands Police

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiOWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLWVuZ2xhbmQtYmlybWluZ2hhbS01NjcxMDMzONIBPWh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2FtcC91ay1lbmdsYW5kLWJpcm1pbmdoYW0tNTY3MTAzMzg?oc=5

2021-04-11 15:12:51Z
52781507096542

No 10 faces accusations of rewriting controversial race report - The Independent

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

1. No 10 faces accusations of rewriting controversial race report  The Independent
2. Downing Street rewrote ‘independent’ report on race, experts claim  The Guardian
3. Government’s race report was ‘rewritten’ by Downing Street officials, experts claim  Evening Standard
4. On pay and wealth, damaging race inequalities prevail  The Guardian
5. View Full coverage on Google News

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiY2h0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmluZGVwZW5kZW50LmNvLnVrL25ld3MvdWsvcG9saXRpY3Mvc2V3ZWxsLXJhY2UtZGlzcGFyaXRpZXMtZG93bmluZy1zdHJlZXQtYjE4Mjk3NDEuaHRtbNIBAA?oc=5

2021-04-11 13:39:01Z
52781506430494

Prince Philip: Duke's death has left 'huge void' for Queen - Duke of York - BBC News

Getty Images

The Queen has described the death of the Duke of Edinburgh as "having left a huge void in her life", her son the Duke of York has said.

Prince Andrew said his father's death was a "terrible loss", and that his family was "rallying around".

"We've lost the grandfather of the nation," he added, as he left a service at Windsor.

Earlier, ex-PM Sir John Major said the Royal Family's shared grief was an "ideal opportunity" to mend any rifts.

Prince Andrew was joined at the Sunday service at Royal Lodge by the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter Lady Louise Windsor.

He said the Royal Family was grateful for all the "absolutely amazing tributes" to Prince Philip.

The Earl of Wessex - the Queen's youngest son - said: "However much one tries to prepare oneself for something like this it's still a dreadful shock.

"And we're still trying to come to terms with that. And it's very, very sad.

"But I have to say that the extraordinary tribute and the memories that everybody has had and been willing to share has been so fantastic."

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTU2NzEwMDg20gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLTU2NzEwMDg2?oc=5

2021-04-11 12:58:20Z
52781499953537

Prince Philip: Funeral an 'ideal opportunity' to end royal rifts, says Major - BBC News

Shared grief over the death of the Duke of Edinburgh is an "ideal opportunity" to mend any rifts within the Royal Family, ex-PM Sir John Major has said.

Sir John, who was guardian to Princes William and Harry following their mother's death, said he hoped it would end any "friction" between the pair.

He also said the Queen needed time to grieve for her husband.

His comments came as the Archbishop of Canterbury paid tribute to the duke in a remembrance service.

The Duke of York said the Queen had described the death of her husband as "having left a huge void in her life".

Prince Andrew spoke after attending a small service at the Royal Chapel of All Saints in Windsor on Sunday morning with the Earl and Countess of Wessex and their daughter, Lady Louise.

During a service at Canterbury Cathedral earlier, which was also streamed online, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said that "for the Royal Family, as for every other, no words can reach into the depth of sorrow that goes into bereavement".

The archbishop is also expected to lead the duke's funeral on Saturday, which Princes William and Harry are both due to attend.

The Duke of Sussex will fly from the US for the service, though it is not clear when.

His wife, Meghan Markle, who is pregnant, has to remain at home in California on doctor's orders.

The Prince of Wales and members of the Royal Family will walk behind the coffin ahead of the funeral at Windsor Castle.

• Special service to remember Prince Philip
• Obituary: HRH the Duke of Edinburgh

Cardinal Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, has suggested that coming together for Philip's funeral could help to heal any tensions.

Sir John, who was appointed a special guardian to the princes after their mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, died in 1997, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: "The friction that we are told has arisen is a friction better ended as speedily as possible."

He added: "They shared emotion. They share grief at the present time because of the death of their grandfather. I think [this] is an ideal opportunity.

"I hope very much that it is possible to mend any rifts that may exist."

Reuters

Harry and Meghan, who have stepped back from frontline royal duties, gave an interview to US broadcaster Oprah Winfrey last month.

In it, Harry said of his older brother: "The relationship is 'space' at the moment. And time heals all things, hopefully."

Sir John also told Andrew Marr the Duke of Edinburgh would "still be there in [the Queen's] memory" and that she would "hear his voice".

Being head of state was a "lonely position in many ways" for the Queen, and the duke was "the person to whom she could unburden herself", he added.

A period of national mourning will end after 17 April, when Prince Philip's funeral takes place at Windsor Castle's St George's Chapel.

A national minute's silence will be held to coincide with the start of the service at 15:00 BST.

Prince Philip died at Windsor Castle on Friday, aged 99.

Princes Andrew and Edward, the Queen and Prince Philip's youngest children, spoke to the congregation at the Royal Chapel of All Saints and thanked those who work on the Windsor Estate for their support, particularly over recent days.

In an interview outside the chapel, Prince Andrew said he loved his father, who was "always somebody you could go to" - and that his death was a "terrible loss".

He added: "We've lost the grandfather of the nation."

Reuters

Members of the public have continued laying flowers outside the castle, although the new government guidance asks the public to refrain from doing so and give to charity instead.

A spokesman for Windsor Great Park said on Saturday that tributes would be removed "respectfully" and displayed within the castle grounds.

Royal household staff were photographed on Sunday placing bouquets on the ground outside St George's Chapel.

PA Media

Joanna Lumley was among those to pay their respects to Prince Philip on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show.

• Who he was, what he did and why he mattered
• Prince Philip: A life in pictures
• What are the plans for his funeral?
• How does the Royal Family work?

Let's block ads! (Why?)

https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiJmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL3VrLTU2NzA5MDg30gEqaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYmJjLmNvLnVrL25ld3MvYW1wL3VrLTU2NzA5MDg3?oc=5

2021-04-11 12:12:53Z
52781499953537