Latest news with #GarethRoberts
Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Met Police to close half its 24/7 front desks
The UK's largest police force is set to close nearly half its public front counters as it battles a £260mn black hole in its budget. Only 19 Metropolitan Police counters will remain open across the capital, down from 37, with only eight operating around the clock. The Met insisted most Londoners use their phones to flag crimes, with only five per cent of crimes reported at front counters. But sources inside City Hall say frontline officers were left blindsided by the move, finding out about the cuts just hours before the official announcement. Police chiefs said the decision was necessary to 'protect other services' as the force tried to plug the funding gap. Gareth Roberts, the Liberal Democrat Assembly member, blamed 'Labour's refusal to properly fund policing in the capital'. Susan Hall, the Conservative Assembly member, said she was 'apoplectic' and described the decision as 'Sadiq Khan's callous choice to underfund our Met Police'. She said it means Londoners will 'lose another avenue to report the crime they experience'. It comes just weeks after Selina Scott, the former ITV News at Ten anchor, was assaulted and robbed in central London. She said she couldn't find a police officer to report the crime to, adding: 'I resolved to find a police officer, but despite walking up and down some of London's busiest central areas – down Jermyn Street, along Piccadilly and over to Leicester Square – I saw none.' The Met said the proposals would help free up officers for street patrols and neighbourhood policing, with more PCSOs and officers planned. But with just one counter per basic command unit – covering three boroughs at a time – there are fears that many Londoners will be left without reasonable access to in-person police contact. The move has drawn sharp condemnation from the Conservatives and some Labour members. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said it was an example of 'a Labour Government and Labour Mayor trashing policing in London'. He added: 'Labour has shut down half the public counters where people can speak to the police face-to-face and forced the Met to cut 1,500 officers this financial year alone. This is not backing our police, it's dismantling frontline policing when communities need it most. 'Now, over 1,800 more police jobs are on the line because of Labour's reckless police funding decisions. The message is clear – Labour won't back our police and they won't back action to cut crime. 'A Labour Government and Labour Mayor are trashing policing in London. Conservatives left behind record ever police numbers but now Labour is letting down the police and exposing the public to risk from dangerous criminals.' Len Duvall, the Labour Assembly chairman, said that the announcement 'goes to the heart of trust and confidence in the Met' whilst calling for the decision to be urgently reconsidered. A spokesperson for the Met said: 'Given the Met's budget shortfall and shrinking size, it is no longer sustainable to keep all front counters open. That's why we have taken the tough choice to pursue some closures and a reduction in hours, allowing us to focus resources relentlessly on tackling crime and putting more officers into neighbourhoods across London.' A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: 'Any change to the number of police front counters or their opening times is an operational decision for the Met, based on resources, funding and public demand for services.'
Techday NZ
08-07-2025
- Business
- Techday NZ
Ingram Micro responds to ransomware incident impacting internal systems
Ingram Micro has confirmed a ransomware attack targeting its internal systems, leading to operational disruption and an ongoing effort to restore affected services. The global technology distributor issued a statement acknowledging the incident and outlining steps taken to secure its environment and mitigate potential damage. "Ingram Micro recently identified ransomware on certain of its internal systems," the company said in a statement issued on 5 July. "Promptly after learning of the issue, the Company took steps to secure the relevant environment, including proactively taking certain systems offline and implementing other mitigation measures. The Company also launched an investigation with the assistance of leading cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement." The company is currently focused on restoring affected systems and minimising disruption to business operations. "Ingram Micro is working diligently to restore the affected systems so that it can process and ship orders, and the Company apologises for any disruption this issue is causing its customers, vendor partners, and others," the statement read. Expert voices warn on supply chain risks Industry experts have highlighted the growing risks associated with third-party access in the wake of the attack. Gareth Roberts, Head of Delivery at tmc3, a Qodea company, said: "It is crucial to remember that organisations are only as secure as their weakest link. Therefore, assessing the security practices of third-party suppliers and ensuring that data protection standards are being upheld is vital to a company's security posture." Roberts underscored the importance of communication and transparency throughout the supply chain, noting that technical safeguards also play a key role in preventing such incidents. "To further protect information, businesses can implement specific technical measures such as strong encryption for data both in transit and at rest, which makes it unreadable to unauthorised users. Additionally, enforcing access controls and multi-factor authentication (MFA) helps