
Network Rail urged to resolve Wrexham-London rail concerns
The Labour-run authority is also lobbying for the direct trains to stop at Wellington station and has asked Wrexham, Shropshire and Midlands Railway to confirm it will be a stop on the route.Lee Carter, the leader of Telford and Wrekin Council, said: "This is a major opportunity to reconnect our borough with the capital, boost our economy, and offer people a real alternative to car travel."The service, which received support from the Prime Minister last month, would also serve passengers in Wrexham, Gobowen, Shrewsbury, Walsall and Coleshill.It would replace a service which ceased operating in June 2024.
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Telegraph
21 minutes ago
- Telegraph
‘Too many men are dying': Cleverly backs Telegraph prostate cancer campaign
Sir James Cleverly has backed The Telegraph campaign for a national prostate cancer screening programme, warning that too many men are dying because of late diagnosis. The former home secretary is among several MPs calling for the introduction of targeted testing, saying those most at risk must be better protected. 'Caught early, prostate cancer can be successfully treated,' he said. 'But too many men are dying simply because their prostate cancer is caught too late.' Sir James, 55, now the shadow housing secretary, said: 'We know who is most at risk – black men, men over 50, and those with a family history – and we have the tools to do something about it. 'That's why I'm backing this campaign. A targeted national screening programme isn't just common sense – it's the right thing to do.' Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men with 55,000 diagnoses and 12,000 deaths annually. Black men are twice as likely to develop prostate cancer and twice as likely to die from it. Despite this there is no national screening programme. Health advisers are currently considering the evidence for the introduction of such screening, which could mean tests being offered to those with an increased risk of the disease, such as black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer. The intervention from MPs across all parties comes as The Telegraph campaigns for targeted national screening, with growing cross-party support in Parliament. Former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has already thrown his weight behind the campaign. Today Calvin Bailey, Labour MP and chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on prostate cancer, said 2025 'must be the year we finally act'. 'Too many men at high risk of prostate cancer – black men, those with a family history, and those with increased genetic risk – face a higher chance of developing the disease, yet remain underserved by the current system,' he said. 'With prostate cancer now the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the UK, the case for a national screening programme is urgent and overwhelming. 'We need to move from a passive to a proactive model – one where men are supported and no longer left to navigate risk and diagnosis alone. ' Supporting The Telegraph's campaign, and through the work of the cross-party APPG on Prostate Cancer, I'm proud to be pushing for evidence-led, equitable screening that can save lives, close the gap in outcomes and give every man the chance of an early diagnosis.' Both Sir James and Mr Bailey have spoken previously about how they had prostate specific antigen (PSA) tests because they were aware of their increased risks. Current guidance says says that men can ask GPs for a test, but family doctors are told not to proactively offer them to men without symptoms of cancer. Stuart Andrew, the shadow health secretary, said advances in screening technology create a real opportunity to detect the disease more easily and with a focused approach. He said: 'There's a real opportunity here to better detect prostate cancer more easily and with a more focused approach. 'Exploring the potential for a national screening approach could be an important step toward better outcomes for those at greatest risk.' Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat health and social care spokesman, said failing to introduce screening and improve treatment times would be a betrayal of cancer sufferers. 'Every year thousands of lives are shattered by a diagnosis of prostate cancer that comes far, far too late. 'Caught early enough prostate cancer is treatable, but without the tools in place, many men are slipping through the net. 'We need a national screening programme now to stop needless deaths and ensure every man who needs it can get life saving care. 'Cancer services are on their knees after years of neglect. The Government must implement screening programmes, guarantee treatment within 62 days, and recruit the cancer nurses we need. 'Anything less would be a betrayal of the thousands of families in this country who are struggling with inadequate, broken cancer care.' A government spokesman said: 'Prostate cancer can be devastating, which is why we are in the process of examining the introduction of targeted screening, but any decision must be evidence-led. 'That is why the UK National Screening Committee is looking at this as a priority – including reviewing the evidence for screening men with a family history of prostate cancer. 'As we await its conclusion, our 10 Year Health Plan is getting on with improving cancer treatment and prevention, including funding tens of millions of pounds of vital research to help diagnose patients faster and save lives.'


