Latest news with #Dollimore
The National
18-06-2025
- Politics
- The National
Stephen Flynn clashes with Labour MP over PIP cuts on Politics Live
On Wednesday's BBC Politics Live, Labour MP Helena Dollimore attempted to defend her party's plans to change the eligibility criteria for Personal Independence Payments (PIP), which the UK Government's own analysis has said will push 250,000 people into poverty, including 50,000 children. SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn made sure these statistics were laid out as as Dollimore tried to argue Labour were helping to pull people out of poverty. Dollimore started by saying: "The clue is in the name. We are the Labour Party, we are the party of work, we believe in the benefits of people going to work when they can, but protecting those who can't work…" READ MORE: Scotland can 'go beyond mitigating Westminster' with minimum income guarantee Referencing his own experience in claiming disability benefits, Flynn then intercepted to say: "This isn't about people who can't work this is about disabled people, some of whom are already in work. "I claimed disability benefits, I was disabled for 18 years until I got a hip replacement a couple of years ago. I know the benefit of having access to disability living allowance as it was then, or personal independence payment. It can facilitate their ability to get to and from work, or to do the basic things, in some cases like being able to wash themselves. "You are going to put 250,000 people into poverty including 50,000 children. If you want to talk about the name of the Labour party, that is not it." (Image: BBC) The exchange then started to get more heated as the pair began speaking over each other. Dollimore went on: "This is about targeting the support of the welfare state at those who need it the most, those who can never work and giving support to those who want to work." But Flynn interjected to say: "Do you accept that 50,000 children are going to go into poverty as a result of your decision?" Dollimore tried to highlight some issues with the analysis, saying it didn't look at "positive measures we are taking to lift children and people out of poverty". READ MORE: Watch as journalist Peter Oborne calls out BBC double standards over Gaza But Flynn then pointed out how Labour had kept the two-child benefit cap in place, which several charities have said is the biggest driver of child poverty. He said: "Like lifting the two-child benefit cap? By matching the Scottish child payment? Do you believe in the two-child benefit cap? Of course you do. "If you want to talk about the policies and values of the Labour party, you've lost yourselves." Dollimore then exclaimed "don't talk over me, let me speak" to Flynn as the pair continued to argue. "In the budget we gave three million of the lowest paid workers a raise in the national minimum wage, that's worth £1400 a year, that helps lift people out of poverty, it makes work pay better, and that analysis you've talked about doesn't include any of that," she said. Laughing, Flynn replied: "It's your own analysis!" The UK Government's reforms to the welfare system are expected to have their first outing in Parliament on Wednesday. The Welfare Reform Bill will be introduced in the House of Commons, and its text will be published so MPs can begin scrutiny of the proposals. Alongside changing PIP criteria, ministers also want to cut the sickness related element of universal credit (UC), and delay access to it, so only those aged 22 and over can claim it. Ministers are likely to face a Commons stand-off with backbench Labour MPs over their plans, with dozens of them last month saying the proposals were 'impossible to support'.
