The Queen says 'reconciliation' in Northern Ireland 'cannot be taken for granted' in message to mark country's centenary - Sky News

The Queen has said that "reconciliation, equality and mutual understanding" in Northern Ireland "cannot be taken for granted", in a message released to mark what many consider to be the country's centenary.

She said "continued peace" in Northern Ireland "is a credit to its people, upon whose shoulders the future rests".

Her Majesty said the 100th anniversary of the Government of Ireland Act coming into effect was a "significant centenary" and one that "reminds us of our complex history, and provides an opportunity to reflect on our togetherness and our diversity".

The Queen has sent a message to the people of Northern Ireland on the centenary of the Government of Ireland Act coming into effect. pic.twitter.com/vMRmcxcR9K

— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 3, 2021

"The political progress in Northern Ireland and the peace process is rightly credited to a generation of leaders who had the vision and courage to put reconciliation before division," the Queen said in her message.

"But above all, the continued peace is a credit to its people, upon whose shoulders the future rests.

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"It is clear that reconciliation, equality and mutual understanding cannot be taken for granted, and will require sustained fortitude and commitment.

"During my many visits to Northern Ireland, I have seen these qualities in abundance, and look forward to seeing them again on future occasions."

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The monarch said she looked back with "fondness" on her visit to Ireland with Prince Philip 10 years ago, adding: "I treasure my many memories, and the spirit of goodwill I saw at first hand.

"Across generations, the people of Northern Ireland are choosing to build an inclusive, prosperous, and hopeful society, strengthened by the gains of the peace process. May this be our guiding thread in the coming years."

In his own message to mark the milestone, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "People from all parts of Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and across the globe, will approach this anniversary in different ways, with differing perspectives.

"While this is a moment of shared reflection, it is also an important opportunity to come together to celebrate Northern Ireland and build towards a better and even brighter future for all its people."

The PM added that the UK government would keep on showcasing "all the brilliant things" that Northern Ireland contributes to the rest of the UK.

Northern Ireland was created on this day 100 years ago when the Government of Ireland Act came into effect and the island of Ireland was partitioned.

The 32 counties of Ireland were split into two - with Antrim, Armagh, Derry, Down, Fermanagh and Tyrone forming Northern Ireland and the rest making up what would soon become the Irish Free State and much later the Republic.

But there are differing opinions on when exactly Northern Ireland was created, with some pointing to other points in history for the country's foundation.

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2021-05-03 08:10:16Z
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Labour election crisis: Poll guru Curtice predicts Starmer will do even WORSE than Corbyn - Daily Express

Sir John Curtice has warned Sir Keir Starmer that he is in for a tough night on Thursday as Britons take to the polls. The leading British polling guru spoke with George Galloway on his Mother of All Talk Shows this evening. He warned that Sir Keir will likely do worse than Jeremy Corbyn in a humiliating night for Labour.

After the bombshell prediction, Mr Galloway followed up: "What you are saying is that Keir Starmer might do more poorly than the much-maligned Jeremy Corbyn last time out?"

Sir John responded: "Yes, it seems so.

"It seems to have been a risk for some time now that Sir Keir would end up doing less well in his first round of local elections than Jeremy Corbyn did in his first round in 2016."

The professor of politics at Strathclyde University said that Labour had been falling behind the Conservatives "for some time, throughout the winter and early spring" due to the successful vaccine roll-out.

JUST IN: John Bercow launches bitter attack on 'disrespectful' Boris Johnson

He continued: "Last week, the Labour Party were a very long way behind in the polls - on average about eight points."

Mr Galloway questioned whether council seats will "begin to topple to Sir Keir Starmer's Labour?"

Sir John said: "They won't topple a great deal because we have to remember that half of the seats that are being contested on Thursday were last fought over in 2016.

"At that time, under Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party were just a little bit behind the Conservatives but no more.

He explained: "The Conservatives will undoubtedly make further progress in the so-called Red Wall areas.

"But Labour will do well in Remain areas, particularly in London where Sadiq Khan is getting a walkover".

The elections are the first since the pandemic began and represent the first electoral test for Keir Starmer since he became Labour leader.

