Scrutiny panel questions extra Jersey Battle of Flowers grant
He said: "The panel understands that the decision to award these grants may not fully comply with the Public Finances Manual. "If this is the case, then it is important that the reasoning behind these decisions is outlined in a clear and transparent way."Mr Tadier said it was "important that all organisations applying for and receiving grants feel that they are on a level playing field".The panel said it understood funding awarded would be deducted from future grants, but requested more details about how the arrangement would be managed to "avoid placing undue financial strain on the event's organisers". It also requested Deputy Kirsten Morel outline any arrangements which had been made regarding the 2024 top-up grant.
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The Guardian
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- The Guardian
Lammy refers himself to watchdog after fishing illegally with JD Vance
David Lammy has referred himself to the environment watchdog after going fishing with JD Vance without the required licence during the US vice-president's trip to the UK. The foreign secretary hosted Vance and his family at Chevening House in Kent last week, where the pair fished from the property's private lake. Anglers aged 13 and over must hold a rod licence to fish for freshwater species such as carp in England and Wales. Lammy failed to land a catch, but 'all of my kids did', Vance said. The Foreign Office said an 'administrative oversight' meant licences had not been obtained in advance. Lammy bought them as soon as he was made aware, and wrote to the Environment Agency to acknowledge the breach. 'He also thanked them for their work protecting Britain's fisheries,' a Foreign Office spokesperson said. The agency confirmed the licences had since been bought. All fish caught during the visit were returned to the water. The fishing trip formed part of a wider UK tour by Vance, who was on holiday in the Cotswolds with his wife, Usha, and three children. The visit has combined family time with private political meetings and a heavy security presence in the normally quiet Oxfordshire countryside. Vance's stay at Dean Manor, an 18th-century Georgian home, reportedly arranged by the former chancellor George Osborne, led to road closures, police checkpoints and the installation of a temporary helipad. Pippa and Johnny Hornby, who own the property, later apologised to residents for the 'circus' caused by the vice-president's security detail. Protesters from the Stop Trump Coalition held a 'Vance not welcome' party in nearby Charlbury, attended by about 100 people carrying placards and cakes mocking the Republican politician. Some slogans took aim at Vance's record on abortion and LGBTQ+ rights. On Wednesday evening, Vance was greeted by dozens of pro-Palestine protesters bashing pots and pans as he arrived at the luxury Carnell Estate near Kilmarnock in East Ayrshire. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion Vance has held informal talks with senior Conservatives, including the shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, and the shadow home secretary, Chris Philp. He also attended a breakfast with Nigel Farage. According to US and UK officials, discussions with Lammy covered Ukraine, Gaza, trade and concerns from Washington about aspects of UK legislation, including the Online Safety Act. The Foreign Office said Lammy and Vance had enjoyed a warm and constructive meeting. Vance described the foreign secretary as a good friend and 'very, very gracious host' despite his failure to catch a fish.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Man given suspended sentence for sending racist death threats to Rishi Sunak
A man has been given a suspended prison sentence for sending racist death threats to former prime minister Rishi Sunak. Liam Shaw, 21, of Birkenhead, sent two threatening and offensive emails to the public email address of Mr Sunak on June 15 last year when the former Conservative leader was still prime minister, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said. The emails were spotted by Mr Sunak's personal assistant and reported to the police. The CPS said the language in the two emails was 'racist, offensive and suggested Mr Sunak should be killed by the public'. The emails had been sent by Shaw's phone and police traced them to his email address and a hostel where he was staying in Birkenhead, Merseyside. Shaw was arrested by police on September 3 2024 and charged with two counts of sending by a public communication network an offensive, indecent, obscene, or menacing message. When the allegations were put to him by police, Shaw said: 'I don't even remember sending an email. I was probably drunk.' Shaw pleaded guilty to both counts at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on July 10 2025. He was sentenced at the same court on Wednesday to 14 weeks' imprisonment for both counts, to run concurrently, with the sentence suspended for 12 months. Shaw must also complete 20 days of a rehabilitation activity and a six-month drug rehabilitation course. The CPS also successfully applied for a restraining order which the court imposed for two years – it states that Shaw must have no contact with Mr Sunak or his constituency office in that time. District Judge Timothy Boswell said at the sentencing: 'Direct access to your constituency MP is a cornerstone of democracy. Misusing that access is detrimental to the democratic process. Clearly it is a highly aggravating factor for the offence.' Senior Crown prosecutor Matthew Dixon, of CPS Mersey Cheshire, said: 'Liam Shaw took to his phone that night to send racist and threatening messages to a person in an extremely important public office. 'The work of Members of Parliament is extremely important and the police and the Crown Prosecution Service play their part in keeping them safe and able to do their work without fear. 'The Crown Prosecution Service has always and will continue to safeguard a person's right to freedom of expression. 'But this is clearly a case where the comments made were utterly beyond the boundary of what is tolerable in a fair, just and multi-racial society, and passed into the realm of criminality. 'Racist abuse has no place, anywhere, in this day and age.'