Otago Daily Times
02-06-2025
- Otago Daily Times
'Cry for help' exposes man's serious addiction to 'child porn'
By Tracy Neal, Open Justice multimedia journalist Warning: This story covers topics including online child exploitation and attempted suicide that may be upsetting to some readers A South Island man's attempt at taking his own life opened a Pandora's Box on his addiction to child exploitation material. Now a judge has deemed the man's quick confession to the police was a cry for help but said it didn't excuse his actions. Nicolas Shaun Miller told the police after they found thousands of items of objectionable material on his computer that he had a 'serious addiction' to what he called 'child porn'. The confession to the police came about in 'unusual circumstances', Judge Jo Rielly said in the Nelson District Court. Crown prosecutor Daniel Baxter said it was a sad situation for all involved. Defence lawyer Mark Dollimore said in some ways, Miller's addiction had almost killed him. A boring, monotonous life The 31-year-old had been living alone in a caravan in Murchison, in the southern Tasman District, in what Dollimore described as 'squalid conditions'. Miller said he led a 'boring, monotonous life', and, when he was not working, he played video games and drank to excess. He no longer had much contact with family, he was alone and isolated, Dollimore said. He said that on November 17 last year when Miller had tried to end his life he had consumed cannabis, watched pornography and the reality of his situation and his addiction had overwhelmed him. Miller was taken to Nelson Hospital and treated for serious self-inflicted wounds. 'He came very close to killing himself. It was touch and go for him in ICU,' Dollimore said. Miller later said he had tried to take his own life because he knew he had a serious problem that he struggled with, but didn't know where to reach out for help. Miller believed his addiction might lead to contact offending with a child which he feared he might not be able to resist, and that he favoured a 'particular type' which he himself found abhorrent, Judge Rielly said. A cry for help She said Miller's effort to speak up was a cry for help, but it didn't excuse the illegal behaviour. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison on seven charges, one of which was a representative charge, of knowingly possessing an objectionable publication. It wasn't until after mental health services had assessed Miller in November that a police investigation followed and he was charged. Miller had told a mental health staff member that he had been viewing 'child porn' for the previous two or three years, and the police were notified. After a search of his address, several electronic items, including a computer tower, were seized. Forensic examination of the tower suggested it contained objectionable material on about 16,000 files. A subsequent search confirmed 14,146 items as objectionable. Miller had also accessed websites that had bestiality content on them. The representative charge covered an 'extensive number' of images found on a hard drive, some of which were classified as the most serious of their type. Miller told the police that he viewed the images daily because they 'excited him' but he knew he had a major problem. Miller also told the police he understood that viewing child exploitation material was not a victimless crime, and that children endured 'horrific atrocities' in the making of such material, fuelled by viewers such as himself. He 'fessed up' early Dollimore said Miller had 'fessed up' early and had co-operated with the police in every way he could, and that he was desperate for help. Baxter said it was Miller's honesty that led to his offending coming to light, and the Crown was not opposed to credit being given for Miller's request for help. Judge Rielly said that from everything Miller had said, not only was he feeling extremely low about himself, but he was also very concerned about where his addiction might lead him. 'This was a very tragic situation that led to you disclosing what had been going on. It has to be said at that time you had insight that you needed, and wanted,help.' Judge Rielly said Miller also knew his behaviour could change for the worse and he did not want that to happen. In setting a prison starting point at five years, Judge Rielly said although Miller's relationship with his family was now strained, he had not sought to blame anything about his background for his offending. He was given credit for his early guilty plea and for demonstrating his remorse, his shame, his insight into the offending and his readiness to rehabilitate, to arrive at a sentence of three-and-a-half years on the representative charge and two-and-a-half years on the remaining charges, to be served concurrently. Miller was automatically registered as a child sex offender. Where to get help: • Lifeline: Call 0800 543 354 or text 4357 (HELP) (available 24/7) • Suicide Crisis Helpline: Call 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)• Youth services: (06) 3555 906 • Youthline: Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 • What's Up: Call 0800 942 8787 (11am to 11pm) or webchat (11am to 10.30pm) • Depression helpline: Call 0800 111 757 or text 4202 (available 24/7)• Helpline: Need to talk? Call or text 1737 • Aoake te Rā (Bereaved by Suicide Service): Call 0800 000 053 If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
The Guardian
11-03-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Give back taxpayers' cash for failed ‘fun factory', Hastings MP tells Tory donor
