Ex-Tory MP Crispin Blunt still at centre of rape investigation 16 months after arrest
Former MP Crispin Blunt is still under investigation for rape and possession of controlled substances, 16 months after he was first arrested.
A minister and committee chair, the then Tory MP was suspended from the parliamentary party after police arrested him in October 2023.
He confirmed he was the subject of the probe at the time following reports of a Conservative parliamentarian being arrested.
After being arrested in October 2023, he was subsequently bailed. His bail ended in April 2024.
However, Surrey Police has confirmed to Sky News that Mr Blunt remains under investigation.
A spokesperson said: "A man in his 60s who was arrested on 25 October 2023 in Horley on suspicion of rape and possession of controlled substances was released on conditional police bail pending further enquiries.
"His bail ended on 23 April 2024 and was not extended, and he was released under investigation. This is reviewed every three months as a minimum. It was last reviewed in January and the man remains released under investigation until 2 April 2025."
Mr Blunt remained as the independent MP for Reigate until the 2024 election, in which he did not stand.
He had been the MP for the Surrey seat since 1997, and served as a justice minister under David Cameron, before later chairing the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.
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The Sun
15 minutes ago
- The Sun
Migrants in France branded ‘scum' by ‘hypocrite' French union boss whose cops are failing to stop boats crossing Channel
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Britain is already coughing up £476million for a deal with Emmanuel Macron's French government, under which border commanders in Calais are supposed to prevent crossings. 'Grow a backbone' A record 14,812 have already crossed this year — up 42 per cent in a year — with France now demanding even more cash to make its police force operate in the water. Ministers in Paris have long planned to change the law but now want more British taxpayers' cash to fund a new police unit with special powers to take on migrants. Vanhemelryck, 51, has resisted the change, raising the prospect that the powerful union baron is letting the crisis go on so more foreigners leave France. And in an interview in July last year, Vanhemelryck said of migrants: 'Even my Muslim colleagues are fed up with the scum, the pests, the young people of foreign origin in working-class neighbourhoods who are a pain and who are never punished.' Robert Jenrick, the Tory shadow justice secretary, said: 'No wonder the French union bosses are refusing to get their feet wet and stop migrant boats coming to Britain — they just want to see the back of them. 13 migrants jumped from the back of a lorry at a Sainsbury's distribution centre in South East London 'They don't care how many go to the UK. The French could end this disaster overnight if they wanted to. 'It's blindly obvious Starmer shouldn't gamble on them to stop the boats. He needs to grow a backbone and sort it out himself.' Everyone in Europe — including Vanhemelryk — needs to work to stop movement of illegal immigrants everywhere. Vanhemelryk must get with the programme or Europe will be overrun Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp raged: 'French Union boss Fabien Vanhemelryk is guilty of flagrant hypocrisy. 'He slams immigrants in France but then orders his union to refuse to do anything about illegal immigration over the Channel. 'Everyone in Europe — including Vanhemelryk — needs to work to stop movement of illegal immigrants everywhere. Vanhemelryk must get with the programme or Europe will be overrun.' Alliance sources say the union boss will fight to the end to stop his own officers from arresting migrants. The senior source said: 'People don't realise how dangerous it is to try and carry out arrests at sea while trying to force a boat to change course. 4 'If there are 80 people on an overcrowded boat, including women and children, then it is extremely dangerous to try and stop them. 'People can fall in the water, while others resist arrest — the potential for disaster, including further deaths, is immense. Turning us into sea police is not the way forward.' There have been ten migrant deaths in the Channel this year, prompting Alliance members to refuse to enter the water. The union even wants to hold fewer would-be boat crossers in French immigration detention. 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He added: 'If France doesn't want these migrants, why should British taxpayers foot the bill for their transport, housing, and clothing? 'It's time we held other countries accountable for the continuing invasion of our shores. 