Change? You won't hear it in Rachel Reeves's Mansion House speech
These days it's a smoothly choreographed occasion when the chancellor has the chance to re-heat plans leaked many times before. It's a time for the monetary Kremlinologists to scrutinise the words of the governor of the Bank of England for the most microscopic change in thinking. Big surprises are rare. There is nothing to set the crème caramels a-wobble.
For real shocks you have to go back to 1911, when David Lloyd George shook the world with a Mansion House speech that made plain Britain would take up arms if its interests were threatened. Count Metternich, Germany's ambassador in London, later described the speech as 'a thunderbolt', and we were at war three years later.
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The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Labour councillor ‘called for far-right protesters' throats to be slit'
A Labour councillor called for far-right protesters' throats to be slit during a 'rabble-rousing' speech at an anti-racism protest, a court has heard. In the wake of rioting following the Southport murders, Ricky Jones, 58, described demonstrators as 'disgusting Nazi fascists', his trial was told. The now-suspended councillor had been told by the Labour Party to stay away from the protest, but turned up anyway, jurors heard. A video showing Jones addressing the crowd in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year went viral on social media after the protest. Wearing a black polo top and surrounded by cheering supporters, the councillor said: 'They are disgusting Nazi fascists. We need to cut all their throats and get rid of them all.' He also drew his finger across his throat as he spoke to the 'tinderbox' crowd. The demonstration had been organised in response to plans for a far-right march outside Waltham Forest Immigration Bureau, jurors at Snaresbrook Crown Court were told. It followed the nationwide violent disorder that occurred last summer after the Southport murders. Prosecutor Ben Holt said Jones used 'inflammatory, rabble-rousing language in the throng of a crowd that we will hear described as a tinderbox'. Opening the case on Monday, Mr Holt said: 'Last summer, three young girls were killed at a dance-themed party in Southport. 'There was some hysteria… Some of that grief manifested itself in anger, and regrettably, violence.' The incidents brought out counter-protests, one of which Jones decided to go to, the prosecutor said. 'He attended in the face of considered advice not to do so,' Mr Holt added. 'At Walthamstow that day, rumours had spread that there was going to be a protest outside an immigration centre. 'During that event, he made a speech, amplified through a public address system, to the crowd. 'He called the other side disgusting Nazi fascists. He said that their throats needed to be slit. 'He drew his finger along his throat as he said that. 'This, in a setting where, we suggest, violence could readily have been anticipated. 'We ask rhetorically, what did Mr Jones think was going to happen?' In the days before the protest, the councillor had been warned to stay away by his party. A letter sent to him said: 'With heightened tensions in many areas of the country due to the threat of further violent disorder, we wanted to remind all Labour party councillors to follow the clear advice issued by the police which is not to take part in, attend or encourage others to attend, any sort of demonstration or counter demonstration.' Jones, of Dartford, who denies one count of encouraging violent disorder, told police he was 'sorry' he made the comments 'in the heat of the moment', and had not intended for them to be 'taken literally', Mr Holt said. The councillor also told police he was upset having been sent pictures of National Front stickers that had been left on a train, which had razor blades hidden behind them. Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident. The trial continues.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
‘Draconian and foolish': Starmer faces backlash as hundreds arrested during Palestine Action protest
Keir Starmer is facing an angry backlash over the arrest of hundreds of people during a protest over Palestine Action on Saturday, after it emerged that more than half of those held were over 60. The prime minister was warned by veteran backbencher Diane Abbott that the government was in danger of making itself look 'both draconian and foolish'. And former Labour cabinet minister Peter Hain described the mass arrests as 'madness' , as he said that Palestine Action was not 'equivalent to real terrorist groups like Al Qaeda or Islamic State why I voted against its ban'. It came after a government minister earlier in the day warned that supporters would "feel the full force of the law". The Metropolitan Police force confirmed on Sunday that 532 arrests were made, 522 held for displaying an item in support of a proscribed organisation. The majority of those arrested, 348, were aged 50 or over, according to a breakdown published by the Met Police on Sunday. The force had warned before Saturday's protest, which took place in Parliament Square on Saturday organised by Defend Our Juries, that it would detain anyone expressing support for Palestine Action. The force says it will spend the coming weeks putting together case files and securing charges against those arrested. Victims minister Alex Davies-Jones told BBC Breakfast on Monday that the 'right to peacefully protest in this country is a cornerstone of our democracy, and of course, we respect that. 'But with regards to Palestine Action, they are a proscribed terrorist organisation and their actions have not been peaceful. 'They have violently carried out criminal damage to RAF aircraft. 'We have credible reports of them targeting Jewish-owned businesses here in the United Kingdom, and there are other reasons, which we can't disclose because of national security. "But they are a prescribed terrorist organisation and anyone showing support for that terrorist organisation will feel the full force of the law.' Posting to social media following Ms Davies-Jones' remarks, former Labour MP Diane Abbott - who now sits as an independent - warned: 'The government is in danger of making itself look both draconian and foolish.' Ms Abbott was suspended from the Labour party for a second time last month after saying she did not regret past comments where she said that people of colour experienced racism 'all their lives' - claiming that was different from the 'prejudice' experienced by Jewish people, Irish people and Travellers. Membership of, or support for, Palestine Action is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 years in prison under the Terrorism Act 2000. Securing a charge for an offence under the Terrorism Act will, in some instances, require approval by both the Crown Prosecution Service and Attorney General Lord Hermer, police said. Charity Amnesty International previously described the number of arrests under UK terrorism law as 'deeply concerning'. Meanwhile, Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori said the Parliament Square demonstration would 'go down in our country's history as a momentous act of collective defiance of an unprecedented attack on our fundamental freedoms'. She also criticised the policing methods used on Saturday, claiming that the fact most of those arrested at the protest were 'given street bail and allowed to go home' proved the current ban was 'unenforceable'.
The Independent
7 minutes ago
- The Independent
Small boats migrants from Muslim countries pose sexual assault risk
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