ensure that sensitive data is only accessible to those who require it," he advised. Alleged threat actor and industry context The ransomware incident at Ingram Micro has reportedly been linked to a group known as SafePay, which allegedly accessed the company's systems via a compromised virtual private network (VPN). Jim Routh, Chief Trust Officer at Saviynt, commented: "The attack on Ingram Micro allegedly by SafePay is another example of the preference for threat actors to use compromised credentials to penetrate proprietary systems, in this case, gaining access to the virtual private network of Ingram Micro. Enterprises have an opportunity to improve their identity security capabilities to resist these types of attacks in the future." Chris Hauk, Consumer Privacy Champion at Pixel Privacy, provided further context regarding the threat landscape. "With the toppling of LockBit and ALPHV, this has opened up 'opportunities' for upstart ransomware groups like SafePay. The group first gained fame with an early high-profile SafePay ransomware attack on UK telematics business Microlise, with SafePay claiming to have stolen 1.2 terabytes of data and demanding payment in less than 24 hours. However, little remains known about the group," Hauk noted. Hauk added: "The reports I've seen indicate the group moves quickly, with fast encryption times, seeing attacks typically move from system breach to deployment in less than 24 hours." He emphasised that organisations can protect against similar threats by implementing a series of robust security measures. "Organisations can protect against SafePay and similar types of ransomware attacks by placing strict access controls on their systems, strong authentication like multi-factor authentication, monitoring for newly discovered vulnerabilities, and implementing secure VPN connections to provide remote access," Hauk said. Ongoing investigation and mitigation efforts Ingram Micro's statement did not specify the extent of the disruption or when full system restoration is expected. The company has engaged leading cybersecurity experts to support its investigation and has notified relevant law enforcement authorities. The company also apologised for any inconvenience experienced by its customers and partners as a result of the incident. As the investigation continues, Ingram Micro's experience underscores the persistent threat posed by ransomware and highlights the critical importance of vigilance, secure access management, and strong supply chain security practices within the IT sector.
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Central Contracts strengthens OEM partnerships
Central Contracts, the independent leasing broker trading as has announced a series of strengthened partnerships with major motor manufacturers, resulting in improved offers for its customers. Through closer collaboration with OEMs such as Kia, Toyota, and Stellantis, the company has gained access to enhanced vehicle stock, better pricing, and shorter lead times on high-demand models. According to the business, 75% of its volume over the past 12 months has come through direct manufacturer agreements, contributing to what it describes as a record year. The company has also maintained an average customer renewal rate of 45%, which it attributes to improved communication and service levels. Gareth Roberts, strategy director at Central Contracts, said the improved customer proposition is the result of a long-term strategy to engage more closely with manufacturers. 'We are now in a position to offer more competitive leasing options by building stronger OEM relationships and delivering on expectations,' he said. The company also points to broader market conditions as contributing factors. While the BVRLA reports a slight decline in the overall leasing broker fleet, Central Contracts has seen continued growth, particularly in the personal contract hire (PCH) segment. The recent interest rate cut has further supported consumer affordability. 'At a time when many consumers are managing tighter budgets, the lower interest rate environment enables us to offer more value,' Roberts added. Central Contracts says it expects its OEM partnerships to play a key role in future growth, supporting both customer acquisition and retention through improved vehicle availability and pricing. "Central Contracts strengthens OEM partnerships" was originally created and published by Motor Finance Online, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Spectator
01-07-2025
- Business
- Spectator
Why corporations won't let Pride die
Pride month has finally come to an end. Did you notice? There has definitely been a reduction in the number of parades, banners, and flags this year. As Gareth Roberts wrote here, Pride has been damaged by its internal contradictions and the Supreme Court's common-sense ruling on what a woman is. Still, hopeful as all this is, it seems that for some corporations, Pride still refuses to die. Whilst shopping I recently saw a jar of Marmite. Its label urged me to 'Stand with Pride.' The flag accompanying the statement included the transgender stripes, naturally. Meanwhile, Marks and Spencer's social media profile pictures were changed to the alphabet flag, not forgetting the intersex circle. Throughout Pride month, M&S matched customer donations to the homeless charity 'akt'. We can argue the merits of corporate philanthropy, and few would object to helping the homeless. But akt doesn't appear to support all homeless individuals, only those who happen to not be heterosexual. It's preferential charitable giving based on sexuality. Other brands go further. Shake Shack, the popular milkshake shop, has launched their 'Pride Shake'. Don't panic if you missed it: it is available until 7 July. For