'They're actively enabling Channel crossings because they'd rather shift the problem onto us.' Home Secretary Yvette Cooper last week slammed French officials for not intercepting boats at sea 'as swiftly as possible'. A record 1,195 people reached the UK in 19 small boats last Saturday and officials are preparing for a summer surge as the weather improves. MIGRANTS' BREAK FAIL Exclusive by Thomas Godfrey TWO immigrants — one of them a child — were hiding in the luggage compartment of a coach full of schoolkids when it pulled into this motorway services. Underneath a coach returning from a school trip to France to get across the English Channel – after a surge in stowaway journeys. The pair of asylum seekers climbed into the luggage compartment as the bus brought back more than 50 children from a day trip to Boulogne on Friday. They snuck on before the coach boarded a ferry to Dover and got past Border Officials when it arrived in the UK. The migrants then remained in the storage section of the coach until it stopped at Birchanger Green service station on the M11, near Stansted Airport. Year 7 pupils and teachers, who had been on the French trip to learn how to order lunch in the native language, are said to have heard loud bangs coming from underneath the coach. It prompted the driver, from a local coach firm, to pull over and stop at the services. Two illegal immigrants, including a child, then emerged from their hiding spot in the vehicle. Both remained at the service station until they were detained by police shortly before 10pm. The students, from a small secondary school in Cambridgeshire, were taken inside the halt and told the coach had suffered an engine failure. It took an hour for the kids to be allowed back on the coach so the journey home could resume. A parent of one of the children on board said: 'The pupils were really tired because they had been up at 3am, and they were meant to get home at 10pm. 'Because of the hold-up to arrest the migrants, they didn't get back until well after 11pm. 'It's a total shock because they could have been any two people. Thankfully they did not try to do anything, but I feel uneasy knowing they were close to my child.' An Essex Police spokeswoman confirmed: 'We were alerted to concerns for the welfare of two people discovered under a bus on the M11 near Stansted on Friday evening. 'Officers were called out to a rest stop shortly before 10pm. 'One person has been taken into police custody, while one is being referred to social care.' It comes after we revealed 13 migrants targeted a lorry delivering supplies to a Sainsbury's distribution centre last week. Figures show there were 5,874 detections of illegal immigrants at ports on the continent, including Calais, Dunkirk and the Channel Tunnel in Coquelles. It is a rise of 22 per cent compared with 4,794 in 2023. While migrants crossing the Channel are easily recorded, lorry stowaways may reach the UK undetected. Many go on to obtain illegal cash-in-hand work or claim asylum and be housed in a hotel.
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
Kings Birthday Honours: How does the UK honours system work?
Details of the individuals recognised in the King's Birthday Honours list will be released on 14 June. Actor Stephen Fry, former England football manager Gareth Southgate and London Mayor Sadiq Khan were among those knighted in the most recent New Year Honours typically celebrate the contribution of well-known personalities, government employees and ordinary people who have served their community. When are UK honours awarded? Most UK honours are awarded at new year and on the monarch's official birthday in 2025 New Year Honours list also included an MBE for Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, and CBEs for services to drama for actresses Sarah Lancashire and Carey was a damehood for senior Labour MP Emily Thornberry, and OBEs for services to justice for four former sub-postmasters who took the Post Office to court over the Horizon IT 2024 King's Birthday Honours list created three new dames: the actress Imelda Staunton, designer Anya Hindmarch and artist Tracey Emin. 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When somebody is approved for an honour, they are sent a letter asking if they will accept it.A list of 277 people who turned down honours between 1951 and 1999 - and subsequently died - was made public following a BBC Freedom of Information included authors Roald Dahl, JG Ballard and Aldous Huxley, and painters Francis Bacon, Lucien Freud and LS Lowry. The late poet Benjamin Zephaniah rejected an OBE in 2003 because of the association with the British Empire and its history of musicians who declined a British honour Can an honour be removed? Some people have had their honours withdrawn by the Honours Forfeiture include disgraced former entertainer Rolf Harris, who went to prison for 12 indecent assaults on four girls, and Anthony Blunt, the former art adviser to the Queen who was revealed to be a Soviet spy. In January 2024, former Post Office boss Paula Vennells said she would hand back her CBE after facing mounting pressure over the Horizon IT months earlier, actor and TV presenter Alan Cumming returned his OBE over what he called the "toxicity" of the British Empire. What are the different types of honours? Knights and DamesThe honour of knighthood comes from the days of medieval chivalry, as does the method used to confer the knighthood - the accolade, or the touch of a sword, by the sovereign.A knight is styled "Sir" and their wife "Lady".Women receiving the honour are styled "Dame" but do not receive the honour is given for a pre-eminent contribution in any field of rank of Knight Commander (KBE) or Dame Commander (DBE), Order of the British Empire, appears on the Diplomatic Service and Overseas Order of the BathThe Order of the Bath is an order of chivalry and was founded in 1725 for service of the highest has a civil and military division and is awarded in the following ranks: Knight Grand Cross (GCB), Knight Commander (KCB) and Companion (CB).The Order