Reform catches Vance's eye
During a recent chat, it transpires that Vance questioned Mandelson: 'So what's going on with Reform? I see that they're doing very well.' Certainly Reform is continuing to top polls, while YouGov's recent MRP suggests, just a year on from Sir Keir Starmer's landslide victory, that if an election were called now, Farage's lot would come out on top. The data projects Reform UK to pick up 271 seats, while Labour would lose more than 230 to become the second largest party on 178 – while the Tories would slump to a meagre 46. Good heavens…
Vance is known to have a keen interest in British politics and the Vice-President hasn't been shy about his thoughts on the UK. He took a swipe at Britain during a speech at the Munich Security Conference over his concerns about the country's erosion of free speech, warning attendees: 'What I worry about is the threat from within. The retreat of Europe from some of its most fundamental values, values shared with the United States of America.'
As Labour continues to shed voters disappointed at U-turns and 'broken promises', it may be wise for the US administration to keep tabs on the party of government's top rivals ahead of the next election…
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The Independent
21 minutes ago
- The Independent
Reform backtrack on claim ‘trans-related' library book was in children's section
A Reform -led council has backtracked on its 'trans-related' library book ban, suggesting the move is 'not a change of policy' after conflicting social media posts from councillors. Earlier this week, Kent County Council (KCC) leader Linden Kemkaran said the books were to be removed with immediate effect after a fellow Reform Councillor said he had been informed of 'transgender ideologies' in the children 's section of a library. But KCC has since said that the book which triggered the ban was in fact on display at the front of a library in Herne Bay, rather than the children's section. The council's Liberal Democrat opposition leader, Antony Hook has said that Reform not following 'proper process' in the council and announcing things on social media has created uncertainty. Cllr Kemkaran added on X that 'telling children they're in the 'wrong body' is wrong and simply unacceptable' and said that 'trans-related' works would be removed from the children's sections of all 99 of the county's libraries. The book Reform were referring to was The Autistic Trans Guide to Life by Yenn Purkis and Dr Wenn Lawson, which is a book for autistic trans and/or non-binary adults marketed as providing 'tools and strategies they need to live as their best self'. There is no suggestion from the promotional material around the book that it contains any reference to telling children they are in the 'wrong bodies'. In his video posted to social media on Thursday, the Reform Cllr responsible for the ban Paul Webb claimed: 'I was recently contacted by a concerned member of the public who found trans-ideological material and books in the children's section of one of our libraries – I've looked into this, and it was the case. 'I have today issued an instruction for them all to be removed from the children's section of our libraries.' The council has since rowed back on his suggestion that the book was in the children's section and says that they have not, in fact, changed policy. A KCC spokesperson told PA Media: 'We have not changed policy. We have simply issued internal instructions to reaffirm existing expectations: that adult books are not to be placed in areas specifically aimed at children, such as children's sections or public welcome displays where children select books.' It is unclear how the council will classify transgender-related books, and whether there will be a tangible change as a result of this instruction. Cllr Webb, the Cabinet Member for Community & Regulatory Services said: 'We rightly place child protection and safeguarding at the very top of our list of priorities, as should all adults, especially those that hold public office.' Cllr Kemkaran heralded her colleagues' actions as showing 'courage and common sense in Kent' on X. Cllr Hook told the BBC: 'It is bizarre that the leader of the council is making announcements on social media, rather than to the council.' The copy of The Autistic Trans Guide to Life has been moved from a display at the front of the library 'to a section that is unlikely to be visited by children', the KCC spokesperson said.
