Senin, 23 Januari 2023

Ambulance staff on strike in England and Wales - BBC

Ambulances queuing outside an NHS hospitalEPA

Ambulance staff belonging to three unions - GMB, Unison and Unite - are on strike in a dispute over pay.

Life-threatening 999 calls will be attended to but other emergencies, such as slips on icy pavements, may not be, as freezing temperatures affect parts of the UK.

The UK Health Security Agency has extended the current level 3 cold weather alert until 9am on Wednesday.

The cold carries health risks, particularly for vulnerable patients.

It increases the risks of heart attacks, strokes and chest infections, as well as falls and accidents, for example.

During this period, it is important to check in on family, friends and relatives who may need help, experts say.

If you have a pre-existing medical condition or are over the age of 65, it is important to try and heat your home to at least 18°C if you can.

Ambulance strike

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said Monday's industrial action affecting some parts of England and Wales was "hugely disappointing" and despite contingency plans to mitigate risks to patient safety, "there will inevitably be further disruption".

He added: "I have had constructive talks with unions about this coming year's pay process for 2023-24, and am keen to continue talking about what is affordable and fair."

Speaking on Sky's Sophy Ridge on Sunday, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the government was willing to "talk about anything, but they won't talk about pay".

Meanwhile, Unison general secretary Christina McAnea said a "solution" to the strike was "staring the government in the face".

The biggest day of industrial action for the NHS in this ongoing dispute over pay is set to happen on 6 February, when nurses will walk out too.

Governments say the above-inflation pay rises requested are unaffordable.

Pay rises are decided by independent pay review bodies.

NHS staff in England and Wales - including nurses - have already received an average increase of 4.75%. The lowest paid were guaranteed a rise of at least £1,400.

The Welsh government offered a one-off payment as a way to avoid strike action, but that was rejected by unions.

Fourteen health unions, representing more than a million NHS workers in England, have said they will no longer work with the NHS Pay Review Body on discussions about the next (2023-24) pay deal until their current demands are met.

In Scotland, a pay offer averaging 7.5% has been accepted by some unions.

In Northern Ireland, the government has said it will give a 4.5% uplift to pay, backdated to April 2022. That is a below-inflation increase for most workers. Pay disputes continue.

What 999 care will be provided?

The advice remains to call 999 in an emergency.

The most life-threatening situations - such as cardiac arrest - will be responded to by an ambulance.

Conditions which are serious but not immediately life-threatening might not be attended straight away.

Less urgent calls - such as a woman in late-stage labour - will not be prioritised.

Those who have a fall, or suffer other non-life-threatening injuries, are unlikely to receive 999 care. The NHS 111 service is available.

Chart showing the four emergency call categories

Which parts of the UK are affected?

Some ambulance staff in the GMB union are on strike in the West Midlands.

Meanwhile the action by Unison affects London, Yorkshire and the north-west, north-east and south-west of England.

Members of Unite are walking out in the West Midlands, East Midlands and north-west and north-east of England as well as in Wales.

Future strikes are also planned.

When are the next strikes?

Ambulance trust workers will be striking on:

  • Tuesday 24 January - GMB (North West) ambulance workers
  • Thursday 26 January - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
  • Monday 6 February - Unite (in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales), plus GMB ambulance workers and nurses
  • Thursday 16 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland) plus GMB workers
  • Friday 17 February - Unite (in West Midlands and Northern Ireland)
  • Monday 20 February - Unite (in East Midlands, North East and Wales) plus GMB workers
  • Wednesday 22 February - Unite (in North West)
  • Thursday 23 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
  • Friday 24 February - Unite (in Northern Ireland)
  • Monday 6 March - Unite (in North West, North East, West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales) plus GMB workers
  • Monday 20 March - Unite (in North West, North East,West Midlands, East Midlands and Wales) plus GMB workers
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What patients need to know

  • People seriously ill or injured, and whose life is at risk, should call 999 as usual, or call 111 for non-urgent care
  • Other services, such as some cancer treatments or urgent testing, may be partially staffed
  • More routine care is likely to be badly affected, including planned operations such as knee and hip replacements, community nursing services and health visiting
  • Anyone with an appointment not already rearranged should attend at their allotted time
  • GPs, community pharmacies and dentists will be unaffected
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Will you take part in the strikes? Or will you be effected by strikes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.

