Babak Belurs

Kamis, 04 Mei 2023

Prince William and Kate drop into a Soho pub - BBC

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By Sean Coughlan

Royal correspondent

There's no such thing as a quiet pint if you're the Prince and Princess of Wales.

Prince William and Catherine arrived at the Dog and Duck with crowds jammed into the narrow streets of Soho in the bohemian heart of central London.

Trying his hand at being a barman, Prince William pulled a pint of beer appropriately called "Kingmaker".

The royal couple had travelled to Soho on the Elizabeth Line, named after the prince's grandmother, the late Queen.

The lunchtime visit to the pub was to support the work of the hospitality industry in the run-up to the Coronation - an explanation not many of us could ever use convincingly.

"You just get the best conversations in a pub... everyone is relaxed. You never know who you're going to meet," said Prince William talking inside the pub.

That might be a view shared by local drinkers who have heard plenty of tall tales, but who was going to believe them that they'd seen Prince William and Kate popping into the Dog and Duck?

With the Coronation looming at the weekend, Prince William said his son Prince George was excited about the big day.

Outside Catherine shook hands with people in a growing crowd, although as every one of them was filming it on their phones it was a big decision whether to shake hands or keep recording.

Prince William, in a spirit of modernisation, has been pioneering the era of the tie-less royal, and he arrived at the pub wearing a jacket and open shirt. And so, taking his lead, all of his retinue also seemed to have ditched the neckwear.

They must have rumbled that the only people wearing ties in the post-Covid world are TV newsreaders, people at funerals and other people on royal visits.

Catherine was keeping up the side with a smart red outfit, which you're quite likely to see on the front pages of newspapers, as she stood behind the bar in a way that would have made Peggy Mitchell proud.

These visits are a strange version of real life. A helicopter was hovering above, police had set up cordons and in the middle of it a man in a white coat was trying to deliver meat, baffled at what was going on.

The Dog and Duck has had famous visitors before. Madonna has been spotted here and in the 1940s it was the haunt of author George Orwell - and even his worst nightmares about a surveillance society couldn't have expected the sheer number of camera-phones capturing every moment.

Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.

It's one of those London pubs full of old-fashioned mirrors and very modern prices, often frequented by Soho media types, which means people have been moaning about their jobs here for generations.

It's long been part of the great pilgrimage of Soho pubs, such as the French House and the Coach and Horses.

But the serious part of the visit was to recognise the efforts of people in the hospitality industry who will be working through the Coronation weekend.

Pubs, restaurants and hotels are hoping for a coronation boom, with extended licensing hours.

TUC boss Paul Nowak earlier this week issued a reminder that the celebrations for the Coronation will depend on millions of people carrying on working.

That includes retail, leisure and transport as well as emergency services.

For some a pub might be seen as part of the emergency services - but for those wanting to enjoy a pint over the weekend, someone else has to be staffing the bar to serve it.

But on Saturday, Prince William and Catherine will be busy elsewhere in a different kind of service.

So they got into waiting cars outside Ronnie Scott's jazz bar, with people hanging out of windows filming as they disappeared down Frith Street.

Rabu, 03 Mei 2023

Coronation protests allowed, security minister Tom Tugendhat says - BBC

People protest ahead of King Charles III and Queen Consort attending the Royal Maundy Service at York Minster

By Oliver Slow & Dominic Casciani

BBC News

Anti-monarchy groups will be allowed to protest at the King's Coronation on Saturday, security minister Tom Tugendhat has insisted.

His comments came after one group planning a demonstration on the Coronation route was warned of new laws banning "serious disruption".

Republic, which campaigns to abolish the monarchy, accused the Home Office of sending an intimidatory message.

It says police chiefs have accepted its demonstration is lawful and peaceful.

The Public Order Act came into effect on Wednesday and days beforehand, officials from the Home Office's Police Powers Unit wrote two letters to Republic to list how it had tightened laws on the right to protest.

Republic is co-ordinating demonstrations across the UK and has held talks with the Metropolitan Police over a protest in London's Trafalgar Square, as the King's procession passes.

The group hopes up to 1,700 supporters will gather around the statue of Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649, and hold yellow placards declaring "Not My King".

The security operation around the Coronation will be one of the largest in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

There will be more than 11,500 police on duty in London on Saturday, the Met said, including 9,000 on the procession route between Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.

Firearms officers will be ready to respond to any incidents, alongside marine support on the Thames, the dogs unit and Special Constabulary officers.