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
Lord Woodley's intervention on IPP will only get prisoners' hopes up
Tonight, more than 2,500 people will spend yet another night in prison serving the long-abolished IPP sentence – the sentence of Imprisonment for Public Protection. Some of these people have been in prison for 20 years. On Friday, as Labour peer Lord Tony Woodley's private member's bill to resentence IPP prisoners reached committee stage in the House of Lords, peers urged prisons minister James Timpson to take decisive action to end the injustice of Imprisonment for Public Protection (IPP) jail terms. Everyone familiar with the IPP sentence has a shared understanding of the ravages of this sentence. We are committed to ending its impacts on people in prison, as well as the merry-go-round of recall to prison for people on IPP licences in the community. And yet, there is no agreed route to making this happen. The IPP sentence was established in 2005 by the last Labour government. It required an individual to serve a specified term, at which time they would need to apply to and be released by the Parole Board. Despite expectations that it would be used sparingly, it was used to imprison 8,711 people, including hundreds of children, who received an equivalent 'Detention for Public Protection' (DPP) sentence. Because the Parole Board release test is very high – intended for those who have committed the most serious offences – it has proved difficult for people serving the sentence to secure release. The sentence was abolished by the coalition government in 2013, though not retrospectively. There are just over 1,000 people who have never been released, of whom over 700 are more than a decade over their tariff. I recently met a young man in a Midlands prison who had received a two-year DPP as a 15-year-old. He has now spent more than half his life in prison. He was released a couple of years ago, only to be recalled to custody earlier in the year for being late to probation appointments, which clashed with his employment. Again behind bars, he felt he 'can never escape the torture of the sentence.' In 2022, the Justice Select Committee recommended a resentencing exercise, but with a vast majority of IPP prisoners significantly over tariff, most would need to be released immediately and without a licence. The government at the time rejected this solution on the grounds of public protection, as has the current government. It is worth remembering that the IPP sentence is not for a specific offence. These people were just given an indeterminate sentence, while other people who committed similar offences were given determinate sentences and released years ago. People released on an IPP sentence also don't have a huge propensity to violence or crime; more people on IPP sentences have died by suicide in the community than have gone on to commit serious further offences. While a recent change to licence termination greatly helped those people serving IPP sentences in the community, it did nothing to accelerate the release of people who have never been released. In this context, late last year, the Howard League formed an expert working group, led by former Lord Chief Justice, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, and charged with finding a way to release those people serving an IPP or DPP sentence while meeting the government's legitimate concern for public protection. The group reported last week with six key recommendations that would finally give all IPP prisoners a certain release date within two years via a change to the Parole Board release test, providing a runway to release for everyone serving an IPP sentence, while including safeguards for public protection. Other recommendations include providing greater support to IPP prisoners on release and reducing unnecessary recall of people to prison. The government is clear that it will not resentence people on the IPP. But it cannot do nothing. The status quo, which is the delivery of the last government's 'Action Plan,' does not end the sentence and just feeds despair. While the prison service is doing its best, it is unreasonable to expect staff to deliver change for the IPP population in the context of a prison overcrowding crisis. History shows that governments invariably find it difficult to remedy state wrongs, but people on the sentence and their families don't have time to wait for a Mr Bates vs The Post Office - style TV series. The IPP sentence is a state wrong which the government has a responsibility to right. The fact that thousands of people remain in prison under the IPP sentence brings shame upon our legal system. The government needs to act urgently.
Powys County Times
an hour ago
- Powys County Times
Powys councillors call for Elon Musk style DOGE officer
Powys Reform councillors have called for an Elon Musk style DOGE officer at the council. In a motion by Powys County Council's Reform group leader Cllr Iain McIntosh and fellow Reform Cllr Geoff Morgan have put forward a motion to call for 'a dedicated DOGE Officer and assigning clear cabinet-level oversight to government efficiency'. The councillors argue that 'many forward-thinking local authorities and public bodies are now adopting a more strategic and structured approach to efficiency — embedding it at both officer and political leadership levels.' DOGE came to worldwide prominence due to the actions of Elon Musk in the Trump administration. It made series of controversial moves in the US, which have included the laying-off of workers at veteran's affairs, sweeping redundancies across government sectors and drastic cuts to overseas aid which included HIV treatment to children. Cllr McIntosh and Cllr Morgan go on to argue that 'the concept of a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has emerged in public sector innovation circles as a way of ensuring that efficiency is treated as a constant priority — not an occasional project. 'By appointing a dedicated DOGE Officer and assigning clear Cabinet-level oversight to Government Efficiency, Powys County Council can demonstrate a serious and visible commitment to continuous improvement.' In recent years Powys County Council have made a series of controversial proposals to find efficiencies to deal with budget deficits. This has included the potential closure of many of the county's leisure centres, the sale of millions of pounds worth of tenant farms and even the removal of flagpoles. Help support trusted local news Sign up for a digital subscription now: As a digital subscriber you will get Unlimited access to the County Times website Advert-light access Reader rewards Full access to our app A financial assessment by Powys County Council related to the motion found that the pay grade required, a DOGE officer's salary would be as much as £74,306. It also found that 'the external cost of recruitment to ensure the advert was circulated widely and in the right publications, to secure strong applicants, could cost in the region of £2,000 to £5,000'. It also notes that 'there are existing resources across the Council that cover elements of the requirement, and a dedicated officer is likely to duplicate activities currently undertaken in Services and Finance'.