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2023-01-23 09:32:00Z
CBMiKmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2hlYWx0aC02NDM0NjY3M9IBLmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jby51ay9uZXdzL2hlYWx0aC02NDM0NjY3My5hbXA

Minggu, 22 Januari 2023

Nadhim Zahawi paid penalty as part of HMRC tax dispute - BBC

Nadhim ZahawiReuters

Nadhim Zahawi paid a penalty as part of his tax dispute with HM Revenue & Customs, the BBC has been told.

The Conservative Party chairman is facing claims he tried to avoid tax and had to pay it back. On Saturday he said he did make a payment to HMRC to settle the issue.

It was previously reported the money he paid included a penalty, but this had not been confirmed.

On Sunday evening, Mr Zahawi's allies insisted he would continue in his role.

The BBC also understands the tax issue was resolved while Mr Zahawi was chancellor between July and September last year - and the total amount paid is in region of what has been reported, of about £5m.

Pressure has been growing on Mr Zahawi to give more details about his finances after reports emerged this week he had agreed to pay millions of pounds to HMRC to settle his tax affairs.

The Guardian had previously reported that Mr Zahawi paid back tax he had owed, as well as a 30% penalty, with the total settlement amounting to £4.8m.

The tax was related to a shareholding in YouGov, the polling company he co-founded in 2000 before he became an MP.

According to HMRC, tax avoidance involves bending the rules of the tax system to try to gain a tax advantage that Parliament never intended. It is legal and includes things that some people would consider to be normal tax planning.

Penalties can be applied by HMRC if tax is not paid in the correct amount at the right time.

Mr Zahawi has not confirmed how much his penalty amounted to, nor the total value of the final settlement with HMRC.

In a statement this weekend, Mr Zahawi said he had made an error in his taxes, but that it was "careless and not deliberate".

But Labour said there were a whole list of questions that still needed answers - and called on him to publish all his correspondence with HMRC "so we can get the full picture". Labour also said there are questions over the timing.

Although the BBC has been told the issue with HMRC was resolved while Mr Zahawi was chancellor - and the minister ultimately responsible for HMRC - but it is still not clear when he originally became aware of it.

His allies claim he told the government's Propriety and Ethics Team - which is in charge of ensuring ethics across government departments - about it before his appointment as chancellor.

And after having become chancellor, Mr Zahawi did not seek to challenge HMRC's demands, but instructed his accountants to pay all of what they said was due, the BBC has been told.

On Sunday, senior Conservative Sir Iain Duncan Smith then joined the calls for more scrutiny, urging Mr Zahawi to release "the absolute facts" and "get it all out now, whatever you have to do and clear it up".

But he defended Mr Zahawi, saying he did not believe he was "deceitful".

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said it was for Mr Zahawi to decide "how much detail to put in the public domain".

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The BBC was previously told on Saturday that Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was satisfied with Mr Zahawi's account and has confidence in him as chairman of the Conservative Party.

Who is Nadhim Zahawi?

Nadhim Zahawi was announced as chancellor on 5 July 2022, hours after the resignation of Rishi Sunak from Boris Johnson's government.

He was previously education secretary and before that, coronavirus vaccines minister. He was made minister for equalities, minister for intergovernmental relations, and chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster under Liz Truss.

Mr Sunak appointed him as Conservative Party chairman and minister without portfolio, attending cabinet, on 25 October.

Mr Zahawi has been the Conservative MP for Stratford-on-Avon since 2010.

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2023-01-22 22:36:52Z
1741247949

King Charles's coronation will be an occasion for 'celebration and pageantry' - find out all the details - Sky News

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday 6 May with a bank holiday on Monday 8 May.

