Investigating Gaza aid site deaths and cost of Afghan resettlement plan
Date: 09:38 BST
Title: Welcome
Content: Matt MurphyBBC Verify senior journalist
Good morning from BBC Verify Live.
It's a busy morning here. Our fact-checkers, data journalists and verification specialists are working on these stories today:
All that to come, and later our fact-check team will be gearing up for Prime Minister's Questions, where Sir Keir Starmer will be grilled by Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch in the final clash before summer recess.
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Wolverhampton councillors to discuss new crime and safety strategy
A new strategy to prevent and tackle crime and promote community safety in Wolverhampton over the next four years will be discussed by councillors Safer Wolverhampton Partnership Strategy sets out plans to create "safer, healthier communities where people feel empowered and protected", City of Wolverhampton Council focuses on five themes: Violence, anti-social behaviour, safety of women and girls, alcohol and substance-related crime, and neighbourhood Obaida Ahmed, cabinet member for health, wellbeing and community, said the issues required an integrated response aligned with West Midlands Police's crime plan. The five priorities involve using intelligence to identify hot spot areas, expanding prevention measures and pursuing "robust enforcement where necessary".Public spaces should be improved enabling the safety of women and girls, young people should be educated on healthy behaviours and also a focus on disrupting drug supply crime would be addressed through community vigilance, education, and co-ordinated policing, the council strategy will be monitored and refreshed each year to adapt to any new crime trends and local authority said reported crime had fallen by 9.5% in the past year with declines in serious youth violence, domestic abuse, theft, robbery and burglary, anti-social behaviour and adult reoffending rates. 'Proud of achievements' There had also been significant work to prevent serious youth violence by investing in programmes in schools and the community.A new Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) in the city centre last summer contributed to about a 16% reduction in recorded crime within the perimeter, including a 50% drop in the number of robberies, the council added."Preventing and tackling crime and promoting community safety are very complex and require an integrated partnership response," Ahmed said."Working alongside the West Midlands Police and Crime Plan, this strategy sets out our plans for the next four years – to ensure residents feel safe and can live healthy lives in their community."We're proud of the partnership's achievements over the last few years and remain fully committed to early intervention, community empowerment, and collective responsibility."The draft strategy will be presented to members of the council's cabinet on Wednesday. Follow BBC Wolverhampton & Black Country on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
19 minutes ago
- BBC News
Belfast Pride: Head of NI Civil Service warned over involvement
The head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) was warned it would be "open to the charge of acting politically" by taking part in Belfast Brady was told by a senior adviser there would be "criticism for any decision the NICS takes", according to internal are due to participate in the LGBT parade on Saturday, but its involvement has been questioned by some politicians over impartiality NICS has said it is "committed to being an inclusive employer". In March, Belfast Pride decided to exclude Stormont executive parties from the summer parade for supporting a ban on puberty blockers for under blockers are drugs used to delay or prevent puberty happening and have sometimes been prescribed to children questioning their move by Belfast Pride led to a clash of opinions behind the scenes among senior NICS staff over how to respond, according to emails released through a Freedom of Information (FOI) one email, Ms Brady was told there would be "significant interest to the media and you will be the focus of the story"."It is fair to assume that there will be criticism for any decision the NICS takes," the correspondence from a senior communications adviser message said that "attending the parade leaves the NICS and you open to the charge of acting politically".But it added that "not attending also leaves you open to the charge that we are not living up to our commitments to be a fair and equitable employer". Ms Brady was advised that "there should be engagement at a political level before a final decision is taken" on a press separate emails, the Executive Office official advised having a "conversation with FMdFM (first minister and deputy first minister) and the finance minister" before finalising a official drafted a "holding line" which said the NICS would have internal discussions before making a decision on this year's Pride a senior Department of Finance (DoF) official responded: "For a number of reasons I don't think we should say that."The official added that NICS participation "as an employer" was "different to political attendance".A note of a meeting in June said the finance minister - Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd, whose department has responsibility for civil service matters - was "content for NICS to retain a presence at Pride".Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) criticised the continued involvement of NICS in the party's equality spokesperson Ann McClure said the NICS was "fully aware of the political sensitivities" but "pressed ahead regardless".She questioned whether deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly, of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), was consulted. In a statement the DUP said that NICS participation was "a decision for the head of the NI Civil Service, not ministers"."Public sector organisations should not be involved in political campaigns," a party spokesman Executive Office and Department of Finance have been approached for a previous statement, the DoF said the NICS was "committed to being an inclusive employer".It said the "Civil Service LGBTQ+ Staff Network has participated in the Belfast Pride parade since 2018"."The network plans to participate in the Pride parade as it has done since then," it NICS is one of Northern Ireland's largest employers with around 24,000 Belfast Pride parade is the main event in the city's annual LGBT festival, which involves more than 150 events across 10 days.
BBC News
19 minutes ago
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Wethersfield airbase asylum seeker numbers expected to rise 50%
The number of migrants being housed at a former RAF station could increase by 50%, the local district council leader has Wethersfield in Essex has been home to hundreds of single male asylum seekers since July Conservative leader of Braintree District Council, Graham Butland, said the authority was told last week that the current number of about 800 men could rise to 1, Home Office was approached for comment. Butland told a full council meeting on Monday that the Home Office was considering using its "temporary surge capacity" to meet the demand of asylum seekers arriving in the said "although no final decision has been made" numbers could rise "as soon as next week". In February, the government increased the capacity at Wethersfield from 580 to Conservative Home Secretary James Cleverly represents Wethersfield in a letter to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper he asked her to "urgently clarify the basis for this decision, the expected timeline, and how the Home Office intends to fulfil its obligations to the local authority and the local community going forward, especially in light of the current public concern and disorder just across the county in Epping".Independent councillor Michael Staines, who represents the Wethersfield area on Braintree District Council, said the news was a "huge concern".Butland cautioned councillors following the past week's protests and disturbances in Epping that "we do our utmost to keep the temperature on this down and not exacerbate the situation".The Home Office has said it is committed to providing a "more sustainable and cost-effective asylum accommodation system", compared with the higher cost of housing asylum seekers in Keir Starmer has refused to put a date on when the government might stop placing asylum seekers at Wethersfield. Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
