Grooming gangs scandal to get ‘moment of reckoning', vows minister
A 'moment of reckoning' is coming in Britain's grooming gangs scandal centered on the question of 'why so many people maybe looked the other way', the justice secretary has said.
Shabana Mahmood said there was a need for 'truth and reconciliation' for people whose trust in authorities had been 'fundamentally shaken, if not totally broken'.
While 'justice might technically have been delivered' through perpetrators being convicted, victims deserved answers on 'why this wasn't picked up sooner', she added.
Mahmood's comments to the Spectator come as the death of Andrew Norfolk, the Times journalist who uncovered the scandals, was announced.
Norfolk's reporting in 2011 revealed a pattern of mainly white teenage girls being groomed by gangs of adult men of Pakistani heritage after a growing
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Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The cheap foreign meat flooding Britain's supermarket shelves: Farmers' fury over rise in beef and chicken imports from countries 'with lower animal welfare standards'
Cheaper chicken and beef from Australia, Poland and Uruguay is being increasingly seen at UK supermarkets, angry British farmers warned today. Chains such as Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Asda are importing meat from countries with lower animal welfare standards, according to the National Farmers' Union. Sirloin steak from Australia, raw chicken from Poland, sirloin and ribeye steaks from Uruguay and wagyu beef from New Zealand have all been spotted on UK shelves. Supermarkets are being accused of a 'huge betrayal of the UK's hard-working family farms' as they try to source cheaper imports to help keep their prices down. The NFU said the shift comes at a time when farmers in Britain already face an 'unprecedented number of challenges' amid concerns over recent trade deals. The union also pointed out that British livestock farmers adhere to robust standards, with consumers advised to look for the Red Tractor logo carrying the Union Jack. The UK has an animal welfare standards ranking far above all the other countries - listed as B, according to the World Animal Protection's Animal Protection Index. This is compared to C for Poland and New Zealand and D for Uruguay and Australia. Morrisons, which sponsors TV show Clarkson's Farm, is now selling raw chicken and Australian beef – the latter of which was made possible by Liz Truss's much-criticised post-Brexit trade deal with Australia in 2021, NFU sources told The Guardian. Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson, tweeted: 'This is appalling from Morrisons. They seek kudos for their UK sourcing but then sneakily do this, undermining British farmers and undermining their own integrity and brand.' Meanwhile Asda is selling sirloin and ribeye steaks from Uruguay, priced much lower than the UK equivalents, under the Grass and Grill brand owned by Hilton Foods. They are priced at about £22/kg for sirloin and £24/kg for ribeye, which is around a fifth less than UK and Irish beef at £28/kg and £29/kg respectively. Stuart Roberts, a beef, sheep and cereal farmer from Hertfordshire, said on X: 'With farmers under pressure from multiple directions I'd be fascinated to learn why Asda have decided this is an appropriate time to start stocking Uruguayan beef. 'There is no excuse for this huge betrayal of the UK's hard-working family farms. Consumers and farmers deserve better.' Elsewhere, Sainsbury's has also been stocking wagyu beef from New Zealand – instead of Japan, where it normally comes from. NFU livestock board chairman David Barton said: 'It's deeply concerning to see major retailers now move away from their previous commitments to sourcing British in the last few weeks in favour of imports, many of which have been produced to lower standards. 'Farmers' long-standing partnerships with retailers have supported sustainable supply chains, so this shift is alarming. 'Over the past year, the industry has heard warm words from almost every major retailer pledging support for British farmers. But these words ring hollow when British produce is not given pride of place on shelves.' He added that decisions to 'renege on sourcing commitments' are damaging trust and farmer confidence at a time of global insecurity when sustainable food supply chains have 'never been more important'. Mr Barton continued: 'British farmers have invested in higher standards such as reducing antibiotic use in beef and lowering poultry stocking densities in sheds. 'Consumers want these high-quality production systems, shown by over one million people signing our petition for import standards to match the UK's. 