Like his mother, the King will be crowned at Westminster Abbey, in the presence of faith leaders, peers, MPs, and foreign heads of state.

Here Sky News looks at what we can expect from the service on Saturday 6 May that will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the events taking place in the following days.

Sunday's Platinum Jubilee Pageant will be led by the Gold State Coach - used for the Queen's coronation in 1953
Image: The gold state coach was used for Queen Elizabeth II's coronation

What will happen on the day?

The Queen's coronation took place at 11.15am on 2 June 1953.

Although specific timings have not yet been released, on the day, King Charles will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey with his Queen Consort, Camilla, in what is known as "the King's procession".

Like his mother and father, they are likely to be taken in the gold state coach, which is reserved for coronations and jubilees.

Up to a million people travelled to London to watch the coach along the Mall in 1953.

File photo dated 2/6/1953 of crowds in Trafalgar Square in the rain watch as troops march past on the return from Westminster Abbey after the Queen's coronation. The Queen's coronation, rich in religious significance, was a morale boost for a nation starved of pageantry by the war, and for a day street parties banished the hardship of rationing and shortages and even atrocious, unseasonal weather did not dampen the enthusiasm. Issue date: Thursday September 8, 2022.
Image: Crowds in Trafalgar Square on the day of the Queen's coronation

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King coronation details announced

The ceremony will be broadcast live on television, but the number of guests who attend in person is expected to be cut from 8,000 to 2,000.

It is thought it will be shorter than the previous one - lasting just over an hour instead of three.

Peers will wear suits and formal dresses as opposed to ceremonial robes and many of the traditional rituals, including the presentation of gold ingots, will not feature this time.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: "The coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."

Despite speculation that the current cost of living crisis and the King's desire for a slimmed down monarchy will mean a more muted ceremony, royal sources are adamant that feedback indicated people want to see the best of Britain today, and celebrate the United Kingdom's rich and unique history.

File photo dated 2/6/1953 of Queen Elizabeth II riding with the Duke of Edinburgh in the State Coach through Trafalgar Square on the way from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for her coronation. The Queen's coronation, rich in religious significance, was a morale boost for a nation starved of pageantry by the war, and for a day street parties banished the hardship of rationing and shortages and even atrocious, unseasonal weather did not dampen the enthusiasm. Issue date: Thursday September
Image: The Queen and Prince Philip ride in the gold state coach to Westminster Abbey

There will also be similarities with the Queen's Platinum Jubilee last year.

Queen Elizabeth's son and heir wanted to follow a similar ethos of recognising community heroes and bringing people together, by encouraging street parties on Sunday 7 May and a day of volunteering events on Monday 8 May.

After the ceremony, the King and Queen Consort will be joined by other family members on the balcony of Buckingham Palace to conclude the day's ceremonial events.

It is still unknown whether Prince Harry and wife Meghan will be among those attending.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth along with members of the Royal Family watches the special flypast by Britain's RAF (Royal Air Force) from Buckingham Palace balcony following the Trooping the Colour parade, as a part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations
Image: Queen Elizabeth and the Royal Family watching the Platinum Jubilee RAF flypast

Six-part ceremony

There are six parts to the coronation - the recognition, oath, anointing, investiture, enthronement and homage.

The recognition sees the monarch stand in the theatre - the central part of the Abbey - and turn to the north, south, east and west to "show himself unto the people".

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby will then declare him the "undoubted King".

This ritual dates back to Anglo-Saxon times.

King Charles III and members of the royal family follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II, draped in the Royal Standard with the Imperial State Crown and the Sovereign's orb and sceptre, as it is carried into Westminster Abbey during State Funeral. Picture date: Monday September 19, 2022. Danny Lawson/Pool via REUTERS
Image: The Queen's funeral was held at Westminster Abbey

Second is the coronation oath, which will see the King promise to reign according to law, exercise justice with mercy and maintain the Church of England.

He will then be presented with the Sword of State and declare at the altar: "The things which I have here before promised, I will perform, and keep. So help me God", before kissing the Bible and signing the oath.