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Flow of fresh homes to rent ‘shrinks at fastest rate since 2020'
The flow of fresh rental properties coming to market has fallen at its fastest rate in five years, according to surveyors. A net balance of 31% of professionals saw new instructions from landlords falling rather than rising, which was the weakest reading since April 2020, the Royal Institution of Surveyors (Rics) said. Alongside the 'firmly negative trend' in landlords making their property available for rent, tenant demand held steady in the three months to July, the report added. With the lack of fresh rental home supply in the pipeline, rental prices are anticipated to continue to rise over the next three months by a net balance of 25% of survey participants, the report said. Looking at the sales market, new home buyer inquiries fell back in July, the report said. A net balance of 6% of property professionals reported new buyer inquiries falling rather than rising in July, indicating a softening in demand compared with the previous month. In June, a net balance of 4% of professionals had seen a rise in fresh inquiries from buyers. The report said that results across different areas appear to be increasingly variable, with relatively weaker demand trends reported in East Anglia, the South East and the South West of England. Sales fell in July, with a net balance of 16% of professionals seeing falls, deteriorating further from a balance of 4% who noted falling sales in June. Looking ahead, those surveyed expect to see little change in sales over the next few months, with a more positive outlook for 12 months ahead. A net balance of 8% of professionals expect to see a pick-up in sales in the year ahead. A net balance of 9% of survey participants saw an increase in the flow of new property listings coming onto the market in July. The latest survey also pointed to a small downward direction in house prices, with a balance of 13% of professionals seeing prices fall. This compared with a balance of 7% seeing price falls in both May and June. Going against the broader trend, prices continue to rise typically in Northern Ireland and Scotland, while professionals based in the North West of England are also seeing prices move higher, the report said. At the other end of the spectrum, prices are reportedly falling at a more significant rate than the national average across East Anglia, Rics added. Rics chief economist, Simon Rubinsohn, said: 'The somewhat flatter tone to the feedback to the July Rics residential survey highlights ongoing challenges facing the housing market. Although interest rates were lowered at the latest Bank of England meeting, the split vote has raised doubts about both the timing and extent of further reductions. 'Meanwhile, uncertainty about the potential contents of the Chancellor's autumn budget is also raising some concerns. Against this backdrop, respondents continue to report that the market remains particularly price sensitive at the present time.' Sarah Coles, head of personal finance, Hargreaves Lansdown said: 'The green shoots of recovery that agents were hopefully nurturing in June have dried up in July, with demand falling, fewer agreed sales, and a slight drop in house prices. The market always falls quiet during the summer holidays, but this is even more of a deathly hush than usual.' She added: 'We're firmly in a buyers' market right now, so there is a real chance to bag a bargain. For anyone who had been tempted to dip into their emergency savings to boost their budget, this is a chance to regroup.' Ms Coles said: 'With tenant demand remaining steady, yet again it means more people chasing fewer homes, and the era of runaway rents isn't over yet. 'The HL (Hargreaves Lansdown) savings and resilience barometer shows this is incredibly tough on everyone – so the average renting household has just £62 left at the end of the month. However, it's particularly horrible for renters living on their own – who end the month with a paltry £24. There's every sign that an awful lot of them have been pushed as far as it's possible for them to go. 'When money is so tight, it's incredibly difficult to cover your costs, let alone put anything aside for a property deposit. However, if you can't build anything at all, there's a risk you'll be locked into a cycle of ever-increasing rents. 'It means it's worth considering all your options. This can include anything from making major compromises on where you live to moving back home for a period. There are also options that don't require any of these sacrifices, such as asking family for help, or giving your deposit a boost from the Government through a Lifetime Isa.' Tom Bill, head of UK residential research at Knight Frank, said: 'The housing market is hitting a series of hurdles this year. April's stamp duty cliff edge was the first and now buyers and sellers are increasingly unsettled by a re-run of last year's game of 'guess the autumn tax rise'. 'We had an interest rate cut this month, but it was priced in and the wider economic mood remains fragile. Supply still notably outstrips demand, which is also keeping a lid on prices.' On Wednesday, financial information website Moneyfacts said that the average two-year fixed-rate mortgage on the market had dipped below 5% for the first time since before former prime minister Liz Truss's so-called mini-budget in September 2022. Moneyfacts said the average two-year fixed homeowner mortgage rate on Wednesday was 4.99%. This was down from 5.00% the previous working day. Jeremy Leaf, a north London estate agent, said: 'Agreed sales are mostly holding, supported by falling mortgage rates and a stable employment environment.' On the lettings sector, Mr Leaf said: 'We noticed that demand has dropped over the past month or so, especially for two-bed flats in older buildings, with more interest in modern, lower maintenance properties.'