The force said in a statement that its "tolerance for any disruption" would be low, and that it will "deal robustly with anyone intent on undermining this celebration".

Facial recognition technology will be used in central London, targeting a "watch list" of people wanted for offences, or under police supervision for previous crimes.

Central London is already being scoured and areas where explosive devices could be hidden, such as under manhole covers or inside lamp-posts, will be repeatedly checked.

Precautions are likely to be on a similar scale to the security operation surrounding the Queen's funeral, which saw armed officers stationed on top of buildings monitoring the crowds.

A Home Office letter sent on 28 April does not mention the protest, but the unnamed official tells Republic: "I would be grateful if you could publicise and forward this letter to your members who are likely to be affected by these legislative changes."

Graham Smith, the organisation's chief, described that letter as "intimidatory".

He said there had been two constructive face-to-face meetings with Scotland Yard's public order commander, who had been entirely satisfied that the plan was legal and peaceful.

Mr Smith said: "We have gone through our plans - where we are going to be, what placards we have, and that we have no intention of doing anything disruptive. The police have repeatedly said they have no concerns about our plans and we can turn up and do what we are planning.

"The tone and the anonymity [of the 28 April letter] feels like a passive-aggressive attempt to put us off. I don't know why the Home Office has sent this, given it's the police's job to police. The lawyers were perplexed why it was sent."

Downing Street has said the "right to protest is fundamental", with Rishi Sunak's spokesperson saying the prime minister "would hope that everyone would come together and recognise this is a moment of national unity".

Defending the Home Office letters on the BBC's Today programme, Mr Tugendhat said that anti-monarchy groups have the "liberty that anybody in the United Kingdom has to protest, what they don't have the liberty to do is to disrupt others".

He added that the complexity of the security operation for the Coronation was heightened by the presence of foreign leaders.

"It's perfectly possible that we're dealing with protest groups that have nothing to do with the UK, but are seeking to protest against a foreign leader who's visiting, or seeking to make a complaint about something that's happening hundreds or thousands of miles away," he said.

Mr Tugendhat refused to discuss what actions could be punished at the Coronation "for fear of encouraging people to find loopholes", but said they were introduced in response to protests in the UK becoming "disruptive" and "intrusive".

New protest laws

The 2023 Public Order Act is the government's second major piece of legislation changing protest laws in under two years.

In 2022 MPs voted to place greater restrictions on public processions if they are too noisy.

The new act goes further:

Protesters who interfere with "key national infrastructure" including roads and railways can face 12 months in jail.
Anyone who fixes themselves to an object or building to create an immovable obstacle, a tactic known as "locking on", could be jailed for six months.
The law bans protesters from committing acts of "serious disruption" - meaning demonstrations which prevent people going about their day-to-day activities.
Other new offences include up to three years in jail for tunnelling as part of a protest. Police will also have new powers to search people for super-glues and padlocks.

The Home Office describes the laws as "sensible and proportionate measures" in response to actions by groups such Just Stop Oil and Insulate Britain that have caused "serious disruption".

Just Stop Oil called the bill "the latest in a string of increasingly repressive laws, enabling police to make any protest illegal before it has even happened".

Read the latest from our royal correspondent Sean Coughlan - sign up here.

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By Rachel Russell & Christy Cooney

BBC News

A man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace after throwing suspected shotgun cartridges into Palace grounds, police have said.

A cordon was erected and a controlled explosion carried out following the incident, which unfolded at around 19:00 BST on Tuesday.

The man was arrested on suspicion of possession of an offensive weapon. There are no reports of any injuries.

The incident is not currently being treated as terror-related.

Overnight rehearsals for the Coronation on Saturday went ahead as planned.

Police say the man was searched and a knife was found but that he was not carrying a gun. They say he was also found to be in possession of a suspicious bag and that a controlled explosion was carried out as a precaution following an assessment by specialists.

It is understood it is being treated as an isolated mental health incident.

The arrest comes just four days before the King's Coronation celebrations - which will be attended by world leaders and other royals from around the world.

Security minister Tom Tugendhat described the response as "a fantastic piece of policing", adding that "a huge security operation" is in place ahead of the Coronation.

"As you saw last night, the police and security services are absolutely ready to intervene when necessary," he told BBC Breakfast.

The King and the Queen Consort - who live at nearby Clarence House - were not at Buckingham Palace at the time of the arrest, although the King did host Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the palace earlier on Tuesday.

Chief Supt Joseph McDonald said: "Officers worked immediately to detain the man and he has been taken into police custody.