The third part - the anointing - follows, which is the process of blessing and consecrating the new monarch with holy oil - the central act of the religious ceremony. The King will remove his crimson robe and sit in King Edward's Chair.

Fourthly, the investiture is the official crowning.

It will see the King dressed in special robes and presented with the orb, coronation ring, sceptre and rod.

Sitting in King Edward's Chair, he will be crowned with St Edward's Crown before the congregation shouts out "God Save the King".

FILE - In this June 2, 1953 file photo, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II wearing the bejeweled Imperial Crown and carrying the Orb and Scepter with Cross, leaves Westminster Abbey, London, at the end of her coronation ceremony. On Monday Feb. 6, 2017, Queen Elizabeth II marks her Sapphire Jubilee, becoming the first British monarch to reign for 65 years. (AP Photo/File)
Image: The Queen carries the orb and sceptre during her coronation ceremony in 1953

This is followed by the enthroning, which will see the monarch lifted onto a different throne by archbishops, bishops and "other peers of the kingdom".

The final stage of the King's coronation is known as homage.

It sees the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Prince of Wales and other royal blood princes paying tribute to the King by placing their hands between his and kissing his right hand.

**Screen Grab** Queen Elizabeth II wears St Edward's Crown, at the Coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey. This was the view as seen by television viewers immediately after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Geoffrey Fisher, had placed the Crown upon the Queen's head.
Image: Queen Elizabeth II wears St Edward's Crown

Camilla to be crowned

The Queen Consort will then also be crowned.

Unlike the wives of Kings, the husbands of Queens do not become King Consorts and are therefore not crowned.

But ahead of her Platinum Jubilee, the Queen announced Camilla would be known as Queen Consort on King Charles's accession.

King Charles III and the Queen Consort wave as they leave Dunfermline Abbey, after a visit to mark its 950th anniversary, and after attending a meeting at the City Chambers in Dunfermline, Fife, where the King formally marked the conferral of city status on the former town. Picture date: Monday October 3, 2022.

Instead the Duke of Edinburgh "paid homage" to Queen Elizabeth II immediately after the formal coronation - as Prince William and other princes are likely to do this time.

The Queen Mother was anointed and crowned during her husband's coronation in 1937.

According to the Royal Family's website: "A Queen consort is crowned with the King, in a similar but simpler ceremony."

The coronation concert

On Sunday, the day after the coronation, "global music icons and contemporary stars" descend on Windsor Castle for the coronation concert.

Thousands of members of the public will be selected to receive a pair of free tickets, which are up for grabs through a national ballot held by the BBC, which will also broadcast the event live.

Queen guitarist Brian May performs during the Platinum Jubilee. Pic: AP
Image: Queen guitarist Brian May performs during the Platinum Jubilee concert. Pic: AP

The "world's biggest entertainers" and world-class orchestras will be supported by a selection of dancers and spoken word sequences delivered by stars of stage and screen.

The Coronation Choir will also perform, created from members of the nation's community choirs and amateur singers such as refugee choirs, NHS choirs and LGBTQ+ singing groups, in part to make the weekend feel as inclusive and diverse as possible.

The centrepiece of the coronation concert, dubbed by the palace as "lighting up the nation", will see landmarks across the UK lit up using projections, lasers, drone displays and illuminations.

The Platinum Jubilee concert, London, Saturday June 4, 2022. Pic: AP
Image: The Platinum Jubilee concert, June 2022. Pic: AP

Others will be invited to gather at the Eden Project in Cornwall, for a "coronation big lunch", overseen by The Big Lunch, an incentive which the Queen Consort has been patron of for 10 years.

Bank holiday Monday dubbed 'the big help out'

Coronations have traditionally fallen on weekdays, which have been declared bank holidays to allow the public to get involved by either watching on TV or crowding the streets in London.

As King Charles's coronation will fall on a Saturday, Monday 8 May has been set as a bank holiday in all four nations of the UK.

