Priti Patel to urge MPs to stop using 'mob rule' and support new policing powers - Sky News

Home Secretary Priti Patel will tell MPs "we do not make policy through mob rule" as she urges them to support a new Public Order Bill.

She is attempting to reintroduce measures which have previously been blocked by the House of Lords as part of the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill.

These include introducing a new offence of obstructing major transport networks, which carries a maximum penalty of six months' imprisonment, an unlimited fine or both.

Interfering with key national infrastructure - such as railways, roads and printing presses - will also become a criminal offence, which would bring a penalty of up to 12 months' imprisonment, an unlimited fine, or both.

Amnesty International says the home secretary is smearing peaceful protest with the plans, while Fair Trials says the government "appears to be intent on destroying the right to peaceful protest rather than protecting it".

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As she opens the second reading debate on the bill in the House of Commons on Monday, Ms Patel is expected to tell MPs: "From day one, this government has put the safety and interests of the law-abiding majority first... but recently we have seen a rise in criminal, disruptive, and self-defeating tactics - from a supremely selfish minority.

"Their actions divert police resources away from the communities where they are needed most... and we are seeing parts of the country grind to a halt... This is reprehensible behaviour and I will not tolerate it."

More on Home Office

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As part of the bill, police will also be given the power to proactively stop and search people to seize items intended for "locking-on" purposes, such as glue or bamboo structures meant for obstructing police.

'Lock-on' tactics, such as protesters gluing themselves to roads or public transport, have been repeatedly employed by groups such as Insulate Britain and Just Stop Oil.

Courts will also be given new powers to make Serious Disruption Prevention Orders, which would make those who have been found to repeatedly cause disruption wear an electronic tag, to ensure they are not in a particular place where they might commit a "protest-related offence".

Ms Patel will add: "I will not stand by and let anti-social individuals keep causing misery and chaos for others. The Public Order Bill will empower the police to take more proactive action to protect the rights of the public to go about their lives in peace.

"However passionately one believes in a cause, we do not make policy through mob rule in this country... I will not be deterred from backing the police and standing up for the law-abiding majority, and that's what the Public Order Bill does."

Read more:
Noisy protesters could feel full force of the law after new bill is approved

But Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the bill "fails on every count".

She said it was too "widely drawn," and could also penalise passers-by or peaceful protesters.

She said Labour's suggestion to make it quicker to secure injunctions when vital services are threatened with disruption, would be better.

"This is a wasted opportunity to take a sensible approach and is getting things all wrong.

"The home secretary is just recycling widely drawn measures from the Police Bill which have already been rejected by parliament.

"Tomorrow we should instead be having the second reading of the long-awaited Victims Bill with measures to tackle rising crime and falling prosecutions; instead, the home secretary is letting everyone down."

Amnesty International UK's head of policy and government affairs Allan Hogarth described it as "outrageous" for Ms Patel to "smear peaceful protesters as a 'mob'".

Image: Protests in Hong Kong were hailed by the UK government

She added: "At a time when protesters in places like Moscow or Hong Kong are hailed for their bravery - including by members of our government - it's incredibly depressing that Priti Patel is pushing these repressive laws."

Norman Reimer, the chief executive of the group Fair Trials, had said of the home secretary's latest proposals: "By reintroducing plans that have already been rejected by UK parliamentarians, the UK government appears to be intent on destroying the right to peaceful protest rather than protecting it."

Meanwhile, Extinction Rebellion (XR) has already announced plans to "bring millions of people on to the streets" in response to the new bill after it was announced in the Queen's Speech earlier this month.

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2022-05-22 00:24:47Z
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Trooping the Colour: Spectators injured at rehearsal - BBC

@drelrond123

Five people were injured, two seriously, when parts of two spectator stands collapsed at a Trooping the Colour rehearsal at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

The Army said one stand gave way just before 11:00 BST and part of a second stand collapsed a short time later.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) said two patients were taken to major trauma units as a priority.

Three others were treated at the scene with one later transferred to hospital.

Spectators were evacuated from the stands by the Army and police so safety checks could be carried out.

A "partial structural failure" was to blame, the Army said. LAS has not confirmed the severity of the injuries that were sustained.

Marcus Dell

Marcus Dell, who was at the event, said he heard screams.

"Everyone had stood for the national anthem and there was a bit of a commotion. The first we heard was that one of floorboards had broken and someone had fallen through and hurt themselves.