When he became leader last year Sir Keir promised to rebuild the party after its disastrous 2019 general election loss.

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2021-05-02 20:38:00Z
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Nazanin Zaghari - Ratcliffe: UK downplays reports of Nazanin's release - Sky News

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2021-05-02 19:52:05Z
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Pro-Scottish independence and unionists rally in Glasgow ahead of election - The Telegraph

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2021-05-02 08:36:37Z
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John Curtice prediction highlights crucial Brexit factor that will leave Labour in trouble - Daily Express

Sir John Curtice says recent strong polling for the Conservatives suggests that Sir Keir Starmer is facing a “very, very sticky wicket” and argues that Labour will struggle to win over voters in parts of the country that voted for Brexit. Labour is fighting to stop the Tories winning Hartlepool for the first time in the by-election since the founding of the constituency and Sir John said the race is “close”. It may well hinge on how voters who backed the Brexit Party in 2019 decide to vote this time.

However, he predicts Conservatives will have a hard time in Remain-voting areas and there is no expectation that the Tories’ Shaun Bailey will win the race for Mayor of London.

He said: “The Tories will struggle in Remain-voting Britain. Even if Labour do no worse than they did in 2019 amongst Leave voters, they will lose ground in Leave-voting Britain...
“The counterpoint to that is London is a walkover [for Labour]. London is now a one-party state and the Tories are now desperately weak in London in the wake of Brexit.”

Sir John was speaking before the publication of a Survation poll putting the Conservatives on 39 percent and Labour just a point behind on 38 percent when it came to voting intention in a general election, but he said the strong lead shown by the Tories in other polls indicated “Keir Starmer is facing a very, very sticky wicket”.

He also expects a “constitutional clash” is on the way with pro-independence candidates heading for a majority in the Scottish Parliament. He anticipates the SNP and the Greens winning more than 70 of the 129 seats and this would put a second independence referendum firmly on the political agenda.

He said: “There will be a constitutional clash at some point... They don’t necessarily want a referendum in the next two years but they definitely want one in the next five.

“There’s virtually nobody who disagrees with that... The question we’re all asking ourselves is whether the SNP can get a majority on their own.”

An outright win by the SNP would make it harder for the UK Government to refuse a referendum.

Sir John said: “British political practice tends to be that if a single party gets a majority we tend to think it’s got the right to implement its manifesto.”

He is not surprised at the failure of Alex Salmond’s Alba to take off in the polls.

When asked what had gone wrong for Alba, he said: “The answer to that question is Alex Salmond... It’s only around 10 percent of people or so who think favourably towards Alex Salmond.

“He is by far and away the most unpopular politician in Scotland.”

The University of Strathclyde professor said the Conservatives looked on course to be the second biggest party in the Welsh Parliament but said they faced competition from the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party among others.

He said: “There’s an overlap between devoscepticism and euroscepticism in Wales.”

After the last election to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay, Labour gave the education portfolio to the sole Liberal Democrat. If the Lib Dems fail to win a single seat and Labour is short of an outright majority, Sir John will not be surprised if it comes to "some kind of understanding" with pro-independence Plaid Cymru.

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2021-05-01 21:01:00Z
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Kill the Bill: Bristol protesters blocked from motorway - BBC News

Protesters have been prevented from marching onto a motorway by dozens of police officers, dogs and horses.

The latest Kill the Bill protest in Bristol saw campaigners peacefully march from College Green in the city centre to the start of the M32.

But police officers blocked their path and the group cleared a short time later. Traffic was stopped while the route was cleared.

BBC reporter Andy Howard estimated some 200 protesters were involved.

More than 40 people have been arrested at previous protests. Saturday's march is the twelfth in the city in recent weeks.

The protesters object to the government's proposed Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which is making its way through Parliament.

