Lib Dems hold Woking seats after MP leaves council role
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Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Tory and Lib Dem peers accused of 'cynical attacks' on workers' rights - 'get out the way'
The TUC has warned Tory and Lib Dem Peers to 'get out of the way' and 'stop trying to block' stronger employment rights for millions of workers in the House of Lords The TUC has warned Tory and Lib Dem Peers to 'get out of the way' and 'stop trying to block' stronger employment rights for millions of workers. The union body is urging the government to 'stand firm' in the face of what it calls 'cynical attacks' on the Employment Rights Bill. The landmark legislation, which is currently going through the House of Lords, was a key pillar of Labour's election campaign. Spearheaded by Deputy PM Angela Rayner, the workers' rights package will end exploitative zero hours contracts, ban bad bosses from using agency staff to replace sacked employees and give expectant parents bereavement leave if they lose a pregnancy before 24 weeks. READ MORE: New workers rights law - all changes from sick pay to parental leave and how they affect you But the TUC has warned that the Tories and Lib Dems are 'doing the bidding of bad bosses' by trying to water down the legislation in the Lords. It hit out at opposition peers voting to 'attack' teaching assistants' pay and exempt voluntary work on heritage railways from restrictions on employment of children. The Bill will return to the House of Commons in September for MPs to consider the House of Lords' proposed changes to the legislation. The two Houses will continue to vote on amendments in a process known as 'ping-pong' until a way forward is agreed. A recent TUC mega poll revealed huge support across the country – including among Conservative voters – for key policies in the Bill. More than seven in 10 (72%) of UK voters support a ban on zero hours contracts – including 63% of Tory voters, the survey found. And three quarters (73%) of voters support giving all workers protection from unfair dismissal from the first day in the job - including 62% of Conservative. The TUC said peers who are trying to water down the legislation are not just 'out of touch" but are "actively defying" voters across the country. TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: "It's time for Tory and Lib Dem Peers to get out of the way and stop trying to block stronger rights for millions of workers. They are doing the bidding of bad bosses by voting to keep workers on zero hours contracts, allowing bosses to sack workers unfairly and attacking teaching assistants' pay.' He added: "Banning zero-hours contracts and protecting workers from unfair dismissal are common-sense protections that the vast majority of the people, including Tory and Lib Dem voters, want to see become law. "These Peers are not just out of touch, they are actively defying their own voters – and the public at large. The government must stand firm in the face of cynical attacks and deliver the Employment Rights Bill in full.' A Liberal Democrat spokesman said: ' Liberal Democrats have always championed stronger rights at work, and it's disappointing that Labour chose to block (/vote against) our proposals to support carers and whistleblowers. 'Unfortunately we fear parts of Labour's rushed bill would be bad for workers in small businesses and family farms. 'They were badly let down by the Conservative Party, and Labour seems to have a blindspot when it comes to farms and small businesses too. We support the bill as a whole and have worked constructively to try and improve it.' The Tories were contacted for comment. ::: Focaldata conducted a poll of 21,270 UK adults for the TUC from Nov 30 to Jan 8.
BBC News
a day ago
- BBC News
'I was strangled - just while doing my job', says Surrey PCSO
A police community support officer (PCSO) has described how she was left traumatised after being strangled while on three months later, Chrissie Moyes - who has been a PCSO for 23 years - was attacked with a meat tenderiser in Guildford, Surrey. Data obtained by the BBC from Sussex Police shows a 40% increase in assaults on PCSOs between 2020 and 2024, while Kent Police have recorded a 40% rise in assaults on emergency workers over the same period. Surrey Police said it could not provide the data due to how it records crime.A Home Office spokesperson said: "Assault on a member of the police workforce is illegal, and those found guilty will face the full force of the law." In the coming months there would be 3,000 extra officers in neighbourhood policing teams, which would "ensure that not only our communities feel safer, but our officers do too," they added. 'I was choking' Ms Moyes said she was attacked by a woman who was with a drunk and disorderly man under arrest."She was proper vile," Ms Moyes told the BBC. "She grabbed me by my throat and went into a pincer movement."I was choking."As she struggled to get free, Ms Moyes said one colleague - another PCSO - managed to get the "extremely aggressive" woman off her."Luckily, someone saved me."But the PSCO, who was formerly in the army, said she was left feeling "really vulnerable". "I can't go there without having flashbacks," Ms Moyes added. She said back-up took "way too long" to arrive in what "felt like 40 minutes to an hour" because there were multiple ongoing serious incidents.A shortage of personnel due to budget cuts under the previous government was to blame, Ms Moyes added. The Conservative Party has been approached for comment. "I have worked for my force for 23 years and love my job, however I've not seen such a lack of resources like we have now," she told the BBC. Social media moments A spokesperson for the Public and Commercial Services Union said nothing could prepare