"There was a lot of chatter in the stands and a few people did leave."

He said a floorboard had cracked behind him and then about 25 minutes later, there was a similar incident in the stand opposite.

When the area was evacuated as a safety precaution there was confusion, Mr Dell said, although the "police did a good job of making sure there wasn't any panic".

• Trooping the Colour: Scaled-back celebration for Queen's official birthday

Paul Rogers, who was nearby, said: "We heard a loud bang and a scream and a person shouting 'Help! Help!'

"A number of people climbed over the back wall and went below the section of stand that had broken. It lasted about 20 minutes.

"It just seemed like a small section of the stand went," Mr Rogers said.

Another witness said the stands were emptied one by one, adding that the evacuation was "very well organised, not chaos as quoted by some".

What is Trooping the Colour?

• It's a parade which has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign
• It has been held for more than 260 years
• Last year's parade was in the grounds of Windsor Castle, rather than in central London
• It is normally held on the Queen's official birthday which is marked on the second Saturday of June each year

This video can not be played

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Up to 1,450 soldiers from the Household Division and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were taking part in the parade, alongside about 400 musicians from the Massed Bands.

It is very similar to the Trooping the Colour event reviewed annually by the Queen - she is due to do so on 2 June as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince William is to review the troops next Saturday.

Earlier, the troops were being reviewed by Maj Gen Christopher Ghika of the Household Division.

An LAS spokesperson said: "We sent a tactical response unit, an ambulance crew, two cycle responders and an incident response officer.

"We worked alongside St John Ambulance volunteers to treat five people at the scene. We took one patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. St John Ambulance took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We discharged three patients at the scene. We later arranged transport to hospital for one of these patients."

In a statement, the Army said: "Safety is our number-one priority and we are urgently working with our partners and relevant organisations to understand what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

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• Trooping The Colour

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2022-05-21 18:13:29Z
1439618729

Trooping the Colour: Injuries as part of stand collapses - BBC

@drelrond123

Two people have been taken to hospital after part of a stand collapsed at a Trooping the Colour rehearsal at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

The Army said two parts of the spectator stands collapsed just before 11:00 BST.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) said two patients were taken to a major trauma unit as a priority.

The remaining crowds were evacuated from the stands by the Army and police so safety checks could be carried out.

The injuries happened when one of the stands suffered a "partial structural failure", the Army said.

LAS has not confirmed the severity of the injuries that were sustained.

Marcus Dell

Marcus Dell, who was at the event, said he heard screams.

"Everyone had stood for the national anthem and there was a bit of a commotion. The first we heard was that one of floorboards had broken and someone had fallen through and hurt themselves.

"There was a lot of chatter in the stands and a few people did leave."

He said a floorboard had cracked behind him and then about 25 minutes later, there was a similar incident in the stand opposite.

Mr Dell said when the area was evacuated as a safety precaution, there was confusion, however the "police did a good job of making sure there wasn't any panic".

• Trooping the Colour: Scaled-back celebration for Queen's official birthday

Paul Rogers, who was near the stand, said: "We heard a loud bang and a scream and a person shouting 'Help! Help!'.

"A number of people climbed over the back wall and went below the section of stand that had broken. It lasted about 20 minutes.

"It just seemed like a small section of the stand went," Mr Rogers said.

Another witness said the stands were emptied one by one, adding that the evacuation was "very well organised, not chaos as quoted by some".

What is Trooping the Colour?

• It's a parade which has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign
• It has been held for more than 260 years
• Last year's parade was held in the grounds of Windsor Castle, rather than in central London
• It is normally held on the Queen's official birthday which is marked on the second Saturday of June each year

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Up to 1,450 soldiers from the Household Division and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were taking part in the parade, alongside about 400 musicians from the Massed Bands.

It is very similar to the Trooping the Colour event reviewed annually by the Queen - she is due to do so on 2 June as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince William is to review the troops next Saturday.

Earlier, the troops were being reviewed by Maj Gen Christopher Ghika of the Household Division.

An LAS spokesperson said: "We sent a tactical response unit, an ambulance crew, two cycle responders and an incident response officer.

"We worked alongside St John Ambulance volunteers to treat five people at the scene. We took one patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. St John Ambulance took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We discharged three patients at the scene. We later arranged transport to hospital for one of these patients."

