Plan to end asylum hotels will fail, watchdog warns
A Downing Street spokesman said he did not agree that there would be a lack of housing stock. 'I don't accept that. As I say, the Government is committed to restoring grip to the asylum system, allowing us to end the use of hotels,' he said.
Mr Bolt, who previously served as borders chief between 2015 and 2021, and returned as interim chief inspector in June last year, also told peers he wrote to ministers to say he 'wasn't convinced smashing the gangs was the right way of thinking about things' in tackling Channel crossings.
He said: 'It did seem to me the challenge was to change the risk reward ratio for those people involved in organised immigration crime, that's really a difficult thing to achieve, because it's relatively low cost, relatively low risk for the perpetrators and highly profitable.
'I'm not sure I feel very optimistic about the ability to smash the gangs and, in any event, it seems to me with organised crime, the best thing you can do is deflect it to something else you're less concerned about rather than expect to eradicate it.'
He added that he believed the establishment of the Border Security Command has brought energy and focus to the issue, and it has been agreed with its chief, Martin Hewitt, for the unit to be inspected later this year.
But he also agreed more needed to be done to tackle the issue in the UK and look at what is attracting people to come to the country.
Mr Bolt said: 'The availability of illegal working, that I think is one of the issues the Home Office has tried to focus on and tried to close down as best it can and will continue to have to work very hard on that.'
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Sky News
21 minutes ago
- Sky News
House of Lords under fire for dropping rule that once caught out cricket legend and historian
Campaigners have criticised a change to the rules around declarations of interest in the House of Lords as a "retrograde step" which will lead to a "significant loss of transparency". Since 2000, peers have had to register a list of "non-financial interests" - which includes declaring unpaid but often important roles like being a director, trustee, or chair of a company, think tank or charity. But that requirement was dropped in April despite staff concerns. Tom Brake, director of Unlock Democracy, and a former Liberal Democrat MP, wants to see the decision reversed. "It's a retrograde step," he said. "I think we've got a significant loss of transparency and accountability and that is bad news for the public. "More than 25 years ago, the Committee on Standards in Public Life identified that there was a need for peers to register non-financial interests because that could influence their decisions. I'm confused as to what's happened in the last 25 years that now means this requirement can be scrapped. "This process seems to be all about making matters simpler for peers, rather than what the code of conduct is supposed to do, which is to boost the public's confidence." Westminster Accounts: Search for your MP Rules were too 'burdensome', say peers The change was part of an overhaul of the code of conduct which aimed to "shorten and clarify" the rules for peers. The House of Lords Conduct Committee argued that updating non-financial interests was "disproportionately burdensome" with "minor and inadvertent errors" causing "large numbers of complaints". As a result, the register of Lords interests shrunk in size from 432 pages to 275. MPs have a different code of conduct, which requires them to declare any formal unpaid positions or other non-financial interests which may be an influence. A source told Sky News there is real concern among some Lords' staff about the implications of the change. Non-financial interest declarations have previously highlighted cases where a peer's involvement in a think tank or lobbying group overlapped with a paid role. 4:23 Cricket legend among peers to breach code There are also examples where a peer's non-financial interest declaration has prompted an investigation - revealing a financial interest which should have been declared instead. In 2023, Lord Skidelsky was found to have breached the code after registering his role as chair of a charity's trustees as a non-financial interest. The Commissioner for Standards investigated after questions were raised about the charity, the Centre for Global Studies. He concluded that the charity - which was funded by two Russian businessmen - only existed to support Lord Skidelsky's work, and had paid his staff's salaries for over 12 years. In 2021, Lord Botham - the England cricket legend - was found to have breached the code after registering a non-financial interest as an unpaid company director. The company's accounts subsequently revealed he and his wife had benefitted from a director's loan of nearly £200,000. It was considered a minor breach and he apologised. 'Follow the money' Lord Eric Pickles, the former chair of the anti-corruption watchdog, the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments, believes focusing on financial interests makes the register more transparent. "My view is always to follow the money. Everything else on a register is camouflage," he said. "Restricting the register to financial reward will give peers little wriggle room. I know this is counterintuitive, but the less there is on the register, the more scrutiny there will be on the crucial things." 'I was shocked' The SNP want the House of Lords to be scrapped, and has no peers of its own. Deputy Westminster leader Pete Wishart MP is deeply concerned by the changes. "I was actually quite horrified and quite shocked," he said. "This is an institution that's got no democratic accountability, it's a job for life. If anything, members of the House of Lords should be regulated and judged by a higher standard than us in the House of Commons - and what's happened is exactly the opposite." Public confidence in the Lords is already at a low ebb after the PPE controversy surrounding Baroness Michelle Mone, who took a leave of absence in 2022. The government has pledged to reform the House of Lords and is currently trying to push through a bill abolishing the 92 remaining hereditary peers, which will return to the House of Commons in September. But just before recess the bill was amended in the Lords so that they can remain as members until retirement or death. It's a change which is unlikely to be supported by MPs. A spokesperson for the House of Lords said: "Maintaining public confidence in the House of Lords is a key objective of the code of conduct. To ensure that, the code includes rigorous rules requiring the registration and declaration of all relevant financial interests held by members of the House of Lords. "Public confidence relies, above all, on transparency over the financial interests that may influence members' conduct. This change helps ensure the rules regarding registration of interests are understandable, enforceable and focused on the key areas of public concern. "Members may still declare non-financial interests in debate, where they consider them directly relevant, to inform the House and wider public. "The Conduct Committee is appointed to review the code of conduct, and it will continue to keep all issues under review. During its review of the code of conduct, the committee considered written evidence from both Unlock Democracy and Transparency International UK, among others."