"There have been no reports of any shots fired, or any injuries to officers or members of the public.

"Officers remain at the scene and further enquiries are ongoing."

The BBC's royal producer Sarah Parrish was in the broadcast compound outside Buckingham Palace when she was told to leave and wait outside.

She told the BBC News Channel that those who were evacuated had "heard the controlled explosion and then we were allowed back in again."

The suspected shotgun cartridges have been recovered and will be examined by specialists. Roads in the area have now reopened and the cordons have been lifted.

Buckingham Palace has declined to comment.

The Gold State Coach is ridden alongside members of the military

Rehearsals for the Coronation saw soldiers dressed in bright yellow and red uniforms file past the palace and along the Mall in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

The parade also featured soldiers on horseback and the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which will carry the King and Queen Consort from the palace to Westminster Abbey.

Extra security is expected in the capital for the Coronation, which policing minister Chris Philp has described as a "huge policing operation".

Asked about the prospect of protesters disrupting the weekend's events, Maj Gen Chris Ghika, a senior British Army officer overseeing the ceremony, said the Metropolitan Police has "an excellent security plan in place, which will allow the parade to go ahead".

Chris Phillips, former head of the UK National Counter Terrorism Security Office, told the BBC that police have been planning for the Coronation for years, and that an "enormous amount of planning" has gone into the security operation.

"The police should be celebrated for it, and fingers crossed it all goes well on Saturday," he said.

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Selasa, 02 Mei 2023

Alfie Steele, nine, ‘endured a life no child should lead’, murder trial told - The Guardian

A nine-year-old boy died after being “repeatedly assaulted and beaten” by his mother and her fiance, who held him down in cold baths and poured water over him outside at night, a court has heard.

Alfie Steele had 50 injuries on his body when he was found lifeless in a bath at home in Droitwich on 18 February 2021, and was later pronounced dead at Worcester Royal hospital.

His mother, Carla Scott, 35, and her partner, Dirk Howell, 41, are jointly accused of his murder.

Opening the case at Coventry crown court on Tuesday, the prosecutor Michelle Heeley KC said Alfie was “made to endure a life that no child should lead”.

“He had been deliberately and repeatedly assaulted, beaten, and put into and held under a cold bath as a punishment, and that unlawful course of conduct, that unnecessary punishment, was carried out jointly by Carla Scott and Dirk Howell,” Heeley told the court.

The jury heard that the couple hit Alfie with belts or a slider – “like a heavy duty flip-flop” – as well as “dunking” him naked in cold baths and making him stand outside at night and have cold water thrown over him.

Scott had Alfie with a man in a previous relationship, at which time social services were involved. The couple broke up in 2017, Scott started dating Howell in July 2019 and within six months they were engaged, the court heard.

Heeley said neighbours raised their concerns with the authorities “within a short period of time of these two getting together”.

“Dirk Howell believed in discipline; on the face of it not a bad thing when bringing up young children,” Heeley said. “But whereas you might think of discipline as being the naughty step, or having set bed times, for Dirk Howell discipline was far more physical and psychological.”

She said neighbours “saw a child standing outside the house begging to be let in, with both defendants refusing them entry”, and Howell was seen shouting and swearing in the street.

After social services became involved again, Howell was banned from staying in the family home overnight, but the couple “flouted this rule wilfully and continuously”, Heeley said.

“Carla Scott clearly knew what he was like, but let him stay anyway.”

On the day of her son’s death, Scott dialled 999 at 2.24pm claiming “Alfie had fallen asleep in the bath” and she had found him “submerged”, adding he had previously hit his head.

Police arrived at the house six minutes later and found Alfie lifeless and “cold to the touch”, Heeley said. A postmortem examination concluded the cause of his death was “unascertained”.

Heeley said: “He didn’t die of natural causes, he had bruises all over his body, and signs that he had been deprived of oxygen.”

Scott told police she had not seen Howell for two days before Alfie’s death, but a police officer is said to have spotted him on a nearby street just minutes after her 999 call and the prosecution allege he had stayed at the home overnight.

He was arrested by police while trying to board a stationary train at Droitwich railway station. “What were they both trying to hide at that point? Their guilt. They knew what they had done and Dirk Howell’s first instinct was to run,” Heeley said.

Jurors were told Howell had admitted cruelty offences against other children before the trial, but denies murder, manslaughter, cruelty or causing or allowing the death of Alfie.

Scott also denies murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of Alfie and child cruelty offences against her son and other children.

The trial continues.