In a statement, the Army said: "Safety is our number-one priority and we are urgently working with our partners and relevant organisations to understand what happened and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• Trooping The Colour

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

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2022-05-21 17:00:52Z
1439618729

Trooping the Colour: Injuries as part of stand collapses - BBC

@drelrond123

Two people have been taken to hospital after part of a stand collapsed at a Trooping the Colour event at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

A section of one stand is reported to have given way just before 11:00 BST.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) said two patients were taken to a major trauma unit as a priority.

The area has been evacuated by the Army and police so safety checks can be made.

Eyewitnesses have described seeing a woman fall through the stand, although LAS could not confirm this nor the severity of the injuries that were sustained.

Marcus Dell

Marcus Dell, who was at the event, said he heard screams.

"Everyone had stood for the national anthem and there was a bit of a commotion. The first we heard was that one of floorboards had broken and someone had fallen through and hurt themselves.

"There was a lot of chatter in the stands and a few people did leave."

He said a floorboard had cracked behind him and then about 25 minutes later, there was a similar incident in the stand opposite.

Mr Dell said when the area was evacuated as a safety precaution, there was confusion, however the "police did a good job of making sure there wasn't any panic".

Paul Rogers, who was near the stand, said: "We heard a loud bang and a scream and a person shouting 'Help! Help!'.

"A number of people climbed over the back wall and went below the section of stand that had broken. It lasted about 20 minutes.

"It just seemed like a small section of the stand went," Mr Rogers said.

LAS said it was not able to confirm which collapse the injuries occurred in, because it treated it as one incident.

Up to 1,450 soldiers from the Household Division and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were taking part in the parade, alongside about 400 musicians from the Massed Bands.

It is very similar to the Trooping the Colour event reviewed annually by the Queen - she is due to do so on 2 June as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince William is to review the troops next Saturday.

• Trooping the Colour: Scaled back celebration for Queen's official birthday

Earlier, the troops were being reviewed by Maj Gen Christopher Ghika of the Household Division.

An LAS spokesperson said: "We sent a tactical response unit, an ambulance crew, two cycle responders and an incident response officer.

"We worked alongside St John Ambulance volunteers to treat five people at the scene. We took one patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. St John Ambulance took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We discharged three patients at the scene."

One witness said the stands were evacuated one by one.

They added that the evacuation was "very well organised, not chaos as quoted by some".

An Army spokesperson said: "We are supporting the emergency services following an incident on the Horse Guards Parade square. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

What is Trooping the Colour?

• It's a parade which has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign
• It has been held for more than 260 years
• Last year's parade was held in the grounds of Windsor Castle, rather than in central London
• It is normally held on the Queen's official birthday which is marked on the second Saturday of June each year

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• Trooping The Colour

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

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2022-05-21 15:56:23Z
1439618729

Trooping the Colour: Injuries as part of stand collapses - BBC

@drelrond123

Two people have been taken to hospital after part of a stand collapsed at a Trooping the Colour event at Horse Guards Parade in central London.

A section of one stand is reported to have given way just before 11:00 BST.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) said two patients were taken to a major trauma unit as a priority.

The area has been evacuated by the Army and police so safety checks can be made.

Eyewitnesses have described seeing a woman fall through the stand, although LAS could not confirm this nor the severity of the injuries that were sustained.

Marcus Dell

Marcus Dell, who was at the event, said he heard screams.

"Everyone had stood for the national anthem and there was a bit of a commotion. The first we heard was that one of floorboards had broken and someone had fallen through and hurt themselves.

"There was a lot of chatter in the stands and a few people did leave."

He said a floorboard had cracked behind him and then about 25 minutes later, there was a similar incident in the stand opposite.

Mr Dell said when the area was evacuated as a safety precaution, there was confusion, however the "police did a good job of making sure there wasn't any panic".

Paul Rogers, who was near the stand, said: "We heard a loud bang and a scream and a person shouting 'Help! Help!'.

"A number of people climbed over the back wall and went below the section of stand that had broken. It lasted about 20 minutes.

"It just seemed like a small section of the stand went," Mr Rogers said.

LAS said it was not able to confirm which collapse the injuries occurred in, because it treated it as one incident.

Up to 1,450 soldiers from the Household Division and the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were taking part in the parade, alongside about 400 musicians from the Massed Bands.

It is very similar to the Trooping the Colour event reviewed annually by the Queen - she is due to do so on 2 June as part of the Jubilee celebrations. Prince William is to review the troops next Saturday.