every milkshake sold, they will donate £1 to LGBTQ+ charities. Such charities include Not A Phase, whose mission is 'uplifting and improving the lives of trans+ adults.' Their attempts to achieve this mission have involved 'growing the UK trans+ economy', and condemning those who want to protect males from competing in female sports. Why are brands still throwing money at charities promoting an ideology that the public rejects but which they are ultimately being forced to pay for? The answer is ESG: Environmental, Social, and Governance, a set of standards supposedly measuring the ethical impact of businesses, but which usually just serves to keep the money flowing to questionable yet fashionable causes. This is what is keeping Pride month alive. Whilst the 'E' does much damage to returns as companies are coerced into spending money on unprofitable windmills and solar farms, the 'S' gives us rainbow logos and compulsory trans donations. Increasingly, to access investment, companies must prioritise ESG. This is because most institutional investors in Britain have launched ESG funds and increasingly invest savers' money into these funds by default. They claim this is because of the good that ESG achieves. A cynic might suggest it is because of the higher management fees that ESG justifies. Therefore, to access investment, companies prostrate themselves in front of the ESG ratings agencies, who have largely unchecked power. To receive top points from these agencies, companies must excel in the 'social' category. Obviously social factors are subjective and not easily quantifiable. As such, it is not enough to simply be a thoughtful employer who pays equal work equally. Rather, firms must brandish their commitment publicly, ensuring that when the ratings agencies seek proof of companies' social commitment, it is easy to find. It is no coincidence that the firms which top Stonewall's equality index tend to receive top points in the ESG rankings. The ESG and DEI reports of big brands make this plain. Unilever, the parent company of Marmite, have an entire section of their DEI report dedicated to explaining, 'how our brands are confronting bias and discrimination' – as if Vaseline is the next Martin Luther King. Unilever are also recipients of Stonewall's gold status award for being a leading LGBTQ+ employer and have an AA sustainability rating, one of the highest scores available from ratings agency MSCI. Shake Shack's donation to a transgenderism charity, meanwhile, is not a humble humanitarian mission which they modestly pursue. In their ESG reports they boast that their Pride Shake is part of 'a strong history of supporting the LGBTQ+ community and rolling out national Pride'. This has clearly had the desired effect as they have received the Equality 100 award in LGBTQ+ workplace equality. There are a number of criteria for receiving this award. One which stands out is the requirement for 'Philanthropic support of at least one LGBTQ+ organisation.' Are the executives of these companies true believers in Pride? Some surely are and would fly the flag regardless. Many, however, play along simply because otherwise they would lose access to vital capital. But companies should not be manipulated into pushing an agenda that is increasingly rejected by the public and underlying shareholders. The shifting public mood and consistent financial underperformance means that ESG will not remain viable for long. In the meantime, individuals who are pleased to see the decline of Pride Month should ensure their money is kept away from funds engaged in ESG.
Spectator
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Woolworths cancels The Spectator
The Spectator has thousands of readers in South Africa, many of whom get their weekly magazine from Woolworths, the country's upmarket retailer. Not any longer. Woolworths has taken the bizarre decision to stop selling The Spectator. The apparent trigger? Gareth Roberts's 'End of the rainbow' cover story. Does Woolworths really think its shoppers can't cope with encountering such an image on their weekly grocery shop? The issue featuring that article hit newsstands at the end of May, on the eve of Pride month – just as Woolworths launched its own storewide rainbow campaign. It seems that Roberts's piece, in which he argues that Pride's fall can't come soon enough, prompted a review of Woolworths's decision to stock The Spectator. The retailer appears to have decided that stocking the magazine is incompatible with its Pride campaign – and it has removed The Spectator from its shelves. Roberts, who is gay, wrote that: '2025 is the year the genderist movement finally started to break apart. It has been a mad, wild ride. I'm sure there's more to come, but after many false alarms it feels like a corner has finally been turned. The collapsing of Pride under the weight of its own internal contradictions is a sure sign that the jig is up.' The piece was accompanied by an illustration featuring the 'intersex-inclusive Pride flag' – a kaleidoscope of rectangles, triangles and even a circle in thirteen different shades – being painted over. Does Woolworths really think its shoppers can't cope with encountering such an image on their weekly grocery shop? If so, it's quite an assumption about the moral values of its customers. The Spectator asked Woolworths about its recent decision to delist the magazine. It didn't respond. Whatever the reason for the store's decision, it's a shame that some South African readers weren't offered the chance to pick the issue up and learn how iterations of Pride are collapsing under the weight of their contradictions. For readers in South Africa, The Spectator is still available in Exclusive Books stores nationwide or you can subscribe from as little as R49