takes its name from the symbolic bathing which, in former times, was often part of the preparation of a candidate for of St Michael and St GeorgeThis Order was founded by King George III in 1818 and is awarded to British subjects who have rendered extraordinary and important services abroad or in the in the Order are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCMG), Knight or Dame Commander (KCMG or DCMG) and Companion (CMG).Order of the Companions of HonourThis is awarded for service of conspicuous national importance and is limited to 65 people. Recipients are entitled to put the initials CH after their of the British EmpireKing George V created these honours during World War One to reward services to the war effort by civilians at home and service personnel in support ranks are Commander (CBE), Officer (OBE), and Member (MBE).They are now awarded for prominent national or regional roles, and to those making distinguished or notable contributions in their own specific areas of Empire Medal (BEM)The medal was founded in 1917 and was awarded for "meritorious" actions by civilians or military personnel, although the recipients did not attend a royal in 1993 by Conservative Prime Minister John Major, the BEM was revived in Victorian OrderBy 1896, prime ministers and governments had increased their influence over the distribution of awards and had gained almost total control of the response, Queen Victoria instituted The Royal Victorian Order as a personal award for services performed on behalf of the Royal ranks are Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO), Knight or Dame Commander (KCVO or DCVO), Commander (CVO), Lieutenant (LVO) and Member (MVO).Royal Victorian MedalAssociated with the Royal Victorian Order is the Royal Victorian Medal which has three grades: gold, silver and bronze. The circular medal is attached to the ribbon of the Red CrossFounded in 1883 by Queen Victoria, the award is confined to the nursing services. Those awarded the First Class are designated "Members" (RRC): those awarded the Second Class are designated "Associates" (ARRC).King's Police MedalAwarded for distinguished service in the police Fire Service MedalGiven to firefighters who have displayed conspicuous devotion to Ambulance Service MedalAwarded for distinguished service in the ambulance Gallantry MedalAwarded to civilians, for acts of exemplary Commendation for BraveryAwarded to civilians and all ranks of the British armed forces, for actions not in the presence of an Commendation for Bravery in the AirAwarded to civilians and all ranks of the British armed forces, for acts of bravery in the air not in the presence of an enemy.
Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Voters overwhelmingly back tax on wealthy to protect public services
A poll commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), found the public support tax increases on the wealthy and big businesses by a margin of almost two to one - 58% to 28% Voters overwhelmingly back taxing the wealthy more in order to protect public services, a new poll found today. The research, commissioned by the Trades Union Congress (TUC), found the public support tax increases on the wealthy and big businesses by a margin of almost two to one - 58% to 28%. And the number rises among people who switched their vote from the Tories to Labour in last year's election - where a mammoth 71% said they supported the idea, compared to 23% who did not. And Labour voters who are now strongly considering voting Reform also backed it by 61% to 32%. The new polling comes ahead of the Spending Review, which the TUC says can be the "next key step" in the government's plan to rebuild Britain and deliver industrial renewal. The TUC said the findings highlight the public's appetite for rebuilding public services - and suggested a "fairer" tax system should be part of plan. General Secretary Paul Nowak said: 'The Spending Review can be the next key step in the government's plan to rebuild Britain and deliver industrial renewal. 'Communities are still crying out for meaningful change after more than a decade of Tory austerity and neglect. 'That's why the government must stay on track – building on the positive start it made at last year's Budget by providing sustained funding for our public services and infrastructure. 'The global outlook is challenging, but leaving our decimated public services without sufficient investment would risk both future growth and public trust." The poll also found nearly 6 in 10 voters - 59% - believe the wealthiest don't pay their fare share. And a clear majority - 56% - said big businesses don't pay their fare share. More than two thirds (67%) said there were too many tax loopholes that could be exploited by the wealthy. Asked how more could be raised from the richest, two thirds backed an annual wealth tax on estates over £10 million. Some 63% backed a windfall tax on banks, and half said they supported increasing capital gains tax - the tax people pay on the profits from selling assets like property. 'The message from voters is clear," Mr Nowak said. "They want the government to protect and rebuild our public services. 'If that means asking the wealthiest to pay more, the public are behind it. People are fed up with a system where those with the broadest shoulders don't pull their weight.' Pollsters Hold Sway surveyed 2000 adults in Great Britain online between 30 May and 2 June.