The Conservative donor Lubov Chernukhin is facing calls to hand back £150,000 of taxpayer cash given to her company to help fund a 'fun factory' and amusement arcade in Hastings that closed after less than a year. Helena Dollimore, the Labour MP for Hastings and Rye, said the town now 'wants its money back' after the venture known as Owens failed, leaving a depressing boarded-up shopfront dominating the high street. She said Chernukhin, who recently donated £70,000 to the shadow foreign secretary, Priti Patel, should refund the money now that the project was in administration. Dollimore called on Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, not to accept any more donations from Chernukhin unless the grant were returned. Chernukhin, a businesswoman who has given more than £2m to the Conservatives since 2014 and is married to a former Russian finance minister, co-founded the Owens entertainment centre in the East Sussex seaside town in October 2022. The centre received £150,000 from Boris Johnson's town deal funds after a tender process. At its launch, Chernukhin claimed the venture would help rejuvenate the town by bringing more than 45 jobs and lots of visitors to Hastings. It included several restaurants, a bowling alley, immersive experiences, virtual reality rides, an oddity museum and amusement arcade. Despite this and her £4m investment, the centre abruptly shut its doors in September 2023. Dollimore told the Commons on Monday that Hastings council was trying to recover the £150,000 grant given to Chernukhin's venture but that it had not so far been successful, and the company behind it was now in administration. 'The reason I am here speaking about this is that Owens has come to symbolise for our community much more than a mere eyesore,' she said. 'Did Ms Chernukhin, a millionaire owner, really need a top-up from the taxpayer to fund such a venture? Was that truly the best use of the money given to Hastings to improve our town? None of that makes any sense to my constituents. 'Owens closed shortly after opening, and the deserted, boarded-up building now dominates our town centre in Hastings. The staff were laid off with no notice, and many people who supplied the business and helped with the building work have said that they have not been paid for their work. The closure of Owens, which is now covered in wooden boarding, leaves a stain on our community.' Dollimore said that in the time the project had been closed, Chernukhin had donated more than £150,000 to the Conservatives. She added: 'Ms Chernukhin should donate the money she received from the taxpayer back to the people of Hastings. Used well, it could go a very long way to fixing our broken paving stones and bus shelters. Lubov Chernukhin, we want our money back. Until that money is repaid in full to our community, the Conservative party should not take a penny in donations from her.' Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion A spokesperson for Chernukhin said: 'Mrs Chernukhin was not involved in the application process for the towns fund grant. Lubov was not a director at the time – she was appointed in February 2023 – and she was only informed of the grant just before the opening of the centre in October 2022. 'As a British citizen, Mrs Chernukhin is entitled to make donations to political parties as she sees fit. All her donations have been declared in accordance with the rules of the Electoral Commission, and derive from her own private wealth.' A Conservative party spokesperson said government policy was 'in no way dictated by party donations'. They added: 'Ms Lubov Chernukhin has lived in Britain for many years and is a British citizen, which gives her the democratic and legal right to donate to a political party. 'All donations to the Conservative party are received in good faith, after appropriate due diligence, from permissible sources. 'Donations are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and comply fully with the law.'
BBC News
14-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Eurostar: MPs call for Ashford and Ebbsfleet services to resume
Eurostar services in Kent should resume to provide a "vital" transport connection for Sussex and Kent residents, a group of MPs has train company's services through Ashford and Ebbsfleet were suspended in March 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic and have not resumed in the nearly five years MP Helena Dollimore said the international rail services were "hugely important" for the South East as she joined a group of Kent MPs lobbying the government for its Casenave, Eurostar chief executive, said the company was committed reviewing its position in 2026. Dollimore said: "I will continue to keep the pressure on Eurostar and hold them to account for their decision to suspend services to Ashford."The Labour government supports the resumption of these services, which were hugely important to us in Hastings, Rye and the villages.""Ashford International was opened with huge taxpayer investment under the last Labour government. We expect them to deliver on the responsibility they have to our local communities to resume this vital connection."Dollimore joined a group of Kent Labour MPs including Sojan Joseph, Lauren Edwards, Tony Vaughan and Polly Billington to meet with rail minister Lord Peter Hendy over said she also met with Gwendoline Cazenave, Eurostar's chief executive, last week to call for services to Branson's Virgin Group, Dutch company Heuro and Spain's Evolyn have expressed interest in competing with a statement, Ms Cazenave said it was currently focusing on core routes from London and would review its position in added: "I would like to reassure our partners in Kent that we will continue to evaluate all options moving forward, and we remain open to engaging with stakeholders as the situation evolves."