• Trooping the Colour: Scaled back celebration for Queen's official birthday

Earlier, the troops were being reviewed by Maj Gen Christopher Ghika of the Household Division.

An LAS spokesperson said: "We sent a tactical response unit, an ambulance crew, two cycle responders and an incident response officer.

"We worked alongside St John Ambulance volunteers to treat five people at the scene. We took one patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. St John Ambulance took a second patient to a major trauma centre as a priority. We discharged three patients at the scene."

One witness said the stands were evacuated one by one.

They added that the evacuation was "very well organised, not chaos as quoted by some".

An Army spokesperson said: "We are supporting the emergency services following an incident on the Horse Guards Parade square. It would be inappropriate to comment further at this time."

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

What is Trooping the Colour?

• It's a parade which has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign
• It has been held for more than 260 years
• Last year's parade was held in the grounds of Windsor Castle, rather than in central London
• It is normally held on the Queen's official birthday which is marked on the second Saturday of June each year

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to hellobbclondon@bbc.co.uk

Related Internet Links

• Trooping The Colour

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

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2022-05-21 14:50:51Z
1439618729

Boris Johnson under pressure to 'urgently explain' why he privately met Sue Gray to discuss handling of partygate report - Sky News

Labour has called on Boris Johnson to "urgently explain" why he met Sue Gray to discuss her long-awaited report into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street.

The pair discussed where Ms Gray believed the Metropolitan Police were with the inquiry, and Whitehall's understanding of where the police were on interviews, Sky News understands.

The revelation of an undisclosed meeting is likely to trigger surprise given the forthcoming report has repeatedly been described as independent.

Politics Hub: Ministers prepare for 'stomach churning' partygate report - live updates

Further details of the meeting are sketchy, with confusion over whether the inclusion of pictures in the report was discussed and who initiated the meeting.

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The prime minister is saying he wants to disclose the maximum available information now to get the issue out of the way so would not have pressured her to drop the report, it is claimed.

The pair would not have discussed the judgements that senior civil servant Ms Gray was preparing to come to in the report, multiple sources say.

More on Boris Johnson

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A Number 10 spokesperson said: "The prime minister commissioned the investigation led by Sue Gray and has been clear throughout that it should be completely independent.

"As he reiterated again today, the decision on what and when to publish rests entirely with the investigation team and he will respond in Parliament once it concludes."

Earlier, a Downing Street spokesman said he would "not get into specifics" when put to him that Ms Gray's team had been in contact with the prime minister about the forthcoming report.

Asked whether Downing Street was negotiating over who is named in Ms Gray's report, the spokesman added: "Sue Gray is compiling the report independently and how she does that, and the contents of it, and what is presented is entirely a matter for her."

However, all sides are likely to argue the meeting was above board given Mr Johnson commissioned the report.

Earlier in the process there were robust procedures to ensure Number 10 did not know about the contents of the interim report.

The meeting is understood to have taken place on a date before the Commons voted to refer Mr Johnson to the privileges committee which happened on 21 April.

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3:20

Partygate report soon to be released

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner called on the prime minister to "urgently explain" why the "secret meeting" had taken place.

She said public confidence in the process had already been "depleted", and people "deserve to know the truth".

"This is a Prime Minister incapable of taking responsibility for the rotten culture he has created in Downing Street or of doing the decent thing," she added.

"The Sue Gray report must be published in full and with all accompanying evidence."

'People and public will be surprised and concerned about the outcome'

On Thursday, the Metropolitan Police confirmed they had ended their investigation into lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street and Whitehall, and had given out 126 fines for 83 people.

The £460,000 investigation into the partygate scandal, which has lasted nearly four months, has already resulted in fines for the PM, his wife Carrie Johnson, and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over a birthday gathering for the prime minister.

Helen Ball, acting deputy commissioner of the Met Police, said: "A number of people, members of the public, have been both surprised and concerned at what they have heard. And I'm sure they will be surprised and concerned about the outcome of our investigation."

Read more: How much did the partygate inquiry cost and which events broke the rules?

After the end of the inquiry, Downing Street said the prime minister had been told that there would be no further action against him.

The PM's official spokesman said: "He's pleased the investigation's concluded but at no point has it distracted him from the important issues facing the country."