Daily Mail
41 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Sir Keir Starmer would not call shoplifters 'scumbags', No 10 says in the wake of 'data protection' saga
Sir Keir Starmer would not call shoplifters 'scumbags', No 10 has said amid the 'data protection' saga. Last week, a shopkeeper was left stunned after police told him to change his sign in which he called shoplifters 'scumbags' because it may be offensive. Rob Davies, 61, who runs the Run Ragged vintage shop in Wrexham, North Wales, installed the notice to tell shoppers some cabinets were locked against theft. The hard-working retailer put it up after he caught five thieves red-handed in the last 12 months alone and lost roughly £200 of stock to shoplifting. He felt the police did little to help when he reported the five thefts and so he gave up doing so, instead taking matters into his own hands to protect his small business. But officers later showed up at his store, demanding he remove a handwritten note that calling thieves 'scum bags' because it was 'provocative and potentially offensive'. Now, Downing Street has said that the Prime Minister would not use the same word to describe the thieves blighting Britain's retailers. When asked if he resonated with Mr Davies' view, the PM's official spokesman said: 'It is not the language I would directly use', the Telegraph has reported. The spokesman did, however, state that the government had been 'clear through our actions' that they see shoplifting as a 'serious' issue and recognise the detrimental impact it is having on the UK's high streets and local businesses. It comes following a warning from the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) that shaming shoplifting suspects could 'breach data protection' laws. On an advice page for tackling shoplifters, the UK data watchdog warned that putting up images of thieves in a local area could 'not be appropriate' behaviour. As a result, they advised retailers to 'only share personal information that's proportionate and necessary to achieve your purpose'. But shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick called the advice 'madness' and suggested that shopliters should be 'named and shamed'. He told The Telegraph: 'We should be letting the general public know of the photographs of people who have a track record of stealing in towns.' Meanwhile, Labour MP Alex Davies-Jones admitted that shoplifting across the UK had 'got out of hand'. When asked if it was right to display images of thieves in shop windows, Mr Davies-Jones responded: 'I think it is on all of us to be aware of what is going on in our local communities.' Taking to X, Shadow home office minister Katie Lam recounted a story about a constituent who had been ordered by police to remove pictures of suspected shoplifters. 'He gives police CCTV, card details, licence plates. No action apart from a visit to say he must take down pics of thieves "because of GDPR",' she wrote. 'Our system should crush the lawless and protect the law-abiding. It does the opposite.' The number of shoplifting incidents taking place in pharmacies and chemists across England has also been described as both 'unacceptable' and 'appalling' by Henry Gegg, the National Pharmacy Association (NPA) chief executive. In the past year, around nine in 10 pharmacies experienced an incident of shoplifting, while the number of thefts of drugs and other medical supplies increased by 88 per cent, according to figures obtained by the NPA. Of the 476 pharmacies across England surveyed, 87 per cent reported an increase in aggressive or intimidating behaviour towards staff, while 22 per cent recounted instances of physical assault. Around nine in 10 pharmacies experienced an incident of shoplifting, while the number of thefts of drugs and other medical supplies increased by 88 per cent in the past year, according to the National Pharmacy Association (NPA). Meanwhile, nearly three-quarters of those who had reported an incident to the police described the response as insufficient. Several pharmacy owners have resorted to putting up photos of thieves in their shop windows, wearing body cameras and even paying for security guards. Sanjeev Panesar, who owns a pharmacy in Birmingham, described a 'noticeable rise' in hostility towards staff As a result, several pharmacy owners have resorted to putting up photos of thieves in their shop windows, wearing body cameras and even paying for security guards. Sanjeev Panesar, who owns a pharmacy in Birmingham, described the 'noticeable rise' in hostility towards staff as both 'disheartening' but also capable of having a 'lasting effect on job satisfaction, morale, and feelings of safety at work.' Ashley Cowen, owner of three pharmacies across Leeds and York that have been subjected to incidents, described the lack of police action on the issue as 'shocking'. He also described witnessing brazen thieves going as far as to burn, cut and even sow through 'steel grilles' in a bid to access drug stock. Mr Davies, who says he was driven to put his handwritten sign on his shop door because of escalating shoplifting in Wrexham, told The Mail on Sunday that he had no intention of taking it down. He added: 'The sign is staying – and I may even get a bigger one. 'It's a simple point, in my opinion, and succinctly put, and can't cause offence apart from to anyone intending to steal from me. 'I was even polite and put "Thank you" on the bottom.' Mr Davies, 59, said he put it up a month ago in frustration after discovering that he was losing almost his entire monthly profit because of thieves – but was astonished to then get a visit from the police. He said: 'A police officer and PCSO came in. They said the sign was provocative and potentially offensive. 'When I asked, "Why, who it could be offensive to?" the officer didn't answer. The only person who can be offended by the words "scum bag" is a scum bag who wants to steal from me!' Mr Davies said he had received overwhelming support from fellow shopkeepers in the face of a tidal wave of theft in the town. 'There's been massive support everywhere since the sign went up,' he added. 'Shopkeepers are all in the same boat; everyone is having stuff stolen, even cafes.' A spokesman for the Information Commissioner's Office said: 'We don't set strict requirements on how organisations should respond to shoplifting, as data protection law recognises that circumstances can vary. Instead, we provide guidance to help organisations use people's information in a way that is lawful, fair and proportionate. 'Data protection law enables retailers to share images to prevent or detect crime, as long as it's necessary and proportionate in the circumstances. For example, this could include sharing images with the police, shopping centre security teams, or other relevant authorities. 'Retailers will need to consider the relevant privacy implications, such as having a legal reason and appropriate security measures, when considering publishing any images of suspected shoplifters.' North Wales Police said: 'All reports of shoplifting are taken extremely seriously. We are committed to combatting retail theft.' Shoplifting figures released this week by the British Retail Consortium (BRC) showed just 2.5 per cent of offences were recorded by the police each year. It said 50,000 shoplifting incidents go unreported every day as firms give up on the police. BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson said: 'Many retailers do not see the point of reporting incidents to the police.'