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2023-05-02 16:46:00Z
2001593223

NHS unions vote to accept government pay deal – but nurses could still strike - The Independent

Unions representing more than one million NHS workers have voted to accept a 5 per cent pay rise from the government following months of strikes.

Healthcare staff covered by 14 unions will be given the raise for 2023-24, along with two one-off payments for last year, after the majority voted in favour of the deal at the NHS staff council today.

Unison and the GMB, which represent ambulance staff and other healthcare workers, were key organisations to sway the vote after their members voted last month to accept.

However, Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and Unite members rejected the offer, meaning members of both unions could decide to hold further strikes.

The RCN, which represents 280,000 nurses, midwives and nursing assistants, has already said it will go ahead with a new ballot for strike action to be held between June and December. Health leaders have raised concerns over the “worrying” prospect of further walkouts.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “While the NHS staff council outcome is very positive news overall, it is not the line in the sand that will allow the NHS and those relying on its care to confidently move on from the threat of future strikes.

Health secretary Steve Barclay called the agreement a “good day for NHS staff and patients” and said he will implement the deal for all staff, even those who have not accepted the offer.

The NHS may still face further strikes from junior doctors, who were not covered by this pay deal.

The RCN’s original mandate for strikes ran out on 1 May meaning it must ask members to vote again on whether to walk out. It said any strike action could take place “across the full NHS”, which would be an escalation on earlier action that only occurred in around half of trusts.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen said acceptance of the pay deal was “not the prevailing view of nursing staff”. She told The Independent last week that the government faces years of strike action if it does not change the way it sets pay levels in the future.

The bank holiday weekend saw the most extensive strikes yet from nurses, with A&E, critical care and cancer care workers taking part for the first time.

Sara Gorton, head of health at Unison, said: “Health staff shouldn’t have needed to take action in the first place, proper pay talks last autumn could have stopped health workers missing out on money they could ill afford to lose. The NHS and patients would also have been spared months of disruption.”

Sir Julian Hartley, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents NHS trusts, said: “Trust leaders are breathing a sigh of relief at today’s decision. We hope that this brings an end to the most disruptive period of industrial action in NHS history.

“But the NHS isn’t out of the woods yet. Despite this result, nobody can deny the scale of longstanding and mounting pressures facing staff, frontline services and the quality of care that they can give. We mustn’t forget that the various unions were not unanimous in their vote today, reflecting the strength of feeling among NHS staff.”

Mr Barclay said: “I’m pleased the NHS Staff Council has voted to accept our pay offer, demonstrating that a majority of NHS staff agree this is a fair and reasonable deal.

“It is now my intention to implement this for all staff on the Agenda for Change contract and where some unions may choose to remain in dispute, we hope their members – many of whom voted to accept this offer – will recognise this as a fair outcome that carries the support of their colleagues and decide it is time to bring industrial action to an end.”

The deal comes as the government remains in dispute with junior doctors who staged a four-day strike last month. Doctors’ union the British Medical Association initially called for the government to address a 26 per cent real terms pay cut since 2008-9, which would mean the government would have to agree to a 35 per cent raise this year. However, it has since signalled that the 35 per cent would be a starting point should the government open negotiations with a “credible” counteroffer.

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2023-05-02 17:59:24Z
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Babak Belurs

Kamis, 04 Mei 2023

Prince William and Kate drop into a Soho pub - BBC

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Related Topics

Rabu, 03 Mei 2023

Coronation protests allowed, security minister Tom Tugendhat says - BBC

New protest laws

Related Topics

Crowds camp overnight to catch first glimpse of Coronation carriages - The Telegraph

Man arrested outside Buckingham Palace - BBC

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Related Topics

Selasa, 02 Mei 2023

Alfie Steele, nine, ‘endured a life no child should lead’, murder trial told - The Guardian

NHS unions vote to accept government pay deal – but nurses could still strike - The Independent

Kamis, 04 Mei 2023

Prince William and Kate drop into a Soho pub - BBC

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

Related Topics

Rabu, 03 Mei 2023

Coronation protests allowed, security minister Tom Tugendhat says - BBC

New protest laws

Related Topics

Crowds camp overnight to catch first glimpse of Coronation carriages - The Telegraph

Man arrested outside Buckingham Palace - BBC

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

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

Related Topics

Selasa, 02 Mei 2023

Alfie Steele, nine, ‘endured a life no child should lead’, murder trial told - The Guardian

NHS unions vote to accept government pay deal – but nurses could still strike - The Independent

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