'But delivering these standards comes with additional financial costs. Long-term sourcing commitments from retailers are essential to ensuring that the high welfare British food consumers want remains available.' A Morrisons spokeswoman said: 'Morrisons remains 100 per cent British on all our meat counters. In our aisles – alongside our New Zealand lamb – we are introducing trials of some imported meat from trusted suppliers to help us offer outstanding value through the seasons and through any supply fluctuations. An Asda spokesman added: 'We always look to offer customers a wide choice of products to suit all budgets, and the country of origin is always clearly labelled on pack so customers can make an informed choice about their purchases. 'Grass & Grill steaks are provided by a branded partner and available in our stores for a limited time only. All of Asda's own brand fresh beef continues to be sourced from farms in the UK and Republic of Ireland.' And a Sainsbury's spokeswoman said: 'We're proud to work with thousands of British farmers year-round and the vast majority of our beef range is sourced from the UK and Ireland. We have no plans to change this approach. 'All of our suppliers also have to meet the same rigorous quality standards, regardless of where the product is sourced from. 'These seasonal products account for just 0.1 per cent of our beef range and are an example of where there are times we may also source from elsewhere like New Zealand, so that we can continue to meet customer demand. 'The country of origin is clearly labelled, to help our customers make informed choices when they shop with us.'
BBC News
25 minutes ago
- BBC News
Call for law change after killer driver failed to read eye test chart
The death of a woman who was killed crossing the road by a driver who failed to read the top line of a Specsavers eye test chart months before was 'entirely avoidable', an MP has Ferguson, 75, was hit by a van near her home on Market Street in Whitworth, Rossendale, in Lancashire, on 11 July driver, 72-year-old Vernon Law, had been diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes but told his optometrist he did not drive and failed to tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) about his sight issues, an inquest MP Paul Waugh said Mrs Ferguson was a "victim of a broken system" and called for mandatory reporting of unfit drivers to the DVLA by medics. There is no mandatory legal requirement for optometrists to notify the agency when a patient is unfit to drive, unless they judge it to be in the public are required to self-report any sight issues to the DVLA are the rules for driving when you have failing eyesight?Waugh is part a cross-party group of MPs that has written to the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander to call for mandatory reporting in these Department for Transport has been contacted for comment. 'Preventable' The inquest into Mrs Ferguson's death at Preston County Hall heard Law had failed to declare his sight loss issues in several applications to the Ferguson's husband David, who relied on her everything, ended his own life following her death, the inquest was jailed for four years and banned for driving for life after admitting causing death by dangerous driving Waugh told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he and the other MPs are waiting for meeting with the transport said he wanted to "find a way to close this loophole and prevent further tragic and preventable deaths on our roads from reckless drivers".In their letter to the transport secretary, the MPs highlighted a campaign led by Susan mother Marie Cunningham and friend Grace Foulds were killed in Southport by a driver with a known visual impairment who failed to report it to the MPs have also called for the creation of a system to share important medical information with the DVLA and police, and stronger checks on visually impaired drivers. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230.
BBC News
26 minutes ago
- BBC News
Denva Smith murder: Fifth man in court over Exmouth garden death
A fifth man has appeared in court charged with murder after the death of a 24-year-old man in Helliker, 26, of Halsdon Road, Exmouth, has been accused of murdering Denva Smith on 31 May in the was jointly charged with the murder along with Zac Davies, 23, of Hawthorn Grove, Exmouth; Dylan Chadwick, 23, of Cambourne Avenue, St Helens; Ben Mason, 23, of no fixed abode; and Thomas Ward, 24, of Russell Walk, said Mr Smith was pronounced dead from a stab wound at about 01:00 BST in a garden of a property in Ashfield Close, Exmouth. Helliker was remanded in custody and will appear before a judge at Exeter Crown Court on other defendants are due to appear in Exeter Crown Court in mid-July.
