Council leader to discuss SEN and devolution
Special educational needs provision and local government reorganisation will be among the topics discussed when Surrey County Council's leader answers questions on BBC Radio Surrey.
Tim Oliver will appear on the hot seat on the breakfast show on Wednesday from 09:00 BST.
The council's provision for children with additional needs has been previously criticised, with the cabinet member responsible saying the authority was "resolute" in its ambition to improve.
Its children's services department was rated "good" on Friday, after "inadequate" ratings in 2015 and 2018.
Listen to the BBC Radio Surrey breakfast show from 06:00 - 10:00, Monday to Friday, on BBC Radio Surrey or on BBC Sounds.
The council submitted plans to central government earlier in May for how local government could look in the future with fewer, larger councils responsible for services.
Surrey County Council, supported by Elmbridge Borough Council and Mole Valley District Council, is proposing that two new councils are created, with one in the east and another in the west.
Elections that were due to take place in 2025 in Surrey have been postponed until 2026 as part of the devolution plans.
Oliver has been the leader of the county council since 2018, and is a councillor for the Weybridge division.
In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for services to local government.
Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.
Council's 'long journey' to good Ofsted rating
More than 1,800 children with SEN missing school
Council apologises to families over SEND provision
Fines for education failures approaching £1m
Surrey County Council
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom Demands Trump Remove National Guard From LA Immigration Protests: ‘Breach of State Sovereignty'
Gov. Gavin Newsom has formally requested that Donald Trump recall the National Guard from Los Angeles and other areas where Californians are protesting the ongoing immigration raids, calling the federal deployment 'a serious breach of state sovereignty.' Newsom shared his official letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday afternoon in an Instagram post, saying, 'I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to my command. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the Order. Return order to California.' In a Saturday night memorandum, Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to aid federal law enforcement officers battling growing unrest in downtown L.A. and surrounding areas. Newsom immediately condemned the order, suggesting it would only enflame tensions. Federal officials told reporters on Sunday that several law enforcement officers had been injured in the skirmishes. Read the entire text of Newsom's letter below: Dear Secretary Hegseth: On June 7, 2025, President Trump issued a memorandum to your office entitled 'Department of Defense Security for the Protection of Department of Homeland Security Functions.' The memorandum purports to invoke 10 U.S.C. § 12406 to 'call into Federal service members and units of the National Guard . . . to temporarily protect ICE and other United States Government personnel who are performing Federal functions, including the enforcement of Federal law, and to protect Federal property.' The memorandum further directs 'actions as necessary for the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with the Governors of the States and the National Guard Bureau in identifying and ordering into Federal service the appropriate members and units of the National Guard under this authority.' Section 12406 states that 'the President may call into Federal service members and units of the National Guard of any State in such numbers as he considers necessary' to (1) repel an invasion of the United States by a foreign nation; (2) suppress a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States; or (3) execute the laws of the United States when the President is unable to do so with regular forces. Section 12406 further states that '[o]rders for these purposes shall be issued through the governors of the States.' Last night, the Adjutant General of California received a memorandum from your office with the subject line 'Calling Members of the California National Guard into Federal Service,' which states that '[t]wo thousand members of the California National Guard will be called into Federal service effective immediately for a period of 60 days.' Notably, this directive did not issue 'through the governor[] of the State[]' as required by section 12406; the Department of Defense did not transmit this directive to the Office of the Governor, nor was it approved or ordered by the Governor of California. This directive is also inconsistent with the President's memorandum, which anticipates 'coordinat[ion] with the Governors of the States' in identifying and ordering units of the National Guard into federal service. At present, law enforcement authorities from the City and County of Los Angeles are safeguarding public safety, and, as demonstrated by the robust law enforcement response yesterday evening to protect federal facilities, local law enforcement resources are sufficient to maintain order. In dynamic and fluid situations such as the one in Los Angeles, State and local authorities are the most appropriate ones to evaluate the need for resources to safeguard life and property. Indeed, the decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation. There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the State from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required. Accordingly, we ask that you immediately rescind your order and return the National Guard to its rightful control by the State of California, to be deployed as appropriate when necessary. Sincerely, David SappLegal Affairs SecretaryOffice of Governor Gavin Newsom The post Gavin Newsom Demands Trump Remove National Guard From LA Immigration Protests: 'Breach of State Sovereignty' appeared first on TheWrap.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Gavin Newsom Demands Trump Administration Remove National Guard From L.A. Amid ICE Protests: ‘Rescind the Order. Return Control to California'
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has formally requested that the Trump administration remove the National Guard from L.A.. The soldiers' insertion into the city was a retaliatory measure made by the President late Saturday night in response to ongoing protests against city-wide raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Newsom announced the move in an Instagram post Sunday afternoon, sharing his official letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and writing, 'I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to my command. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the Order. Return order to California.' More from Variety Donald Trump Boasts of 'Big Win' Over 'Fake News' AP After Court Rules White House Can Ban News Outlet's Access Over Its Refusal to Cite 'Gulf of America' Seth Meyers Roasts Elon Musk for Waiting Until Now to Allege 'That Trump Might Be a Pedophile': 'You Already Knew That and It Wasn't a Dealbreaker' Elon Musk Claims Donald Trump 'Is in the Epstein Files': 'That Is the Real Reason They Haven't Been Made Public' Best of Variety 25 Hollywood Legends Who Deserve an Honorary Oscar New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Animated Program — Can Netflix Score Big With 'Arcane,' 'Devil May Cry' and the Final Season of 'Big Mouth?'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