The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
More countries added to UK's ‘deport first' scheme for foreign criminals
Foreign criminals from 15 more countries face deportation before they have a chance to appeal in an expansion of the UK government's 'deport first, appeal later' scheme. Ministers are extending the scheme, which applies in England and Wales and was restarted in 2023, to cover 23 countries including India, Bulgaria, Australia and Canada. The policy, which was introduced by the Conservatives in 2014, removes the right of foreign criminals to appeal against their conviction in the UK unless they show they are at risk of harm if they are deported to their country of origin. It is already operational in eight countries including Tanzania, Finland, Estonia and Belize. Other countries brought under the scheme by Labour ministers include Angola, Botswana, Brunei, Canada, Guyana, Indonesia, Kenya, Latvia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Uganda and Zambia. The move is part of the Labour government's efforts to step up the deportations of foreign criminals to deal with overcrowded prisons and public concerns about crime. Shabana Mahmood, the justice secretary, announced proposals on Sunday to allow foreign criminals given fixed-term sentences to be deported immediately after sentencing and barred from re-entering the UK. Those serving life sentences, such as terrorists and murderers, are exempt and will serve their full prison sentence in the UK before being considered for deportation. The policy has come under fire from two former Conservative justice secretaries who say it risks making the UK a soft touch for foreign criminals, because offenders would not be serving sentences at home. The former justice secretary Alex Chalk told the Guardian: 'I have real misgivings about this, and it could make people in Britain a magnet for crime from foreign national offenders.' He told Times Radio that 'rapists, people who commit child cruelty, aggravated burglars, knife crimers, domestic abusers' who were deported to their home countries 'would not have to spend a day in custody'. 'If you have been the victim of an appalling rape that has shattered your life, and you pluck up the courage to go to court, the jury convict this guy [and] within two weeks he's in Tirana, drinking a cocktail paid by the British taxpayer, and on TikTok laughing at his victim,' Chalk said. 'The real danger is you're giving a green light to foreign national offenders. You come to Britain, you're not going to get punished. You're thinking: the worst that happens to me is I'm released immediately and put on a plane.' He added: 'You've got to have a measure of justice so if you come to our country and commit a crime, you expect punishment. I would urge parliament to scrutinise this extremely carefully'. Robert Buckland, another former justice secretary, said Chalk was right to express concerns. 'Many victims of these crimes want justice to be served here first before deportation. Has the government taken the views of victims into consideration in all of this?' The Ministry of Justice confirmed to the Guardian that foreign offenders deported under the expansion of the 'deport first, appeal later' scheme would not necessarily face prison in their home country. After a legal challenge, the supreme court ruled in 2007 that the 'deport first, appeal later' system was unlawful because it infringed on people's right to give live evidence to their appeal. The government dealt with the court's concerns by setting up agreements with several countries for foreign criminals to give live evidence to their appeal hearings using a video link. The scheme was restarted in 2023. Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, said that 'for far too long, foreign criminals have been exploiting our immigration system, remaining in the UK for months or even years while their appeals drag on. That has to end. 'Those who commit crimes in our country cannot be allowed to manipulate the system, which is why we are restoring control and sending a clear message that our laws must be respected and will be enforced.' David Lammy, the foreign secretary, said ministers were in talks with several countries about extending the scheme. Foreign offenders make up about 12% of the prison population in England and Wales, with each prison place costing an average of £54,000 each year, according to the government. Of the new countries covered by the scheme, only Indians are in the top nationalities in the prison population. Officials said that in the year since Labour came to power in July 2024, 5,179 foreign nationals who had been convicted of crimes had been deported, a 14% increase on the year before.