PCSOs for the "level of hostility and violence" they can face on the they added an uplift in recruitment and retention of both PCSOs and police constables could help ensure PCSOs were working alone less regularly - where they are more likely to be victims of assault - and improve response times when they request assistance.A PCSO in Sussex was left with a broken nose after being punched several times in the face while working solo in was aided by members of the public who helped detain the assailant while further police support union spokesperson said violence against PCSOs was fuelled by people seeking "social media worthy" moments, where police staff are antagonised to try and get them to do or say something wrong for footage to share assaults can cause mental trauma, which may lead PCSOs to quit their jobs, they added. Ms Moyes said in her opinion PCSOs could have a "very different" experience from a police officer when their attackers went through court. "It's about being treated equally," she added, detailing she was disappointed with the outcome delivered by the courts. 'Pink and fluffy' Part of the problem, Ms Moyes said, was the public viewed PCSOs differently from police officers since they typically do not have the same powers or equipment, such as handcuffs or pepper spray."We get called plastic," she said. "Pink and fluffy. Wannabe gaffers."But she added PCSOs did community work, such as tackling anti-social behaviour, which would be unnecessary and overly costly for police constables to respond to. She also thought it was important for PCSOs to remain like civilians to "break down the barriers of uniform" and gain people's trust. "There needs to be more respect to policing in general," Ms Moyes continued. "It is one hard job."
ITV News
2 days ago
- ITV News
PM suggests UK will play role in Gaza aid airdrops amid mounting calls for Palestinian statehood
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has suggested the UK will play a role in dropping aid into Gaza by air, as he faces calls from 221 cross-party MPs to recognise a Palestinian state. Israel said on Friday it will allow airdrops of aid by foreign countries into Gaza to alleviate starvation in the Palestinian territory. Starmer said the UK will 'do everything we can to get aid in via this route'. Meanwhile, he faces growing calls to recognise a Palestinian state immediately. Some 221 MPs from Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, SNP, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SDLP and independents, have signed a letter calling on the government to take the step at a UN meeting next week. France's president Emmanuel Macron announced his nation would formally recognise Palestine at the UN General Assembly in September, leading UK politicians to question whether the British government would follow suit. US President Donald Trump suggested Macron's announcement 'doesn't matter' as he left America for a visit to Scotland. But Sarah Champion, the senior Labour MP who organised the letter by parliamentarians, said recognition 'would send a powerful symbolic message that we support the rights of the Palestinian people'. Other senior Commons figures who signed the letter include Labour select committee chairs Liam Byrne, Dame Emily Thornberry and Ruth Cadbury. Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey, as well as Tory former minister Kit Malthouse, and Sir Edward Leigh – Parliament's longest-serving MP – also signed it. The majority of those who have signed, 131, are Labour MPs. In a video statement released on Friday, Starmer made plain his desire for a ceasefire in the war. He said: 'I know the British people are sickened by what is happening. The images of starvation and desperation are utterly horrifying. 'The denial of aid to children and babies is completely unjustifiable, just as the continued captivity of hostages is completely unjustifiable.' Signalling the UK is willing to help get aid into Gaza via air, the prime minister added: 'News that Israel will allow countries to airdrop aid into Gaza has come far too late, but we will do everything we can to get aid in via this route. 'We are already working urgently with the Jordanian authorities to get British aid on to planes and into Gaza.' Children who need specialist medical treatment will be evacuated from Gaza to the UK, Starmer added. He also called for an international coalition to 'end the suffering' in Gaza, similar to the coalition of the willing aimed at helping Ukraine. Starmer had earlier responded to calls for the recognition of a Palestinian state, insisting such a move needed to be part of the 'pathway' to peace in the Middle East, which he and allies are working towards. He added: 'Recognition of a Palestinian state has to be one of those steps. I am unequivocal about that. But it must be part of a wider plan which ultimately results in a two-state solution and lasting security for Palestinians and Israelis.' In a statement released on Friday alongside the leaders of France and Germany, the prime minister urged Israel to stop restricting the flow of aid into Gaza. Charities operating in Gaza have said Israel's blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing people there towards starvation, warning that they are seeing their own workers and Palestinians 'waste away'. The prime minister will meet the US president during his trip to Scotland, where he arrived on Friday evening. US-led peace talks in Qatar were cut short on Thursday, with Washington's special envoy Steve Witkoff accusing Hamas of a 'lack of desire to reach a ceasefire'. The deal under discussion is expected to include a 60-day ceasefire in which Hamas would release 10 living hostages and the remains of 18 others in phases in exchange for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel.