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

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2021-05-01 18:50:30Z
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Sir Elton John and Sir Lenny Henry star in NHS advert urging more people to get their Covid jab - Daily Mail

Sir Elton John, Liz Hurley and Sir Lenny Henry star in NHS advert urging more people to get their Covid jab as they tackle common myths about vaccine

• Celebrities have taken part in new NHS advert urging people to get the vaccine
• Stars such as Sir Elton John, Sir Lenny henry and model Liz Hurley all feature
• More than nine in ten over-45s have now received at least one dose of the jab
• Officials hope the two-minute clip will help to keep the momentum going 

By Shaun Wooller, Health Correspondent For The Daily Mail

Published: 01:21 BST, 1 May 2021 | Updated: 02:22 BST, 1 May 2021

A new NHS advert featuring famous faces from TV, film and music is urging more people get their Covid jab.

Singer Sir Elton John, comedian Sir Lenny Henry and model Liz Hurley are among those staring in the video.

It shows them tackling common myths about the vaccine, including its ingredients and impact on fertility.

More than nine in ten over-45s in England have now received at least one dose and a quarter of all adults are fully vaccinated.

A new NHS advert featuring famous faces from TV, film and music is urging more people get their Covid jab

Singer Sir Elton John, comedian Sir Lenny Henry and model Liz Hurley are among those staring in the video

NHS England said 120,000 people booked an appointment before 9am yesterday, as bookings opened to all over-40s.

Officials hope the two-minute clip - shared on social media - will help keep the momentum going.

It shows the stars appearing to audition for a role in a public information film about the vaccine and is the second video to be commissioned by Professor Lord Ara Darzi.

It opens with Sir Lenny saying: ‘People in the black, Asian, ethnic and minority community are 20 per cent less likely to take up the vaccine.’ Lydia West, from hit drama It’s a Sin, addresses some concerns, saying: “It doesn’t contain pork, or any material of animal origin.”

And she adds: ‘There is no evidence that it effects fertility.’ Doctor Foster actor Navin Chowdhry continues: ‘There is no scientific evidence to say that the vaccine is any less effective in people from ethnic and minority backgrounds.’

More than nine in ten over-45s in England have now received at least one dose and a quarter of all adults are fully vaccinated

It shows the stars appearing to audition for a role in a public information film about the vaccine and is the second video to be commissioned by Professor Lord Ara Darzi

Later in the video, David Walliams calls on everyone to come forward when called, saying: ‘It’s really important that people of all ages get the jab.’ Liz Hurley tells viewers: ‘Roll-up your sleeve, it’s not just your own life you’ll be saving.’ And as it draws to a close Sir Elton takes up his offer.

The first film also featured Sir Elton, alongside Sir Michael Caine. The video hopes to increase uptake, particularly among ethnic minorities.

Pop-up clinics in places of worship have helped to triple uptake among this group since February, outpacing the national average.

Lydia West said: ‘It’s a frightening time for everyone right now, with people scared about getting Covid, worrying about the future and fearing for their loved ones.

‘So, it’s understandable that people might be worried about vaccines too.

Liz Hurley (pictured) tells viewers: ‘Roll-up your sleeve, it’s not just your own life you’ll be saving’

Officials hope the two-minute clip - shared on social media - will help keep the momentum going

‘But I hope that through this campaign, we can show people that getting vaccinated is not something to be scared of.’ Dr Nikki Kanani, a GP and national medical director for primary care at NHS England, thanked the stars for their ‘wonderful support’.

She added: ‘Our drive to increase uptake is continuing and this backing from such an incredible line up of stars will go a long way in helping us reassure communities that the vaccine is safe, simple and effective.’ Professor Lord Darzi said: ‘Vaccines offer us the best chance of returning to normal life, and we are very fortunate to have a growing number of highly safe and effective vaccines that are already being shown to cut deaths and hospitalisations from the virus.

‘But we know that some people, particularly younger generations and ethnic minorities, have worries that may stop them from taking the vaccine when offered.

‘We must listen to the concerns people are voicing and with this campaign we hope to offer reassurance and show how important it is to get vaccinated, so that we can bring closer the end to this devastating pandemic.’ The Government said 48,748,962 jabs have now been given in the UK, of which 34,216,087 were first doses - a rise of 122,039 on the previous day.

Some 14,532,875 were second doses, an increase of 488,914.

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2021-05-01 00:21:51Z
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