The day is being billed as "the big help out" and has been set aside for volunteering to help highlight the positive impact volunteering has on communities.

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Organised by The Together Coalition and a wide range of partners such as The Scouts, the Royal Voluntary Service and faith groups from across the UK, the palace said it will be in tribute to the King's public service and will help "encourage people to try volunteering for themselves".

The government has already launched a consultation on extending pub opening hours throughout the coronation weekend, meaning pubs in England and Wales could be allowed to stay open until 1am from Friday to Sunday.

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2023-01-22 00:47:09Z
1744112775

Sabtu, 21 Januari 2023

Man arrested after two cyclists die in crash in South Yorkshire - Sky News

A man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving after two cyclists were killed in a road crash in South Yorkshire.

Emergency services attended the scene of the crash on Royston Road, Cudworth, Barnsley at 9.07pm on Friday following reports of a collision between a car and two bikes.

Despite the best efforts of paramedics, two men were pronounced dead at the scene, and police are working to formally identify them.

South Yorkshire Police said the vehicle involved, believed to be a red Volkswagen Golf, failed to stop and was later found abandoned around three miles away in Bleak Avenue, Shafton.

The force said a 37-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Officers are also working to trace another man in connection with the incident.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or was driving in the area at the time and may have seen the car or bikes involved, and particularly those with dashcam footage, have been urged to contact the force.

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2023-01-21 23:08:35Z
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King Charles's coronation plans include Windsor concert - BBC

King Charles

World-famous entertainers will perform at Windsor Castle as part of a weekend of celebrations to mark the King's coronation, it has been announced.

The concert will be broadcast on the BBC on 7 May featuring "global music icons", orchestras and a diverse "coronation choir".

It will come the day after the coronation at Westminster Abbey.

Processions to and from the abbey will take place, ending with a balcony appearance at Buckingham Palace.

These are among the new details just released on plans for the weekend which the King and Queen Consort hope will be an opportunity for friends, families and communities to celebrate together, said Buckingham Palace.

The concert choir will be picked from amateur choirs, including from the NHS, refugees, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf-signing choirs, reflecting the aim to make this a more inclusive coronation, which mixes the ancient and modern aspects.

There will be a laser and drone lightshow, but in an end to another tradition, there are no plans for beacons to be lit around the country.

Coronation weekend:

  • Saturday 6 May: Coronation service in Westminster Abbey; coronation procession; Buckingham Palace balcony
  • Sunday 7 May: Concert and lightshow at Windsor Castle; Coronation Big Lunch street parties
  • Monday 8 May: Extra bank holiday; Big Help Out encouraging people to get involved in local volunteering
Diana Ross, Platinum Jubilee party
Victoria Jones

The line-up for the Windsor concert has still to be announced but organisers are promising "some of the world's biggest entertainers".

The event is expected to be a wide mix of music, dancing and a laser lightshow will be linked to the illumination of famous sites around the UK. For the Shakespeare-loving monarch there will be spoken-word performances from stage and screen stars.

Last year a concert was held outside Buckingham Palace for the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with music from pop performers such as Diana Ross and Sir Rod Stewart.

Street parties and local get-togethers will also be held on the Sunday, under the banner of the Coronation Big Lunch.

Supporting the local community will be encouraged on the bank holiday of Monday 8 May, with the Big Help Out, in which people will be urged to get involved in local volunteering projects.

Previous coronations have also included the monarch making a broadcast to the nation and official banquets for guests and visiting dignitaries.

St Edward's Crown
Reuters

The coronation at Westminster Abbey will see the crowning of King Charles and the Queen Consort Camilla, in a service full of religious symbolism and pageantry.

The ceremony is expected to be a shorter, smaller and a more diverse occasion than for Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953.

That previous coronation lasted three hours and the ceremony for King Charles is expected to be considerably shorter.

Elements of the service could be reduced, such as the paying of homage, and a "claims office" is currently looking at which roles should be included.

Previous coronations have had historic roles such as the "rouge dragon pursuivant", "unicorn pursuivant" and carriers of the "golden spur" and the "white wand".