Sky News understands that Carrie Johnson has also been told there will be no further action against her.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who has called for Mr Johnson to quit over his fine, said the investigation had shown "industrial scale law breaking in Downing Street... that reflects a culture and the prime minister sets the culture".

The investigation saw the Metropolitan Police make referrals for fixed penalty notices (FPNs) - which have been or will be issued - in relation to events on eight dates from May 2020 to April 2021.

Police said a team of 12 detectives had trawled through 345 documents including emails, door logs, diary entries and witness statements, 510 photographs and CCTV images, and 204 questionnaires in what they described as a "careful and thorough" investigation.

Read more: What is the Sue Gray report and what can we expect from the full findings?

Detectives have not publicly disclosed the identities of those fined. It is known that among them is former government ethics chief Helen MacNamara, who apologised for an "error of judgement".

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0:15

No apology after Met partygate report

The Met said that 28 people had received between two and five penalty notices.

The conclusion of the police investigation clears the way for Ms Gray's report into the parties to be published in full.

A source close to her team said the aim was to publish it as soon as possible, with next week likely.

Sky News understands discussions about whether or not to name senior civil servants who have been awarded fines are ongoing.

Downing Street said Mr Johnson will "talk in more detail" about the scandal after the report is published.

Mr Johnson also faces a parliamentary investigation into whether he misled the House of Commons about the parties.

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2022-05-21 04:18:45Z
1425580772

COVID-19 alert level in UK reduced - as Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 reclassified as variants of concern - Sky News

The UK's coronavirus alert level has been reduced - as two rare types of Omicron have been reclassified as variants of concern.

The level has moved from four to three after advice from the four nations' chief medical officers and the NHS England medical director.

They said that "the current BA.2 driven Omicron wave is subsiding" and "direct COVID-19 healthcare pressures continue to decrease in all nations".

Their statement added: "Whilst it is reasonable to expect the number of cases to increase due to BA.4, BA.5 or BA2.12.1, it is unlikely in the immediate future to lead to significant direct COVID pressures."

The alert level was last raised on 12 December as Omicron spread rapidly.

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Read more: The UK's COVID alert level explained

UK coronavirus infections are now believed to be at their lowest for five months - and a quarter of what they were in March.

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They have fallen again - from an estimated 1.5 million last week to 1.3 million, according to the latest Office for National Statistics (ONS) survey.

Around one in 55 people had the virus in private households in England in the week to 13 May, the ONS said.

Last week, it was one in 45.

Wales' infections fell from an estimated one in 35 to one in 40; Scotland's from one in 35 to one in 45; and in Northern Ireland it's down from one in 55 to one in 60.

New Omicron types may have 'immune escape'

Despite significant and consistent falls, two new sub-lineages of Omicron - BA.4 and BA.5 - have been reclassified as variants of concern by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

It said they are likely to have a growth advantage over the dominant BA.2 type.

Initial findings also suggest they may also have some degree of "immune escape", meaning the body may no longer be able to recognise or fight the virus.

However, there's so far no indication they are associated with new symptoms or more severe disease, according to vaccine alliance GAVI.

Only 115 probable or confirmed BA.4 cases have been identified in the UK as of 20 May.

There are 67 in England, 41 in Scotland, six in Wales and one in Northern Ireland.

Some 80 cases of BA.5 have been identified, including 48 in England, 25 in Scotland, six in Northern Ireland and one in Wales.

Dr Meera Chand, from the UKHSA, said: "The reclassification of these variants as variants of concern reflects emerging evidence on the growth of BA.4 and BA.5 internationally and in the UK.

"Whilst the impact of these variants is uncertain, the variant classification system aims to identify potential risk as early as possible.

"UKHSA is undertaking further detailed studies. Data and analysis will be released in due course through our regular surveillance reporting."

BA.4 and BA.5 were first detected in South Africa in January and February respectively, according to GAVI.

It said that the number of countries reporting cases, as well as overall cases, were rising.

"This growth could suggest that these variants are more transmissible than the existing Omicron variant, or it could the result of waning immunity from past infection or vaccination - it is too early to know for sure," it said.

The reclassification of BA.4 and BA.5 as variants of concern comes after UK experts recommended an autumn COVID booster jab for some people.

Over-65s, care home residents and staff, frontline health and social care workers, and people over 16 in vulnerable groups should be offered another vaccine to boost immunity ahead of the winter, said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

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2022-05-20 16:24:47Z
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