National Guard Arrives in Los Angeles Following Protests Over Immigration Raids
National Guard troops deployed by President Donald Trump arrived in Los Angeles Sunday morning after two days of street clashes between law enforcement and protesters demonstrating against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials' raids of local businesses. Immigration and Custom Enforcement, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, led Friday's operation, targeting at least one business in the L.A. Fashion District, Ambiance Apparel. Other companies including Home Depot were also impacted. The detainment of dozens of workers sparked a series of protests in Los Angeles. More from WWD Leighton Meester, Rashida Jones and More Attend Urban Jürgensen's L.A. Bash EXCLUSIVE: Brad Pitt and Sat Hari's Luxury Label God's True Cashmere Releases First Linen Collection Tania Sarin Welcomes Friends to Celebrate Anastasio Home Collaboration A spokesperson for the police department in Paramount, Calif., where most of the protests took place, said Sunday that the number of protesters was in the hundreds Saturday, and that the crowd size would 'grow and shrink depending on the area and the response from the deputies and Homeland Security.' He described the damage, the vandalism, and the clean-up costs as 'significant.' The damaged property included businesses like restaurants and tire shops throughout the community that were vandalized, including vehicles and structures in what is primarily an industrial and residential area. Saturday's protests covered a radius of about three miles that encompasses the end of Paramount and the beginning of Compton. U.S. attorney Bill Essayli confirmed Friday that federal agents were serving a search warrant for the L.A. Fashion District for alleged fictitious employee documents. He told an NBC affiliate in Los Angeles that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was working with federal agencies to serve search warrants. Video footage online showed a crowd gathering outside Ambiance Apparel, a manufacturer, importer and wholesaler, on the 900 block of Towne Avenue on Friday, as about two dozen people were loaded into white SUVs by agents. There is also video footage on an ABC affiliate showing a crowd of people rallying against officials dressed in camouflage and riot gear. Pepper spray was used to disperse the group and a union official was among the injured, according to news reports. There is also online video footage that shows one individual being struck by one of the SUVs that was being driven by federal agents, following Friday's raids in downtown Los Angeles. Representatives at the ACLU and SEIU did not respond to media requests Sunday, nor did anyone at Ambiance Apparel or three executives at the L.A. Fashion District. A man, who was only identified as an Ambiance Apparel employee in an Instagram post AJo2Media, said, 'They came before, a couple of months ago. They were searching for specific people. One by one, they were interviewing us in the back. They were getting our information…needing our IDs and taking pictures of each one of us.' A U.S. citizen by birth, the employee was released by ICE at the establishment, he said. A media request to ICE had not been acknowledged Sunday afternoon. Asked about the status of the dozens who had been detained after Friday's raid in the fashion district, a public affairs representative for the Department of Homeland Security referenced a press release about ICE's Los Angeles operation, (which was not restricted to the L.A. Fashion District). The release identified 11 individuals ranging in age from 26 to 55 who have been arrested and are said to have criminal histories. One apparel manufacturer in the Fashion District said Sunday that the ICE raids 'are impacting everyone,' but he declined to comment further or to be identified. Media requests to several Los Angeles wholesalers in the district — J Squad Clothing, San Pedro Wholesale Mart, Fashion Mint, Glamazon LA, Be Cool, Ampm Textile, Mezon Handbags, 3A Thread & Supply Co. and Collective Clothing — had not been returned Sunday afternoon. As of Sunday afternoon, 300 of the 2,000 members of the National Guard that have been deployed by Trump had been stationed in three areas in Los Angeles. In a statement Saturday, Gov. Gavin Newsom described the federal government's move as 'purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.' Newsom said that L.A. authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance 'at a moment's notice.' Media request to the Los Angeles Police Department were not returned Sunday. 'The Guard has been admirably serving L.A. throughout recovery,' the statement continued. 'This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.' Newsom also noted Saturday that California is the biggest 'donor state' in the country, providing around $83 billion more to the federal government than it receives from the federal government. 'Donald Trump is threatening to defund California,' Newsom said on his Instagram account. 'We help pay federal bills. So if Donald Trump is going to continue to threaten 40 million Americans that live in California, maybe we should consider withholding those resources.' In the Homeland Security press release that was issued Sunday, the department's assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, 'Why do Gov. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens? These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer.' Founded in 1999, Ambiance is a manufacturer, importer and wholesaler of casual basic apparel for women and juniors. The company's corporate headquarters and a separately housed 50,000-square-foot showroom, which includes a 'megastore,' are located in the Los Angeles Fashion District. Ambiance also has 600,000 square feet of warehouse space that has 30 to 50 million units in stock 'at all times,' according to the company's site. Ambiance Apparel also operates a China branch in Shanghai, where it oversees production for China, Cambodia, Vietnam and Bangladesh. A spokesperson for U.S. Rep. Jimmy Gomez, whose Congressional district includes the L.A. Fashion District, did not respond immediately to a media request Sunday. The Fashion District, which is referred to as the 'Garment District,' is said to be the base for a few thousand wholesalers, suppliers, and retailers the majority of which are independently owned. The L.A. Fashion District Business Improvement District is a nonprofit that was created by and is maintained by property owners. It oversees a 107-block area that stretches between 7th Street to the north and the Santa Monica 10 freeway to the south, and from Broadway to the west and Essex Street to the east. The district serves a population of more than 220,000 people living in within a three-mile radius, according to the California Downtown Association. As for reports of additional protests being planned for Sunday, the Paramount Police Department spokesman said Sunday, 'Everybody has their opinion with social media about what they are or are not going to do. The position of the station is to respond to the area's needs. That dynamic could change at any time.' Best of WWD The Biggest Legal Battles Shaping the Fashion Industry Today PETA Asks Lululemon About Slaughterhouse Practices China's Livestreaming Star Viya Fined $210 Million for Tax Evasion