There were more than 8,000 guests for the 1953 coronation, while the ceremony in May is expected to be smaller, with Westminster Abbey usually having a capacity of about 2,200.

Although it remains uncertain whether the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will be part of the congregation - with Prince Harry in a recent TV interview not confirming his attendance if invited.

The coronation procession is expected to be more modest. In 1953, there were 16,000 participants in a procession that took 45 minutes to pass any stationary point on the 7km (4.3 miles) route.

This time round the King and Queen Consort will arrive at the abbey from the palace, in the King's procession and return in a larger Coronation procession, joined by other members of the Royal Family. It is not yet confirmed who will then appear with them on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

There have been suggestions that the dress code for those attending the coronation is likely to be more modern.

A more inclusive, multi-faith dimension is anticipated for the service, with representatives of a range of religions. There will be scrutiny of whether the coronation oath is updated to reflect a wider range of beliefs.

Attention will be paid to the cost of the state-funded coronation. According to the House of Commons Library, the coronation in 1953 cost the equivalent of £18.8m in 2021 prices.

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2023-01-21 22:30:04Z
1744112775

Dartmoor protesters march over right to wild camp - BBC

Young couple hold a sign that says "Dartmoor is Our Moor"

Thousands of people protested in Dartmoor on Saturday in opposition to the loss of wild camping rights.

It comes after a decision by the high court to outlaw the long-held custom of camping on the moor without asking the landowner's permission.

Dartmoor National Park Authority has struck a deal with landowners to pay them to let wild camping take place.

Landowners said this would help to protect the land, but environmental groups argue it restricts access.

Environmental activist organisation Right to Roam, which organised the march, estimated 2,000 people took part.

The walk, which stretched for nearly a mile, went from the picturesque village of Cornwood up to the top of Stall Moor, which is owned by Mr and Mrs Darwall, who brought the original case against the park authority.

Many of the protesters were local, coming from Plymouth and other parts of Devon, but some travelled from as far as Essex and the Midlands.

People walk on road holding signs

The ongoing disagreement has gathered national interest because Dartmoor was the only area of England and Wales where under a local law there had been an assumed right to wild camp without the landowner's permission.

Protesters - a mixture of families, young people and older couples - have told the BBC wild camping brings them significant mental and physical benefits.

Julian Adams, who came over from the Isle of Wight, said: "All my childhood was spent here wandering around Dartmoor - it seemed a free, wild space and it's been taken away for the future generation. That's why I brought my kids up here to join the protest."

But the landowners - of which there are 15 - have seen the damaging impacts of wild camping.

Russell Ashford, a farmer whose land includes Buckfastleigh Moor, told the BBC that dozens of times a year he has to clean up after campers who do not treat the land with respect, including leaving behind human faeces.

"In terms of litter, there's beer cans, bottles, syringes sometimes. And there's a risk to people, a risk to animals grazing and a risk to the environment," he said.

Russell Ashford stands in a field stroking his dog

He hopes the new system will allow him to use the funding to put up better signage and monitor any damage.

Rebecca Trebilcock, one of the volunteers at the march, who is an expedition leader for young people on Dartmoor, told the BBC: "I do empathise with the landowners, but it is a very small fraction of campers.

"Three point one million people visited Dartmoor last year, and only 100 people got in trouble".

She thinks that "education over privatisation" is the way forward.

Rebecca strokes her dog whilst wild camping in Dartmoor
Rebecca Trebilcock

But both the landowners and the protesters agree that funding for Dartmoor National Park Authority, which pays for rangers to manage the land, is tight.

Luke Pollard, Labour MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, tweeted on Friday: "Dartmoor National Park has already had huge chunks of its budget slashed in Tory cuts since 2010 and now they're having to pay out more."

The government currently provides £49m to National Park Authorities in the UK.

A Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs spokesperson did not comment on the funding issue, but said they "welcome the ongoing efforts of the authority and the local landowners to reach a resolution".

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2023-01-21 18:05:41Z
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