The Guardian
21 minutes ago
- The Guardian
New research reveals ancestor of King Charles profited from slavery in Grenada
Grenada has vowed to step up its pursuit of an apology and reparations from King Charles after new research revealed that one of his ancestors personally profited from slavery on the Caribbean island. The research by independent scholar Desirée Baptiste shows that George IV, who ruled for a decade until 1830, received profits from enslaved labour on Grenadian plantations – a finding that experts say heightens pressure on the monarchy to confront its historical links to slavery. Baptiste found a 1823-24 document at the National Archives in London revealing a £1,000 ($1,343) payment – equivalent to around £103,132 ($138,490) today – from two Crown-owned estates in Grenada where hundreds of enslaved people laboured in the 18th and 19th centuries. The funds were paid into King George IV's private coffers, and contributed to his 'lavish lifestyle', said Baptiste, a researcher on colonialism and transatlantic slavery who has roots in Grenada. Arley Gill, the head of the Grenada Reparations Commission said: 'We always knew that the Royal Family directly profited from the Atlantic slave trade and slavery, but now that we know that the Royal Family directly profited from the state of Grenada, we renew our call, even stronger now, for the royal family to apologise and to pay reparations.' King Charles expressed sorrow over slavery in a speech to Commonwealth leaders in 2022, and last year, amidst calls for discussions on reparations at the Commonwealth leaders' summit, the monarch acknowledged the 'painful aspects' of Britain's past – but he did not directly address the thorny issue of reparations. Gill said the people of Grenada are calling on Charles to go further than vague expressions of regret, and make a full apology 'because blood is on the hands of the British royal family'. 'He is still the head of state of Grenada. And it will not be worthy of him to be the head of state of a country that he profited from in slavery and [for which he] failed to apologise and failed to make reparations. He will not be a worthy king,' Gill said. He argued the new revelations gave added urgency to efforts to remove the King as head of state in Grenada. Baptiste's research was verified by a University of Manchester professor, Edmond Smith, and Nick Draper, founder of University College London's Legacies of British Slave-ownership project. Smith, who is supervising a PhD study on the royal family's role in slavery, said as more evidence is uncovered the monarchy's profits from slavery will become clearer. He said this payment 'might well just be the tip of the iceberg'. Buckingham Palace did not immediately respond to a request for comment. King Charles has backed the study led by Smith, following a 2023 Guardian report revealing that in 1689 King William III received £1,000 ($1,343) in shares in the Royal African Company, which trafficked thousands of enslaved Africans to the Americas. 'This evidence fits with long-term patterns of colonial exploitation by the British royal family, including repeated efforts to find novel income streams from colonies in the Caribbean,' Smith told Reuters. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Baptiste's research, from her independent study 'Slaves the Property of His Majesty: George IV and Grenada', comes amid growing global momentum for reparations for slavery, especially across the Caribbean and Africa. During the centuries-long transatlantic slave trade more than 12.5 million Africans were kidnapped and forcibly transported to the Americas, where they were sold into slavery. In July, Caribbean leaders backed a petition from Jamaica to King Charles on reparations, which asked the monarch to use his authority to request legal advice from the London-based privy council – the final court of appeal for UK overseas territories and some Commonwealth countries – on whether the forced transport of Africans to Jamaica was lawful, if it constituted a crime against humanity, and whether Britain was under obligation to provide a remedy to Jamaica for slavery and its enduring consequences. Keir Starmer's government has resisted discussions about the issue, with an official spokesperson saying last year, 'we do not pay reparations'. With reporting by Reuters.


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
TalkTalk losses hit almost £500m after Dunstone bailout
TalkTalk has revealed losses of nearly £500m after Sir Charles Dunstone, its founder, was forced to call in its second bailout in a year. The troubled broadband provider said in newly published accounts that there was 'material uncertainty' about its liquidity and ability to comply with debt covenants ahead of receiving a £100m lifeline last month. Bosses said mitigating factors including cost-cutting and the potential sale of non-core assets meant there was a 'reasonable expectation' that the business could keep operating for the foreseeable future. The latest funding from Ares Management, one of its shareholders, was announced a week after the accounts were signed off. The company has since raised a further £20m from other existing stakeholders. However, the figures lay bare the scale of losses at TalkTalk – which is haemorrhaging customers and struggling to pay its bills as it labours under a £1.2bn debt pile. The broadband provider's pre-tax losses ballooned to £465m in the year to March from £153m in the previous 12 months. TalkTalk also wrote down the value of its business by £177m. Of this, £124m related to the group's wholesale operations while £53m was linked to its customer division. The company's financial woes have prompted it to carry out heavy cost-savings, including job cuts. Its headcount was down by almost 500 at the end of February compared with the previous year. This has helped to reduce operating costs by £77m, while the company has also cut back its marketing and customer acquisition expenses. But the cutbacks have further accelerated customer losses, with TalkTalk shedding around 420,000 customers last year. As a result, revenues fell 7pc to £1.4bn. TalkTalk's latest cash injection came less than a year after Sir Charles and other shareholders, including Ares and Toscafund, were forced to pump £235m into TalkTalk to stave off a looming debt default. The company burnt through £285m last year, more than offsetting the emergency bailout and forcing it to turn to shareholders once again. TalkTalk this year also raised £50m through the sale of some of its customer base to rival Utility Warehouse, while the company has also secured an agreement to defer interest payments of around £60m due to bondholders. The deal is likely to further cement Ares' control over the business. In addition to owning a stake in TalkTalk, it also provided the company with a £440m high-interest loan. TalkTalk has said it has a fully-funded business plan and is planning to relaunch its consumer offering to customers. It also expects to make further cost savings in the coming year. But the crisis has prompted bosses to pursue a break-up of the company, hiring advisers to oversee a sale of the group's remaining consumer and wholesale divisions. Karen Egan, at Enders Analysis, said the latest funding would give TalkTalk more time to find buyers and take some 'fire sale pressure' off any potential deals. James Ratzer at New Street Research said the cash injection was 'clearly positive news', but he added: 'If the new capital is used for working capital purposes it doesn't really impact the business outlook. 'If this can be used for new product launches or price cuts, it could be more of a game-changer.'